Lin Yujing sat quietly without speaking, lowering her head to look at the note she had just pulled out of the pastry that Zhen Huan had handed over.

  She picked up the pastry with two fingers and said to Jinpin in a calm tone, "Is this really the Longmeat Pastry from Suzhou and Hangzhou? Is it genuine?"

  Jian Wan lowered her eyebrows and smiled slightly: "Whether it's true or false, you can try it out yourself, noble lady."

  Lin Yan smiled: "Such delicious food is usually only available to those of a higher rank than Ronghua. Why didn't the empress dowager enjoy it herself and instead gave it to her concubine?"

  "This princess... just doesn't have an appetite for it."

  Lin Wan did not go to eat buns. She looked at the two characters "Autumn" on the paper strip in her hand again, and then fixed her gaze on the emperor in front of her seat.

  The emperor was instructing the generals above the rank of chiliarch to advance in rank. Mr. Liu, a humble-born man who became the commander of the imperial guards through military merit, spoke up and said: "If ordinary soldiers could also receive such favors..."

  Tuoba Hong shook his head and said, "I have always wanted to, but it's just that the favors I bestow cannot be extended to everyone. There are 200,000 soldiers guarding the northern border; even if each person is rewarded with ten taels of silver, it would cost one million."

  Lin Yan's gaze slowly shifted from Tuoba Hong's body to Wen Pin's. She narrowed her eyes and sized up this talented woman.

  Her father, Xu Shizeng, as a Hanlin University scholar, was responsible for drafting documents and conveying imperial edicts for the emperor. Such a position had no real power, nor was it close to the monarch, and could not decide or influence anything. However, there was one advantage: being able to obtain news about the emperor the fastest.

  Autumn leaves... If what Jin Pei said was true, then Wen Pei's behavior at the banquet would make even more sense.

  Because she knew that the emperor would soon hold an autumn hunt, she made her move at this critical moment. The autumn hunt was not a summer resort, it was not for entertainment, and only one or two concubines might follow, or maybe none. Wen Pin had won the praise of everyone in the court, and also had the soldiers of Beidi in mind, if there were no exceptions, Emperor Taizong of Tang would certainly choose her to follow him.

  However, the Great Qin Empire has not had an autumn hunt for many years. During Emperor Kangjing's time, the annual autumn hunt was due to the Xiongnu's invasion, and the Qin state had to frequently go north to proclaim national prestige and inspect its territory. After the Xiongnu sought peace, the aristocratic clans thought that the northern climate was harsh, and since there were no important matters, who would be willing to go hunting and suffer? Since Emperor Tuoba Hong took the throne until now, not a single autumn hunt has taken place...

  So what's this time and why is the news being kept so secret?

  If Empress Dowager Cixi hadn't lied, how did she know? Born into a Suzhou weaving family, she didn't have an informed father or brother.

  She knew it, why would she be willing to tell herself such precious news?

  Jianpin was not willing to personally make use of this news, which Lin Yuan could understand. As a fallen-out-of-favor concubine, she was not as talented as Wenpin, and even if she came up with a good way to win the emperor's favor back, he would not take her on the autumn hunt.

  As a favored concubine, Lin Wan had great confidence, as long as she was willing to make some effort.

  Regardless of whether what Zhen Huan said was true or false, Lin Yuen thought that learning from Wen Huan would be beneficial and harmless. If the news was false, then it could just be considered a normal struggle for favor, which suited her current need to gain favor alongside Chu Xiang.

  Although I really want to know the details of Jin Pei and have her in my hands, unfortunately, it can't be done... However, Jin Pei's current state seems to be a change that occurred after she broke her ankle. The former Jin Pei was like her title, a woman who only followed behind Shang Fei and never privately plotted anything.

  When handing over the pastry, he specially chose Feng Zhuang to wake up at that time. Apparently, this behavior was not instructed by Xiang Fei... Lin Yan felt that this person had become interesting.

  Lin Yanchen sank her heart and slowly got up, saluting the emperor: "The concubine has a word to present to Your Majesty."

  Tuoba Hong looked over from afar.

  Lin Yuen smiled warmly and said in a clear voice: "Just now, the concubines heard what Your Majesty and Mr. Liu said."

  She took off a hairpin with eight treasures and jade chrysanthemum from her hair, stepped forward to the front seat and said: "The concubine is short-sighted, but she can still calculate accounts... If Your Majesty is worried that the silver rewards are too many, why not order the Ministry of Works to make tens of thousands of silver utensils, like the small pendant on this hairpin, although it's exquisite and weighs less than one or two liang, it's elegant and refined."

  After thinking for a moment, he said: "If it's too much trouble to send them to the northern border, Your Majesty can also bestow them upon the families of the soldiers. For every family of those stationed at the northern border, grant one auspicious object as a reward. In this way, all soldiers, regardless of rank, will be able to bask in the emperor's benevolence without great expense. Moreover... having an auspicious object bestowed by His Majesty as a gift for the Double Ninth Festival is a glorious and honorable thing, I fear it would move them more than ten taels of gold."

  Lin Yueran finished speaking in a gentle and calm tone, not waiting for Tuoba Hong to speak up. The somewhat impatient Liu Tongling immediately loudly praised: "Great! What a wonderful idea!"

  Tuoba Hong's eyes shone with a brilliant light. He unexpectedly stood up and grasped Lin Yuan's hand: "Yuan'er, you are my lucky star. With you here, things will always develop for the best..."

