The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

Mulan Hunting Ground is located at the border of Hebei and Mongolia. It was originally a pasture offered by the Kharachin, Aohan and Ongniud Banners during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. Covering an area of ​​more than 20 million mu, it was rich in water and grass and was known as the Thousand-Mile Pine Forest during the Liao Dynasty.

Ling Yunche was never a spirited person. He had been exiled to this place for many years, living with the mountain winds and wild beasts. Every day he had to take care of the horses, washing them and mixing fodder with his one-finger-broken hand. He worked hard all day long and was dressed in rough clothes, just like a wild man.

When news spread that the emperor was going to hunt at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, the hunting grounds became bustling with activity, and for a lowly exile like himself, the work became even more arduous every day.

Even with his heavy workload, he still wondered in the dead of night if the Emperor would bring Ruyi with him this time, and whether he would have a chance to catch a glimpse of her from afar.

That night, he had a dream.

It seemed to be Ruyi's hoarse voice in my ears, filled with relief and surprise.

"You will return in a dignified manner and live up to my expectations."

Then the scenery suddenly changed, and Ling Yunche found himself in a dense forest.

A black horse without saddle or bridle galloped past him, neighing.

Suddenly, a hidden arrow shot out from the shadows and pierced the ground with a whoosh.

As the day of the Mulan Autumn Hunt approached, a problem arose when the emperor was deciding on the entourage.

On one occasion when the Emperor visited Cuiyun Pavilion to deal with her, Ruyi suggested that Yongqi accompany him.

The Emperor knew that Ruyi's requests were often impossible to disobey directly, so after thinking for a moment, he said, "The Mulan Hunting Grounds are far away and cold. Yongqi is not in good health. The bumpy ride and the cold wind will only make things worse for him."

Ruyi replied, "I will take good care of Yongqi. I have no children of my own, so I will treat all children equally."

This meant that Ruyi had to be brought along as well, and the emperor, who tried to refuse, was now facing a headache.

He had no choice but to agree.

Therefore, apart from E Yujie, who was too weak to go after childbirth and Chen Wanyin volunteered to stay and take care of her, all the other concubines went to the Mulan Hunting Ground with the emperor.

In addition, there were Prince Lü, his adopted son Yongcheng, Prince Shen, Prince He, and other imperial relatives, as well as the eldest son Yonghuang, the second son Yonglian, the third son Yongzhang, the fifth son Yongqi, several older princesses and their wives, and Manchu and Mongol nobles and ministers accompanying the entourage. The remaining younger princesses and princes were sent to Xiefang Palace to be cared for by nannies.

Yanwan was actually somewhat reluctant: Eyujie's pregnancy had been too arduous, and she was truly exhausted after giving birth to Yongxuan. Even after completing two full-term confinement periods, she still hadn't fully recovered, and Yanwan was genuinely worried. Besides, she knew nothing about riding and archery, and would have just sat idly by the Mulan Hunting Grounds.

However, she could not disobey the emperor's order, so she had no choice but to send many tonics to E Yujie, give her many detailed instructions, and also send some gifts to Chen Wanyin.

Chen Wanyin reassured her, "Her Majesty the Empress has sent Aunt Mingyu to stay in the palace. If anything happens, I will inform her."

With everything prepared, the group set off in a grand procession for the Mulan Hunting Grounds.

Upon arriving at the Mulan Hunting Grounds, the trio heard Yuan Yi's voice in their minds: "This is also a Chaotic Land. Please activate vision sharing."

The three became alert and, under the pretext of settling the concubines and their families, looked around. Sure enough, they found something amiss.

The Mulan Hunting Grounds seemed quite chaotic. The horses, which should have been released and driven in a unified manner, were instead being led around by different people in various places. There was no rule of avoiding the servants in the hunting grounds, so it was easy to see male servants leading horses in the areas where the women might be active.

Hearing her concerns, the Emperor smiled and said, “Empress, you are unaware of this. In the past, the Mulan Hunting Grounds also released horses uniformly, but there were always one or two that did not match the number when entering and leaving. Therefore, each horse was changed to be taken care of by a special person. In order for the horses to arrive on time, they will inevitably pass through the women’s quarters. I can only ask the Empress to take extra care.”

As he spoke, he went out to ride a horse.

Yuan Yi analyzed the scene he saw and the emperor's answer, and came to a conclusion: "The space here must be chaotic. Space may randomly split and merge. Simply put, it is very likely that when you walk out of the tent tomorrow, you will find yourself in a pine forest instead of a grassland. The horses are not missing, but moved to another place when the space changed. The same logic applies to the fact that these people will pass through the activity range of the women."

