Having been dragged into this for no reason, she could neither remain silent nor speak out casually. Fortunately, she only needed to say some words of agreement. Ah Hao glanced at Zhang Xin with a smile while thinking to herself, then gave Zhang Yu a slight curtsy and said in a gentle voice, "This servant thinks that Your Highness is absolutely right. His Majesty is heroic and dignified, and everyone admires and praises him."
Zhang Xin clapped her hands in agreement, her eyes crinkling with laughter at finding an ally. After Ahao finished speaking, she looked at Zhang Yu with a smug expression, "Brother, listen to this, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Zhang Yu merely glanced at Ahao, his smile indifferent, his thoughts unreadable.
Although she didn't get Zhang Yu's approval, after her explanation, Zhang Xin stopped dwelling on the matter and quickly spoke again. She deliberately lowered her voice and asked cautiously, "Brother, what do you think? How about we try something different this year?" Her question confirmed that Zhang Yu's earlier comment about her was indeed correct.
Knowing this would happen, Zhang Yu, who was already used to it, didn't take it to heart. He deliberately chuckled, and seeing Zhang Xin immediately stand up straight and lower her head, he smiled and said, "Tell me about it."
Having received permission, Zhang Xin immediately looked up, her cheerful demeanor returning. She didn't immediately explain in detail to Zhang Yu, but instead looked expectantly at Princess Zhang Jin, as if seeking her help. Zhang Jin smiled as well, not disappointing Zhang Xin, and said to Zhang Yu, "A-Xin has come up with a novel idea; I think it sounds good, Your Majesty can also listen to it."
Seeing that they had something to discuss, Ahao prepared tea and led the other palace servants out. Several soldiers with grim expressions stood outside the tent, responsible for security. Ahao left the tent and saw Consort De, Nie Shaoguang, approaching with her palace servants.
Upon approaching, Ahao and Nie Shaoguang bowed. Seeing that she wasn't inside serving, Nie Shaoguang asked, "Is His Majesty busy right now?" Ahao didn't hide anything from her and said, "The Eldest Princess and the Little Princess are inside; they seem to have something to discuss with His Majesty."
Nie Shaoguang nodded, indicating that he understood, and then said to Ahao, "Please trouble Aunt Song to inform them." Ahao said she wouldn't dare and went inside to report. Zhang Yu let the man in, and Ahao only responded once, then heard him say, "You don't need to wait outside anymore." She responded again.
After informing Consort De, Ah Hao watched her enter the tent. She then got up and saw the sun was lower in the sky. Although she no longer needed to wait outside the tent for orders, she didn't know what to do for the time being. Thinking the surrounding scenery was pleasant, Ah Hao decided to take a stroll nearby, figuring that when she returned, things here should be finished, or she would receive instructions.
Being alone inevitably diminishes the enjoyment, and Ah Hao aimlessly wandered out to a spot, only to suddenly hear someone calling her from behind. She turned around and, seeing that it was indeed Ling Xiao, was overjoyed and immediately greeted him with a smile.
Chapter 22 Suspicion
Ling Xiao was accompanying the group as a female physician. A-Hao hadn't heard her mention it before, and since the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager both preferred to have her take pulses, she assumed Ling Xiao had stayed at the Imperial Hospital. A-Hao, who had been feeling bored, was pleasantly surprised to run into an acquaintance with whom she could talk more.
"Aunt Ling is here too? I didn't know that before." After greeting her with a smile, Song Shuhao spoke to Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao smiled back at Shuhao, but was rather vague on this matter, answering her, "I was pulled out at the last minute, it was a bit rushed, and I didn't inform Aunt Song in advance."
Ah Hao, who was also temporarily assigned to accompany Ling Xiao, smiled even more broadly upon hearing his words, finding it completely understandable. The personnel assigned to accompany Ling Xiao from the Imperial Hospital might have been planned in advance, but unexpected events or sudden changes were not impossible.
Ah Hao and Ling Xiao exchanged a few words while standing, realizing they were both just strolling around and enjoying the scenery. They quickly reached a consensus and began walking and chatting together. They walked slowly along the wide path leading into the depths of the mountains, keeping to themselves. Although it was cold, the sun was shining and the wind wasn't too strong, so they didn't feel uncomfortable.
