Chapter 279: Little Girl, So Easy to Coax

Qianqian hurriedly shook her head and said earnestly, "Sister-in-law, you're not that old either, you should wear more cute and lovely accessories! Don't keep thinking that just because you're married you have to wear those head ornaments that married women commonly wear. We just need to do well by ourselves, no need to care what others think."

Hearing Qianqian's words, Shangguan Xingyu couldn't help but be lost in thought for a moment, as if her thoughts had drifted far away. But soon, she came back to herself and said with a smile, "You're absolutely right! I never thought about this before, but looking at these married women's jewelry in my hand now, they really A Ren't very pretty. From now on, I'll do as you say — buy whatever I like, and no longer be bound by those rules!"

Qianqian nodded happily in agreement, "Exactly, exactly, we just need to live freely and happily!" The two looked at each other and smiled, the room filled with a warm and joyful atmosphere.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye like a white colt through a crevice, and in a flash it was the day of the spring hunt. The gentle morning sunlight fell softly on the earth, waking the sleeping people.

Everyone rose early, finished washing up, hastily ate breakfast, then impatiently boarded the luxurious carriages that had long been waiting outside, ready to head to the longed-for Imperial Hunting Grounds to begin this grand spring hunting journey.

However, An Wang was different from everyone else; he had quietly left home before dawn broke, alone, and rushed ahead to the Imperial Hunting Grounds.

As one of the persons in charge of this event, he bore the heavy responsibility of ensuring the venue's safety, so he needed to carefully inspect every corner once more to guarantee all participants could fully enjoy the hunt without worry.

Thus, at this moment, only three ladies — Qianqian, Yan Shuang'er, and the Wangfei — remained sitting in the carriage. Yan Wang, on the other hand, had fortunately obtained a whole day of rest today because it happened to be the spring hunting ceremony.

He had already returned home yesterday, and at this moment was riding a fine horse, standing guard in front of the carriage with a heroic bearing. The steed beneath him was named "Chasing Shadow"; its coat was jet-black and glossy, smooth as silk, clearly meticulously cared for by its master on a daily basis.

And Yan Wang himself was dressed in a set of black tight-fitting attire, a cold temperament as if innate, impossible to ignore, drawing frequent sidelong glances from passersby.

Once everything was ready, the coachman lightly raised his whip and drove the carriage forward slowly. The wheels rolled with a crisp sound, breaking the morning tranquility. As the carriage gradually left the bustling city center, the surroundings became increasingly quiet and secluded.

Colorful little wildflowers bloomed on both sides of the road; they swayed gently in the breeze, emitting bursts of fragrance; insect cries rose and fell from the grass, one after another, like a symphony of nature;

In the distance stood towering ancient trees reaching the clouds, lush and verdant, like giant green umbrellas blocking out the sky and sun.

Along the way, they also encountered several other carriages. From some of them came various complaints; someone said, "This place is truly desolate!"

Another chimed in, "Exactly, it's simply a wretched place!" However, some carriages conveyed completely different words, such as: "Although this place is remote, it's filled with birdsong and floral fragrance, the air fresh and pleasant!"

At this moment, three people sat in An Wang Fu's carriage. Qianqian alone was like a happy little bird, chattering excitedly non-stop: "Mother, quickly tell me, in this competition will I or Fourth Brother win first place?"

An Wangfei looked at her daughter's expectant eyes and couldn't help but smile faintly, replying gently, "Need you ask? Of course it's my precious daughter!"

Having received her mother's affirmative answer, Qianqian immediately jumped for joy, shouting, "Haha, I knew Mother dotes on me most, Mother indeed has good taste!"

Yan Shuang'er, sitting to the side, couldn't help but laugh and shake her head at this sight, thinking secretly in her heart: "This little girl, she really is easy to coax!"

Just then, Yan Wang, who had been riding his horse, also heard Qianqian's question. He turned his head slightly toward the carriage interior, the corner of his mouth unconsciously curving upward, while in his heart he secretly vowed: "No matter what, I will do my utmost to help my younger sister win this competition's championship!"

After another short while, the road ahead suddenly widened. Everyone's eyes brightened; a magnificent arched gate appeared prominently before them.

This arched gate was tall and grand, carved with exquisite patterns, appearing exceptionally imposing. On both sides of the gate stood many fully armed guards, their expressions stern, vigilantly watching the surroundings.

And on the open ground beside the gate, quite a few carriages were parked neatly. These carriages lined up one by one, orderly arranged along both sides of the road. That luxurious carriage slowly came to a stop, its curtain gently lifted.

Simultaneously, Yan Wang, riding his tall horse, had already arrived ahead of time and quickly dismounted. He walked quickly to the carriage side, extended his strong hands, first supporting his mother An Wangfei, then gently helping his elder sister Yan Shuang'er and younger sister Qianqian down from the carriage one by one.

Although Yan Wang usually always wore a cold, icy appearance, exuding an unapproachable aura, at this moment his actions made one feel a genuine thoughtfulness and care.

After the three ladies landed safely, they looked around and found no familiar faces around. So the three exchanged a glance, tacitly understanding each other, and walked forward together.

An Wangfei took out an exquisite invitation from her sleeve and handed it to the guard at the gate. The guard received the invitation and immediately stepped back respectfully to both sides, making way for the five of them.

Why five people? Because Chunxi also entered with them; servants are allowed to be brought inside here. After all, the palace maids in the Imperial Palace may not always suit the master's wishes; without familiar attendants serving by one's side, it would inevitably be inconvenient.

Although there was no explicit regulation on the number of servants one could bring, everyone had a tacit understanding — generally bringing at most one or two servants was enough. Bringing too many would not only appear overly ostentatious, but if the Emperor saw it, it might also leave a bad impression.

Thus, the five entered in single file, passed through a long corridor, and suddenly the view opened up into a spacious place like a banquet hall. Two rows of tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and on each table sat a small exquisite wooden plaque used to mark the seats.