916 Going Down the Mountain (3)
Madam Ji smiled. “Princess Consort Rui is really soft-hearted.” As if afraid that Madam Ye would continue to pester Shen Miao, Madam Ji deliberately changed the topic and asked Madam Ye, “Speaking of which, I heard that Young Master Ye had a pain attack a few days ago. Is he feeling better?”
Young Master Ye was naturally the son born to the concubine of the Ye family. When Madam Ye heard that, she said, “He’s alright. It’s just an old illness. It hurts a lot when it rains. There’s nothing we can do about it.” Her tone was indifferent.
Shen Miao later found out from Ba Jiao that on the surface, Young Master Ye was the legitimate son of the Ye family. The servants treated him very respectfully, but in fact, they didn’t think he could go far. Madam Ye only treated him well on the surface, but it was all pretense.
Shen Miao felt that this Young Master Ye, who she had never met, was a little pitiful.
Madam Ji continued to keep Madam Ye busy, probably trying to divert her attention. In the end, Madam Ye became impatient and stood up to leave.
Shen Miao and Madam Ji sat together and waited.
The sun gradually set, but Emperor Yong Le and Xie Jingxing were still nowhere to be seen.
Shen Miao instructed Mo Qing, “Go and see if they’re back.”
Madam Ji smiled. “Don’t worry. It happened in the past. Because hunting requires patience and concentration, time often passes in the blink of an eye. The road down Hua Luan Peak is too steep. It’s not easy to walk when it’s dark. They probably have to wait until the next morning to come back.” Although she said that, Shen Miao still caught the anxiety in her eyes.
Shen Miao did not know if she was being too sensitive. This time, she had a bad feeling and knew that Xie Jingxing was not as confident as he looked on the surface, so she was on tenterhooks all this time.
After the sunset, the sky gradually darkened. The emperor had not returned yet. Apart from the ladies and madams who had already returned, the officials were still around the hunting ground. Shen Miao asked Madam Ji if this was the first time such a thing had happened. Madam Ji said, “Not exactly, but it’s rare.”
Some officials had already set up camp and made something like a tent. At night in summer, if they were not careful, they would still catch a cold. The Ji family had also made such a tent.
Shen Miao was walking outside when she saw Lu Wan’er standing not far away and talking to a middle-aged man. The man was stern-looking. Right on the heels of that, Lu Wan’er was dragged into the carriage and escorted away by a group of guards.
Lu Wan’er probably wanted to stay here, but this man did not allow her to. Just as Shen Miao was about to leave, the man seemed to have sensed Shen Miao’s gaze and suddenly turned around, revealing a fierce face. He was as burly as a bear, and his face was filled with bloodlust. He looked at Shen Miao with a dark gaze. Ba Jiao said, “That’s the head of the Lu family, General Lu Zhengchun.”
Shen Miao was shocked. Shen Xin was also a general, but he was more of a heroic kind and didn’t look so ruthless and tyrannical. However, this stern-looking man had a killing aura that he couldn’t hide, as if he was born to be a killer. Shen Miao had been curious about how since Madam Lu, Lu Wan’er, and Consort Jing were so stupid, the Lu family could still maintain such a status in Long Ye. Now that she saw Lu Zhengchun, she understood. With such a man around, it was no wonder Emperor Yong Le could not easily make a move on the Lu family.
Shen Miao wondered if Lu Zhengchun stayed here because he was also waiting for the outcome on Hua Luan Peak. Shen Miao thought to herself and glanced at Lu Zhengchun before turning to leave.
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