The cannon fodder heiress trembled with fear after being recognized as a member of her family.

The two sisters, Han Yueshi and Han Lingzhi, frequently visited the Xu Prince's residence.

One was favored by the women of the royal household, and the other was even more favored by his maternal grandfather.

Although they were born of the same mother, they were treated differently in the Xu Prince's Mansion.

Although the women of the Prince's mansion favored Han Yueshi, they only dared to treat everyone equally.

The old prince of the Xu family favored Han Lingzhi the most and taught her a lot about riding and archery.

King Xu also praised the girl highly, saying she was a promising talent for martial arts.

This also meant that although the older sister seemed to be more favored, the servants in the mansion knew perfectly well which girl was the most important.

Even the maids and guards around Han Lingzhi were all personally inspected and trained by the old prince before being sent to Han Lingzhi's side.

These people all have some kind of martial arts skills.

Han Lingzhi was also good at riding and archery, but she didn't like being with those young ladies from prominent families, so people didn't know much about her.

I thought she was just a girl with a withdrawn personality, far less interesting than Miss Han.

Han Yueshi is well-liked. As soon as she arrived at the manor, she made plans with her girlfriends to go for a stroll in the mountains.

Besides hoping to bump into the Second Prince, she was more interested in finding out where Han Cuiyin was.

The message from the Grand Princess's residence only said that Han Cuiyin was at the manor at the foot of Qingshuang Mountain. She sent people to inquire and found out that Han Cuiyin had only stayed there for a day or two, and spent the rest of the time at the villa on Qingshuang Mountain.

That villa is said to be part of the Grand Princess's estate.

The reason for calling on Han Lingzhi this time was simply because the guards and maids around her were all highly skilled in martial arts, and they could be of some use in case a conflict broke out.

No one knew what Han Yueshi was thinking. Princess Mingxia assumed they were just out for a stroll and didn't ask the two sisters to come along for protection.

When the two sisters went out, Han Runji was already waiting at the door. She was dressed in clothes that allowed her to move around easily. She hugged Han Yueshi's arm and said, "Big sister, I want to go with you!"

"That's great! You can learn slowly from behind, but don't rush to run..."

Han Lingzhi watched the two of them leave, but only felt puzzled and did not chase after them.

Her older sister is always good at maintaining appearances; even if she dislikes someone, she won't show it on her face.

Han Runji is so beautiful, she was clearly jealous to death, but she could still speak with a smile, which she had to admire.

"I'd like to see what you're up to! Going horseback riding in this heat isn't like you at all." Han Lingzhi muttered under her breath, her expression no longer showing any trace of her usual dazedness.

It is now the twelfth day of the seventh lunar month, and most of the families in the capital who wanted to avoid the Ghost Festival at Qingshuang Mountain have already arrived. Except for those family members who need to attend court, almost all the female relatives have come.

Even though the date hasn't arrived yet, some acquaintances have already started arranging banquets to pass the time together.

Han Yue, a poet, is quite popular. She said that when she went hunting in the mountains, many girls participated.

"How about we go to Qingshuang Mountain?" Han Yueshi feigned curiosity. "This is my first time staying overnight here. I've heard there's a cold pool halfway up the mountain that's very good for a woman's skin, so perhaps—"

"I advise you to give up that idea! Grand Princess Jinghe is recuperating at her villa on the mountain. Didn't you see the guards down there? If you want to court death, don't drag us into it!"

The girl who spoke was strikingly beautiful and had a loud voice. She silenced Han Yueshi with just a few words.

Lin Jiabao's words exposed Han Yueshi's embarrassment, but she quickly recovered, "I was only thinking of all the sisters. The Grand Princess has always enjoyed lively gatherings, so our visit to pay our respects isn't a disturbance. Besides, there are silver fish in the Cold Pond, which I've heard are good for beauty and skin, so we—"

“Miss Han, there’s really no scenery at the Cold Pool, nor any of the miraculous effects you’ve described. You can go if you want! Ladies, the scenery on that mountain next to Qing Shuang Mountain is quite nice too. How about we go there for horseback riding and hunting?”

