Chapter 2

Before dawn the next day, Mei Lin was kicked awake. Murong Jing He let his attendants arrange his clothes while he kicked her with his feet, not lightly but not hard, and didn't stop until she opened her eyes.

"Get up, you will go hunting with me today." When he said this, he looked like he had given someone a great gift.

Mei Lin's eyes were still sore, and she was a little confused when she heard the words. Her naked body hidden under the blanket moved, and she gasped in pain immediately, and her facial features were squeezed together. But when Murong Jing He looked at her, she still sat up with her sore waist that seemed to have melted away, hid behind the blanket and fumbled to put on her clothes.

She was used to training with injuries. Even under such circumstances, she still didn't think that she might try to find an excuse not to go.

When they went out, A'Dai, who finally stayed with Murong Jing He, was already standing at the door of the tent in neat clothes, with her head slightly lowered to see them off respectfully. However, when Mei Lin passed by her, she raised her head, not hiding the contempt and disgust in her eyes, obviously looking down on Mei Lin's self-degradation.

Mei Lin smiled and ignored her.

Murong Jing He did not ask anyone to prepare an extra horse, but asked Mei Lin to ride with him. Mei Lin couldn't understand his intentions, and she certainly wouldn't think so arrogantly that he would be so fond of her after one night, even to the point of angering the old emperor.

Recalling that before departure, when Emperor Yan saw that she was actually sitting in the arms of Murong Jing He, he was so angry that his face was black and his beard was trembling, but he did not care about the occasion. In addition to being funny, she could not guess what Murong Jing He was up to. It wasn't until she met the woman in military uniform that all the doubts were suddenly solved, including A'Dai's special treatment.

The meeting place was at the edge of the mountain forest. Just when Mei Lin was jolted by the horse and started to tremble all over in protest, the woman appeared in sight riding a tall black horse. In other words, Murong Jing He has been lingering in Linyuan just to wait for this person, so he went up to her as soon as he saw her.

"Luo Mei." Without looking back, Mei Lin could feel that Murong Jing He's mood suddenly became high.

Muye Luo Mei, the first female general in Great Yan, can be said to be a household name. Mei Lin had no reason not to know about her, but she never expected that she would be such a young woman.

As the distance approached, the face hidden under the curled feather hat gradually became clearer. With bright eyes and cherry lips, and skin as white as snow, she turned out to be a beauty that would captivate the entire country. It's just that her eyes are too sharp, and paired with a neat soft-armored shirt, she looks a bit more heroic despite her charm.

The beauty lightly glanced at Mei Lin who was leaning against Murong Jing He's chest and snorted coldly, said nothing and rode straight into the forest. Mei Lin noticed that her nose was sharp and tilted up in a playful way. It was very similar to A'Dai, but not as inconsistent as A'Dai. At that moment, she suddenly understood that A'Dai was chosen at first sight probably because of her nose that was very similar to that of the female general.

Murong Jing He was obviously used to this kind of indifference from her and didn't take it seriously. He pulled his horse's head and followed her, while waving his hands to stop the guards from following them.

After yesterday's hunting, countless paths were carved out of the forest. It was not difficult for the horses to walk along them, but naturally there was no prey to be seen. If you want to gain something today, you must go deep into the mountains and forests. However, during an incense stick of time they encountered several people, including Murong Xuan Lie and his personal guards.

Seeing Murong Jing He holding a woman in his arms and another woman following him, Murong Xuan Lie was so angry and amused that he couldn't help but joke a few words, and then quickly left with his men before Muye Luo Mei's attack, and disappeared in an instant. Among the lush trees, Muye Luo Mei was so angry that she had no place to vent her anger, so she turned to glare at Murong Jing He and said coldly; "Your Highness, please stop following me, lest people gossip about you." With that, she kick her feet in the horse's belly and it ran forward quickly.

This time Murong Jing He did not catch up immediately. Instead, he led Mei Lin on his horse and walked slowly in the direction she was walking.

"Can you hunt?" Suddenly, he asked Mei Lin.

Mei Lin was sitting uncomfortably. When she heard this, she shook her head first, then felt something was wrong and said hurriedly; "My Lord, I don't know how." When she spoke, she didn't dare to look at the man. She couldn't explain why, but she was always a little afraid of him in her heart. She don't know if it's the shadow that fell last night.

