This morning, no one in the Lu family was idle. Lu Yan and Ge came up with the idea of negotiating a deal with Feng Yuheng, while Lu Song once again went to ask for an audience with Concubine Yuan Shu.
Unfortunately, he walked out dejectedly, with a face full of dejection and a gloomy expression that almost made you want to squeeze water out of it. In the tent, Concubine Yuan Shu sneered and said to the maid Yuexiu beside her: "The Lu family can't even protect their own wealth and glory. With this little ability, they still keep saying that they want to help the Eighth Prince? It's a merit for them not to hinder the Eighth Prince."
Yuexiu also asked her in a low voice: "Are you ready to give up the Lu family?"
Concubine Yuan Shu said, "It's not that I gave up, but they are not motivated. Time and time again, I have only seen failures. They have never done anything promising. How can I introduce such a person to the Eighth Prince? He is my own son. I can't watch such a fool around him. But..." She frowned, "Then again, the Yao family is so powerful. Lu Song is the left prime minister of the dynasty. How can he be suppressed by the Yao family and unable to turn over?"
Yuexiu thought for a moment and analyzed, "In fact, the queen mentioned it two years ago. The Yao family was exiled to the Wasteland State. Maybe it wasn't really because of the concubine who was killed by the doctor. I also thought about it later. It is very likely that the death of the concubine had nothing to do with the imperial physician Yao Xian. It was just an excuse to let the Yao family leave. According to the situation at that time, the Yao family's departure was a kind of protection for others. And it is precisely because it was not a real exile that they can still develop their own power independently even though they are in the Wasteland State. After a few years, the tiger has been trained, and the Lu family is naturally no match for them."
"Yes!" Concubine Yuan Shu also sighed bitterly: "Although it is difficult for me to see the emperor, I am not blind or deaf in the palace. The emperor has a good personal relationship with Yao Xian. Even if the Yao family loses the relationship with Princess Ji'an, it will never fall. As for the Lu family, they underestimated their opponents too much, and they themselves are too weak and stupid. They deserve to be in this situation. But all this is caused by Feng Yuheng. If this princess stays, it will inevitably have a great impact on Mo'er in the future. Yuexiu, what do you think, should we have a good plan?"
Yuexiu leaned forward and said, "I will follow your instructions."
As soon as the morning passed, the first day of the winter hunting officially began. The hunting ground had a special viewing stand, with Emperor Tianwu and the Empress sitting at the top, and on the left and right sat the concubines and the princes and relatives of the emperor. Further down sat the ministers and their families. It was crowded and very lively.
Tianwu was in a good mood today. Looking at the hunting ground he hadn't seen for a long time, and then looking at his sons and ministers, he couldn't help but sigh: "It would be great if the Sixth, Eighth, and Ninth were all here."
The Queen said in agreement: "The children are all grown up. They have to protect their country and fight for the mountains and rivers of Dashun. They can't always stay by the emperor's side. But the emperor should relax. The children of the Xuan family are loyal and righteous. Although they are at the border, they must be thinking about the capital and their father in their hearts."
After the Queen finished speaking, the mothers of the princes also spoke up, agreeing with her. Especially the Eighth Prince's biological mother, Concubine Yuan Shu, she even wiped her tears as she spoke, and said hesitantly: "Before the Eighth Prince went south, he asked me to take good care of the Emperor, but I am not destined to be with the Emperor... Fortunately, the Queen is always by the Emperor's side. With the Queen taking care of the Emperor, we sisters can rest assured."
The Queen glanced at Concubine Yuan Shu and said calmly, "Today's winter hunting is a lively occasion. The prince and other young masters will go out to compete in hunting in a while. Why is Concubine Shu crying and making everyone unhappy?"
The last sob of Concubine Shu was still stuck in her throat, and the Queen was so choked up that she almost rolled her eyes. But after all, it was the Queen who spoke, so she couldn't say anything else, so she could only awkwardly respond with "yes" and then remain silent.
Tianwu's interest was not affected too much. He recalled the past while sighing: "I have forgotten how old I was when I first came to this hunting ground. It was several decades ago. At that time, the late emperor was still alive. It was when I first came to the hunting ground that I won the first prize and won a full house of applause. Later, the late emperor personally gave me the Houyi bow and told me that this bow must be passed on to the number one archer of Dashun to be worthy of its value."
Tianwu was speaking with emotion, and his voice was also slow and leisurely. Concubine Gu took over the conversation and recalled with him: "Yes! At that time, the emperor was really the best archer in Dashun. The Houyi bow was handed to the emperor, and it was also what everyone expected. The emperor kept the bow in his hands for decades, and the concubines once thought that the emperor was not going to give it to others."
The Queen continued, "Yes! Perhaps the Emperor did not expect that our Dashun would actually have a Princess Ji'an. Speaking of Princess Ji'an's archery skills, it is truly amazing."
Tianwu nodded, "Ah Heng Yu Dashun's great achievements are more than just archery." He said, looking at Feng Yuheng with a kind smile. Such a smile made people look at Feng Yuheng as well, but they didn't know how much kindness and hypocrisy were in these eyes.
