On the other side, Liu Shu Yi was still glaring at Chu Ming Chen.
"You're not allowed to scare him either. I'm telling you, little Ah Mo is my little brother. If I see you bullying him again, I'll definitely beat you up!" Liu Shu Yi waved her little fist as she spoke.
Chu Ming Chen suddenly gave up. "Liu Shu Yi, you only know to threaten me! I'm going to tell my mom when I get back, and say you bully me every day!"
Yan Mo was a little stunned. That uncontrollable little tyrant from back then had turned into a little tsundere. Anyone would be shocked.
Yan Yan also realized who this teenager in front of them was. She wasn't unfamiliar with this scene, but back then the characters were little brats whereas now they were teenagers.
Chu Ming Chen and Liu Shu Yi's grievances went way back.
Actually, the two of them were cousins. Liu Shu Yi's mom Ma Quan Fang was the older sister of Chu Ming Chen's mom. The older sister married into the Yiyong Marquis Estate whereas the younger sister married into the Ruyang Marquis Estate. The sisters had a very good relationship from a young age, and it didn't fade after their marriages.
Chu Ming Chen was younger than Liu Shu Yi by a year, and the two had grown up playing together.
But Chu Ming Chen had always been naughty and Liu Shu Yi took it upon herself as the older sister to discipline him. Chu Ming Chen was often unresigned, but unfortunately he was still suppressed every time. Not only did Liu Shu Yi suppress him, even his mom who cherished him would always be biased towards this damned opponent of his.
Neither one was willing to give an inch. Every time they met they would bicker a few rounds. However, Chu Ming Chen usually couldn't get the upper hand.
Those teenagers who played with Chu Ming Chen naturally knew Liu Shu Yi as well. Chu Ming Chen's background was the best out of those people and his temper was the most overbearing. Since Liu Shu Yi was able to make him submit, the others were naturally scared of her.
A teen with a round face spoke up: "Big sis Shu Yi, we really didn't bully that child."
The other teenagers nodded in unison.
Liu Shu Yi gave them a suspicious glance and then looked at the pififul looking Yan Mo behind Yan Yan. Her righteous heart ultimately was biased towards the underdog. Yan Mo was smaller than boys his age and couldn't be compared to those pampered teenagers.
"Ah Mo is so obedient, he definitely wouldn't lie. I saw you raising your whip at him earlier!"
Recalling the scene, Liu Shu Yi glared at Chu Ming Cheng again.
That round-faced teen explained with an awkward smile: "We really didn't bully him. We just wanted to find a space to practice our riding. He was blindly running around and we were afraid of bumping into him. That's why we wanted to drive him away. Unexpectedly...."
Fine, the rest didn't need to be said. Yan Yan already understood.
It turns out these people weren't good riders. They could even be called extremely bad. To avoid harming passersby, they wanted him to move far away. Unexpectedly, this passerby wasn't too obedient, resulting in them arguing.
Liu Shu Yi spurred her horse over to Yan Yan and said quietly: "Hmmm, that, my useless cousin truly isn't too good at horseriding."
Yan Yan smiled as she saw her awkward expression. "Enough, since it was a misunderstanding we'll leave it at that. I hadn't recognized him earlier. Your cousin seems to have changed in appearance."
When he was young, he had been a brawny little meatball. After growing up, he became a tall and slender pretty boy. It was quite the difference.
Liu Shu Yi revealed a disgusted expression before involuntarily laughing. "That's right. He's no longer the brat playing around in the mud."
Their words were pretty low and the others couldn't hear them clearly.
Chu Ming Chen pricked up his hears and only heard "misunderstanding", "cousin" and "brat playing around in the mud". His face immediately flushed.
Everyone had dumb moments as a kid. Why did this Liu Shu Yi like picking on his shortcomings!
He coughed a few times and did his best to put on a stern expression: "Cousin, this friend of yours is?"