She thought that this impromptu topic would end in a hurry. Unexpectedly, Murong Jing He, who didn't know what was wrong, said enthusiastically; "I'll teach you." After saying that, he seriously took off the crossbow on the horse and held her hands carefully. Teach her how to use it step by step, he doesn't seem to care at all about Muye Luo Mei's departure.

Of course Mei Lin had learned how to use a strong bow and crossbow when she was in the secret factory, but now that her martial arts skills have been abolished, she can no longer draw an ordinary bow. Fortunately, Murong Jing He used a powerful and lightweight small crossbow, so it was not difficult for her to use it. She was just a little uncomfortable because of his suddenly gentle and affectionate attitude, and she didn't know how to move her hands and feet, let alone use a crossbow. Murong Jing He was amused by her clumsy movements and laughed repeatedly, and he was even more determined to teach her how to shoot prey.

Unknowingly, the two of them had entered the depths of the dense forest, and there was no trace of anyone else around. At this moment, the grass shook. Murong Jing He held the horse, and then whispered in Mei Lin's ear; "Pay attention over there." While saying this, he raised her arms holding the crossbow, and then supported her aim.

Feeling the hot breath on her ears, coupled with his almost hugging posture, Mei Lin couldn't help but feel in a trance. Before she could recover, the arrow on the crossbow had been released, and it burrowed into the grass with a hiss.

"It's a hit." Murong Jing He let go of her hand and his voice returned to normal.

Her back could feel the subtle vibrations in his chest when he spoke. For a moment, Mei Lin suddenly felt that the slightly hoarse voice sounded very nice. She shook her head and bit her lips. The light but sharp pain made her conscious. She immediately knew that she had almost gone crazy just now, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on her back.

Since she can remember, she has faced all kinds of harsh environments and indifferent and cruel people, and she has long been able to deal with these with ease. But no one told her what she should do if someone was nice to her.

"Go down and take a look." Just when she was at loss, Murong Jing He's voice sounded again. Then her body was lifted off the horse and landed gently on the ground.

Probably because she had been sitting on the horse for a long time, plus the tossing last night, as soon as Mei Lin's feet touched the ground, she felt weak and almost fell to her knees. Fortunately, Murong Jing He held her in time until she stood firm before letting go.

After calming down, Mei Lin awkwardly walked towards the grass, pushed it aside, and found a gray hare lying on its side, with an arrow stuck in its belly, and it had lost its breath. She slowly squatted down with her sore waist, then leaned forward and grabbed the hare's ears to lift it up, then looked back at Murong Jing He.

The man was sitting high on his horse, with his back to the rising sun. She couldn't see the usual frivolous expression on his face. The figure reflected in the morning light actually gave people the illusion of being intimidating.

She thought she met a useless and harmless person, but now it seems that she is about to face a character who is more ruthless than anyone else. Mei Lin frowned slightly, troubled by her own judgment.

"What are you thinking about?" Murong Jing He saw that she was squatting there for a long time without getting up, so he pulled the reins and let the horse walk slowly over. Seeing him approaching, Mei Lin felt inexplicably panicked. She quickly stood up and said with a smile, "I was thinking that my archery skills are really accurate."

"Since you want to shoot, you must hit the target with one arrow. Otherwise, when the prey becomes alert, it will take some time to capture it again." Murong Jing He said slowly, and there was a hint of coldness in his voice that made people's hearts chill.

Mei Lin suddenly felt a little uneasy, always feeling that there was a profound meaning in his words.

Without allowing her to think too much, Murong Jing He bent down and picked her up on the horse again, and walked slowly deeper into the dense forest where no one had ever visited. From time to time, a pheasant or a deer jumped in front of him, but he never made a move, Mei Lin became confused.

"Master, aren't you going to hunt something?" As anyone can see from the reward given to the beauty last night, the number of prey represents the strength of the ability, which is closely related to one's own glory.

Unexpectedly, Murong Jing He with a hare dangling on the horse's buttocks smiled and asked, "Isn't this it?"

