The visitor was dressed in dark blue robes, with a majestic-looking horned dragon crouching among the brocade patterns on his chest.
Shen Dingzhu immediately dismounted, bowed his head and said, "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
As she finished speaking, the tall man in the lead approached slowly on horseback, followed by three or four light cavalry guards, as well as Fu Yunqiu.
The peach blossom eyes of Prince Xiao Xuanke are similar to those of Prince Xuan, but he has sharp sword-shaped eyebrows that make people feel majestic when he is not smiling.
But his dark eyebrows were very thick, adding a hint of ambition to him.
"Miss Shen, I have admired you for a long time," Xiao Xuanke said, his voice as sharp as his own, "Yun Qiu mentioned you to Gu. Last time at Fu's house, thanks to you taking the porcelain piece in time, Yun Qiu was not injured."
Fu Yunqiu was riding a horse next to the prince. He curled his hair and smiled softly, looking very shy.
Shen Dingzhu didn't believe that Fu Yunqiu would help him put in a good word in front of the prince!
Rumors spread that it must have been suicide. Fu Yunqiu couldn't defend herself. She couldn't tell outsiders that she wanted to harm Shen Dingzhu and she was injured as a result.
Therefore, Fu Yunqiu had no choice but to resort to tricks and accepted the reason of "seeking death due to illness".
Shen Dingzhu's black eyelashes fluttered slightly, lowered her head and whispered softly: "Miss Fu didn't mean to die, she was just frightened by the illness. I believe that with His Highness the Crown Prince's comfort, she will be able to relieve her heart knot."
Xiao Xuanke glanced at Fu Yunqiu beside him with a smile, without doubting what Shen Dingzhu said.
He also looked at Fu Yunqiu and said in a low voice: "You see, everyone says this, no matter what the disease is, it can be cured if you take care of it slowly."
Fu Yunqiu's smile became fuller and gentler: "His Royal Highness, what he said is that thanks to Miss Shen, I am now in good health."
"That snake just now was really dangerous. Why is Miss Shen walking alone in the forest? How dangerous it is. Your Highness, let's take her with us."
Xiao Xuanke nodded immediately and looked at Shen Dingzhu: "Okay, but why didn't you follow the fifth brother?"
Shen Dingzhu's long eyelashes drooped: "The folk girl's equestrian skills are not very good, so she ran slowly and lost track of the prince. However, if she can follow His Highness the Crown Prince and Miss Fu, it will be more convenient to find the prince."
With that said, she got on her horse and followed behind the prince and Fu Yunqiu.
After observing for a while, Shen Dingzhu found that Fu Yunqiu was very capable. He could make Xiao Xuanke laugh continuously with just a few words.
In addition, Fu Yunqiu would lightly touch his palm from time to time, so the prince had no intention of hunting properly and only wanted to stay close to Fu Yunqiu.
Shen Dingzhu felt that his presence was a bit unnecessary, so just like the light cavalry guards, he lowered his head and said nothing, trying his best to blend into the surrounding woods.
But Fu Yunqiu obviously didn't want to let her go.
Occasionally, when the prince hunted a sparrow or a hare, she would call Shen Dingzhu to get it.
"Miss Shen, don't mind. These are small items. I was afraid that the guards would tear the fur with their heavy hands, so I asked you to help. You won't be angry, right?"
Seeing Fu Yunqiu's smile and the prince behind him narrowing his eyes and smiling lightly, looking very indulgent to her, Shen Dingzhu smiled slightly: "Of course not."
Therefore, from this incident on, the prince consciously used Shen Dingzhu to please Fu Yunqiu.
It was as if how little he cared about Shen Dingzhu made Fu Yunqiu feel more accomplished.
Shen Dingzhu is not a submissive character, but now, due to his status, he can only grit his teeth and endure it when he is bullied.
During this period, the prince and Fu Yunqiu rode their horses through a small stream, and deliberately used a whip to pump up the water for fun. Of course Fu Yunqiu was fine, but the stream water splashed half of Shen Dingzhu's body.