Yingluo asked, "This area is already so big, what will happen if it gets any more chaotic? What do we do now?"

Yuan Yidao: "Focus on 'miracles' and try not to get distracted by them."

Rongyin then sent Yingluo to convey the imperial decree, instructing the servants in the hunting grounds to avoid the presence of female relatives.

Meanwhile, Yanwan was considering whether to take advantage of her visit to the Mulan Hunting Grounds to learn horseback riding and archery.

After all, the emperor might come here to hunt again in the next few years. If he learns about 30% of it first and then asks the emperor to teach him, he can satisfy the emperor's vanity without making the emperor impatient because he can't learn it. It is also a way to consolidate his favor.

But just looking at those tall, magnificent horses in the Imperial Stables made her legs weak, and she couldn't even imagine what it would be like to ride one.

After much thought, she decided to start with archery.

However, she had never learned archery either, so she could only recall Ao Deng's archery posture in Changchun Palace and try to bend the bow and nock the string.

The arrow fell to the ground before it was even released, and her fingers were cut by the bowstring. She couldn't help but gasp.

Chun Chan hurriedly said, "Master, let's stop practicing for now." She then sent someone to fetch the ointment.

At that moment, a voice behind her greeted her: "Greetings, Lady Ling."

She turned around and saw that it was Ilarie and Oden.

Ao Deng was raised by Prince Chaoyong from a young age and was skilled in archery and horsemanship. The Ilari clan was also from the Manchu banner, and his elder brother was a guard, so he was also somewhat proficient in these skills.

The two sisters-in-law agreed to go to the archery range together, but unexpectedly ran into Yanwan there.

Yanwan returned the greeting somewhat awkwardly.

"Iraqi asked, "Is Lady Ling practicing archery?"

Yanwan smiled and said, "I'm ashamed to say that this is my first time doing this, and I'm not very good at it. Please let the two ladies do it."

Ao Deng said, "The Qing Dynasty values ​​horsemanship and archery. Lady Ling's dedication is a role model for us younger generations."

Ilarie said, "What my second sister-in-law said is also what I, the concubine, meant."

Yanwan smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "It should be me who asks the two princesses for advice on how to shoot arrows."

The three hit it off immediately, and the two wives taught Yanwan how to shoot arrows.

Ilarie demonstrated the movements once, then presented the mulberry bark bow to Yanwan with both hands: "May Lady Ling try again?"

Yanwan took the bow, and Ao Deng, with his sharp eyes, noticed a thin bloodstain on Yanwan's right thumb.

She then said, "Ling Niangniang, you must wear a thumb ring when shooting arrows, otherwise the bowstring can easily injure your hand."

As he spoke, he took off a rhinoceros horn thumb ring inlaid with gold and silver wire and kui pattern and gave it to Yanwan to wear first.

Yan Wan thanked her and tried to draw the bow.

Ao Deng stood behind her, reaching out to support Yan Wan's arms and help her adjust her posture.

She was now taller than Yanwan, and said, "I apologize for my rudeness," before gently wrapping her arms around Yanwan and pulling the bowstring to its fullest extent.

With a "whoosh," an arrow pierced straight into the target.

They practiced for a while longer before finally returning home, having had their fill of practice.

Yanwan invited the two men to her tent for tea, and the three of them walked together toward the women's tent.

Ling Yunche led his horse along in silence, vaguely hearing the conversation of several women.

"If Lady Ling wants to learn to ride a horse, she must first choose a horse that suits her. Although Mongolian horses are short, they are mostly spirited and not suitable for Lady Ling, who is riding a horse for the first time. Northwest horses, although tall, are more docile."

"Ling Niangniang?" Ling Yunche knew that the woman was referring to Yan Wan, and he was momentarily stunned.

As he led his horse out of the intersection, he saw a group of eunuchs and palace maids escorting a young woman dressed in fine silks and satins, with two elegantly dressed girls following behind. He then realized something was wrong, but it was too late.

When the servants saw a man and a horse suddenly appear from the side, they rushed forward to stop them.

Yanwan, Ilarie, and Aodeng were also taken aback.

Ling Yunche quickly pulled his horse back, and a small bottle about the size of a thumb flew off his body with the sudden movement, crashing to the ground and spilling its liquid everywhere.

However, due to the horse's neighing, no one present noticed.

Yanwan thought that she was the elder among the three, and it was most appropriate for her to take the lead at this time, so she called out softly, "Lancui".

Lan Cui immediately shouted, "How did you lead this horse? Can you take responsibility for offending your master?!"