Mei Lin was speechless for a moment.

He paused and then said; "What's the fun in shooting these little things that have no resistance and are useless..."

Just as the two of them were talking, a fiery red shadow suddenly appeared on the rocks not far away. Murong Jing He's voice suddenly stopped as they passed by among the weeds, and he raised his crossbow and fired. Unexpectedly, a fast arrow suddenly flew out of the diagonal stab, knocking his arrow away. With this obstruction, the red shadow immediately disappeared into the dense forest.

Muye Luo Mei appeared under the tree on the left side riding her unusually tall black horse. She looked at Murong Jing He with raised eyebrows and said calmly; "Murong Jing He, let's have a competition." The content of the competition is self-evident, naturally it is that little fiery red thing that suddenly appeared and quickly escaped.

She don't know how she got behind the two of them. When Mei Lin noticed that she called Murong Jing He by his full name, she immediately knew that she might not dislike him as much as she appeared. What is more likely is that there is a deeper relationship between the two that is not accessible to outsiders. Of course, these are just guesses. What doesn't need to be guessed is that Murong Jing He suddenly became happy when he saw her appearance.

"Since Luo Mei is interested, Jing should accompany you." He said with a smile, holding a crossbow in one hand and holding Mei Lin's waist with the other. He put his legs under the horse's belly and was about to gallop towards the place where the red shadow disappeared, but was stopped by Muye Luo Mei's horse.

"Are you taking her with you?" Mei Lin saw her small, round chin point a little, and said proudly; "Even if I win, it is not a fair victory."

Mei Lin's heart was startled, and before she could react, she heard Murong Jing He laugh, and then her body swayed, and she was put on the ground.

"Wait for me here." He leaned forward and met her astonished eyes, saying gently, but his attention was not on her. Before he finished speaking, he straightened up, pulled the reins and disappeared into the forest with Muye Luo Mei.

Mei Lin stood among the grass, and a gust of wind blew through the gaps in the forest and hit her, making her shiver involuntarily.

Mei Lin didn't think much, she just found a place with soft grass, flattened it and sat down, leaning on the wild rock next to it to take a nap. Although she was left like this, her body which had been tired and aching all the time could finally rest, which couldn't be said to be bad.

In fact, she knew in her heart that Murong Jing He's purpose of bringing her out had been achieved. Even if Muye Luo Mei's reaction doesn't prove how much she likes him, at least she cares about the fact that the attention she gets is being distracted by another woman. Otherwise she would not turn around and ask him to leave the eyesore behind in the name of fair play. Of course, that eyesore is Mei Lin.

At first, Mei Lin thought they would come back soon, so she didn't dare to fall asleep. However, as she watched the sun rise higher and higher, her stomach began to growl, but she still couldn't see anyone, and she knew in her heart that she had probably been forgotten.

Understanding this, she simply lay down in the grass, taking advantage of the warm sunshine, and fell asleep peacefully, regardless of whether there was any danger.

She slept until the sun set in the west and the autumn cold began to set in.

Rubbing her stomach after not eating all day, Mei Lin sat up, looked at the blue sky exposed among the branches and leaves above her head and the thin clouds dyed red by the setting sun in the distance, and let out a long breath.

Should she take this opportunity to escape? Escape from all this, and live like an ordinary person. There was a commotion in her heart, and strong longing appeared in her eyes, but it was quickly suppressed. Of course she will not forget the poison in her body. She needs to get the antidote every month. Otherwise, the torment of the poison is enough to make her unable to live or die. What's more, she has nothing on her and it's hard to even protect herself. Where can she escape? Could she become a beggar? Not to mention that Murong Jing He didn't say he didn't want her, even if he really asked her to go, she would still have to cry and beg him to keep her.

Taking out a wooden comb from her arms, she spread out her grass-stained hair and combed it smoothly, then tied it into a loose bun, then got up and walked back the way she came. If she don't leave now, she won't be able to get out later. The mountains and forests at night were full of dangers, and even experienced hunters had to be careful, let alone her who was powerless.

The only thing she is thankful so far is that after resting, her physical discomfort has been greatly reduced, making walking less difficult for her than in the morning. She was not worried about getting lost in the mountains and forests. After all, the training in the secret factory was not in vain. She was just feeling hungry.

