Chun Tiao was not as alert as Sui Sui. She carried the wine pot and her bag and got on the calf cart. When she saw that it was getting early, she said to the driver, "Please go to the West Market. I will buy some silk thread for Lady Lu."
This was of course an excuse; the real purpose was to buy myself a few feet of cheap and good quality caviar to make a skirt.
The King of Qi's fondness for Lady Lu was obvious to all, so the carriage driver naturally said nothing and drove straight to the West Market.
In order to conceal their whereabouts, Huan Minggui and his personal attendant Ah Han squeezed into a rented small carriage with green curtains, which was quite difficult.
He just hoped that the maid would come back as soon as possible so that he could find out where the beauty lived. However, after following her all the way, the calf cart in front of him turned into the West Market again.
Ah Han couldn't help but complain: "This master and servant couple really like to go shopping so much..."
The remaining half of the sentence made Huan Minggui glare back.
The green-curtained calf cart entered the market and stopped at the intersection west of the cross street. There was a row of shops selling silk threads, cloth, and satin.
Huan Minggui ordered the driver to find a secluded place to stop the car, and said to Ah Han, "Go and follow the man in green."
Ah Han was afraid that the maid would notice, so he had to pretend to ask the price and buy things. When the maid was finally satisfied, he paid her a lot of monthly wages, and the things he carried in his hands could support a whole load of goods.
The unscrupulous owner laughed at him: "This trip was quite fruitful."
As he spoke, he picked up a bag of honey-wine dates and started eating them.
The calf cart finally drove out of the market and headed south of the city.
Huan Minggui suddenly became excited. He stopped eating the dates, wiped his hands, leaned against the car window, and looked out through the sparse curtains.
The number of people and carriages gradually decreased, and the calf-drawn cart showed no sign of stopping.
Seeing that they were almost at the outer city, Ah Han said in surprise: "Looking at the girl's clothes, carriage, and servants, she doesn't look like someone who lives in the south of the city..."
Huan Minggui propped his chin with his fan and thought, "There are not only poor people in the south of the city, but also many estates of high-ranking officials and nobles."
Ah Han suddenly realized: "Could it be..."
He swallowed the words back before he could finish his words. He looked at his master's face and didn't dare to speak.
Huan Minggui didn't think so, he had guessed the woman's identity early on. Her carriage and clothes looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection they were quite good. There was no such person in the capital's mansions, so she was definitely not a lady from a wealthy family.
But if she was a girl from the music school and she didn't wear any makeup, then she was most likely a concubine or mistress of an official. For a person like that to fall into the status of a concubine or mistress must have had a miserable life experience, and he felt even more sad and sympathetic for her.
Ah Han cautiously asked, "My king, I noticed that the lady seemed to have her hair in a bun. What if she is already married?"
Huan Minggui sneered: "Whose concubine do you want to say she is?"
Ah Han touched the back of his head and said, "Your Majesty is truly as good as seeing through fire."
Huan Minggui smiled and said, "If she is really someone's concubine or mistress, it would be easier to deal with. At worst, I can spend all my money to beg her husband to give her up."
Ah Han knew his master's temper and thought he might really do such a thing.
In fact, there is no need to spend all your money, for those noble families, it is common to give concubines and beautiful maids to each other. Although Prince Yuzhang has no real power, he is favored by the emperor and has a close personal relationship with Prince Qi. He is determined to get that girl, and I am afraid no one in Chang'an dares to refuse him.
He nodded and said, "If that woman is a good citizen, she can't use her wealth and power to force me."
Huan Minggui listened to this and tapped his long-servant on the head with his folding fan, scolding him with a smile: "Who do you think your great king is? Do you think I am the fool that is the King of Chen? How could I do such a disgraceful thing?"
It was a great shame for a playboy like him to have to use his wealth and power to force a woman to submit. He, the Prince of Yuzhang, was the treasure of Chang'an City, and the girls who wanted to have a taste of his beauty could line up from Mingde Gate to Xin'an Gate.
The wheels continued to rumble forward. It was getting darker and darker. Dusk enveloped the fields. In the distance, the crows could be heard. The surroundings became increasingly desolate.
