Chapter 55 Fox

"Why has the little princess been so quiet all this time?"

He had already grown accustomed to her constant, unbroken stream of chatter whenever she was by his side. By listening to her talk and pondering how to respond, he no longer needed to dwell on the thoughts that so easily unsettled his mind.

Jing Hu raised her head, looking somewhat bewildered. "I thought Lord Xiao Ke intended to observe the rule of 'no speaking while eating, and no talking in bed.'"

Ke Mingxu smiled gently. "One does not truly need to follow it in every meticulous detail. With so many affairs occupying the days, sometimes the only moments to exchange a few words with family are during meals."

He paused, then added, "Besides, at a grand imperial banquet, if not a single soul uttered a sound for hours on end, what kind of sight would that make?"

Jing Hu pondered this for a moment and could not help breaking into a smile.

Following the promptings of her heart, she asked what she had most wanted to know, "What does Lord Xiao Ke plan to do this afternoon?"

Today, His Majesty would remain deep within the mountain forests, and with the evening banquet still to come, Ke Mingxu was not required to attend the Emperor.

Ke Mingxu considered for a moment. "Does the little princess have any suggestions?"

Jing Hu's eyes lit up. "The last time I came to your quarters, you promised to take me out to explore the Jianye forests. From tomorrow onward, I fear Lord Xiao Ke will be busy once again. Why not fulfill that promise today?"

She looked at him with such eager anticipation that even had he wished to refuse, the words would not come. Besides, this was indeed a promise he had made himself.

"The afternoon heat is oppressive. Let us wait until we have finished our midday meal and rested for a little while before setting out."

"Very well," she agreed instantly. Ever since arriving in Jianye, she felt as though every single day was spent in pure happiness. If only she never had to return to the Prince of Yongning's Estate.

No—if only she could return to the Prince of Yongning's Estate and still see him every single day, that would be even better.

When they had finished their meal, the palace attendants cleared away the bowls and chopsticks. The afternoon sunlight poured into the hall, bathing the entire chamber in a brilliant glow.

Ke Mingxu sat upon the daybed, reading the volume of *Pearls and Jade Lyrics* that she had been perusing earlier. Fearing the heat, she sat in the shadows, keeping her gaze fixed on him in secret.

He was the man she had fancied at first sight, with features as exquisite as a painting. She recalled how she had described him in Princess Zhenning's chambers that day—"peerless in beauty"—and she still felt the description suited him entirely.

The peony was the king of flowers, and he was simply the most striking of all men under heaven. The hall was so quiet that the only sound was the occasional rustle of turning pages as he immersed himself in reading.

Was this the tranquility he sought?

***

When the Hour of Wei was half past, the intensity of the sunlight began to gradually fade. Jing Hu and Ke Mingxu each mounted a horse and rode toward the forests at the foot of the mountain.

In truth, she had long since forgotten the exact location of the valley filled with blooming purple wildflowers that she had chanced upon during her hunt, remembering only the general direction. Yet in the forests of Jianye, every view was breathtaking.

With flowers blooming along the path, one needed only to follow one's inclinations and wander at a leisurely pace.

A clear stream wound its way through the woods, stretching as far as the setting sun. Dismounting by the water's edge, Jing Hu and Ke Mingxu led their horses by the reins as they walked slowly forward.

Wildflowers grew in profusion across the ground, gently and softly brushing against the hem of Jing Hu's skirt. Though her silk gown was also embroidered with floral patterns, it could not compare to a ten-thousandth of the beauty possessed by these wild blooms.

Releasing the reins of her horse, she ran toward a patch where the blossoms grew thickest. Plucking a few wild flowers, she tucked them neatly into her coiled hair. With Ke Mingxu walking beside her, she felt that no one in the world could possibly be happier than she was.

Unable to contain her joy, she lifted the hem of her skirt and spun around a few times, causing the wildflowers all around her to tremble and sway.

Just as she was about to call Ke Mingxu over to her side, her gaze caught sight of a creature nearby—one she could not quite identify. With so many people entering the forest today, it was little wonder the wild animals had ventured out to the open edges.

