Chapter 052

Chapter 052

After escorting her into the carriage, the man didn’t immediately leave. Through the window, he said, "Once we reach Nanyuan, you can ride the horse as much as you like."

It wasn't that he was forbidding her from riding.

He was worried she might get tired, worried the wind might hurt her face.

Yet, Chu Yin felt slightly displeased, "I’ve practiced for so long, a little ride really won’t hurt."

"Hunting will take much longer than ‘a little while’," he said, and then rode off.

His figure quickly disappeared into the distance, and after some thought, Chu Yin's face gradually broke into a smile.

Tang Feiyan spurred her horse, catching up to her husband.

"Why are you alone? Where's your sister-in-law?" Lu Jingchen looked back.

Tang Feiyan replied, "Don’t even mention it. Before I could say a few words, big brother carried her off to the carriage."

"Why?" Lu Jingchen was puzzled.

"Can’t you guess? He’s worried she might fall off the horse, concerned about her well-being!"

"Big brother is becoming more and more considerate towards sister-in-law," Lu Jingchen said, "She'll just sit in the carriage for now, but once we reach Nanyuan, she'll definitely want to ride. She probably hasn’t seen hunting before. You must take good care of her..."

Previously, she had always mocked Chu Yin for not winning Lu Jingzhuo's affection, but now it seemed she was the one falling short.

Tang Feiyan felt bitter, "You're only concerned about whether I'll take care of sister-in-law, not even asking if I’m cold!"

Glancing at the thick fur coat on his wife, Lu Jingchen said, "You can't be cold in that."

"Then you're not worried about me falling off."

Lu Jingchen frowned, "You’ve been learning to ride since childhood, how could you fall?"

Seeing him not indulging her, Tang Feiyan's anger flared up, "Forget riding; I rarely get to come out, and you're afraid I'll cause trouble. I just wanted to shoot a rabbit earlier, and you wouldn’t allow it, afraid I’d inconvenience you... Since marrying me, you’ve always disdained me. There’s nothing I do that you approve of."

Suddenly throwing a tantrum, her eyes even reddening.

Lu Jingchen looked around and reminded, "If you want to cry, do it back home. What would it look like here?"

If their father saw, he would think his daughter-in-law a mood dampener.

Crying had to be done in the right place? Tang Feiyan felt even more aggrieved, but she knew Lu Jingchen was right. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "Fine, I won't cry, but don't expect me to attend to sister-in-law later!"

Lu Jingchen: "..."

Tang Feiyan flicked her whip and rode off into the distance, ignoring him.

Nanyuan was vast, spanning hundreds of miles, with abundant water sources and northwest areas planted with willows and red pines.

In spring, it would surely be an endless grassland, but now it looked somewhat desolate.

The wind whistled past her ears as Chu Yin stepped out of the carriage, gazing into the distance with her hands in her sleeves.

Dong Ling led over Chixia, saying, "His Highness said you can ride now."

Chu Yin saw Lu Jingzhuo glance over from ahead.

She mounted the horse with Dong Ling's assistance.

Emperor Jianxing said to the warriors, "Don’t hold back with your sons. No matter how much Jingzhuo and Jingchen catch, I won’t reward them. But for you, whoever excels will receive a golden bow from me."

The warriors all laughed, bowing, "Your subjects will give their best effort."

Lu Jingchen joked, "Even if I try my hardest, I can’t win the golden bow. Father, aren’t you being too harsh on big brother? Why can’t he win the golden bow?"

Emperor Jianxing glanced at his eldest son, "If he catches the least, I’ll punish him."

Lu Jingzhuo: "..."

Chu Yin overheard and thought to herself that the Emperor was too demanding of Lu Jingzhuo, expecting him to be first despite his primary focus on studies and only practicing riding every few days, hardly enough to match the warriors.

She wondered about the Emperor's intentions.

Princess Baocheng complained, "Brother, you're being unreasonable. Jingzhuo is the Crown Prince now, not solely focused on archery and riding like in Qingzhou. Yet, you still punish him." She was completely in support of her nephew.

Emperor Jianxing stroked his beard, "The competition hasn’t even started, and you’re worried he’ll lose? Jingzhuo," he said leisurely, "are you afraid?"

"If I lose, I accept whatever punishment Father imposes."

He didn’t say whether he was afraid, but his attitude was clear.

"Let’s start," declared Emperor Jianxing, who also joined the hunt but wasn’t concerned about his catch, free from any burden.

Servants hidden in the forest hurriedly drove out the concealed animals.

Lu Jingzhuo, with his customary horn bow, rode forward, but after some distance, he suddenly stopped and turned to look back.

His gaze swept over the vast plains and settled on the bright rose silhouette.

