The emperor stopped suddenly and raised his eyebrows.

My first reaction was, why would this Nanhao person go to the house next to Prince Chen's Mansion and set fire to it for no apparent reason? !

etc!

The emperor suddenly thought of something, and turned the jade ring on his thumb thoughtfully, meeting Lu Siji's eyes. Could it be for Wuhaga Tower?

The emperor also knew that Uhajaro was assassinated by people sent by Uhadura and his whereabouts were unknown.

Uhadula had just ascended the throne, and his position was not yet stable. He was probably afraid that he would not be able to maintain his rule over Nanhao, so he was eager to form an alliance with Da Qi.

Previously, the emperor thought that Andaman only came to seek marriage, but now he thought that Prince Andaman was Uhadula's uncle and the brother of the new queen. Logically, Uhadula's top priority was to quell civil unrest and reassure the people. A confidant like Andaman should stay in Nanhao to lend a helping hand, and the mission to Da Qi could be handed over to other people.

Unless Andaman has other intentions, Uhadula dare not trust anyone else and can only entrust this important task to Andaman.

The emperor's eyelids twitched suddenly, and he whispered to himself, "Could it be that Gu Jue was so bold as to bring Wuhejialou back to the capital?"

The emperor was just guessing at first, but after he said it, he felt that this possibility was very high.

Gu Jue has always been arrogant and willful, doing whatever he wants without considering the consequences. It is possible that he would do such a thing.

"Telegram..." The emperor only said one word and didn't say anything else. He also wanted to call Gu Jue over and question him, but in the end he swallowed the rest of the words and endured it.

Even if Gu Jue really did it, he would not admit it.

They may not even respond to the call.

The emperor was silent for a moment, then continued walking forward in the cold wind and asked, "Where are the people now?"

Lu Siji followed him closely and replied, "The Hao people are detained in the Wucheng Bingma Division."

His voice was low.

Eunuch Ni tactfully fell behind by several steps and followed behind.

The emperor stopped again, his face darkened, and he said unhappily: "Why are you detaining people at the Wucheng Bingmasi? Even if they really set the fire, they should be transferred to Jingzhao Prefecture."

How could Lu Siji know? After all, he had just received an urgent secret report from the capital.

He could only say: "I will send someone back to the capital right away."

The emperor was so angry that veins popped out at his temples. He gritted his teeth and said angrily, "I knew that Su Mubai's entry into the Five Cities Army was not good!"

At this moment, he had completely forgotten that it was he who wanted to play some tricks to get Su Mubai into the Five Cities Army.

Lu Siji: “…”

Lu Siji and Eunuch Ni looked at each other.

There was dead silence around them. At this moment, the emperor didn't say anything and no one dared to make a sound.

The emperor continued to rush forward in a rage, exuding an aura of "keep away from strangers". It was not until he passed through the huge Hunting Palace Square that he calmed down a little.

He suddenly thought of something.

Under the backlight, the emperor's pupils appeared even darker and darker, as if there was not a trace of light.

"Lu Siji." The emperor slowed down his pace again and called in a low voice.

"I'm here." Lu Siji responded respectfully.

The emperor ordered: "Send someone to keep an eye on Prince Chen's Mansion, and then..."

At this time, the sunset had almost completely set, and piles of bonfires were lit on the Hunting Palace Square behind. The fiery red flames were burning, making crackling sounds, which were intertwined with the whistling of the cold wind.

Not far away, the shadowy shadows of the trees danced in the wind, as if wild beasts with their claws spread out were hiding in the darkness.

Soon, Lu Siji turned around and looked the other way, while the emperor continued walking towards Chongming Palace.

Eunuch Ni still followed behind the emperor, carefully observing his words and expressions in the light of the lantern.

Seeing that the emperor's expression had eased a little, Eunuch Ni asked, "Your Majesty, should we give away those prey as rewards?"

According to the rules, in such a large-scale hunt, the prey hunted by the emperor and several princes would be handed over to the imperial kitchen, and then distributed according to the emperor's will. Anyone who received the reward would naturally feel that it was the emperor's wish and a great honor.

After getting the emperor's approval, the imperial kitchen became busy all of a sudden, spinning like a top, wishing they had three heads and six arms.

Soon, all the palaces received game bestowed by the emperor, such as roast venison, stewed venison with three ginsengs, roast rabbit meat, and braised roe deer meat.

The Zichen Palace is no exception.

