Let's continue. In her previous life, she had endured all kinds of cold and frost in the dilapidated temple.
Those ten years were the most painful ten years for her...
Especially every winter, when she was scarcely clothed, she would often be so cold that she shivered stiffly...
Whenever she thought she couldn't live on, some kind-hearted people helped her get through... She suddenly remembered that inarticulate but honest beggar. Thinking that if she could meet him again in this life, she would definitely repay his kindness of giving her clothes and wiping her body.
While thinking this way, suddenly rapid hoofbeats sounded outside the carriage.
Gu Shuang lifted the curtain and said in surprise, "Huh?"
Gu Ying raised her eyes, her gaze following Shuang's hand looking outside. She only saw a man in a long black robe galloping by in the vast snow.
The man had an elegant and slender figure, sharp brows and eyes, and a peerlessly handsome aura, attracting many onlookers.
Gu Shuang's eyes stared blankly. She murmured, "He looks so handsome, like no other young master I've seen in the capital. I wonder which family he is from."
When Gu Ying saw his back, she already recognized him. She smiled and said, "He is the young marquis of Yong'an Marquisate."
It was natural for him to be here for such an event like the winter hunt. So his appearance here wouldn't be strange.
But Gu Shuang was very puzzled. "He is the young marquis? But—"
The young marquis didn't look like him at all.
She had seen the young marquis from afar once before. The young marquis had two faint dimples on his face when he smiled. He had an elegant and refined temperament, and was occasionally somewhat unrestrained. He always liked to wear crimson clothes and rarely wore somber black.
The wind outside the carriage was cold. Gu Ying was worried about the Li Wang bow and felt uneasy. She pulled the curtain down and said, "Little sister, let's not look for now... The snow outside is quite heavy, be careful not to catch a cold later."
She pursed her lips, thinking about how she should inform the young marquis about this matter.
Another hour passed.
The carriages began to stop one after another.
After the Emperor and Empress, Imperial Concubines and other nobles entered the tents, it was finally the turn for her family's carriage at the back.
When the carriage stopped, Gu Shuang immediately got off to ask people to prepare ginger soup.
Gu Ying leaned back in the carriage and rested with her eyes closed. After just a moment, she had a nightmare. She dreamed she was still lying in that dilapidated temple. Gu Jia and Jiang Yin held hands and stood in front of her with hideous faces, laughing wildly and arrogantly. They mocked, ridiculed and beat her, breaking all the tendons in her hands and feet. Then they brought in more than a dozen filthy beggars...
Drooling, those vulgar and disgusting beggars pounced on her...
Her tilting body suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness and shock. Then she woke up from the shivering of her muscles.
The inside of the carriage had gone completely dark, with faint lights filtering in from outside.
She stared blankly into the pitch-black carriage, waiting for her numb body to recover.
Outside the carriage, several maidservants were talking in hushed tones.
"The Huo family has settled down, Yong'an Marquisate's people have also arrived, and the Town Nation Duke's mansion also sent people this time. I heard that the legendary heir who appears and disappears has just returned from the frontier and attended this winter hunt."
"The heir has been on the frontier with the old Duke for these years, defeating foreign enemies dozens of times. Now he has returned with great military achievements, as prestigious as a deity, and as handsome as an immortal. But his temperament is extremely cold, with his handsome face as ominous as the King of Hell, making people not dare get close. Even so, I heard that the Empress wants to marry her daughter, Princess Yueyan, to him. She is still observing now, worried that after long time on the battlefield, the heir is cruel and ruthless, brutal, and would not be tender to women or a good husband."
Someone else picked up the thread and sighed for a while, whispering, "If you really talk about it, this heir is not a completely cold-hearted person. Back then in Bianjing, he and the Huo family's..."
"Shh—" Someone immediately sternly interrupted the person, "Do you want to die? This old matter from many years ago has not been allowed to be mentioned for so long! Be careful or you'll lose your head!"
The discussion gradually faded away.
Gu Ying stared blankly into the pitch-black carriage, waiting for her stiff body to recover.
She clearly remembered that this was heir Zhao Changdu's first year in office in Bianjing. The winter hunt was held every year with many recurring faces, but this time was different, with the newcomers Zhao Changdu and herself.
She was an insignificant daughter, but Zhao Changdu's identity was very different.
The old Duke was a pillar of Dong Li's military power. His grandson could fight well and carved a bloody path of achievements on the battlefield.
This heir was naturally the darling of all the prestigious nobles in Bianjing.
