“Great! Great!” Yu Xiaobao was overjoyed, and quickly reached out to Xie Yutang, easily appeased with just a couple of words.

Yu Ning couldn’t stop the enthusiastic Yu Xiaobao, so she could only tell Xie Yutang to ride slowly and not let Xiaobao fall.

Xie Yutang readily agreed, and turned with Xie Yuke towards the woods.

Yu Ning and Lu Chengxiao rode behind them, following Xie Yutang at a leisurely pace.

Now, Lu Chengxiao spoke more, and Yu Ning had to pay some attention to him, occasionally responding with a word or two.

After an unknown amount of time, cheers came from ahead.

“Those guards ahead are the Imperial Guards.  I can’t see clearly in the middle, but it looks like the Young Prince has hunted a stag.”

“It’s not just the Young Prince, Xie Yuke, what’s wrong with your eyes? You didn’t see who’s behind the Young Prince!”

“I see! I see! The Emperor is there too.”

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go see the stag the Young Prince hunted. There are many people here, let’s join the fun.”

The voices of Xie Yutang and Xie Yuke drifted back, and Yu Ning and Lu Chengxiao looked ahead.

Lu Chengxiao’s brother followed the Emperor on the imperial expedition, a close confidant, so he was also familiar with the Emperor and was happy to join the fun.

Of these people, only Yu Ning felt a desire to retreat, wanting to turn around and leave.

This was so unlucky! If she had known she would run into them here, she definitely wouldn’t have come!

The trees in the hunting ground were tall and straight but sparse, the grass short but dense. Twenty or so fine steeds were slightly crowded in a clearing.

The Imperial Guards behind the Emperor were solemn and steady, while the group of noble youths led by the Young Prince were laughing and talking. The contrast was obvious, yet harmonious.

During the autumn hunt, there was no need to perform formal greetings. Xie Yutang and Xie Yuke rode forward.  While their manners were not perfect, no one blamed them. The Young Prince, Shen Ying, was familiar with Xie Yuke, and the few young men gathered together, chatting familiarly.

Young Prince Shen Ying stared at the child in Xie Yutang’s arms for a while, and laughed loudly: “Sixth Young Master Xie, everyone is holding bows and arrows, but you’re the only one who’s special, carrying a little girl.”

Sixth Young Master referred to Xie Yutang, the sixth son of the Yongning Hou Xie family, while Xie Yuke was the seventh.

As soon as Xie Yutang arrived, everyone noticed the cute and lovely child in his arms, but no one spoke.  With the Young Prince Shen Ying’s teasing, everyone immediately started to jest with Xie Yutang.

“Xie Yutang, whose child did you bring? This is a hunting ground, you’re not hunting but carrying a child. What, do you look down on us?”

“That’s right, that’s right. How can you draw a bow and shoot an arrow with a child? Are you deliberately avoiding work?”

“Say, this child does bear some resemblance to Xie Yutang. Whose is it? I haven’t heard that the Yongning Hou Mansion has any grandchildren.”

Xie Yutang rolled his eyes at this group of friends, and said loudly: “Of course it’s a child of our Yongning Hou Mansion, otherwise, would I bring her out?”

Xie Yuke added from the side, “It’s the daughter of our third elder sister.”

Everyone in the same circle had heard of the Yongning Hou Mansion’s affairs, and after hearing this, they nodded knowingly and stopped asking.

Yu Ning pulled on the reins, stopping not far away, about fifty paces, without going any further.

Lu Chengxiao noticed that Yu Ning didn’t want to go to crowded places, and thoughtfully asked: “Third Miss Xie dislikes crowds?”

“No.” Yu Ning actually liked lively atmospheres and occasions, but she didn’t want to go forward because Shen Tuo was there.

“I’m shy. There are many people ahead, mostly noble youths, and the Emperor and the Young Prince are also there. I grew up in the countryside, my manners are not refined, so I’d rather not join the fun and avoid embarrassing my family.”

These words were not only an explanation but also a way of dissuading Lu Chengxiao.

Yu Ning wasn’t blind, she could feel that Lu Chengxiao’s gaze held some interest and curiosity.

“Third Miss Xie’s words and actions are measured, you are too modest.” Lu Chengxiao had never met such a straightforward noble lady before. Instead of being discouraged, he became even more curious about this Third Miss Xie.

Young men always get into mischief. This group of noble youths wanted to take the Xie brothers to compete in hunting. Xie Yutang couldn’t refuse, so he turned around helplessly, waved to his elder sister, and wanted to return Xiaobao to Yu Ning.

Yu Ning had to ride forward to take Xiaobao back to her horse.

“Didn’t you say you’d play with me? Uncle is breaking his promise, I don’t like you anymore!”

Yu Xiaobao put her hands on her hips, her little face puffed up in accusation of Xie Yutang’s broken promise.  She was promised fun, but was abandoned halfway, how annoying!

Even a little one’s anger was cute.  Yu Xiaobao’s reasoned accusations of her uncles’ broken promises amused the young men, who burst into laughter.

“Xie Yutang, your niece is really interesting!”

“Hahaha, this child is so good at retorting, won’t she report to her elders at home? Xie Yutang, you’re going to be scolded when you get back.”

“Xie Yutang, how do you act as an uncle? You’ve been subdued by such a little niece?”

Xie Yutang helplessly admitted defeat, whispering an apology: “I’m sorry, Xiaobao, when we get back, Uncle will take you to have a good day of fun and give you a gift to apologize, okay?”

Usually well-behaved children were hard to appease now. Yu Xiaobao had been looking forward to playing with her uncle, only to be disappointed. She pouted, her face wrinkled, and tears were about to roll down.

The people around her teased her with words, and Yu Xiaobao knew these annoying adults were making fun of her, making her even sadder. She couldn’t help but cry.

“Wah wah wah, I want to play too…”

The child’s cry attracted the Emperor’s attention.

Shen Tuo urged his warhorse towards them, glanced at the group of noble youths, and then fixed his gaze on the crying Yu Xiaobao.

Everyone immediately fell silent, stepping back and lowering their heads.