Chapter 369
**Chapter 367: Following**
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” Qian Momo said with a smile. “Princess Leyou is at the training grounds learning to ride. There are palace maids attending to her, and both young princes are there too. She won’t suffer from the heat.”
As Leyou grew older, her lively spirit blossomed, like a wild horse galloping freely. Recently, she had taken a liking to horseback riding, often rushing to the training grounds to ride, shoot arrows, and play with wooden swords, thoroughly enjoying herself.
The wife of the Minister of War waved her fan and teased, “Rest easy, Your Majesty. My little boy is there too; he’ll surely look after the princess.”
...
At the palace training grounds, the spring sun shone brightly, and the grass stretched endlessly around the area. Dressed in a pink riding outfit and wearing a special helmet made by Shen Wei, Leyou held the reins tightly in her small, fair hands, joyfully riding a little pony.
“Giddy up!”
Leyou happily circled the riding area. The weather was warm, and her chubby face flushed with excitement.
Outside the railings of the riding area, a dark-skinned little boy watched Leyou anxiously, his eyes glued to her, fearing she might fall off the horse.
After a while, Leyou grew tired of riding and skillfully dismounted. A palace maid approached with a handkerchief and some refreshing tea. Leyou waved them off, wiping her own sweat and sipping the tea as she sat in the shade.
Noticing the little boy not far away, she waved, “Liang Huichuan, want some tea?”
Liang Huichuan—the youngest son of the Minister of War—had a dark complexion that glowed faintly red as he quietly walked over. He took the tea Leyou offered and gulped it down in one go.
Leyou swung her feet and tilted her head, “Why aren’t you with the others at the archery range?”
Liang Huichuan scratched his head. He wasn’t good at lying, so he quickly glanced at Leyou and said awkwardly, “I didn’t want to shoot arrows. I wanted to watch you ride.”
Leyou frowned slightly, “You ride every day, and if you don’t practice archery, you’ll fall behind them.”
Liang Huichuan replied honestly, “No matter how hard they practice, they can’t outdo me in riding and shooting.”
As the youngest son of the Minister of War, Liang Huichuan wasn’t particularly good at academics, but he had a natural talent for horseback riding and archery. In a few years, he hoped to train in the military and become a great general to protect his homeland.
Leyou thought for a moment. Those boys practiced riding and archery every day, yet they always lost to Liang Huichuan in competitions.
With a bright smile, she said, “Alright then, have another cup of tea, and later we can ride together.”
Her round cheeks made her look like a lovely doll, and when she smiled, she was especially adorable. Liang Huichuan stammered, “Oh, okay... good... very good.”
The palace attendants stood by, and the two children happily sipped their tea in the shade. After a while, the archery activity ended, and a group of boys chattered as they approached.
Leading the pack were Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou. Surrounding the two princes were the sons of court officials, who came to the palace each month to accompany the princes in riding, archery, and studies.
Li Yuanjing had already begun to groom his son’s future allies.
“Brother, come have some refreshing tea,” Leyou cheerfully called out.
The group of boys rushed over, politely greeting Leyou. She shared the refreshing tea with them, and laughter filled the training grounds.
Liang Huichuan, not one for words, quietly stood beside Leyou. After a while, everyone returned to the archery range.
Leyou, feeling spirited, continued to ride her pony. Liang Huichuan, worried about her falling, mounted a horse and followed closely behind.
When Li Yuanjing finished his duties and entered the training grounds, he saw the scene—his daughter, the precious jewel, with the dark-skinned boy from the Minister of War’s family trailing after her.
Li Yuanjing’s face darkened instantly, his heart filled with anger.
...
That night in Yongning Palace, Li Yuanjing and Shen Wei both rested.
Li Yuanjing vented his frustrations to Shen Wei, claiming that the Minister of War’s son had ulterior motives, coveting the princess at such a young age!
Shen Wei couldn’t help but chuckle.
“That Liang Huichuan is a diligent and earnest child, working hard at martial arts. I believe he will grow up to be a capable general,” she said.
Li Yuanjing snorted, “Generals are often away from home, how can he match with Leyou?”
The husband of Leyou must be a man of “both literary and martial prowess, with outstanding character, good looks, loyalty, and grace.”
That rough-and-tumble Liang Huichuan was simply not suitable!
Shen Wei leaned closer to Li Yuanjing, playfully whispering, “Leyou is still young; Your Majesty is worrying for nothing.”
Li Yuanjing huffed in response.
Seeing that he was still sulking, Shen Wei changed the subject, “Your Majesty, the princess of Yue State is coming to the palace this year. Have you thought about what position to give her?”
Yue State and Qing State had signed a century-long peace treaty.
The two nations had opened trade, and border conflicts had ceased. Princess Zhaoyang married the emperor of Yue State, and she had safely given birth to a boy, who was joyfully declared the crown prince by the delighted emperor.
The princess of Yue State was now eighteen, and according to previous agreements, she was to come to Qing State as a consort.
The official letter from Yue State had already arrived, awaiting Li Yuanjing’s response.
Li Yuanjing wrapped his arm around Shen Wei, his handsome eyes narrowing slightly, “I sense a hint of jealousy in your words.”
Shen Wei pretended to be silent.
Li Yuanjing chuckled, “The Marquis of Jing’an passed away last year, and his eldest son has inherited the title. If the princess of Yue State comes to our Da Qing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for her to marry into the Marquis of Jing’an’s household.”
Having experienced the world, Li Yuanjing now only wished to stay with Shen Wei, living an ordinary life as a couple.
As for the princess of Yue State, he had no intention of accepting her.
Shen Wei playfully tugged at Li Yuanjing’s belt, pretending to be casual, “Then I’ll go along with Your Majesty’s wishes.”
The warm light glowed softly, and the beauty beside him was like a painting.
Li Yuanjing’s fingers brushed against Shen Wei’s face, feeling that every part of her was simply exquisite.
Her eyes were beautiful, her nose was lovely, her lips were charming, her hands were graceful, and her waist was slender—every feature seemed to grow according to Li Yuanjing’s aesthetic, captivating him completely.
He turned over, pressing down.
In the soft, fragrant curtains, the spring air was vibrant, and delicate light filtered through the swaying gauze.
...
The next day, Li Yuanjing woke up feeling refreshed. After breakfast, he prepared to attend the morning court.
The endless affairs of state often left him exhausted. Yet, all the pressures would dissipate the moment he returned to Shen Wei’s side.
Shen Wei was a warm harbor, where Li Yuanjing found peace and the confidence to face crises.
Stepping out of the sleeping quarters, he passed through the lush vegetable garden. In spring, the little greens Li Yuanjing had planted were thriving. He pointed to two of the best-growing plants and instructed De Shun, “Pull these two out and send them to the imperial kitchen for a ham and vegetable soup. I’ll have lunch with the Empress.”
De Shun replied respectfully, “As you command.”
Li Yuanjing stretched lazily, feeling light-hearted as he headed to court.
Shen Wei was still asleep, having been exhausted the night before. This morning, she rarely indulged in a lie-in. As the sun rose high, she groggily got out of bed, gazing at the sunlight streaming into the chamber.
With a sense of disillusionment, Shen Wei thought, “Oh heavens, I can’t keep living this life of nightly revelry!”
If one were to take advantage, they shouldn’t just target her alone!
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