Unexpectedly, Chu Yin was also looking at him, their eyes meeting and forming a connection.

She smiled radiantly.

Though distant and her features somewhat blurred, he could feel the beauty of her smile.

Unable to resist, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he continued riding.

Emperor Jianxing noticed this and felt a stir in his heart.

As a father, it had been a long time since he'd seen his eldest son smile; he couldn’t even remember the last time.

It might have been ten, or perhaps fifteen years ago.

Now, this piece of ice was beginning to melt.

Having accompanied his wife on several outings during the agricultural inspections, and now concerned for her during the hunt, his son was no longer the child who seemed unmoved by anything, the epitome of calmness in his memory.

Every parent wishes for their child's marriage to be happy and loving. Emperor Jianxing was naturally pleased for his son, but his expectations for him as a Crown Prince remained unchanged – to be rational and prudent, not swayed by emotions, to avoid making choices that could waver his resolve. Thus, his son must not disappoint him or act beneath his station.

Suddenly, there was a burst of cheering ahead.

He Zhong reported, "The Crown Prince has shot down a Red-tailed Pheasant."

The Red-tailed Pheasant, larger than a pigeon and adorned with colorful feathers, reflective scales on its claws, and a brilliant tail, was difficult to hit due to its rapid flight speed. Emperor Jianxing couldn’t help but smile.

His eldest son, balancing romantic interests with precision, was not neglecting either.

After the Crown Prince's success, the warriors also started to show off, quickly bagging over a dozen animals. Emperor Jianxing, despite not practicing regularly, still had the instinct ingrained in his bones, effortlessly shooting a wild boar with a single arrow.

Compliments and flattery ensued.

Emperor Jianxing laughed heartily.

Chu Yin kept her eyes on Lu Jingzhuo. Although she dared not ride too fast, he always stayed within a short distance from her. Now, he was drawing his bow, aiming at a fleeing sheep in the distance.

The bow, dark and seemingly heavy, appeared weightless in his hands.

His posture was upright, his focus complete. The muscles in his arms, under the deep blue sleeves, were subtly flexed, quickening her heartbeat.

Chu Yin held her breath in concentration.

Suddenly, the arrow shot out, striking the sheep in the neck.

She was about to cheer when she saw Tang Feiyan, from somewhere, also with a bow, shooting down another sheep nearby.

Chu Yin blurted out, "Sister-in-law, you’re amazing!"

Lu Jingzhuo arrived just in time to hear this.

Had it not been for Lu Jingzhuo's arrow just then, she could have boasted a bit. Tang Feiyan replied, "You flatter me, sister-in-law. I'm not as good as big brother. The sheep isn't dead yet; it needs another shot." She fired again.

Having been ignored by Lu Jingchen earlier, her growing anger led her not only to neglect Chu Yin but also to defy Lu Jingchen by hunting deliberately.

Unexpectedly, she actually made a hit, even earning praise from Chu Yin.

"Take this sheep away," she instructed the guards, turning to Chu Yin with a smile, "Later, I'll treat you to some roasted lamb."

After Tang Feiyan left, Chu Yin said, "I thought sister-in-law was only skilled in riding, I didn’t expect her to be good at archery too." In her previous life, she had no idea about Tang Feiyan's archery skills.

Lu Jingzhuo didn’t comment, only instructing, "Stay back and don’t follow further, you won’t be able to keep up with me."

Chu Yin realized he had deliberately not ridden far, just so she could see clearly.

Feeling a sweetness in her heart, she softly said, "Alright, I won’t follow Your Highness anymore… Your Highness’s riding and archery skills are unparalleled, I've had my fill of watching."

While she called her sister-in-law "amazing," she praised him as "unparalleled." Lu Jingzhuo didn’t skimp on his smile.

Her eyes curved, "Your Highness should smile more often, Zhen'er and Zhen'er would surely like you even more."

Always talking about the children's affection for him, what about her own?

A sudden thought flashed through Lu Jingzhuo's mind, prompting him to look deeply at Chu Yin.

Her eyelids felt the warmth of his gaze, like a spark of fire.

He turned his horse around, "Let's go quickly."

Knowing he needed to outpace the warriors, Chu Yin didn't want to be a burden and quickly spurred her horse away.

When she looked back from a distance, his figure had already disappeared.

Lu Jingchen stayed close to his father and aunt, occasionally shooting a bow and taking down two sheep, planning to enjoy roasted lamb later.

Princess Baocheng was pleased with this idea, yet wary of those adept in sweet talk like Lu Jingchen and his wife, she simply expressed her hunger. Emperor Jianxing, understanding his sister, ordered He Zhong to prepare in advance.

Behind them, people were busily slaughtering sheep and starting fires.

