Gu Jia was furious when she saw Gu Ying with her makeup done which made her look stunning. Gu Jia cried anxiously, "Mother! What should I do? Will I not make it in time?"
"My child, don't cry. Mother has already prepared hot water for you to bathe in and then you can get dressed and made up," Mrs. Liu said through gritted teeth as she turned to Gu Ying, "Tell me, was it you who did that thing last night?!"
Gu Ying raised her eyebrows calmly and asked innocently, "What is aunt talking about? Gu Ying slept early last night. What happened last night?"
Staring at Gu Ying's overly calm and delicate face, Mrs. Liu was furious. She slammed the table next to her and said angrily, "Your elder sister was tied up in the stables last night and stayed there all night long-"
"Ah-" Gu Ying interrupted, pretending to suddenly realize, "So aunt is talking about this matter! I heard about it on my way here. Isn't it that elder sister was somehow abducted and tied up in the stables in the middle of the night? I know about this now."
Gu Jia was so angry that her lungs almost exploded.
She did not believe that what happened last night was the resentful spirit of that cheap woman Gu Min taking revenge. It must have been Gu Ying playing tricks.
"Gu Ying, it must have been you who did it! Either you did it yourself or you got someone else to do it!"
"Elder sister, don't make groundless accusations. " At this point, Gu Ying was no longer acting weak. She scoffed coldly, "How big is elder sister? How heavy is she? How could I, a weak woman, carry elder sister's unconscious body to the stables? Elder sister said I got someone else to do it? Who could I order to do so? The only people I can order around are the three maids aunt gave me, Qingfeng Mingyue were sent by aunt, and the other one Lipstick is even weaker than me. Last night, we all went to bed early. If elder sister suspects me, then tell me who it was directly. If there was anyone around me who dared to touch elder sister, I would have beaten him to death even without aunt telling me to do so!"
Both Gu Jia and Mrs. Liu were left speechless by Gu Ying.
Now the entire rear courtyard of the Marquis manor was under Mrs. Liu's control. It was indeed difficult for Gu Ying to order anyone around, and she herself was a weak woman. How could she carry such a heavy person to the stables?
The more Gu Jia thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
She felt uneasy in her heart... Gu Ying's face was as pale as paper. Could it really be the resentful spirit of Gu Min taking revenge?
Seeing that Gu Jia was no longer arguing,
Gu Ying's lips curled up slightly, sketching a faint arc, "Aunt, if you listen to Gu Ying's advice, it would be best to swallow this matter into your belly, otherwise, elder sister is an innocent young lady from a good family, being tied up in the stables late at night, if this got out, her reputation would surely be ruined. We all know elder sister is innocent, but outsiders don't know that. Who knows what today's events would be rumored into."
"Moreover-" She looked deeply into Mrs. Liu's angry eyes and said faintly, "The words 'resentful spirit seeking vengeance', they must have some basis and not groundless. It is possible that the wrongfully dead ghost really followed elder sister, who knows."
Mrs. Liu felt a chill down her spine from Gu Ying's words. Angered, she asked in a frightened and angry tone, "Gu Ying, what do you mean?"
Gu Ying said, "Aunt, think carefully, who in our household died wrongfully?"
Mrs. Liu froze, her entire face collapsed, eyebrows tightly furrowed.
Many people had died in the rear courtyard of the household, but for some reason, at this moment, she suddenly thought of her daughter Gu Min who drowned in the pond...
Gu Ying knew that Mrs. Liu doted on Gu Min the most.
In her previous life, it was through an accidental opportunity that she overheard the conversation between Gu Jia and Doukou, and learned that Gu Min's death was not an accident, but rather Gu Jia's jealousy and envy that made her push her own sister into the pond in the dark of night.
If one day, she let Mrs. Liu know that Gu Min was killed by Gu Jia.
Would she still dote on Gu Jia like now?
Mrs. Liu did not speak, staring blankly at Gu Jia, her eyes filled with unspeakable grief.
Gu Ying saw the sky outside was brightening. Her beautiful eyes glanced sharply. She bowed to Mrs. Liu with Gu Shuang and said, "The sky is bright. Aunt, we should go to the hunting ground."
As for Gu Jia. If she stubbornly went to the hunting ground, she would only be gossiped about.
In her previous life, it was her being gossiped about.
Today, fate was reversed.
For thirty years the river flows east, for thirty years the river flows west. It was time for Gu Jia to taste the feeling of being killed by rumors and unable to lift her head up.
...
The royal hunting ground was spectacular.
Thousands of Nanhai Hunting Ground's coastal households had been raising prey in the hunting grounds for years, just waiting for these few days of festivities when their masters would arrive during winter.
As soon as it was light, the Imperial Guards had cordoned off the entire hunting ground.
The young ladies of various noble families had long been prepared and came to the largest hunting ground.