A mountain grasshopper suddenly jumped over the grass blades in front of her and landed on the bark of the tree. She grabbed it, pinched off its head, put it in her mouth, chewed it twice and swallowed it.

She didn't have time to look for food slowly, so she could only find some edible things while walking, including bitter wild fruits, and some insects that would make the hairs of ordinary people stand on end. In fact, when a person is hungry to a certain level, they can eat anything as long as it is not poisonous. She's certainly not at that point now, but she's been there before. Since you can eat, there is no reason to be hungry. After all, walking out of the mountains requires physical strength.

After autumn, once the sun goes down, it gets dark quickly. Not long after walking, it became dark in the forest. Fortunately, the moon had risen. Although the light was weak, it was better than nothing. Mei Lin used the dim light to search for the traces left behind in the dark forest, while carefully avoiding the wild beasts that came out to look for food at night, so it was quite difficult to walk. At this time, she couldn't help but miss her abolished martial arts. Then she thought about the mysterious master from martial arts.

If she couldn't understand why her master would abolished her martial arts at that time, she would understand after knowing her mission. Whether someone has martial arts skills can easily be detected by others. As a dowry girl, knowing martial arts skills is definitely not a reassuring thing.

She sighed helplessly, thinking of the old secret factory, last night, and the life she would face in the future. An indescribable fatigue swept through her body instantly, making her almost unable to walk anymore.

After a pause, she knocked her forehead against the rough tree trunk. It took her a while to catch her breath. Then she shook off the thoughts that would come to her uninvited in the dark, gritted her teeth and continued to move forward.

"No matter what, I have to get rid all of this." Mosquitoes buzzed around her ears, and she said to herself while waving her sleeves away. When she said this, the wild spring flowers she saw through the carriage window that year came to mind, and she couldn't help but smile.

When she emerged from the forest, the moon was already in the sky. Mei Lin looked at the lights in the tent in the distance, her legs as heavy as lead could hardly move.

She really don't want to go there! She laughed at her own hesitation.

But this time she didn't let her hesitate for too long, a stern shout came over her, "Who is there?"

There was the sound of horse hooves, and a group of people rushed out from the forest on the other side with torches. The first person was wearing a black warrior uniform, with sea holly on his shoulders. He was so handsome that it made people feel stressed. He was actually the eldest prince, Murong Xuanlie. The horses of the guards behind him were all loaded with prey, and among them was a leopard. It was obvious that the harvest was extremely fruitful.

Mei Lin didn't expect to meet them, so she was dumbfounded before bowing and saluting.

"This servant greets the eldest prince." From the looks of them, it was obvious that they had just returned to camp. She wonder if Murong Jinghe and Muye Luomei have returned.

Murong Xuanlie squinted his eyes and looked at her for a long time, as if he just remembered who it was, and couldn't help but feel confused.

"Aren't you the one who went into the forest with the third prince in the morning? Why are you alone here? Where is the third prince?"

Mei Lin almost didn't know how to answer the series of questions, but she had to answer. She considered her words and said; "This slave and the third prince were separated in the forest. I was about to go back to the camp to ask if His Highness had returned..." Until now, she didn't know that Murong Jinghe was the third in line, so there was another prince above him. Who she didn't seem to have seen yesterday.

While she was speaking, a guard behind Murong Xuanlie suddenly came forward and whispered a few words in his ear. He looked at her again, with undisguised sympathy in his narrow phoenix eyes. She don't know if it's because he found out about her being left behind, or because of something else.

"Then you come with us." He said, motioning to his men to make way for a horse, and then helped her sit on it.

In fact, for unspeakable reasons, Mei Lin would rather walk than ride a horse, but she couldn't refuse. So she could only turn her body sideways without leaving a trace, trying to make her expression look normal.

She was probably considered Murong Jinghe's concubine, so Murong Xuanlie did not speak to her again during the rest of the journey.

Mei Lin was riding behind. Occasionally, she looked up and saw his tall and handsome back. She couldn't help but think of the incense she smelled when she fell on him last night, and felt uneasy in her heart.

