A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1191: Arrival in Guangnan

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Xia Ruqing and Zhao Junyao were en route to Guangnan and were certainly not going to be returning anytime soon.

Upon receiving this news, Yue Er erupted in cheers and leaped about with great enthusiasm.

"Yay!" she exclaimed.

"With Father Emperor and Mother Empress absent, I am absolutely going to learn to ride this year!" she declared.

"When the time comes, I plan to give Father Emperor and Mother Empress a tremendous surprise!"

Zhao Qiheng, who had been swaying his head while reciting poetry, cast a cool glance in her direction upon hearing her words.

"Little sister, how is that a surprise? It sounds more like a fright!"

"Mother Empress is rather timid; you'd best be cautious!"

Yue Er lifted her chin with a proud huff, completely unconvinced by his warning.

"Hmph! How could I possibly frighten anyone?!"

"Even if I do, it's infinitely better than those jumbled poems you write!"

Zhao Qiheng appeared utterly incredulous at her statement.

"My poems are even lauded by Tai Fu. Just because you cannot recite poetry yourself doesn't grant you the right to declare mine as bad!"

Yue Er pouted.

"They are bad!"

As their bickering ensued, Zhao Qiye entered from outdoors.

He was clad in red, his features exhibiting a gradual maturation, blending the delicate refinement inherited from Xia Ruqing with the heroic sharpness characteristic of Zhao Junyao's countenance.

Zhao Qiye was, by all accounts, the most handsome of the three boys.

His features were outrageously beautiful, to such an extent that even Yue Er could not compare.

He had harbored a fondness for wearing red since childhood; he was clever and quick-witted, possessing a slightly perverse streak in his temperament. Though he excelled in both scholarly pursuits and martial arts, neither genuinely held his interest.

The sole passion he held dear were the blood-pumping tales found within ancient texts concerning the martial world, tales of heroes who roamed the jianghu, dispensing chivalrous deeds.

His most profound aspiration in this life was to become a great hero of the jianghu.

To traverse the vast expanse of the earth on horseback, his voice raised in song as he rode, accompanied by a retinue of sons and daughters of the rivers and lakes, journeying to the four corners of the world and immersing himself deeply in a life of love, hatred, and passion.

(Though whether this grand dream will ever materialize remains uncertain!)

Upon seeing her fourth brother enter, Yue Er's small frame immediately pressed itself against him as she began to act in a spoiled manner.

"Fourth Brother!" she cried.

"Third Brother is mocking me, claiming I will never master riding!"

"He asserts that my riding skills will cause Mother Empress to faint from fright!"

Zhao Qiye regarded his little sister with a hint of a headache. After a moment of hesitation, he responded,

"Actually...".

"I also believe your riding would give Mother Empress quite a scare!"

Yue Er stamped her foot in anger.

"Fourth Brother! You are ganging up on me too!"

Zhao Qiye presented a rather innocent expression.

"But I am merely stating the facts!"

Zhao Qiheng became visibly excited, unable to suppress his laughter.

"See! What did I tell you!"

"Little sister! If you ask me, should you genuinely wish to learn riding, you must keep it concealed from Mother Empress! There's no need to be so eager to show off!"

Yue Er, not fully grasping his meaning, turned to look at her fourth brother for clarification.

"You concur with this advice?"

Zhao Qiye nodded in agreement.

"Precisely!"

"As long as Mother Empress remains unaware, she will never discover your equestrian endeavors!"

"You simply need to slip away for a short period each day; that should suffice!"

"Should you inform Mother Empress, she might very well... confine you to the residence!"

Yue Er pondered his words and concluded that what her fourth brother proposed seemed logical.

She immediately snuggled against both brothers with a grin, mischievously declaring,

"Then... you are also forbidden from informing Mother Empress!"

The two brothers nodded in unison.

"Rest assured! Your Third Brother is the epitome of reliability!"

"Yue Er, you are my one and only little sister; your Fourth Brother would never betray you!"

Their assurances became increasingly sincere, one after the other.

However, their internal monologues were quite different:

'Sigh, wasn't it Big Brother who forced us into this situation!'

'Indeed. Big Brother fears punishment if he personally teaches Yue Er to ride, hence this cunning scheme to compel us into coaxing her! Why doesn't he show his own face?!'

'Right? If you intend to teach her, then just teach her. Why involve us in this mess...'

Having voiced their grievances, the two exchanged a look of helplessness.

'No matter how displeased we are, we must simply endure it!'

'Who else is Big Brother but the Crown Prince? We will be following his lead for life; we cannot afford to offend him, absolutely not!'

