Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 447

There were dozens of people in the group. In contrast, on the side of Gu Yin and Empress Zhou, Gu Yin only brought Song Shiliu, and Empress Zhou only brought a maid and three or five guards.

The one in red was the leader, and Gu Yin immediately recognized that it was Lu Yuanqi, who was already engaged to the Feng family.

She couldn’t believe she was there.

Since they were not related, there was no need to greet her. Therefore, Gu Yin and Empress Zhou continued their conversation.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yuanqi came over after spotting her.

She dismounted her horse, saluted, and said, “Madam, can you really not consider selling this pony to me?”

Why was she asking the same question again? Gu Yin frowned impatiently but, adhering to her good upbringing, replied, “Miss Lu, please don’t ask this again. Repeating it a hundred or a thousand times won’t change my answer. This horse is not for sale.”

Lu Yuanqi tapped her whip impatiently, “It’s just a horse; why should Madam be so insistent?”

“Yes, it’s just a horse. Why are you so persistent?” Gu Yin fanned herself with her hand. “It’s a bit hot this afternoon, and I get easily irritated when I’m sweating. If you bother me again, I may not be so polite in my response.”

Lu Yuanqi pursed her lips angrily but then remembered something, so her expression relaxed as she said, “In a few months, my rank will be higher. When Madam sees me, she should show me the courtesy I deserve. I hope Madam can maintain her arrogance then.”

Lu Yuanqi was soon to marry Feng Yuan and become the new Madam of Duke Lu.

On Duke Ying’s side, since the position of Duke was entrusted to Wu Zhong, and Wu Qingyi held the title of a first-rank general, she was the wife of a general, a position slightly lower than that of the super-ranked lady of the country.

“What are you saying?!” Song Shiliu wasn’t as patient, and she immediately stood up, saying, “Our madam is the adoptive mother of His Royal Highness Prince Lie. According to your nonsense, for you to expect a salute from His Highness Prince Lie’s adoptive mother is utterly absurd!”

“Is it a servant girl’s place to intervene?” Lu Yuanqi was embarrassed by Song Shiliu’s confrontation, but she persisted, “What about His Highness’s adoptive mother? His Highness already has a mother. If Madam uses her status as His Highness’s adoptive mother to oppress others, would the Empress approve?”

It was truly embarrassing; the Empress was right next to her!

“Naturally, she agrees,” Empress Zhou affirmed. “Not only does she agree, but she is also immensely grateful to the General’s wife. The Empress will not tolerate such impudence in front of the General’s wife.”

Gu Yin felt a slight stir in her heart and turned to gaze at Empress Zhou.

Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them. Empress Zhou smiled gently at Gu Yin, but when she shifted her gaze back to Lu Yuanqi, the smile vanished from her face.

Empress Zhou was not a timid person, unlike the Empress Dowager in that respect. In the past, she had been engrossed in caring for her younger son, and even Concubine Feng had had to show restraint in her presence.

But Lu Yuanqi was unaware of this. She scrutinized Empress Zhou from head to toe, and her clothes instinctively led her to make assumptions about her origins. However, following her recent humbling experience, Lu Yuanqi decided not to push further, merely letting out a snort and hastily bidding goodbye.

After she left, Empress Zhou furrowed her brow and remarked, “Is this the new prospective daughter-in-law of the Feng family? Why is she behaving this way?”

Thinking of the difficulties they had faced with Mrs. Qin from Duke Lu’s household, Empress Zhou smiled again, saying, “This could be quite entertaining.”

Although Mrs. Qin had a difficult personality, she mainly directed her obstinance at those of the same social standing. When dealing with individuals of higher status, like Concubine Feng, the mother and daughter would typically behave more submissively. Furthermore, considering Feng Yuan’s past accomplishments, Emperor Zhengyuan would likely not severely punish their family unless they made a grave error.

With the addition of Lu Yuanqi, Duke Lu’s mansion would certainly become livelier, and they might make more mistakes.

With this thought in mind, Gu Yin felt rather pleased, hoping that the wedding between Lu Yuanqi and Feng Yuan would come sooner.

 ………… 

When it became dark, the hunters returned one by one.

Gu Ye and Lu Xu were both in a frenzy, resembling two mud-covered monkeys.

Empress Zhou was occupied with holding Lu Zhao and couldn’t tend to anything else. She glanced at Gu Yin, who promptly fetched a handkerchief and approached Gu Ye to wipe his face. Lu Xu sweetly addressed her as “Auntie” and offered his face for cleaning.

Gu Ye whispered, “I caught two rabbits, one for my mother and one for my Empress mother. What kind of rabbit does my mother prefer?”

Before Gu Yin could reply, Gu Ye corrected himself, “No, I misspoke. Does my mother prefer a plump or a lean rabbit?”

One of the rabbits he caught was meant for Empress Zhou to raise. However, Gu Yin, a realist, knew that it was unlikely she would keep rabbits as pets. In the end, they would be offered up for a sumptuous feast.

“The plump rabbit has plenty of fat and tastes great when roasted. The lean rabbit has firm and chewy meat, perfect for a cold rabbit dish. Both are excellent. Let’s let your mother choose,” Gu Yin advised.

All the hunt’s brought back were presented in front of the Emperor, forming a sizable pile.

Feng Yuan, in particular, was unrelenting this time. Regardless of the size of his hunting party, the guards he brought along were not only highly skilled in martial arts but had also undergone a month of rigorous horseback archery training.

He didn’t rest throughout that entire afternoon, focusing on hunting medium and large prey such as wild deer and boar. They had all been piled up into hills.

What others had hunted paled in comparison to his spoils.

Without a doubt, Duke Lu seemed to be the winner on the first day.

However, at the last moment, Wu Qingyi returned with his men. The number of prey they brought back was immediately comparable to what Feng Yuan’s group had brought in. But upon closer inspection, everyone realized that something was amiss.

Ordinarily, when people hunt, they use bows and arrows. However, the prey hit in such a way usually results in their hides being ruined, and if they were struck in certain areas, the meat couldn’t be consumed.

The prey brought back by Wu Qingyi was not only intact but also still alive. The effort it took to accomplish this was beyond words.

For a while, the camp was filled with endless admiration for Wu Qingyi’s exceptional hunting skills.

Feng Yuan, who had been feeling quite complacent a while ago, now had a changed expression.

“First-day champion, Duke Ying’s house!” Emperor Zhengyuan announced, and the generals erupted in applause.

Some inexperienced individuals among them couldn’t help but jeer, “The general went through so much trouble on this trip just to win a knife for his wife. Doesn’t the wife get to express herself?”

Gu Yin handed a fresh handkerchief to Wu Qingyi and gestured for him to wipe his face.

Upon hearing the gossip, Wu Qingyi’s outstretched hand fell to his side. Instead, he leaned forward, presenting his face to her.

“Thank you, Madam,” Wu Qingyi said. His dark eyes reflected the bonfire’s glow, as well as Gu Yin’s figure.