The cruel little princess

Shen Youyou and His Royal Highness Prince Jin helped to send the little black panther back to its cave. Then, when An Er returned with two fawns, they also sent the fawns back to the cave, ensuring that the mother leopard would not go hungry for the next three to five days before leaving.

To avoid suspicion, Shen Youyou and Prince Jin returned to the barracks one after the other. Seeing this, Prince Jin's eyes watered, and he sighed inwardly: When will I finally have a proper status? Even walking around has to be done in a way that avoids suspicion...

When His Royal Highness Prince Jin returned to the tent, An Yi respectfully handed him a letter. It was sealed with wax and unsigned. But as soon as His Royal Highness Prince Jin took it, he knew who it was from before he even opened the envelope. No one but his good father would send him a letter like this.

He opened the envelope, unfolded it, and quickly read through it. It was his father who urged him to return to the capital, saying he'd recently dreamt of his mother. She'd asked why his son hadn't settled on a marriage, saying he was already 20 years old and still unmarried, leaving her restless in her grave. He also subtly mentioned that he'd been eyeing several daughters of important officials. Among them, Xu Qingxue, the only daughter of Right Prime Minister Xu Shilin and his aunt's niece, was the most sensible, virtuous, and elegant, her every move embodying the demeanor of a lady from a noble family. She was a perfect match for his principal wife. Zheng Hanshuang, the daughter of Imperial Censor Zheng Qiuyang, was stunningly beautiful and could be directly promised as a concubine. Wang Mujia, the daughter of Minister of Revenue Wang Defa, was also charming and unmarried. If he found her attractive, she could be given to him as a concubine as well. Of course, that presupposed he had to hurry back to see her. It wasn't about asking her to see him, but rather him seeing her. If he didn't like her, he wouldn't marry her. Only if he did find her attractive would he marry her. He had already secretly informed the three old men, asking their daughters not to see anyone else for the time being and to wait for him to make a decision after returning. Therefore, if there was no trouble at the border, he should return to the capital as soon as possible so that he could get married early and comfort his mother's spirit in heaven.

After reading the letter, Prince Jin couldn't help but feel that his father was being a bit nosy. He was clearly anxious about his own marriage, yet he had to drag his mother into the matter, which was what made her uneasy. However, he already had someone in his heart and never flirted with other women while in the capital, and it was even more impossible for him to return now. He and Shen Youyou were so in love, why would he return to the capital alone? However, he had to explain this matter clearly to his father, and not to match them up with anyone else. He knew what he was doing.

His Royal Highness Prince Jin then unfolded the rice paper, ordered An Yi to grind ink, and then, with a flourish, began to reply. The general message was that he already had someone in his heart, and it wasn't the person his father had mentioned. He asked his father to secretly communicate with the ministers so as not to delay the girl's blooming period. As for when he would return to the capital, since there was nothing to do there, it would be better to train more at the border. He hoped his father would take care of his health.

His Royal Highness Prince Jin thought about the appointment he had made with Shen Youyou today, and that they would go to the mountains to see the black panther together in the next few days. How could he leave now? Even if he left, he would have to wait until he persuaded Youyou to agree to the marriage, and he had to get through to General Shen before he could return to Beijing to prepare for the wedding. Thinking of this, he felt that his father was really nosy. He could just give her more rewards, but he had to issue an edict to allow her to marry freely. Isn't this the father making things difficult for his son? Then when will he be able to win the beauty home! Although he complained in his heart, he felt that this was also good. Because he cherished and valued her, he didn't want to force her to do things she didn't want to do. The fireworks of the world, the vast mountains and rivers, all of them are her, all of them are her!

Thinking of this, he added another sentence to the letter: Don't just focus on other people's marriages. The rescue team sent out by General Shen is very practical. Sweet potatoes can also be promoted nationwide as a high-yield crop. In short, do more of what you should do. He sealed the letter and ordered An Yi to find someone to send it back as quickly as possible. Don't let his father arrange his marriage without thinking. If that happens, the emperor will not joke, and things will become even more difficult between him and Shen Youyou.

