When in the room, Shen Miao then told Xie Jing Xing of what had happened today. Xie Jing Xing said, “The Imperial Hunt?”
Shen Miao nodded her head, “It seemed some what unusual.”
“The Imperial Hunt is on the second day of the sixth month of every year and it was the established standard by the Late Emperor.” Xie Jing Xing said lazily, “However Imperial Older Brother and I would only be wondering outside and would not go deep in.”
“Why?” Shen Miao asked.
“Dangerous.” Xie Jing Xing lowered his voice.
Shen Miao was startled.
When Xie Jing Xing saw her expression, he laughed and raised his eyebrows, “Scared already?”
“What is there for me to be scared?” Shen Miao looked at him, “Do you mean that there will be someone that will take action against the Emperor and you? In the Imperial Hunt, the Imperial guards are all inside so who would have such a courage?”
“You have seen Mo Yu Army before.” Xie Jing Xing suddenly changed the topic, “Those are my people and has nothing to do with Great Liang’s army. Imperial Older Brother also knows about it. Do you know why the Mo Yu Army was raised?”
“Because the Imperial army is not trustable?” Shen Miao quickly asked but she somewhat could not believe in her heart.
Xie Jing Xing snapped his fingers.
Shen Miao did not say anything.
The world had said that Emperor Yong Le was Great Liang’s wise Monarch and the younger generation of Great Liang were of high esteem. It seemed that the commoners were as such but the officials and soldiers were not as loyal as rumoured. There was no fighting and scheme in the Imperial family of Great Liang but there was external aggressions.
The Imperial army of the Imperial family was passed down from generation to generation, that was to say that the Late Emperor had passed down the people but they refused to comply with the current Emperor Yong Le. Thinking about the cool tone of voice Xie Jing Xing used on the Late Emperor previously, Shen Miao because curious in her heart. She hesitated for a moment before looking at Xie Jing Xing to ask, “Speaking of which, at the beginning when you drifted to the Ding capital of Ming Qi, what was exactly the circumstances and on-goings?”
Hearing that, Xie Jing Xing’s gaze slightly changed. Shen Miao said beside him and she could feel the coldness of his emotions at that moment.
After a while, Xie Jing Xing smiled and reached out to stroke Shen Miao head, “How come there are so many questions? Want to know my secret again? If you want to know then come and exchange yours.” He smiled warmly, “One’s body can also do.”
Shen Miao rolled her eyes.
Xie Jing Xing again said, “But you seemed not to be angry with Lu Wan-er’s words at all?” He was slightly dissatisfied, “Someone covet over your husband and you are not furious at all? Shen Jiao Jiao, you really have no conscience.”
Shen Miao said, “Anyways, you will also not agree to it, isn’t it so? The Lu family is ambitious and you most likely do not have a heart so big as to raise a poisonous snake at one’s side.”
Xie Jing Xing laughed out loud and stared at her mouth, “Aren’t I raising a poisonous snake at one’s side? It is also a beautiful snake.”
This person could not be serious for more than three sentences. Shen Miao could not be bothered to talk to him and just said, “The Ye family… What do you think of the Ye family?”
Xie Jing Xing pondered, “The Ye family people are smarter than the Lu family and knows how to endure silently. Perhaps it is because of the matter of descendants, they are not as arrogant as the Lu family. Imperial Older Brother and I planned to start from the Ye family and incite disharmony between the Ye and Lu families.”
Shen Miao pulled back her hand. She did not know why but when she faced Ye Furen today, she had an indescribable feeling. She seemingly felt that the Ye family was not as easy to deal with as it looked on surface but this thought came unfathomably, that she did not know how it happened.
However Xie Jing Xing saw her strange look and asked, “You seemed to have something to say?”
Shen Miao shook her head. It was most likely she was too paranoid, thus she asked, “Will you be attending this Imperial Hunt? Ji Furen told me not to be schemed by others and I felt very strange.”
Xie Jing Xing’s expression turned slightly cold, “This time even if one is unwilling to go, you have to follow.”
“Why is it so?”
