Zheng Xiao Mistake: The Mistake of Rebirth Provoked the Cold Master

The royal main tent was draped with thick silk curtains, preventing any wind from getting in.

Behind the intricately carved golden dragon screen, Gongyi Helu leaned against the dragon couch, his face pale and haggard, with dense beads of sweat on his forehead.

He pressed his hands tightly against his temples, his knuckles turning white from the effort, as he tried to suppress the invisible pain.

The maids and servants around him lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound, for fear that any action they took would disturb the emperor.

Gongyi Xiu filled the incense burner with new tranquilizing incense pills, brought it to Gongyi Helu, carefully took out an exquisite silver box from his sleeve, and presented it with both hands.

"Father, why don't you use some of this? At least it can provide some relief."

Gongyi Helu glanced at it and frowned even deeper, "Where did it come from?"

Gong Yixiu bowed respectfully and said, "Before I set out, I specially got it from Taoist Xu, and I used the same prescription as before..."

Gongyi Helu's expression darkened even more as he knocked the silver box down. "What? My Dan Envoy, when will it be your turn to take orders?"

Seeing Gongyi Helu getting angry, Gongyi Xiu knelt down neatly and said, "Father, please calm down. I am just..."

"Just what?" Gongyi Helu interrupted him, "Just want to follow in your mother's footsteps, secretly usurp power, and end up being killed without a burial place?"

"I know I was wrong!" Gong Yixiu lowered his head and fell to the ground, "Father, please don't be angry! I will never dare to do it again!"

Gongyi Helu's face was hidden in the semi-darkness. He turned his eyes away coldly, half leaning on the soft chair, rubbing his forehead hard, with a gloomy expression.

"You are just a piece of trash in sheep's clothing." He scolded.

When Gong Yixiu heard this curse, his eyes narrowed and he clenched his teeth silently.

It was not until the ceremonial officer entered the tent to remind him that the autumn hunt was about to begin that Gongyi Helu ordered, "Get up."

Gong Yixiu was still kneeling, and he replied respectfully, "I am ashamed. Father, why don't you go to the inner tent and rest for a while, and I will arrange the drawing of the scrolls."

Gongyi Helu nodded slightly, waved his hand impatiently, and staggered to his feet.

Upon seeing this, the palace attendant immediately followed and helped the emperor into the inner tent.

Gong Yixiu looked at the box of pills that had been knocked to the ground and rolled on the floor like a ball of sheep dung.

He smiled coldly, stepped on the pills on the ground, stood up and walked out.

*

Amidst the noisy crowd of well-dressed people, a figure was moving around like a sheep being released from a pen, confused and rushing around recklessly.

The bright sunlight made people dizzy. Zhu Zheng did not dare to ask about anything in a loud manner. Her eyes swept over every laughing and scolding face, and she moved through the crowd like a ghost.

I don’t know how long it was before someone suddenly called out a name from a distance.

"The third young lady of the Zhu family, Miss Zhu Qing."

Zhu Zheng came back to his senses and slowly turned around to look at the source of the voice.

On the high platform in the middle, there were sounds of flutes and drums. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, dressed in a royal robe, sat upright on a square chair, twirling an inch-long white jade tablet between his fingers.

Most of the female members of the family were not good at riding and shooting, and rarely participated in the fierce hunting in the deep forest later.

Therefore, the late queen specially set up a session before the autumn hunt officially began, in which the young men of various noble families drew jade slips with the names of ladies written on them, and took a female family member with them to go to the forest to hunt some small rabbits, deer and the like as a warm-up for the autumn hunt.

Zhu Zheng had never participated in autumn hunting in her life, so naturally she had no idea about such rules.

The high-hatted ceremonial officer strained to crane his neck to scan the audience and repeated loudly, "Miss Zhu Qing, you are lucky enough to have won the first prize and will be the first to tour the forest with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Gong Yixiu on the stage was holding the white jade tablet with the words "Zhu Qing" written on it, playing with it between his two fingers, his pair of fox eyes full of smiles.

"Is Miss Zhu Qing here?" the ceremonial officer asked for the third time.

The crowd below gradually quieted down and whispers began to rise.

