Jiang Ji carefully inspected the horse and found nothing amiss. Nan Zhiyun seemed quite relaxed, but at that moment, Yu Wan'er approached, carrying Ling Dang.
"Wan'er greets the Imperial Concubine," Yu Wan'er said respectfully, performing a curtsey.
"Why are you here? And carrying Ling Dang?" Nan Zhiyun frowned. Although she had told the child to stay at the He An Hall, she hadn't paid much attention to her. Nan Zhiyun felt that as long as the child wasn't cold or hungry under her care, she had done enough. She hadn't truly adopted her, and this was sufficient.
"Ling Dang accidentally ran to me just now. I originally intended to bring Ling Dang to find Imperial Concubine, but I heard from others that you weren't in your room. On the way, I met Consort Jing, who said you were here riding horses, so she told me to come straight here. That's why I brought Ling Dang," Yu Wan'er said, her voice soft and timid.
Just as Nan Zhiyun was about to reply, Ling Dang seemed to be provoked and struggled to break free from Yu Wan'er's arms. It was so wild that it even scratched Yu Wan'er's face.
"Ah!" Yu Wan'er cried out, and Ling Dang, escaping her grasp, ran off. Its target was clearly Nan Zhiyun, as they were quite close.
Nan Zhiyun had no time to react. Ling Dang jumped onto the horse, its sharp claws startling the horse, named Pu Tao, which also began to stir restlessly.
Jiang Ji quickly moved to control the horse, and Qian Xia, watching from the side, also moved to help. However, Pu Tao suddenly whinnied loudly and bolted. Jiang Ji couldn't hold on and was thrown to the ground.
"Your Ladyship!" Qian Xia was terrified and immediately gave chase. The people nearby were also shocked by the situation. If something happened to the Imperial Concubine, none of them could bear the responsibility, so they hurried after her.
But Pu Tao, seemingly spooked by something, was running very fast. Nan Zhiyun had never experienced anything like this before, and her face had turned pale with fear. She didn't know what to do and could only cling tightly to Pu Tao.
Pu Tao soon galloped into the jungle, which was the hunting grounds. Everyone knew this was bad and quickly ran back to report to Yu Jingchen.
Now Pu Tao, carrying Nan Zhiyun, had run far ahead, leaving no trace of others behind. Nan Zhiyun was badly frightened, and the speed was so great she could barely hold on.
The jungle was full of tangled branches. Pu Tao ran on its own, unconcerned about them. Seeing that they were about to be brushed by branches ahead, Nan Zhiyun lost her grip and fell from the horse. Fortunately, the ground was covered in grass, so she wasn't thrown too violently.
However, due to the speed, Nan Zhiyun felt a sharp pain all over her body when she fell, and tears welled up from the agony.
Nan Zhiyun looked around fearfully. She didn't know where she was. Pu Tao had also vanished completely, leaving Nan Zhiyun feeling uneasy.
She struggled to her feet with great effort. Just as she was wondering what to do, she saw a figure flicker ahead.
Who was it? Nan Zhiyun thought someone was coming to find her, but the person seemed a bit off. She didn't dare to make a sound but quietly followed. She thought that by following them, she might find her way back.