"Were you scared?"
After walking a short distance with her head down, Ahao heard Zhang Yu's words. She didn't react immediately, and only after a moment of surprise did she realize that he was talking to her, but she didn't know whether to nod or shake her head.
Zhang Yu turned his head slightly, paused, and seeing that Song Shuhao's expression was indeed not good, he finally turned around and walked towards the stables. Ah Hao trotted after him, and walked with Zhang Yu to the vicinity of the stables.
He ordered someone to bring out two chestnut horses from the stable. Zhang Yu turned to Ahao and said, "Get on." Ahao was unusually slow to react and didn't understand. Zhang Yu continued, "I told you to find a horse to practice on, but you've ignored me."
Ah Hao still didn't understand Zhang Yu's sudden change in attitude, but she had no choice but to obey him and mount her horse. As soon as she was settled, Zhang Yu took the whip and lashed the horse twice, sending it galloping off. He then mounted his own horse and chased after Ah Hao.
Chapter 24 Promise
The horse beneath her suddenly began to gallop. Startled, Ah-Hao quickly gripped the reins, but having not ridden in a long time, she was unable to control the horse quickly and accurately. The constant jolting made her somewhat unsteady and lacking confidence.
The sun had begun to set, its afterglow illuminating the world. The evening temperature was considerably lower than during the day, and each breath exhaled instantly condensed into white smoke. The horse simply followed the mountain path upwards, its hooves tracing the light and shadows on the ground, seemingly fearless of what lay ahead.
Ah Hao tried her best to rely on the methods she remembered to make the chestnut horse walk more steadily. Before long, someone caught up with her. She glanced sideways and saw that it was indeed Zhang Yu. She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes.
"Look up and see where you're going."
Zhang Yu's voice rang out immediately, as if in sync with A Hao's actions. Even seated on horseback, he exuded a casual air, yet his upright posture was imposing and powerful. His inherent charisma and presence were undeniable, and everything he did seemed imbued with his unique character.
Ahao was reminded and, knowing she shouldn't look down, looked ahead again. Zhang Yu flicked the whip a few more times, and the horse beneath Ahao galloped even faster. Ahao thought this was really bad. But she was helpless and could only grip the reins tightly, trying her best not to fall off the horse.
No one else followed behind or to their sides. Ah Hao and Zhang Yu continued forward in silence. Only the clatter of hooves and the whistling wind mingled and echoed incessantly in Ah Hao's ears. The cold wind occasionally lashed her face, stinging her, and the chill seeped into her neck through her collar, leaving her feeling cold and damp.
Ah Hao had forgotten the fear she felt when An Qiutong was killed before her eyes, and she had also forgotten the feeling of Ling Xiao gripping her hand so tightly it hurt; she was even somewhat dazed. His Majesty the Emperor knew perfectly well that Consort An was not the true culprit in plotting against Consort De, yet he still used her as a scapegoat. Prince Zhao knew Consort An was innocent, yet he still killed her without hesitation.
She didn't feel sorry for anyone; life is inherently difficult. The fact that An Meiren was used as a target wasn't entirely unrelated to her own actions. It's just that seeing someone's fate being so uncontrollable makes it hard not to think of herself.
Having witnessed countless palace intrigues, she had always tried to protect herself, hoping to avoid offending anyone and thus live in peace. But from Xue Liangyue to Consort An, each incident served as a stark reminder that feigning ignorance was no longer effective. What needed to be done? What could she do?
Trapped in the inner palace, how could she possibly survive on her own integrity? Perhaps she should obey the Empress Dowager's wishes, enter the palace as a concubine, and become a pawn. Instead, she hoped to easily leave this place, avoid all the strife, and start a new life somewhere else.
Ah Hao stared intently ahead, focusing on controlling her horse and trying to suppress her turbulent emotions. The scenery before her kept changing, and the exhilaration of galloping away without a care in the world gradually welled up within her. But no one had ever forced her; she herself had chosen this path when she was nine years old.
Suddenly, a person appeared behind her, a broad, resolute chest pressed against her back. Realizing it was Zhang Yu, A-Hao felt a chill run down her spine. Zhang Yu stretched out his arms and pulled her into a embrace, gripping the reins and urging the horse to gallop. A-Hao tensed, feeling the person behind her press close, whispering in her ear, "Why are you crying?"