"I wonder if the princess brought Houyi's bow to this winter hunting trip?" Suddenly, Concubine Yuan Shu spoke again, in a sarcastic and hesitant tone that made people feel very uncomfortable.
Feng Yuheng simply said, "I'm just here to watch the fun. Hunting is a man's thing, so I naturally didn't bring a bow with me. Moreover, Hou Yi's bow is a national treasure. Your Majesty, do you think that a national treasure can be taken out anytime, anywhere?"
Concubine Shu covered her mouth and chuckled, then said, "My princess, you are joking. The national treasure must be enshrined. I just heard that Princess Ji'an is very brave and I really want to see her. How about you come on stage with us and try it out? It will open our eyes."
"Oh?" She looked at Concubine Yuan Shu, "Your Majesty, you said us? Is it you who wants to watch, or do all the ladies sitting here want to watch?" As she spoke, she glanced at the seats of the concubines. When she glanced over, some people who were originally interested like Concubine Shu immediately lowered their heads, while Concubine Gu Xian and others shook their heads, indicating that they had not thought about it in this way. Feng Yuheng smiled, "It seems that not everyone wants to watch me hunting, but since Concubine Shu is so eager to watch, please change into your riding clothes and go to the hunting ground with everyone."
Concubine Shu was stunned: "What do you mean? Why should I go to the hunting ground?"
"Your Highness, don't you want to watch Ah Heng hunting?" Feng Yu Heng asked her in confusion, "The hunting ground is very large, and all the wild animals are inside. What can you see if you sit here? We will rush into the hunting ground in a moment, and it will be gone in the blink of an eye. All you will see is dust and snow, and you won't even be able to hear any sound."
Concubine Yuan Shu snorted coldly: "So many people, including the emperor and the empress, are here to watch the hunting. Do you want us all to enter?"
Feng Yuheng shook her head, "No, no, my father, the Empress, and all the ladies present here are not here to watch the hunting. They are just waiting for the final result. As for the process, it is not what everyone cares about. Now it seems that only Concubine Shu is interested in the process of hunting! And..." She paused and said with a smile, "Hunting was originally a man's thing. This is the first time that Ah Heng has seen a lady in the palace instigating the princess to go to the hunting ground to fight. Normally, even if I take the initiative to go on the field, shouldn't I dissuade her out of fear that the girl will be hurt? Concubine Shu's love for Ah Heng is really special."
"This..." Concubine Yuan Shu once again felt Feng Yuheng's sharp teeth and was speechless.
At this time, the voice of Emperor Tianwu also came, scolding her: "Ah Heng is right, how can a mother instigate a girl to go to the hunting ground? Concubine Shu, you really don't know the rules as you get older!"
Emperor Tianwu's words made Concubine Yuan Shu blush, and she couldn't hold back her tears again, and this time they were real tears. Concubine Yuan Shu felt very sad, Your Majesty, we are husband and wife after all, and I gave birth to a son for you, can you not speak so harshly? The older she gets, the less she knows the rules? Saying that she is old in public, how can she save face? The more Concubine Yuan Shu thought about it, the sadder she became, and she couldn't stop crying.
The Queen couldn't bear to watch it any longer and had to remind her again: "Today is the first winter hunting session, Concubine Yuan Shu, how many times do you plan to cry? If you really think your tears are more important than the winter hunting session, then let the servants help you back to your tent, and you can cry as much as you like."
Concubine Yuan Shu couldn't catch her breath again, and she stopped crying in frustration, then listened to Emperor Tianwu's announcement that all the princes and the sons of officials who participated in the hunting should prepare to leave the hunting ground. Suddenly, a group of people got up and mounted their horses, and with the palace servants who accompanied them to pick up the prey, the lively stands suddenly became deserted with fewer people.
A maid brought tea and snacks, but in the snow, the tea got cold in a short while, so it was just for show, and no one would really drink it. And this hunting game, experienced people knew, would last at least an hour, so people didn't just sit and wait, but chatted in groups of three or four.
Emperor Tianwu sat on a high throne, looking at the people below with a gloomy expression. He kept muttering, "Why are they all so annoying? Who was the one who chose these concubines to enter the palace?"
The Queen said helplessly: "Anyway, it was not chosen by me. Most of them were sent by noble families. They are of similar status and have good appearance and character."
Tianwu pointed at Concubine Yuan Shu and asked the Queen: "Is this what you call good appearance?"
Zhang Yuan couldn't bear to watch it anymore, and tugged at Tianwu's sleeve - "Keep your voice down."
"What? Am I afraid of being overheard?" When the voice came out, the people below didn't hear anything at first, but now they all heard it. They looked up one after another, their eyes confused, not knowing what the emperor was angry about.
But Tianwu's hand was still pointing at Concubine Yuan Shu, and Concubine Yuan Shu felt as if she was chilled all the way down to her heels, and her heart sank, fearing that Tianwu's next words would be directed at her. She had been deeply moved by the emperor's mood swings over the years.
Fortunately, after waiting for a long time, Tianwu did not attack, and Concubine Yuan Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, just as she swallowed her breath back, she suddenly heard Feng Yuheng's voice rise again, and the breath she had just breathed back was immediately raised again -
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