Over there was water, and watching the sunrise by the water reminded her of her hometown.
Emperor Jing Xi smiled, “Alright.”
But then, in the hazy dawn light, they saw a group of people approaching from the riverbank, hidden among the reeds.
Emperor Jing Xi’s guards immediately went on high alert, some sending signals to inquire, others quickly moving to the opposite side of the river.
In no time, the guards reported that it was the young master on the other side, who happened to be passing by while hunting and also came to watch the sunrise.
Emperor Jing Xi was clearly surprised, his gaze calmly fixed on the opposite riverbank.
The young master?
A Wu was first puzzled, then suddenly realized-it was the Crown Prince!
She was instantly terrified out of her wits.
If the Crown Prince saw her leaning against his father, how would he react?
The Crown Prince would surely be furious, perhaps even stab her with a knife!
And what about Emperor Jing Xi?
How would he handle being seen embracing his son’s former concubine in public?
Wouldn’t his dignity as an emperor be tarnished?
He’d probably want to chop her into mincemeat…
At that very moment, the Crown Prince on the opposite bank, realizing he had unexpectedly encountered Emperor Jing Xi, was also surprised.
He immediately urged his horse forward, dismounted across the river and reeds, and knelt to pay his respects.
However, a guard who had hurried over stopped him, preventing him from doing so.
The Crown Prince, puzzled, looked in their direction,
“Why?”
Hearing the young man’s clear voice, A Wu’s heart clenched in fear.
All her little schemes vanished in an instant.
No matter what, she couldn’t face the Crown Prince and admit she had climbed into his father’s bed!
Emperor Jing Xi glanced at her,
“What’s wrong?”
A Wu felt like crying, but she also realized that the Crown Prince was on the opposite bank and couldn’t see clearly in this direction.
To cross from the opposite bank, one could either swim or take a detour.
Given the Crown Prince’s status, he would likely take the detour.
So she still had time, perhaps she could cover up and escape this predicament?
Thus, she deliberately said,
“I wonder who that gentleman is? He looks quite young and handsome.”
She spoke as if she were genuinely interested.
Sure enough, upon hearing the words “young and handsome,”
Emperor Jing Xi was displeased,
“What young and handsome? He’s just a child.”
A Wu: “A child?”
Emperor Jing Xi casually uttered two words,
“He’s my son.”
Few in the world would ever hear the emperor refer to his son as “my son.”
A Wu feigned surprise,
“So the young master in your family is already so grown up. That means, Third Master, you’re”
She didn’t finish, as Emperor Jing Xi’s long finger pressed against her lips, “Hush.”
A Wu puffed her cheeks, making a muffled sound.
Emperor Jing Xi removed his finger,
“Don’t say things I don’t like to hear.”
A Wu let out a hum, then subtly and naturally buried her face in Emperor Jing Xi’s chest.
At that moment, the Crown Prince on the opposite bank saw this scene and was also puzzled.
He asked a guard beside him,
“Who is that person riding with Father Emperor?”
The guard respectfully lowered his head,
“This servant does not know.”
The Crown Prince pressed,
“Is it a man or a woman?”
The guard hesitated, then replied,
“It’s a young lady.”
The Crown Prince: “!!!”
He was shocked and looked again.
Through the drifting reed catkins, in the hazy dawn light, he furrowed his brow, watching his father holding the woman.
This scene was unprecedented in his life.
He could hardly believe it was his aloof, stern, and disinterested-in-women father!
He took a deep breath, gripping the reins, and said,
“No, I must go to the other side immediately.”
He had to see for himself what kind of enchantress could captivate his father like this!
A Wu saw the Crown Prince mount his horse, the hooves clattering on the damp riverbank.
Her heart raced wildly, and her fingers involuntarily clenched Emperor Jing Xi’s sleeve.
Now it was a gamble win and live, lose don’t think about it yet!
She softened her body, leaning slightly against Emperor Jing Xi,
“Third Master, shall we watch the sunrise with the young master later?”
As she spoke, she subtly nestled into Emperor Jing Xi’s embrace, almost imperceptibly.
Emperor Jing Xi slightly lowered his eyelids, looking at the pure, snow-white young girl.
She looked charmingly naive, and the slight awkwardness between them from the previous night seemed to have completely dissipated.
In truth, he was also somewhat surprised and even a bit uncomfortable to suddenly encounter his son.
After all, as a father, he should set an example.
Moreover, as the emperor, this was indeed somewhat improper.
But since they had met, there was no need to hide.
He wrapped his arm around her slender waist, his thin lips whispering in her ear,
“Later, I want to accompany him on a hunt. Would you like to watch?”
A Wu: “A hunt?”
Emperor Jing Xi: “Yes, it might be a bit bloody.”
A Wu appeared somewhat afraid and quickly said,
“Then I won’t watch. Third Master, you take the young master hunting. I’ll just stay in the tent.”
Emperor Jing Xi smiled, “Alright, I’ll take you back.”
A Wu: “Mmm.”
She obediently nestled in his arms, the edge of his cloak fluttering in the wind, just covering her face.
She deliberately said,
“It’s a bit cold.”
Emperor Jing Xi:
“Then let’s head back first.”
With that, he lifted the cloak, completely enveloping her, shielding her from the wind, and then urged the horse forward.
At that moment, the Crown Prince had already ridden around the shallows and was approaching from the wooden bridge ahead.
The sound of slightly damp hooves clattering almost trampled on A Wu’s heart.
A Wu knew she couldn’t avoid it, so she curled up in Emperor Jing Xi’s arms.
