Heshen wore a maroon robe over a pale white gauze overlay, and a jade pendant, its emerald green hue adorned with red tassels, hung from his waist. Tiny pearls, like grains of rice, dangled from the tassels. His hat covered half his forehead, making his crescent-shaped eyes even more captivating.
Heshen smiled and reached out his hand to Yan Ning, "If you hesitate any longer, His Majesty will be far away, and then he will definitely punish you for neglecting your duties!"
Yan Ning looked at the Emperor and Fukang'an, who had already disappeared from sight, and even the entourage following behind them was submerged in a sea of green. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended her hand to Heshen, who was dressed as a young master.
"drive!"
Holding Yan Ning in his arms, Heshen hurried towards the hunting army that the emperor had led away.
As the horses entered a dense forest, the sound of a small troop of horses' hooves came from the side. Heshen didn't have time to rein in his horse; he leaped off, carrying Yan Ning in his arms.
The other side consisted of five men dressed in Mongolian-style clothing. The leader, like Heshen, was unable to rein in his horse in time and jumped off, but the men behind him managed to pull back the reins in time.
The leader bowed to Yan Ning and Heshen and spoke in a string of gibberish. He then pulled a letter from his chest. Heshen also spoke in a string of gibberish with them. The five men then mounted their horses and rode away. Heshen gazed in the direction they went, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head. How could people from a cult have a Mongolian accent like the locals?
Yan Ning looked at Heshen with a blank expression, "What did they say?"
Heshen chuckled lightly, "They are sent by Prince Ratnasidi of Doroduleng to deliver a message to the Emperor!" After saying that, Heshen put his thumb and forefinger to his mouth and whistled. The horses that had been frightened and fled heard their master's call and ran back from the depths of the forest.
Yan Ning gave Heshen a thumbs up, "I didn't know you could speak Mongolian! You have a talent for diplomacy!"
Heshen shook his head, smiling without saying a word. He never took Yan Ning's words seriously.
A fluttering bright yellow banner announced Yan Ning's location to the Emperor. Yan Ning dismounted from Heshen's horse, fearing that his intelligence and keen observation would reveal the affair between the Emperor and Fukang'an. "Lord Heshen, you should go back first! The Emperor didn't ask you to accompany him; he'll be angry soon!"
When Yan Ning, fearing that Fukang'an would mind the two of them coming together, smiled with her crescent-shaped eyes, her cold gaze turning into almond-shaped ones, Heshen said, "Miss Yan Ning has always been fond of crossing the river and burning the bridge! Be careful that in the future when the tide rises, even I will be powerless to help!"
Seeing that Yan Ning looked completely confused, Heshen's eyes smiled again, "Go quickly! They'll be going somewhere else soon!"
Yan Ning nodded, picked up the long eunuch robe that trailed on the ground, and ran towards the bright yellow robe.
The smile of Heshen behind him caught his eye, and the veins on his hands gripping the reins bulged.
"drive!"
He raised his whip and lashed the horse hard, causing it to bolt forward in a frenzy. Green leaves fell onto Heshen's crimson robe, stinging his eyes.
When Fukang'an saw Yan Ning suddenly appear among the guards, his eyes widened in surprise, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. But when he met the Emperor's eyes, that smile vanished instantly, replaced by an expressionless face.
Seeing a stream ahead, the Emperor said to Fukang'an, "Let's go and rest for a while!"
Fukang'an rode forward, first surveying the surrounding environment, then returned and instructed the imperial guards on his left and right: "Surround the area!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the dense group of guards dispersed, Yan Ning immediately felt that her breathing was much easier.
The Emperor dismounted, and Yan Ning ran forward to help him walk towards the stream. Fukang'an took off his cloak and spread it out for the Emperor to sit on.
Yan Ning knelt before the Emperor, dangling her legs for him. Glancing at his contented expression, she softly said, "Your Majesty, if we go back now, we'll miss our meal. Why don't we have General Fukang'an hunt a wild rabbit for us? General Fukang'an's skills are comparable to those of the imperial chefs!"
The Emperor glanced at Fukang'an, who stood with his head bowed, and his eyes were full of smiles. "Very well! Kang'er, do as your wife says and go hunt a wild rabbit. Let me taste the skills of your great general."
Fukang'an glanced sharply at Yan Ning, then knelt down and said, "Your Majesty's safety is at your disposal, and I dare not abandon my post!" His voice was respectful and authoritative.
"With imperial guards protecting us all around, and a river right next to us, what could possibly emerge from the river? This is an imperial decree; are you going to disobey it?" The Emperor looked around and felt that Fukang'an was being overly cautious.
"I obey the decree!"
Fukang'an's deep crimson robe was stained with a lot of mud. He stood up and pulled up a corner of the robe, and the dust fell and flew into Yan Ning's eyes.
Yan Ning looked at Fukang'an with a "spare me" smile, indicating that this was an imperial edict and she had no choice but to comply.
The vast desert connects to the green meadows, and rivers encircle clusters of trees.
Faced with such a scene, one's heart feels at ease. Seeing that the Emperor's forehead was damp, Yan Ning took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and went to the river to wet it.
Bubbles rose in the calm river, as if fish were swimming towards them. Yan Ning wrung out her handkerchief and ran back to the Emperor's side, excitedly saying as she wiped his sweat, "Your Majesty, there are big fish in the river!"
The Emperor glanced at him with a smile, "You child, you don't seem like you came from the palace. You seem more like you came from the slums, always chasing wild rabbits or big fish!"
Thinking of how the ailing Empress Dowager's meals consisted of twenty or thirty dishes, Yan Ning felt as if she truly came from a slum. If she hadn't been pampered in the Fucha mansion for a while, she wouldn't have adapted to the palace so quickly.
General Fukang'an, carrying a large pile of tree branches and three wild rabbits in his hands, looked just like a husband returning home after a hunt.
Yan Ning rested her chin on her hands, watching him walk towards her, her eyes filled with tenderness. She went to the river to wash her handkerchief again and wiped the fine sweat from Fukang'an's forehead. Gone was the previous respect she had shown the Emperor; now, she was filled with a wife's care for her husband.
The Emperor, seeing the perfect couple, was overjoyed. These were scenes he never witnessed in the palace, where his other sons and daughters-in-law were always obsequious and respectful. As the years passed, he could no longer recall the tranquil days of his first intimate conversations with Empress Fucha.
Seeing Fukang'an and Yan Ning so deeply in love, his eyes flashed with the image of Empress Fucha. She stood far away, at the juncture of the sky and water, smiling sweetly at him.
The Emperor followed Empress Fucha, their steps gradually leading to the riverbank. Yan Ning glanced back and saw the bubbles in the river growing larger and larger, assuming the Emperor was going to catch fish. She smiled and said to Fukang'an, "The Emperor doesn't seem like an old man at all; he's actually going to catch fish now!"
Fukang'an, who was skinning a rabbit, paused for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Catching fish?"
"Look, there are so many bubbles over there, there must be a big fish!" Yan Ning said, pointing to the riverbank where the Emperor was approaching.
Fukang'an looked in the direction Yan Ning was pointing, and his eyes immediately widened in terror. He gripped the dagger in his hand and silently walked toward the Emperor.
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