  ***

  The celebration of Double Ninth Festival stopped at the third watch.

  Tuoba Hong still favored Chu Huashang who had been chosen from the beginning to serve in the bedchamber, but Lin Yuan and Wen Pin's performances were more eye-catching.

  Lin Wan lay on the white deer's fine wool blanket in the back hall of Jingyue Pavilion, not sleeping soundly. It wasn't the pressure brought by Jin Pei, but rather Tuoba Hong...

  Autumn hunting is one thing she can be sure of. Not only because Wen Pei's last tentative glance at her, but also because Tuoba Hong valued the soldiers of Beise more than usual and was more gracious to them during the banquet. The location of the autumn hunt was in the Zhulu enclosure two hundred miles south of Beise, these two things are naturally closely related.

  The reward for the soldiers of Beisi was originally initiated by Wen Pin, but Tuoba Hong was too enthusiastic, and Lin Xuan could see that even without Wen Pin's poem, Tuoba Hong would still have granted favors today.

  Above a thousand households, each person was granted an additional title of nobility, which was already a great kindness. Even if it wasn't a hereditary title, it symbolized the identity of the nobility and was vastly different from that of commoners. Therefore, titles would not be bestowed casually. However, after Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei had granted titles, he still didn't think it was enough and wanted to bestow kindness on every single soldier. When Liu proposed this idea, he shook his head and sighed, saying it couldn't be done, but his eyes showed a deep regret and a desire to come up with a good idea.

  What a high regard he has for the soldiers of Beisi!

  After he proposed to him that he would replace silver with a valuable object, how delighted he was and what great praise he gave himself.

  Various signs indicate that Tuoba Hong's move to reward his soldiers is not just a display of imperial grace, but an urgent desire.

  What is on the emperor's mind?

  ***

  The edict of the autumnal sacrifice was transmitted on the second day after the Chung-yang festival.

  Lin Yan knew that Jin Pei wouldn't help her for no reason, but apparently, Lin Yan didn't need to give Jin Pei anything in return afterwards.

  Such a situation can only be explained that Lin Wan's accompaniment to the emperor's autumn tour, and her promotion due to her attendance, was actually helping Zhen Huan greatly.

  The tacit understanding of cooperation does not need to be spoken.

  Another day passed, and Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei personally decided on the personnel to accompany him. As the empress dowager of the Great Qin State, the empress would definitely go. As the emperor's only son, the crown prince must also go. The empress dowager was originally supposed to go as well, but after some consideration, she decided not to go. At her age, she couldn't take the strain, and having the empress there would be sufficient to maintain appearances.

  Among the remaining ministers, there are military officials of the third rank and above, the six cabinet members, Hanlin academicians, Mongolian envoys, etc., as well as princes and nobles with titles in the capital, including the young princes who need to be trained, led by the eldest son of the emperor.

  At the end of the document, in order to take care of the Crown Prince, his mother Shen Shi was also added; another two concubines were selected to serve the Emperor together, namely Wen Pin and Hui Guiren.

  All six palaces were shocked.

  Actually, when the news of autumn migration came out, the concubines were already restless. This matter was concealed too tightly, and it wasn't until five days before departure that an edict was issued, although the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue had already received the emperor's secret order to make preparations, but the inner palace was caught off guard.

  The only one of Tuoba Hong's consorts who had experienced the autumn hunt was Empress Xiaowen - as the crown prince's consort at that time. The other consorts did not even know the rituals and procedures of the autumn hunt. However, they knew that the autumn hunt was a serious matter for training soldiers, displaying military power, defending the country, and resisting external threats, so few women would serve the emperor to avoid being criticized for saying that the emperor was out to enjoy himself.

  The autumn hunt will last at least two months, and for such a long time, if one can follow the emperor, wouldn't that be a great honor! And those who are left in the capital will not see the emperor's face for a long time.

  Thinking of this, the hatred of the concubines almost nailed Wen Piao and Lin Yuanyuan to death.

  The seemingly harmonious and relaxed Chongyang family banquet turned out to be the only opportunity for Bo Chong. Because no one knew about Qiu Qi's news, no one thought of doing anything. Even if they had the intention to curry favor with Bo Chong, those women who wrote beautiful poems would not have had the chance to follow along, because their approach was completely unrelated to Beisi's border. When the emperor chose people, he wouldn't think they were suitable, unlike Wen Pin and Hui Guiyi.

  It was not until September 14 that the imperial entourage grandly headed north.

  The crimson and scarlet palanquins of the empress and three consorts followed closely behind the imperial carriage, standing out vividly among a sea of blue sedan chairs.

  The city of Zhuolu is far from the Wei Mountains, and the road is very long. Naturally, many palaces were built along the way from the capital to Zhuolu for the emperor's long-term stay.

  Lin Yan was a rich woman in her previous life, traveling all over the world. She had been to 14 countries in Europe, Dunhuang and Yili, made a big circle of worship at Potala Palace, and even eaten bamboo tube rice in Mangga Village, Yunnan... The only place she hadn't been was Mongolia.

  Those two years she was quite busy at work and had planned to go on a prairie vacation after settling into the position of South China CEO. Unfortunately, this plan did not come to fruition.

  Now being locked in a golden cage for almost a year, Lin said she is very uncomfortable. The world is so big, she wants to come out and take a look.