The shadow of the country

The hunt is over and it is already afternoon.Yi Lan knew that she was too sharp, so she only shot a few prey on purpose.The emperor has been hunting all day and has rested in the big tent.At this time, the sky was just right, and before sunset, Yi Lan took Mu Yan to ride a horse to another "Xanadu" behind the Shanglinyuan paddock.

There is a large natural pool surrounded by willow trees.The willow twigs are covered with green willow leaves, and the golden sunlight shines on them, making the willow leaves change in color accordingly.The surface of the pool water is shimmering and shining with dazzling light.The willow branches fluttered in the breeze, and occasionally touched the water, causing ripples in layers.Against the blue background in the sky, there is no trace of flocks, as if all the variegated colors have been filtered, it is magnificent and shining.

"How's the scenery here?" Yi Lan got off her horse and asked Mu Yan with a smile.

Mu Yan nodded and sighed: "It's really beautiful, this place is like a paradise."

Yi Lan smiled, and sat down on the floor after flipping up her clothes, "The place I found by chance a few years ago, every year after hunting, I would come and see it alone, only this year I brought you an extra person." After finishing speaking, she waved her hand to signal Mu Yan sat beside him.

Mu Yan shook his head and said in a low voice: "The status in the palace is different, and the subordinates dare not..."

"This is outside the palace, not in the palace. Besides..." Yi Lan paused, and said: "Besides, I never treated you as a slave, you are my friend."

Mu Yan looked up in astonishment, and said in disbelief, "Friend? You said, I'm your friend?"

Yi Lan nodded, and said, "Ever since you snatched the bowl of golden blood bird's nest three months ago and rejected the official reward, I feel that there are not many people like this, and they are worth handing over." After that, He took out a long fishing rod from his luggage and sat back to the pool to fish leisurely.Wearing white clothes is even more gentle and moist like jade, which cannot be desecrated by others.

Mu Yan was slightly startled, and slowly sat down next to him, and was about to explain, but was stopped by Yi Lan shaking her head.I had no choice but to give up and stop making a sound.

I don't know how long it took, but I saw the fishing line on the rod trembling slightly, and after a while, the water surface began to throb again.Yi Lan only used light force to catch the fish.After catching three or four fish, Mu Yan finally felt helpless, and was about to speak again, but saw Yi Lan put away the fishing rod, took out a wine bag from somewhere, and smiled back at him: "Since we are friends, why don't we have a drink here?"

It is now the time of sunset, and the afterglow is all sprinkled.Mu Yan thought for a while, and finally poured two glasses of wine, handed one to Yi Lan, and drank the other slowly.I don't know when, I saw that Yilan had already set up the firewood, threaded the fish with branches, and peeled and cleaned a roe deer he just hunted, and put them on the fire to roast together.After roasting, Yi Lan took a knife and cut off a piece of roe deer leg and handed it to Mu Yan.

Mu Yan couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to take it, bowed his head and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Yi Lan smiled lightly at him, and said, "You don't need to call me 'Your Highness' when there is no one else around, just call me by my first name."

Mu Yan tentatively asked softly: "Yi, Yilan?"

Yi Lan didn't mind and smiled lightly again, raised the wine cup to clink with him, and drank it down in one gulp.

At the moment Mu Yan was lying on his back on the grass, looking at the twinkling stars in the night sky.He really doesn't hold a lot of alcohol, but after a few glasses of wine, he is already slightly tipsy.Once drunk, the words will naturally become casual, "You said, I am your friend. But you are not afraid that I am a secret agent sent by the queen?"

Yi Lan said softly, "I can see that you are not. Besides, if it is really meticulous, why would you ask this sentence?"

Mu Yan smiled, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "I don't know if I'm worrying too much, but I always feel that the queen will be bad for you."

Yi Lan nodded and said, "Yes. If the Empress wants to keep the crown prince stable, she must first get rid of the other princes."

Mu Yan was even more puzzled, "Then why do you want to intercede for the queen prince today?"

"Because I owe the queen a favor. Although the emperor seems to be furious today, he actually doesn't intend to deal with the queen and the prince in public on this occasion. As the emperor, he also needs someone to step down. I might as well do this one Shun Shui favors."

Mu Yan didn't expect Yilan to tell him all the truth like this, he was startled and said: "You, are you not afraid that I will tell others about this?"

Yi Lan looked at the blush on the face of the opposite person due to alcohol, shook her head and smiled, "I don't know, but I just feel in my heart that you won't say it."

The two chatted with each other for a long time.Yilan didn't realize it was time to go back until the night was dark and the bonfire in front of her didn't know when it had been extinguished.But seeing that Mu Yan was already drunk at the moment, he was so drunk that he couldn't drive the horse alone, so he had to help him onto the horse, and hugged him from behind to ride back to the camp.Mu Yan was hugged forward on the slightly bumpy horseback, and he felt that there was a calming force in this embrace.Then fell asleep.

The author has something to say: more, this chapter is a bit short.

Criticism and correction are welcome.

☆、[-]. Aftermath