Ever since Huan Xuan ordered people to move the things back to Shanchiyuan, he began to live a carefree life. As long as he did not go to the palace or the court, he and Lu Suisui were almost inseparable. Except for the difference in status, they looked no different from an ordinary couple.
He also ordered people to repair the abandoned lotus pond in the back garden. The pond was originally filled with fresh water from outside the city, but over the years, waterweeds grew everywhere and blocked the ceramic pipes that carried water. Huan Xuan ordered people to dredge the waterweeds and silt, plant lotuses, and renovate the pavilions and waterside terraces on the pond.
As soon as May came, the weather was extremely hot. Even putting ice in the room was still not enough to relieve the heat. Huan Xuan simply asked someone to move the bed and chessboard into the waterside pavilion and hang up a gauze curtain.
At night, they would play chess in the moonlight or lie side by side on the balcony to enjoy the cool air. As they were enjoying themselves, they would often turn their heads to see the eunuchs and maids quietly retreating. After a while, the sound of the lock of the garden door would be heard falling with a click.
They were the only two people left in the huge garden. The stars in the sky were shaking as if they were about to fall down.
Sometimes they just lay side by side and looked at the stars. The new lotus leaves in the pond were swaying gently, and the lotus flowers were just beginning to bloom. The breeze blew by, bringing bursts of fragrance. Even Sui Sui couldn't help but feel that time was passing by. Sometimes she almost thought that she was just a hunter girl with a simple background, and it would be nice to live like this for the rest of her life.
But she still remembered who she was.
The bait has been laid, and all that remains is to wait quietly.
Sui Sui is well versed in fishing.
One day when it was raining, Huan Xuan ordered a pleasure boat to be put in the pond. Sui Sui, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, sat on the bow of the boat and fished like an old fisherman.
Huan Xuan thought the rain gear was ugly and didn't want to stay alone in the cabin, so he came to tease her with an umbrella and pinched her arm: "Don't you have to go to the Ministry of War? I will rush back to accompany you after the court session, and you will just sit here and fish?"
Sui Sui found it funny and coaxed him, "I caught some fish and will grill it for Your Highness tonight."
"I don't want to eat any of that grilled fish." Huan Xuan said with a straight face, really regretting letting Gao Mai put the fish fry in the pond.
"Your Highness clearly liked it very much last time..." Sui Sui ruthlessly exposed him.
Before she could finish her words, her face was turned over and her mouth was blocked.
She glanced at the water out of the corner of her eye. A fish was hooked, causing ripples to spread out in circles before returning to calm. Another fish ate the bait and ran away.
Sui Sui sighed helplessly. She felt that the King of Qi and a tabby cat she picked up when she was a child were similar in nature. They usually ignored people, but would come to you when you were doing something serious, scratching one and patting the other. As long as they were around, you wouldn't be able to catch a single fish in an afternoon.
"The fish ran away again." Sui Sui bit his slightly swollen lips, picked up the fishing rod, and said helplessly.
Huan Xuan sneered and said disapprovingly: "Fishing is not fun at all."
Huan Xuan didn't understand her preference. Rather than waiting idly, he preferred to take the initiative.
If necessary on the battlefield, he could patiently lie dormant for months or even years, but he felt it was not worth it to endure for a few fish.
Sui Sui didn't like fishing originally. It was her father who saw that she was impatient when she was a child, so he used this method to temper her because one had to be patient when leading troops in battle.
Huan Xuan's personality was actually a bit like hers. She had carefully studied the several stunning battles he had fought since he took charge of the Divine Wing Army, and knew that he also used a light, sharp and strange approach to employing troops.
Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder, if they met in battle one day and their forces were equal, who would be the winner
However, it was just a brief incident. The imperial court and the local towns were not at the point of drawing swords. Going to war would only bring disadvantages to both sides, so both sides would only test each other and do some small things behind the scenes. At least in their lifetime, this war would probably not be fought.
Just as she was lost in thought, the fishing rod in her hand was snatched away.
"Let's go riding and shooting arrows with me." Huan Xuan said.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was an expert in both riding and shooting, and under his personal instruction, Lu Suisui's riding and shooting skills also improved by leaps and bounds, from hitting the target with one or two out of ten shots to hitting the target with five out of ten shots. Now, seven or eight out of ten arrows he shot on foot often hit the target, and his riding and shooting accuracy was nearly 50%.
Riding a horse in the rain is a joy.
