The moment the horse galloped out of the Imperial Hunting Grounds, Jun Beiyue slowed its pace. With her back to him, Ziqing’s brow was tightly knit, her face ashen!

Why had she lost her composure so easily the instant someone struck her weak spot?

This man had clearly known perfectly well that Ouyang Xun was proud and arrogant, a rough, unpolished man who refused to submit to authority and had no respect for women.

And yet he had deliberately left things unexplained, tossing her into the Imperial Training Grounds without a word!

There had to be some scheme behind this!

In plain terms, this was a trap this man had deliberately set—a trap aimed squarely at her weakness!

And she had been so careless as to reveal her riding skills in a single contest!

Jun Beiyue never saw her ashen face, and Ziqing, in turn, never saw the smile now curving at his lips. She wanted nothing more than to shove this scheming man away from her.

He snapped the reins and rode the horse up onto a cliff. It was just past sunset, and from here, the setting sun bathed the entire capital in a glow of gold and splendor.

Finally, he spoke. “You…”

He deliberately drew out the pause, then added with a cold smile, “Truly beyond this prince’s expectations.”

Her expression remained dark, and she said nothing. Though her heart raced with alarm and regret, she remained outwardly composed.

If she could help it, she never wanted him to see through her disguise. Marrying a man who would never truly consummate their marriage, who likely wouldn’t have much involvement with her in the future, yet who wielded supreme power she could borrow at will—that kind of relationship suited her perfectly.

“Han Ziqing, you’re obedient, but you’re even more clever. You handled that case at the Court of Judicial Review quite well,” he said suddenly, with a note of admiration. Was he about to bring up everything at once and settle all the accounts?

“Your Highness flatters me. Ziqing is foolish—Ziqing simply follows Your Highness’s every instruction,” she said, playing dumb.

“Han Ziqing, you’re clever, but you’re even more capable. A mere illegitimate daughter of a chancellor’s household, and yet your riding skill surpasses that of a professionally trained cavalry commander?” he continued, praising her without ever exposing her act.

“Your Highness flatters me. I’ve loved riding since childhood. When I was young, my mother, while she was still alive, taught me some basics through theoretical instruction. After she passed away, I secretly continued practicing for a few years on my own. I only know a little, truly—Commander Ouyang simply let me win out of respect for Your Highness.”

In front of others, he most often called her Qing’er. In private, when he was angry, he would address her by her full name. When he wasn’t, he tended to use no name at all.

He had now called her “Han Ziqing” twice in a row, and yet she couldn’t tell whether he was angry or not. She continued to feign modesty, continued to pretend not to understand.

“Most men look down on women, and yet you’ve earned the respect of a tough soldier like Commander Ouyang. Are you pleased with yourself?” he asked, still smiling, having seen through her thoughts so thoroughly it startled her.

Her breath caught slightly—this man truly was no ordinary person. She’d have to be far more careful in the future.

“Your Highness, Ziqing would never dare seek Commander Ouyang’s respect—Commander Ouyang only showed such deference out of regard for you!” she explained hastily, lowering her head with an air of innocence.

Seeing this, he only laughed more heartily, his tone thick with affection. “Qing’er, if Ouyang Xun disrespected you, you could have simply told me. I never expected you’d take revenge on your own. So you do have such a mischievous side to you—here I thought you only had that gentle, obedient face, and that you were born only to obey.”

Hearing this, she wanted nothing more than to shout at him in fury, “You clearly knew exactly what kind of person Ouyang Xun was—why didn’t you warn me beforehand, and instead let him disrespect me on purpose? What exactly are you scheming?”

But in the end, she held her tongue. Let him suspect what he wanted; let him push as hard as he liked—she wouldn’t care. After all, she was nothing more than the docile, obedient Consort of Prince Yao, merely a decoration for him. What more could he possibly force her to do?

“Your Highness, I didn’t want to bring shame upon you, so I simply did my best. I truly don’t understand what you mean. If Your Highness feels something was improper, I’ll correct it,” she said, her tone urgent and aggrieved.

And yet, Jun Beiyue didn’t press her further, didn’t put her on the spot any longer. Instead, his smooth chin lowered gently, resting lightly against her thin shoulder, his handsome profile drawing close to the side of her face.

What was this man trying to do?

Her already tense body went even stiffer, and as his handsome profile drew nearer, her heart began racing uncontrollably despite herself. His distinctly masculine scent felt so close, so overwhelming, as if it were merging with her very breath.

Without meaning to, she turned to try to pull away, unsure whether it was because of the incident at the training grounds that she couldn’t stay composed, or whether she had truly met her match—she, who normally remained unshaken even as mountains crumbled before her, found herself flustered…

She shifted slightly to escape, but his face didn’t press closer after all. He simply held her, his chin resting on her shoulder, and asked quietly, “Are you feeling better?”

She let out a breath of relief, not daring to move further, and answered, “It comes and goes. The physician said it would be best if I rested and kept my mind at ease for a few months.”

“Do you blame me for sending you to the hunting grounds?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness. There must be a reason behind such an arrangement,” Ziqing replied.

“Mm, I already told you—if you failed, you’d stay there until the autumn hunt. And since your riding skill is this good, you’d better not embarrass this prince when the time comes!”

At these words, Ziqing’s eyes narrowed sharply, her gaze sharp enough to kill. So the autumn hunt had been his true objective all along! Her mind had been so consumed with clues about that “bastard” that she hadn’t seen it clearly until now!

This man intended to put her on display at the autumn hunt!

Jun Beiyue’s spirits remained high. He held Ziqing close, snapped the reins, and laughed. “Come on, let’s head home!”