The ceremonial officer wiped his sweat and said, "Your Highness, how about changing it?"

The jade slip was turning between his fingers. Gong Yixiu glanced at the crowd leisurely and uttered a word softly.

"Wait."

The crowd's discussions grew louder, and the ceremonial officer's forehead was covered in sweat. Who would have thought that the show would start off so badly? The third daughter of the Zhu family was also an unusual person. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was the one who drew the card at the beginning, and it would be better not to come to the autumn hunt in the first place to offend him.

"Miss Zhu Qing, are you here?" The ceremonial officer still did not give up and asked again.

I don't know how long the silence lasted, but finally a clear female voice was heard in the crowd.

"exist."

The girl who raised her hand had an embroidered plain silk handkerchief hanging on her face, covering the lower half of her face.

Everyone present here has very little acquaintance with the Zhu family, and the two sisters rarely show up. Judging from their features, Zhu Zheng and Ajie are actually 50% similar. Today they are dressed almost the same, so it is estimated that the number of them who can be distinguished can be counted on one hand.

Apart from…….

Oh, right, Master Taifu...

Zhu Zheng's eyes swept across the podium, but found that the seat of Grand Tutor Rong Yan was empty.

Several palace servants led the way, and the crowd spontaneously made way for a passage. With countless eyes on her back, Zhu Zheng walked slowly towards the platform.

Gong Yixiu on the stage stared at the figure with a strange smile on his lips.

"Miss San, congratulations." Gong Yixiu said softly, "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." Zhu Zheng lowered her head slightly to hide the fluctuations in her eyes, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Gong Yixiu suddenly stretched out his hand towards her and threw the white jade slip with "Zhu Qing" written on it. Zhu Zheng subconsciously reached out to catch it. The jade slip was stained with his slight body temperature, and when it touched the flesh on the palm of her hand, it felt like a scorpion crawling over it.

Gong Yixiu propped up his chin and asked, "Why does the Third Miss cover her face?"

"When I came here, I was caught in a cold wind and unfortunately got autumn rash on my face. It is not appropriate to show it to others, so I covered it with a silk handkerchief." Zhu Zheng explained calmly, "Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Gong Yixiu showed an obvious expression of sympathy and regret on his face, but a playful smile flashed in his eyes and quickly disappeared.

After passing this stage, Zhu Zheng wanted to go down directly, but was "kindly" retained on the stage on the grounds that she "had the honor of watching the ceremony together".

The ceremonial officer came forward holding a bunch of sacred flowers. Gong Yixiu expressed the royal family's sympathy and the profound significance of this autumn hunt to Dayong in a decent manner. The deep and majestic sounds of stringed instruments echoed in the open hunting ground, and the atmosphere became solemn.

The drawing ceremony officially begins.

Zhu Zheng was thinking about her sister. She sat on the stage, her eyes moving between the royal relatives and nobles who were constantly coming and going, until the long and clear voice of the ceremonial officer rang out: "Please welcome the prince Wen Fenghan from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion." Only then did she force herself to cheer up and glance at the figure walking into the venue.

Wen Fenghan had a stern look on his face, as if he was a dead fish frozen in the winter ice, revealing his disdain and impatience towards the ceremony without any concealment.

After going on stage, he glanced at Zhu Zheng indifferently.

Zhu Zheng also looked back coldly.

The ceremonial officer came over holding a white jade tube. Wen Fenghan reached his hand into it and without a moment's hesitation, he directly pinched out a jade slip.

He glanced at the name above, frowned heavily, and looked up at Zhu Zheng.

Zhu Zheng caught this strange look and had an ominous premonition in her heart. Then, Wen Fenghan's voice without any emotion sounded clearly.

"Zhu Zheng."

"The two beauties of the Zhu family are truly destined to be together. The elder sister will accompany His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and the younger sister will accompany the Young Master Zhenguo." The ceremonial officer complimented Zhu Zheng with a smile, and then turned to the audience and said loudly, "Please welcome Fourth Miss Zhu Zheng!"

There was a soft sound in Zhu Zheng's ears, and the world seemed to be silent for a moment.

With so many people in the audience, how could they find another Zhu Zheng?