Zhou Siren's heart skipped a beat when he was called upon. Had His Majesty suddenly taken an interest in him? Could it be that the recent silver donation incident had angered the Emperor, and now he was preparing to settle accounts?
He hastily bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this humble servant's health has improved considerably. Thank you for your concern."
Yun Yaoyao nodded indifferently, "That's good. I know that Assistant Minister Zhou's household is poor. My officials may worry about the common people, but they should not have to worry about food."
"Someone, reward Assistant Minister Zhou with ten stone of grain!"
This sudden reward left Zhou Siren completely bewildered.
Had His Majesty been possessed today? Actually giving him a reward.
No, this tyrant's recent behavior had become unpredictable. He must be plotting something sinister!
He respectfully accepted, giving a watertight response: "Thank you, Your Majesty. This humble servant will certainly work even harder during my tenure, dedicating myself fully to my duties!"
This answer was rather subtle. If he wanted to express loyalty to the emperor, he would have said 'I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to Your Majesty, and do my utmost to share Your Majesty's burdens.' But Zhou Siren's answer simply stated that he would work hard at his job.
This indirectly revealed his stance: don't get close to me, I don't want to be involved with you.
Sure enough, Lou Jianshan, who had harbored a hint of suspicion, heard this and contentedly withdrew his gaze.
Yun Yaoyao, who also understood, wasn't in a hurry. This was just a lead-in; the real move was yet to come.
After court was dismissed, Yun Yaoyao met with Tu Shanjin in Qianqing Palace.
"I just tested Zhou Siren in court. He's truly an old fox," Yun Yaoyao said with a smile. "We need to find an opportunity to meet him privately."
"Seven days from now is the Autumn Hunt. That would be a good opportunity," Tu Shanjin said, taking a sip of tea.
"Autumn Hunt?"
Yun Yaoyao had watched many historical dramas in modern times, so she naturally knew the general proceedings.
After the hunt ended, specialized personnel would tally the game caught, and finally rank the participants to add to the event's entertainment value.
Yun Yaoyao casually asked, "When you participated in the Autumn Hunt before, what place did you usually get?"
Tu Shanjin put down his teacup and slowly uttered two words: "First place."
As he said this, his back straightened noticeably, and his eyes gleamed with pride.
"What?!" Yun Yaoyao was shocked.
"I don't know how to ride or shoot. Won't I be exposed as soon as the Autumn Hunt begins?"
Tu Shanjin had already thought of a solution: "We can change the rules for this Autumn Hunt. Each man can bring one female family member. You can bring me, and I can assist you."
Yun Yaoyao looked at Tu Shanjin's delicate, pale, slender arms with doubt: "Are you sure you're here to help me?"
Tu Shanjin expressionlessly crushed a teacup to demonstrate the results of his recent training.
Yun Yaoyao silently gave him a thumbs up.
"However, you'll have to work hard," Tu Shanjin said with a hint of a smile. "In these seven days, you not only need to learn horseback riding and archery but also become proficient."
Hearing this, Yun Yaoyao wailed, "It's not hard work, it's a hard life!"
Having decided to learn horseback riding and archery, they naturally had to choose suitable steeds first. The two came to the Imperial Stables.
The Stable Master saw Yun Yaoyao and immediately bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Your Majesty! Greetings, Consort Miao!"
Yun Yaoyao nodded slightly: "Bring two fine horses for me and Consort Miao."
The Stable Master immediately ordered someone to bring two horses and introduced them.
"Your Majesty, this is a Ferghana horse from the Western Regions. This horse has pure bloodlines, is strong and agile, and is also extremely intelligent. It will surely help Your Majesty easily win first place in the Autumn Hunt!"
Yun Yaoyao looked at the two horses, one silver-white and one pure black. They had long, powerful limbs and glossy coats, clearly excellent horses.
She nodded with satisfaction: "Good. You may go now. I will accompany Consort Miao in trying out the horses."
The Stable Master and his entourage immediately withdrew, leaving the area to the two of them.
Tu Shanjin approached the white horse, stepped on the stirrup, and gracefully swung himself up. He held the reins with one hand, his cyan robes billowing in the wind as he skillfully rode.
The silver saddle on the white horse, swift and graceful like a shooting star.
The silver horse snorted several times before gradually calming its restlessness, showing submission.
Seeing this, Yun Yaoyao also became eager to try. She walked up to the black horse, wanting to mount it like Tu Shanjin had done.
But the black horse reared up, turned around, and presented its backside to Yun Yaoyao.
