(Jiang Wanru glanced at Jiyuan, followed the direction of her finger and looked over, seeing Lianhao and several men talking, they were about to cross the street and walk this way. Jiang Wanru looked at those men who were chatting and laughing, gently pulled Jiyuan's hand, and joined the crowd coming and going. She smiled at Jiyuan, who had a preventive expression on her face, and said in a low voice: "With so many people, he may not be able to see us two.")

  Lian Hao and his companions finished their meal together, and when they came out, they saw that the snow was getting bigger. He frowned and looked at the people coming and going on the street, and said to his companions who were still in high spirits: "The snow is getting bigger, let's go home early, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." His companions laughed after hearing this, and someone said excitedly: "Okay, listen to San Ye's words, tomorrow we will start working hard. San Ye, brothers, this time we will follow you again, each of us must hunt down one prey and bring it back, so that we can give it to our elders at home for the New Year."

  The royal family of Ning Chao, accustomed to going up the mountain to hunt in the first few days after snowfall. When winter arrives, the animals deep in the mountains, those that crawl have already hibernated, and those that fear the cold have long flown to warm places. There are many thick-skinned and furry animals in the mountains, when it snows, it is their happy time, and they are more active than usual. And they are the target of the royal family, however, before each hunting trip, the royal family will limit the number of people who can follow, and stipulate that no more than five prey can be hunted. On snowy days, animals that can roam freely in the mountains usually have a large and ferocious body, and it is already quite good for ordinary people to hunt one.

  Lian Hao and the people from their camp, this time again followed as outer guards. While guarding, they could also follow everyone to go hunting in the last few days. Several men were originally walking and talking loosely, but now slowly gathered their energy, nodding one by one: "Hmm, today we must rest well. This year, a few of us cannot let San Ye monopolize the limelight again. Last year we returned empty-handed, only he alone hunted back one."

  Lian Hao couldn't help but laugh at this. These people had seen Chu Xiao last year and were immediately smitten, following him everywhere he went. But then Chu Xiao would catch a prey and focus all his attention on guarding it. These people would follow him around in circles, watching the surroundings and doing some guard work on the side, only to end up empty-handed in the end. Lian Hao laughed at them and said, "Can you blame me for that? I invited everyone to come with me to hang out with my big brother, but then you guys saw Chu Xiao and your eyes turned green as you surrounded him."

  Luckily, Lord Chu was in a good mood and allowed you to follow him in and out. Lian Hao thought it was funny too, as he had accompanied the Emperor to the camp once before. Just that one time, this group of people saw his back, and their eyes were practically glued to his body. Luckily, Chu Xiao was a person who loved to pretend, always wearing a warm and gentle smile on his face. However, Lian Hao knew that Chu Xiao wasn't as harmless as he seemed; having witnessed him teach someone a lesson in the East Street, he saw how quick and ruthless he could be.

  Several men were still marveling at Chu Xiao's skill, and Lian Hao shook his head repeatedly. His eyes scanned the street across from him, and he inadvertently caught sight of a figure in the crowd. He immediately turned to his companions and said, "I have something to attend to, I'll go ahead." After finishing speaking, he quickly made his way through the horse carriages coming and going on the street, yielding to an approaching vehicle as he reached the middle of the road. In that brief moment, when he looked up again, he could no longer see the figure; his eyes searched the crowd, but the figure seemed to have vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye.

  Jiang Wanru and Ji Yan moved with the crowd. They were gradually squeezed closer to the middle of the horse carriage route. Just as they were about to squeeze back, Jiang Wanru's sharp ears picked up Chu Xiao's voice, calling out: "Little Lazy." Jiang Wanru immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chu Xiao in a horse carriage ahead, with the window slightly open. She smiled and pulled Ji Yan forward two steps, just as she was about to greet him, when she heard Chu Xiao say: "Get on." Jiang Wanru immediately pulled Ji Yan forward several more steps, and the two quickly approached the carriage door.

  The horse carriage continued to move slowly, Jiang Wan smiled and said: "I..." Chu Xiao had already leaned over to the car door, he bent down from the car and stretched out his hand, casually grasping Jiang Wan's arm, and with a swift motion pulled her into the carriage. Ji Yan saw this and immediately shouted: "Miss!" The man sitting on the carriage frame reached back and grabbed her arm, directly tossing her into the carriage.

  Jiang Wanru had just sat down with Chu Xiao's support when she saw Ji Yan being thrown in, and quickly reached out to help him up together with Chu Xiao. Jiang Wanru took one look at the terrified Ji Yan and was about to complain to Chu Xiao about Chu Dui when she heard him say outside: "Little Lazy Miss, it's all my fault for forgetting that this little girl doesn't have your courage, I also forgot that she's a little girl, treating her like a young boy and throwing her in." Jiang Wanru looked at Chu Xiao speechlessly and said: "Brother Yi, so Brother Dui considers all women except Xiu Jie to be young boys."

  Jiang Wanru's voice was not low, and Chu Xing naturally heard Jiang Wanru's words. His face suddenly turned red. The young man in front of the rickshaw, smiling and turning his head to look at him, was scolded by him: "Xue Da, drive carefully." One of Jiang Wanru's hands inside the car gently patted Jiyuan, saying softly to her: "Don't be afraid, this is my sworn brother's car." Jiyuan had heard Fang Zheng mention that Jiang Wanru had a sworn brother. She trembled with fear, mustered up the courage to raise her eyes, and saw Chu Xing staring at something in Jiang Wanru's arms.

