A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

Xie Jing is a person who cannot be judged by ordinary standards.

The more she took him seriously, the less he took her seriously.

The less she treated him like a human being, the more obsessed he became.

To put it bluntly, it's just being cheap.

You have to deal with scoundrels the way they do it.

It was worth it for her to have the system lock onto his location so she could meet him.

As for Xie Jing's feelings after meeting her, she didn't care.

She had already figured out how to treat him: before killing him, she would first lure him into depravity to avenge the humiliation and manipulation she suffered in her past life.

She wanted him to be her dog.

A dog that longs for something but cannot have it.

If she tells him to go east, he will never go west.

……

"Your Majesty, you're finally back! If His Majesty hadn't returned and didn't see you, this servant would have lost my life!"

As soon as Mingyi returned to the main tent, Eunuch Fuquan almost knelt down.

"I was merely going out for a stroll to clear my head and admire His Majesty's heroic bearing. I wasn't going anywhere dangerous, so what could possibly happen?"

"Please rest assured, Master Fu."

Fuquan carefully examined Zhou Mingyi and saw that she was indeed normal. Her stunningly beautiful face was full of smiles, and her eyes were sparkling. She looked radiant.

It's obvious that the Empress is happy.

Aren't you happy?

Having finally escaped the Forbidden City, who wouldn't be happy to relax in the hunting grounds?

Even Fuquan felt that the air in Weichang was better than in the Forbidden City, and that it was full of birdsong and fragrant flowers.

The hunt was about to begin when a horn suddenly sounded from the tent.

Fuquan quickly said, "Your Majesty, please don't run around. This servant still needs to serve His Majesty."

Zhou Mingyi thanked him gently, "Thank you for your concern, Eunuch Fuquan. You can go with peace of mind. I won't do anything reckless."

Fuquan: ...

It would be better if it were true!

As soon as Fuquan left, Zhou Mingyi came out of the tent again.

The hunt truly began. Deep within the hunting grounds, thousands of hunters, dressed in uniform uniforms and carrying colorful flags, wooden sticks, and noisemakers, formed multiple encirclements from the outside in, shouting and driving the animals away, their voices echoing through the forest.

Startled, the deer, roe deer, gazelles, and hares burst forth from the grass and trees, converging on the designated open enclosure.

The scene was truly spectacular.

Zhou Mingyi couldn't help but cover her lips. She had never been to the hunting grounds in her previous life and had never seen them before.

Emperor Qianwu, along with his nobles and generals, rode their horses to a high slope to view the city below.

As the herd of beasts gradually gathered, he raised his hand to signal them, and the horn sounded loudly, silencing the entire crowd.

With a pull of the reins, his BMW Xuanli shot off like an arrow!

The imperial guards followed closely on both sides, forming a fan-shaped protective formation.

Emperor Qianwu's gaze was sharp as lightning, locking onto a large, robust male deer with menacing forked antlers.

After chasing for nearly a hundred paces, man and horse were almost one. Amidst the bumpy and rapid gallop, he remained as steady as a rock, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and pulled it fully drawn—"Whoosh!"

The arrow flew like a shooting star, piercing precisely into the side of the stag's neck.

The stag cried out and collapsed to the ground, struggling for a moment before becoming still.

In an instant, shouts of "Long live!" rose up all around like a tidal wave!

Zhou Mingyi was also feeling a surge of excitement.

So this is what horseback archery is like!

Zhou Mingyi cannot ride a horse.

When her parents were alive, they were extremely strict with her older brother, but they doted on her, their only daughter, like a precious jewel.

Actually, she was naughty when she was a child, but her parents thought horseback riding and archery were too hard and couldn't bear to let her learn them.

When she got older, both her parents passed away.

The siblings had a very difficult time.

During difficult times, we almost couldn't even get a meal.

Horse riding and archery can't earn you a living, but embroidery can.

Embroidery can be done without leaving home, even while staying at home.