The green curtained carriage in front finally slowed down and stopped in front of a garden house.
The house was large but looked quite old. There were gaps in the walls, and the knockers and copper nails on the black door had grown a verdigris color. The small lanterns in front of the door swayed in the wind. It didn't look like a living place at all.
The maid in green got down from the carriage and knocked on the door. Soon the door was opened from the inside. The door hinges made a creaking sound, which, combined with the howling north wind at dusk, made the sound even more creepy.
Ah Han shuddered: "My lord, why is this house so eerie? Could we have encountered a fox spirit or a ghost?"
Before he could finish his words, he was hit on the top of his head again.
"Have you read the legend?" Huan Minggui said, "Even if it is a fortuitous encounter, the one you met is an immortal."
He was joking, but his expression was a little serious: "Do you know whose garden that is?"
The attendant said, "I don't know."
"Princess Shou'an." Huan Minggui said.
"Shou..." The attendant shuddered, "Oh my god! What we met was really... No, my king, isn't that your great-aunt? It doesn't make sense for her to seduce you, my king..."
Huan Minggui picked up his folding fan and slapped it on his attendant's mouth: "What nonsense! This mountain and pond has long been owned by someone else. The King of Qi won a great victory on the border a year ago, and the emperor gave this mountain and pond to him."
The attendant breathed a sigh of relief, then was horrified: "Then this girl is... His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is not for that..."
He pointed eastward and said, "Have you never been interested in women?"
Huan Minggui thought thoughtfully: "Maybe there is a reason."
He stroked his chin and said, "I didn't expect it to be his man. This is a bit tricky."
"I have never heard that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is taking a concubine. That means she is an outhouse. His Royal Highness is on good terms with the King, but she is just a girl. I think he will give her up if the King mentions it."
Huan Minggui recalled Huan Xuan's abnormal attitude at the Qinglong Temple and the Eastern Palace Plum Blossom Banquet, and frowned: "It's hard to say."
He paused and said, "In any case, let's test his reaction first."
As he spoke, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and said to the people, "Drive the carriage to that house and stop."
The attendant was stunned. Could he not wait to come to the door to ask for help? !
He frowned and said, "Your Majesty, are you going to visit me right now? What are you not preparing for..."
Huan Minggui smiled and said, "Now that we are here, let's go have some dinner first and then we can talk."
…
It is said that Huan Xuan took Sui Sui to the Prince of Qi's Palace in the afternoon.
This was her first time to set foot in the palace, but Huan Xuan naturally had no intention of taking her on a tour. As soon as she entered the gate, he asked the carriage driver to drive straight to the stable.
The stables are located next to the palace's parade grounds and together with the armory, so bows and horses can be selected together, which is very convenient.
Huan Xuan first took her to choose a bow. When they arrived at the armory, Huan Xuan ordered the guards to open the room where bows and arrows were stored.
Sui Sui looked around and saw about a hundred bows in the room, with bowstrings removed and stored in bow cases. There were quivers piled up in the corners. She estimated that there were probably thousands of bows, which was not comparable to the arsenal she had in Heshuo. This was not surprising, as the weapons in the royal arsenal were for guards and there was a quota. If they were kept there would be suspicion of intention to usurp the throne.
Even though he is in a good position now, once he hands over the tiger talisman, he will be at the mercy of others. When the emperor and empress are alive, there may not be a quarrel between brothers, but it is hard to say after the crown prince ascends the throne.
While he was thinking, Huan Xuan suddenly asked, "What kind of bow did you use originally? How many jins did it weigh?"
Sui Sui said, "I am using the bow that my father passed down to me. I only know that it is made of rattan, but I don't know what kind of bow it is."
When she was not injured, she could use a one-stone longbow. Women are naturally at a disadvantage in physical strength compared to men. She was not good at strength, but put all her efforts into technique. Her ability of "shooting an arrow through a willow leaf from a hundred paces" was obtained by working several times harder than others.
Huan Xuan squeezed her right arm, took out a bow from the shelf by the wall, drew out the bow, strung the bowstring, and handed it to her along with his jade ring: "Try it."