  Ji Yan suddenly remembered the time she left the fabric store, Jiang Wanru was holding a piece of fabric in her hand. She looked at her empty hands and under Chu Xiao's gaze, quickly rushed forward to take the thing from Jiang Wanru's arms and put it into her own. Then she sat down properly with her head bowed. Jiang Wanru glanced at Ji Yan's proper sitting posture, somewhat amused, and glanced at Chu Xiao, silently hinting him to look, his serious expression scared an unsuspecting person.

  In Jiang Wanru's heart, Chu Xiao was her very reliable and dear brother. She often saw others showing fear towards Chu Xiao and thought that they were too timid. Over the years, Chu Xiao had been by the Emperor's side, so he must have gone through some cruel and ruthless things. No matter how warm his smile was, it couldn't hide the killing intent within him. Only family members and Jiang Wanru treated him as the person he used to be. When Chu Xiao saw her lost in thought, he couldn't help but stretch out his hand and gently pat her head, saying: "What are you thinking about again?"

  Jiang Wanmu heard his words and originally wanted to speak directly, but looking at Ji Yan's pale face beside her, she lightly shook her head and asked: "Brother Yi, why did you come to Nan Street today?" Chu Xiao smiled and said: "Today the snow is falling heavily, the Emperor let me wander around, and Nan Street is my last stop. Where do you want to go? I'm free now and can take you there." Jiang Wanmu heard his words, pulled open the window curtain on her side, and the wind and snow that rushed in immediately changed her mind.

  Jiang Wan's face lit up with excitement as she rushed to Chu Xiao and said, "Brother, take me to the right side gate near the Wang Fu." Ji Yan was about to reach out to pull Jiang Wan, but when he looked up and saw Chu Xiao, he quickly withdrew his hand. Summoning up his courage, he spoke in a small voice to Jiang Wan, "Miss, it's too much trouble for others, I can go find a carriage to send us." Chu Xiao glanced at Ji Yan, who was speaking with a trembling voice, and said to Jiang Wan, "Hmm, this little girl is timid and lazy, but she has one redeeming quality - her loyalty to you."

  Jiang Wanru felt Ji Yan's trembling body beside her, and she smiled as she gently patted her hand, saying: "Ji Yan, my sworn brother is a good person, he and my sister-in-law should be the best two people in the world to me." Ji Yan's body still trembled slightly, her eyes still cast down, nodding lightly. Jiang Wanru smiled and teased Chu Xiao, saying: "She and my brother have already arranged their engagement, later she will be my sister-in-law. Her timid nature is a good thing for me, I won't have to worry in the future, she will use her status as sister-in-law to keep me in line." Ji Yan's face turned red as she softly exclaimed: "Miss, I wouldn't...". She looked up and fell silent under Chu Xiao's scrutinizing gaze.

  Chu Xiao listened to Jiang Wanru's words and looked at Ji Yan again, seeing that she was almost stuck to Jiang Wanru's back. Chu Xiao shook her head lightly and instructed the outside driver, "Zheng, go to the right side door of the Wang Fu, it's snowing heavily, tell Lin Zi not to drive too fast." The carriage slowed down, and this was Jiang Wanru's first time on Chu Xiao's carriage, she curiously touched everything around her. Chu Xiao glanced at Jiang Wanru who was curiously exploring everywhere, watching as she slapped the carriage wall with force.

  After a while, she turned back with a puzzled expression and asked Chu Xiao: "Brother, this carriage looks like it's more spacious than usual, and the feeling of sitting in it is more comfortable. But why do I feel that this carriage is no different from others?" Chu Xiao looked at her with a smile in his eyes, knowing that Jiang Wanmu had gotten used to asking him questions whenever she was curious. He smiled and asked: "Is it because there's no table in the middle, and no food compartments on either side?"

  Jiang Wanru nodded and then immediately felt that something was off, saying: "Brother Yi, those two things are not usually found in ordinary carriages. Moreover, you're a big man, this is your carriage for going out, it shouldn't be decorated with such feminine taste. I'm thinking of the carriage you use, how can it be the same as an ordinary one? At least there should be more precautions, and the carriage walls can't just be made of wood, there should be more devices. Alas, Brother Yi, I don't know how to say it, but I feel that your travel carriage is too simple."

  Chu Xiao looked at her puzzled expression, and his itchy hand directly patted her, saying: "You've been with your sister-in-law for a long time, and your temper is no different from hers. The first time she sat down, she was like having thorns on her butt, turning around and searching everywhere, asking me the same question. Is this carriage good or not? If it's something that you two women can't even tell, how can it be called a good carriage? Sit steady, the snow is too big, no matter how good the carriage is, it can't withstand the slippery road." Jiang Wanru sat for a while before finally feeling some flavor come out, and exclaimed: "Brother-in-law, I know this carriage is stable."

  Chu Xiao listened to her words and looked at her suddenly enlightened expression, immediately bursting into loud laughter. Jiang Wanru was startled and quickly pulled open the curtains to look outside, seeing that there were few cars and people outside, she patted her chest and said: "Brother, you laughed too loudly and scared me." Chu Xiao looked at her and shook his head saying: "With a temperament like yours, it's best not to stay in the palace for long. The imperial court is like a deep ocean, whatever expression you show will be used against you. If only you could learn half of your sister-in-law's cunning, we two wouldn't have to worry about you so much."

  Sorry to the people who were waiting for updates last night, I was too tired from moving house yesterday and originally just wanted to take a nap, but ended up sleeping all the way until this morning. Starting from today, this month and next month, there will be guests coming over to play at home, so I won't be able to update on schedule, only updating when I have time. Please don't wait for me to reach zero, I'll keep working hard to update. I'll try my best to squeeze out time to write, thank you to everyone who has been supporting me all along. If you like this work, welcome to come to the starting point (**) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.

  Hard study