The road had been specially cleared, and the hillsides on both sides were covered with withered grass and bare trees, adding to the desolation of the winter day. Ah Hao and Ling Xiao always had a lot to talk about, and this time was no exception. The two walked and talked, and somehow the conversation turned to some funny things from their childhood, which gradually became quite interesting.
When the topic turned to memories related to her parents, Ah Hao thought of her mother and then recalled Zhao Jian's appearance at the Song residence a few days ago. She had originally intended to ask Zhang Ye about it, but she hadn't had the chance in the past few days, and a lot had happened, so Ah Hao realized that she had almost forgotten about it.
Lost in thought, Ah Hao heard the sound of hooves behind her. Before she could react, Ling Xiao suddenly pulled her to the side. The horse then almost grazed her body as it passed by. Ah Hao belatedly realized that if Ling Xiao hadn't been there, she probably would have been thrown off her feet.
The rider reined in his horse, turned around, and looked at Song Shuhao and Ling Xiao. An Qiutong, dressed in a beautiful riding outfit, sat gracefully on the horse, her expression haughty, with a faint smile on her face, and apologized to them.
"I didn't notice the two young ladies here. My horse took off and wouldn't stop. I'm truly sorry for disturbing you." Neither her words nor her facial expression showed the slightest remorse for what she had just done.
Although Ling Xiao knew An Qiutong was an imperial concubine, seeing her attitude, which clearly showed she didn't care about other people's lives, he was angered and wanted to retort. Seeing this, Ahao quickly pulled her back. She understood that An Qiutong was mostly holding a grudge against her because of past events, but this had nothing to do with Ling Xiao, and she didn't want her to be dragged into it.
Seeing that they dared not say a word, An Qiutong felt a sense of satisfaction. Her only regret was that Song Shuhao had dodged the attack without being hurt at all. Seeing the anger on Ling Xiao's face, An Qiutong chuckled, turned her horse around, and rode away on her own.
"Thank you." Before Ling Xiao could speak, A-Hao spoke first, then added a step later, "If it weren't for Aunt Ling, I don't know if I would still be able to get up right now."
Hearing A-Hao's words, Ling Xiao realized there was no need to repeat what she had prepared, assuming A-Hao was too soft-hearted and reckless. She knew the other party's malice and that she had almost lost her life. Ling Xiao assumed that A-Hao had her reasons for stopping her and preventing a conflict with An Meiren.
Although that was the case, Ling Xiao felt that, given A-Hao's status, even if she wasn't of high rank, she was certainly not someone who could be bullied at will. Therefore, she still advised, "Aunt Song, there's no need for thanks, but I hope you're alright and can protect yourself. Since you're someone the Empress Dowager is in her presence, why be so wary and put yourself in a disadvantageous position?"
There was no way to explain it clearly to Ling Xiao. It wasn't like this in the past; in fact, she had almost never encountered such difficulties before. But now... things were indeed different. A-Hao nodded and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt Ling. But you can only protect someone for a while, not forever. And if someone insists that such a thing didn't happen, there's nothing you can do. It's fortunate that you weren't hurt."
"How could there be no way?" Ling Xiao smiled and, seeing Ah Hao looking at him with a puzzled expression, leaned closer and said, "If Aunt Song had just lay down on the ground back then, as a female healer, I could have examined her and simply said that she had fainted from fright. Do you think it's that easy to renege on your promise?"
This was the first time Song Shuhao had heard such a thing. She looked at Ling Xiao with surprise and confusion, unsure of what to say in response.
·
After a moment's thought, Zhang Yu adopted Zhang Jin and Zhang Xin's suggestion. When Ahao returned to the tent, the eldest princess and the youngest princess, who had already discussed matters, were no longer there.
Lu Yuanli stood outside the tent. Upon seeing Ahao, he immediately smiled and said, "Aunt Song has finally returned. His Majesty said that once Aunt Song is back, she can go inside."
Ahao nodded, and the soldier lifted the curtain, allowing her to enter. Zhang Yu was lying on his side on a small couch, still reading, covered with a thin blanket. Although this trip was supposed to be for hunting, His Majesty the Emperor seemed preoccupied, frequently holding different books.
