“What happened? Where did you two go?”

Xie Yu Hua’s face was pale, and she murmured, “We accidentally fell into a trap set by a hunter. The hunter had bad intentions and tied us up, wanting to sell us…”

Fortunately, they walked slowly, and the Imperial Guards caught up and rescued them soon after.

Yu Ning felt a chill after hearing this, and Xie Zhi An’s expression became even more serious, not daring to think too deeply.

Xie Zhi An was about to thank the Emperor, but seeing the Emperor’s unhappy expression, he quickly pleaded guilty, requesting punishment.

Because the female members of the Yongning Hou Mansion had gone missing, the imperial procession was delayed for an hour, and the Emperor’s guards found them in the end. This was truly…

A great offense.

Shen Tuo glanced behind him, lightly sweeping his gaze without lingering on anyone.  Facing Xie Zhi An’s repeated pleas for forgiveness, he only responded briefly before turning and leaving.

“Once you’re ready, hurry and get back on the road. We’re already an hour late. Don’t delay any further,” Wu Ying instructed the guards to continue their journey, then sent the Yongning Hou Mansion’s group back to their carriage.

Back in the carriage, several women crowded into one carriage, chattering and asking Xie Yu Hua what had happened.

Xie Yu Hua recounted the story, but then her face turned even paler as if she remembered something.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but what about the hunter who kidnapped you? Where is he?” Yu Ning hadn’t seen any guards bringing anyone back.

Mentioning this, a look of fear appeared in Xie Yu Hua’s eyes, and she said with trembling lips, “He… he’s dead. I thought the Imperial Guards would bring him back and hand him over to the government for disposal, but then…”

“Then, the Emperor came. He carried a knife and… killed him.”

Xie Yu Hua had seen a killing for the first time and couldn’t recover for a while.  She said through her tears, “At that time, the Emperor’s eyes… I thought I was going to die there too.”

It was terrifying. She really felt that the Emperor’s eyes held killing intent.

She hadn’t committed any capital crime; she had just gotten lost.  It wasn’t a death penalty.

“You’re overthinking it. Stop crying,” Mrs. Huo comforted her, then whispered, “I think that’s how he looks at everyone. You must have misjudged it. It’s alright.”

Mrs. Huo held Xiao Bao in her arms, patting her gently, as if she were holding a precious treasure. She wasn’t in the mood to be angry; she only felt relieved that her granddaughter had been found.

Amidst Mrs. Huo and Mrs. Lin’s comfort, Xie Ying Chun raised a question, “Why did the Emperor kill the hunter? Why did he do it himself instead of letting others handle it?”

Mrs. Huo: “When the Emperor led the army in battle, he was brave on the battlefield. After returning to the capital, when punishing corrupt officials, his methods were still ruthless, beheading many officials…”

Mrs. Lin: “Alas, that man’s temperament is really unpredictable. Maybe he was just feeling restless.”

Yu Ning leaned against the corner of the carriage, closing her eyes to rest.  Hearing this, she touched her neck, feeling a chill.

“But you two were really lucky. The Emperor happened to be riding his horse forward and rescued you. Thank goodness,” Mrs. Huo said.

Yu Ning sighed, pursed her lips, and wondered if it was a coincidence.  She felt it wasn’t.

While lost in thought, she raised her eyes and met Xie Yu Hua’s gaze.

Yu Ning smiled to comfort her.

Xie Yu Hua’s lips moved, but she kept the rest of her words to herself.

Actually, she also wanted to say that on the way back, the Emperor had carried Xiao Bao. The Emperor seemed very nervous about Xiao Bao.

Xiao Bao’s public name is Xie You Ming. Only her family knows her original name, but the Emperor also knows it.

Also, when the Emperor and Xiao Bao stood together, she realized that their eyebrows and eyes were strikingly similar, like they were related by blood.

Leaving the imperial capital, traveling east for a hundred miles to the foot of Ziwei Mountain, and going halfway up the mountain, is Taihe Palace, where the Great Ye royal family temporarily resides during the autumn hunt.

Taihe Palace is built in the mountains. From afar, it looks like a painting. The palace has verdant mountains and rocks, gurgling streams, and scattered halls. Although it’s not as orderly and solemn, colorful and magnificent as the imperial palace, it’s unique and has a different kind of elegant charm.

“Although Mother isn’t good at riding horses, she really enjoys following the court to the autumn hunt. Taihe Palace has beautiful scenery and is a good place to enjoy the views. It’s a pity that without an imperial decree, no one can approach,” Actually, besides admiring the scenery, Mrs. Huo also looked forward to the game and delicacies at the autumn hunt banquet.

The autumn hunt doesn’t happen every year. Since the Emperor ascended the throne, he has changed many old systems. The annual autumn hunt has been changed to every three years, and the number of participants has been reduced. Therefore, being able to attend an autumn hunt banquet is something worth showing off.

Compared to the magnificence of the imperial palace, Yu Ning preferred Taihe Palace. Since entering the palace gates, her eyes hadn’t closed once, curiously looking at the buildings and scenery around her.

“This palace is really beautiful. If I could grow old here, how peaceful it would be,” Yu Ning said casually.

“Oh, that won’t do.”

Mrs. Huo lowered her voice. “Growing old here isn’t a good thing. Those who can spend their twilight years in Taihe Palace are consorts without sons and without imperial favor, all unfortunate women.

Palace consorts, if they have a son or daughter, can live with their children. Even without children, if they have family descendants serving as officials, they can request an imperial decree to return to their family home to live out their lives. Only those with nowhere to go, alone and lonely, will end up here.”

“Oh? So palace consorts can return to their family homes to spend their old age? This is different from what I read in storybooks,” Yu Ning often read storybooks, from fantastic myths to stories of palace intrigue; she had read many.

Folk storybooks create stories without restrictions, from emperors and princes to ordinary people, all can be protagonists. But the best-selling storybooks are those about the love-hate relationships of princes and ministers. In those storybooks about palace intrigue, the fates of the consorts are mostly tragic.

Thousands of beautiful women, all ending in sorrow.

Yu Ning recounted the plot of a storybook to Mrs. Huo. “Could it be that reality is very different from the storybooks?”