Sui Sui put the jade hairpin on the thumb of his right hand, deliberately putting it on in the wrong direction.
Huan Xuan took her hand and straightened it for her: "This is how you wear it."
Her hands were larger than those of an average woman, with long fingers, slightly visible joints, and light calluses on the fingertips and palms.
Huan Xuan never looked at her hands, because they were too different from Ruan Yuewei's hands which were as soft as spring onions and as boneless as a spring onion.
But even he had to admit that although these hands were not soft, they were well-proportioned, slender and powerful, and very pleasing to the eye.
He inexplicably recalled the first night they were together. She couldn't help but touch his back with her hands. He still remembered the trembling feeling clearly. He felt his chest tighten when he thought about it now.
He suddenly felt as if he was scalded by boiling water, and he let go of her hand, his face cold: "The size is not suitable, I will ask someone to make two for you another day."
His movement of loosening his hands was very abrupt, and with a sullen look on his face, he simply thought that it was another pair of hands, so different from the one he loved, that was getting in the way, and didn't take it to heart.
She held the bow in her left hand, hooked the bowstring with her right hand, took a deep breath, slowly pulled the string, and then slowly released it.
This was a two-jun bow. Although she could use it with both hands, she was used to using her left hand, so her right arm was a little weaker. In addition, her right shoulder was injured, so she was weaker than before. However, she could still handle a bow of two or three jun.
Huan Xuan's eyes flashed with surprise. Women's physical strength cannot be compared with men. He did not expect that this hunter girl could pull the two-jun bow so easily, as if she was at ease.
He pondered for a moment, then picked up another bow, strung it, and handed it to her: "Try this one."
Sui Sui tried it and estimated that the force of the sword was about four jin. She pulled it with some difficulty and her shoulders trembled slightly.
Huan Xuan took the bow and said, "Your shoulder is injured, so a four-jin bow is a stretch. You can pick a three-jin bow."
Sui Sui chose a mulberry wood lacquer bow, pulled the string to try it out, and felt that it was quite handy, so he said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the reward."
After choosing the longbow, Huan Xuan picked out two horn bows for her to use on horseback, and handed them to the eunuchs to keep. He picked up a quiver full of arrows and said to Sui Sui, "I'll take you to the training ground to try out the bow."
The two of them arrived at the training ground. Huan Xuan asked the guard Shu Hao to shoot the marquis, and asked Sui Sui to stand twenty feet away. He handed her a feather arrow and said, "Try it."
Sui Sui thanked him and took it, bent the bow and drew the arrow, took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, aimed at the "鹄" painted in the middle of the shooting mark, and decisively drew the bow and shot the arrow.
With just a "pop" sound, the feather arrow broke through the air with a sound like tearing silk. It went away swiftly, but it deviated slightly to the left and did not hit Hou Xin's target.
The guards who were watching the shooting couldn't help but let out a cry of annoyance.
This arrow was shot off target intentionally.
There was no trace of regret on her face, and she said to Huan Xuan, "I am not good at archery."
Huan Xuan glanced at her, slightly surprised. Her archery skills were better than he expected, and what was even more rare was her calmness and composure.
He nodded and said, "Your aim is good, but your posture is not right. You are using the Hu people's bow control method, which is suitable for horseback shooting. It is more appropriate to use the Chinese method for foot shooting."
Then he said to the guard, "Bring me my Fanruo bow."
The guard trotted over, and soon came back with a carved bow.
Huan Xuan took the longbow with a strung string, stepped back ten steps, put the arrow on the bow and drew the line. He hardly took aim when the arrow left the bow with a whoosh and whizzed towards Shehou.
The guard rushed over to check and shouted, "This arrow is captured!"
Huan Xuan raised his chin slightly and glanced at Sui Sui: "Did you see it clearly?"
The King of Qi usually behaves in a mature and prudent manner, but occasionally he reveals a childish side, resembling a young man in fine clothes and riding a horse.
Sui Sui couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth when he saw him like this: "Your Highness has good archery skills."
Huan Xuan raised his chin slightly and said calmly, "I've become a little unfamiliar with you lately."