"Miss Shen, is it okay? I didn't notice you."
"The civilian girl is fine." Shen Dingzhu's eyes were frosty, but his expression remained as usual.
She took out her handkerchief and ran it down her forehead to wipe away the falling drops of water.
The dress was half wet and stuck to her beautiful body. The prince's expression, which was originally smiling and watching the excitement, gradually became darker.
Fu Yunqiu calmly rode up to him, blocking the prince's gaze from looking at Shen Dingzhu: "Your Highness, the sky is getting cloudy. Let's go over there for a walk and then go back, okay? You can't be too tired either. ”
The prince came back to his senses, glanced at Shen Dingzhu who was wiping his neck with a handkerchief, and then said: "Okay."
Shen Dingzhu's heart was filled with tenderness and anger, but because the other party was the prince, there was nowhere to vent his anger.
If the other party messes with her again, she will definitely find a way to take revenge!
Fortunately, the prince seemed tired and stopped making fun of her. He only chatted and laughed with Fu Yunqiu.
Shen Dingzhu had been following them, taking the time to look up and pay attention to the sky.
Thick black clouds hung overhead, and muffled thunder was heard.
Sudden.
The prince and Fu Yunqiu in front stopped their horses. Shen Dingzhu raised his eyes and saw a sika deer drinking from the stream among the trees in the distance.
The prince got interested, bent his bow and arrow, and was about to shoot the deer.
However, Fu Yunqiu gently pressed his wrist, then leaned close to the prince and whispered for a moment.
Shen Dingzhu didn't know what she said, but after Fu Yunqiu finished speaking, he and the prince looked back at her.
"Miss Shen, come here." Fu Yunqiu called softly and waved.
Shen Dingzhu took a deep breath, guessing that nothing good happened.
She drove the horse over, and Fu Yunqiu said with a smile: "How about we try to shoot the deer together? I just asked His Highness the Crown Prince that if you succeed in shooting, His Highness will allow you to attend the reward banquet at the palace in the evening." "
Shen Dingzhu glanced at the sika deer drinking water. Its belly was bulging, so it must be pregnant.
She looked at Fu Yunqiu, seemingly embarrassed: "What should I do if my archery skills are not good?"
But the prince said: "It doesn't hurt to give it a try. Since you are here to participate in riding and hunting, how can you not fire an arrow?"
Later, Fu Yunqiu took the initiative to bend the bow and set an arrow, but she was not strong enough, so she softly said to the prince: "Your Highness, look at it, is this the right way to bend the bow?"
The prince immediately started to teach, and Fu Yunqiu almost leaned in the prince's arms.
The two of them were taking advantage of the archery lesson and exchanging affection with each other when a cold arrow was shot beside them.
There was a "whoosh" sound in the air, and Shen Dingzhu's arrow was nailed straight to the sika deer's feet.
The frightened deer neighed and ran away.
Shen Dingzhu pretended to be anxious and called: "Miss Fu, it's running away, chase it quickly."
After saying that, she suddenly raised her whip and hit Fu Yunqiu's horse hard.
The horse was frightened, raised its hooves high, and galloped forward like an arrow from the string.
"Ah——" Fu Yunqiu left a short scream and disappeared into the woods in the blink of an eye.
Shen Dingzhu immediately caught the horse's belly and followed directly.
The incident happened so suddenly that the prince had no time to react.
Shen Dingzhu deliberately let go of the sika deer just to frighten Fu Yunqiu's horse and separate her from the prince.
They had entered the depths of Yushan Mountain, and the terrain was complex and intertwined. When it rained heavily, Fu Yunqiu would definitely be trapped in the woods.
Shen Dingzhu asked herself that she was not a kind-hearted person. Fu Yunqiu had just bullied her like that, so of course he had to find an opportunity to express his anger!
However, she had no idea that a cold arrow was quietly aimed at her figure deep in the forest.