Her brother was particularly domineering at the time, forbidding her from showing her face in public.

Mingyi knew that her face was not a good thing for her and her brother.

On the contrary, it can easily bring disaster.

Therefore, Mingyi was very obedient.

My elder brother said that I should not go out easily.

If she must go, she must wear the veil he made for her himself.

Mingyi has always been very obedient.

But what's the use of being so obedient?

In her past life, she and her brother died such a tragic death...

Zhou Mingyi looked into the distance again.

The noble generals accompanying the emperor spurred their horses and drew their bows, each displaying their skills. The sounds of arrows piercing the air, shouts, animal cries, and galloping hooves mingled together.

At this moment, Zhou Mingyi suddenly wondered what Shen Kuo's feelings would be.

He should have been running freely among these people, but now he can only be a nameless guard who can't even show his true face.

Can he really accept this?

She couldn't help but feel a little tempted to tease him.

"Can you ride a horse?"

"Can you teach me?"

Shen Kuo was startled.

He recalled that winter many years ago when he was kicked out of the Xue family's residence wearing only a thin shirt.

He was cold and hungry.

It was Zhou Mingchong who brought him home again.

Give him warm old clothes and food.

He remembered that Mingyi was small and delicate, with rosy cheeks. She wore a short jacket with fluffy white rabbit fur trim and a light blue long skirt, and looked like a pink dumpling.

When she ran over and saw him, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes lit up instantly.

This also illuminated Shen Kuo's eyes.

At that moment, Shen Kuo was at a loss, afraid that she would see him in such a wretched state, afraid that she would see that his sleeves and trouser legs were too short.

But she seemed not to see any of that, and only asked him:

"Can you ride a horse?"

"Can you teach me?"

Shen Kuo no longer remembers what he said at the time.

Perhaps they said it, perhaps they didn't.

But for a long time, he had been working hard to improve his horsemanship at the border.

However, he then realized that he was now nothing more than a silent and nameless bodyguard.

He couldn't even control his own will.

Emperor Qianwu did not assign him to protect her specifically; he was not allowed to intervene unless she faced a life-or-death situation.

Not to mention teaching him to ride a horse...

He clenched his fists, his tall and burly body trembling slightly.

But he didn't move.

……

Zhou Mingyi didn't care that Shen Kuo hadn't come out.

She was just acting on a whim.

Shen Kuo wouldn't teach her, so she learned on her own.

If all else fails, there's still Emperor Qianwu, isn't there?

She gazed at Emperor Qianwu on the hunting grounds.

That figure in black was tall and robust, and his horsemanship certainly looked impressive.

It's more than enough to teach her.

She went to the stable immediately.

She wanted to choose a pony for herself first, but as soon as she arrived at the stable, she encountered Consort Chen.

"What are you doing here?"

Consort Chen was utterly shocked.

His expression seemed one of disbelief.

"Consort Zhen, how dare you! The Empress Dowager herself issued an imperial edict ordering you to stay in the palace to pray for His Majesty and the Princess, and to copy the Diamond Sutra! And yet you…"

Consort Chen scanned Mingyi up and down, her expression slowly shifting from shock to jealousy.

That damned vixen, she can still make her waist look so slender even while wearing eunuch clothes!

Since giving birth to Princess Chaoyang, Consort Chen had been working hard to regain her figure.

She doesn't eat much, but her belly just won't go down.

Even if she doesn't look bulky when dressed, there's still a bulge of fat around her belly when she takes off her clothes.

Therefore, when she looked at the slender waists of the concubines in the palace, her eyes were like razor blades.

He felt both smug and jealous.

She was proud of her pregnancy because it was meant to bear children for His Majesty.

No one else in the palace is suitable.

But she just couldn't get rid of this layer of flesh. Any concubine in the palace, or even a palace maid, had a slimmer waist than her.

Although Consort Chen was not very clever, she had served Emperor Qianwu for many years and naturally knew that he loved slender waists.