The weather is cold now, and the area around the hunting ground is even colder than the capital, so most of the imperial meals delivered to the Zichen Palace are cold.

Game such as roasted venison and braised roe deer meat are more delicious when they are hot. Once they are cold, the taste will be much worse.

Others might be grateful to the emperor, but the Prince Chen's Mansion would never compromise itself.

Chu Qianchen was busy for more than half an hour today, cooking the meal himself. How could Gu Jue be interested in the imperial gift?

The roasted pheasant was roasted to perfection, with a bright color, crispy and fragrant skin, and a tangy aroma. Just looking at the appearance, it is a perfect feast for the eyes.

“Try the flavor!”

Chu Qianchen looked at Gu Jue expectantly.

Gu Jue picked up a piece of roasted pheasant with jade chopsticks. The meat was sliced ​​by Chu Qianchen himself. It was thin and even, just enough for one bite.

The skin of the pheasant is roasted crispy, and the chicken meat is tender, juicy, fragrant, tender and chewy, and delicious.

Gu Jue ate piece after piece, expressing his appreciation with practical actions.

Chu Qianchen looked at him, the corners of her lips raised happily, the dimples on her cheeks looked like they were dipped in honey, and she thought happily: Her roasted pheasant is really delicious!

What would she do for him tomorrow?

Before finishing the meal, Chu Qianchen began to ponder with great interest in his mind, his eyes glued to Gu Jue.

When Gu Jue was eating, his temperament looked much softer and more approachable. On weekdays, when he sat there without smiling, there was always a kind of detachment in his expression that was not tainted by the mundane world.

Chu Qianchen's smile deepened, and then she found that her mouth was blocked by the roasted pheasant meat that Gu Jue had picked up.

She bit into the roasted pheasant meat obediently.

The jade chopsticks in his hand accidentally brushed against her soft lips. Her plump and pink lips were stained with a bit of oiliness, as if they were smeared with a light layer of lip balm, shining with a lustrous luster.

Gu Jue's gaze lingered on her lips for a moment, then he lowered his eyes and picked up a piece of pheasant with his jade chopsticks to eat...

Seeing that he was only interested in eating the roasted pheasant nearby, Chu Qianchen served him a bowl of ginseng mushroom and chicken soup.

As a result, Gu Jue looked at her quietly with a very strange look.

Chu Qianchen: “???”

Gu Jue clearly had a smile on his lips, but for some reason, Chu Qianchen always felt something was wrong.

Was it her illusion? Chu Qianchen blinked.

Gu Jue put down his jade chopsticks, picked up a white porcelain spoon, scooped a spoonful from the chicken soup, and then brought the spoon to Chu Qianchen's lips.

Chu Qianchen blinked again. She wanted to say that she didn’t want him to feed her.

But as soon as her cherry lips opened slightly, the spoon had already touched her lips.

She drank the chicken soup obediently.

The ginseng mushroom chicken soup is clear, delicious and not greasy at all.

Chu Qianchen pursed his lips happily, smiling with satisfaction and pride.

The pheasant she roasted was delicious, and the chicken soup she cooked was also delicious! Gu Jue scooped another spoonful of chicken soup, and this time, he put it into his own mouth.

He had one spoonful, she had one spoonful.

The two of them shared the food, and the bowl of chicken soup was finished in no time.

The room was quiet during the meal, except for the occasional slight clinking of porcelain. Amber and Jiang Yuan had already left.

When he was about eight-tenths full, Chu Qianchen put down his chopsticks, rinsed his mouth, and asked, "My Lord, do you want to go hunting tonight?"

Night hunting is a ritual in winter hunting and also a symbol.

"Go." Gu Jue nodded and added, "Go and watch the fun!"

It will definitely be "lively" at night! Chu Qianchen smiled knowingly, like a cunning little fox.

Since the emperor is always wondering whether the prince's health is good or bad, let him worry about it a little more, so that he won't have too much free time and comfort and cause trouble again.

"Your Highness, I'll go prepare it for you." Chu Qianchen said excitedly.

Since the prince wants to hunt at night, he certainly can't go empty-handed.

Chu Qianchen called Amber over and gave her detailed instructions, such as the night-shining pearl, the signal fireworks, and the fire starter...

Gu Jue looked at her, his narrow eyes curved into an arc of joy, filled with smiles.

He liked seeing her taking care of things for him like this, and he also liked doing something for her, even if it was something trivial.

He guessed that she felt the same way.

The cold wind was howling outside, but it felt like spring inside the house.