Hearing him call her cousin, Liu Shu Yi looked at him as though startled. Seeing Chu Ming Chen's earnest appearance, she couldn't help but recall some amusing things in the past and start laughing.
"Little cousin, you don't recognize her?"
Chu Ming Chen glanced at Yan Yan and the roots of his ears turned red. He shook his head.
Liu Shu Yi laughed even more evilly. "Remember the big sis Ah Yan that beat you up back then?"
Chu Ming Chen's thoughts turned rapidly and finally stopped on a certain scene.
He faintly recalled when he was an insensible child, he loved digging around in the mud. After getting dirt all over his hands, he would rub it onto his cousin's dress and laugh happily.
Once, he was up to his same old mischief when he mistook the person, dirtying a beautiful little girl's dress instead. This girl wasn't like his cousin at all. When his cousin's dress got dirtied, she would only cry and tattle. This girl pressed him on the ground without a word and gave him a beating. Her little fists were rather powerful, making him cry for his mom and dad.
That was Chu Ming Chen's first time beaing hit by someone in his life. The memory was fresh in his mind. What made it even more unbearable was that ever since then, Liu Shu Yi had also learned this technique after seeing him getting beaten to tears.
He remembered Liu Shu Yi calling that little girl Ah Yan.
Chu Ming Chen suddenly felt the heavens turning upside down. Before he could react, he had instinctively turned his horse around and galloped off.
There was no evidence of shoddy horsemanship this time. He galloped away very swiftly.
"Hahaha, he's still scared of you...hahaha...."
The round-faced teen on the side looked awkwardly at Yan Yan and said to Liu Shu Yi: "That, big sis Shu Yi, we'll head off first."
After speaking, the few of them vanished like smoke.
A long while later, Yan Yan finally said impatiently: "Enough, they were all laughed off by you."
"I really couldn't hold it in. You don't know how undisciplined that spoiled brat is normally. I've never seen him so scared of anyone like this."
"You're exaggerating too much!"
"Really, I'm not lying. He probably doesn't look like that even when faced with my uncle."
Yan Yan shook her head helplessly. She lightly moved the whip in her hand and lassoed the reins of Yan Mo's horse over. She then headed back to the campsite with Black Jade. Liu Shu Yi hurriedly followed after.
.......
More and more people arrived at the campsite.
There were four of these areas around Mt. Meng that surrounded the central campsite of the royal family. The closer to the middle, the higher the status. Those on the outskirts were all low-ranked military officers or officials and their families.
The Weiyuan Marquis Estate's tents were relatively close to the middle. It wasn't too far but it also wasn't too close. Those around them were mostly major families of similar status.
More and more misses could be seen wandering the campsite in groups of three or five. They were mostly wearing riding outfits and met up to go play in the area. The proper ladies of the capital rarely left their doors. Only in a place like this could they relax their etiquette.
When Yan Yan and Liu Shu Yi went out to play, they had run into Wu Qiong Qiong once. She was surrounded by three or four young misses around her age. Yan Yan had walked past without looking at her. Wu Qiong Qiong didn't show much on her face, but Yan Yan clearly felt a vicious glare on her back.
Liu Shu Yi pulled Yan Yan and said quietly: "Ignore her. Ever since that time, the Wu household pushed all the blame onto Pei Jia Yu, saying Wu Qiong Qiong was manipulated by her which was why she did something like that. But who doesn't know the truth of the matter? Everyone is secretly laughing at their Wu household for making matters worse by covering it up."
Yan Yan had no opinion on this. She couldn't control what other people thought.
After that day, her second aunt had sent someone over with a carriage of things, saying it was the Wu household's apology gift. Yan Yan accepted it without modesty.
As for the Wu and Pei household, they were merely dogs biting at each other and ending up with a mouthful of fur.
The Zhenguo Duke Estate's people arrived two days prior to the imperial procession.
Only the Zhenguo Madam and Shen Ding's family of three were in the group. The Zhenguo Duke would come two days later along with the emperor.
