The grass in the factory should be plucked

Chapter 47 Patrolling the Mountains

Arriving in the forest, Jiang Li couldn't stay there any longer and just wanted to go out and play.

Xie Changan simply gave her the task of contacting the secret guards, and asked her to patrol the secret guards' hiding places every day.

This girl moves very fast in the forest like a monkey. It takes her less than half a day to patrol the entire hunting ground.

He also told Xiaoying to follow him so that he could come back and report in time if Jiang Li encountered any danger.

After Jiang Li started "patrolling the mountains", the secret guards of the East Factory no longer dared to slack off.

This Yin Shiliu is elusive, just like a wisp of smoke and floating clouds, silently and suddenly appearing in front of you. It will be troublesome if you are lazy and caught by her.

No wonder Xie Touer dotes on her so much, she really is quite capable.

The little girl was very easy to get along with. Whenever she picked some wild fruits or found some bird eggs, she would give them to the secret guards nearby, saying that "whoever sees it gets a share."

The girl had a tender voice and she smiled whenever she saw everyone, calling them "brother" all the time. She was really likable and soon she became friends with the secret guards.

At noon, Xie Changan roasted a pheasant for her. When it was time for dinner, Jiang Li took the initiative to cook.

As expected, she only knew how to cook those few dishes. The stewed rice with bacon was just okay, but the scrambled eggs and braised cabbage were just cooked through and tasted like chewing wax.

Xie Changan couldn't bear it any longer, so he had to continue roasting the wild rabbit that Jiang Li brought back. Jiang Li was so happy with the meal that he didn't want to go back to the capital at all.

As they got along, Xie Changan discovered that this girl was a complex of contradictions.

When eating, she would wait until I picked up my chopsticks before she started to pick up the food. Her movements were extremely elegant, chewing in small bites, and she looked like a lady from a well-off family who had studied etiquette.

Once she entered the dense forest, she became a little savage, running and jumping in the mountain stream, flying through the dense forest, like a forest elf, lively, jumpy and free.

I guess the latter is her true nature, and more... fascinating.

At night, Xie Changan let Jiang Li sleep in the inner room, and he slept on the couch in the outer room.

Jiang Li was a little uneasy: "Sir, it's not good for me to take up your bed. I'd better sleep on the couch in the outer room."

"I need to take care of official business. It would be inconvenient for you to sleep in the outer room."

"OK then."

After finishing the last piece of paperwork, Xie Changan blew out the candle and lay down on the couch.

The cold moonlight poured in from the window. Xie Changan thought that Jiang Li was sleeping in the inner room. How could he fall asleep when she was so close to him?

At this moment, everything was silent, and any slight sound would be infinitely amplified. He heard her turning over from time to time, sometimes the sound of a pillow falling, sometimes the sound of kicking the quilt, which showed how restless this girl was when sleeping. He was even worried that she would fall off the bed.

Two days passed like this, and the emperor finally arrived.

Liao Wuyong brought the East Factory Guards and the Imperial Guards to escort the emperor.

Xie Changan immediately transferred Yin Jiu to the mountain and handed over the task of feeding Jiang Li to him, getting rid of the weird feeling of "being a father".

Nangong Qinghe also came with the main force. This was the first time he appeared in front of everyone as the "King of Jin".

Many officials in the court saw the third prince for the first time, and only then did they realize that the emperor actually had three princes!

The Prince of Jin was only sixteen years old. He was as gentle as jade, had the appearance of a modest gentleman, and was full of bookish air. When many aristocratic families and powerful people heard that he was still unmarried, they couldn't help but become interested in him.

Although the third prince's mother's family is not prominent, he is a legitimate prince, and the emperor only has three grown-up sons.

The eldest prince and the second prince had many supporters, and those who couldn't squeeze in turned their attention to the third prince.

It is better to help someone in need than to add icing on the cake. While the Third Prince has no power of his own, he should surrender to him. In case the First Prince and the Second Prince end up in a fight and both suffer losses, the Third Prince will benefit. Then, he can get the credit of being a follower of the dragon, right?