Spacious tents and seats had long been set up on the vast square of the hunting ground, and hundreds of palace maids waited on one side.
At the sound of the bell, the sound of hooves had already rang out in the hunting ground.
Gu Wan had long excitedly gone with her intimate sisters to the hunting ground and found the Gu family's seats to sit down. She had no interest in the struggle between Gu Ying and Gu Jia, and only followed Gu Jia on a normal basis to please the legitimate daughter.
Now that Gu Ying opposed Gu Jia in everything, she was happy to watch the tigers fight.
Just like mother said, "Wait for them to finish biting each other, then we'll reap the profits."
When Gu Ying and Gu Shuang arrived, the hunting ground was bustling.
The Emperor and Empress had not yet arrived. The attendants walked orderly between the seats of each family, preparing food, fruits, and wine cups for the young masters and ladies.
The girls chatted with each other in groups of three or two.
The princes and sons of prestigious families also gathered together, chatting about literature and politics.
The heavy snow had just cleared, revealing a water-blue sky with light clouds hanging quietly.
The field was covered with a layer of thick snow, but it did not affect the men riding their horses at all.
With silver saddles on white horses, they charged like shooting stars.
A few men in vigorous attire, flying hair, sat casually and freely on horseback, maneuvering between heaven and earth, exuding unrestrained heroism.
Gu Ying walked small steps toward the hunting ground, lifting her face to gaze at the figures of those handsome warhorses galloping in the field, filled with unspeakable excitement in her heart.
In her previous life, her heart and eyes were full of Jiang Yin. She tried every means to please him, in order to marry him as his wife.
So she had ignored such a great hunting scene and the heroic qualities of the outstanding men of Dong Li.
"Second sister, do you see that tall plaque carved with a dragon head?" Gu Shuang was still a child after all. She excitedly pointed to the two tall wooden posts erected in the center of the hunting ground and eagerly explained to Gu Ying.
Gu Ying of course knew what it was called, the dragon head plaque.
It looked like a pavilion, with an extremely luxurious and vivid dragon head carved in the middle, its eyes studded with pearls and dragon scales carved with gold. The dragon's body coiled around the two carved wooden pillars. It was majestic and magnificent.
Below the dragon's mouth hung a nine-ring red core target.
Every year during the winter hunt, someone would be chosen to open the hunt. The chosen person had to shoot the gold arrow granted by the Emperor into the red core in front of everyone.
This was called taking the first shot.
Gu Jia was furious when she saw Gu Ying with her makeup done which made her look stunning. Gu Jia cried anxiously, "Mother! What should I do? Will I not make it in time?"
"My child, don't cry. Mother has already prepared hot water for you to bathe in and then you can get dressed and made up," Mrs. Liu said through gritted teeth as she turned to Gu Ying, "Tell me, was it you who did that thing last night?!"
Gu Ying raised her eyebrows calmly and asked innocently, "What is aunt talking about? Gu Ying slept early last night. What happened last night?"
Staring at Gu Ying's overly calm and delicate face, Mrs. Liu was furious. She slammed the table next to her and said angrily, "Your elder sister was tied up in the stables last night and stayed there all night long-"
"Ah-" Gu Ying interrupted, pretending to suddenly realize, "So aunt is talking about this matter! I heard about it on my way here. Isn't it that elder sister was somehow abducted and tied up in the stables in the middle of the night? I know about this now."
Gu Jia was so angry that her lungs almost exploded.
She did not believe that what happened last night was the resentful spirit of that cheap woman Gu Min taking revenge. It must have been Gu Ying playing tricks.
"Gu Ying, it must have been you who did it! Either you did it yourself or you got someone else to do it!"
"Elder sister, don't make groundless accusations. " At this point, Gu Ying was no longer acting weak. She scoffed coldly, "How big is elder sister? How heavy is she? How could I, a weak woman, carry elder sister's unconscious body to the stables? Elder sister said I got someone else to do it? Who could I order to do so? The only people I can order around are the three maids aunt gave me, Qingfeng Mingyue were sent by aunt, and the other one Lipstick is even weaker than me. Last night, we all went to bed early. If elder sister suspects me, then tell me who it was directly. If there was anyone around me who dared to touch elder sister, I would have beaten him to death even without aunt telling me to do so!"
Both Gu Jia and Mrs. Liu were left speechless by Gu Ying.
Now the entire rear courtyard of the Marquis manor was under Mrs. Liu's control. It was indeed difficult for Gu Ying to order anyone around, and she herself was a weak woman. How could she carry such a heavy person to the stables?
The more Gu Jia thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
She felt uneasy in her heart... Gu Ying's face was as pale as paper. Could it really be the resentful spirit of Gu Min taking revenge?
