Chapter 247 A Place to Join the Fun
Even in the dead of winter, Nanhua City is always warmer than the northern regions.
The air in Nanhua is humid, which is fine in the summer, but in the winter the house is always damp and cold.
Because the young emperor and his officials were going on a winter hunt, most of the imperial guards were sent to the hunting grounds. The palace became much quieter.
In addition, the female relatives of officials of the fourth rank and above in the court, whether in Nanhua or other prefectures, also went to participate in the winter hunt. After all these preparations, the streets of Nanhua City seemed to be wider than usual.
In a private room on the third floor of a teahouse along the street, a man was slowly sipping tea behind a half-open gauze window, silently watching the outside world through the half-open window.
It exudes a sense of tranquility and peace no matter how you look at it.
Behind him stood a man in black wearing a fanged demon mask.
“My lord, there are two other groups eyeing the prey.” His voice was hoarse and unpleasant.
The man gently put down his teacup without saying a word.
"One of the groups seemed to be connected to the old palace in their actions, but my subordinates dared not get too close, so I cannot obtain details."
"Another group of people..." the man in black paused, "should be related to the three armed forces we have been searching for in recent years."
The man finally turned the chair he was holding.
He pondered for a moment, “When the world was settled, the three armies went into hiding, and the three seals were covered in dust. Since the Great Xiao Dynasty, apart from the Tiger Army becoming the Royal Tiger Guard, protecting the emperor’s safety for generations, the other two have broken away from the royal family.”
He reached out and slowly opened the window by one finger. "The Wolf Token is in the north and has always been kept by the Fu family, while the Lion Token is in the south and has now fallen into Zhao Youchen's hands."
"The patriarch of the Fu family has secretly passed the position of family head to Fu Mingyi."
“Fu Changkong is a smart man. He gave the Wolf Token to Fu Mingyi and then deliberately leaked the information to us, in order to protect Fu Mingyi’s life.”
“Fu Mingyi is probably unaware of the Fu family’s dealings with the Emperor.”
The man smiled. "No rush. The grandfather and grandson are not of one mind; they still have a battle of wits to fight. What Little Fu is holding is nothing but an inanimate object."
He was in a good mood.
"Should we seize the Lion Token from Zhao Youchen?"
The man shook his head. "No rush. Back then, the Lion Army was the only one that was scattered among the people and grew up on its own. The Lion Token wasn't very useful. Besides, even if it were useful, I'm more interested in that token than in the Lion Army behind it."
His eyes narrowed slightly, a cold, sinister glint flashing in their depths.
He reached out and slowly rubbed his knees, his face darkening with gloom.
"Mr. Song, have you found it?"
"Jiuyan sent a message saying that he had been seen in a village outside Nanhua. I sent people to check the village these days and confirmed that it was him, but he is not here."
The man remained silent, his face grim.
The man in black lowered his head. "I will definitely find Mr. Song."
"My lord, should we make arrangements at the hunting grounds?"
The man thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Let's forget about it this time. Although it's easy to arrange, it's not the right time. Besides, I also want to see what the other two groups are up to."
He raised his hand, gesturing to close the window. "I'll go myself. Yi Hong, make the arrangements."
In another secluded courtyard, a man in black wearing a black mask stood with his arms crossed in a secret room, listening to information from his subordinates coming from the hunting grounds and other places.
"My Lord, Tianyin Temple is keeping a close watch on us, so it will be difficult to make any progress in the short term. However, Mengshan Villa has already made arrangements, and our people have already infiltrated the area. It won't be difficult for us to start an uprising."
"How is the palace?"
"After all, we are of the same lineage, and the palace has already made the necessary arrangements."
"We should avoid that guy named Ma Hong; it's not time to run into him head-on yet."
"Yes. What are the arrangements for Mengshan?"
"Let the man in, and then act when the opportunity arises. Once it's done, kill Ma Hong."
"Yes, Your Excellency. I will take care of it immediately."
"etc."
"Please give your orders, Your Excellency."
"Send two people to keep Fu Mingyi occupied. Don't mind revealing a little bit of your identity information. Let's see his reaction."
"Lord Eunuch, is it just for looking?"
The man in black nodded. "Report back immediately after you've seen it."
The several dark figures kneeling in front of him vanished without a trace in an instant.
The man in black rubbed his temples with his fingers, his lips pressed tightly together, seemingly somewhat irritated.
Xiao Qing knew nothing about any of this.
Civil officials and their wives were not required to go hunting in the forest like the military generals. Naturally, the young emperor was not obligated to go either.
However, because of the farce surrounding the young emperor's selection of concubines, some women who still desperately wanted to enter the palace thought the young emperor preferred women who were spirited and skilled in martial arts. So, even if it was just to show off, they wanted to ride horses into the woods. Their fathers and brothers would naturally prepare prey for them; it was all just for show.
However, Xiao Fu was clearly not among them. She had loved riding, archery and horsemanship since she was a child, and she was willing to learn and practice. Although the teacher that the Duke of Anguo hired for her did not teach her strictly or in depth because she was a woman, she was still much better than the average woman.
Now that Xiao Qing had called her name, and hearing the thunderous drumbeats, she cast aside her past emotions, picked up her bow and arrows, and prepared to go hunting for something.
Duke Anguo patted his granddaughter's shoulder affectionately, but said nothing.
Xiao Fu suddenly smiled at him, slightly raised her chin to look ahead, and whispered, "Grandpa, I'm fine."
After saying that, he nonchalantly took the reins of his horse and went to find Chu Lianzhou.
Wang Yu sat next to Wang Xiang and became somewhat sullen when she saw Princess Xiao Fu and Chu Lianzhou go to the hunting grounds together.
Wang Xiang glanced at it, feeling somewhat disappointed.
"If you hadn't acted rashly, would you be sitting here watching today?"
Wang Yu pouted unhappily, turned her head away, and her mood worsened.
"Anyway, it's already like this. If Father can't let his daughter enter the palace, it's not just me who will be embarrassed."
“You…” Wang Xiang shook his head. “Look how busy your father has been for so long, isn’t it all for you? You just need to sit here obediently today and not make any mistakes. Your father will take care of everything for you. You don’t need the glory that others have.”
Whether Wang Yu can enter the palace is no longer just a matter of face.
The winter hunt was nothing special; he had made all the arrangements with great care, not because he wanted his daughter to settle down at the Mengshan Villa.
Seeing that some officials and women had entered the hunting grounds, especially the women who were the focus of protection, Xiao Qing gave Zhao Youchen a few instructions.
Zhao Ziyuan had already ridden his horse and rushed into the woods.
Fu Mingyi, on the other hand, just sat there, eating and drinking, occasionally exchanging a few words with the people around him.
He probably knew the young emperor didn't like him, so he didn't try to get closer, which made him seem quite tactful.
After comforting Wang Yu, Wang Xiang smiled and raised his wine glass to toast Xiao Qing, while chatting with her.
Xiao Qing found everything fascinating and couldn't sit still. After only a short while, he wanted to go into the woods to test his skills.
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