The prince loves me like his life, but I force him to rebel

"The emperor summoned me, but not in the court. I can borrow a casual outfit from the third prince later. Mr. Gu doesn't need to worry."

Gu Nianzhi adjusted his mood and mustered up the courage to get on the horse.

"Falling off a horse is an inevitable part of learning horse riding. Now that you have fallen once, it means that you have made some progress in horse riding."

"General Shu is really encouraging!"

"You can now slowly speed up. If you learn well today, after I meet the emperor tomorrow, maybe I can take you for a walk in the suburbs."

"Really?" Gu Nianzhi had been bored these past few days.

Since returning from the palace, Sima Yao was worried that she had no ability to protect herself, so he did not allow her to leave the palace alone. However, Sima Yao and Lin Heng were in the palace most of the time, which left her with nowhere to go except the study. It would naturally be best if she could go to the suburbs under Shu Huaiyuan's protection.

"A man's words are hard to follow."

"Okay, just because you are so difficult to catch up with, I will also practice hard today."

Gu Nianzhi was not a delicate girl. She had played male roles before, so she had some basic skills. With the guidance of her master Shu Huaiyuan, she naturally mastered horse riding very quickly.

By dusk, Gu Nianzhi had learned to the point where he could trot a few laps on the horse.

On the side of the training ground, applause was heard from one person.

Gu Nianzhi stopped his horse and looked back. Sima Yao and Lin Heng were standing at the entrance. Sima Yao applauded: "A good teacher produces a good student. Riding with me for more than ten days is not as good as Huaiyuan's guidance."

"You took me to ride a horse, but you never taught me. Now General Shu has taught me. Next time I go out, I can ride by myself and won't have to trouble the Third Prince." Gu Nianzhi smiled happily, got off the horse, tied it up, and walked to the three people.

"From now on, let Huaiyuan be your full-time teacher and teach you horse riding, archery and martial arts..." Lin Heng said with a smile.

"Mr. Gu is extremely intelligent. I am willing to do this, but Mr. Gu must come to the imperial mausoleum on the outskirts of the city." Shu Huaiyuan said with a smile.

"That's not necessarily true." Sima Yao said, "Perhaps the emperor summoned you to the palace this time because he has other plans for you. It is not impossible for you to stay in the capital permanently in the future."

"Really?" Gu Nianzhi was even more excited than Shu Huaiyuan: "Then I can really become your disciple in the future!"

Shu Huaiyuan's expression was calm, his eyes moved slightly, but he said nothing.

-----

The next morning, Shu Huaiyuan entered the palace wearing the third prince's casual clothes.

First he paid his respects to the Empress Dowager, and then went to the Imperial Study.

As the Third Prince said, the Emperor wanted Shu Huaiyuan to return to Beijing and be responsible for the daily training of the palace guards.

"You have been stationed at the Imperial Mausoleum for many years. The Imperial Mausoleum Army has strict discipline and strong combat effectiveness, all because of your good management. Now the guards in the palace are lax and lazy. I need you to rectify the military discipline, so that I can feel at ease."

"I sincerely obey the imperial edict."

"Huaiyuan, are you somewhat blaming me in your heart for leaving you idle and not making any important use of you all these years?" The emperor stood up.

"I dare not." Shu Huaiyuan knelt down immediately.

"Get up. I held you in my arms when you were little. We are the ruler and the subject, but in my opinion, you are also the son of an old friend. Your father and brother died for their country. I feel a little guilty towards you."

"I am terrified." Shu Huaiyuan did not stand up.

The emperor personally helped Shu Huaiyuan up.

"I have been in the imperial mausoleum for these years only to temper your temper and give you the opportunity to read military books in peace. If it weren't for your resourcefulness and preparations for this trip to Qiangyi, the prince would have been in great danger."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. Protecting the Crown Prince is only our duty."

"I believe you have seen the situation in the court. There are very few people who can be used. If I support the prince with all my heart, there will be a lot of resistance. Even if the prince succeeds to the throne one day, it is unknown whether he can keep the position."

Shu Huaiyuan looked up at the emperor, whose worried look was evident in his words.

