Su Muge stared at Xia Houmo who directly sat down in the carriage.
After sitting down, Xia Houmo looked towards her.
“Since you like this jade porcelain teapot patterned with birds paying homage to the phoenix so much, I’ll give it to you.”
Su Muge looked down and found she was holding the teapot tightly as if she was reluctant to let it go.
She put the teapot back onto the table embarrassedly.
“Didn’t you just ride away?” Why did he come back?!
Xia Houmo took the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. “The weather is getting colder and I suddenly feel like riding the carriage.”
Su Muge nodded. In the narrow space of the carriage, she always felt overwhelmed by the breath of Xia Houmo.
Seeing her sitting in the corner like a kitten, Xia Houmo felt like teasing her.
“Have you received the invitation to the hunting party?”
The hunting party was the topic Su Muge had heard most frequently these days.
“Your Royal Highness will also attend the hunting party, right?”
Xia Houmo didn’t reply but asked, “Do you want me to go?”
“Uh…” It was really hard to chat with him; Su Muge felt that she had to be on her guard to deal with him.
“Your Royal Highness is brave and unmatched; numerous unmarried young ladies hope to see you at the hunting party.”
Xia Houmo raised the corner of his lips and looked at her with a faint smile.
Su Muge felt slightly awkward to be watched by him, but fortunately, the carriage stopped at this time.
“Miss Su, here you are.”
Su Muge lifted the door curtain and jumped down without even stepping on the pedal like a runaway.
“Thank you very much, Your Royal Highness. Please excuse my departure.”
Xia Houmo lifted the curtain slightly and watched her petite figure gradually disappear at the gate of Su Mansion, with a flicker of a smile in his dark black eyes.
“Your Royal Highness, Second Prince’s men haven’t given up yet and have been wandering around the gold mine. I’m afraid that he will take actions.” Zuoqiu rode a horse to the carriage and whispered to the window.
They had made great efforts to conceal the gold mine they previously discovered. Now that the gold mine had been half-exploited, it was impossible to stop at this time.
In the carriage, Xia Houmo put on a dark and gloomy look. “How long will it take to finish exploiting the gold mine?”
“At least one month.”
This gold mine was not very large, so they could finish by the end of next month at the fastest speed.
“Second brother has been busy running about for a long time, and it’s time for him to rest for a while.”
Hearing his words, Zuoqiu knew his meaning very well in his heart. “Yes, I’ll arrange it right away.”
On the other side, Su Muge went back to Peachblossom Courtyard and couldn’t calm down until she drank up two cups of hot water.
Holy shit, every time she met Xia Houmo, she was in a state of embarrassment.
“Miss, the porter Li Ping said that a young man named Cheng Ran came to see you two hours ago. Li Ping found his words quite reliable and let him wait outside.”
Cheng Ran was the boy Su Muge had rescued on the street before. When she left, she told him to find her in Su Mansion after his brother got better.
“Take him to the small garden.”
“Yes.”
Su Muge changed to a casual moon-white peony-patterned wide-sleeved long dress without a belt and embellished her long hair with a plain jade hairpin.
She asked Yueru to cut her bangs to cover the birthmarks in the corners of her eyes. At first glance, she looked like ordinary people.
When Su Muge arrived at the small garden, Cheng Ran had been waiting outside the gazebo in the garden with Xinche.
“The eldest Miss.”
“The eldest Miss Su, pay my respects to you.”
Seeing Su Muge coming, the two bowed to salute.
Cheng Ran wore a neat steel-gray robe today which was clean and refreshing but had been faded. Su Muge knew that it might be the best robe of this child.
Su Muge walked into the gazebo and sat down, asking Yueru and other maids to retreat and guard outside.
The gazebo was open on all sides, exposing the situation inside clearly. But with a clear conscience, she kept a distance with Cheng Ran so as not to be seen and discussed.
“Is your brother getting better?”
“Miss, thank you very much for treating my younger brother. He has been much better these days.”
“Your brother’s illness is caused by long-term malnutrition. He will be fine after careful nursing in the future. Rest assured.”
“Miss Su, you have cured my brother’s illness, so you are my benefactor. I’m willing to do my best to serve you.”
“I do need your help now. But you must think about it clearly; your freedom and life will be controlled in the future. Now I give you another chance to regret; if you leave now, I’ll just regard my good deed as to accumulate merits.”
Cheng Ran knelt down with a firm look. “I, Cheng Ran, will not regret.”
“Okay, then sign it.” Su Muge took out a servitude indenture.
Cheng Ran didn’t hesitate too much and directly pressed his fingerprint.
Su Muge asked Yueru to collect the servitude indenture and put 50 Liang on the table.
“Take it and help me find five to ten innocent and clever but homeless children about ten years old. Boys and girls are all right. After that, I’ll tell you what to do next.”
Cheng Ran asked no more and took the 50 Liang solemnly.