Nangong Qinghe never expected that he was also such a popular person. He was eager to reach the royal hunting ground as soon as possible.

A'li asked Xiao Lihua to tell him that she would also go to the hunting ground, but she would set off three days earlier than the main force, together with the Dongchang secret guards.

I wonder if he can find an opportunity to meet the person he has been thinking about?

"Your Highness the Prince of Jin." A young man as gentle as the breeze and bright moon rode his horse to Nangong Qinghe's side.

"Mr. Cui." Nangong Qinghe responded politely.

This is Cui Jue, the eldest grandson of Qinghe Cui. He is the most prominent noble son of the aristocratic family in Da Chu. Even the eldest prince and the second prince have to be polite when they see him.

But Cui Jue had a special liking for Nangong Qinghe. On the way to the royal hunting ground, he was looking for opportunities to get close to Nangong Qinghe.

Nangong Qinghe didn't know that Qinghe Cui had set his sights on him. He followed Empress Zhang's instructions and decided to make some friends of the same age who he could talk to during this hunting trip, but he should not refuse everyone, especially court officials and dignitaries, in order to avoid being suspected by the emperor of "forming a clique for personal gain."

In the future he will be the Queen's son, the legitimate son of the Empress, with a noble status. There is no need for him to pay attention to those people who are scheming for something.

Therefore, Nangong Qinghe's attitude towards Cui Jue was polite but distant, which made Cui Jue a little depressed.

As the legitimate son of the Qinghe Cui family, when has he not been the object of flattery and fawning?

He took the initiative to approach the Third Prince, who did not act flattered. Instead, he treated him neither arrogantly nor humbly as a peer and treated him as an equal, which made him admire him even more.

"Your Highness, are you confident of winning this hunting event?" Cui Jue asked with a smile.

Nangong Qinghe smiled and said, "I am not good at riding and shooting, but it is enough if I can hunt one or two preys and not return empty-handed. In previous years, the champions were either my eldest brother or my second brother. This is Qinghe's first time participating in hunting, how can I compete with them?"

"Your Highness is too modest." Cui Jue said with a smile.

At this moment, a young girl's voice was heard: "Brother!"

A girl in green riding clothes rode up on horseback. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like ink, her face was beautiful and she was very elegant.

"Jin'er, why don't you take the car?" Cui Jue said with a smile.

The girl was none other than his own sister, Cui Jin, a daughter of Qinghe Cui family who was carefully brought up. Naturally, she was proficient in playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was also proficient in riding, shooting, and horseback riding.

"You've been sitting in the carriage for so long, get off and stretch your muscles." Cui Jin smiled brightly.

Cui Jue said: "Jin'er, come and meet His Royal Highness Prince Jin."

Cui Jin was wearing riding clothes, so he couldn't do the blessing ceremony. He bowed his hands in a dignified manner and said, "Qinghe Cui Jin, I greet your highness."

"Miss Cui." Nangong Qinghe also bowed in return.

Before leaving, Empress Zhang also warned him to be careful of the tricks used in the harem.

The customs in Da Chu are open, and hunting activities are often participated by noble ladies. You must be careful to avoid women who want to use dirty means to gain power, and never tarnish your reputation.

To be on the safe side, Empress Zhang asked Nanny Gao, who had some knowledge of pharmacology, to accompany her, and Nangong Qinghe even asked Shen Muchun for some self-defense items.

Although Shen Muchun was also among the entourage, he followed the emperor's carriage and could not travel with Nangong Qinghe.

Now that he had met the girl, Nangong Qinghe's alarm bells rang.

Although I think that Qinghe Cui is too noble to resort to such tricks, I still have to be on the safe side. Even if it is a female fly, I can't let it get close to me!

Cui Jin had no idea what Nangong Qinghe was thinking. Seeing that he was not looking away, he couldn't help but laugh in his heart. This King of Jin was indeed an upright gentleman.