By the time Amber had prepared everything, it was almost dark, so the two of them went to the hunting platform outside the palace together.

According to tradition, night hunting would not begin until the moon was above the willow trees.

At this time, the sky had already darkened completely. The night sky was dotted with stars, making the bright moon look even brighter.

There was still half an incense stick of time before the night hunt began, but nearly a hundred people had already gathered around the hunting platform, most of them were young people who planned to take part in the night hunt.

When Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen appeared hand in hand, everyone's eyes flooded over like a tide, with different expressions.

Most people guessed that since Gu Jue showed up at this time, it meant that he would participate in tonight's night hunt.

Some were pondering, some were surprised, some were enthusiastic, and some were overjoyed.

"Your Majesty!"

Many generals, dragging their sons, gathered around Gu Jue in groups of three or four, and saluted him one after another, and asked their sons to pay their respects as well, most of them thinking that "it would be nice to recognize his face".

Everyone gathered around Gu Jue like stars surrounding the moon, and the atmosphere was very lively. Half of the people were watching from a distance, obviously trying to avoid suspicion.

These generals also saluted Chu Qianchen respectfully: "Princess!"

Facing these aggressive generals, Chu Qianchen remained calm and composed. He just nodded slightly as a return of greeting, with a look of indifference and ease.

None of the military commanders present dared to look down on the young princess. They looked at her with undisguised respect. After all, she was the one who single-handedly made the emperor issue an edict of repentance and earned enormous benefits for the Prince Chen's Mansion.

"Old Wu, isn't this obvious?" Ming Xiyang patted the other's shoulder. "The prince brought a bow and arrow and a horse with him, so of course he wants to participate in the night hunt."

Old Wu clapped his hands excitedly and said, "Your Majesty hasn't participated in night hunts for several years. If Your Majesty had gone out in the past, he would have definitely been the champion!"

Thinking of the situation when the late emperor was still alive, Old Wu and other generals felt a little nostalgic.

The last time Gu Jue participated in a night hunt, he was only fifteen years old and was still the ninth prince of Da Qi. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed. Things and people have changed, and Da Qi has also undergone earth-shaking changes.

Thinking of the past, there was an indescribable sense of sadness in the atmosphere.

Ming Xiyang cleared his throat, smiled and livened up the atmosphere, "Your Majesty, shouldn't you also give the children a chance?"

There was a hint of sarcasm in his words, and the other generals nodded in agreement.

"Of course." Gu Jue said with a smile, "Children should always experience some life experiences so that they can understand the dangers of the world."

Ming Xiyang and other generals all burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became even more lively.

It was obvious that Gu Jue had a very different temperament from these burly generals, but now when they stood together, there was not the slightest bit of incongruity.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Gu Jue himself is just a young man, and most of those participating in the night hunt today are teenagers and young men between the ages of fifteen and twenty. They are actually not much younger than Gu Jue, but when Gu Jue calls these people children, no one thinks it is inappropriate.

Because he is Prince Gu Jue.

His achievements, his prestige, and his dedication have made him what he is today, and are enough to make everyone present look up to him willingly.

The same is true for Chu Qianchen.

"Ming Nanfeng, why don't you salute the prince!" Ming Xiyang pushed out the young man in blue standing behind him on the right, glared at him with disdain, and said with a smile: "Prince, this is my second son, who is studying martial arts in the Imperial College, and he is not very good at anything."

"If you don't carve jade, it won't become a useful tool. Children should experience more. If they can go to the Black Armor Camp to train like the princess's brother, they will be able to make some progress."

Ming Xiyang wanted to send Ming Nanfeng to the Xuanjia Camp to train with Chu Yunyi.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Chen." Ming Nanfeng awkwardly saluted Gu Jue with his fists clasped and said nothing else.

He felt extremely frustrated. He had told his father many times that he wanted to switch to liberal arts, but his father did not take his words to heart at all.

Ming Nanfeng thought he had concealed it well, but he didn't know that his awkwardness was completely obvious to Gu Jue and others.

Ming Xiyang: "..."

Ming Xiyang glared at his stupid son fiercely.

His strategy and military books were only average among the military students. His academic aptitude was so ordinary, so where did he get the confidence to think he could pass the imperial examination?!

Ming Xiyang felt that he had completely lost face today.

The other generals looked at each other and exchanged glances: "It's not up to the father here. Old Ming was obviously tricked by his son!" In fact, they also intended to send their sons to the Xuanjia Camp for training, and they were somewhat annoyed that Ming Xiyang got there first. In the end, Ming Nanfeng held his father back.

