After traveling through time, I became the aunt of the loyal dog emperor

When is a person most vulnerable? When he is relaxed.

Wan Ning found the acupuncture points and increased the strength. The right amount of force made the Queen Mother half-close her eyes comfortably, and she had already forgotten everything else. Wan Ning leaned close to the Queen Mother's ear and asked softly, "Oh, where did the Emperor go in such a snowy day?"

Since the Emperor began to resist the orders of the Emperor Retired, he wooed Prince Qi to join the game and cultivate his own connections, and also hit the Emperor Retired's arrogance in the drought. The Emperor Retired used the excuse that he was old and devoted himself to Buddhism and had been living in seclusion, avoiding the Emperor. So although the two have not really torn their faces, they still retain a tacit respect.

But silence does not mean giving up, nor does it mean that there is no means at all. How could a selfish person who used his only child ruthlessly, treated Ziheng as a chess piece and a puppet for many years, and who was suspicious of King Qi, give up all his plans so easily?

Wan Ning was feeling uneasy, and she became even more uneasy when she thought of the strange behavior of Fang Xiong, the Queen Mother, and the Emperor this morning.

The Queen Mother still half-closed her eyes comfortably. When she heard Wan Ning's question, she subconsciously chuckled twice, complaining like an ordinary couple complaining about their spouse: "He liked hunting in winter when he was young, especially hunting in the snow. The heavier the snow, the more excited he was. When I first entered the palace, I didn't know he had this hobby, and I didn't see him for several days in a row."

As she spoke, the Queen Mother opened her eyes and looked out the door boredly, looking at the snowy scene, and murmured, "Look at the situation today, he must be having a good time. Now that Chu State has Heng'er watching over it, and Prince Qi is assisting it, it's rare to be so relaxed, it's good to have some fun. It reminds me of the days in the palace, Yan'er, your mother also joked with you like this in the palace. Alas, now I'm old, and she is still the same as she was back then."

Wan Ning rolled her eyes behind her and complained in her heart, "Come on, who wants to be the same as before? Who doesn't want to grow old in peace in this world? Concubine Lan died early, and you are saying something sarcastic in front of her daughter. Forget it, this matter is not important today, we can talk about it next time."

So Wan Ning asked again tentatively: "Oh, but it's dangerous to go hunting in this weather, do you have someone to accompany you?"

The Queen Mother glanced at Wan Ning's expression, but quickly regained her composure. She closed her eyes and continued to enjoy herself, and replied, "I didn't expect Yan'er to understand these things. The heavy snow is blinding, and if you stare at it for too long, your vision will be even worse. I heard that you have to wear conspicuous colors in the hunting grounds to avoid being mistaken for prey. Of course, there will be someone to accompany you. I went there many years ago. At that time, Heng'er was still young. He sat on his father's horse with a special bow and arrow. He looked very cute with a lively look."

Wan Ning's mind instantly had a picture, and she couldn't help but grin and agree, "Cute." Suddenly she realized that this was not the key point now, and she complained in her heart, "Do people like to reminisce about the past so much when they get older? In such a short time, he has mentioned the past several times. Sometimes he mentioned Concubine Lan, and the days in the palace, and when Ziheng was a child. Or there are too few entertainment activities, no TV at night, and no short videos."

"Wait, the palace, hunting, Ziheng, Concubine Lan, could it be that the Queen Mother wants to remind me of something?" Wan Ning had a flash of inspiration in her mind.

So he coaxed the Queen Mother into giving scores to all the remaining paintings, secretly observing and analyzing her expressions and words, and continued to talk about this matter intentionally or unintentionally.

"I heard that the Emperor and Prince Qi were very close brothers back then. I guess they often made plans to go hunting together." Wan Ning asked tentatively, turning the topic to Prince Qi.

The Queen Mother shook her head, put down the cup in her hand, and said, "It's a pity that Prince Qi doesn't like hunting and is not good at it. The two of them went together a few times, and each time Prince Qi came back empty-handed, which made people laugh, so he didn't want to go again."

Wan Ning said in surprise, "I didn't expect that Prince Qi, who is good at archery, is not good at hunting. But speaking of Prince Qi, he has been away from Nanye City for some time. Princess Yan Ke often talks to me about when her father will come back and how empty the palace is."

"Oh, that's strange. Prince Qi has returned from a great victory and will arrive soon. Princess Yan Ke didn't know about it. I guess he wants to give her a surprise. Prince Qi is the best at giving surprises. Lan'er back then..." The Queen Mother suddenly realized her mistake and smiled and changed the subject abruptly: "I also like surprises. Little girls like them. Princess Yan Ke will definitely be happy."

"Wow, it seems I have to keep this news a secret from her for a few more days, so as not to disrupt Prince Qi's preparations." Seeing that the massage was almost done and the paintings had all been graded, Wan Ning began to pack up. She lowered her head and mentioned the news she heard today: "Prince Qi's return is just in time. I heard that today's heavy snow has caused disasters. I think there are many things to deal with."

The Queen Mother was a little surprised and immediately asked, "Yan'er also knows?"

Wan Ning turned around. Perhaps because she had just relaxed, the Queen Mother spoke calmly and even looked a little radiant. Wan Ning nodded blankly, "Yes, I heard the palace maids talking about this, but I don't know if it's true or not. But as the saying goes, 'auspicious snow means a good harvest', so it should be a good sign. Queen Mother, is this true?"

The Queen Mother nodded. "I just heard about it too. Coincidentally, the heavy snow crushed several buildings. That was where weapons were cast. Oh, now I remember that place is not far from the hunting grounds that the Emperor is going to. But it shouldn't be a big problem, as it has been abandoned for a long time."

No, hunting, heavy snow, prey, Prince Qi, the emperor, Ziheng, things are not that simple! If it was an abandoned place, why would the ministers specially report it to the emperor urgently, and why would Ziheng be anxious to check it out in person?

A strange picture appeared in Wan Ning's mind: she saw Ziheng lying on the horse's back in pain under the heavy snow, with an arrow stuck in his back, blood dripping from his fingers to the ground, and the bright red blood dyed the road red, forming a vivid and terrible mark in the snow. The world was vast, everything was lonely, and there was only him and the faint sound of breathing.

"Yan'er, Yan'er!", the Queen Mother called Wan Ning softly.

Wan Ning recovered from her stupor, her body trembling slightly, her heart beating very fast: "I'm here."

"You were fine just now. What happened now? Can you accompany me to enjoy the snow scenery for a while?" asked the Queen Mother.

Wan Ning packed her things in a hurry, and refused in a panic. She didn't know what she was saying for a moment: "No... It's not convenient. I suddenly remembered that I have some things to deal with. Next time, next time, can I accompany you?"

The Queen Mother was slightly surprised and paused for a moment: "Oh, that's natural."

At the same time, Wan Ning picked up the portrait in one hand and the cloak given by Ziheng that was placed on the chair in the other hand, and rushed out the door like a gust of wind.