Many young ladies from prestigious families came to this winter hunt just for him.
Gu Ying remembered that one night stand in her previous life... She was tortured by that wolf-like man in despair and helplessness. After returning to Jiang manor, she couldn't get out of bed for three days.
Her face felt slightly hot, and she was also somewhat frightened, only swearing in her heart that she must keep away from that King of Hell in this life, as far away as possible.
She closed her eyes, hearing more noises coming from outside. Soon, her maidservants Qingfeng, Mingyue, and Banzhi anxiously squeezed through the coming and going maidservants to get to her.
Mingyue lifted the curtain and came to help her up, "Miss, everything is settled up front. It's our turn now."
Gu Ying regained her composure and nodded. With their support, she got off the carriage.
The entire Nanhai Hunting Ground was filled with carriages and horses of nobles. There was a field specially for parking carriages, and exquisite tents were ubiquitous. Everywhere were guards with long swords and spears. Dong Li's banners fluttered in the cold wind.
Countless people of all kinds came and went in the light.
Some she recognized, some she didn't, some she could socialize with, and some top wealthy and prestigious nobles that she couldn't associate with in either her previous life or this life. She rarely saw such a lively and grand scene.
The powerful aristocratic families were used to clustering together. Her family's mediocre Earl of Dongping mansion looked a bit out of place. Their campsite was also relatively remote compared to the others.
But it was still superior compared to those Rank 5-6 minor officials' families.
Gu Shuang took the ginger soup from her and happily ran over to hand it to her. "Second sister, let's go into the tent to change clothes first. After dinner tonight, we'll go with Mother to pay our respects in the Empress's tent."
Gu Ying wasn't here for the first time, so she naturally knew that the Empress would summon them, these daughters of Bianjing official families, tonight.
Her only imperial son, Prince Duan Li Hao, was not yet married. Now he was older, but the Emperor had not named the Crown Prince yet.
Taking advantage of the winter hunt, the Empress also wanted to select several virtuous girls from the Bianjing ladies to send to Prince Duan's manor.
First, it was for Prince Duan to have children; second, it was to choose some girls with prestigious family backgrounds to help support him in becoming Crown Prince in the future.
Gu Ying felt her palms warming up.
Let's continue. In her previous life, she had endured all kinds of cold and frost in the dilapidated temple.
Those ten years were the most painful ten years for her...
Especially every winter, when she was scarcely clothed, she would often be so cold that she shivered stiffly...
Whenever she thought she couldn't live on, some kind-hearted people helped her get through... She suddenly remembered that inarticulate but honest beggar. Thinking that if she could meet him again in this life, she would definitely repay his kindness of giving her clothes and wiping her body.
While thinking this way, suddenly rapid hoofbeats sounded outside the carriage.
Gu Shuang lifted the curtain and said in surprise, "Huh?"
Gu Ying raised her eyes, her gaze following Shuang's hand looking outside. She only saw a man in a long black robe galloping by in the vast snow.
The man had an elegant and slender figure, sharp brows and eyes, and a peerlessly handsome aura, attracting many onlookers.
Gu Shuang's eyes stared blankly. She murmured, "He looks so handsome, like no other young master I've seen in the capital. I wonder which family he is from."
When Gu Ying saw his back, she already recognized him. She smiled and said, "He is the young marquis of Yong'an Marquisate."
It was natural for him to be here for such an event like the winter hunt. So his appearance here wouldn't be strange.
But Gu Shuang was very puzzled. "He is the young marquis? But—"
The young marquis didn't look like him at all.
She had seen the young marquis from afar once before. The young marquis had two faint dimples on his face when he smiled. He had an elegant and refined temperament, and was occasionally somewhat unrestrained. He always liked to wear crimson clothes and rarely wore somber black.
The wind outside the carriage was cold. Gu Ying was worried about the Li Wang bow and felt uneasy. She pulled the curtain down and said, "Little sister, let's not look for now... The snow outside is quite heavy, be careful not to catch a cold later."
She pursed her lips, thinking about how she should inform the young marquis about this matter.
Another hour passed.
The carriages began to stop one after another.
After the Emperor and Empress, Imperial Concubines and other nobles entered the tents, it was finally the turn for her family's carriage at the back.
When the carriage stopped, Gu Shuang immediately got off to ask people to prepare ginger soup.
