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Глава 122

Hearing her thank him, Xiao Xin was very pleased and then enthusiastically talked about a lot of things related to the hunt. Mo Yan listened with great interest, but Zhao Yu was annoyed by it all. Finally, she couldn't help but interrupt him and said politely, "I haven't been feeling well lately. I can't stand the wind and I have a headache. I'm afraid I have to go back to my room. Please forgive me, Prince Qi."

"Ah..." Xiao Xin was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up and said, "You should have said so earlier! Come on, let's go inside and talk!"

Zhao Yu had never encountered such a clueless person before. She gently rubbed her forehead, feeling a slight headache coming on, and could only say softly, "But I want to go to bed and rest."

"Ah...oh..." Xiao Xin's disappointment was evident. "Alright then, I'll come back another day."

Just then, someone from the front yard came to report that Princess Ruixiang had come to visit.

"My sister is here too!" Xiao Xinqi exclaimed.

What is she doing here? Zhao Yu's heart was pounding, but he remained outwardly nonchalant and instructed the maid to invite Xiao Guanyin to wait in the inner hall.

Xiao Guanyin had just come from Yelü Hongji's place. Originally, Yelü Hongji wanted to come in person to inform Zhao Yu that she would be hunting deer and tigers in Fuhu Forest next month and ask her to make preparations for the trip. However, Yelü Zongzhen had summoned him for some business, so Xiao Guanyin volunteered to go instead.

Unexpectedly, she saw Xiao Xin here. After exchanging greetings with Zhao Yu, she turned to Xiao Xin and asked in surprise, "Brother, what brings you here?"

"Aren't we going hunting in Fuhu Forest next month? I've come to invite the princess to come along," Xiao Xin said frankly.

"..."

If this were anywhere else, she would have scolded her brother for being nosy, but with Zhao Yu present, she had no choice but to hold back for the time being and said with a faint smile, "What a coincidence, Brother Cha Ci also asked me to tell the princess that we will be hunting in Fuhu Forest next month. Please make preparations, Princess."

Her tone was no longer one of negotiation, but rather one of informing, and she was speaking on behalf of Yelü Hongji. Zhao Yu had no room for further thought and could only nod.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xin chuckled and said, "So Your Highness had already made arrangements. I've come all this way for nothing." He was simple-minded and only sought pleasure and fun, so he didn't think too much about it. As long as Zhao Yu went, that was enough.

"Thank you, Princess. It's so hot, and you've gone to all this trouble." Zhao Yu turned and called for a maid to bring iced plum juice to the two of them.

"It's nothing. Cha Ci's matter is my matter." Xiao Guanyin said with a smile, her words carrying a double meaning, her tone showing no regard for Zhao Yu, who was only half a step away from becoming the Crown Princess.

Zhao Yu didn't care about Xiao Guanyin's attitude at all. At this time, she regarded her marriage with Yelü Hongji as a task assigned by her father. She only needed to live a dutiful life in Liao. As for who Yelü Hongji liked, who he was close to, and who he favored, she didn't care at all.

At this time, Xiao Guanyin naturally regarded her as someone who was competing with her for Yelü Hongji, but little did she know that she had long since lost interest in this matter. In her spare time these days, she thought that if she could live in harmony with the Xiao family, firstly, it would reduce her own danger, and secondly, her marriage to a distant country would only be for the sake of harmony between the two countries, which would be of greater significance.

Therefore, she simply smiled slightly and calmly said, "The princess and the prince are childhood sweethearts with a deep and affectionate relationship, which is truly enviable."

Xiao Guanyin was taken aback by these words, thinking that Zhao Yu was deliberately being sarcastic. But when she looked up, she saw that Zhao Yu met her gaze without any hesitation, his eyes sincere and without the slightest hostility...

A moment of silence fell over the hall.

Xiao Xin finished his bowl of chilled plum juice in a few gulps. As soon as he put the bowl down, he saw Zhao Yu with her head slightly lowered and silent. He quickly said, "If the princess has a bad headache, she should go back and rest. My sister and I will come another day."

"Does the princess have a headache?" Xiao Guanyin asked in surprise.

Zhao Yu smiled and replied, "I guess I was in the sun for too long, so I felt a little dizzy. It should be nothing to worry about."

"After being out in the sun for so long..." Xiao Guanyin chuckled softly, "Brother Chaci loves riding horses and hunting, but the princess is so delicate, what should we do?"

“I don’t know how to hunt, so even if I go, it’s just to be polite. I’ve heard that the princess is quite good at archery, and the princess always accompanies His Highness on his hunts. Wouldn’t it be better if the princess accompanied His Highness?”

