Chapter 57

On the 17th day of the fifth lunar month, the peach blossoms in the city were just fading away.

In this last trace of lingering spring, Emperor Ming Shun led the officials to Longhu Mountain for spring hunting.

Longhu Mountain stretched from north to south, with steep and towering peaks on the northern side near the main palace, while the southern side consisted of gentle slopes and forests. The royal hunting grounds were located in this flat area, marked by willow trees, to prevent anyone from mistakenly entering the valley.

The spring hunting season lasted for four consecutive days each year. On the first day, the emperor would shoot the first arrow to mark the beginning of the hunting period. The officials, both civil and military, competed to hunt the most game within the three days, with rewards to be given. However, the Ming Yin dynasty emphasized culture, and the hunting grounds in recent years were not particularly bloody.

At dawn on this day, in front of the Shunzhen Palace gate, a line of palace carriages was neatly arranged. One by one, the officials and their families, after having their identities checked, boarded the carriages, ready to depart.

After all, when it comes to the emperor’s travel, caution and carefulness are essential. The last thing they want is someone taking advantage of the situation. Therefore, the commander of the Imperial Guard was personally guarding the palace gate, overseeing everything.

Once the inspection was complete, Emperor Ming Shun’s golden carriage finally set off.

In a simple, decorated carriage behind the royal carriage, Zhang Yue’er leaned against the wooden frame of the carriage and felt drowsy. Her originally bright and sparkling eyes were almost closed into a thin line.

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“Fbwydtqw, usw yzps jdso vbyv vbl lxrlasa kdhkvle vld nsdnwckdlp vs vbl Ubwmkw Vyzynl vbkp vkxl, cwv vbl prakdt bwdv kp sdzu qswa dktbvp zsdt. Tso nswze R byhl y nbydnl?”

“Master, why do you always think differently from others? Because there are only four nights, don’t you need to take it seriously?”

“The Emperor doesn’t even know me. Even if I take it seriously, it won’t make a difference. It’s better to go with the flow.”

After finishing her words with a smile, Zhang Yuer thought for a moment. Not only did the Emperor not recognize her, she was also starting to forget what he looked like. After all, it had been over a year, and she only remembered that he was gentle and good-looking. The rest seemed to have faded from her memory.

Seeing the woman in front of him, who didn’t seem disappointed at all, Shuangfu shook his head and sighed.

Suddenly, a faint sound caught his attention. He glanced in the direction of the sound and saw a short, fluffy tail peeking out from under Zhang Yuer’s skirt.

Shuangfu was shocked and whispered, “Master, did you bring Eggheart with you?”

Zhang Yuer chuckled and lowered her head to pick up a small, orange-colored lynx from beside her feet. It was like a small egg in her arms. Eggheart seemed to enjoy being held by someone, meowed twice, and rubbed against Zhang Yuer’s hand.

“Shuangfu, Eggheart is still young. I was afraid something might happen to it if I left it behind without food and water for three days, so I brought it along.” Zhang Yuer handed Eggheart over and smiled. “Would you like to hold it for a while?”

Shuangfu was speechless and sighed inwardly. She had found this young lynx on the way back from the Empress Dowager’s place. The palace didn’t allow such small creatures, but since the Emperor had never come before, she could keep one as a companion. Besides her daily duties and greetings, she didn’t have much else to do.

But this time… it was the spring hunt. It wouldn’t be noticeable to bring a young lynx outside, but his mind was completely occupied with it, leaving no room for thoughts of the Emperor.

Zhang Yuer saw that he didn’t respond, so she retracted her hand and gently stroked Eggheart’s furry head. She said, “Shuangfu, I know you mean well, but the Emperor has never shown any interest in me. This time is just a formality. Don’t hope for anything.”

“Follow your lead, Master.”

Hearing his unhappy tone, Zhang Yuer laughed. Shuangfu was assigned to her as an eunuch when she was granted her status. His tone wasn’t always good, but deep down, he had a soft heart.

…

At the same time, in a carriage towards the back of the procession, Su Mi was seated.

The carriages provided by the palace were not as spacious and comfortable as the ones in the chief’s mansion. The journey to Longhu Mountain for the spring hunt was on a bumpy road off the main path. At first, Su Mi didn’t mind, but after sitting for a while, she started to feel some soreness in her buttocks.

Although it was just a minor discomfort and she wasn’t so delicate that she couldn’t bear it, she still discreetly lifted her buttocks for a while to relieve the discomfort.

Every time, Su Mi would secretly glance at Qin Yan. Seeing that he paid no attention to her discomfort, she felt relieved.

Suddenly, the carriage jolted, and Su Mi felt a dull pain in her buttocks. She let out a soft groan.

“Can’t bear it anymore?” Qin Yan put down the sheepskin scroll in his hand and looked up at Su Mi, glancing at her position with a suggestive

 look.

“…”

Su Mi immediately blushed. So he had noticed it a long time ago.