Upon reaching the small couch, Ahao bowed to Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu didn't even look up, casually flipping through a page of a book, and slowly said, "Sit down, I have something to say to you." It sounded like he was trying to negotiate, but it was still his usual commanding tone.
After thanking him for his kindness, Ahao sat down on an embroidered stool near the small couch, waiting for the emperor to speak first. Zhang Yu didn't seem to be in a hurry. He slowly read a few more pages of his book, closed it, tossed it aside, and sat up. Seeing this, Ahao wanted to get up to fetch him a pillow to lean on, but Zhang Yu gave her a sidelong glance, and for some reason, she forced herself to sit back down.
Seeing her standing there dumbfounded, Zhang Yu found it amusing, but he shifted to a more comfortable position, half-sitting on the small couch, and asked A-Hao, "Can you ride a horse?"
Ah Hao nodded and replied, "I used to learn it, but it's been a long time, and I guess I've become rusty."
"If you get rusty, find a horse to practice on." Seeing her nod again, Zhang Yu added, "Tomorrow you will follow A Xin. Don't take it too seriously. Just wander around. I will have Xia Mingzhe accompany you."
Ah Hao agreed verbally, but she hadn't really figured out what was going to happen tomorrow. She could only guess from Zhang Yu's words that he most likely wanted her to go hunting. That was the purpose of their trip; otherwise, there seemed to be no other interesting activities. She'd join in the fun, and then she could chat with the Empress Dowager back in the palace.
Zhang Yu and Ahao had made the arrangements, and Zhang Yu felt he had largely achieved his goal of letting her get out and have some fun. With Zhang Xin by his side, they wouldn't encounter any wild beasts unless they ventured deep into the mountains, and with Xia Mingzhe watching over them, nothing should go wrong. With a few more people secretly protecting them, safety was guaranteed.
Now that he had brought Song Shuhao out, Zhang Yu naturally prepared to take her back safely, hoping that her trip wouldn't be entirely pointless. Fortunately, she was quite easy to manage and didn't cause him much worry.
Then he remembered the report from his men that An Qiutong had almost collided with Song Shuhao on horseback. Zhang Yu was about to tell Ahao about it when Lü Yuan's voice rang out from outside the tent, sounding like something urgent. He composed himself and called Lü Yuan in.
Lu Yuan entered the tent, bowed to Zhang Yu, and hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, Consort De accidentally fell off her horse. She has been carried back to the tent and Physician Ling is here to take a look at her."
“She’s one of the best riders among these people, how could she be so careless?” Zhang Yu frowned. After hearing Lü Yuan say that he didn’t know why the horse suddenly went berserk, he got off the bed and said, “I’ll go and take a look.”
Nie Shaoguang's brother, Nie Zhiyuan, is a capable man. His own sister got into trouble right under his nose, and in the very thing Nie Shaoguang is best at—after all, he comes from a military family. If he doesn't give a proper explanation, it will be hard not to create resentment.
Zhang Yu walked a few steps, turned his head slightly, and said to Ahao, "Have something to eat and rest for a while. If you need anything, I will have someone call you."
Song Shuhao, who had already stood up when Lü Yuan came in, quickly responded to Zhang Yu's words, curtsied, and watched him leave. She then left the tent one after the other without lingering.
·
Nie Shaoguang lay on a makeshift couch, her face pale and showing signs of suppressed pain, likely due to the pain in her wounds. Zhang Yu strode in, and everyone in Consort De's tent stopped what they were doing to greet him. He waved his hand, walked to the couch, and asked Ling Xiao, "How is she?"
Ling Xiao replied, "Your Majesty, Consort De fell off her horse and accidentally broke her arm. It seems she has fractured it." He couldn't help but think to himself, "She broke her arm as soon as she arrived. If she doesn't go back in time, she'll have to stay here. It's pitiful."
Zhang Yu nodded upon hearing this. Nie Shaoguang gritted her teeth, opened her eyes, looked at him, and said, "Your Majesty, that horse is one that I raised myself. It is very close to me and is usually very docile. It has never suddenly gone mad like this before."