Zhao Qian could not help swallowing as he heard this.
Chu Qi, who had not gone too far, had heard this as well, which made him stop in his steps. He gave this some thought and turned back, saying to Lu Liangwei, “I spotted a nest of rabbits over there.”
He pointed toward a direction as he said this.
Lu Liangwei raised an eyebrow. She had been right. This rascal was a foodie.
From the moment she saw how he devoured stinky tofu, she knew that he was even more of a foodie than she was.
Lu Liangwei smiled and said, “Don’t worry. If we’re able to hunt a few more rabbits, I’ll make sure you have a hearty meal tonight.”
With that, she walked toward the direction he had pointed to.
Zhao Qian shot a condescending look at Chu Qi. This boy was able to give up anything, even his dignity, for the sake of food.
Chu Qi considered Lu Liangwei’s words and was about to follow behind her when he suddenly stopped. He felt that there was something not right with her words.
What did she mean by making sure he would have a hearty meal?
Was he some sort of animal?
It was not long before Lu Liangwei and the others had hunted down a fair amount of wild game and were about to leave.
When they left the enclosure, they bumped into Long Xiao, who had his guards with him. They were also coming out from the forest nearby.
Long Xiao was riding his horse, on which was hanging the spoils of his hunt.
He was a little surprised to see Lu Liangwei and her entourage. He quickly got off his horse and bowed toward her. “Greetings to Your Highness!”
Lu Liangwei pulled on her horse’s reins and nodded at him. “Prince of Xiangyang.”
Long Xiao darted a quick glance at the pheasants and rabbits on her horse and smiled. “I have no idea that Your Highness was fond of this sport.”
Lu Liangwei smiled in return. “Compared to your spoils, what I’ve managed to hunt is nothing. I should be most embarrassed about it.”
Long Yang stopped smiling and bowed again. “I would never dare make fun of the Empress.”
Lu Liangwei replied nonchalantly, “That’s good to know. It’s getting late. I’ll take my leave first.”
With that, she left on her horse.
Long Xiao’s eyes narrowed as he watched the girl ride off.
What did Lu Liangwei mean by those last words?
Why did he feel that they were not as simple as they seemed?
Could it be that she had found out something?
He frowned and stood where he was for a while. He could not figure it out and eventually decided to let it go.
She was just a woman. What could she possibly know? He was overthinking it.
…
Meanwhile, in the orchid garden the Empress Dowager was staying at…
There was no calmness in her heart since witnessing the embarrassment of the Crown Prince.
The Buddhist prayer beads in her hands rotated more and more quickly and, finally, she could not bear it and she flung the beads forcefully onto the ground.
Crack!
The beads hit the ground and rolled all over the place.
Matron Chen jumped and did not dare make a sound.
Empress Dowager Xiaojing felt slightly better after flinging the beads and said, “Invite the Crown Prince over.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.” Matron Chen quickly went to get him.
It was not long before Long Chi arrived.
He had just cleaned himself up but there was still a dejected look on his face.
Empress Dowager Xiaojing felt upset for him. He was her only grandson, after all. She only wanted the best for him.
She got instantly angry at the thought of his public embarrassment.
“Chi’er, you are the future Emperor. How could you not think before doing things? I know you’re young and hot-blooded, and you’re looking for some excitement, but you need to be aware of where you are. There are people all around you waiting for the opportunity to catch you in a bad spot. You should have restrained yourself no matter the circumstances.”
Long Chi knew that what happened today must have hit his grandmother hard, but he had suffered as well.
What else could he do after it had already happened?
His handsome face had lost the shade of healthy pink and he now looked pale and sickly. He smiled bitterly. “Royal Grandmother, what happened today was indeed my fault for not giving things proper consideration. I was the one who caused you to be troubled.”
Empress Dowager Xiaojing’s expression softened when she saw that Long Chi did not disagree with her words..