'Life is indeed hard...'

Following this agreement,

Yue Er continued her riding practice under the watchful eye of her eldest brother, and the duration of these sessions gradually extended.

No matter how the Wetnurse Sisters pleaded and reasoned, their efforts proved futile.

Observing that the Crown Prince himself was consistently present, and fearing the repercussions of truly angering the Princess, they were unable to press the matter further.

...

Back in the palace, Xia Ruqing remained blissfully unaware of Yue Er's burgeoning equestrian skills.

However, as the saying goes, no one knows a daughter like her own mother; even if her deductions were based solely on guesswork, she could still infer a significant portion of the truth.

This girl could never stay still for a moment when she was around. Now that she wasn't present, how could Yue Er possibly conduct herself properly?

However...

Since she couldn't witness it, worrying endlessly was pointless. She couldn't simply confine the child to prevent mischief.

Therefore, if Yue Er was determined to do something, obstructing her at every turn wouldn't be very enjoyable.

As long as the undertaking wasn't excessively perilous, she could choose to overlook it.

(After all, what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over!)

By the end of the eighth month,

Zhao Junyao and Xia Ruqing finally arrived in Guangnan.

This marked Zhao Junyao's third visit, and compared to years past, the scenery had altered little.

The heavens above remained as cerulean, and the atmosphere as stiflingly hot and moist.

Guangnan City still teemed with activity and vibrancy. Merchants of every description lined the thoroughfares, advertising their goods, many of which were novel and previously unseen.

The sole distinction was... those two familiar figures were conspicuously absent, no longer there to grace his arrival.

Inside the carriage.

Xia Ruqing, clad in silken robes suitable for the height of summer, fanned herself languidly with a delicate round fan, appearing quite exasperated.

"It's already post-Mid-Autumn and nearly the ninth month!"

"How can it still be this scorching?!"

Zhao Junyao offered a faint smile.

"We shall secure lodging at an inn shortly and procure some ice; the heat will then be considerably abated!"

Upon uttering these words, even Zhao Junyao felt a shadow of melancholy descend upon him.

His Ninth Imperial Uncle had once held him in the highest affection.

Were he still alive and to learn of his lodging in a common inn, surely he would reprimand him sternly, wouldn't he?

And Zhao Junqi.

He could still vividly recall Zhao Junqi's crestfallen expression as he questioned whether staying in an inn implied a lack of respect towards them.

Alas... in the end, all those sentiments proved to be hollow.

The more Zhao Junyao pondered these memories, the colder his heart became.

Even as an emperor, despite his utter lack of compassion, he was still a being of flesh and blood.

No individual willingly engages in a life-or-death struggle against their own legitimate uncle and legitimate cousin.

He had not desired such a conflict. Truly, he had not!

It was simply that, for the sake of the realm, for the populace, and for his own survival, he was left with no alternative.

A profound bitterness permeated Zhao Junyao's soul.

He found himself, in that moment, wistfully envying the brothers within ordinary families.

They were united and harmonious, bound by familial closeness; when adversity struck, they would swiftly rally together to repel any external aggressions.

Upon hearing of their brothers' humiliation, they would rush to their aid without the slightest hesitation.

How wonderful. That indeed was a truly splendid existence...

...

Within Guangnan City, a villa of modest proportions had been meticulously prepared. It was situated in a secluded locale, offering tranquility and discretion, with surroundings that exuded peacefulness.

By the time the entourage had completed their settling-in, dusk had already fallen.

The day's oppressive heat had subsided, and a gentle, cool breeze wafted in through the open window.

Following dinner, a refreshing bath, and a change of attire, Xia Ruqing, who was drying her hair near the window, succumbed to a light slumber.

Unbeknownst to her, after a period of time had elapsed,

Zhao Junyao gently stirred her from her sleep.

"Do not rest here; you might catch a chill."

Xia Ruqing blinked, her gaze fixed upon his profile, illuminated by the soft moonlight filtering through the window.

"Your Majesty... you are exceedingly handsome!"

The lingering irritation within Zhao Junyao's heart seemed to dissipate slightly, and his expression softened from its previous complexity.

"Oh?"

He inquired softly,

"Do you find me pleasing?"

Xia Ruqing let out a soft chuckle before gently closing her eyes once more.

"Naturally, I do!"

"The moon here is exceptionally beautiful. I believe it appears significantly larger than the moon over the Capital City!"

Zhao Junyao was momentarily caught between amusement and disbelief. Was this girl still immersed in a dream?

"Is the moon not of uniform size across all locations? Since when has it possessed varying dimensions?!"