Murong Xuanlie's men sent Mei Lin to Murong Jinghe's camp, and after finding out that Murong Jinghe had returned safely, they returned to report back.

When Mei Lin entered, Murong Jinghe was lazily leaning on the soft pillow, drinking wine while squinting at A'Dai, who was kneeling beside him, teasing a small fiery red thing.

Mei Lin stood by the tent door, folded her clothes and saluted, and did not go further inside. After a while, Murong Jinghe seemed to realize her presence, raised his eyes and waved at her.

Mei Lin walked over. Because he was half lying down, she didn't dare to stand any longer, so she knelt down and sat down like A'Dai. But before she could sit firmly, Murong Jinghe pulled her into his arms. He put his nose against her neck and sniffed for a while, then asked in a friendly tone; "Where did you get this floral fragrance?" His expression and tone were as if he had never left her alone in the deep mountains and wild forests. When it comes to feeling guilty, there is no excuse for perfunctory behavior.

Maybe Mei Lin will be at a loss when others are nice to her, but there is no difficulty in dealing with this situation.

"Master, you always tease me. It's autumn, where does the fragrance of flowers come from? It's just the smell of mountain grass and leaves." She pretended to be angry. As she spoke, she pulled up her sleeves and put it under her nose to smell it. As for what happened in the morning, he didn't even mention a word or complain about it.

"Really, let me take a closer look..." Murong Jinghe seriously leaned over again, but this time the target was her breasts, which were plumper than those of ordinary women.

Mei Lin's heart skipped a beat. Thinking of last night's experience, her whole body seemed to hurt again. Out of urgency, she hurriedly raised her hand to gently block her chest. The movement was not so stiff that it made people feel rejected, but more like shyness. She stammered at the same time: "Master... I... I am hungry..."

She didn't lie. Although she found some random things to fill her stomach on the way back, she couldn't keep herself full.

Murong Jinghe was startled, as if he just remembered that she hadn't eaten all day. Probably because he lost his interest, he looked up with a look of sadness on his face, but he still said; "Go to the nearby camp to find Qing Yan and ask him to get you some food and arrange a place to sleep." There was more meaning in his words. Obviously, just let her rest after eating and there is no need to come over again.

Mei Lin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up from his arms and knelt down to thank him, and then hurriedly withdrew without even thinking about showing off. She really looked like she was very hungry. Only she knew that she was afraid that the stubborn A'Dai would do something evil again and he would bring his wrath on her again.

Of course she could tell, because Murong Jinghe was particularly indulgent towards A'Dai because of his similar relationship with Muye Luomei. She neither dared nor wanted to compete with A'Dai for favors. She just hoped that she would not suffer any unforeseen disasters, and then be able to complete the mission without risk and escape safely.

After getting out of the tent, she breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at the pale moon and sparse stars in the sky, and counted the time. She would need to change the antidote in ten days, but she didn't know if the hunt could end before then.

Qing Yan is a eunuch, in his twenties, fair-faced and beardless. He looks younger than Murong Jinghe, but is actually several years older. Generally speaking, castrated people always have a softer face.

Murong Jinghe hadn't slept yet, so naturally he didn't dare to sleep either. But upon hearing Mei Lin's request, he still lost his face and raised his eyes. After going out for a long time, he came back with a plate of cold barbecue.

"Eat." He raised his chin, looked at Mei Lin almost through his nostrils, and said in a pretentious tone.

Mei Lin didn't dislike him and said thank you.

"Don't think that just because you are in the master's bed, you will think that you are also half a master..." She was trying hard to cut the cold barbecue with a thin knife, and he was giving her a lesson in a sinister way.

"Eunuch Yan is right." Mei Lin was not angry at all, stopped what she was doing, and responded with a low eyebrow. Her temper had been smoothed out long ago in the secret factory, and Qing Yan's attitude could not stir up any emotion in her heart.

Seeing her like this, Qing Yan muttered a few more words, but felt bored and stopped automatically.

Mei Lin moved her hands lightly and tried not to make any noise when chewing, but the speed was not slow, or could be considered fast. In just one cup of tea, she finished a plate of barbecue.

When Qing Yan saw the clean plates, he was so shocked that he couldn't open his mouth for a long time.