Old Wu said with a smile: "Your Majesty, my third son is thick-skinned and tough. If he has the chance to receive your guidance, it will be a blessing for him. I guarantee that you will beat and scold him."

Old Wu patted his chest to make a promise, and immediately called over a tall young man in blue.

The young man in blue politely bowed to Gu Jue and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty. Please give me some advice!"

The blue-clothed young man's expression and words could not conceal his admiration, which made Ming Nanfeng's awkwardness even more obvious.

Ming Xiyang just wanted to hit his son on the head a few times to see if he could wake this stupid boy up from his daydream.

Ming Nanfeng lowered his head and pretended not to see it.

Chu Qianchen's indifferent gaze swept across Ming Nanfeng, just like water passing by without leaving any trace.

The prince has never been a person who would force others to do things. The path she chose in her previous life and the hardships she experienced were all out of her own wishes. The prince just let her know that her life could have other possibilities, and that she was just a frog in a well when she was in the Chu family.

The generals were chatting and laughing, but Chu Qianchen was a little distracted, thinking about his past life and the present. His eyes became calmer, like a clear lotus under the moon.

When the emperor, the crown prince and other princes arrived, they saw Gu Jue chatting happily with a group of generals. His face, which had originally been smiling, suddenly changed.

The emperor stared sinisterly at Gu Jue in the center of the crowd, his face as gloomy as water. He couldn't help but think that the top three people just selected were all from Prince Chen's Mansion.

The emperor's chest began to feel stuffy again, as if there was something blocking his heart, unable to go up or down.

Gu Jue has always been ambitious and has been controlling the military power of the Northern Army and refuses to let go. If he has any loyalty to the emperor, he should avoid suspicion and should not have any contact with these generals. He has evil intentions and is coveting the throne.

Thinking of how Nanhao's new emperor Uhadula usurped the throne, the emperor felt like a thorn in his back.

The emperor clenched his fists and walked straight towards Gu Jue.

When the others saw the emperor coming, they bowed their heads and saluted: "Your Highness."

The emperor ignored these people and only looked at Gu Jue who was three or four steps away.

"Ninth brother, are you planning to go night hunting with me?" The emperor forced an unnatural smile. His tone was gentle, but his eyes were somewhat sinister, which made people shudder.

Gu Jue smiled slightly, "Just joining in the fun."

The implication is that he is indeed going to go night hunting.

The emperor clenched his fists at his sides a little tighter, and pulled the corners of his mouth, "kindly" advising: "Ninth brother, you are not in good health, listen to my advice, and don't be so stubborn."

The emperor stared at Gu Jue closely, his eyes so sharp that they seemed to want to penetrate him, and they froze on Gu Jue's face.

The surroundings fell into silence.

The people behind the emperor and the people behind Gu Jue were all looking at the brothers.

These are the two most honorable people in Da Qi, with tremendous power. Every word and action between them is enough to stir up a storm in the court and even change the entire structure of the court.

Perhaps the only exception is the second prince Gu Nanzhao.

He did not look at Gu Jue or the emperor, but stared at Chu Qianchen with burning eyes. There seemed to be thousands of words hidden in his eyes, and he could not hear the voices of the people around him at all.

Cousin Chen seems to be living a good life.

The Ninth Prince should be very good to her...

Gu Nanzhao stared at Chu Qianchen infatuatedly for a long time, and then he moved his gaze away from her face with difficulty and fell on Gu Jue.

"You worry too much, my brother." Gu Jue said calmly, "I just went to Hao Country and accidentally fought a few battles there. Prince Andaman knows this very well."

"What do you think, Prince?"

Gu Jue's last words were addressed to the Prince of Andaman who was standing on the emperor's right hand side.

Andaman: “!”

Andaman and the two Nanhao envoys he brought with him all had gloomy expressions.

To them, it seemed that Gu Jue's words were directed at them, with a hidden meaning, accusing Emperor Hao Uhaduluo of chasing Gu Jue all the way.

How could Prince Gu Jue be so vindictive and totally disregard the interests of the overall situation? No wonder he repeatedly embarrassed the Hao Kingdom!

When the ministers around saw Andaman's expression, they knew that what Gu Jue said was true. Gu Jue had indeed fought with Uhaduro's people in Nanhao.

The ministers had different expressions, and they thought: Prince Chen has fought several battles with the Nanhao people in Nanhao, and he is still standing here in good health, so he must be in good health!