She pointed at the creature for Ke Mingxu to identify, placing a finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet so as not to startle it.

He walked slowly to her side. "It is likely a fox. And it still looks rather young."

Clearly, the creature had already discovered them, yet it made no attempt to flee. Instead, it stood amidst the sea of flowers, staring straight at them with an expression brimming with complete innocence.

That innocent gaze bore a striking resemblance to the way the little princess looked at him. While the fox's innocence was genuine, hers certainly was not.

So this was why he had never been able to find a suitable animal to compare her to; it seemed a fox was the exact match.

The world often used the fox as a metaphor for women who lacked wifely virtue. Setting aside whether this so-called "wifely virtue" made any sense at all, even if someone truly lacked virtue, what connection did it have with this creature? It had borne an undeserved stigma for thousands of years.

"So it's a fox," she murmured, a look of deep curiosity crossing her face. "When I went into the forest with my third older brother a few days ago, we only ever encountered wild pheasants, deer, roe deer, and the like, but I had never seen a fox before. So this is what a fox looks like."

She could recognize pheasants, deer, and roe deer, yet failed to recognize her own kind. Ke Mingxu smiled faintly and remarked, "Let us hope it manages to escape the perils of these few days." He had never been fond of hunting.

Jing Hu nodded, casting one last reluctant, lingering glance at the small fox. "I must be going now. Farewell!"

The moment she turned around, she found Ke Mingxu looking back at her. Her cheeks flushed unexplainably, and she stepped closer to his side. "What is Lord Xiao Ke looking at?"

"I am looking at a fox," he replied, a smile he could not quite conceal hiding in his tone.

She could not fathom what he found so amusing. "Why are you so happy just from seeing a fox? Has Lord Xiao Ke never seen one before?"

"I have seen them. Many times, in fact. But none of them were as lovely as the one today."

She privately did not find this particular fox all that remarkable. Perhaps what men favored was always entirely different from the preferences of young maidens like herself.

A faint sense that something was amiss lingered in her mind, but since she could never quite grasp its true meaning, she finally let the matter go.

Just as Jing Hu was searching for a topic of conversation to resume chatting with Ke Mingxu, she heard a man's stern, booming shout ring out: "Audacious scoundrel! His Majesty's imperial carriage is present, yet you dare commit such an act of treason!"

It was Jing Xun's voice. Could assassins actually have sneaked into the Jianye forests?

Jing Xun's location was not far away, and within moments she caught sight of the nearby slope swarming with imperial guards clad in silver armor. The sharp twang of bowstrings quickly filled the air.

Her brother was over there; she had to go to him. Her heart clenching tightly, Jing Hu made to move at once, only to be intercepted by Ke Mingxu.

"There are a considerable number of imperial guards in the forest, and they are likely engaging the assassins right now. If you rush over there now, you will only become a burden. Better to wait until everything is settled before going. Your brother will not come to harm."

What he said made sense; she knew his reasoning was sound, yet anxiety still gnawed at her.

As soon as the archers and guards withdrew, she and Ke Mingxu mounted their horses and hurried toward the scene.

It was not His Majesty who had been heavily wounded; the Emperor was not even here.

It was Lady Huaiyi and Qi Yuanfang. Qi Yuanfang was covered entirely in blood and had already lost consciousness. Lady Huaiyi was also injured, blood seeping from her originally fair forehead in a terrifying sight before she too lapsed into unconsciousness.

Before Jing Hu could fully process what was happening, Ke Mingxu, having recognized the injured parties, left her side and hurried over to them.

This seemed to be the first time she had ever seen him lose his composure to such a degree.

All around them, people were rushing toward Lady Huaiyi and Qi Yuanfang. Her third brother, Jing Xun, also came charging down the slope, joining the other imperial guards to form a tight perimeter around the casualties.

She alone remained standing where she was, as though these chaotic events had nothing whatsoever to do with her. Though the air should have been filled with noise, strangely enough, she could no longer hear a single sound.

The scene she had just witnessed replayed over and over in her mind—she had never seen so much blood in all her life. The next moment, the darkness claimed her, and she lost consciousness.

"Jing Hu!"