NFBE Chapter 290 Spring Hunt in February
Chapter 290 Spring Hunt in February
The old woman raised her chin slightly, her heart filled with disdain.
Although they were far from the capital, they were not completely ignorant.
Currently, the young mistress manages all the estates and shops of the Marquis's manor.
They were aware of the past conflict between the young mistress and the young master.
This young master brutally killed Master Jue's rabbit and even set fire to the Marquis's mansion.
Why be so nice to such a bad kid?
Xie Siyuan was so angry that he just wanted to smash things.
But after a month here, he realized that this was not a marquis's mansion, and no one would indulge him.
If he smashes this bowl of noodles, he really will go hungry for a whole day.
Finally, Xie Siyuan took the bowl with a gloomy face and said coldly, "Get out of here."
The old woman snorted and turned to leave.
Xie Siyuan's face twisted even more as he looked at the bland noodles.
After finishing his meal, Xie Siyuan got up and went to the next room to attend class.
This was also arranged by Lord Xie.
When they took him to the estate, a schoolteacher accompanied him.
Xie Siyuan sat at the wooden desk, looking at the copying instructions given by the teacher in front of him, and felt a surge of irritation.
But in the end, I was forced to pick up a pen and start writing.
Suddenly, the gentleman walked in, his sharp gaze sweeping over the paper in Xie Siyuan's hand.
He raised his thin hand, picked up the paper, and glanced at it closely. His face immediately darkened.
"What kind of writing is this? It's crooked and messy, the strokes are all jumbled up, it's simply illegible!"
The man threw the paper on the table, his voice stern and unforgiving.
"I asked you to copy it ten times yesterday, why are you still so careless today?"
Xie Siyuan lowered his head, his fingers clenching so tightly they made a cracking sound inside his sleeve.
The man looked at him, snorted coldly, and pointed to the long bench in the center of the room.
"You're so unruly, you won't remember anything unless you're punished!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the servant standing to the side skillfully lifted Xie Siyuan up and pressed him onto the bench.
The teacher picked up the ruler and said coldly, "Remember, this rod is not for punishment, but to teach you to be serious in your work."
With a "smack," the ruler landed heavily on his buttocks.
Xie Siyuan's small body trembled violently, her shoulders tensed, and she gritted her teeth to hold back her cries.
The master struck the board several times, the sound echoing throughout the hall.
Xie Siyuan gripped the edge of the bench tightly, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.
After finishing the beating, the man put away the ruler, his voice cold and hard.
"Go back and copy it fifty more times! If it still doesn't meet the standard by tomorrow, the punishment won't be just a few strokes of the cane."
Before leaving, Lord Xie specifically instructed him to be stricter with the young master.
He naturally had to obey orders.
Xie Siyuan endured the pain and whispered, "Yes."
The room returned to silence, with only the sound of the brush moving across the paper remaining.
No one noticed Xie Siyuan's increasingly resentful expression.
Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.
In early February, apricot blossoms bloom.
The apricot trees in Qinglan Courtyard are in bloom, their branches adorned with pink and white blossoms. A gentle breeze causes a few petals to drift down.
"Flowers, such beautiful flowers!" Xie Jue's eyes widened as she looked up at the apricot blossoms fluttering in the air.
He stood on tiptoe and reached out his little hand to touch the petals.
The long-haired white kitten ran around at his feet and played with flower petals there.
"Shh-"
Xie Jingchun, dressed in a white outfit, held a long sword and practiced sword techniques under the apricot tree.
His every move was graceful and elegant, with wisps of air rising from his sleeves.
Occasionally, apricot blossoms would be knocked down by the sword energy and drift gently to his shoulder.
On the other side, Xie Jing leaned against the corridor, holding a book in his hands, looking focused.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps and turned to look into the house.
Xie Yanli and Qin Jiuwei walked out of the house together.
"Father, Mother," Xie Jing called out.
Upon hearing the sound, Xie Jingchun immediately sheathed his sword and turned to look at them.
"Call Jue-ge over here."
Xie Yanli's gaze fell on Xie Jue, who was fluttering around with Xiao Bai amidst the petals in the courtyard.
A subtle, almost imperceptible smile lingered in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, Xie Jingchun immediately strode forward, grabbed Xie Jue by the collar, and dragged him over.
"Father, Mother." Xie Jue looked at them and grinned.
Xie Yanli spoke only after everyone had arrived.
"In a few days, His Majesty will take his ministers on a spring hunt. Every February, the royal family holds a spring hunt, which is a tradition of the Great Jin Dynasty."
Xie Jue's eyes darted around, and she said in a crisp voice, "Then can we go too!"
"how do you know?"
Xie Jue chuckled and said, "Because if we can't go, Father won't call us all over to talk to us about this."
"How can you be so smart?" Qin Jiuwei lowered her head and gently tapped his forehead.
Xie Jingchun's eyes were full of eagerness.
Spring hunt? He's never participated in one before.
"Then I need to go pack my little bow and arrows and my little boots!" Xie Jue became more and more excited as he thought about it. "I also want to learn how to ride a horse!"
He reached out and grabbed Qin Jiuwei's sleeve. "Mother, please help me look for it!"
Xie Jing wasn't particularly interested in hunting or horseback riding, but since everyone else was going, he didn't want to spoil the fun.
Seeing Xie Jue pull Qin Jiuwei away to pack their things, Xie Jingchun and Xie Jing also went back to their rooms to pack.
In no time, the courtyard became lively again.
Xie Yanli looked at their excited faces and felt somewhat awkward.
But in the end, he didn't say anything.
A few days later.
The eastern gate of the capital city slowly opened.
On the blue brick ground, the troops were ready to go, dozens of tall horses held their heads high, and the elite cavalry stood in solemn formation.
A carriage adorned with dragon and floral carvings slowly drove out of the palace gates, followed by close attendants and ministers on horseback.
Qin Jiuwei sat inside the carriage, looking out the window.
The streets were already packed with onlookers, and from a distance, the crowd looked massive.
A large procession filed out of the east gate of the capital, and the people along the street shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
As the group traveled further and further away, the shadow of the city wall was gradually left behind, and the fresh air of the mountains and fields came into view.
The annual spring hunt has officially begun.
Meanwhile, as the main force left the capital, hundreds of white figures silently followed, disappearing into the morning mist in an instant.
The hunting grounds were not far from the capital; the team set off in the morning and arrived in the evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the vast hunting grounds, where nearly a thousand tents rose from the ground, their curtains glowing with a soft orange light from the sunset.
"Ahhh! Big brother! I'm about to fall!"
Xie Jue hugged Xiao Ma's neck tightly with both hands, her face flushed red, and her voice was trembling with tears.
Xie Jingchun stood to the side and reached out to grab Xie Jue's reins.
"Third brother, don't be afraid. Relax, grip the horse's belly with your feet, and don't move around."
Seeing that he was almost crying from fright, Qin Jiuwei raised her hand to support Xie Jue's calf and gently comforted him.
"Take it slow, sit up straight and relax a bit."
"Isn't your older brother protecting you? Besides, Mother is here too."