Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 445

The first day of hunting began in the afternoon, and the morning was reserved as rest time for each family.

As it was almost time for dinner, Gu Yin went to the kitchen located next to their tent. This royal location had not only shared kitchens but also smaller kitchens within the paddock.

The one with the most comprehensive setup was undoubtedly reserved for the royals, and there was a slightly less equipped one next to it. Wu Qingyi had arranged for Gu Yin in advance, anticipating that she might want to cook her own food during their stay. This thoughtful preparation left them with everything they needed.

Mrs. Wang and the others had gathered a basket of wild vegetables during their morning stroll, including the tamales that Gu Yin was particularly fond of. This time, there were fewer tamales available, and the three boys had finished a pot of them. Afterward, Lu Xu took the remainder back. So apart from Gu Yin, no one else had tasted them.

The only drawback was that there wouldn’t be any pre-salted bacon. Gu Yin opted for salted pork belly instead.

Gu Yin marinated the pork belly and prepared to make braised spring bamboo shoots. She peeled and washed the bamboo shoots, flattened them with the back of a knife, and cut them into small pieces. She heated some oil in the pot, added the spring bamboo shoots and rock sugar, and stir-fried them over low heat. When the bamboo shoots had softened, she added soy sauce, covered the pot, and allowed it to simmer. Finally, she turned up the heat to reduce the sauce and sprinkled it with sesame oil to enhance the flavor.

Later, when the vegetable rice was cooked, Mrs. Wang brought out all the food.

The lunch consisted of braised spring bamboo shoots with a rich red oil sauce, vegetable rice with a delightful combination of vegetables and meat, and a refreshing wild vegetable salad dressed with sesame oil.

After enjoying a simple yet delicious meal, the horns sounded from outside, signaling the time to gather.

A ring of stands encircled the gathering place, much like the tents. They were also arranged based on the participants’ statuses.

Emperor Zhengyuan had positioned Gu Ye and Lu Xu in the center, flanked by the civil officials on one side and the military generals led by Wu Qingyi on the other. Duke Lu’s party stood next to Duke Ying’s.

The first day of the hunt offered a prize machete with a splendid machete adorned with various gemstones, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight, it’s worth evident at a glance. What made it exceptional was its petite size, ensuring that even a woman would not look awkward when wielding it. Additionally, it was reputedly crafted from meteorite iron, a rarity in the world. Even in the previous dynasty, emperors deemed it precious, so it had been carefully preserved and never used by anyone. Such a valuable and pristine little machete had likely been selected with Gu Yin in mind.

Gu Yin received a secret signal from Gu Ye, a sign of understanding and cooperation, and he returned to his composed facade.

Wu Qingyi had already donned lightweight armor and mounted his horse, joining the rest of the hunting party in the open space.

The horns sounded again, and as Emperor Zhengyuan donned his strong horse, he had Gu Ye ride in front of him. After issuing a command, Emperor Zhengyuan set off, leading the others in the chase.

The hunt would last from noon to evening, and the one who captured the largest number of prey would receive the coveted prize. It was a leisurely competition without fierce contention.

As the hunting party departed, the entire camp was promptly cleaned up.

Originally, Gu Yin had planned to help Mrs. Wang take care of Wu Zhong and Wu’an, but Mrs. Wang insisted that Gu Yin enjoy her time there. It was a rare opportunity for her to be out, so she suggested that she ride a horse, admire the scenery, or take a nap in the tent—essentially, do as she pleased.

The Empress Dowager summoned Mrs.Wang, so she waited till Wu Zhong went to take a nap, then she took Wu’an and went to her.

Gu Yin was contemplating how to spend her time when Empress Zhou suddenly appeared. While it wasn’t unusual for her to attend such a grand event, what caught Gu Yin by surprise was that she didn’t bring Lu Zhao along.