Chapter 18 On the surface
The two sisters arrived at the horse farm together. Someone was already waiting with horses, and they were not surprised to see Zhu Yuhuan dressed like that.
Zhu Yuhuan put the quiver and longbow on his back, first touched the horse's head, and saw that it was as docile as ever. Zhu Yuhuan asked Huai En to guard Zhu Youtong, and then he got on the horse.
Zhu Youtong stood at the edge of the horse field, watching Zhu Yuhuan skillfully riding the horse around the field, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Sister is amazing!"
Huai En said with a smile: "The princess will be even more powerful."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yuhuan had already sped up. She pulled an arrow from the quiver, bent the bow and shot it easily, hitting the bull's eye.
Zhu Yuhuan bent his bow and shot arrows seven times in a row, and all of them hit the center of the bull's eye. Only the last arrow was slightly deviated, but it did not miss the target, but fell outside the bull's eye.
Zhu Youtong was truly stunned. Her mouth hung open as she stared at her sister's heroic figure on horseback. It took her a long time to come back to her senses, and she muttered to herself, "I wish my sister could be a female general. She'd definitely be more formidable than many of the guards. Mother told me that Dad once had a young soldier under his command who was about the same age as my sister, but they weren't necessarily as formidable as she was."
Huai En couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled when he heard this. He puffed out his chest, seeming to be even prouder than Zhu Yuhuan himself, and said, "Everyone says that diligence can make up for lack of talent. The princess has a talent far beyond that of ordinary people, and is more hardworking than many people. Naturally, she is outstanding."
Zhu Youtong was a little envious and said, "I wish I could be as powerful as my sister. If anyone dares to bully mother and sister, I will be the first to beat them away!"
Zhu Yuhuan came back from riding and couldn't help but laugh when she heard Zhu Youtong's words. She dismounted, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "If you really want to learn this, just follow me and learn from me."
Zhu Youtong shook her head like a rattle and said, "Mom said that my sister has put a lot of effort into learning martial arts. If it were me, I would definitely give up after two or three days." She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when she said this. "My sister is so amazing, but I don't know anything and can't help her..."
Zhu Yuhuan had wanted to pat her sister's head, but suddenly remembered how sweaty she was, so she withdrew her hand and simply said, "Who said you don't know anything? Those gongche notations you know are like heavenly scriptures to me. I can't understand a single word, let alone those musical instruments." Seeing Zhu Youtong looking at her eagerly, she continued, "Just learn what you want to learn. Mother and sister are here for you."
Zhu Youtong's face lit up immediately after receiving the compliment. She shook her body proudly and said, "It turns out that there are things that my sister is not good at."
"Every inch has its own strengths and weaknesses. Naturally, no one in this world is proficient in everything."
Zhu Youtong seemed to be lost in thought, and suddenly asked, "Does that mean you can only become a father if you are proficient in everything?"
As soon as she said this, Zhu Yuhuan and Huai En next to him were stunned, and they both reached out to cover Zhu Youtong's mouth.
Fortunately, the guards in the parade grounds were at a distance from them and could not hear their conversation. Otherwise, no matter how well Saihazhi managed his subordinates, he could not guarantee that these "treasonous words" would not spread.
Seeing that Zhu Youtong didn't dare to speak, Zhu Yuhuan breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Tongtong, don't say anything carelessly. On the surface, these things have nothing to do with us."
Zhu Youtong nodded cautiously, and when Zhu Yuhuan and Huai En put down their hands, he gently asked, "Why..."
This question is indeed difficult to explain, and the most important thing is that it is difficult to explain at this moment. After all, Zhu Yuhuan has always taught his sister that other people's opinions are not important and that doing what she wants is the most important thing. Now he has to reveal the true rules of this era in front of her. In Zhu Yuhuan's view, these are ultimately too cruel for a child who is too young.
More importantly, she hopes that her sister will not be bound by these things and get entangled in herself, otherwise she will only become the second Sun Mengqiu.