"So, I must make plans for Hui'er early. I need to have people he can use, both civil officials and military generals. The position of the chief sword-bearing guard in front of the emperor has been vacant for a long time, and the second and third princes have been in charge of some of the duties respectively. Now, it is the best for you to take the position."

"I will definitely protect the prince! I will not hesitate to sacrifice my life for him." Shu Huaiyuan has been dormant for many years, and at this moment, he finally got the opportunity to show his abilities.

For the emperor, the queen's party has been eyeing the position of chief sword-bearing guard in front of the emperor. Although this position is not very high, it is extremely important.

The emperor has been under pressure and has not decided on a candidate, allowing the two princes to jointly take charge of it.

Now that Shu Huaiyuan has demonstrated his extraordinary strategy and strength, the emperor can finally feel at ease to give the position to his own people.

Shu Huaiyuan's successful escort of the prince back to the palace was a great achievement, and it could also silence the Queen's party's gossip.

This arrangement is just right.

After returning to Prince Yao's Mansion from the Imperial Palace, Shu Huaiyuan went to the training ground as agreed.

Gu Nianzhi rode his horse, running around the training ground tirelessly.

Today's speed is much faster than yesterday.

"Master, how do you think my disciple's training is going today?" Seeing Shu Huaiyuan standing aside, Gu Nianzhi immediately shouted excitedly.

"Very good, great progress." Gu Nianzhi's brightness and enthusiasm always made Shu Huaiyuan relax his brows.

"Then can we go to the suburbs today?" Gu Nianzhi walked in front of Shu Huaiyuan, stopped his horse, and dismounted, as if to show Shu Huaiyuan his achievements today.

"I said yesterday that a gentleman's word is a gentleman's word..."

"It's hard to chase a horse!"

Shu Huaiyuan took a few quick steps and brought another horse.

"The sun is shining brightly today, so I'll take Mr. Gu for an outing in the suburbs."

Gu Nianzhi was not yet proficient in horse riding, so the two of them led the horses and walked to the outside of the city gate.

When they reached a place with few pedestrians, Shu Huaiyuan jumped on his horse, galloped around Gu Nianzhi at a very fast speed, and said with a smile: "Get on the horse!"

"Can I really do this? I've never ridden alone outside of the training ground." Gu Nianzhi stroked the horse's head, seeming to be very unsure of himself.

"There's always a first time for everything. Give me your first time riding in the suburbs. I promise that I can bring you back home safely."

Perhaps Shu Huaiyuan's clarity gave Gu Nianzhi courage. She did not say much, but followed Shu Huaiyuan's instructions. She mounted the horse, held the reins, and clamped her legs together. In one go, the two horses trotted along the post road, sometimes side by side, sometimes one in front and one behind.

"Follow me." Shu Huaiyuan quickened his pace and went into the side path, with Gu Nianzhi following closely behind.

The two rode along the country road for a while, and the view in front of them suddenly opened up.

The lake water is clear and the lake shore is gentle.

The horse's hooves trampled over the shallow grass and wild flowers, bringing the two to the lake.

"Let's take a break." Shu Huaiyuan got off the horse and reached out to support Gu Nianzhi.

"No, I can do it myself." Gu Nianzhi turned over and got off the horse, his movements were smooth and swift, and he did it in one go.

"Mr. Gu, you look weak, but you learn to ride a horse very quickly. This is a little beyond my expectation." Shu Huaiyuan withdrew his hand, not feeling embarrassed at all. Instead, he praised Gu Nianzhi.

"That's why I always say that you can't judge a person by his appearance." Gu Nianzhi tied the horse to a tree trunk on the shore and rubbed his palms, which were a little red from holding the reins tightly. "I just didn't have the opportunity to learn since I was a child. If I had learned horse riding, archery and martial arts like you did when I was young, I am confident that I would not be much worse than you now."

"Of course. After all, everyone has their own expertise. When it comes to making plans, we are far behind Mr. Gu."

"That may not be the case. If it weren't for General Shu's plan for this trip to Qiangyi, the court would probably be in chaos now."

"The chaos in the court is just a matter of time before it comes to light." Shu Huaiyuan tied up his horse and turned to look at Gu Nianzhi: "Mr. Gu, what do you think?"