A commotion arose outside early in the morning.
Green Wan parted the curtain and entered, setting down the copper basin in her hands. She walked to the bedside to tidy the bed, her heart sinking with disappointment upon not seeing the expected trace of crimson.
It had been nearly half a year since their wedding, yet when would these two finally consummate their marriage?
It was truly a case of the emperor not worrying while the eunuch fretted.
Green Wan muttered to herself as she folded the bedding and placed it in the cabinet. She then returned to the brazier, picked up the kettle, and mixed hot water with the cool water in the copper basin. After adjusting the water temperature, she soaked a towel in it.
She wrung it out and presented it to Nan Shiying.
She soaked another towel, wrung it out, and presented it to Ji Jinmo.
"What's happening outside?" Nan Shiying asked after accepting the towel. It had been so chaotic since early morning.
Green Wan replied, "Replying to Your Highness, they are reinforcing the hunting grounds."
"Isn't today the imperial hunt outside the camp? The prey for the annual hunt are always ferocious beasts. Therefore, to ensure safety, the Jiyang Army and the Imperial Guards began reinforcing the hunting grounds early this morning."
"Ferocious beasts?"
Nan Shiying's eyes twitched.
Green Wan nodded. "Generally, they are leopards and the like. This year, a tiger that had been disturbing villagers appeared in the Yangcheng county area. It happened to coincide with the winter hunt, so the subordinates captured it alive and presented it. I heard from the commander of the Imperial Guards that this tiger is twice the size of last year's leopards and incredibly fierce. We must be extra careful."
As she spoke, a thunderous tiger roar suddenly erupted from outside. Nan Shiying felt the very ground beneath her feet tremble.
Green Wan patted her wildly beating heart and couldn't help but gasp.
...
After washing and dressing, Nan Shiying stepped out of the tent. Not far away, a group of people were gathered around the ferocious tiger caged nearby, admiring the king of the jungle's ferocity and might up close.
"Your Highness, shall we go take a look?" Green Wan asked.
Nan Shiying shook her head. It was just a tiger; what was there to see?
"Greetings to Princess Consort."
Princess Hui'an of Dali passed through the crowd and approached Nan Shiying, bowing to her with a smile.
Nan Shiying nodded to Princess Hui'an. Seeing her approach from the tiger cage, she smiled and asked, "What do you think of that tiger, Princess Hui'an?"
"Incredibly fierce!"
Upon saying this, Princess Hui'an paused, then asked, "Is your country truly going to use it as prey for the hunt?"
Nan Shiying shrugged. Catching sight of Ji Hong emerging from the tent, surrounded by others, she replied, "Of course. This will better showcase the valor of our Lin Yuan men, won't it?"
Princess Hui'an glanced at Nan Shiying, smiled, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, saying no more.
...
"Roar~"
The tiger's roar was far from pleasant. The young lords attending the hunt all turned pale upon hearing it.
Unlike the usual leopards, this tiger was of immense size, exuding a fierce aura. As if it had eaten raw meat that morning, traces of blood and flesh clung to its sharp teeth when it opened its mouth.
The ladies who were closer could not help but lose their color.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready," the commander of the Imperial Guards and the Grand Commander of the Jiyang Army reported. The hunting ground fences had been reinforced, and even though the tiger was incredibly ferocious, it would by no means be able to break out of the enclosure.
Ji Hong nodded.
After the hour of Chen passed, the eunuch announced, "The grand hunting event of the second day officially begins."
"Release the tiger!"
With the eunuch's command, the commander of the Imperial Guards drew his long bow and, from a distance, shot and severed the lock chain of the iron cage. The chain snapped, and the cage door holding the tiger swung open. The tiger roared and charged out of the cage, standing in the center of the hunting grounds, roaring loudly at the surrounding crowd.
A commotion arose outside early in the morning.
Green Wan parted the curtain and entered, setting down the copper basin in her hands. She walked to the bedside to tidy the bed, her heart sinking with disappointment upon not seeing the expected trace of crimson.
It had been nearly half a year since their wedding, yet when would these two finally consummate their marriage?
It was truly a case of the emperor not worrying while the eunuch fretted.
Green Wan muttered to herself as she folded the bedding and placed it in the cabinet. She then returned to the brazier, picked up the kettle, and mixed hot water with the cool water in the copper basin. After adjusting the water temperature, she soaked a towel in it.
She wrung it out and presented it to Nan Shiying.
She soaked another towel, wrung it out, and presented it to Ji Jinmo.
"What's happening outside?" Nan Shiying asked after accepting the towel. It had been so chaotic since early morning.
Green Wan replied, "Replying to Your Highness, they are reinforcing the hunting grounds."
"Isn't today the imperial hunt outside the camp? The prey for the annual hunt are always ferocious beasts. Therefore, to ensure safety, the Jiyang Army and the Imperial Guards began reinforcing the hunting grounds early this morning."
"Ferocious beasts?"
Nan Shiying's eyes twitched.
Green Wan nodded. "Generally, they are leopards and the like. This year, a tiger that had been disturbing villagers appeared in the Yangcheng county area. It happened to coincide with the winter hunt, so the subordinates captured it alive and presented it. I heard from the commander of the Imperial Guards that this tiger is twice the size of last year's leopards and incredibly fierce. We must be extra careful."
As she spoke, a thunderous tiger roar suddenly erupted from outside. Nan Shiying felt the very ground beneath her feet tremble.
Green Wan patted her wildly beating heart and couldn't help but gasp.
...
After washing and dressing, Nan Shiying stepped out of the tent. Not far away, a group of people were gathered around the ferocious tiger caged nearby, admiring the king of the jungle's ferocity and might up close.
"Your Highness, shall we go take a look?" Green Wan asked.
Nan Shiying shook her head. It was just a tiger; what was there to see?
"Greetings to Princess Consort."
Princess Hui'an of Dali passed through the crowd and approached Nan Shiying, bowing to her with a smile.
Nan Shiying nodded to Princess Hui'an. Seeing her approach from the tiger cage, she smiled and asked, "What do you think of that tiger, Princess Hui'an?"
"Incredibly fierce!"
Upon saying this, Princess Hui'an paused, then asked, "Is your country truly going to use it as prey for the hunt?"
Nan Shiying shrugged. Catching sight of Ji Hong emerging from the tent, surrounded by others, she replied, "Of course. This will better showcase the valor of our Lin Yuan men, won't it?"
Princess Hui'an glanced at Nan Shiying, smiled, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, saying no more.
...
"Roar~"
The tiger's roar was far from pleasant. The young lords attending the hunt all turned pale upon hearing it.
Unlike the usual leopards, this tiger was of immense size, exuding a fierce aura. As if it had eaten raw meat that morning, traces of blood and flesh clung to its sharp teeth when it opened its mouth.
The ladies who were closer could not help but lose their color.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready," the commander of the Imperial Guards and the Grand Commander of the Jiyang Army reported. The hunting ground fences had been reinforced, and even though the tiger was incredibly ferocious, it would by no means be able to break out of the enclosure.
Ji Hong nodded.
After the hour of Chen passed, the eunuch announced, "The grand hunting event of the second day officially begins."
"Release the tiger!"
With the eunuch's command, the commander of the Imperial Guards drew his long bow and, from a distance, shot and severed the lock chain of the iron cage. The chain snapped, and the cage door holding the tiger swung open. The tiger roared and charged out of the cage, standing in the center of the hunting grounds, roaring loudly at the surrounding crowd.