Gu Ying leaned back in the carriage and rested with her eyes closed. After just a moment, she had a nightmare. She dreamed she was still lying in that dilapidated temple. Gu Jia and Jiang Yin held hands and stood in front of her with hideous faces, laughing wildly and arrogantly. They mocked, ridiculed and beat her, breaking all the tendons in her hands and feet. Then they brought in more than a dozen filthy beggars...
Drooling, those vulgar and disgusting beggars pounced on her...
Her tilting body suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness and shock. Then she woke up from the shivering of her muscles.
The inside of the carriage had gone completely dark, with faint lights filtering in from outside.
She stared blankly into the pitch-black carriage, waiting for her numb body to recover.
Outside the carriage, several maidservants were talking in hushed tones.
"The Huo family has settled down, Yong'an Marquisate's people have also arrived, and the Town Nation Duke's mansion also sent people this time. I heard that the legendary heir who appears and disappears has just returned from the frontier and attended this winter hunt."
"The heir has been on the frontier with the old Duke for these years, defeating foreign enemies dozens of times. Now he has returned with great military achievements, as prestigious as a deity, and as handsome as an immortal. But his temperament is extremely cold, with his handsome face as ominous as the King of Hell, making people not dare get close. Even so, I heard that the Empress wants to marry her daughter, Princess Yueyan, to him. She is still observing now, worried that after long time on the battlefield, the heir is cruel and ruthless, brutal, and would not be tender to women or a good husband."
Someone else picked up the thread and sighed for a while, whispering, "If you really talk about it, this heir is not a completely cold-hearted person. Back then in Bianjing, he and the Huo family's..."
"Shh—" Someone immediately sternly interrupted the person, "Do you want to die? This old matter from many years ago has not been allowed to be mentioned for so long! Be careful or you'll lose your head!"
The discussion gradually faded away.
Gu Ying stared blankly into the pitch-black carriage, waiting for her stiff body to recover.
She clearly remembered that this was heir Zhao Changdu's first year in office in Bianjing. The winter hunt was held every year with many recurring faces, but this time was different, with the newcomers Zhao Changdu and herself.
She was an insignificant daughter, but Zhao Changdu's identity was very different.
The old Duke was a pillar of Dong Li's military power. His grandson could fight well and carved a bloody path of achievements on the battlefield.
This heir was naturally the darling of all the prestigious nobles in Bianjing.
Many young ladies from prestigious families came to this winter hunt just for him.
Gu Ying remembered that one night stand in her previous life... She was tortured by that wolf-like man in despair and helplessness. After returning to Jiang manor, she couldn't get out of bed for three days.
Her face felt slightly hot, and she was also somewhat frightened, only swearing in her heart that she must keep away from that King of Hell in this life, as far away as possible.
She closed her eyes, hearing more noises coming from outside. Soon, her maidservants Qingfeng, Mingyue, and Banzhi anxiously squeezed through the coming and going maidservants to get to her.
Mingyue lifted the curtain and came to help her up, "Miss, everything is settled up front. It's our turn now."
Gu Ying regained her composure and nodded. With their support, she got off the carriage.
The entire Nanhai Hunting Ground was filled with carriages and horses of nobles. There was a field specially for parking carriages, and exquisite tents were ubiquitous. Everywhere were guards with long swords and spears. Dong Li's banners fluttered in the cold wind.
Countless people of all kinds came and went in the light.
Some she recognized, some she didn't, some she could socialize with, and some top wealthy and prestigious nobles that she couldn't associate with in either her previous life or this life. She rarely saw such a lively and grand scene.
The powerful aristocratic families were used to clustering together. Her family's mediocre Earl of Dongping mansion looked a bit out of place. Their campsite was also relatively remote compared to the others.
But it was still superior compared to those Rank 5-6 minor officials' families.
Gu Shuang took the ginger soup from her and happily ran over to hand it to her. "Second sister, let's go into the tent to change clothes first. After dinner tonight, we'll go with Mother to pay our respects in the Empress's tent."
Gu Ying wasn't here for the first time, so she naturally knew that the Empress would summon them, these daughters of Bianjing official families, tonight.
Her only imperial son, Prince Duan Li Hao, was not yet married. Now he was older, but the Emperor had not named the Crown Prince yet.
Taking advantage of the winter hunt, the Empress also wanted to select several virtuous girls from the Bianjing ladies to send to Prince Duan's manor.
First, it was for Prince Duan to have children; second, it was to choose some girls with prestigious family backgrounds to help support him in becoming Crown Prince in the future.
Gu Ying felt her palms warming up.
