Led by a servant, Fukang'an, with his hands clasped behind his back, arrived at the main hall of Heshen's residence, where Heshen sat in the main seat, waiting for him.
"I was unaware of your presence, General, and I have failed to greet you properly!" Heshen stood up and bowed respectfully as Fukang'an entered.
Fukang'an ignored Heshen, sat down in the first chair on the left, and said coldly, "Where is Yan Ning?"
Heshen slowly straightened his back, walked to the main seat, picked up the covered teacup beside him, and blew on the fragrant tea. "Miss Yan Ning is not at my residence!" Heshen put down the covered teacup and said in a calm tone.
“Yan Ning is my concubine, Fukang'an,” Fukang'an tapped the back of the chair with his right hand, glancing sideways at Heshen, “Lord Heshen is a smart man!”
"General, you are a wise man. Since Miss Yan Ning is your concubine, you should know her temperament. If it weren't for her, why would I have broken up such a good match?" Heshen said with a smile.
Fukang'an's right hand rested on the back of the chair. He thought to himself, was she upset that he hadn't come to pick her up immediately, upset that he hadn't trusted her? He had to explain things to her clearly!
"I'll go find her myself!" Fukang'an said, getting up to head to the backyard of the house.
"General, wait!" Heshen also stood up and stopped a few steps away from Fukang'an, his smile fading. "I am an official appointed by the court. Without the Emperor's decree, even someone with military merits as great as a general cannot force his way into my residence!"
Upon hearing Heshen's words, Fukang'an's eyes shot forward like sharp arrows. Without turning around, he lifted his robe and strode out the door. Zhao Xing watched Fukang'an leave, puzzled, but quickly followed him out.
“General, are you afraid of him? You grew up by the Emperor’s side since you were a child. The Emperor loves you so much, he certainly won’t blame you!” Zhao Xing said loudly as he walked out of the gate of the mansion, followed Fukang’an as he mounted his horse and rode along the road.
"I'm not afraid of him, I'm afraid of Yan Ning. Even if I barged in now, she wouldn't listen to me, given her personality!" Fukang'an reined in his horse and looked at Zhao Xing. "Have you done what I asked you to do?"
"This servant has already given the officers and soldiers a portrait of You Yuanzhi, and as you instructed, has placed people in every inn and tavern to report to you immediately if there is any news about You Yuanzhi!"
"Miss, this is pearl powder sent by Steward Liu, but we haven't finished using the last batch!" Mingxin reported to Yanning, holding a jade bottle.
Lying on the warm bed, Yan Ning didn't even glance at it, and said blankly, "Put it with the old ones!"
"yes!"
In the early hours of the morning, Yan Ning tossed and turned, unable to suppress her helplessness and grievances any longer. Tears streamed down her face until dawn before she finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
"Is the young lady still not up?" Liu Quan asked Mingxin from the doorway.
Mingxin glanced inside and shook her head. "Miss only went to bed this morning. Is there something you need, Steward Liu?"
"The master said he wants to take the young lady out for a walk to relax. When the young lady gets up, please let her know so I can report back to the master!" Liu Quan instructed Mingxin in a master-like manner.
"Yes, I understand!"
As soon as Mingxin entered the room, she saw Yanning sit up and quickly ran over to help her. "Why are you awake, Miss? Why don't you sleep a little longer!"
"Was it Liu Quan speaking outside just now?" Yan Ning asked, rubbing her swollen face.
"Steward Liu said that the master wants to take the young lady out for a walk to clear her mind!" Mingxin took the handkerchief handed to her by the servant and gently wiped Yan Ning's eyes.
Thinking that she couldn't vent her frustration, Yan Ning agreed.
Horses hooves pounded on the streets, moving unimpeded. People living in the capital had long since learned to distinguish the official rank of their owners by the appearance of their carriages and sedan chairs, thus avoiding trouble.
After leaving the city gate, Liu Quan drove the carriage to a hunting ground, where Heshen was already waiting for Yan Ning.
Liu Quan jumped off the carriage and helped Yan Ning down. When He Shen saw Yan Ning's swollen eyes, he felt a strange pang of heartache.
Yan Ning dodged Heshen's hand that reached out to fix her hair and asked, "Where is this place?"
Heshen lowered his hand and said awkwardly with a smile, "This is a hunting ground, but it is late winter and early spring now, so it is not suitable for hunting. Therefore, it is used as a horse farm."
Yan Ning saw a somber scene around her. Although it was early spring, the trees were withered and the branches were messy, showing no signs of the earth's return to spring and revival.
"I can't ride a horse," Yan Ning said, lowering her head.
Heshen took the horse that Liu Quan brought, his eyes like crescent moons, and said to Yan Ning, "It's alright, I can teach you."
Heshen helped Yan Ning onto the horse, held the reins, and led the horse along. "Horses are very docile. You must first build a bond with it. Then, overpower it with your presence and make it fear you, so that you can control it." While helping Yan Ning get acquainted with the horse, Heshen explained the essentials of riding to her.
Following Heshen's advice, Yan Ning gently stroked the horse. Seeing that it didn't reject her, Yan Ning revealed a childlike smile, "It's very friendly to me, and we quickly became friends."
Seeing Yan Ning's smile, He Shen's eyes also brightened like stars and the moon. He handed the reins to Yan Ning, letting her try to control the horse herself. Yan Ning took the reins, initially a little scared, but seeing the horse's docile and obedient nature, and with He Shen by her side, she became bolder.
"drive!"
A figure galloping across the riding arena caught Yan Ning's attention. At first, Yan Ning was somewhat envious of the person's horsemanship, but after recognizing who it was, anger flared within her, and her grip on the reins tightened involuntarily. The horse, suddenly in such intense pain, became agitated and ran forward uncontrollably.
When Heshen saw Consort Lian on horseback, he was startled. He had only thought of coaxing Yan Ning out for a walk, but he hadn't expected to run into her. Fukang'an should also be nearby. Before Heshen could figure out how to deal with Fukang'an, the frightened horse carried Yan Ning and galloped wildly into the woods.
Heshen snatched the reins from Liu Quan's hand, mounted his horse, and chased after them. Aunt Lian saw Yan Ning's horse running towards the woods, so she also rode off in pursuit.
"Ah..." Yan Ning didn't know why the horse had gone crazy, so she had to tighten the reins even more to prevent herself from falling off. But the tighter Yan Ning tightened the reins, the more crazy the horse became.
"Yan Ning, loosen the reins, don't pull the horse back!" He Shen shouted loudly, though he was trying his best to catch up with Yan Ning's horse.
Although Yan Ning did not understand He Shen's intentions, she thought that he would not harm her, so she let go of the reins. However, she was thrown off the horse and was now deep in the forest, surrounded by rocks and withered branches. Yan Ning closed her eyes in despair, hoping that she would not hurt her face.
Seeing that Yan Ning had released the reins, He Shen knew she had misunderstood him. He leaped up, released the reins, and flew forward, hoping to catch Yan Ning in one last attempt. A few meters away from Yan Ning, He Shen saw a white figure fly over and catch Yan Ning as she was about to land.
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