Not realizing she was crying, Ah Hao reached up and wiped her face, her fingers damp with tears, revealing clear tear tracks on her cheeks. She was momentarily stunned. At that moment, Ah Hao was lost in thought… how did His Majesty the Emperor get from one horse to another…?
Zhang Yu looked down, unable to see her expression. He reined in his horse, dismounted, and reached out to help Ahao. Ahao, still sitting on the horse, stared blankly at him, not extending her hand, but instead dismounting on her own. Standing firmly on the ground again, she felt grounded once more.
Ignored by his good intentions, Zhang Yu didn't hold it against A-Hao. He withdrew his hand, stood in front of A-Hao, and seeing her tear-streaked face, he hesitated for a moment and guessed what had affected her emotions. After thinking for a while, Zhang Yu said, "You and she are different. Why do you have to cry because she reminds you of yourself?"
Perhaps because she had been specially instructed in etiquette by her nanny for many years, even with tears streaming down her face, Song Shuhao showed no signs of distress. Ah Hao sniffed lightly, tilted her head back, looked at Zhang Yu, who was more than a head taller than her, and said softly with a slightly nasal tone, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This servant is fine."
Many people have cried in front of Zhang Yu, including beauties and those who are pitiful and charming. There have been others like Ahao who evoke such pity. But Zhang Yu knows best that she is different from those people.
Unable to offer words of comfort, Zhang Yu could only manage a few dry, uninspired remarks. Ah Hao's words, however, were even less sincere, bordering on a veiled accusation; even with his words, they remained utterly incomprehensible.
Having finally managed to calm himself down, Zhang Yu felt a bit annoyed again. Why did he have to worry about someone who didn't know what was good for him? Yes, he owed her, that's for sure!
"Crying all the time? Trying to fool me again?" Seeing Song Shuhao lower her eyes and head again as if trying to dodge the gaze, Zhang Yu lifted her chin with a slightly irritable movement, forcing her to look directly at him. Meeting her pair of wet, dark eyes, Zhang Yu's brow twitched slightly, and he said again, "She has caused trouble several times and should not be kept around."
Ah Hao's body trembled involuntarily, even her lips quivered. Thinking about how she had angered Zhang Yu several times, she realized she might already be on the list of people who shouldn't be around... Looking at Zhang Yu's fierce glare at her, she felt even more certain that this was the case. In a moment of panic, she couldn't help but let a few more tears stream down her face, and she hurriedly wanted to wipe them away.
Not knowing what he had said wrong, Zhang Yu felt a headache coming on when he saw the person who had finally stopped crying start crying again. He awkwardly let go of her hand but said with a stern face, "What are you crying for? You look ugly."
Ah Hao quickly wiped away her tears again, her eyes and nose red. She stood there dumbfounded, not daring to lower her head, not daring to look down, and not even daring to sniffle. Only now did she clearly realize that even after repeatedly warning herself, she still either said or did the wrong thing in front of His Majesty the Emperor; she was never right the second time.
After waiting a while and calming himself down, Zhang Yu assumed that Ahao had also calmed down, so he asked her again why she was crying. He just wanted to know the reason; if it wasn't because of An Qiutong, then it must be for some other reason.
Despite the cold wind blowing, Ah Hao, still reeling from her breakdown, blurted out after hearing Zhang Yu's words, "This servant has repeatedly angered His Majesty..." The words were out of her mouth, and it was too late to regret them. In an instant, the horses neighed, the wind howled, and everything in the world seemed to mourn her foolishness.
Ah Hao's words stunned Zhang Yu. So, it was actually his fault after all? Zhao Jian killed someone right in front of her, and she wasn't afraid of Zhao Jian, but instead, she was afraid of him? What was wrong with this person's brain...? Zhang Yu was rarely convinced. But at least he knew what had happened.
Zhang Yu pondered for a moment, then said to Ahao, "Don't worry, I will protect you and won't let anything happen to you." Ahao was stunned for a moment. Zhang Yu laughed, mounted his horse, and held out his hand to Ahao, saying, "Let's go back."
·
Even back at camp, Ahao couldn't process Zhang Yu's seemingly promise-like words. She stole glances at Zhang Yu a few times but didn't see anything different about him. Ahao didn't know how to interpret those words, and had no one to confide in, so she buried them in her heart and tried her best not to think about them too much.