“Today it is the sixtieth year sacrificial ceremony stipulated by the Late Emperor. In the Imperial Hunt, Imperial Older Brother must hunt a lion in the hunting grounds as it represent that the common year would be smooth and he is a wise monarch.”
Lion? Shen Miao said, “That is a wild beast.” In a general hunting ground, naturally safety was the most important. After all the people who were hunting were all high ranking officials and aristocrats and it was not good for one’s life to be harmed. There would not be lions but wild hare or foxes, else a life would be lost in a moment of carelessness.
“Beasts are not to be feared.” Xie Jing Xing lips were raise but his smile was somewhat cold, “Beasts would not release arrows secretly and is much safer than people.”
“Only the Imperial army can be brought in and that was the rules set by the Late Emperor. However it is difficult to say if the people of the Imperial army is loyal or not.” Xie Jing Xing raised an eyebrow, “So you have to know that this is a match that the Late Emperor left for us brothers. To let everyone under Heavens watch, Imperial Older Brother and I do not have any choice even though one knew clearly about it.”
He then looked at the sorrowful Shen Miao and pinched her face, “But you can rest assure that nothing will happen to you. Even though the females of the Imperial family follow by name, there is no need to enter the hunting grounds.”
Shen Miao asked, “Do you have assurance to manage?” There was an bad premonition in her heart and seemed to have seen through Xie Jing Xing’s joking expression that he was not relaxed at all.
Xie Jing Xing stared at her and shook his head, “No.”
Shen Miao’s heart was lifted up tightly.
Xie Jing Xing smiled, “Swindle you only.”
Shen Miao glared angrily at him. Xie Jing Xing stretched out lazily and said, “After the hunt is over then one will speak to you about matters of the Palace so that you will not thinking of it all the day.” He said in a smile yet not a smile, “You are now my Xie family people, so one have to carry some things.”
Shen Miao’s heart moved. Did it mean that Xie Jing Xing planned to tell her about his secret? Xie Jing Xing’s identity, how he drift to the Ding capital of Ming Qi, with Emperor Long Le’s and Xie Jing Xing’s attitude towards the Late Emperor, she had felt that there was something in it. One could feel the heaviness of the matter vaguely as Xie Jing Xing’s frivolous mention of the past was not a common experience.
Even though she would be please to know about this secrets but why did she feel so uneasy about this Imperial Hunt? It was like something bad would be happening. Her heart was beating very fast and despite all the efforts to calm it, it was still restless.
She kept silent but her fist was secretly clenched.
*****
In the Imperial Palace of Great Liang, Empress Xian De was listening to the palace maid reporting of the events of today’s Bright Summer Banquet and when she heard Shen Miao’s ‘with regards to the matter of being a concubine, I will not do it. Matters of brining in concubines for one’s husband to spread out the branches is something I will not do. At the beginning when Prince Rui of First Rank came to my Shen residence to propose marriage, he had already said that there would not be any other female in the Inner Courtyard of the Prince residence. If it wasn’t that, I would not marry so far away to Long Ye’, Empress Xian De could not help but laughed out. She was naturally gentle and dignified and was calm normally but when she laughed, there was actually some charm of a young female.
“What made the Empress so happy?” Emperor Yong Le’s voice was heard from outside. His expression was a little cold and when he saw Empress Xian De’s appearance when he stepped in, there was a peculiar look that flashed in his eyes.
Empress Xian De was smiling somewhat unrestrained, “Cai Lian, repeat WangFei’s words to His Majesty.”
The palace maid by the name of Cai Liang quickly lowered her head and mimicked Shen Miao words again. After hearing, Emperor Yong Le brushed his sleeves and said furiously, “Babbling nonsense! Completely lack of regulations! Extremely impudent!”
Cai Lian jumped in shock and her entire body was somewhat trembling. The anger of the Emperor was not something that a small palace maid like her could bear.
Empress Xian De looked blaming at Emperor Yong Le and said to Cai Lian, “Withdraw first.”