Seeing that Gu Jia was no longer arguing,
Gu Ying's lips curled up slightly, sketching a faint arc, "Aunt, if you listen to Gu Ying's advice, it would be best to swallow this matter into your belly, otherwise, elder sister is an innocent young lady from a good family, being tied up in the stables late at night, if this got out, her reputation would surely be ruined. We all know elder sister is innocent, but outsiders don't know that. Who knows what today's events would be rumored into."
"Moreover-" She looked deeply into Mrs. Liu's angry eyes and said faintly, "The words 'resentful spirit seeking vengeance', they must have some basis and not groundless. It is possible that the wrongfully dead ghost really followed elder sister, who knows."
Mrs. Liu felt a chill down her spine from Gu Ying's words. Angered, she asked in a frightened and angry tone, "Gu Ying, what do you mean?"
Gu Ying said, "Aunt, think carefully, who in our household died wrongfully?"
Mrs. Liu froze, her entire face collapsed, eyebrows tightly furrowed.
Many people had died in the rear courtyard of the household, but for some reason, at this moment, she suddenly thought of her daughter Gu Min who drowned in the pond...
Gu Ying knew that Mrs. Liu doted on Gu Min the most.
In her previous life, it was through an accidental opportunity that she overheard the conversation between Gu Jia and Doukou, and learned that Gu Min's death was not an accident, but rather Gu Jia's jealousy and envy that made her push her own sister into the pond in the dark of night.
If one day, she let Mrs. Liu know that Gu Min was killed by Gu Jia.
Would she still dote on Gu Jia like now?
Mrs. Liu did not speak, staring blankly at Gu Jia, her eyes filled with unspeakable grief.
Gu Ying saw the sky outside was brightening. Her beautiful eyes glanced sharply. She bowed to Mrs. Liu with Gu Shuang and said, "The sky is bright. Aunt, we should go to the hunting ground."
As for Gu Jia. If she stubbornly went to the hunting ground, she would only be gossiped about.
In her previous life, it was her being gossiped about.
Today, fate was reversed.
For thirty years the river flows east, for thirty years the river flows west. It was time for Gu Jia to taste the feeling of being killed by rumors and unable to lift her head up.
...
The royal hunting ground was spectacular.
Thousands of Nanhai Hunting Ground's coastal households had been raising prey in the hunting grounds for years, just waiting for these few days of festivities when their masters would arrive during winter.
As soon as it was light, the Imperial Guards had cordoned off the entire hunting ground.
The young ladies of various noble families had long been prepared and came to the largest hunting ground.
Spacious tents and seats had long been set up on the vast square of the hunting ground, and hundreds of palace maids waited on one side.
At the sound of the bell, the sound of hooves had already rang out in the hunting ground.
Gu Wan had long excitedly gone with her intimate sisters to the hunting ground and found the Gu family's seats to sit down. She had no interest in the struggle between Gu Ying and Gu Jia, and only followed Gu Jia on a normal basis to please the legitimate daughter.
Now that Gu Ying opposed Gu Jia in everything, she was happy to watch the tigers fight.
Just like mother said, "Wait for them to finish biting each other, then we'll reap the profits."
When Gu Ying and Gu Shuang arrived, the hunting ground was bustling.
The Emperor and Empress had not yet arrived. The attendants walked orderly between the seats of each family, preparing food, fruits, and wine cups for the young masters and ladies.
The girls chatted with each other in groups of three or two.
The princes and sons of prestigious families also gathered together, chatting about literature and politics.
The heavy snow had just cleared, revealing a water-blue sky with light clouds hanging quietly.
The field was covered with a layer of thick snow, but it did not affect the men riding their horses at all.
With silver saddles on white horses, they charged like shooting stars.
A few men in vigorous attire, flying hair, sat casually and freely on horseback, maneuvering between heaven and earth, exuding unrestrained heroism.
Gu Ying walked small steps toward the hunting ground, lifting her face to gaze at the figures of those handsome warhorses galloping in the field, filled with unspeakable excitement in her heart.
In her previous life, her heart and eyes were full of Jiang Yin. She tried every means to please him, in order to marry him as his wife.
So she had ignored such a great hunting scene and the heroic qualities of the outstanding men of Dong Li.
"Second sister, do you see that tall plaque carved with a dragon head?" Gu Shuang was still a child after all. She excitedly pointed to the two tall wooden posts erected in the center of the hunting ground and eagerly explained to Gu Ying.
Gu Ying of course knew what it was called, the dragon head plaque.
It looked like a pavilion, with an extremely luxurious and vivid dragon head carved in the middle, its eyes studded with pearls and dragon scales carved with gold. The dragon's body coiled around the two carved wooden pillars. It was majestic and magnificent.
Below the dragon's mouth hung a nine-ring red core target.
Every year during the winter hunt, someone would be chosen to open the hunt. The chosen person had to shoot the gold arrow granted by the Emperor into the red core in front of everyone.
This was called taking the first shot.