"How many days have you not eaten?" His expression changed, and finally he couldn't help but ask. Although it was cold barbecue, what he served was enough for two meals, and she couldn't finish it no matter how hard she thought.

"One day." Mei Lin smiled without explaining too much, and then asked, "Please tell me eunuch, where should I send this plate?" Naturally, she didn't dare to bother him with the aftermath of the meal.

The courteous banquet was obviously very useful to her, so he stopped making things difficult and waved his hand: "Leave it there, someone will pick it up tomorrow." As he said that, as if he suddenly remembered something, he looked her up and down, frowned and said, "How can you serve the prince in this state?" He said and walked out.

Mei Lin was a little dazed. She lowered her head to examine herself, and then she realized that after a day of toiling in the mountains and forests, the white clothes she was wearing were not only wrinkled, but also stained with the juice of some grass leaves and wild flowers. It looked yellow and green, very wonderful. Thinking that Murong Jinghe had held her in his arms without any disdain, she couldn't help but feel a strange feeling in her heart. At the same time, she also understood the true meaning of his words about being covered in the fragrance of flowers.

She was thinking wildly, but Qingyan had turned back, followed by two big men in imperial army uniforms. One is carrying a large wooden bucket, and the other is carrying two buckets of hot water.

Qingyan directed the two of them to put down the bucket and poured the water in. After watching them leave, he put aside the clean clothes and towels in his hands and said to his eyebrows; "Take care of yourself, don't let people say that the people in our Jingbei Palace don't know etiquette and are like dirty beggars."

Without waiting for Mei Lin to speak, he added; "Put the water there after washing, and stay here tonight. Tomorrow I will have someone set up a tent for you." After speaking, he left the tent and never came back.

There is a thin white mist rising from the water in the bucket, and golden rice-sized petals are scattered on the clear water. When steamed by the heat, the fragrance fills the air, making people want to soak in it at the first sight.

Mei Lin stood there for a long time, and after confirming that no one came in again, she slowly took off her clothes and stepped into the water.

When she sat down, the water in the bucket rippled up and just covered her chest. The slightly hot water temperature stimulated and soothed the aching muscles all over her body. She couldn't help but let out a sigh of comfort and completely relaxed against the edge of the bucket.

Although this Qing Yan was a bit harsh in his words, he was very considerate and caring. Mei Lin thought whether it was because of Murong Jinghe's face or because he fulfilled his duties, these did not prevent her from being grateful to him.

After soaking for a while, after the fatigue subsided, Mei Lin reached out and took out the hairpin, letting her long hair fall down. Taking a deep breath, she slid down, letting the water cover her head, and her mind became clearer.

When she heard Murong Jinghe occasionally calling himself the king, she just thought it was a slip of the tongue, but now she found out that he had actually been crowned the king. If a prince is granted the title of king, either because of his great achievements, or because he was exiled. No matter what the reason was, the old emperor's position was destined to be lost to him.

Jingbei... That place...

Before she could finish her breath, she burst out of the water with a splash, wiped away the wet hair and water droplets on her face, and looked at the candlelight with bright eyes.

There...that's where she came from.

That year, she and other children were crowded in a shaking carriage, watching the green hills disappearing in front of her eyes, the broken white flowers swaying in the rain and mist, and feeling at a loss as to where they were being taken. At the very beginning of that journey, when she heard conversations among passers-by, Jingbei was mentioned the most.

Maybe Murong Jinghe will take them back to Jingbei. Thinking of this possibility, Mei Lin couldn't help but feel excited, and there was a faint expectation in her heart that she didn't understand.

However, this expectation did not last long. Because from the next day until the end of the hunt, she could not see Murong Jinghe's face again, as if she had been forgotten.

On the contrary to her, A'Dai, who finally surrendered to reality, has been living in Murong Jinghe's main tent, enjoying great honor and favor for a while. As a result, Qingyan couldn't help but show pity in his eyes every time he saw her.

What made her completely despair about that thought was that after the hunt, Murong Jinghe did not return to Jingbei, but drove to Beijing with her. Only then did she know that he had been living in Zhaojing. As for Jingbei, it may only be regarded as a nominal fiefdom.