The two men rode on horses, holding bows, and circled around the training ground, shooting at the target.
Sui Sui was in exceptionally good shape today, with his archery accuracy exceeding 70%.
Huan Xuan said: "With your archery and horsemanship, you can enter the palace and become a personal guard."
Sui Sui took the handkerchief from the eunuch and wiped the rain off his face: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."
Huan Xuan asked, "Are you going hunting?"
Sui Sui glanced at the pine forest on the hillside and said, "It might be hard to walk in the forest when it rains."
This piece of forest had been unattended for a long time and had grown into a wild forest. They would occasionally go there to shoot wild rabbits and wild ducks for food.
"Your Highness, have you eaten roasted hare?" Sui Sui asked.
Huan Xuan said, "Tsk, I thought I was eating with you all day long."
Having said that, he turned his face away and swallowed secretly.
"We are talking about this year's autumn hunting. Do you want to go with me?" Huan Xuan asked.
Sui Sui's eyes slightly lowered. She certainly knew the emperor's habit of autumn hunting in Mount Li. If someone wanted to attack a prince like Huan Xuan, hunting was undoubtedly the best opportunity.
She looked up at Huan Xuan, her bright eyes full of desire: "Can I really go?"
This village girl always had a look of not wanting anything. When gold, jade, jewelry, silk and brocade that other women liked were given to her, she would just say thank you lightly and keep them in the storeroom. She seemed to despise money. Except for the last time when the master asked for a horse and a bow, she rarely showed a strong desire for anything. Even if Huan Xuan wanted to pamper her, he didn't know where to start.
Her eyes were as bright and clear as if washed by water, and she did not hide her thoughts at all. Huan Xuan saw this and was satisfied, and raised his chin: "Why not, it's just a small matter."
Sui Sui murmured: "With my status as a commoner, it may be inconvenient for me to follow His Highness."
Huan Xuan sneered, thinking that she was worrying too much, but then he thought that it would be inconvenient for her to follow him as a concubine. He smiled and said, "You can just pretend to be a guard and follow me."
Sui Sui said: "Then I would like to thank Your Highness."
Huan Xuan was very pleased and raised his eyebrows and said, "You should practice riding and archery more during this period of time. Don't hold me back at this time."
Sui Sui pursed her lips and smiled: "Yes."
"I'll ask someone to make you a set of guard clothes." Huan Xuan said.
Sui Sui hesitated for a moment and then said, "The guard's clothes are gone. They were worn during the Lantern Festival."
Huan Xuan only then remembered this matter.
He felt a little embarrassed whenever the Lantern Festival was mentioned. What he said that time was too harsh. Fortunately, Lu Suisui was good-tempered. After crying for a while during her illness, she let the matter go and never brought up the past again.
Naturally, she had no intention of bringing up the past at this moment.
But Huan Xuan couldn't help but talk about his "fake" remarks.
During the autumn hunt in Mount Li, the prince would probably take Ruan Yuewei with him. At that time, Lu Suisui would pretend to be his personal attendant and be inseparable from him. Of course, he would also meet Ruan Yuewei.
He suddenly realized that he hadn't thought of Ruan Yuewei for some time, and then he suddenly realized that both the name and the person seemed a little strange.
He was slightly startled, and his smile disappeared unconsciously: "That one is old, make two new ones."
The guard uniform was only worn for one night during the last lunar festival, so how could it be old
Sui Sui observed his expression and guessed that he was thinking of the encounter with Ruan Yuewei during the Lantern Festival, which reminded him of the pain of being unable to get what he wanted. He did not argue with him and said obediently, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Can you use a knife?" Huan Xuan changed the subject.
Sui Sui asked, "If you have to use a hatchet to clear a path in the forest, does that count?"
Huan Xuan sneered: "The hatchet is of course different from the swords worn by the guards. If you want to pretend to be my guard, you should know a little bit about swords, knives, fists and feet, so that you can protect yourself if anything happens."
He raised his chin and said, "Forget it. I'll just take the trouble to teach you."
Sui Sui said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
…
Leisurely days always pass by especially quickly, and in a flash two months passed. The osmanthus fragrance filled the air in the garden, but only the withered stems and leaves were left of the lotus in the pond.
A few days after the two of them moved back to Qinghan Courtyard from the waterside pavilion, Sui Sui received news from the cosmetics shop that her people had obtained a topographical map of the Lishan hunting ground. She took the opportunity of Huan Xuan's entry into the palace to visit the cosmetics shop.