After several attempts, Yun Yaoyao became annoyed at being repeatedly faced with the cold shoulder (or in this case, the cold backside).
"Hey, you stubborn horse!"
Giving up on riding, Yun Yaoyao ran to the nearby stable, grabbed some fresh fodder, and began feeding Tu Shanjin's steed instead.
As she fed it, she muttered, "Good horses get to eat grass. Eat up, eat up. I'll tell the Stable Master to find more delicious food for you later."
As she fed the white horse, the haughty black horse also tried to stretch out its tongue for a taste.
Yun Yaoyao dodged nimbly and stuffed the fodder into the silver horse's mouth.
She threatened fiercely, "As for certain disobedient horses, no food or water!"
Watching Yun Yaoyao, perfectly fine on her own, now having a battle of wills with a horse, Tu Shanjin felt both helpless and amused. He reined in his horse and looked down, saying, "This horse has a proud spirit. You need to conquer it with strength. What you're doing won't..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the proud black horse lift its leg to nuzzle Yun Yaoyao and let out a loud snort.
Hey, two-legged creature, give me some food too.
Tu Shanjin: "..." He pretended he hadn't said anything.
Only then did Yun Yaoyao grudgingly forgive it, successfully mounting the horse.
Looking at the surroundings from a much higher viewpoint than usual, she felt excited and curious.
The black horse even took her for a couple of laps, delighting Yun Yaoyao so much that she patted its back: "That's more like it. A wise horse knows when to yield!"
"Now that you're with me, I should give you a name," Yun Yaoyao thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up. "How about 'Glutton'? It's catchy and fitting."
The black horse snorted several times in dissatisfaction, expressing its refusal.
Yun Yaoyao thought again: "Then how about 'Leather Swallow', or 'Hairy Legs'? Since you're all black, 'Little Blackie' would work too."
The black horse: "..." It decided 'Glutton' wasn't so bad after all.
And so, a high-pedigree Ferghana horse from the Western Regions acquired the name that would accompany it for the rest of its life: Glutton!
Tu Shanjin also named his horse, calling it Swift Wind.
Glutton felt extremely unbalanced, but what could it do when its two-legged master looked human but didn't act like one at all?
After systematically learning horseback riding and archery from Tu Shanjin for seven days, Yun Yaoyao was almost sick from all the jostling before finally making it to the day of the Autumn Hunt.
On that day, a crowd of officials and their eldest sons and daughters had gathered early outside the hunting grounds.
Men and women alike were dressed in hunting attire, their faces smiling and full of vigor.
Someone wondered aloud: "In previous Autumn Hunts, His Majesty always came first, and Prince Ze second. This time the rules have changed to male-female pairs. I wonder who will take first place?"
Another envied: "It's clear the rules were changed for Consort Miao. I heard that for the past seven days, His Majesty has been teaching the Consort horseback riding and archery as soon as court is dismissed. He must truly have genuine feelings for Consort Miao."
Some thoughtful young ladies secretly pondered: His Majesty doesn't seem as cruel and bloodthirsty as before. Perhaps he's finally understood women and developed a softer side.
They believed their talents and family backgrounds were no worse than Consort Miao's. Did that mean they might have a chance too...?
A loud announcement of "His Majesty arrives! Consort Miao arrives!" snapped everyone out of their thoughts.
Yun Yaoyao and Tu Shanjin entered one after the other, slowly making their way in.
The man's figure was tall and straight, his features cold and sharp, with outstanding bone structure and looks. He exuded the imposing aura of a superior being, standing alone with noble and awe-inspiring presence.
The morning breeze swept by, making his black robe with gold embroidery flutter like flames, as if a deity had descended to the mortal world.
The woman wore a red dress, half of her black hair tied up with a red silk ribbon, the other half falling loosely over her shoulders, dancing with her movements.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were like distant autumn waters, pure yet alluring. However, her overall aura was cold and aloof, a contradiction that made her even more deeply captivating.
Their entrance seemed to add a filter to the surrounding scenery, incredibly pleasing to the eye. Not only did it make their number one fan, Xiaozu, praise their perfect match, but it also silenced the entire crowd.
Tu Shanjin stunned all the young men, making their hearts race and their breathing quicken.
Yun Yaoyao enchanted the noble ladies, making them blush and their hearts flutter.
His Majesty could now favor Consort Miao alone; a devoted person couldn't have any evil intentions. Their fathers and mothers must have been exaggerating before!
They wanted to enter the palace too, they also wanted to serve by His Majesty's side!!!
