CH 25.1

The hunting ground was over ten li* away from the outer city. It was a long way to go.

*Li: the ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m.

Meng Huan didn’t know how to ride a horse, so he climbed into the carriage himself. After sitting down, he saw two fingers lifting the curtain, and Lin Bozhou entered with his head down and his shoes stepping on the pedals.

Meng Huan looked at him. “Does Your Highness not ride a horse?”

“I will ride when we get to the outer city. There are many people here; it is inconvenient.”

Shan Xing added from outside the carriage, “First, it is easy to encounter assassins. Second, it will alarm the common people. His Highness mostly rides in the carriage in the inner city.”

“Oh.” Meng Huan had to give him half of his seat.

After sitting down, the two people looked at each other.

Perhaps touching the horse together just now was too intimate. Meng Huan felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward and unconsciously remembered the inexplicable imaginations about the carriage that night……

How strange. Let’s think again.

“……”

Thinking about it, Meng Huan turned his head to the other side.

Damn, it’s really shameful.

The carriage and horse headed to the hunting grounds outside the city, and the streets along the way were bustling with activity. After reaching the outer city, Lin Bozhou changed to horseback riding. He buckled his saddle, neatly rolled onto his horse, and tightened his reins, his posture looking dashingly heroic.

The scenery outside the city was beautiful. Meng Huan once studied <<Manjing’s Travel Note>>* with the line, “Spring and tea, earthenware and song, red clothes, and a donkey.”

Streams and woods could be seen everywhere outside the city, creating a lively atmosphere for a vacation.

*A travel essay written by Yuan Hongdao. Mangjing is a scenic spot in the suburbs of the Capital City during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

“Your Highness, this student has just thought of a poem to describe the landscape scenery!”

“Your Highness, this student has also thought of a poem!”

“……”

Meng Huan turned his head and found that some Qingkes eagerly started reciting and writing poems.

This was the elegant entertainment of the ancients. When going on a trip, many literati were eager to display their skills in making poems. It was just that Lin Bozhou did not like the frivolous and licentious demeanor, so they were generally more serious and just made poems.

The original shou was talented, could write eight-part essays, and was very good at composing poetry. However, they were all poems that scolded Lin Bozhou, which led Lin Bozhou to become angry every time he saw them and fight even fiercer with him.

On the way, the Qingkes lined up with poem verses. Meng Huan did not understand much, but he enjoyed the happy atmosphere. He rested his head on the carriage’s window frame and looked at the poet, nodding now and then like a chick pecking on rice.

Good poem, good poem!

Everyone is so cultured!

Meng Huan especially liked well-read people.

When the Qingkes heard Meng Huan’s applause, they turned around and asked, “Does the princess like poems or lyric poetries?”

“This student can compose a few for Your Highness.”

“This student has thought of a song to sing to the beauty, reflecting the princess’s appearance!”

“…………”

Meng Huan was slightly embarrassed by such enthusiasm and turned his head to look at Lin Bozhou.

—For some reason, he had no idea and subconsciously liked to look over at Lin Bozhou.

Lin Bozhou found it amusing. “Huan Huan can listen to it. Tell someone to write it down if there’s anything you like.”

After getting Lin Bozhou’s approval, a Qingke began reciting with a clear and sonorous voice. The poem was very plain, probably considering Meng Huan’s cultural level.

—The smart people could already see that the king would be happy if they pleased the princess!

The not-so-smart Qingke was still thinking hard about the landscape poem!

Meng Huan did not know what to do while the corner of Lin Bozhou’s lips had a smile. He slightly squinted his eyes and lazily tightened his hold on the horse rope. “It is good that Princess is happy.”

The atmosphere along the way was merry. Some people recited poems, while some specialized in telling jokes. After understanding Lin Bozhou’s heart, they gradually surrounded Meng Huan, joking and singing, amusing Meng Huan into directly laughing.

When they reached a hill depression, there was a vague commotion in front of them.

The horse neighed as Lin Bozhou held the horse’s reins.

“What’s wrong?”

The sight was obstructed inside the carriage, and Meng Huan could not see anything. As he tilted his head a little, he heard a scolding. “Lin Bozhou, ah… Lin Bozhou, you are still in the mood to travel! Now that incapable men occupy the court and talented men leave their posts, if the Great Zong is done, it’ll be because of you!”

It was an angry male voice.

The crowd was suddenly thrown into chaos.

Everyone looked at each other. “This ……” “What’s going on?” “Who is this man?”

The human voice continued, “You slaughtered my father. You’ll get a horrible death sooner or later!”

“You deserve to have eye diseases! You deserve to be blind! You deserve it! You deserve it!” This person obviously didn’t even want to live, cursing people in the most vicious way simply to vent their anger.

As the subject of the topic, everyone’s gazes gradually returned to Lin Bozhou in fear. “Your Highness……”

Lin Bozhou raised his eyelids, and his gaze was unfocused, calmly looking at the person who spoke out.

The man draped in mourning clothes let out a miserable scream after cursing, falling to the ground as if clamped by a leg vice with his mouth on the mud.

Lin Bozhou clasped the reins and unconsciously knocked the side of his leg with the horsewhip. His face didn’t show anger, and his tone was unperturbed. “For publicly humiliating the imperial family’s prestige, send him to the authorities to be punished.”

The guards escorted this person, who suddenly appeared, away.

The storm immediately subsided as if no one had just appeared.

Lin Bozhou had offended too many people, and it wasn’t that he had no experience of being stopped and scolded while walking on the road. He said, “Continue to compose poems. No need to be concerned.”

Lin Bozhou had said so. The Qingkes stumbled twice and continued to read poems.

—However, the atmosphere was not as lively as earlier.

Meng Huan hiked the curtain. How could he not understand?