Consort Zhuang doesn't want palace intrigue; she just wants to raise her child and live a caref

Chapter 221 Quite a Few Good Things

Tingxue led Canglan Jingcheng toward the other side of the forest, preparing for an exciting hunting trip.

Meanwhile, Mu Ge held Cang Lan Jing Yao's soft little hand, patiently introducing her to all sorts of rare and exotic medicinal herbs. The master and disciple strolled along the forest path, chatting softly, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

However, without realizing it, they wandered further and further away, gradually drifting away from Su Nuannuan's group. When Mu Ge finally realized this, a wave of panic washed over her. Good heavens, she had been so careless as to lead the precious little princess off the group!

"Your Majesty, I really didn't mean it, really!" Mu Ge cried out in her heart.

At this moment, Mu Ge was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Master, don't worry, Mother will definitely not blame you. Let's hurry back." Canglan Jingyao raised her head, looked at Muge with her clear, watery eyes, and gently comforted her.

Looking at her six-year-old apprentice, so sensible and well-behaved, Mu Ge felt a warmth and emotion welling up inside her. She never imagined that one day she would be soothed by a child.

Just as Mu Ge and Cang Lan Jing Yao were slowly leaving the group, Su Nuannuan secretly sent people from the shadows to follow them.

Now, Tingfeng is secretly following Canglan Jingcheng closely, not daring to slack off in the slightest; while Tingyu is secretly protecting Canglan Jingyao, always on guard. If they didn't know that the three maids by their master's side were all highly skilled and proficient in martial arts, Tingfeng and Tingyu probably would never have felt comfortable leaving Su Nuannuan's side.

In fact, what no one knew was that in the seemingly peaceful shadows, there was a mysterious and powerful team silently protecting Su Nuannuan and the others.

This team was the secret guard that the Empress Dowager had specially left for Su Nuannuan, and its control is currently still in the hands of Granny Song.

With her mistress leading two young princes deep into the mountains, how could Granny Song be at ease? Therefore, she decisively dispatched six people with exceptional skills to hide in the shadows and ensure the safety of the mistress and the princes.

At this moment, Su Nuannuan was not idle either. With a smile on her face, she said softly to Jinse and the other two maids, "Now that those two naughty little ones are no longer making a fuss here, we can leisurely explore this majestic mountain and see if we can make any new and interesting discoveries."

"Yes," Jinse, Zhixiang, and Yaoqin replied in unison, their faces beaming with joy.

Immediately afterward, Zhixiang strode forward, carefully clearing a path for Su Nuannuan; Yaoqin, holding her sword, followed closely behind vigilantly, guarding against any possible danger; Jinse also dared not relax, staying close by and constantly watching the surrounding movements.

Before long, Su Nuannuan's bright eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered something exciting—two chestnut trees that were in full bloom!

"I never expected to see you all in these mountains," Su Nuannuan murmured softly, gazing at the blooming chestnut flowers before her.

At this moment, Yaoqin looked up at the two chestnut trees and said softly, "Your Majesty, these are thorny trees." Her words revealed a hint of curiosity.

"Spiky tree?" Su Nuannuan was a little confused when she first heard the name.

However, she quickly regained her composure and said slowly, "That name is quite reasonable, after all, its shell is covered with dense thorns, like little spiky balls. Jinse, remember the location of these two trees, and when autumn comes, we can come and pick their abundant fruit."

Upon hearing this, Zhixiang, who was standing to the side, was the first to look puzzled and asked, "Your Highness, can the fruit that grows from this thorny ball really be eaten?"

Faced with Zhi Xiang's question, Su Nuannuan was somewhat surprised. She glanced at the three people in front of her and asked, "Haven't any of you ever eaten this before?" Zhi Xiang, Jinse, and Yaoqin all shook their heads, indicating that they had never eaten it.

Su Nuannuan grew increasingly suspicious, muttering to herself, "Could it be that this thing doesn't even exist among the common people? That shouldn't be the case! It's understandable that people in the palace haven't seen it before, but there's no shortage of extraordinary people and strange foods among the common people. How could this spiky fruit be completely ignored?"

Then, she turned her gaze to the three people and asked with a questioning look, "Jinse, is it true that this thing doesn't exist in the common people?"

“Your Majesty, I don’t know if this thorny fruit exists in other places, but it certainly doesn’t exist in the area around the capital,” Jinse said, nodding slightly.

"Alright! By autumn, these spiky fruits will appear in the capital and surrounding areas."

This spiky tree is also called the chestnut tree. Its fruit can be eaten directly or used as a staple food.

"So, let's take a few seedlings from next to them back and plant them in the village. Once they grow up and bear fruit, we won't have to travel all the way up the mountain to pick them." Su Nuannuan smiled and gave the instructions to Jinse and the other two in an orderly manner.

Soon, the three of them dug up the chestnut saplings, wrapped the roots with soil, then wrapped them with large leaves, and put them into a bamboo basket.

After the chestnut saplings were prepared, Su Nuannuan led everyone to continue forward. Along the way, she was pleasantly surprised to find that this seemingly ordinary mountain was actually home to many wild fruit trees. Before long, she spotted wild walnut trees, wild peach trees, and wild hawthorn trees, among others, although these fruit trees were distributed in different locations.

"I never expected that there would be so many good things in this unassuming mountain." Su Nuannuan couldn't help but sigh as she walked.

“Your Majesty is absolutely right, but this is only the beginning. If there were no good things in the mountains, why would those herb gatherers risk going deep into the mountains to collect herbs?” Jinse, who was following closely behind, quickly replied.

“Yes, that’s true. Since ancient times, people have relied on the mountains and rivers around them to make a living. As the saying goes, ‘Those who live by the mountains live off the mountains, and those who live by the water live off the water.’” Su Nuannuan nodded in agreement.

Just then, a clear and loud shout came from not far away: "Mother, I'm back!"