On the boundless prairie, the afterglow of the setting sun seemed to cast a warm hue over the entire land.
The sky full of rosy clouds reflected colorful rays of light, twinkling softly one by one, just like bright pearls.
It formed a magnificent and beautiful scroll, and the free - living creatures played a melody that resonated with heaven and earth.
After dinner, Ling Shan didn't want to wait for someone to stroll around the hunting ground with her. Under the pretext of taking a walk to aid digestion, she left the imperial tent with Banchun.
With guards in three layers inside and three layers outside the hunting ground, there was no need to worry about safety.
However, as the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Ling Shan wasn't naive enough to think there was really no danger.
Since the incident at Qingyun Terrace last time, Jun Wuyuan had secretly added two shadow guards for Ling Shan.
She just didn't know how the Queen Mother would act this time.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since she last faced the Queen Mother in person.
In the hunting ground, it wasn't yet the time to prohibit people from going out. In the wind - swaying prairie, one could see a few figures from time to time.
Most of them were concubines in the harem and the female relatives of important officials. It was a rare chance to go out. If it weren't for the late hour, there would probably be even more people horse - riding.
When Ling Shan arrived, she received a lot of looks.
Some were full of jealousy or dislike from the concubines, while others were curious or disdainful from the outer - court ladies. The looks were extremely complex.
Among them, the most noticeable one was a look full of hatred, as if the person wished she could die soon.
Although it flashed by, Ling Shan caught it immediately.
Ling Shan's eyes instantly looked over and directly met Xue's eyes, who was just about to withdraw her hateful look.
It seemed that her guess was right.
The Queen Mother really didn't want to take action herself. Instead, she quietly pushed out a scapegoat who hated Ling Shan to the bone.
If it succeeded, she could effortlessly get rid of a disobedient pawn while sitting back and watching.
But if it failed, the culprit would only be Xue seeking revenge for her beloved daughter. What did it have to do with the Queen Mother?
The Queen Mother not only came from the Langya Wang family but was also the Queen Mother of the Great Yan Dynasty and the legal mother of the emperor.
To convict a Queen Mother, it had to be a serious crime like murdering the emperor or colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. Otherwise, ordinary minor crimes wouldn't work.
Ling Shan thought that the Queen Mother probably blamed her and Jun Wuyuan for the downfall of Wang Chengye.
Judging from Xue's personality, with her son in the palm of her hand becoming a cripple and not knowing when he would lose his life, she probably wanted to tear them to pieces.
However, unexpectedly, after Xue met Ling Shan's eyes, she still nodded politely and gave her a smile.
Ling Shan curved her lips and faced Xue's cold and sinister smile.
Her eyes seemed to say: Come on!
Xue's chest immediately heaved violently with anger, and her fingers dug deeply into her palm.
The sharp pain barely suppressed the hatred in her heart. As if thinking of something, she deliberately shifted her gaze.
Ling Shan's lips curved even more, showing a somewhat unfathomable meaning.
Suddenly, Banchun felt a chill on her back.
If she remembered correctly, the last time her mistress smiled like this was...
Those people were probably already in the underworld, drinking Mengpo's soup and being reincarnated.
Tsk.
Banchun looked respectful on the surface, but there was a strange excitement in her heart.
She wondered what would happen this time.
After provoking Xue, Ling Shan put her out of mind. She had hoped to meet Yu Shiwei, but unexpectedly, she didn't come out.
After strolling around for a while, Ling Shan felt a bit bored.
As the sky gradually darkened, Ling Shan was about to return. Unexpectedly, she met a palace attendant from the emperor's presence after walking for a while.
The attendant was being mysterious, and Ling Shan was itching to know what Jun Wuyuan had prepared.
The attendant from the emperor's presence was Xiao Guizi, whom Ling Shan and Banchun were familiar with.
Along the way, they listened to Xiao Guizi's vivid storytelling. Especially his changeable voice was so realistic that it made people feel as if they were on the scene.
Ling Shan, Banchun and the others couldn't help laughing. It seemed that the slightly cold night wind couldn't disperse their laughter.
There was a winding small river near the hunting ground, spreading from the mountains. From afar, one could hear the sound of the gurgling water hitting the rocks.
When they walked through a dense forest, suddenly there came a rather embarrassing noise.
Xiao Guizi immediately stopped his storytelling. His face turned pale and then green, not knowing how to react.
"Is this the surprise the emperor prepared for this concubine you were talking about?"
In the dense forest, Ling Shan's face was expressionless, and her tone was cold, as if she was looking at a dead person.
Xiao Guizi's face immediately turned white. He knelt on the ground with a thud. Before he could plead for mercy, the noise from not far away became louder.
"Your Majesty... don't. It's so dark in this forest. This servant... this servant is scared... Your Majesty, be gentle..."
"Don't move! Be good and don't make me angry..."
"Your Majesty, this servant doesn't dare... It's just... if Concubine Zhao... um... Concubine Zhao Xiurong finds out, will she... ouch... kill this servant? This servant is scared..."
"What are you afraid of?"
The sound of cloth being torn, accompanied by the charming and embarrassing noise, came a familiar moan of passion.
"Concubine Zhao is just a little palace maid... hiss... As long as you serve me well, I'll confer you the title of noble lady or Xiurong. Turn around and lie down properly..."
"Your Majesty~"
The charming and sweet voice was as enticing as water, while the water gurgled:
"Your Majesty, does Your Majesty like the way this servant serves you?"
"Yes, you're extremely charming. I like you very much..."
"Your Majesty..."
A series of ambiguous sounds came clearly. The atmosphere in the dense forest suddenly stagnated.
Banchun's face turned pale then green, then pale again. She almost collapsed to the ground with weak legs.
For the first time, she lost her composure and calmness. Her mind was filled with disbelief.
How could the person having an affair with the palace maid in there be His Majesty?
Banchun had served in the emperor's presence for a long time. In her impression, His Majesty was cold - blooded and didn't get close to women. He couldn't be like what she had just heard.
However, the voice was indeed His Majesty's.
Banchun didn't dare to imagine what would happen to her mistress if the person in there was really His Majesty.
Just listening to it made her heart ache. She could only imagine how her mistress felt...
Just as the louder and more excited noise came, a low and deep laugh sounded in the quiet dense forest.
"Ha..."