When Shen Yi Yao found out her mom and brother had come, she didn't go pay a visit. She merely had Yan Yan take Yan Mo to go pay respects to their grandmother, uncle and aunt.
Seeing this, Yan Ting came to insincerely persuade her a little.
Shen Yi Yao gazed indifferently at him: "Didn't you once say that a married woman should focus on her husband's household?"
Yan Ting looked a little wretched as he gave Shen Yi Yao a complicated glance before leaving.
Shen Qi had come this time as well.
He also brought some news: little fatty Luo would also be coming.
When Yan Yan heard this, her expression was alarmed.
One reason was due to that box. Even now, Yan Yan was a little dazed whenever she thought about it. Another reason was because Yan Yan knew about little fatty Luo's relationship with the palace. Why would they bring him?
Did something happen?
This was also what Luo Huai Yuan was wondering. Ever since he received the summons, he had carefully observed for a few days. However, he still didn't notice anything fishy. It seemed they only summoned him back for Mt. Meng's hunt.
Yet he still remembered he had embarrassed himself during the hunt when he was ten years old. As a ten year old prince, he hadn't even dared to ride a horse. His royal father flipped out on the spot, his face full of disgust. Ever since then, he was hated even more.
However, there were some benefits to returning. At least he was able to see his mom Concubine Ma again.
Concubine Ma was the same as before. Although she missed her son ever since he moved out, at least she didn't have to be on edge the entire time. Now that she saw her son again, she was ecstatic and fussed over him endlessly.
Before long, Luo Huai Yuan couldn't take it anymore. His mom was truly too fussy, even more so than in the past. When he hadn't been able to see her, he had missed her to death. Now that they met, he was bothered to death. What kind of complicated emotion was this?
Luckily, he only stayed in the palace for a few days before leaving for Mt. Meng's surroundings.
Luo Huai Yuan had always been an invisible little thing in the palace, and he was still the same this time around.
He still lived in his own Xianyun Palace. That cheap dad of his and his nominal mother empress never stopped by to see him. When they were about to set out, it was a servant who informed him the carriage had been prepared. He didn't bring anyone except Xiao An Zi with him.
This master and servant pair kept quiet and did whatever they were told. If there wasn't anything going on, they didn't show themselves. When others were around, Xian An Zi accompanied Luo Huai Yuan in his act. Ultimately, the fourth prince still seemed dumb as a pig and timid as a mouse.
After hearing this news, Empress Xiao felt relieved.
Luo Huai Yuan coming this time was truly due to her arrangements. Although she had placed a spy into the fourth prince estate, she still felt more at ease if she could observe things herself.
As Senior Concubine Xu's two sons matured, Empress Xiao felt more and more threatened. She had always been cautious, and didn't want a wolf to suddenly appear from behind as she was dealing with Senior Concubine Xu's side. Luckily, that pig still remained a pig.
As for the other one, Empress Xiao had never taken him seriously. The Grand Xi wouldn't permit its future emperor to be a mute. Therefore, the fifth prince wasn't a threat at all.
The fourth prince's procession stuck close to the fifth prince's. The two followed one after the other. If it weren't for their eye-catching ceremonial processions, no one would associate the two of them with the three other princes in front.
The second prince was becoming more and more outstanding. He was handsome and refined, proficient in the arts and military strategy. He treated others with kindness, and was even gradually overshadowing the crown prince. Along with Emperor Xi being rather biased towards him, it made people's minds wander.
On this outing, he didn't ride in a carriage like the other princes, but rode a horse instead like his brother the third prince. He wore a square collared jacket under a suit of scaled armor, looking mighty and vigorous.
It wasn't just the second prince. Emperor Xi also rather cherished the third prince, who resembled himself a lot. Senior Concubine Xu's two sons were in the spotlight.
However, there were no fools that could remain in the court for long. They were all old and shrewd. The current emperor was in his prime, and only fools would pick their sides early. It wasn't their business if those above struggled. They just needed to watch on the side.