Through the thick brocade cloak, she faintly saw the Crown Prince’s figure.
The young lord, advancing in the dawn light, appeared quite dashing.
As he approached, Fu Tai stepped forward to intercept him, seemingly saying something to him.
The Crown Prince, upon hearing this, looked in their direction in surprise.
A Wu’s heart stirred, and she deliberately said,
“Third Master, the young master, the young master might…”
Emperor Jing Xi: “Hmm?”
A Wu cautiously said,
“The young master might look down on me…”
Her words clearly hinted at something more.
Emperor Jing Xi immediately understood and reassured her,
“It’s nothing. He wouldn’t dare. That’s the rule in our family.”
As he spoke, the Crown Prince, after hearing Fu Taï’s words, nodded in acknowledgment and then urged his horse forward, soon arriving before Emperor Jing Xi’s horse.
Through the faintly obscured edge of the cloak, A Wu clearly saw the Crown Prince’s face.
He was clearly curious, looking in her direction.
She subtly pulled the cloak closer, covering her face.
At that moment, the Crown Prince nimbly dismounted and approached, bowing respectfully,
“Father, your son pays his respects!”
Originally, it should have been
“Your son pays his respects to the Emperor,” but he had awkwardly changed it.
A Wu bit her lip, her heart clenched into a ball.
Emperor Jing Xi, one hand holding the cloak and the other holding the reins, looked down at his son,
“Why are you out so early?”
The Crown Prince replied respectfully,
“Father, your son found the weather refreshing today and wanted to take a stroll, perhaps find some game.”
Emperor Jing Xi: “Wait a moment.”
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”
His bright black eyes cautiously looked toward Emperor Jing Xi’s chest.
Emperor Jing Xi remained very calm,
“First, let’s return to the tent.”
The Crown Prince:
“Your son would like a cup of tea. May your son accompany Father back?”
Upon hearing this, A Wu felt like crying.
No, no, no… she didn’t want the Crown Prince to come along.
But Emperor Jing Xi didn’t object.
Thus, the Crown Prince remounted and followed, keeping half a horse’s length behind Emperor Jing Xi as a sign of respect.
Though young, the Crown Prince was well-versed in royal etiquette, with rules for everything.
A Wu slumped in Emperor Jing Xi’s arms.
She decided she would cling tightly to this man, absolutely not revealing her face!
Yet, at this moment, Emperor Jing Xi was calmly chatting with the Crown Prince, talking about Nan Qiongzi’s eagle platform and this autumn’s game.
The Crown Prince answered respectfully, and the father and son conversed harmoniously.
A Wu felt as though she had died a hundred times over in the back-and-forth of their conversation.
These two voices one clear and pleasant, the other deep and resonant-were both once intimately familiar to her in the confines of the bedchamber.
Tears welled up in A Wu’s eyes.
But there was nothing she could do.
She had to endure the shame and fear, listening to the father and son speak.
Clearly, the Crown Prince held great reverence for Emperor Jingxi.
Even though they had clashed over her matter before, there seemed to be no lasting rift between father and son.
So what did that make her.
A nobody!
She mustn’t be fooled by the handsome young man’s tearful, affectionate gaze!
It was all an act!
A Wu’s nose tingled with emotion.
She had thought the Crown Prince was good to her, one of the best people she had ever met.
But in his heart, there were so many others and so many things far more important than her.
Without her, he would still be that noble and precious young lord, riding horses, hunting, and engaging in lively conversations.
This was something she had known all along, but at this moment, it still saddened her.
He had long forgotten the woman named A Wu.
She had disappeared, perhaps even died, yet he didn’t seem to care.
He hadn’t even bothered to look for her…
The first light of dawn filtered through the fur-lined edges of the cloak, falling softly on A Wu’s eyes.
Clenching her fingers tightly, A Wu leaned against the young man’s father’s shoulder, her eyes wide open, gazing upward as she listened to their conversation.
Finally, the group arrived in front of the tent.
The Crown Prince dismounted first, respectfully taking the reins from Emperor Jingxi and assisting him down from his horse.
Seeing this, A Wu suddenly felt a surge of anger.
Why was he being so filial?
Could he just keep his distance?
The Emperor wasn’t so old that he couldn’t dismount on his own, was he?
Emperor Jingxi held A Wu in one arm as he dismounted.
The moment he stepped down, the hood of the cloak shifted slightly, revealing A Wu’s lustrous hair.
Her heart clenched, and she could only close her eyes, burying her face in Emperor Jingxi’s chest.
Beside them, the Crown Prince’s eyes were fixed on the woman in Emperor Jingxi’s arms.
Her hair was tied up in a simple bun, neat and elegant.
He raised an eyebrow, curious.
“Father, who is this?”
Emperor Jingxi naturally knew that the Crown Prince had been curious all along, following him just to ask this question.
This was indeed an improper matter for a father, and his current behavior would likely make his son, who was also his subject, laugh in disbelief.
But he remained calm and composed, as if nothing was amiss, saying simply,
“She’s one of my attendants. She seems a bit tired, so I’ll set her down first.”
This single sentence was enough to paint a myriad of expressions on the Crown Prince’s face.
He was shocked, curious, incredulous, and even amused.
But at this moment, he suppressed all these emotions.
He slightly bowed his head, speaking in an exaggeratedly respectful tone,
“Father, do you need me to help?”
Emperor Jingxi didn’t even glance at him.
“Just drink your tea.”
With that, he carried A Wu in his arms and strode into the main tent.