The streets are lined with willows trailing green threads of mist,
Portraying a clear and bright February day.
The Marquis Mansion has numerous manors outside the city. Although the one with the peach grove is not the most valuable, it is the largest in area. At this moment, it is the prime season for the peach blossoms to be in full bloom. As far as the eye can see, there is a vast expanse of pink.
Fu Zhen lifted her skirt and carefully got out of the carriage. As soon as she stepped out, a gentle breeze blew over, and the air was filled with the delicate fragrance of the flowers, which was extremely pleasant.
Madam Bai, who was walking ahead, looked back and said, "The scenery is beautiful, and so are the people. It truly lives up to this wonderful springtime!"
Fu Zhen walked over with a smile and said, "This manor is really wonderful. In spring, we can enjoy the flowers; in summer, we can eat peaches; in autumn and winter, we can stay indoors and savor peach flower tea. The whole year can just pass by leisurely like this."
"If you like it, I'll put this manor under your name," Madam Bai said as she linked arms with Fu Zhen and walked towards the manor. "I have quite a few manors like this, but none of them are as beautiful as this one."
Fu Zhen pouted and said, "What I just said didn't mean that I wanted this manor. If you really care about me, just accompany me out more often. Isn't that better than a cold and heartless manor?"
She was always sweet - tongued and good at flattering. Madam Bai was so pleased that she couldn't close her mouth, but she still said, "It's good for you to have a manor as a support. Consider it as a wedding gift from your aunt."
A faint blush crept onto Fu Zhen's face, and her voice dropped. "It's too early to think about that..."
"Silly girl, many girls your age are already married," Madam Bai said. "If there's a young man you like, you can tell your aunt. As long as he is upright and from a decent family, I won't object."
Fu Zhen's face turned even redder. "Aunt! I don't want to get married yet. I still want to accompany you for a few more years."
A decent family is not enough! The young man she has her eye on must have either great wealth or high - ranking status. Otherwise, how could she be willing?
Madam Bai let out a few hearty laughs and stopped teasing her. Then the two of them walked into the manor together.
On the outskirts of the city, at the hunting ground.
Chen Tingfeng sat on his horse, straightened his upper body, and suddenly pulled the bowstring until it was as round as a full moon. Then he suddenly let go. The sound of the arrow breaking through the wind rang out, and a deer in the distant forest suddenly fell. Its limbs twitched for a while and then it lost consciousness.
"Bravo!" the people beside him cheered loudly.
The hunting ground was filled with the young men of the powerful and noble families in the capital. When they saw him kill a deer with just one shot, they immediately got excited. They rode their horses and scattered in all directions, and the shouts never ceased. The hunting ground was in full swing.
Chen Tingfeng still looked cold and reserved. Qian Tong went over to drag the deer back. He took a look and said, "Skin it and have it processed. Send the meat to the manor."
"Yes, Young Master." Qian Tong bowed and several servants surrounded the deer and carried it away.
Yuan Bao looked up at him and asked, "Young Master, do you want to continue hunting?"
Chen Tingfeng saw people moving around in the forest and lost interest in hunting. He wasn't a person who liked excitement. So he threw the bow into Yuan Bao's arms, dismounted from the horse, and said, "Let's go."
Someone would lead the horse to where it should go.
Chen Tingfeng took a few steps out of the hunting ground. Xie Yan was sitting in a corridor not far away, waving at him.
He walked over and sat down beside Xie Yan, then tilted his head back and drank a cup of tea.
Perhaps because he was in the hunting ground and had just finished hunting, Chen Tingfeng's movements were less self - restrained and solemn than usual, and more natural and unrestrained.
"Not in a good mood today? Why did I only see you kill one deer?" Xie Yan refilled his cup of tea and asked.
Chen Tingfeng glanced at him and said, "Why don't you go?"
Xie Yan patted his leg and said, "I hurt it here."
"Do you think I'm blind?" Chen Tingfeng could tell at a glance that he was faking it. "What do you want?"
Xie Yan lazily slumped in the chair and said, "It's not easy being a prince. I have to lie low for now."
The old emperor had recalled the eldest prince. It was inevitable that he had the intention of restraining Xie Yan, the second prince.