Although there was no defense map, she knew the strength of the Qianniu Guards and Yulin Guards. By comparing it with the topographic map, she could roughly guess the defense situation.
She frowned and thought for a while, then circled two places on the topographic map with a red pen and pointed with her fingertips: "If I want to deal with Huan Xuan, I will set up an ambush at these two places and then lure him over."
Because of the terrain, the ambush here is not easy to be discovered by the patrolling guards, but these two places are beyond the scope of the hunting grounds, and Huan Xuan must be lured into the ambush circle to succeed.
The shop owner nodded thoughtfully and said, "I'll go and make arrangements right away."
Sui Sui said: "Don't alert the snake. If the prince does anything, you must get evidence."
The shop owner should be.
Sui Sui asked again: "After the news was released, was there anything unusual in the East Palace?"
The innkeeper said, "Reporting to the general, everything in the East Palace is normal. After the case of Prince Chen's treason, the crown prince rarely came out of the palace except for occasional visits."
He paused and said, "There is only one thing, and I don't know if it is unusual... According to the eunuchs in the East Palace, the Crown Prince has been very close to the Crown Princess in the past two months. He has hardly visited the courtyards of the two concubines and several ladies, and even accompanied the Crown Princess back to her mother's home."
Thinking back to the Lantern Festival, Ruan Yuewei looked at Huan Xuan with a thoughtful look. Even she was distracted, so naturally the prince, as her husband, would also be interested.
Although it is said that the prince loves his wife as much as his life, but as a prince, can he really tolerate his wife pretending to be another man
Sui Sui stroked his chin thoughtfully: "I understand."
The shop owner's fat face no longer had the usual joy, and there was obvious worry between his brows: "General, do you really want to go with the King of Qi on this autumn hunt?"
Sui Sui nodded: "Yes."
The innkeeper bowed deeply to the ground, and said hesitantly, "I beg the general to think about it."
If the prince really wanted to take advantage of the hunting opportunity to get rid of the King of Qi, his vicinity would undoubtedly be the most dangerous place.
Sui Sui said: "It has been decided."
She stayed by Huan Xuan's side, firstly to protect him as much as possible, and secondly to ensure that he fell into the trap. If there was no bait on the hook, how could the fish take the bait
The shop owner could only offer this advice, so he bowed and said, "General, please give me more."
Sui Sui smiled at him and said, "Let it go."
He paused and said, "What's the situation in Heshuo?"
The innkeeper said, "The court wanted to send eunuchs to supervise the army, and Xiao Tongan finally agreed. The King of Qi opposed sending eunuchs and proposed sending imperial censors, but the emperor still insisted on his own way."
Sui Sui nodded. She had expected this result. The censor was an external official, mostly appointed by the prime minister, and the emperor still trusted eunuchs more.
With Huan Xuan's understanding of the emperor, he could not have guessed the result, but he still dared to speak out against him, and he felt a little surprised at the same time.
When they returned to the Shanchi Courtyard, Huan Xuan was not there. Nanny Gao said, "Just now a guard came to tell us that the prince had gone to the Hot Spring Palace and would not be back tonight."
Sui Sui nodded and went to the bathroom to take a bath and change clothes. When she came back to the living room, Nanny Gao had already prepared dinner. She looked at the separate dining table and plates and chopsticks and felt that even the room seemed empty.
After dinner, Madam Gao asked the servants to bring a large box over: "The clothes that Madam will wear for the autumn hunt have been cut. Chief Steward Gao asked someone to send them over. A few winter clothes have also been made. Madam, please take a look and see if they fit you well.
Grandma Gao took out the clothes one by one from the box, shook them out and spread them on the couch. Suddenly, the sight was filled with brocade and silk, which sparkled under the lamp. She took a quick look at them: the quilted silk robes, the brocade half-sleeves with mink fur, the wool and silk cloaks...
The colors of these clothes were not as plain as usual, nor did they have crabapple patterns. One set of riding clothes was particularly bright, red as fire. She had only worn such red clothes during the New Year when she was a child.
I didn't say much, after all, you'll get tired of the same pattern if you see it too many times, and it's common for winter clothes to be darker in color.
However, when Nanny Gao took out the last two pieces of clothing from the bottom of the box, Lian Sui Sui was also surprised.
There were actually two fur coats, one was a fox fur coat and the other was a sable fur coat.