Ling Yunche stepped forward and knelt down: "This servant greets Consort Ling."

Lan Cui shouted angrily again: "You blind servant, this is Consort Ling and the two princes' wives!"

Ling Yunche was startled and couldn't help but wonder what methods Yanwan had used to climb to the position of Imperial Concubine in just a few years.

This momentary lapse in concentration caused Lan Cui to lose her patience. She angrily said, "He offended his master and didn't even apologize! This servant needs to be severely punished to learn his lesson! Wang Chan, drag him away!"

Just as Wang Chan was about to step forward, he suddenly heard a hoarse female voice: "Stop!"

The three of them turned around and saw Ruyi being supported by Hailan as she walked gracefully towards them.

Yanwan's voice turned cold: "Xian agrees."

Ao Deng had never met Ruyi, but she had heard many stories about her. At this moment, Ilarie subtly tugged at her sleeve, and she bowed to Ilarie, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Ruyi recognized Ling Yunche at a glance. Thinking of how Yanwan had been so arrogant and domineering in front of her childhood sweetheart, she was filled with anger.

However, in order to maintain her mistress's dignity, she suppressed her anger and said, "Consort Ling, Ling Yunche is guilty, and His Majesty has already punished him. It is His Majesty's mercy not to take his life. Would Consort Ling use torture indiscriminately beyond His Majesty's mercy?" (Dialogue quoted from the original drama)

Yan Wan was somewhat surprised. So the unshaven man in front of her was Ling Yunche! No wonder he looked so familiar!

But this matter is not important now. Yanwan smiled and said, "Xian, back then, Ling Yunche colluded with you and did those things. I really had no face to say it in front of the two consorts. His Majesty was benevolent and spared his life. It is hateful that he is still not behaving himself properly in the Mulan Hunting Grounds and has offended me and the two consorts. I have no choice but to punish him."

Ruyi thought that Yanwan was heartless and ungrateful, and would never care about past feelings. However, Yonghuang's primary wife came from a humble family, and Yonglian's wife was the daughter of Princess Chunque's illegitimate son, so she didn't take her seriously. She said in a gruff voice, "Consort Ling and the two wives are all masters. If you punish them severely for such a small matter, it would be unbecoming of a master to be respectable and benevolent."

Yanwan sneered: "Hasn't Xian done enough shameful and immoral things in the past? Why are you being so generous with other people's money today?"

Although Lady Ira and Ao Deng were also angered by Ruyi's sharp rebuke, they were both juniors and were in a difficult position.

At that moment, a loud male voice rang out: "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

Everyone knelt down to pay their respects.

Rongyin, supported by Yingluo, walked gracefully over and stopped, saying, "I heard everything you were saying just now. I just issued an imperial edict today, ordering servants and noble ladies to avoid the area, and yet some people have disobeyed my orders. If they are not punished, the order cannot be maintained. Ling Yunche, give him ten strokes of the cane and deduct half a year's salary. Xian, the concubine, has acted insubordinately and disrespectfully, and shall be deducted three months' salary."

Ruyi could only pout and bow before leaving on her own.

Yanwan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for upholding justice."

Rongyin told the group to be careful in the future and to come to her if they needed anything. Then she said, "Alright, these two children are quite reserved in front of me, so I'll have to trouble Consort Ling."

After Rong Yin left, Ao Deng and the others finished their greetings. When Ao Deng stood up, he suddenly paused.

Yanwan called her twice before she reacted.

Ilarie asked, "What's wrong?"

Ao Deng smiled and said, "It's nothing. There are probably a lot of horses here, and they just smelled the wrong thing."

Seeing that nothing was wrong, Yanwan left with the two of them without noticing that she had stepped on a puddle of liquid on the ground.

On the other side, Ruyi walked side by side with Ling Yunche, who had been beaten, while Hailan followed behind with a limp.

(Most of the following lines are quoted from the original drama, with a small portion adapted.)

Ruyi smiled and asked, "Ling Yunche, how have you been these past few years here?"

Ling Yunche said, "There are usually not many people in this place. I just feed the horses and wash the stables every day, that's all."

Ruyi said, "You've lost some weight, and the way you look at people is different now."

Ling Yunche said, "Every night when I look at the moon, I think of the day I was driven out of the palace. This feeling is really unbearable."

Ruyi smiled and said, "Just bear with it for now. But you need to understand why you're suffering this injustice."

Thinking of that dream, Ling Yunche said firmly, "This servant will definitely return with honor."

Ruyi said, "Then this beating wasn't for nothing."