The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 98 A Companion on the Road to the Underworld

As soon as Xu Jiaojiao entered the carriage, Jiarong excitedly rose slightly and grabbed her hand, saying, "Sister Jiaojiao, please sit down!"

This intense enthusiasm left Xu Jiaojiao both amused and exasperated.

Sitting in the carriage, Jia Rong, arm in arm with Xu Jiao Jiao, kept talking non-stop.

"Sister Jiaojiao, let me tell you, originally the Imperial Guards were led by Second Brother and Fifth Brother, but Fifth Brother was beaten into a pig's head by me and dared not show his face, so the Imperial Guards are now led by Second Brother alone!"

Jia Rong laughed so hard she almost fell over, eager to share her happy news with Xu Jiaojiao: "Jiaojiao, you have no idea how funny Lao Wu looked! When we get to the hunting grounds, I'll secretly point it out to you!"

Infected by Jia Rong's smile, Xu Jiaojiao couldn't understand what Jia Rong was happy about most of the way, but the corners of her mouth were always turned up.

Happy times always pass quickly.

It seemed like only a short while before the group arrived at the hunting grounds.

This autumn hunt will be held in the jungle hunting grounds near the western suburban camp. The hunt will last for five days. Members of the royal family and eligible nobles must arrive at the western suburban camp one day in advance to settle in.

In an era where imperial power was supreme, everything revolved around the royal family. Therefore, when Xu Jiaojiao and Jia Rong arrived, the entire camp was temporarily empty except for members of the royal family and the stationed soldiers. The nobles could only settle in after the members of the royal family had finished settling in.

After getting off the carriage and entering the camp, I looked around and saw battle flags embroidered with royal totems everywhere. The flags fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound, which gave me a sense of lofty ambition and heroic spirit.

The tents in the camp were arranged outwards from the main camp according to the hunters' status. The closer the tent was to the main camp, the higher the status of the person in charge, and the more luxurious the tent was. Xu Jiaojiao couldn't help but sigh at this evil class system.

In front of the main camp was a large open space, which was reserved for everyone to gather and listen to the emperor's instructions. This was also the central area for issuing commands during this hunt.

After taking a general look at the camp's environment, Xu Jiaojiao silently began to make plans.

After giving instructions to the maid, Jia Rong ran out of the tent and stood side by side with Xu Jiao Jiao: "What are you looking at, Jiao Jiao?"

Xu Jiaojiao withdrew her gaze: "This is my first time in a place like the camp, and I was a little curious, so I couldn't help but take a few more glances."

Jia Rong had seen this many times since childhood and was already used to it: "The hunting officially begins tomorrow, and I'll take you to the hunting grounds to play then~"

Xu Jiaojiao smiled gently and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

As he spoke, Jia Rong leaned closer to Xu Jiaojiao, pointed to the other tents on the side, and whispered in her ear, "The one on the right is Second Brother's tent. Second Brother and I have made a date to have a barbecue in front of our tents tonight."

She winked teasingly: "I'll find a way to get you to my second brother's side then~"

Xu Jiaojiao choked up, feeling somewhat helpless.

Jia Rong then pointed to another tent: "That's Lao Wu's tent. He went into the tent as soon as he got off the carriage, and he didn't dare to show his head. I'll have the maid bring out two reclining chairs in a bit, and the two of us can sunbathe while keeping an eye on Lao Wu. Today I'm going to make sure you see Lao Wu get beaten up like a pig's head!"

Xu Jiaojiao: "..."

She couldn't help but smile and instinctively wanted to ruffle Jia Rong's fluffy head.

Jia Rong is really childish...

The two were chatting quietly, completely unaware that several pairs of eyes were watching them from the shadows.

"Is this the Xu family?"

In the distance, a woman dressed in a red outfit aloofly withdrew her gaze, her face showing disdain.

The woman's clothes were quite flamboyant, giving her a heroic air at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, her thin cheeks and pale lips clashed with the clothes, making her look particularly strange.

Standing beside her was a young woman with deep, unfathomable eyes and an inscrutable expression: "Indeed, this person is Xu Shi."

Now that she knew who her opponent was, Su He didn't look at her anymore and turned to leave: "You're really getting more and more cowardly. A woman brought up by a maid is just a pretty face, yet she makes you so afraid."

Despite being mocked, the princess didn't seem angry at all.

She just smiled and said, "Then I wish you good luck and a swift success in advance."

Su He didn't mince words or stand on ceremony; she chuckled and left without a word.

She is the legitimate daughter of the Annam Protectorate, and she has saved Prince Chen's life and shared a childhood friendship with him. How can a lowly commoner who uses his looks to serve others be compared to her?

With just a flick of her finger, Prince Chen would be easily captured.

As Su He and the princess parted ways, Bai Yiru emerged from the shadows.

She handed the crossbow she had just retrieved from the armory to the person still hidden in the shadows beside her, a wicked smile on her face: "Su He actually came too, what a pleasant surprise..."

The voice of the person in the shadows was deep and cold: "It's good that you've come. Since she's also here to die, I'll send her and Xu Jiaojiao on their way together."

Bai Yiru's smile deepened: "You're so kind-hearted, you even know to let the two of them keep each other company on the road to the underworld."

The person in the shadows fiddled with the crossbow in their hand, pointing the arrow at Bai Yiru: "You talk too much."

Bai Yiru's smile froze, and she subconsciously took a step back, a fleeting hint of fear flashing in her eyes: "Alright, alright, then I'll head back first. Make yourself at home..."

Without waiting for the man's response, Bai Yiru left as soon as she finished speaking, fearing that this madman would really sacrifice herself first.

the other side.

Zhao Minghuai gently lifted the curtain with his long, slender fingers, peeking through the gap at Xu Jiaojiao and Jia Rong.

His meaningful gaze lingered on Xu Jiaojiao repeatedly.

Upon receiving a definite answer, he raised an eyebrow in surprise, released his grip, and turned back to the inner tent to apply his face mask.

Those two sons of bitches, Zhao Yunzheng and Jia Rong, actually dared to lay a dirty hand on him!

What's even worse is that the group of people only slapped him in the face!

They managed to turn his angular face into a big round plate!

Zhao Minghuai grew angrier the more he thought about it.

His piercing gaze swept over his bodyguard: "How are the men I asked you to arrange doing?"

The guard quickly replied, "Everything is ready. Prince Lin is keeping an eye on things at the hunting grounds, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"Hmm." Zhao Minghuai's anger subsided somewhat: "Go and summon Zhou Xiang to me again. Tell him that if the swelling on my face doesn't go down by Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow, he can forget about being a royal physician!"

The guard quickly replied, "Yes, sir!"

……

After everything was settled, Jia Rong and Xu Jiaojiao, who were slightly tired, took a short nap.

When I woke up, the maids had already started setting up the seating for the evening's roast meat dinner.

Unlike Xu Jiaojiao and the others who were sleeping, Zhao Yunzheng went to the hunting grounds and brought back a sheep and a few rabbits.

When the two came out of the tent, Zhao Yunzheng was throwing his prey to the guards who were serving him.

"Second brother!"

Jia Rong's eyes lit up at the thought of having barbecue that night.

Hearing his sister's voice, Zhao Yunzheng looked over.

At that moment, Xu Jiaojiao was also looking at him.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Xu Jiaojiao felt that Zhao Yunzheng's gaze first fell on her.

Their eyes met, and she was slightly taken aback, instinctively wanting to lower her head to avoid eye contact...