Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 519 The Princess Who Wants to Compilation 16

Gu Tingzhou raised his head with lingering fear, looking at the wild boar rolling and wailing beside him, and then looked at the precious bow on the ground that had a terrible dent on it, which was obviously thrown with great force.

Then he looked at Huang Yunchu, who was protecting the people and was still as steady as a rock. As smart as he was, his brain was in a mess. All he felt was gratitude for surviving the disaster and awe of Yunchu's unfathomable martial arts skills.

Shen Ji in his arms closed his eyes as he felt the solid embrace and strong arms. The powerful protection and reassuring breath he had never experienced before made his tense body relax a little bit, and his cold limbs seemed to gradually warm up.

The intense fear was replaced by a strange, surging, indescribable emotion. The tip of his nose was lingering with her unique fresh scent. His heart had never beaten so fast. With his face buried in her shoulder and neck, he seemed to be able to hear each other's heartbeats resonating in his chest.

At this moment, a seed of unprecedented dependence and admiration quietly broke out of its shell, accompanied by the afterglow of fear and a violent heartbeat.

Yun Chu felt the slight trembling in his arms and the chaotic breathing of several people beside his ears. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, sweeping over the other groups of princesses who had been alarmed and rushed over - including the second princess Huang Yunli, who was the first to encounter the wild boar's attack, with a cold and scrutinizing face.

The cynicism on her face had long since vanished, leaving only a cold calm.

She gently patted Shen Ji's back in her arms, and said in a low but clear voice, "It's okay."

Then, she looked around at the four of them, her lips curling up in a nonchalant arc, as if everything that had just happened was insignificant. "Look how scared I am of you. You're just a few idiots. Follow closely next time. Let's go. There might be better prey ahead."

It was as if the shocking defense and counterattack just now were just a casual swipe of a few annoying flies.

The sound of horse hooves and the noise gradually faded away, as if the wild boar scare just now was just a small episode.

The sun was setting, and the light in the dense forest deep in the enclosure grew dim and hard to discern. The air was filled with the lingering smell of blood, sweat, and decaying vegetation.

The first day of hunting is over.

As night fell, Yun Chu, who had changed out of his hunting suit and was now wearing simple casual clothes, walked in and waved away his servants.

The dissolute and ostentatious appearance of the princess in the paddock during the day had long disappeared, replaced by a hint of weariness between her eyebrows.

Inside the tent, a middle-aged man in a moon-white brocade robe and with an elegant figure was facing a game of chess under the lamp.

He is Lan Guijun.

Time has been especially gentle to him, leaving only a hint of charm in the corners of his eyes and adding a touch of refined elegance.

He raised his head when he heard the voice, and the moment he saw Yun Chu, his eyes immediately filled with undisguised love and concern, like a warm lamp suddenly lit in the cold night.

"Xiaochu is back?" He put down the black jade chess piece he was twisting in his hand, his voice as gentle as warm jade, "I heard the hunting grounds were very busy today? Are you tired? Come and sit down. I'm warming up the osmanthus wine, drink some to warm you up."

"Father," Yun Chu called out, walking over and sitting down on the cushion across from him. Sure enough, there was a small wine warmer on the table, and next to it were some of her favorite childhood snacks.

Lan Guijun personally poured her half a cup of clear sweet wine and pushed the snacks in front of her: "You don't look well. Did those people... make things difficult for you?" He did not point out who they were, but the father and daughter understood each other tacitly.

Yun Chu took a sip of wine gently, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus slid into his throat along with the warmth, dispelling the coldness in his heart.

Only in front of her father did she dare to drop her disguise a little, revealing a hint of genuine weariness: "I'm used to it. The eldest and second sisters were just testing me today, but the third sister is still as gentle as ever."

She paused, looked into Lan Guijun's all-seeing eyes, and curled her lips in self-mockery, "Shen Ji and the others...are quite useful shields."

Lan Guijun felt a pang of pain in her heart as she looked at her forced calmness.

He reached out and gently patted the back of his daughter's hand across the table.

That hand was pampered, but not weak and frail. There were even thin calluses on the fingertips from holding a pen for a long time - those were the traces left by her secretly sorting out maps and copying manuscripts on mountains and rivers.

"I'm sorry for wronging my Xiaochu." Lan Guijun sighed softly, her eyes full of heartache and pity.

He was no ordinary woman, and his ability to remain in favor and understand the entanglements between the harem and the previous dynasty was instinctive. "The world only thinks my son is naughty and absurd, indulging in wine and women. Little do they know... my Xiaochu has magnificent mountains and rivers in his heart, and the universe in his pen."

Yun Chu felt a slight soreness in his nose.

In this world, only her father truly understands what her heart desires.

Deep in her desk, there were those parchment scrolls with the directions of mountains and rivers marked on them, and manuscripts depicting the customs and practices of various places, which she carefully hid. These were all provided by her father and concubine to cover her up. Sometimes, she even secretly asked someone to help her search for some rare local chronicles.

Her "excessive extravagance" was partly for self-protection, and partly because it was the greatest indulgence that her loving father, the only one in the deep palace who could protect her, could give her.

"Father..." Yun Chu's voice choked. "I really don't know when this Mountain and River Atlas will be completed."

Lan Guijun stared at her, his eyes clear and firm, with the insight and strength of an elder: "Haste makes waste. Xiaochu, your ambitions are lofty, not something you can just hold onto."

"But even a latent dragon must wait its time. Born into the imperial family, this word 'absurd' is your best armor when you are temporarily unable to leave this imperial city."

He patted her hand again, his strength steady. "Don't worry, don't panic. As long as the light in your heart is not extinguished, there will be a day when you will travel all over the mountains and write books. Your father has carefully kept all the things you have collected for you. When you set off, take everything with you."

He looked at the faint yet persistent fire in his daughter's eyes and said earnestly, "Protecting yourself is more important than anything else. The throne is icy cold. Father and Consort only wish that you...live freely in this life. Traveling the mountains and rivers, writing your book, this is Huang Yunchu's destiny."

"But father," Yun Chu raised her head and looked into Lan Guijun's eyes, which were illuminated by the light, "if I leave...what will you do?"

She was well aware of her identity as the favored "ridiculous princess" and that she was a great support for Lan Guijun in the palace.

If she leaves the capital and loses this barrier, how long can the Queen Mother's favor last?

What will happen to the maternal families of other concubines and other princesses?

Lan Guijun smiled softly, a smile that was gentle yet carried a hint of the calmness and cunning of someone who had experienced the vicissitudes of life. "Silly child, your father has been in this palace for decades, and is it really because of a little princess like you that he was able to gain a foothold?"

"Just focus on your role and follow your path. Father has his own way of establishing himself. When your wings are strong enough to fly away... Father will have his own place. Don't worry about me. As long as you are safe and happy, Father will be relieved."

At this moment, a figure seemed to pass by hurriedly not far away from the tent, with a hint of prying intent.