Chapter 54: Spring Hunt
The grass is growing and the birds are singing, and it is time for spring hunting.
The emperor likes lively occasions, and not only invited many ministers and their families, but also specially allowed the candidates who were on the list of candidates this year to accompany him.
The grand procession left Chang'an and headed northwest towards Mulan Paddock.
The enclosure here is nestled between mountains and water, with beautiful scenery. There is also a small stream formed by the meltwater from the distant snow-capped mountains flowing through it, making it extremely suitable for camping and playing.
The Jinwu Guards had already surveyed the entire area of the enclosure, which was more than ten miles in radius, and chose a place with abundant water and grass to set up camp and prepare a banquet.
They said they came to hunt, but in fact most of the women came for an outing. After a bumpy ride, they set up a low table and sat down to rest and chat.
They were covered in layers of silk and satin, and of course they were unwilling to do dirty and tiring work. When someone hunted game, the servants would roast it and serve it on plates for them to enjoy.
Lu Zhaoyang was different. She had never really hunted before, at most she'd just run around the horse farm. Before she arrived, she'd already decided to make herself a fox scarf, or at least a pair of rabbit fur gloves.
Therefore, Lu Zhaoyang and Jiang Ran, dressed in riding clothes, stood out in the crowd.
Xu Qingwan saw them at a glance, pretending to be mysterious and chatting with the people next to her.
"Do you know why Jiang Ran wanted to hide away as soon as he arrived?"
"Why? What's going on? Tell me quickly." The man had wanted to curry favor with her for a long time, and when he saw Xu Qingwan took the initiative to talk to him, he responded very enthusiastically.
"You don't know yet, right? She and Prime Minister Lu just got married, and after only three days, she ran back to her parents' home crying." Xu Qingwan spoke with certainty, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.
"Yeah, I heard that too."
"Not only that, I heard he was beaten. Even Lord Lu was so angry that he started beating him. You can imagine how serious his mistake was..."
"Could it be..."
Their voices were quite loud, and Jiang Ran didn't take it seriously. Lu Zhaoyang couldn't stand it anymore, and immediately stepped forward to teach these gossips a lesson.
Before he could go forward, he saw a man walking towards him from a distance in the backlight, holding a sable fur cloak in his hand.
When they got closer, a lady recognized Lu Yu and teased Xu Qingwan, "Your husband is here to see you."
"Oh, you're newlyweds, you have such a good relationship. I couldn't help but come to see you after just a short separation."
Xu Qingwan lowered her head and smiled shyly. These days after their marriage, they were indeed inseparable.
Before she got married, she had some complaints about Lu Yu, but later she found that he was really clingy and could coax her into a state of confusion with just a few words.
She thought Lu Yu was just a young man who had tasted the sweetness of life, but she didn't know that Lu Yu's daily hatred for her was caused by Madam Lu. Firstly, it was to cover up the fact that he had a son from another family, and secondly, she thought that having a grandson would make the Prime Minister help him more wholeheartedly.
"I have always been afraid of cold, and my husband is probably afraid that I will be cold." Xu Qingwan looked proud, but she pretended to be embarrassed.
There were several ladies nearby, and they all said that they were particularly afraid of the cold when they were pregnant.
These words really touched Xu Qingwan's heart. She stroked her belly gently, wishing she could have a child as soon as possible so that she could have a formality in her husband's family and have something to look forward to in the future.
As he spoke, Lu Yu had already reached the women's camp.
The customs of the Great Zhou were open, and unmarried men and women could even meet each other in public. So when they saw a foreign man approaching, the girls around them didn't hide away, but instead watched curiously from the side.
Lu Yu is not bad looking, and one of the brave girls even said to Xu Qingwan: "I want to find a husband like this in the future, one who loves people."
"Not only is he caring, but Mr. Lu has passed the imperial examination this time, so he should be entering the government soon, right? He has a bright future."
The people around him flattered her even more, making Xu Qingwan very happy. She just complained that Lu Yu didn't walk faster, even faster!