The fox fur was like fire, and the mink fur was as white as snow. The most amazing thing was that neither of them had a single color. The fox fur was especially beautiful, and when it was flickered under the light, it shone brightly, like a blazing sea of fire.
Chun Tiao, Xiao Tong and others were stunned.
Sui Sui was used to seeing fine things and couldn't help but admire it secretly. This fur coat of fine quality was priceless, and even she had only seen a few of them.
Sui Sui said: "This is too expensive, I don't want to wear it."
Grandma Gao said, "Your Highness gave it to my lady, so please accept it. I'll give you two fur coats to change into, and from now on, my lady, please don't wear a cotton robe anymore."
His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi's original words were: "Tell Lu Sui Sui not to walk around in that blue cotton gown, it's so ugly."
At first, Nanny Gao was afraid of being too agitated and accused of presumptuous behavior, but Huan Xuan just said, "She can't even wear a fox fur coat in the middle of winter, so why is she following me?"
Grandma Gao agreed as well, but she still recited Buddhist scriptures to Lu Suisui several times when she returned, in case she was too weak to bear it.
Chun Tiao, Xiao Tong and others were sent out by Grandma Gao to do some work, leaving Sui Sui and the old grandma alone in the room.
Grandma Gao stroked the soft and smooth edge of the fox fur and said, "My lady, you have never seen His Highness's black fox fur. It is more beautiful than this. Under the lamplight, it looks like kerosene."
He paused, then said to himself, "Last year, His Majesty received four tribute black fox furs. He kept one for himself, and the Queen and the First and Second Princes each received one. Your Highness has been making great contributions on the frontier, so His Majesty awarded him one. After he received it, he kept it in the storehouse and never took it out to wear."
She sighed, "My lady, don't look at your Highness as someone who has been living a life of luxury since childhood, as if he has everything he needs, but... Alas, I am old and my mouth is noisy. I will help you put away your clothes."
Sui Sui's eyes slightly lowered. She understood this feeling. When you want something, it's gone, but when you don't want it, it's no longer needed.
She said nothing, but just helped Grandma Gao fold and put away the clothes that were not being worn.
After Grandma Gao left, Sui Sui asked Chun Tiao to put the valuable fur coats into the side room as usual, and put them together with the silk, gold and jade utensils given by Huan Xuan, as she could not take them away.
The Autumn Hunt at Mount Li is held at the end of September and is a major event of the year. When the hunt is held, all the officials will follow the emperor, almost like moving the entire court to Mount Li. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, preparations will begin in full swing, and Huan Xuan also becomes busy.
Sui Sui practiced riding and archery diligently, spending almost all of her time on the training ground from morning till night. After all, she had been recovering from an injury for half a year and had been delayed for a month due to an illness. Whether in riding, archery or swordplay, she was still a long way from her prime. She was not sure she could escape unscathed in danger, so she could only try to improve herself at the last minute to increase her chances of winning.
Finally, the day of departure arrived. Sui Sui put on the clothes of the royal guards, rode on her little black horse, and followed Huan Xuan to Mount Li.
Mount Li is in full autumn colour, with forests dyed in all their glory, red maples reflecting the sunset glow, and palaces and pavilions seemingly floating above red clouds and purple mist, a breathtaking sight.
The King of Qi stayed in the Xingchen Palace, which was the best palace besides the main palace of the Emperor and Empress and the Shaoyang Courtyard of the Crown Prince. There was a separate hot spring pool behind the palace, the Xingchen Hot Spring.
Huan Xuan was early, and the prince and his party had not arrived yet. He went to Feishuang Palace to pay respect to the emperor and then returned to Xingchen Palace. There was still more than an hour before the night banquet began.
Huan Xuan returned to the courtyard and asked the eunuch to prepare some wine. He dismissed the servants and looked at Sui Sui. He said seriously, "Guard Lu, stay."
The servants who came with the palace knew the whole story, but there were still palace maids and eunuchs from Feishuang Palace in the palace. Sui Sui estimated that after this autumn hunt, the news that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi was fond of Longyang would spread throughout the entire Chang'an City.
However, Huan Xuan cared least about his reputation. Compared with coveting the Crown Princess, his tendency to share the peach and the sleeve seemed to be better.
After the guards left, Sui Sui asked, "What do you want, Your Highness?"
Huan Xuan heard her asking questions knowingly, with a hint of teasing in her voice, clearly showing that she had learned bad habits, so he said, "I am going to the hot springs behind the palace, you stay by the pool to prevent assassins from trying to kill me."