The next morning, he and Shen Youyou went to the mountains to practice martial arts as usual. Shen Youyou felt that after three or four months of practice, her body had become much stronger. However, she was unsure when she could start practicing the internal martial arts and techniques. She had originally planned to ask after practice, but today they ran up the mountain together. After reaching the top, Shen Youyou even felt like she had enough energy to run two more laps.

His Royal Highness Prince Jin asked her how she felt, and she said, "Not bad, I think I can go two more times."

His Royal Highness Prince Jin nodded. "From today on, I will teach you the internal cultivation techniques. The main mnemonic is a 16-character formula. Clear Sky and Peaceful Earth: This refers to choosing an environment with clear skies, fresh air, and a peaceful and tranquil environment for cultivation. Only in such an environment can one better perceive the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Calm Mind and Harmonious Qi: The prerequisite for cultivation is to maintain inner peace and a smooth flow of breath. Only when the mind is as still as water and the breath is as gentle as a gossamer thread can one resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Gathering Spirit and Absorbing Qi: Through specific cultivation methods, one gathers and absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body. This is a gradual process that requires patience and perseverance. Transform into My Strength: Transform the absorbed spiritual energy into one's own strength, providing a continuous source of energy for one's practice and daily life. You can also think of this spiritual power as our own internal strength. Come, follow me as I begin to practice. Take a horse stance, then focus your mind on your Dantian, achieving unity between heaven and man..."

Shen Youyou listened carefully to His Royal Highness Prince Jin's instructions, trying to imitate his movements, focusing on every breath and exhalation. However, she didn't feel any noticeable changes at first, but she didn't get discouraged. Instead, she continued to practice relentlessly.

Over time, she gradually adapted to this unique breathing method and began to feel subtle changes within her body. Finally, she felt a warm current flowing through her dantian. At first, she suspected it was an illusion, but when the sensation reappeared, she couldn't help but pause and look excitedly at His Royal Highness Prince Jin.

"Chu Huaijin, I just felt a warm current flowing through my dantian! I wonder if this is the feeling you mentioned?" she said excitedly.

His Royal Highness Prince Jin smiled slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He knew that Shen Youyou had already mastered the essentials of cultivation. So, he decided to give her a small test.

He suddenly plucked a small wild flower, then with a light leap, placed it on a tree branch more than five meters above the ground. Then, he looked at Shen Youyou encouragingly: "Youyou, try to use your inner strength to leap onto the branch and pick that flower."

Shen Youyou looked up at the high-hanging flowers, feeling a little hesitant. Five meters high, equivalent to two stories, and relying entirely on internal energy to leap up, it was indeed a considerable challenge for her. But she didn't back down. After taking a deep breath, she decided to give it a try.

She adjusted her posture, focused her attention, and prepared for the challenge. Although nervous, she believed she could do it. After all, she could already feel the warmth in her dantian, proving that she was gradually mastering the technique. "I'll try!" She didn't deny it, wanting to see if all her days of practice had paid off.

Shen Youyou took a few brisk steps back, then suddenly exerted her strength and ran like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, she reached the tree trunk. She closed her eyes tightly and concentrated her mind, constantly recalling the wonderful feeling she had just had, and tried hard to mobilize the mysterious and powerful heat in her body.

When the heat converged at her feet, she lifted her toes without hesitation and pushed hard against the tree trunk. In that instant, she felt a powerful force gushing out from beneath her feet, and her body soared lightly into the air like a dragon. She opened her eyes in surprise and found that she had actually leaped over the tree trunk and was in mid-air.

Without a second thought, she reached out her hands and slammed them hard against the tree trunk. The recoil lifted her off the ground again, landing steadily on a thick branch. She looked closely and saw the gorgeous flower lying quietly there, exuding an enchanting fragrance. Excitedly, she reached out and grasped the flower tightly in her hands, as if she were holding the whole world.

However, before she could even savor this joy, her body began to fall uncontrollably. Prince Jin, upon seeing this, turned pale with fear and panicked! He mistakenly believed Shen Youyou had fallen due to exhaustion, and quickly opened his arms, ready to catch her.

But at this moment, Shen Youyou unexpectedly raised her foot and kicked the tree trunk again. With a dull "bang", the trunk trembled slightly, and Shen Youyou used this reaction force to slow her descent, floating down as light as a feather. In the end, she landed safely, without any harm!