When the imperial entourage returned to the Capital City, Tang Xiaobai was calculating the ridian in the study.
A maid hurriedly ca to report: "The Xuan Yi Guard, Master Yao, requests an audience!"
Tang Xiaobai put down her pen, stood up, changed her clothes, and walked out.
Even though the emperor’s sudden return to the Capital City was unexpected, there would still be news sent in advance. After all, when the emperor travels, the official roads along the way must be placed under martial law, and preparations must be made in the Capital City as well.
After hearing the reason for the emperor’s early return, Tang Xiaobai knew that the little ancestor would definitely send soone to explain the situation to her imdiately.
It would certainly be a familiar face sent, either Mo Huan or Yao He.
So Yao He’s visit was completely within her expectations.
However, unexpectedly, it wasn’t Yao He who visited —
In the courtyard, a young man dressed in a dark suit, with a black gauze cap, one hand on the scimitar at his waist, stood tall and upright, like a spear, with a murderous expression.
At first glance, he really looked like a mber of the Xuan Yi Guard.
Tang Xiaobai was montarily stunned. When she saw his small eyes drift over, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter: "What’s this? Who dares to stop the Crown Prince from visiting?"
Li Mu’s lips curled as he approached her two steps: "It’s convenient this way."
"Convenient for what?" Tang Xiaobai asked, both amused and annoyed, trying to reach up to pat his head.
But the little ancestor had grown so fast in the past two years that even when she stood on tiptoe, she couldn’t reach his head.
Just when she was about to give up, he lowered his head.
Under the black gauze cap, his sideburns were as if cut by a knife, neat and heroic.
Tang Xiaobai’s heart suddenly softened, her fingertips gently stroked across his white jade-like forehead, and she stood on tiptoe and kissed it lightly.
His lowered eyes instantly lifted, and his jet-black pupils instantly caught the sunlight, as one hand quietly rested on her lower back.
Tang Xiaobai blushed slightly and pinched his sleeve, saying: "Convenient for what? If you’re attacked like this, there’s nowhere to argue, people would just say they didn’t know your identity."
Li Mu smiled slightly, adding another hand, encircling her entirely in his embrace, softly saying: "If I am attacked, there’s no need to argue, just capture them directly."
Fair enough...
Tang Xiaobai pursed her lips and smiled, then asked: "Did you just co in like this? No one stopped you?"
After all, the little ancestor had stayed at the Duke Yan Mansion for several years. Even if he changed into the Imperial Guard uniform, he couldn’t pretend to be an Imperial Guard!
"They stopped ," Li Mu raised a hand, showing her sothing in his hand, "I have the Crown Prince’s warrant, and the Duke let in."
There was even a hint of pride in his words.
Tang Xiaobai laughed heartily as she lay against his chest.
Using a warrant he wrote himself to break into the Duke Yan Mansion, her father probably let him in after being amused by him.
Li Mu curved his lips, sniffed the fragrance of her hair, and asked: "What were you just doing?"
"Doing problems—" Tang Xiaobai answered subconsciously, then snapped back and asked, "What happened during your hunting trip?"
She had heard so rough details.
They said the emperor was hunting at Zhongnan Mountain and encountered a beauty.
The early return to the Palace was because this beauty was injured.
The exact details would have to wait for the little ancestor’s firsthand account.
"I wasn’t there at the ti, I didn’t witness it myself," Li Mu said, "I heard that His Majesty wanted to hunt a young fox, but the woman suddenly rushed out, protecting the fox with her body, and was shot by His Majesty’s arrow, then taken back to the imperial camp for treatnt."
"And then they brought her back to the Palace?" Tang Xiaobai laughed.
This sort of thing might seem a bit surprising to ancient people, but to her, it’s downright lodramatic.
However, whether it was a serendipitous encounter orchestrated by the emperor, or a blessing in disguise, awaited further information.
...
Further information ca quickly as well.
Three days later, a beauty was conferred in the Palace, from the Shu Family in Jiangnan.
"The hunting at Zhongnan Mountain was decided a month ago, that little wench—"
Suddenly cut off.
Empress Yuan glanced at the young girl sitting to her right.
The girl sat extrely properly, her eyes slightly downcast, the shadow of her eyelashes faintly visible, appearing serene and elegant, vastly different from her arrogant sister.
But Empress Yuan always rembered what she said in Lizheng Hall—
Being an empress is not as comfortable as being an empress dowager.
She said this with such ease in front of the Crown Prince.
If arrogance were to be assessed, this prospective Crown Princess Consort would surpass Tang Jiaojiao in every way.
"You, residing in the Central Palace for so many years, find yourself upset by the antics of a re beauty?" Tang Xiaobai t Empress Yuan’s gaze with a smile.
This sudden ergence of a new person left her wondering what quality she possessed, so Tang Xiaobai entered the Palace to inquire with Empress Yuan.
But judging from her tone, there seed to be no significant discovery in her jealousy.
Empress Yuan chuckled, composed her deanor, and spoke again: "I consider Second Miss as one of my own, I spoke too hastily—"
Seeing that Tang Xiaobai did not respond, she retracted her smile and said lightly: "I can’t stand such petty tricks, deep in the mountains, suddenly a clean beauty appears, risking her life to protect a beast, who is she performing for?"
"Your Majesty hadn’t seen it yet already knew it was staged, how co others didn’t know?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
Empress Yuan was montarily speechless, paused for a mont, and then continued: "It’s said that the Shu woman, even with an arrow wound, pulled out the arrow with bare hands and walked away with the young fox!"
Hearing this, Tang Xiaobai could sowhat understand, even imagine the scene at the ti.
Deep mountains, wild forests, young fox, beauty, blood staining plain clothes like flowers.
Wild, cold elegance.
Such a scene would surely be striking enough.
"It’s said that after Shu was brought back by His Majesty, she barely spoke, showed no expression to His Majesty, and even now after being conferred as Beauty, she hasn’t smiled once."
"That’s truly impressive..." Tang Xiaobai murmured.
The last one renowned for not smiling might have been Lady Bao?
"Isn’t it impressive?" Empress Yuan’s smile turned slightly cold, "The hunting at Zhongnan Mountain was decided a month ago, Shu might have been hiding in the mountain for over a month..."
Over a month?
Tang Xiaobai’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she hurriedly placed the teacup she just picked up back on the table.
"Can Your Majesty take to see this Beauty Shu?"
Empress Yuan looked at her unexpectedly and smiled: "She’s not a beauty of the Eastern Palace, why do you want to see her?"
"Just curious," Tang Xiaobai said, "I find it inconvenient to walk around the Palace alone, I would like Your Majesty to accompany ."
Empress Yuan was dismissive: "Such a minor beauty, it’s not worth us visiting her personally?" She turned and said, "Go, invite Beauty Shu to Lizheng Hall!"
It’s only natural for the Empress to summon concubines.
Tang Xiaobai hesitated but did not ntion Beauty Shu’s injury.
About an incense stick’s ti later, the maid sent out returned.
But Beauty Shu did not co.
"Beauty Shu refused the summons, the palace maid said, His Majesty granted special permission, Beauty Shu’s arrow wound is not healed, and no one is allowed to disturb her!"
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