My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Here, Wei Nanxun was led out of the main hall by Man Xinghe and circled back to the place where she had shot arrows yesterday.

Seeing that she was free, she quickly pulled her wrist away and retreated a few steps to keep her distance from the man.

Unfortunately, the person in question had no idea that he had gotten himself into trouble. Seeing that Wei Nanxun was so far away from him, he wondered, "Ah Xun, what are you doing running so far away? I still need to teach you how to shoot arrows."

"Your Highness, there is a difference between men and women. It would be best if we didn't get so intimate, lest we be misunderstood."

Man Xinghe scratched his head and said nonchalantly, "We're good friends, what's so intimate about holding hands? In the Northwest, it's inconvenient for me to go hunting with them, we all sleep in the same tent, who would dare say we're intimate?"

Wei Nanxun was truly at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated. She could clearly sense the unfriendly and hostile gazes from those three people.

Unfortunately, I couldn't reason with this young master.

But no matter how much she didn't understand, she had to make it clear. Firstly, she didn't want to make enemies for no reason, and secondly, the world was still more harsh on women, and she didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.

“But this isn’t in the Northwest. There are many rules in the capital, and gossip can be terrifying. What you and I did just now is only appropriate for siblings or husband and wife.”

Man Xinghe frowned even more deeply: "What kind of ridiculous rules are these? Fine, I'll just marry you then."

Wei Nanxun had a good impression of him, but this impression was not based on romantic love. She admired his personality and envied his life.

If given the opportunity, perhaps she could try leaving the capital and living in a more distant and expansive place.

But it was definitely not because she liked him.

Similarly, Man Xinghe said several times that he could marry her.

She never took it seriously. He wasn't joking; she believed he would actually ask the Wei family for her hand in marriage.

He didn't care about social status, didn't care that she was born out of wedlock, and didn't care that she was a merchant.

But he is still just a teenager, and he doesn't understand what it means to start a family or what responsibility means. He may be a good friend, a good leader, or a good soldier, but he will definitely not be a good husband right now.

Moreover, his background was too prestigious, so prestigious that she wanted to avoid him at all costs.

Wei Nanxun stopped smiling and looked into his eyes very seriously, saying, "Your Highness, marriage is not a trivial matter. Please do not say such things again."

Man Xinghe straightened up unconsciously, and the nonchalant expression on his face also became somewhat restrained. He seemed a little embarrassed and uncomfortable.

"Ah Xun, don't be angry. I didn't mean to joke about the marriage. I just think you're very beautiful and comfortable to be around. You don't have the affectation of those women in the capital..."

"But you never thought about getting married, did you?"

Man Xinghe was immediately speechless; Wei Nanxun had directly exposed his thoughts.

There was some sincerity in what he said, and he would definitely do what he said. This might be because of her appearance or because he found her interesting, but it was definitely not because he liked her.

For the first time, Man Xinghe was at a loss. He wanted to explain, but he also felt that any explanation was just an attempt to cover up his shortcomings.

"no……"

“Your Highness, I’m not angry. I genuinely consider you a friend. If I were angry, I would have left long ago. Why would I be here talking to you like this?”

Seeing that she didn't seem to be reluctant at all, Man Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief.

He had just seen her serious expression; she was genuinely frightened. He had never been so cautious when interacting with women before.

A gentle breeze of early autumn caressed the girl, and a ginkgo leaf from a branch drifted down and landed in her hair. Man Xinghe watched as she smiled and said she wasn't angry, and for no reason, his heart skipped a beat.

She was truly different from any of the women he had known before. Unlike his childhood friends who were bold and outspoken, she didn't have the affected mannerisms or arrogance of a noblewoman.

Although she was not born of the principal wife and had a humble background, she was different from those women who were raised to be timid, insecure, and calculating.

At this moment, Man Xinghe truly had a thought.

Perhaps marrying her would be a good choice.

Before he could even speak, Wei Nanxun had already picked up the small bow from yesterday and tried to draw the bowstring.

The arrow wobbled as it left the bowstring, and after flying a short distance, it stuck under a tree not far away. He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Where did all your strength go? You should grip your hand like this."

Ignoring the fleeting feelings that stirred within him, Man Xinghe strode over. His first instinct was to teach her, but remembering what she had just said, he subconsciously withdrew his hand.

I had to stand half a step away from her, leaning forward and pointing at her movements.

Half an hour later, a subordinate came looking for him. Only after he left did he belatedly realize what had happened the day before.

That's not right! If there's a difference between men and women, how could her uncle personally teach her archery?!

-

After Man Xinghe left, Wei Nanxun practiced on her own for a long time.

She wasn't trying to please anyone or putting on an act; she genuinely wanted to become strong and no longer be controlled by others.

But archery is different from pitch-pot; having a good aim is not enough, you also need strength.

With her arms unable to lift heavy objects or carry heavy loads, she could only draw the bow for half an hour before her arms became too sore to lift.

Fortunately, archery is simpler than horseback riding. She learned the basic movements, went back home, bought a bow and arrows, made a straw target, and was able to practice on her own.

Thinking this, he put down his things and, seeing that it was almost noon, headed towards the front hall.

Even though nothing bad happened during her visit to the palace, she didn't want to stay long. She wanted to finish the farewell banquet quickly so she could leave the palace in peace.

As for Pei Ji, she hadn't yet figured out how to face him.

He always managed to break her rules and disrupt all her convictions.

Perhaps only by staying far away from him can she keep her mind at ease.

Wei Nanxun was brought out by Man Xinghe, and there were no palace maids to guide her. Fortunately, she remembered the way back after walking it twice.

Just as she was about to reach the main hall, she heard someone calling her name.

"Isn't this Miss Wei? Why isn't she traveling with the young master?"

Wei Nanxun wanted to pretend he hadn't heard, but the other person's voice was too loud. Not replying would seem too deliberate, so he sighed inwardly and had no choice but to turn around and look at the person who was speaking.

At the end of the long corridor is a stone pavilion for a short rest. It is surrounded by green bamboo and is very elegant. However, such a beautiful view is occupied by a person who is not so pleasant.

It was Zhang Yuru who spoke. They hadn't been sitting for long when the Empress Dowager announced that it was time to collect the Buddha's rice. Jiang Qiongzhi, who had been quiet and didn't say much, wisely got up and left.

Seeing this, the Zhang sisters didn't dare to linger any longer and followed them out. Unexpectedly, they had just sat down in the pavilion when they encountered a lone young girl.

The other person wore a distant, faint smile and was not dressed up, yet she was so dazzlingly beautiful that Zhang Yuru was even more envious.

"Miss Wei, may I come closer to speak?"