A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

Du Shuangshuang didn't want to attend any banquets or activities. She just wanted to hide in her own courtyard and live a leisurely and comfortable life, without worrying about food and clothing, with food and clothes provided for her.

But this kind of life didn't last long, because the current emperor was determined to show his favor to the old general. The autumn hunt was coming, and my grandfather wanted to bring the general's family to participate. Perhaps feeling a little sorry for me, he actually asked me to attend and asked my grandfather to choose a husband for me and he would arrange the marriage.

Du Shuangshuang just wanted to say, "Thank you for not coming. You'd better forget me." But she had no choice but to go, even if she didn't want to. After all, the emperor had asked her to go. However, even though she had to go out, Du Shuangshuang also made up her mind to keep a low profile, ignore everyone, and once she got to the place, she would hide in her tent and not come out, so that no one could disturb her and enjoy her life.

The journey was relatively smooth. There were four carriages in General Zhenguo's mansion. The old general was sitting in the front, followed by his second uncle and aunt. The next carriage was occupied by Du Shuangshuang, her cousin Du Nanyue, and her cousin Du Zhengze. The last carriage was carrying the belongings they brought with them.

Although the Zhenguo General's Mansion was desolate, its heritage remained. The four carriages were modest on the outside, yet luxurious on the inside. The carriages were spacious, accommodating a dozen people. With three people and a servant each, it didn't feel cramped at all. Du Shuangshuang could even lie down and rest when she felt tired.

Perhaps Du Wushuang's domineering nature had previously been disliked, even her seven-year-old cousin would remain silent when she saw her. She'd usually spent most of her time trying to please the eldest prince, leaving her lacking care for her family and a certain distance from them. Alas, it really wasn't because they disliked her. Previously, after being irritated by the eldest prince, Du Wushuang returned home and happened to run into her cousin Du Zhengze playing in the garden. She'd then launched into a barrage of sarcasm and fury, letting out her anger. From then on, the adorable little boy acted like a quail whenever he saw her. Because of this, Second Aunt also had some complaints about her, but she didn't argue with her for the sake of Grandpa and Second Uncle.

Du Shuangshuang sighed slightly, thinking that this was actually quite good, saving her from socializing. All she did along the way was eat and rest. Once she arrived, she would continue to be invisible and hide herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to go out and have fun, but it was mainly because, aside from her family, everyone else seemed full of malice. Recalling her past experiences outings, she'd always been targeted, schemed against, and, of course, isolated.

Upon arrival, Du Shuangshuang didn't disembark from the carriage until the assigned tents were set up and the servants had finished decorating them. Then, Du Wushuang got out and went straight into the tent. Of course, she wasn't alone in the tent; her cousin Du Yunyan was also there. Upon arrival, Du Yunyan quickly went to play with her friends, and Du Shuangshuang was quite impressed by her. They set out early in the morning, just after 5 a.m., and didn't arrive until after noon, around noon.

After a whole morning of riding in the carriage, Du Shuangshuang felt completely exhausted. She didn't know where her cousin had the energy to go out and play. Or maybe it was because her health was too poor. Ever since she fell into the water last time, she had been suffering from the underlying illness. She started panting at the slightest bit of fatigue, felt listless, and ached all over. Du Shuangshuang got into the tent and lay down on the bed, letting Fanhua and Jinxiu give her a massage. She was so tired and sore all over. Because she had been riding in the carriage before, she only had one maidservant to serve her, and the other one followed the group.

After a while, a little maid ran over and said, "Is the eldest lady of the Du family here? I am the maid of Yan Qiushuang, the second lady of the Yan Mansion."

Du Shuangshuang thought about Yan Qiushuang carefully and had the impression that she was someone who had always had a good relationship with Du Wushuang. However, Du Shuangshuang was not sure about Du Wushuang's brain.

Du Shuangshuang paused, as if she didn't have any good memories. Nothing good ever happened to her. She didn't know if it was just Du Wushuang's bad luck, but she felt like he wasn't a good person, even though she had no evidence.

The reason why Du Wushuang had such a good impression of this person was simple: not only did he actively engage in close communication with her, but he also dared to stand up and speak for her in front of everyone. So, what kind of words of defense did he say?