Li Meiyun pointed to the mountain peak next to Qingshuang Mountain, whose summit was shrouded in clouds and mist, and looked no different from Qingshuang Mountain.

The girls present weren't stupid. Han Yueshi wanted to go to Qingshuang Mountain and even called on them, just because she thought that there would be a lot of people involved and that she wouldn't be punished.

These women, whose families don't hold noble titles or are powerful officials, how could they be so easily fooled?

I don't know how Princess Mingxia raised her, she's so stupid and still comes out to embarrass herself.

Han Yueshi gritted her teeth, gripping the reins tighter and tighter. After finally calming herself down, she said, "Miss Li, I had no such intention. Perhaps the Li family is used to fighting and always thinks of others in such a complicated way. I suppose Miss Li has been to Hantan and the villa with the second branch of the Luo family. No wonder I made a fool of myself in front of you."

The two started arguing like that.

The girls present were all worldly-wise and noticed that Li Meiyun was different.

This woman was merely the eldest daughter of a widow; no family with even a modicum of standing would consider her.

She had stayed at the second branch of the Luo family, and it's likely that those two elders with a long family tradition of learning taught her a great deal.

It was only because Lord Luo didn't take the bait that she settled for second best.

"I just heard that the scenery there is beautiful, and even the Emperor has praised it several times. I was just curious! Miss Li, don't worry, I won't compete with you for the title of Marquis of Jingyun. After all, I don't need to plan my own marriage. My mother and the Xu Prince's Mansion will take care of it for me."

"Since everyone wants to go to that mountain, then let's go there! Make sure your guards follow closely, lest you end up at the bottom crying! Giddy up!"

Han Yueshi was wearing riding gear and had a tall figure.

In the eyes of many young women, she was dashing and heroic.

Before leaving, the group glanced at Li Meiyun one last time and rode away.

Han Runji looked at Han Yueshi's back with envy and secretly made up his mind that one day he would be like his older sister.

"Let's go! Your second sister will take you for a while. You can just ride around outside and don't go into the mountains. You're still too young. You won't be able to do anything if you go, and I'll have to take care of you." Han Lingzhi brought up the rear, her face showing no excitement.

Han Yueshi makes enemies everywhere, thinking she's so capable. But being the one who sticks out isn't easy.

"I understand, Second Sister!" Han Runji's round face flushed slightly. "When I grow a little taller, I can be just like you."

After the two left, six more horses emerged from the nearby woods.

"Second Brother, that area has become the girls' territory. Shall we still go there today?"

The third prince, dressed in a silver-white riding outfit, stared in the direction they had departed with an ambiguous expression.

“Go, why not go! But it’s not as fun as having the guards herd the prey to one place. Watching the young ladies hunt is much more interesting than hunting yourself.”

He said it was fun, but his face remained expressionless.

They had all heard the argument between the two girls.

"That Li Meiyun is indeed a bit scheming! Could it be that after Aunt Changyun's divorce, she saw no hope of marrying Marquis Jingyun and set her sights on us? Her eyes have been glancing this way quite a bit; does she know your whereabouts from the past?"

The Third Prince only mentioned Li Meiyun, without making any mention of Han Yueshi.

"So what if I know where you are? The eldest daughter of a widow still dares to dream of entering my room? What a fool!" The Second Prince, dressed in black, had a fleeting look of gloom on his face.

Since Princess Shengmian disappeared, he has been going mad in the palace every day.

Emperor Chu Yuan was so bothered by this that he sent him to Qing Shuang Mountain to relax and return for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

It was no secret in the village that the second prince spent his days hunting in the forest to vent his anger.

These noble ladies had only been there a short time. Apart from Li Meiyun, who seemed somewhat suspicious, the others appeared to be there for sightseeing.

"That girl wasn't hoping for a chance encounter, so let's give her a chance!"

After the Second Prince rode away, the Third Prince quickly chased after him. This Han Yueshi, why is she everywhere!

Han Cuiyin and Luo Jingqian got off the carriage together. When they arrived at the gate of the manor, they saw dust billowing on the road.