Therefore, he hated her even more and gritted his teeth.

After falling into the water, Princess Chaoyang was weak. Although she came to the hunting grounds, she could not ride around as she had imagined. She could only hide in the tent, where she could not even feel the wind.

But she was always unrestrained and flamboyant, so she came to the stable and immediately spotted Consort Chen and Consort Zhou.

Her reaction was extreme, much greater than that of Consort Chen.

"Consort Zhen! Yesterday, the Empress Dowager issued a decree ordering you to quietly copy Buddhist scriptures in the palace to pray for blessings. How dare you disobey the Empress Dowager's decree and sneak off to the hunting grounds?"

"Where does this place the Empress Dowager's kind teachings?"

The royal family members and noblewomen who accompanied the emperor gathered around.

"How dare Consort Zhen be so audacious, showing no respect for the Empress Dowager!"

……

Hearing that these members of the imperial family and noblewomen were all on their side, Consort Chen and Princess Chaoyang were extremely pleased.

Consort Chen immediately said, "Guards, take Consort Zhen away and keep her under strict guard! We await His Majesty's decision!"

She looked smug, as if she was about to see Zhou Mingyi scolded and fall out of favor.

Of all the women in the harem, besides her, who was fortunate enough to give birth to a princess and could enjoy His Majesty's long-lasting favor?

Consort Zhen is destined to fall out of favor.

Consort Chen couldn't wait to see the anxious look on her face.

But to everyone's surprise, Zhou Mingyi remained completely calm.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, is wise."

"Your Majesty's kind decree is always etched in my mind, and I dare not disobey it."

Princess Chaoyang scoffed, "Consort Zhen's words are truly laughable."

Zhou Mingyi glanced at her, seemingly oblivious to the tense situation before her, and instead appeared quite confident.

Consort Chen was blinded by jealousy, but Princess Chaoyang vaguely sensed something was amiss.

Before she could say anything, Consort Chen said, "A mouthful of lies! Slap yourself!"

Zhou Mingyi immediately took several steps back, "Who dares to touch me?"

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and you tour the land on behalf of Heaven. The spring hunts and autumn hunts are not only in accordance with ancient rites and to practice military preparedness, but also to pray for a bountiful harvest for all people and for peace and prosperity for the country."

"This is a grand ceremony of the imperial court, concerning the fate of the nation."

"Whenever I am in the palace, every time I copy a passage of scripture, my thoughts and prayers are all for Your Majesty's well-being, the prosperity of the nation, and the speedy recovery of the Princess's health."

"However, copying scriptures is a way to calm the mind and pray for blessings."

"But in my humble opinion, if I could personally come to this world and be bathed in Your Majesty's boundless grace, and witness Your Majesty personally shooting the headed beast and demonstrating your martial virtue, I, in my insignificant state, could also draw my bow and ride my horse to follow Your Majesty, putting courage into action and presenting my hunted prey before Your Majesty. Wouldn't this be another kind of more direct and sincere prayer?"

The Diamond Sutra says: "One should abide nowhere and yet give rise to the mind."

"My heart does not reside in a corner of the palace, but is bound to Your Majesty's safety and the national rites."

"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is kind-hearted and instructed me to pray for blessings; I will never forget that."

"Therefore, today's journey is not to disobey Your Majesty's command, but to move our prayers from the scriptures to the hunting grounds, to replace words with actions, and to demonstrate our piety through courage."

"If Her Majesty the Empress Dowager knew of my heart, perhaps she could understand me to some extent."

"As for palace rules... With His Majesty here, before the imperial procession, and in the midst of the ceremony, I will be careful in my words and actions, fulfilling my duties as a concubine to assist the emperor, demonstrating that women in the harem are also knowledgeable in etiquette and martial arts, and not disgracing the imperial family. This in itself may also be in accordance with a greater 'rule'."

Consort Chen was furious.

"Eloquent and silver-tongued!"