Zhu Youtong didn't understand Zhu Yuhuan's inner thoughts, he just looked at her quietly, full of desire for the "truth".
Zhu Yuhuan hesitated for a moment, then said solemnly, "Daddy has his own reasons for valuing someone. It doesn't necessarily mean that the person is extremely smart or capable. The most important thing is that they meet Daddy's standards. Conversely, the person Daddy values may not be the most outstanding person, so you don't have to care about Daddy's opinion. Do you understand?"
Zhu Youtong looked bewildered, but she nodded seriously and said, "I understand."
Zhu Yuhuan had just breathed a sigh of relief when a familiar figure approached from a distance. She glanced casually and recognized that it was Shi Lin. She smiled and asked, "Isn't this Captain Shi? It's been a while since we last met."
Shi Lin was naturally delighted to see Zhu Yuhuan, but he hadn't expected to hear Zhu Yuhuan's teasing just after he'd greeted him. Puzzled, he replied honestly, "I've been so busy with my duties these days that I haven't really paid my respects to you, young lady." He chuckled and flattered, "The good news about the Empress and young lady opening a charity hall has spread everywhere. I often hear people mention it while I'm on duty. Not only do they thank Your Majesty for your kindness, they also praise your Majesty and young lady for their kindness."
After hearing this, Zhu Youtong was even more proud than Zhu Yuhuan himself and said, "I knew my sister was amazing!"
Zhu Yuhuan was a little surprised. She raised her eyebrows slightly and then asked, "Does everyone outside know about this?"
"With His Majesty's imperial decree, naturally everyone knows." Shi Lin finished speaking, and then whispered, "My servant and a few brothers have also helped the young lady spread some news in the outer city... Please don't blame me for not visiting you these days."
Zhu Yuhuan was a bit amused when he heard this and said, "Who can blame you for this? You are a Jinyiwei, just do your job well."
Her original intention was to tease Shi Lin's son, but she didn't expect Shi Lin to start talking about what was happening outside.
Shi Lin chuckled and glanced at the people around him, seeming a little alert.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuhuan said to Huai'en, "Huai'en, take Tongtong to see the horse. She hasn't touched it yet."
Zhu Youtong didn't understand what was going on, and immediately tried to move forward with a smile. Fortunately, Huai En stopped him, so the little ancestor didn't rush forward rashly.
The two of them walked slowly along the edge of the parade grounds. Shi Lin then continued, "My son often goes to the charity to help out. He's been idle all day, running around the streets with a bunch of hooligans like a knight-errant. It's all thanks to you, young lady." He bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, young lady."
After listening to him, Zhu Yuhuan pursed his lips and smiled, saying, "What's there to thank me for for such a small thing?"
Shi Lin hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Zhu Yuhuan, "Girl, recently His Majesty has ordered the commander to secretly investigate officials in the capital to see if they have any connection with the King of Han... The King of Han used to have many connections in the army, so you must be careful of General Liu..."
Zhu Yuhuan was stunned and immediately understood Shi Lin's hidden meaning.
Liu Yongcheng was Zhu Di's personal mentor, and while his guidance wasn't exceptional, the fact that they were related made it hard to say if there wasn't some other connection between Liu Yongcheng and the Prince of Han. If there really was any contact, who knew if Zhu Zhanji would seize the opportunity to "pull out the radish and bring out the mud"? He already had the intention of deposing the empress, and if he seized the opportunity...
Shi Lin naturally didn't know that she was also half "connected to the King of Han", and the connection point was Wu Miaosu. Zhu Zhanji was appeasing the King of Han on the surface, but in fact he was preparing to liquidate the King of Han's strength. If he knew about this, Zhu Yuhuan would be in trouble.
How could the Jinyiwei leak information casually? Even Saihazhi would not easily reveal secrets to Zhu Yuhuan. Zhu Yuhuan almost immediately concluded that Shi Lin had deliberately reminded her of this matter.
Zhu Yuhuan remained calm and even smiled. He patted Shi Lin's arm and said, "Since you're back from the case, go see the master first. This is the most important thing."
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