He turned away, unstringed the bow and threw it to the guard: "Keep it."
He turned to Sui Sui and said, "Let's go. I'll take you to pick a horse."
There were hundreds of fine horses in the stables of the Prince of Qi's palace, ranging from the short and gentle Guoxia horses and Shu horses to the strong and muscular Ferghana horses and eight-foot-longli horses.
There is no military general who doesn't love horses, and Sui Sui is no exception. When he saw such a fine horse, his eyes suddenly brightened and his cheeks flushed with excitement.
Huan Xuan caught a glimpse of her casually and couldn't help but take a few glances. The woman was so tender and charming in front of him, but she never showed such a childlike expression of pure happiness. He suddenly felt an indescribable itch of desire in his heart, as if he was brushed by a feather, and he couldn't help but take a few glances.
Sui Sui's mind was completely attracted by the horse and she didn't notice the man's gaze at all.
Huan Xuan calmed himself down and asked, "Have you ever ridden a horse?"
Huan Xuan didn't think it was strange. The people on the border were accustomed to riding and shooting, and she was a hunter's daughter, so it was normal for her to know how to ride a horse.
He gave the eunuch a few instructions and took her to an exceptionally clean stable. There were only a dozen horses in the stable, ranging from five-foot colts to eight-foot dragon horses. All of them were quite majestic, with shiny coats, fat and strong bodies, except for one black horse.
That horse was thinner than the other horses, its fur was dry and yellow, like hay, and it looked a little sick.
Huan Xuan said to Sui Sui, "You can pick one from them."
Sui Sui was not as polite as him and pointed at the skinny black horse without hesitation: "Can I have this one?"
Huan Xuan raised his eyebrows: "Why did you choose this one? Since I told you to pick any one, you can pick any one. You don't have to pick a weak horse."
Sui Sui shook his head and said, "I want this one."
Whether in terms of bone structure or the look in the eyes, this horse was the best in the entire stable, on par with her favorite horse "Tuiying" in Wei Bo. Her Tuying happened to be a black horse, and at first glance they looked a bit similar.
Since Huan Xuan let her choose, she didn't bother to argue with him and just picked the best one.
Huan Xuan's eyes flashed with surprise: "Can you judge horses?"
Sui Sui still shook his head: "This horse looks a bit like the one I raised at home. I think it looks kind."
Huan Xuan couldn't help but burst out laughing. This black horse was sent from Penglai Palace the day before yesterday and was the best of the tribute horses this year. His warhorse had injured its legs and feet, and he had planned to tame the horse and keep it as his own mount.
It is really hard to say what to say that the hunter woman picked his best horse for such a reason.
However, since he had promised it himself, the King of Qi would not go back on his word. He just raised his chin slightly and said, "This is the best warhorse I have. Do you want it?"
He was asking whether she wanted to do it, but in fact he was asking whether she dared to do it.
Originally Sui Sui was indifferent, saying that all these horses were good and she could pick any one of them. But after he said that, Sui Sui became aroused and insisted on having this one.
She was afraid of anything, so she said simply, "I want to."
"Okay." Huan Xuan raised the corner of his mouth.
This hunter girl was straightforward and straightforward, which was exactly what he liked. She was like this even during sex, she was happy when she was having fun, she didn't act coyly or try to please him, which was exactly what he wanted.
The groom beside him knew that this was a rare horse and said hurriedly, "Your Highness, this horse is fierce and difficult to tame. I'm afraid it will hurt your wife."
Huan Xuan said to the horseman, "Bring it out."
The horseman was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweats. He had just said that the horse was fiery and difficult to tame. It was not that he was making excuses. The horse was tormented like a weak horse precisely because of its extremely fiery temper.
He was really afraid that something might happen to this beautiful girl.
But since His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi had given the order, there was no reason for a horseman like him to have any say in it. He had no choice but to lead the horse out of the stable and bring it to the parade ground.
Huan Xuan paused, raised his eyelids, and glanced at Sui Sui provocatively: "If you can tame it, this horse will be yours. Are you afraid?"
Sui Sui took the reins from the groom and smiled at him, which counted as his answer.