Some people even looked at the emperor with complicated eyes, secretly sighing that the emperor had gone crazy because of his fear of Prince Chen.

Andaman suddenly laughed out loud, with a generous smile, and complimented: "The name of the King Chen is also well-known in my Hao country. His Highness the King Chen is extraordinary and heroic, and he is the incarnation of the star Wu Qu. No wonder he is invincible on the battlefield. I admire him very much!"

Andaman complimented Gu Jue dryly but avoided answering Gu Jue's questions.

There were some shrewd old foxes among the ministers present. They heard something strange and exchanged glances in twos and threes.

However, as soon as the emperor heard Gu Jue's name, he became confused and the fire in his heart began to burn again, like a red-hot furnace.

He hated it most when others praised Gu Jue.

The emperor's eyes were sinister, and he felt more and more that the Hao people were ignorant. They were clearly looking for a better partner while still having a son. He had already promised the third legitimate princess to the crown prince of Hao, but this Hao person actually wanted to marry the princess of Hao to Gu Jue.

The emperor's heart was filled with more than just burning pain, he was also filled with indignation at being humiliated and betrayed.

The emperor said sarcastically: "Prince Andaman, our Great Qi is a country of etiquette. If the prince continues to flatter the ninth prince, he will probably have a hard time competing with the younger generation!"

Today is only the first day of the winter hunt. The daytime hunt has already allowed the people of Prince Chen’s Mansion to steal the show. If Gu Jue participates in the night hunt, wouldn’t it mean that Prince Chen’s Mansion will steal all the limelight? The emperor gritted his teeth secretly and couldn’t help but think of the past.

Ever since Gu Jue was ten years old, he won every time he went hunting with the late emperor. Later, the emperor, who was still the crown prince at the time, simply stayed in the capital to avoid being talked about behind his back that he was not as good as Gu Jue.

In the past, he could only avoid Gu Jue's edge, but now he is the emperor and the dominant power is in his hands.

Andaman looked back and forth between the emperor and Gu Jue, a strange light flashed in his eyes, and he found that something seemed wrong.

Prince Gu Jue is a capable general of the Great Qi. His presence is enough to intimidate everyone.

If the Prince of Chen was really injured, shouldn't the Emperor of Daqi have kept the Prince of Chen's injury a secret, regardless of whether he was at odds with him? ! However, the Emperor of Daqi openly mentioned the Prince of Chen's illness from the beginning.

This is obviously unreasonable!

The more Andaman thought about it, the more he felt that there was something fishy going on. He narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Wouldn't this night hunt be much less interesting without His Royal Highness the Prince?"

Seeing the emperor's face darken again, Crown Prince Gu Nanjin spoke up at the right time: "Father, the auspicious time is approaching. I think the night is just right for night hunting."

At this moment in the night sky, the moon is dim and the stars are sparse. The bright and cold moonlight softly shines among the mountains and forests.

Just as the prince said, this was indeed a night suitable for hunting.

The emperor finally reacted and said that the auspicious time should not be delayed, then turned around and went up to the high hunting platform.

The generals and young men who were preparing to take part in the night hunt had already gathered around, each of them fully armed, equipped with fine horses, large bows, swords, and so on.

The emperor looked down at the eager men below, his mood was still not very good, so his tone was neither cold nor warm: "The men of Daqi are young and brave, so they should practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies and serve the country. Tonight is the time for you to show your skills. The champion of the night hunt will be rewarded handsomely!"

After some high-sounding speeches, the emperor announced that the night hunt officially began.

Those generals and young masters shouted "Long live the emperor" in unison, their shouts like thunder.

Then, they all mounted their horses, whipped their horsewhips, and rode into the hunting grounds. Most of those rushing in the front were young men who had not yet reached the age of twenty, dressed in bright clothes and riding fast horses, vying with each other for the first place.

In comparison, Gu Jue seemed calm and composed.

When most of the people had left, he touched Chu Qianchen's hair and said, "Wait for me to come back."

Chu Qianchen nodded obediently and watched Gu Jue’s back as he rode away on Jueying.

The red horse Fenglu beside her neighed gently, and seemed to want to catch up as well.

Chu Qianchen touched Fenglu's slender neck soothingly, and whispered in a voice that only she and it could hear: "Next time."

She looked at her thin arms and legs with some annoyance, and thought: After returning to the capital, she might as well ask the prince to send her to the Black Armor Army for training.

(End of this chapter)