Chapter 31: Every Day is a Shuraba, Crown Princess… p1
Zhao Shangjun lowered his eyes, brushed his lapels, his voice cool, with a detachment that kept others at a distance. “You two, leave.”
“This…” Zhao Yuanjia was perplexed and turned to look at Fu Tangli.
Xuan’an had already raised his hand to see them out. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, please. Lady Fu, please.”
Zhao Yuanjia had no choice but to take his leave with Fu Tangli.
After leaving, Zhao Yuanjia’s brows furrowed slightly, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. “Have you finished copying the scripture? Imperial Uncle seems displeased. Were you disrespectful to him?”
Fu Tangli pinched her fingertips. The bite mark was still there, making her heart pound. She didn’t dare let Zhao Yuanjia see it and quietly tucked her hand into her sleeve, replying softly, “I had copied half the scripture when I accidentally knocked over the inkstone. Perhaps the Prince of Huai was angered by that?”
Zhao Yuanjia had a sudden realization. “That must be it. Imperial Uncle has always been a stickler for cleanliness and cannot tolerate the slightest trace of filth. You have always been so steady. Why were you so clumsy today?”
Fu Tangli straightened her back and lifted her chin slightly. This elegant posture, when she did it, made her figure look particularly graceful, like a white swan.
She looked at Zhao Yuanjia, her gaze calm, and sighed faintly. “The Prince of Huai is so mighty. I am truly afraid of him. Every time we meet, I feel my heart tremble, and I don’t know what to do with my hands and feet. It is my uselessness. I ask the Crown Prince to punish me.”
Here, the green pines rustled, and the cries of cranes echoed in the clouds, faintly answered by the chanting of Daoists. It was as if they were not in the mortal world. Only she could complement this scene, her beauty pure and transcendent.
Zhao Yuanjia’s heart was inexplicably moved. He couldn’t help but soften his expression and instead comforted her, “You have suffered today because of gu. It was indeed difficult for you. Gu has said before, Imperial Uncle is always like this. In the future, you should just see him less.”
He said this, but still felt it was not enough. He thought for a moment and added, “By the way, in a few days, gu has an appointment with someone to go on a spring hunt at Mount Beiqi. You should come along as well.”
He felt that he had given Fu Tangli great face. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Your personality is so dull. Gu had not intended to ask you to come. This one time only, consider it a way to calm your nerves. You must not be a spoilsport. It’s alright if you can’t ride. You can just follow along for a walk, so that my Imperial Mother won’t say I’m not close to you.”
He spoke smoothly, and just like that, he made the decision. “Alright, I will have someone come to fetch you then. You just have to wait.”
Fu Tangli had tried to open her mouth several times but couldn’t get a word in. When Zhao Yuanjia had finished speaking, he looked over, his reserved and self-satisfied gaze very obvious.
What terrible luck. Fu Tangli sighed inwardly again. Her expression was as usual, and she just smiled. “Yes. Thank you, Your Highness.”
Before long, the Empress Dowager Feng came out.
I don’t know what the Perfected One Qingyang had said to her, but it had clearly brought her great comfort, and her expression had softened a lot. Only, as she was leaving, she looked around, as if reluctant to part. “Where is the Fifth Prince? Why don’t I see him come out?”
The Perfected One Qingyang shook his head, his words holding a deeper meaning. “Xuanyan has long since left the secular world and is a man of our Daoist sect. All the karmic ties of the mortal world have nothing to do with him anymore. Your Majesty has known this for a long time. Why can you still not see through it?”
The Empress Dowager Feng was stunned. Thinking of the past, her eyes reddened. After a long while, she covered her face with her sleeve and left in her carriage.
The rain finally stopped. The spring sun was bright and warm, shining on the grass and trees of Mount Beiqi. From the distant foothills came the long cry of a deer. The birds in the forest chirped incessantly. The mountain wilderness was vast, and beasts chased and ran in it. All things were full of life.