Xie Yan wasn't stupid. It was better to keep a low profile at this time.
He looked at the hunting ground, shook his head, and sighed. "Boring, really boring."
Chen Tingfeng didn't say anything. After quietly finishing a cup of tea, he stood up and said, "I'm leaving."
"Hey?" Xie Yan immediately sat up straight. "Where are you going?"
"Are you trying to secretly go and have fun without me? No way!" Xie Yan grabbed his sleeve and said with a grin. "Where are you going to play? Take me with you."
Chen Tingfeng shook off his hand and said, "I'm going to the manor to see the peach blossoms."
"Peach blossoms? Real or fake?" Xie Yan became interested. "Don't tell me you've hidden a beauty in the manor and are just using the excuse of enjoying the flowers to deceive me?"
Chen Tingfeng was annoyed by his pestering and turned around to leave. "Go if you want, stay if you don't."
"Hey, wait for me!" Xie Yan stood up and wanted to chase after him, but then he remembered his "injured" leg. He called out in a hurry, "Fuyun, Fuyun! Come and help your master!"
He staggered after Chen Tingfeng.
After getting rid of the spies in the hunting ground, he tossed his long hair that had fallen in front of him and regained his usual elegant appearance. He fanned himself and looked at Chen Tingfeng who was mounting his horse. He wondered, "There's only one horse? How am I supposed to go?"
Chen Tingfeng looked down at him from his horse, lifted his chin, and Yuan Bao led out a carriage.
Xie Yan immediately showed his disgust. "Who wants to take a carriage? I won't!"
"Then you can just walk there." With that, Chen Tingfeng whipped his horse, and the horse immediately galloped forward.
"Chen Tingfeng!" Xie Yan's voice was hoarse from shouting, but Chen Tingfeng didn't stop. He had no choice but to turn around and look at the carriage, with his disgust clearly written on his face.
Yuan Bao apologized with a smile. "Your Highness, perhaps you should get in the carriage first. After all, your leg is still injured."
Xie Yan glanced at him and snorted. "Even if everyone else's leg is injured, mine won't be. Even if the emperor himself comes today, I won't take this carriage."
What kind of decent young man goes on a spring outing in a carriage? It's so embarrassing!
He stared at the carriage. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He took out a soft sword from his waist. With a flash of the sword light, the reins of the carriage fell to the ground, leaving only a bare horse.
He twirled the sword and wrapped it around his waist again. Then he kicked his foot and leaped onto the horse. Without caring about the servants behind him, he kicked the horse, and it rushed forward at full speed.
Fuyun called out after him, but he didn't stop. Fuyun and Yuan Bao, who had also been left behind, looked at each other and both showed bitter expressions.
In the peach grove.
Fu Zhen was climbing on a thick peach tree. She hooked her left hand on the highest branch and stretched her right hand upwards, trying to break off the flower branch at the top.
Biyu was pacing anxiously under the tree. "Miss, this is too dangerous! Come down quickly. Let this servant break it for you, okay?"
Cuihuan was holding the tree, with the same anxious look on her face. Just as she was about to say something, she heard the sound of horses' hooves.
Fu Zhen was attracted by the sound and turned her head to look. However, as soon as her upper body moved, her lower body became unstable. Immediately, her foot slipped, and she fell straight down from the branch like a kite with a broken string!
"Miss!"
Fu Zhen closed her eyes tightly, her face deathly pale from fear. She thought she was going to die today. However, the next second, she heard the neighing of a horse. Her waist tightened, and she fell into someone's arms.
Her heart was still pounding. It wasn't until she felt the person hold her and land steadily on the ground that she slowly opened her eyes. What came into view were Xie Yan's amorous peach - blossom eyes.
"Are you okay?" Xie Yan asked.
Fu Zhen seemed to be still in a daze. When she saw it was him, an idea suddenly came to her mind. Her eyes flashed, and she wanted to feign weakness with her pale face. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone slowly walking out of the peach grove.
Her eyes widened instantly!
She saw Chen Tingfeng emerging slowly from behind a thick peach tree like a ghost. His eyebrows and eyes seemed to be covered with frost, like a poisonous snake. His deep and cold eyes were staring fixedly at them!