Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

Chapter 1122 Shen Zhinian summons Lin Wan

The sound of a dead branch breaking came from the side, extremely subtle.

But the emperor still captured it keenly.

Nangong Xuanyu reined in his horse suddenly, and his hawk-like eyes instantly locked onto the source of the sound.

Behind a pile of rugged rocks, there seemed to be a flash of extremely pure silver light.

……

There was a warm fragrance floating in Shen Zhinian's tent, blocking out the murderous atmosphere outside.

Fuqiu gently placed a cup of warm ginseng tea on the small table.

The horns coming from afar and the sound of horses' hooves like thunder became blurred and distant through the thick brocade curtains.

Shen Zhinian sat upright on the couch and played chess with himself. He twirled a warm black jade chess piece with his fingertips and gently dropped it on the exquisite chessboard in front of him, making a crisp sound.

She didn't look up, but asked calmly, "Has it started outside?"

Fuqiu bowed her head and replied, "Yes, Madam."

"On the first day of the autumn hunt, the momentum was extremely great."

The corners of Shen Zhinian's lips curled up slightly, his eyes still on the chessboard, as if everything happening outside had nothing to do with him.

After the game was over, she looked at Xiao Mingzi next to her and asked casually, "What are those ladies outside doing to amuse themselves?"

Xiao Mingzi bowed and said clearly, "Your Majesty, several ladies of the Imperial Order are gathered together to drink tea and chat."

"There were also a few who were more interested and brought their own guards to hunt some rabbits and pheasants near the camp, just to stretch their muscles."

Shen Zhinian raised his eyebrows slightly, and the corners of his lips curved up in a very faint arc, as if he was just saying it casually: "Oh? I feel a little bored."

"Go, invite the ladies to come over one by one, so that they can chat with me and relieve my fatigue."

Her main target is the second young lady of the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion, Lin Wan.

But summoning Lin Wan alone would be too eye-catching and easy to arouse speculation.

Anyway, there were only a handful of noble ladies who were qualified to enter her tent. With Lin Wan among them, she was not so conspicuous.

"The slave obeys the order!"

Xiao Mingzi understood what he meant and left immediately.

Soon, several women dressed in imperial attire came into the tent one after another.

The wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue had a round and plump face. She was all smiles when she came in and was extremely flattering in her words. Every sentence she said was about how Imperial Concubine Chen was favored by the emperor and had a graceful demeanor.

Shen Zhinian listened with a smile, occasionally responding with a word or two, but there was a distant calm in his eyes.

The general's wife was a little reserved. She answered with obvious panic and twisted her handkerchief nervously in her hands.

Shen Zhinian only asked a few gentle questions about family matters and then let her leave.

An old feudal lord with gray hair, had a calm demeanor, and his words and actions showed the reserve of a noble family and respect for the imperial court.

Shen Zhinian chatted with her about some health-preserving methods, and his eyes drifted towards the tent door without leaving a trace.

Finally, after these ladies of honor left one after another, a slender and cold figure appeared outside the curtain.

Xiao Mingzi's voice sounded: "...Mrs. Lin, the second young master's wife of Duke Dingguo, requests to see the Imperial Concubine Chen."

"come in."

Shen Zhinian's voice was still lazy, but he sat up slightly, his eyes fixed on the woman who walked in slowly.

Lin Wan was wearing a lilac brocade jacket and skirt today, with a cloak of the same color with silver edges. Her hair was combed meticulously, with only a kingfisher hairpin in her hair.

Her whole temperament was completely different from the one that Shen Nanqiao had deliberately claimed to be, that was as quiet as a chrysanthemum. It was truly noble and aloof.

Lin Wan lowered her eyebrows and eyes, and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness Liu Lin, I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine Chen. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health!"

"Madam Liu, there is no need to be so polite. Please stand up and sit down."

Shen Zhinian raised his hand to support her, motioning for Fuqiu to take a seat and serve her tea.

Lin Wan stood up to thank him, and sat down sideways on an embroidered cushion a few steps away from the couch, with her back straight and her posture impeccable.

She took the teacup handed to her by Fuqiu, her fingertips white and her movements graceful.

Shen Zhinian picked up his teacup and gently skimmed off the foam, as if chatting casually: "You've been traveling all the way, Madam Liu, are you getting used to it?"

"Thank you for your concern, Imperial Concubine Chen. I am doing fine."

Lin Wan's voice is just like her, clear and pleasant, yet with just the right sense of distance.

But she was wondering in her heart, did Concubine Chen summon her here this time really to chat about daily life, or did she want to say something to her?

But on her face, Lin Wan didn't show any sign of it.

"That's good."

Shen Zhinian took a sip of tea and casually glanced at Lin Wan's calm profile: "The scenery of this enclosure is certainly different from that in the capital. I just heard from Xiao Mingzi that some ladies have become interested and have gone to nearby areas to look for some wild fun."

"Does Madam Lin have such an interest?"

Lin Wan shook her head slightly, with a faint smile on her lips: "Replying to the Royal Concubine Chen, I have never been good at riding and shooting, but I feel that the autumn wind in the wilderness has a unique artistic conception. It is good to read a book in the tent or talk with the ladies I am familiar with."

She paused, as if remembering something, and added, "Besides, everyone in Duke Dingguo's Mansion strictly abides by their duties. It is a grace from His Majesty that we accompany him during the autumn hunt, and we dare not overstep the boundaries in the slightest."

"Follow your duty..."

Shen Zhinian repeated it softly, tapping lightly with his fingertips on the warm wall of the cup, making a slight sound.

She raised her eyes, her charming fox eyes were smiling, but deep and unfathomable: "Mrs. Liu is indeed sensible."

"Duke Dingguo's family has a long tradition of poetry and etiquette, and a strict family tradition. No wonder they were able to cultivate a young talent like the Second Young Master Liu and marry an outstanding lady like Madam Liu."

When mentioning Duke Dingguo's Mansion and Liu Shixiu, there was an imperceptible pause in Shen Zhinian's tone, and his eyes were observing every subtle change in Lin Wan's expression without leaving a trace.

Lin Wan's hand holding the tea paused slightly for a moment, and her long eyelashes drooped even lower, blocking the faint light that flashed across her eyes.

She put down the teacup, her attitude still respectful: "Your Highness, Concubine Chen, thank you for your compliment."

"Duke Dingguo's Mansion relies on Your Majesty's great grace. From now on, we will always remember our duty of loyalty to the emperor and will not slack off in the slightest."

There was silence in the tent for a moment, with only the slight crackling sound of the burning silver frost charcoal in the charcoal basin.

The warm fragrance was lingering, but it seemed to have frozen the air.

Shen Zhinian looked at Lin Wan's drooping brows. He wondered how many undercurrents were hidden under that calm mask.

She suddenly changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of emotion: "Come to think of it, my eldest sister, Lu Shen, is also among the entourage."

"Her husband holds a low position, and he came this time because His Majesty cares about the sisterhood between me and her. But her temper..."

"You have been among the ladies of high rank, have you ever seen her? I wonder if she is still well behaved?"

In front of Lin Wan was a cup of freshly brewed hot tea. The misty vapor blurred the complex emotions surging in her eyes.

"Your Majesty and the Queen were considerate and allowed Madam Lu to accompany them on the autumn hunt, which gave her a lot of respect."