Everyone looked at him eagerly, but unexpectedly, Lu Yu did not come towards them, but went straight to Jiang Ran.
Xu Qingwan's face turned pale, and she almost bit her red lips. She stared straight in that direction, wishing she could eat her alive.
Lu Yu was completely unaware of Xu Qingwan's anger.
"Aran, I couldn't even talk to you the last time I saw you."
Lu Yu had no eyes for anyone else. He was absent-minded the whole way. Seeing that his uncle was busy dealing with the emperor, he ran to find Jiang Ran.
Jiang Ran felt that his words came out of nowhere. What could they say?
Lu Zhaoyang, with a vigilant look on his face, protected her behind him and disdained Lu Yu for the eighth time. He also didn't know how to avoid suspicion. There were a lot of people here, but he didn't go to find his wife, but went to find his aunt.
"I received your wedding gift a few days ago, but I haven't thanked you yet." Lu Yu continued to talk to himself.
"No need to be so polite. They were all picked by Butler Wu, as long as you are satisfied." Jiang Ran said politely and was about to walk around him.
But Lu Yu didn't believe it at all.
When he received the gift, he couldn't wait to open it. He stared at the pair of jade rings for a long time, and scenes from the past came to his mind.
He and Jiang Ran had once agreed that before they got married, they would forge a pair of jade rings as a token of their love. If he turned unfaithful, she would smash the jade rings and never reconcile with him.
Now that he has married someone else, she still remembers and gives him the jade chain as a gift.
She didn't dare admit that he understood, as long as he was aware of her friendship.
Lu Yu's mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, and he didn't know where to begin. He extended the cloak in his hand forward and said, "It's warm and cold now, and it's easy to catch a cold. Ah Ran, you're wearing too little. Put on something to keep out the wind."
"Who wants your things? We want to go hunting on horseback, and they'll be in the way." Lu Zhaoyang scolded.
It would be fine if he just talked, but he also wanted to give me something, which I absolutely couldn't accept.
Jiang Ran didn't want to get entangled with him, so she pulled Lu Zhaoyang and signaled her to leave quickly.
They didn't want to pay attention, but someone wouldn't give in.
Xu Qingwan was the one who cared the most about face. She had just been flattered and was waiting for Lu Yu to show his courtesy, but she was slapped in the face in front of everyone. She was already furious and rushed over to snatch the cloak.
She didn't question why Lu Yu was pestering her, but instead yelled at Jiang Ran: "Do you have any shame? You're already married and you're still seducing Lu Lang."
Jiang Ran knew that Lu Weiqing was busy today and didn't want to cause trouble, so he just tolerated it.
But someone was taking advantage of her, and she couldn't justify not fighting back.
Jiang Ran pointed at her, tapped her solar plexus twice, and said loudly, "You have a head disease. If you don't treat it, it will get worse."
"You!" Xu Qingwan stretched out her index finger, shaking with anger.
Jiang Ran saw the beads on her wrist and suddenly understood. "Oh, you don't have money to see a doctor, so you have to believe in Buddhism."
"What nonsense are you talking about!?"
"I really envy you for taking such good care of your skin."
Xu Qingwan was so angry that she grabbed Lu Yu's hand and looked like she was about to faint. She cried out in grievance: "Lu Lang——"
"Do you think calling him will help?"
"I think you are really like Wu Dalang who drinks medicine and refills his cup. You don't know whether you live or die."
Jiang Ran ended a war of words with a resounding complaint.
Even Lu Zhaoyang was shocked by her fighting ability and gave her a thumbs up: "You are worthy of being my closed disciple, you have made great progress!"
Lu Weiqing noticed the chaos here and took the time to come over to take a look. He just heard the end of the quarrel and was surprised at how quickly his little girl had made progress in learning these things.
When Xu Qingwan saw him coming, she felt a secret anticipation in her heart. She said to Lu Weiqing shyly, "Uncle, please give me your opinion."
Lu Weiqing glanced at her, then naturally took Jiang Ran's hand and said calmly, "I'm here to support her, not to uphold justice."
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