"..." Xiao Guanyin never expected her to say such a thing, the implication of which was tantamount to handing over Yelü Hongji.

Xiao Xin laughed and said, "My sister's archery skills are only good for fooling people like you who don't know anything. When it comes to hunting, she'll be lucky if she can hit one or two pheasants or ducks."

"Brother!" Seeing that Xiao Xin spoke without any regard for the occasion, Xiao Guanyin was a little annoyed. But Xiao Xin was a stubborn man who wouldn't listen to reason. No matter how she tried to teach him, it was no use. So she said in annoyance, "Since the princess is unwell, let us go."

Just as the two were about to get up, someone from the front courtyard rushed in to report that the Deputy Envoy of the Southern Courtyard was already waiting in the front hall.

"Deputy Envoy, Yelü Pusa Nu—" Zhao Yu sighed inwardly: "I'll have to check the almanac later to see what day it is today. Why are they all here one after another?"

Chapter 55

Upon arriving at the front hall, Yelü Pusa Nu was already filled with impatience. In fact, from the time the guards announced the arrival to when Zhao Yu came out to greet him, less than half an incense stick had passed, but he looked as if he had been waiting for more than half an hour.

Upon seeing the Xiao siblings there, he seemed surprised. After a hasty greeting to the two, he turned to Zhao Yu and said, "I have come on the orders of the Southern King. I have long heard that Guard Zhan Zhao is highly skilled in martial arts and quite famous in the Central Plains. Therefore, I would like to invite Guard Zhan to the Iron Cavalry Camp under my Southern King to give him some pointers. I wonder if the princess would be willing to release him?"

Zhao Yu never expected that he had come to borrow someone. It would have been fine if it were anyone else, but it was Zhan Zhao. Naturally, she was unwilling and immediately said, "I have heard that the Iron Cavalry is brave and skilled in battle, and their horsemanship is superb." Heaven knows what the Iron Cavalry is all about, so she could only make up a story based on the name, "Although Guard Zhan's skills are passable, they are still just rudimentary martial arts from the Central Plains. I think they probably won't be of much use to the cavalry."

Yelü Pusa Nu gave a cold laugh, and without saying a word, asked directly, "Does the princess mean that she refuses?"

Saying no directly was quite difficult for Zhao Yu, who was used to speaking tactfully. Although she cursed inwardly at this person for being so tactless, she still had to smile and say, "Of course not. It's just... I wonder how long it will take Guard Zhan to get here?"

"It won't be too long, maybe a month or two."

Zhao Yu pondered for a moment. He would be going to Fuhu Forest with Yelü Hongji next month. It was already late in the month. If Zhan Zhao went to the Iron Cavalry Camp for a month or two, he would not be able to go hunting with him.

"This matter may be inconvenient. Just now, the princess told me that we will be hunting in Fuhu Forest next month. Guard Zhan has left the Iron Cavalry Camp. This..." She looked troubled, but she believed that Yelü Pusa Nu would understand without her having to explain further.

Yelü Pusa Nu said calmly, "What's so difficult about that? I'll send over ten strong and brave warriors, all of whom are skilled hunters. The princess won't have to worry about guarding her."

"..."

Zhao Yu was speechless, wanting to refuse but unable to think of anything to say. She wished Mo Yan were here; given her protectiveness of Zhan Zhao, she might be able to come up with a good excuse to refuse. Unfortunately, Mo Yan was still diligently practicing her sword in the backyard to make ends meet, completely unaware of what was happening in the front hall.

Yelü Pusa Nu's gaze swept coldly over Zhao Yu, taking in her displeasure, and then spoke again: "Does the princess think that the warriors of my Great Liao are inferior to those of your Song people?"

"How could that be?" Having been cornered like this, Zhao Yu had no choice but to say, "My lord, you can borrow Zhan Zhao without going through all the trouble of transferring others. I have enough guards by my side."

Yelü Pusa Nu showed no courtesy whatsoever, merely saying, "Thank you, Princess." He said no more, gave a slight bow to the crowd, and strode away.

Before his figure had even disappeared, Zhao Yu heard Xiao Xin say lazily, "He's just a dog beside Yelü Chongguang, what's there to be so arrogant about!"

Upon hearing this, Yelü Pusa Nu paused in his steps, his body slightly still, clearly having heard it.

“Brother…” Xiao Guanyin gently stopped her brother.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Xiao Xin was born with a trouble-making nature, always ready to kick a tree if he saw one. He wouldn't listen to his sister's advice and raised his voice even higher, "Let's settle this on the hunting grounds!"