Zhan Tianye seemed not to notice the gazes directed at him.
Instead, he calmly said, "I raised it because it looked cute and docile."
Cute?
Docile?
Upon hearing this description, everyone looked at Zhan Tianye in disbelief.
It was the first time they had heard anyone describe a Snow Spirit Snake as cute!
Or docile!
Even a harmless snake could be called docile, but how was this Snow Spirit Snake docile?
It was terrifying to even look at!
Unfortunately, Zhan Tianye acted as if he didn't see their silent protests.
The Emperor subtly twitched his lips. Being in public, he couldn't say much, but he had to admit that the Snow Spirit Snake was indeed dangerous.
Seeing that most guests had arrived, the Emperor began by announcing the prizes for this year's hunt.
He also gave a speech reminding everyone to be safe.
There were no strict rules for the hunt.
Participants could form teams or go solo.
The winner would be determined by who collected the most prey by the end.
The hunt would last for one day.
Those who didn't participate in the hunt could stay, enjoy tea, chat, listen to music, or even watch the opera troupe perform, making for a lively atmosphere.
Thus, no one, whether hunting or not, would be bored.
Qin Linglong was eager to participate. She knew how to ride a horse, having learned just a couple of days prior. As for hunting beasts, she didn't know how, but she could follow Prince Jin.
Many young ladies were also showing eagerness, and the young men of the noble families had bright eyes.
Yun Yueyin was surprised to see Yun Shu also intending to join the hunt. She whispered to Zhen Xu, "Ning Ruan is also going to hunt, what should we do?"
Zhen Xu was unconcerned. "Let her go. With arrows flying without eyes, perhaps I'll find an opportunity to deal with her directly. You don't need to worry about this; I guarantee she won't return to Pingyang Prince's manor unscathed."
"I trust my husband," Yun Yueyin said, though her heart still felt uneasy.
She felt a strange panic, just like before, whenever she thought of Ning Ruan or saw her.
She herself couldn't understand why.
Perhaps it was because Yun Shu also knew medicine? But where was Yun Shu now?
Hadn't she already arrived in the capital?
Why had there been no news from her until now?
Her gaze shifted to Zhan Tianye. He was clearly Prince Ye, so why did he act as if he didn't see her?
Now that Prince Ye was here, Yun Shu shouldn't be so quiet.
Everything felt strange.
As a palace attendant announced the start of the hunt in a loud voice, several horses galloped into the forest.
In the dense woods, countless birds suddenly took flight.
The Emperor glanced at the flock of birds startled into the sky and felt a pang of envy for the young men who could enter the hunt. If he were ten years younger, he might impulsively join them in a competition.
But now...
He lowered his gaze to the tea in his hand. Now, he could observe which of the young men were truly capable.
The opera troupe performing today was also quite good.
The Emperor's gaze fell upon a delicate-looking young woman, a glint of possessiveness in his eyes.
In a corner, Qin Lingyue said with extreme jealousy to the Minister's wife, "Mother, Qin Linglong is too shameless! She actually learned to ride a horse behind our backs. Look how she chased after Prince Jin just now. How could I not have realized she was such a shameless girl before?"
Qin Lingyue was consumed by envy.
Before, whenever they went out, people noticed her, but Qin Linglong held no significance.
But now, whenever they mentioned their Minister's manor, Qin Linglong was brought up.
It was infuriating!
The Minister's wife's face was also flushed with anger. "Indeed, she's a little slut! She just learned to ride a horse and dares to enter the hunting ground. She's probably courting death and will bring shame upon our Minister's manor!"
Upon hearing the word "death," Qin Lingyue's eyes lit up. "Mother, perhaps she'll accidentally fall off her horse and die!"
The Minister's wife narrowed her eyes. "The terrain inside is treacherous, with many people and horses, and various prey. It's not impossible."
Qin Lingyue immediately began praying in her heart, wishing for Qin Linglong to fall to her death!
At this very moment, another person was also praying in their heart. This person was Yun Yueyin, who prayed that Zhen Xu would achieve great success today and that Ning Ruan would be dealt with!
She had secretly glanced at him and saw that Young Master Zhen sat very steadily on his horse, showing no signs of weakness or forced strength.
This indicated that Ning Ruan's medical skills were exceptional!
For some reason, Yun Yueyin's heart skipped a beat, and an incredible thought emerged.
Yun Shu had been so quiet, could that Ning Ruan be...?
The suspicion she had held before rushed into her mind at this moment.
But then she immediately dismissed it.
Impossible, how could this be?
How could Yun Shu be Ning Ruan? They were completely different!
Even if they resembled each other, it was only that they both knew medicine, and there were many women who knew medicine in the world.
It was impossible to see someone who knew medicine and assume that person was Yun Shu; there weren't that many coincidences.
After a moment of murmuring, Yun Yueyin began to meticulously sip her tea and wait.
She would have to wait until dusk, such a long time, she really needed to calm her heart.
At this moment, after entering the forest, the group began to disperse.
Those who had already formed alliances quickly gathered together.
As for those who went solo, like Zhan Tianye, they disappeared into the forest.
Yun Shu slowly followed behind Princess Ning De and Zhen Lin on her horse.
Perhaps due to the sudden arrival of people, the prey in the forest had gone into hiding.
Even their conversations were kept to hushed tones, so as not to disturb the animals.
Yun Shu calmly scanned her surroundings.
"What is Qin Linglong doing? Is she trying to chase after Prince Jin?"
"Judging by her demeanor, that seems to be her intention."
"She's so scheming!"
"But Prince Jin seems to have disappeared. Can she catch up? She looks like she only learned to ride a horse a couple of days ago."
"Princess Ning De didn't even chase after Prince Jin, how dare she?"
"Perhaps she just wants to have a word with Prince Jin."
"Really..."
The conversation of several women came from the other side of a few trees.
Their words reached the ears of the three people nearby.
Yun Shu's gaze flickered slightly. She glanced at the grass, which rustled lightly, and a snake's shadow darted away.
Princess Ning De's expression immediately turned grim, and she silently thought of Qin Linglong's name.
Zhen Lin quietly said to Princess Ning De, "Don't pay it any mind."
In the future, Prince Jin would have many women by his side. If Princess Ning De cared about each one, she would only end up hurting herself.
"Mm," Princess Ning De replied softly.
"Huh? Where's Miss Ning?"