This was the imperial hunting ground. The officials of the Ministry of Parks had already sent people to clear the area, and all the large, fierce beasts had been driven away. The Crown Prince, Zhao Yuanjia, was leading a group of young men from the imperial clan on a hunt here.
The wild grass was higher than the horses’ hooves. Hounds ran alongside the fine steeds, barking excitedly. The hunting falcons in the sky flapped their wings, making a fluttering sound, occasionally diving down and then soaring high again.
The Great Zhou esteemed martial arts. Although these young men could not go to the battlefield, at this moment, on horseback with bows drawn, flying their falcons and chasing rabbits, they were all in high spirits. The Imperial Son-in-law of Princess Linchuan, Li Huai’en, had given Zhao Yuanjia a cheetah, which particularly excited him.
The cheetah had deep golden eyes, a lean and powerful body, and a magnificent, glossy coat. What was rare was that it was very docile and obeyed Li Huai’en’s commands. It followed behind Zhao Yuanjia, as swift as the wind, making others envious.
Zhao Yuanjia took the cheetah out for a spin and, in a short while, brought back a roe deer and two pheasants. The group of imperial sons and sons-in-law behind him all complimented him. “His Highness the Crown Prince is truly remarkable. It seems that today’s hunt will surely be won by Your Highness.”
Beside the hunting ground, a dust-proof canopy had been set up with cloud-patterned silk gauze and red-gold tents. Palace servants were as numerous as clouds, attending on either side. The ladies were there, watching the hunt. Lin Wanqing was also among them. She was the niece of Imperial Consort Lin and had come today with her cousin, Princess Liyang. Unfortunately, Princess Liyang was of an arrogant nature and did not pay her much mind, which made her secretly angry.
Zhao Yuanjia rode over and stopped in front of Lin Wanqing. He took a pheasant from behind his saddle and handed it to her, his manner close and natural, and smiled. “You said before that you wanted a few feathers to decorate your dress. Here, for you.”
Everyone’s gaze turned over, filled with surprise and envy.
The frustration Lin Wanqing had felt from Princess Liyang instantly vanished. Her heart was filled with sweetness. Her eyes danced as she glanced at Zhao Yuanjia. “I was just mentioning it casually. Why did Your Highness have to keep it in mind?”
As she said this, she took the pheasant, but then saw that there was another one hanging from Zhao Yuanjia’s saddle. Her voice was small, but just loud enough for others to hear. “And that one? Why don’t you give it to me as well, Your Highness? I can make a crown for you, alright?”
The gazes of the others became even more playful.
But Zhao Yuanjia did not answer. He looked around and asked, “Where is the Second Lady Fu?”
Lin Wanqing pouted and turned her face away, pretending not to hear.
It was Princess Linchuan who answered the Crown Prince. “Lady Fu has gone riding with the Prince of Chen and Runing.” She smiled shyly, her eyes full of envy. “Lady Fu’s riding skills are really good. Just now, the Prince of Chen even invited her to play polo another day.”
As she was speaking, she suddenly looked up and pointed. “Just in time, Lady Fu is back.”
Zhao Yuanjia followed the direction of Princess Linchuan’s finger and saw a white horse galloping. The young lady on the horse was bright and radiant, like a brilliant cloud sweeping over from the distance.
Zhao Yuanjia’s heart was slightly shaken.
That young lady was none other than Fu Tangli. Her attire at this moment was different from her usual. She wore Hu-style clothes and riding boots, with a tight waist and narrow sleeves, her hair bound in a golden crown, clean and neat, like the spring sun, so beautiful it was almost dazzling.
When the white horse had galloped near, she reined it in beautifully, easily slowing down, then trotted it two steps to Zhao Yuanjia’s side, gave a slight nod, her voice as usual, gentle and soft. “I haven’t ridden since leaving Weizhou. My skills are inevitably rusty. I have made a fool of myself before you, Your Highness.”
Her posture in controlling the horse was very skilled. The magnificent white horse was completely obedient under her hands. It was clearly not as she had said, “rusty skills.”