Chapter 26: A Man of Power and Influence (2/2)

“Do you know the saying ‘Chasing the deer in the Central Plains’?”

Awu nodded, “Yes, I do.”

The emperor said, 

“The ‘deer’ in that saying refers to this animal.”

Awu exclaimed, “I see!”

At that moment, a servant brought over some fruits, served in exquisite celadon dishes. 

There were dates, apricots, peaches, and bayberries, it looked  freshly picked.

The servant respectfully explained that these were gifts from the nearby Qiong households, who had heard that esteemed guests were passing through.

The emperor showed little interest but asked Awu, 

“Would you like to try some?”

Awu picked up a loquat, which was sweet and sour, quite delicious.

As she ate, she began to feel a bit hungry and asked the emperor, 

“I just woke up, and you dragged me here without letting me eat anything…”

The emperor, seeing her eager expression, clearly craving food, said, 

“Let’s have some ready-made wild game for now. Later, we can hunt, and whatever we catch can be taken back and cooked by the chef for dinner.”

Awu agreed enthusiastically, “Sounds good!”

The emperor then led Awu to a nearby manor. 

Since the emperor was in plain clothes and the Dragon Guards were also keeping a low profile, the Qiong households didn’t recognize the emperor’s identity. 

They curiously peaked but showed no fear.

The two arrived at the manor, where freshly hunted game-wild ducks, pheasants, and rabbits were already prepared for roasting.

The freshly roasted game, seasoned with premium spices, was incredibly fragrant. 

Awu ate with gusto, her mouth glistening with oil.

The emperor also had some but ate modestly, taking only small bites.

After eating, he wiped his fingers with a white handkerchief and spoke with the Qiong households nearby.

These Qiong households had mostly relocated from nearby prefectures, having lived here for generations, raising deer and horses, cultivating land allocated by the court, and hunting wild game for sustenance.

One of the Qiong men said, 

“We also practice archery and horsemanship. When the emperor comes to observe drills or hunt, we assist in surrounding the game.”

Awu found this interesting and asked, 

“Sir, have you ever seen the emperor?”

The Qiong man replied, 

“I haven’t, but my father has!”

He spoke with great pride.

Awu asked, “What does he look like?”

As she spoke, she glanced cautiously at the emperor, who showed no reaction.

The Qiong man said, 

“The emperor looks majestic and noble, clearly a distinguished person, unlike us!”

Awu asked, 

“Does he have three heads and six arms?”

The Qiong man quickly shook his head, 

“Of course not! The emperor is a human like us. I’ve heard that the emperor “

Suddenly, the emperor interjected, 

“The rabbit meat is ready. Would you like to try it?”

His words, though simple, carried an inexplicable authority. 

The young Qiong man, feeling intimidated, quickly said, 

“I was just talking nonsense,” and hastily retreated.

Awu didn’t press further and took the roasted rabbit meat from the emperor.

The roasting method was unusual: the meat was coated in mud, which had cracked open after roasting, revealing the tender, white meat inside, which looked incredibly juicy and soft.

Awu asked curiously, 

“Why was it coated in mud?”

The emperor explained, 

“This method is called ‘rabbit paste’. The meat is roasted and baked, and though it’s not one of the six traditional delicacies, it has a unique flavor.”

Awu, intrigued, took a bite. 

The outer layer was crispy, but the inside was tender and juicy, with a rich, savory flavor. 

It was delicious.

She couldn’t help but take a big bite, 

“It’s so good!”

Her cheeks were puffed as she ate, her thin lips glistening pink, as if painted with rouge.

The emperor’s gaze lingered on her lips as he smiled and said, 

“Take your time. No one’s competing with you.”

Awu casually asked, 

“How far have we come? Should we head back?”

The emperor fiddled with a stick and replied casually, 

“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to. I’ll have the servants set up camp here, and tomorrow

we can watch the sunrise by the lake.”

Awu’s eyes lit up, “Great!”

The emperor took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her lips, 

“Eat slowly.”

The servants nearby were inwardly astonished.

Over the past few days, they had noticed that the emperor was exceptionally fond of this young lady. 

She was young, delicate, and stunningly beautiful, so it wasn’t surprising that she had caught the emperor’s attention.

However, the extent of his indulgence was unusual. 

After all, this was the emperor of Dahui, with numerous concubines in his harem, many of whom were breathtakingly beautiful. 

Yet, they had never seen the emperor show such meticulous care for anyone before.

As the servants pondered this, Awu herself was somewhat surprised and, secretly, was a bit proud.

She knew that some women believed that relying on beauty to win favor was unsustainable, as if it were a sin. 