Despite her repeated efforts to suppress her chaotic thoughts, Ah Hao realized that she couldn't truly ignore it. She silently questioned herself, but couldn't glean any more information. She only felt that His Majesty the Emperor was indeed strange, very strange, just like that Prince Zhao.
Consort De was injured, and Consort An offered her life as an atonement. Zhang Yu then instructed Nie Shaoguang to return to the imperial palace to recuperate the next day. The banquet that night was to celebrate the officials who had gone hunting during the day and had a fruitful hunt, and many were rewarded. It was a lively affair and was not affected by anything.
Zhang Yu didn't want Ahao to serve him, only letting her go down to eat by herself. Ahao was in a daze, letting Ling Xiao pull her to a corner to drink and eat meat. She rarely drank alcohol, but she drank many cups in a row. Ling Xiao noticed something was amiss and couldn't help but think of the time when the emperor had taken Ahao out for a while.
Seeing that Ahao had drunk another cup of wine in silence, Lingxiao picked up the wine pot and filled it for her. He leaned closer and nudged her with his elbow, asking softly, "Aunt Song, what's wrong? What happened?" Lingxiao, who had also been quite frightened by An Qiutong's death, had now recovered.
When asked abruptly, Ah Hao's entire story of what happened between her and Zhang Yu flashed through her mind. Ah Hao choked and coughed uncontrollably. Seeing this, Ling Xiao sighed inwardly, "This is serious!" She reached out to pat Ah Hao's back to help her catch her breath, while relentlessly pressing for details, "What did His Majesty take you out to do? Can you tell me?" Her gossipy nature was on full display.
Seeing that Ah Hao's eyes were brimming with tears, whether from coughing or from her questions, Ling Xiao felt there was a chance and continued to boldly guess, "Did he hold your hand? Did he hug you? Or..." Her gaze swept over Ah Hao's lips, but she didn't finish her sentence, though her meaning was clear.
The corner was dimly lit, and Ah Hao, her face burning, was relieved that her embarrassment wouldn't be immediately obvious. She then earnestly said to Ling Xiao, "No, nothing at all. Aunt Ling, please don't say anything more. If someone hears us, it's a serious offense..."
Ling Xiao shut his mouth, smiled, and thought to himself, "His Majesty the Emperor is actually so reserved? I can't believe it... Ah Hao said nothing, but it doesn't seem like the case at all."
After thinking for a while, she said to Ah Hao again, "Aunt Song, after you left, I was thinking that life is so short, and life and death are just a matter of a moment. We should enjoy ourselves while we can and not make ourselves suffer. As the saying goes, living in the moment is happiness. Who knows what will happen in the future? It's more important to live freely now than anything else. Having too many worries is not necessarily better."
Ah Hao listened to Ling Xiao's words as if she understood but didn't quite grasp them. She neither nodded nor shook her head. After a moment, she only said, "But I am not alone, nor am I without any attachments. I cannot be without any scruples."
Ling Xiao smiled, just as Prince Ning walked over to them. Seeing that they were chatting quite intently, he laughed and said, "It's quite amusing that the two of you are together." A-Hao and Ling Xiao stood up and bowed to him. Prince Ning asked them to sit down, and he sat down near A-Hao himself, saying to her, "Tomorrow you'll be with A-Xin. I'm worried she might do something reckless, so I'm just reminding you."
Hearing that Prince Ning and Ahao had something to say, Lingxiao tactfully stood up silently, preparing to leave. Prince Ning glanced at her but didn't speak. Ahao looked over, and Lingxiao smiled and said, "I'll go take a look over there." Ahao nodded and left her seat.
The two talked for a while about tomorrow's plans. Ah Hao remembered the Song residence and now had the opportunity, so she said to Prince Ning, "I previously asked Your Highness to keep an eye on the Song residence. Thank you for your trouble." Prince Ning said it was nothing, and Ah Hao then asked, "Didn't you notice anything unusual?"
Zhang Ye recalled his subordinate's report that Inspector Zhao's men were monitoring the Song residence, but he smiled and shook his head. "No. Why do you ask?" A-Hao didn't suspect anything when she heard him say that, and just smiled and replied, "It's nothing, just asking casually." She also didn't mention the incident of Inspector Zhao's appearance at the Song residence, but her thoughts became a little more serious.