Cai Lian was relieved and quickly withdraw. Empress Xian De then smiled, “Jing Xing’s wife has a temper that is made in Heavens like him. Both of them are so straightforward, they are really temperamental people.”
“Its alright that Xie Yuan is being wilful, you are also following him to be wilful?” Emperor Yong Le looked at Empress Xian her with dissatisfaction, “The Empress seemed to like Shen Miao very much?”
“It had been a long time since someone this interesting appear in Long Ye.” Empress Xian De smiled and watched Emperor Yong Le sat by her side. Her tone of voice was soft but her voice was unable to hide the praise, “Look like a smart person but it is rare that one could maintain a sincere heart.”
“One cannot see where the smarts is and also cannot see the sincerity.” Emperor Yong Le said coldly, “It is however only a female that can dig for thoughts.”
“If it was truly the case, with Jing Xing astute nature, how could he not see it and still extremely like her?”
Emperor Yong Le disapproved, “Xie Yuan is young and cannot tell the difference between right and wrong thus his heart and mind is confuse by that woman.”
Empress Xian De sighed. She knew of Emperor Yong Le’s stubborn personality and did not want to compete with him, “In anyways, BenGong view Jing Xing’s wife as a good person.”
“If she was really good then she would not boast shamelessly and speak of jealously.” Emperor Yong Le was very dissatisfied, “Could it be that the Empress thinks that not spreading out the branches for the husband and bringing in concubines is the right behaviour?”
Empress Xian De smiled faintly, “That is naturally excellent. It is just that only very few female could do it. It is Rui WangFei’s fortune that she could do it.”
“Empress!” Hearing that, Emperor Yong Le’s brows wrinkled and the gaze that he used to look at Empress Xian De was very strict.
“ChenQie words are of indiscretion.” Even though Empress Xian De said as such, there was not much apprehension in her expression as she said, “Be it persuading or not, it is better for Your Majesty to worry less about the residence of Prince Rui. Jing Xing is one that has a mind of his own, by interfering, it would only attract his malice.”
“Zhen has one’s viewpoint.” Emperor Yong Le said seriously.
After a moment of silent, Empress Xian De said, “Is Your Majesty prepared for the Imperial Hunt next month?”
“Only prepared a life.” One was unable to see any expression on Emperor Yong Le’s face, “Zhen has already arranged everything.”
“Can ChenQie go along?” Empress Xian De asked, “ChenQie wants to follow by Your Majesty’s side.”
“Zhen will bring Consort Jing along.” Emperor Yong Le said, “If something happen to Zhen, there is still you overseeing the Inner Palace.”
Empress Xian De hang her head down and did not speak. After a moment she lifted up her head and smile gently, “ChenQie understands.”
“The person Zhen cannot feel reassured is Xie Yuan. Zhen felt conscience-stricken to him when he was young and was hidden in Ming Qi. But now even the stratagems are fixed, Zhen could not finish the promised. In the future be it if he hates Zhen or understands Zhen’s painstaking effort, what Zhen could do is only this much.” Emperor Yong Le looked outside as he said in disappointment and frustration, “It is unfortunate that Imperial Mother was unable to see him before her death.”
“If Imperial Mother knows in the underworld and sees that Jing Xing is this outstanding, she would be delighted.” Empress Xian De consoled.
“Empress.” Emperor Yong Le suddenly said.
Empress Xian De looked at him and heard Emperor Yong Le speaking, “It is exhausting for you for all these years.”
“It is ChenQie’s blessing to be able to share Your Majesty’s trouble.” Empress Xian De smiled. Her expression was calm, seemingly no matter how great the suffering was would not repel her grace and elegance at all. She said, “ChenQie has accompanied Your Majesty for decades and Your Majesty treats ChenQie very well. ChenQie is already content.”
Emperor Yong Le looked at Empress Xian De and seemed to want to say something. His lips moved but nothing was said. He only looked somewhat complicated at Empress Xian De before moving his gaze away and onto the bronze crane in the main hall that was spitting out green smoke.
Empress Xian De also looked at her sleeve quietly, as if those words that were just spoken were very commonly said. It was just that that those eyes were a bit wet.