It's like the saying, "So what if our Wushuang is uneducated? Wushuang is the legitimate daughter of the dignified General Zhenguo's family, and she's already engaged to the Crown Prince. She doesn't need to know anything. She will definitely become the most noble Crown Prince's consort in the future!"

"Don't say sour grapes because you can't eat them. We Wushuang have the capital to be proud. So what if we are arrogant and domineering? You can only bear it!"

At first glance, these words seemed to be defending her, but upon closer inspection, one couldn't help but wonder—could this really be considered defending her? The sarcastic tone between the lines—was this defending? He accused her of being uneducated and arrogant. Perhaps Du Wushuang was the only one who would think she was firmly on his side.

After all, such seemingly complimenting, yet actually tinged with sarcasm, words rarely convey genuine kindness or support. Perhaps, for the simple-minded Du Wushuang, simply having someone on her side made her happy, and such words were enough to warm her heart; however, to anyone else, they'd instantly see her as a green tea bitch. Du Wushuang wasn't entirely comfortable, either. Because no one wanted to play along, she eagerly seized the olive branch offered, even actively ignoring any behavior or words that made her uncomfortable.

Think about it, the parents are not around, and although the grandfather dotes on her, he can't always be with her. Plus, her personality is not pleasant, really not pleasant, so she is particularly lacking in love. But who is Du Shuangshuang? She is a homebody from the modern era. As long as she has food and drink, she can stay in the dormitory for a year. Of course, in modern times, there are mobile phones and computers, and you can watch TV, play games, and read novels. But for Du Shuangshuang, even in ancient times, she can still stay at home. If she can't read novels, there are other books. If that doesn't work, she can write. If she can't play games, she can take the maids to play cards. The general's mansion is so big, there are delicious food, and people to serve her. She will never get tired of staying there for the rest of her life.

"Tell her I'm not feeling well and have already rested." Du Shuangshuang said to Jinxiu, who ran out to send the little maid away. Humph, you want to trick yourself out and let those people laugh at you and make a fool of yourself? No way!

Actually, when Du Shuangshuang got out of the car, she took a look at the outside environment and found it quite nice. But thinking about those hateful faces, Du Shuangshuang didn't want to go out at all. Although Du Wushuang had a bad temper, whenever she met those people, they would always chase her and make fun of her and say bad things. Who could stand it? Even the current Du Shuangshuang couldn't stand it. In the past, Du Wushuang would just lose her temper and curse at people, and those people would take the opportunity to ruin her reputation. She was not good at quarreling either. She couldn't afford to provoke them, but she could afford to avoid them.

At noon, the sun blazed down on the earth, and people returned to their homes to eat a simple lunch to fill their stomachs. This lunch was not particularly rich, but just to relieve hunger a little so that they could be energetic to face the important moment that was about to come - the autumn hunting ceremony in the afternoon.

After lunch, Du Shuangshuang rested for a while and then went to bed.

Outside, everyone gathered in a solemn and dignified atmosphere. At the solemn ceremony, the emperor, dressed in gorgeous attire, stood majestically on the podium. He gave a lengthy opening speech to encourage everyone.

Then he led a team of men into the hunting grounds, holding bows and arrows, his eyes fixed firmly on the distance. When everything was ready, the emperor personally shot the crucial arrow, marking the beginning of a grand hunting event.

Soon after, numerous participants poured into the venue, engaging in a fierce competition. Each day, a dedicated team was responsible for keeping detailed statistics on the hunting results. This autumn hunt was more than just a recreational activity; it was more like a thrilling competition. Those who came out on top would receive generous rewards and honors, and these rewards were not limited to material things. More importantly, those who stood out and achieved outstanding results would receive special gifts and commendations from the emperor. This honor not only represented recognition of one's own strength, but also a supreme honor.

Across this vast wilderness, the clash of hooves and shouts resounded through the air as hunters darted through the mountains and forests, pursuing their prey. They displayed exquisite skill and fearless courage, thoroughly enjoying this challenging and exhilarating hunting feast. Each one aspired to be the highly anticipated winner, to achieve their own glorious achievement.

All this had nothing to do with Du Shuangshuang in the tent. She had been called to the hunting ground and had no choice but to be there. Now that she was there, she would not make things difficult for herself. She had never gone out on the pretext of feeling unwell. She either slept or had the maid serve her food while she listened to the maid reading from the storybook.