Sui Sui felt that what he said was true, and her smile became even more intense.
The two of them sat by the hot spring pool, Huan Xuan undressed with his back to her. She was very familiar with this body, but no matter when she saw it, she couldn't help but marvel at its good looks. The lines were long and neat, and every ups and downs seemed to be carefully calculated. It turned out that a beautiful body was as natural as the beautiful mountains and rivers, which made people never tired of looking at it.
Huan Xuan stood in the pool with his hair loose, the hot spring water reaching his waist. The pool was filled with mist, wetting his lips. Tiny water droplets hung on his long eyelashes, and even his eyes were wet. He looked completely different from his usual well-dressed and superior appearance, like a seductive male water demon.
"Guard Lu," he said, "come here, I have something to tell you."
Sui Sui cooperated and took a few steps towards him.
"Come closer, it's a confidential matter." Huan Xuan said.
Sui Sui smiled slightly and took another step forward. Suddenly, someone pulled her belt. With a loud bang, she lost her balance and fell into the pool.
The instigator held her waist, pressed her back against the pool wall, and gently nibbled her earlobe.
Sui Sui Yang kept dodging: "What should I do with this assassin..."
Huan Xuan sneered: "I think you are a spy. I will interrogate you personally."
For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of rushing water.
The two of them fooled around in the pool for a while. Huan Xuan saw that the time for the night banquet was almost over, so he carried her out of the pool with a lingering feeling, wrapped her in a large cloth and said, "There will be a palace banquet tonight. I will go to Feishuang Palace."
Sui Sui asked, "Does this humble girl want to follow His Majesty?"
Huan Xuan pinched her and said, "You are now the Deer Guard, you should call yourself a subordinate."
Sui Sui was helpless: "Do you want me to go with you?" No one knew that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi had such a habit.
Huan Xuan said, "Why are you following me? You've been standing there all the time, just watching people eat and drink. You stay here, and I'll ask someone to bring us dinner."
It suddenly dawned on her that the Crown Prince and his wife must be present at the palace banquet, and Huan Xuan would definitely not let Ruan Yuewei see her.
On the other hand, the emperor's residence was heavily guarded, and the prince would be crazy to do something in such a place, so he nodded and said, "Okay."
Huan Xuan spent every second with her for a while, then he changed his clothes, put on his hat, and went to Feishuang Palace in a sedan chair.
It was almost time for the banquet in the palace, and the Crown Prince and his wife and all the royal family members had arrived.
Huan Xuan bowed to his father and brother, his eyes swept from Ruan Yuewei to the woman in pink palace dress beside her. That was Ruan Liuniang, whom Shangsi had met once in Furong Garden.
All the guests at today's banquet are from the royal family. With her status, she should not be here. The emperor asked the prince and his wife to bring her along, and his intention was very obvious.
Huan Xuan's face darkened.
Ruan Liuniang was also looking at him, and as soon as their eyes met, she lowered her head shyly.
The prince laughed and said, "I heard that your husband arrived earlier than us. Why did he wait until the banquet started and made us wait anxiously?"
As he spoke, he pointedly looked at Ruan Liuniang who was beside his wife.
Huan Xuan said calmly, "I soaked in the hot spring for a while, so I was delayed."
"No wonder your complexion is so rosy. Hot spring water nourishes people." The prince said with a smile.
The emperor looked at the prince who was sitting upright, and then at Ruan Liuniang who was blushing, and asked kindly: "Is this your first time to Mount Li, Liuniang? Can you ride and shoot?"
Ruan Liuniang bowed respectfully and said gracefully, "Your Majesty, I have learned a little bit and once went to the mountains in the south with my father to hunt foxes and rabbits."
Although she spoke modestly, she was clearly confident in her riding and archery skills.
The emperor said something strange: "That's good, don't feel restrained here, just treat it as your own home."
Then he said to the mistress, "Auntie, please take good care of the Crown Princess and Liu Niang."
The eldest lady's reluctance was written all over her face. She loved hunting and came to Mount Li without even bringing her husband with her. She just wanted to have a good time, but how could she enjoy herself with these two burdens
But her father had spoken, and she did not refuse, but just said: "Father, please let it go. I will take good care of the Crown Princess and Lady Ruan."
After saying that, he glanced at his expressionless brother, his eyes full of resentment.
Huan Xuan pretended not to see it.