But in this world, men could earn the emperor’s favor through talent and martial skills. 

What about women? 

What could they rely on?

How many women could genuinely earn the emperor’s affection through their true abilities?

Very few.

Even if there were such women, it certainly wouldn’t be her, Ning Awu.

She had achieved quite a lot in her efforts to please the emperor. 

At least for now, the results were substantial.

The old man’s steady and attentive demeanor truly delighted her.

With this in mind, she deliberately picked up a skewer of meat and offered it to the emperor, holding it to his lips.

As she did so, she suddenly felt the sharp gaze of a guard nearby, filled with vigilance.

She was startled, holding the skewer, and looked over in confusion.

Futai, who was nearby, was also on edge. 

The skewer was right by the emperor’s lips. 

What was she doing? 

He quickly prepared to intervene.

However, the emperor gave him a look, signaling him to stand down.

Futai hesitated but ultimately retreated.

Awu, seeing this, asked innocently, 

“What’s wrong?”

The emperor didn’t answer but looked at Awu with a clear expression he wanted to eat.

Awu was puzzled but still offered the skewer.

The emperor slowly ate from her hand, his light brown eyes smiling at her, making her blush.

His gaze was filled with indulgence and affection, a look that could make one’s body soften and heart melt.

After he finished eating, Awu withdrew the skewer.

As she did, she felt the atmosphere around them relax, no longer as tense as before.

Suddenly, she realized.

The skewer was sharp and could injure someone. 

The attendants and guards were always on alert, fearing that she might harm the emperor.

For a moment, she felt a chill down her spine. 

What if her hand had slipped and she had injured the emperor? 

She would have been executed, right?

No wonder people said that accompanying the emperor was like accompanying a tiger. 

Not only did one have to fear the emperor, but also the guards around him!

The emperor noticed Awu’s discomfort. 

He took her hand, cradling her delicate fingers in his palm, and said, 

“Let’s take a walk to aid digestion.” 

The sky was dim, and the man’s tall, slender silhouette walked gracefully on the grassland at dusk, like a leisurely king inspecting his domain.

And indeed, it was his. 

Dahui was his, Nanqiongzi was his, every blade of grass here belonged to him.

Being led by the hand like this, Awu felt a sense of importance, as if she too had become valuable.

The two strolled leisurely and eventually stopped by a shallow bank.

The sunset dyed the distant sky red, and the reeds swayed gently in the breeze.

The emperor held Awu’s hand, 

“The last time I was here was when I was young.”

Awu asked, “How young?”

The emperor replied, 

“You’re sixteen now, right?”

Awu nodded, “Yes.”

The emperor said, “About your age.”

Awu listened silently, knowing that the emperor was reminiscing about the past, and he wanted to share.

The emperor continued, 

“I was about to get married. It was arranged by my late father.”

Awu asked, 

“And then? Did you get married?”

The emperor replied, “Yes.”

He lowered his eyes, looking at the water. 

The ripples shimmered like scattered gold, as beautiful as that evening in his youth.

He smiled, “So I got married.”

Awu didn’t know what to say and muttered vaguely, 

“You must have had a loving marriage…”

The emperor said, 

“Yes, we were affectionate and respectful to each other.”

Awu was at a loss for words. 

She was standing under the sunset, holding this man’s hand, yet he was speaking of his affection for his wife.

It felt strange.

She subtly withdrew her hand.

Although she, as someone who relied on her beauty to win favor, had no right to talk about shame, and although the emperor was never theEmpress’s alone, sometimes she still wanted to save face…

The emperor fell silent, gazing into the distance.

The evening breeze picked up, and Awu suddenly felt a chill.

She realized she was standing in a place she shouldn’t be, accompanying a man she shouldn’t accompany.

But… 

What could she do? 

She could only stand there silently.

At that moment, the emperor suddenly reached out and took her hand again, saying, 

“Let’s go back.”

Awu was surprised and looked at him in confusion.

His expression was calm, his eyes slightly lowered, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

Awu didn’t dare say anything and simply followed him back.

Emperor Jingxi walked very slowly, step by step, and Awu had no choice but to slow her pace, holding her breath, carefully accompanying him forward.

Awu also noticed that even as the two of them strolled casually, there were guards following in the shadows.

They probably weren’t ordinary Imperial Guards but rather personal shadow guards who followed at all times. 

Those shadow guards seemed to be moving as well, though Awu couldn’t see them, only faintly sensed their presence. 

An emperor is indeed an emperor with a single glance or gesture from him, and so many people are set into motion.

When they finally returned to the campsite, Awu was taken aback.