In his view, it was because Su Muge trusted him that she would give him so much money for his first task. Therefore, he must do his best to get things done.
“Miss, rest assured, I’ll get things done.”
“Thank you. Take this money and buy some delicious food for your younger brother as well as some clothes for yourself. It’s getting cold now. Don’t catch a cold.”
Cheng Ran felt that he had been indebted to Su Muge and couldn’t accept any more money. But at the thought of his sick and thin younger brother, he took the money with red and tearful eyes.
“Thank you, Miss.”
After Cheng Ran left, Yueru and Su Muge took a walk in the small garden.
“Miss, what are you doing so mysteriously?”
Of course to achieve something great!
But it was only a start now, so she didn’t intend to tell them for the time being.
Su Muge smiled playfully. “Want to know?”
Yueru nodded.
“It’s a secret!” After finishing, Su Muge promptly ran into Peachblossom Courtyard.
Yueru realized that she was fooled and stamped her feet. “Miss, you are so naughty!”
Having treated Xia Hourui for half a month, Su Muge had expelled the toxin in his body to his legs now.
Xia Hourui’s spirit was obviously much better than before.
Eunuch Yi, holding a bowl of medicine, walked into Yangyi Palace. He looked at Xia Hourui, who was sitting on the couch, and said gently, “Your Majesty, it’s time to take medicine.”
Xia Hourui put down the memorial in his hand, took the bowl and drank up the medicine without taking a look at it.
Eunuch Yi hurriedly handed him sweetmeat, but Xia Hourui shook his head.
“I haven’t been so energetic for a long time.”
Eunuch Yi laughed. “Your Majesty’s complexion is getting better and better day by day, so it won’t take long for you to fully recover. Let me congratulate you in advance.”
Xia Hourui laughed. “My old sport, you only picked some nice words to say.”
“Your Majesty, the hunting party is about to come. Last year, you didn’t attend because of your physical discomfort. Do you want to join in the fun this year?” Eunuch Yi handed him some warm water and asked tentatively.
“Hunting party…” Xia Hourui thought about it for a moment with a frown.
“Yeah, I heard that Second Prince had brought some fierce leopards and tigers back from the west this year, claiming to hunt them all.”
Hearing this, Xia Hourui became a little interested. “Well, I haven’t exercised for so long. I’m going to join in the fun this time.”
“Okay, I’ll have everything prepared. It’s only three days before the hunting party.”
“Go ahead.”
…
Three days later, the hunting party was opened.
All the officials and children of noble families in the capital got up early and put on neat riding suits, ready for departure.
The invitations to the hunting party were issued by the imperial court. Officials of a Grade-3 official title or higher ranks would receive five invitations, one for the official himself and the rest for his wife and children.
Officials of a Grade-4 official title or lower ranks would only have three invitations. The aristocrats of noble families had their own personal invitation.
Su Lun knew that both Su Muge and Zhao had invitations, so he gave the other two invitations to An and Su Jingwen.
This hunting party was said to go hunting, but its deeper connotation was known to all.
So as early as a month ago, the young masters and ladies had started to prepare; everyone wished to be the limelight at the hunting party.
Su Muge didn’t want to join in the fun at first, but Zhao looked so excited about the party that she could only go with her.
Before dawn, Su Muge was wakened up by Yueru.
“Miss, this is the riding suit our Madam personally made for you. Hurry to put it on. It must look good on you.”
Su Muge felt a little helpless about the fiery red riding suit.
Her mother always felt her dressing too plain without youthful vigor, so this time she specially made her a very eye-catching riding suit.
She intended to keep low-key, but with only one riding suit, she had no choice but to wear it; otherwise, she had to wear an informal dress. She didn’t care of course, but Su Lun and her mother wouldn’t allow her to do so.
After dressing up, Su Muge stood in front of the bronze mirror.
After a period of nursing and adjusting, her physical condition was much better than before and even her complexion was gradually becoming ruddy and rosy. Now she looked much more vigorous and vibrant.
“Miss, you are so beautiful.” Xinche admired.
Su Muge looked at herself in the bronze mirror; if the birthmark in the corner of her eye was ignored, she was beautiful indeed and was very suitable for bright colors.
“Yueru, fetch me the rouge.”
“Miss, you want to put on makeup? I’ll go right away. “Yueru was delighted; it was so nice to see Miss willing to dress herself up!
After getting the rouge, Su Muge dipped it on her face with her fingers.
Seeing her only covering her birthmark, Yueru felt a little anxious and attempted to help her put makeup on her whole face.
“Miss, may I help you?”
Su Muge replied without a blink. “No.”
After a quarter, Su Muge finished her makeup. She cleaned her fingers with a handkerchief and turned to look at Yueru and other maids with a smile. “How about it? Does it look good?”
“Mi, Miss, your, your face …”
“Miss, what, what is on your face?”