“Come over and sit on my lap.” Qin Yan said, then lowered his head to continue studying the map of Longhu Mountain. The unquestionable tone in his words left Su Mi with no room for argument, so she slowly moved over.

The carriage was cramped, and there was a low wooden table. Qin Yan had long legs, and Su Mi couldn’t fit straight in, so she had to sit sideways on Qin Yan’s lap.

Once Su Mi settled down, Qin Yan’s hand naturally passed through her waist, enclosing her. He spread his hands, holding the sheepskin scroll, and continued examining the terrain of Longhu Mountain and the positions of the Imperial Guards and the Jin Yiwei.

Su Mi looked at Qin Yan’s serious expression, then lowered her head to glance at her own chest, her ears heating up.

Because now she was sitting sideways on Qin Yan’s lap, his line of sight had to pass through her chest when looking at the sheepskin scroll. The placement of the scroll was tricky. It wouldn’t be a problem if she didn’t breathe, but as soon as she took a breath, it conveniently blocked half of the map.

It was truly embarrassing, and she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

So Su Mi could only try to hold her breath as much as possible. When she couldn’t hold it any longer, she would slowly exhale and take another breath. In doing so, she found it even more uncomfortable than sitting on a hard wooden seat.

Actually, there was another solution, which was to sit higher on Qin Yan’s thigh, avoiding that line of sight. In the past, she would have shamelessly snuggled into Qin Yan’s embrace. But now she knew that Qin Yan was different from ordinary men. If she got too close, he might misunderstand her intentions.

So she had to carefully pay attention to her position while continuing to hold her breath.

The carriage rattled along, and Qin Yan glanced sideways at Su Mi, who sat upright with her breath held, not daring to make a sound. A shadow gradually creased his brow.

Su Mi maintained her proper posture all the way, and by the time they reached the foot of Longhu Mountain, it was already dusk and her waist was so sore that she could barely straighten up.

The Emperor had his own palace, while the residences of the concubines and ministers were located not far from the palace on both sides. From a distance, they appeared grand, with red bricks and green tiles surrounding golden palaces, still impressive under the setting sun.

Qin Yan’s room was very close to the palace. Su Mi was tired and exhausted, so she didn’t take a close look after entering the room and instead rested her head on the table for a while.

“Miss, you’ll catch a cold like this.” Chun Mei entered with water and looked at Su Mi, who was slumped on the table. “This is freshly boiled spring water. Use it to wipe yourself, and then go to bed. The water outside is too cold for you to wash.”

“Mmm, has the Lord returned?” Su Mi raised her head and took a quick glance around the room. The simple furnishings were similar to those in Qin Yan’s other villas.

“Fengbao said the Lord went to the spring to take a cold bath. He told you to sleep first.”

“Mmm, okay.”

Fortunately, the weather was not yet warm, and she hadn’t sweated much. Su Mi quickly wiped herself, changed into an inner garment, and put on a middle garment before lying down on the inner side of the wooden bed.

By the time Qin Yan returned, Su Mi had dozed off for a while. It was quite dark, and Chun Mei had gone to the tent where the palace maids stayed, leaving Su Mi alone, listening to the occasional sounds of birds in the mountains. She couldn’t sleep soundly, so as soon as she heard someone come in, she woke up.

Her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, and Su Mi nestled in the soft quilt, secretly watching Qin Yan enter the room.

His hair was still wet and casually draped over his body. His expression couldn’t be seen clearly, but his well-defined nose bridge and jawline were irresistibly captivating.

As Qin Yan approached, the dampness of his silver silk robe became more apparent, accentuating his attractive figure. This caused Su Mi’s heart to flutter, and she hurriedly covered herself with the blanket, hiding inside.

Qin Yan took in everything silently and calmly laid down on the bed.

He glanced at the figure wrapped in a blanket on the right side. Since returning from the Southern mansion over a month ago, she has seemed to distance herself from him. Previously, she would find strange reasons to seek him out all day long, but now, suddenly, she changed her attitude. She couldn’t find peace, even when sitting in a carriage or trying to sleep.

“Su Mi.”

Qin Yan’s voice came from the left, and Su Mi couldn’t pretend to be asleep any longer. She could only respond softly, “Hmm, Lord, you’re back.”

“What have you been thinking lately?” Qin Yan felt a tightness in his chest as he watched her refuse to show her face to him. His words unintentionally carried a hint of coldness.

“Nothing.” Su Mi’s voice sounded muffled and soft through the blanket.

“Then why are you keeping your distance from me?”

With her ears buried in the blanket, Su Mi couldn’t clearly hear the growing coldness in Qin Yan’s tone. “Lord, I actually don’t like getting close to people.” So she wouldn’t constantly think about romantic matters…

“Heh.” Qin Yan let out a cold laugh at her words. He forcefully pulled down the soft covering that obscured Su Mi’s face, revealing her startled expression. With a cold expression, he pulled her into his embrace.

“But I do.”