An hour later, the group returned, laden with their catch.

Lu Jingzhuo had hit twenty-three animals, firmly in first place, five more than the leading warrior.

Emperor Jianxing was extremely pleased, rewarding him with fine wine, while the top warrior received a golden bow.

Three sheep, once roasted, emitted a rich aroma.

With too many catches, Emperor Jianxing decided to bestow them on the civil and military officials, ordering guards to transport the game back to the capital.

Looking at his daughter-in-law, Emperor Jianxing remarked, "I heard you also caught a sheep? Well done, you didn’t disgrace your father."

Having heard about the roasted lamb earlier, Tang Feiyan hurriedly offered her catch, likely informed by a servant.

Surprised to be praised, Tang Feiyan stuttered, "My good fortune... it was the sheep startled by big brother's arrow that I managed to hit."

Seeing her modesty, Emperor Jianxing nodded. As long as she behaved and lived quietly, he wouldn’t trouble her.

Lu Jingchen whispered to his wife, "You actually went hunting?"

"Yes, what about it?" Tang Feiyan huffed, "I provide for myself, not relying on others."

Her cheeks puffed up, making her face round and full.

Lu Jingchen, seeing her somewhat cute anger, patiently said, "I was concerned for our well-being earlier, not that I don’t care about you. Haven’t you realized that after all this time we've been married? Why think the worst?"

He had his own difficulties, which Tang Feiyan should understand best.

But Tang Feiyan was still upset, "You’re talking to me now because Father praised me, right? Otherwise, knowing I went hunting, you would’ve scolded me."

"You think I’m trying to ingratiate myself with you?" Lu Jingchen felt she was overthinking, "But don’t get too proud because you were praised. Remember, don’t get carried away thinking Father is no longer angry..."

Was he really here to comfort her? Tang Feiyan complained, "You’re lecturing me again!"

Indeed, he had inadvertently started lecturing her.

But her comment was uncalled for.

Did he need to ingratiate himself with his own wife? Lu Jingchen said, "I often scold you because you frequently make mistakes. Why would I cultivate such a habit otherwise?"

Bringing up old issues can be dangerous in a marriage. Tang Feiyan felt choked up, almost to tears, but she dared not really confront Lu Jingchen. As the Prince of Jin and favored by the Emperor, she wouldn’t benefit from a quarrel. But at this moment, she didn’t want to deal with him anymore. She glanced around and ran to Chu Yin.

Chu Yin was taken aback.

The sisters-in-law usually had a lukewarm relationship. Tang Feiyan herself felt awkward but chose this as a way to avoid Lu Jingchen. Otherwise, sitting alone might reveal their marital discord to the Emperor. She pointed at the roasting sheep, "Sister-in-law, that’s the one I shot."

It sounded more like small talk than boasting. Unsure of Tang Feiyan's intentions, Chu Yin responded, "Then I’ll be enjoying your bounty... I didn’t know you could shoot arrows."

Archery was the one skill Tang Feiyan could boast about in front of Chu Yin. She smiled, "I started learning archery at seven."

Chu Yin thought of Lu Jingzhuo's bow, "How can you handle it?"

"There are different types of bows. I use a lightweight one, which doesn’t require much strength."

Tang Feiyan was slightly shorter than Chu Yin, who was surprised, "Really? Even someone like me can learn?"

She remembered Lu Jingzhuo mentioning that holding their two children was like drawing a bow.

"Of course, you can learn," Tang Feiyan appraised Chu Yin, "Are you thinking of learning?"

Chu Yin wasn't sure; she might just want to try the feeling of drawing a bow and shooting arrows.

Tang Feiyan slapped her chest, "How about I teach you? I have a bow at home that would suit you."

Chu Yin: "..."

Tang Feiyan seemed a bit too enthusiastic.

However, Tang Feiyan thought to herself that Lu Jingchen was always lecturing her, instructing her to do this and that. But she could also build a good relationship with her sister-in-law on her own merits, not necessarily by following Lu Jingchen's exact instructions.

"It's settled then. When the weather gets warmer, I'll teach sister-in-law!"

Chu Yin, unsure why Tang Feiyan was behaving this way, pondered how to politely decline.

Learning archery wasn’t a bad idea, but learning from her didn’t seem quite appropriate.

Lu Jingzhuo, who was nearby, heard every word and noticed Chu Yin's hesitation, assuming she was considering learning archery from Tang Feiyan.

She learned horse riding from Yu Sizhang, and now archery with her sister-in-law...

Lu Jingzhuo’s expression darkened slightly.

Lu Jingchen, who had been paying attention, felt he couldn’t sit idly by any longer. He didn't know what his wife was discussing with his sister-in-law, but felt he must intervene!