Chapter 58 I'm going to hold a talent show.

Evil spirits fear fire... Wei Xichen thought of Wei Qin, who had been avoiding fires the whole way.

Don't even mention evil spirits; wild beasts fear fire, and so do humans, though not as obviously as Wei Qin.

Wei Xichen shook his head slightly, dismissed the sorcerer, and walked alone in the empty bedchamber. The bedchamber was magnificent and adorned with dazzling pearls and gems, but Wei Xichen had a particular fondness for white.

A white silk robe hung on the recliner, wisps of white smoke billowing from the pipe.

"Cough, cough cough."

The man, still not used to the dry tobacco, felt his chest vibrate and his Adam's apple bob slightly. Even though he didn't like it, he still took puffs, exhaling clouds of smoke.

Inside the Imperial Study, Emperor Shunren, who was still processing memorials, listened to the sorcerer's report and asked in a deep voice, "Does the Crown Prince have any intention of bribing you?"

"Your Majesty, no."

"Ha." Emperor Shunren closed a memorial and placed it on top of a stack of processed memorials. "He knows what's important."

If anyone dares to bribe the royal sorcerers, their father-son relationship will be over. He has already compiled a list of royal relatives who have recently attempted to bribe these sorcerers.

"Serve me well, and you will eventually have a place in the Imperial Observatory."

The sorcerer was overjoyed, "We will certainly live up to His Majesty's high expectations!"

The next day, before dawn, Jiang Yinyue was awakened by a knock on the door. It was her elder brother urging her to do morning exercises to strengthen her body.

Since her brother went to the northern border, Jiang Yinyue had not taken the initiative to exercise in the morning. Now, with her eyes half-closed and sleepy, she was running with her brother in the autumn wind, her little face full of struggle.

"I'm so tired, I don't want to run anymore."

The young woman squatting on the ground had absolutely no airs of a well-bred lady.

Jiang Taolue carried the man like a rabbit to the haystack and solemnly began to teach him self-defense techniques, "I'll teach you a shoulder throw to prevent someone from sneaking up on you from behind."

As soon as she finished speaking, the young woman fell onto the haystack with a "thud," instantly waking up. She blinked her wet, sleepy eyes in disbelief, looking up at her brother who was bent over with his hands behind his back.

"elder brother!"

"Come."

With such a lack of tenderness towards women, it's no wonder that Sister Hongmei doesn't favor him! Enraged, Jiang Yinyue gritted her teeth and hoisted the tall and imposing general onto her shoulder, trying to throw him over her shoulder. But no matter how hard she tried, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

Waaaaah.

“Wei Qin…”

Seeing her husband emerge from his room and stand before the railing, Jiang Yinyue felt as if she had found her pillar of support. She ran upstairs to the second floor, tearfully pulled Wei Qin in front of her brother, and arrogantly raised her chin, saying, "Wei Qin's kung fu is superb. He can exchange a few moves with you, brother."

She then turned to face Wei Qin, pouting pitifully.

Wei Qin pinched the corners of her lips, his gaze sweeping over his wife's profile before meeting Jiang Taolue's enigmatic eyes.

The competition is about to begin.

The servants flocked to the corridor to watch the spectacle, with Qi Bao being the most eye-catching, jumping back and forth between the two who were sparring, frolicking excitedly.

Jiang Taolue had not expected that his brother-in-law, whom he did not approve of, was so skilled. He thought he could defeat him in ten moves, but the fight was dragged on for a hundred.

The man before them was as swift as a dragon, his moves fluid and graceful, his aura overwhelming, his hemp robes fluttering in the wind.

Jiang Taolue recalled his mother's description of Wei Qin, who was hiding his true abilities.

Perhaps this is still the state in which he has not used his full strength.

Jiang Taolue took a step forward, firmly planted his feet in a horse stance, focused his energy in his dantian, and charged straight at Wei Qin.

Speed ​​is the only way to win!

He wanted to see just how capable the person who was hiding their abilities was, or if they were just being deliberately mysterious.

Jiang Yinyue sat on the swing, swaying with Wei Qin. Wei Qin was at a disadvantage, but she stood firmly with her feet on the ground, her eyes fixed on him. When Wei Qin gained the upper hand, she swung on the swing, her dress swaying.

As smoke curled from the kitchen chimney, the two sparring partners were still locked in a stalemate when Wei Qin suddenly frowned and lost his footing.

Jiang Taolue pressed his advantage and sent the man flying three zhang away.

Wei Qin stepped forward with his left leg, steadied himself with his heel, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Big brother has won."

"To win would be dishonorable; I concede!"

Jiang Taolue lazily clasped his hands in a fist salute, and even with nine-tenths of his strength, he was unable to force his opponent to go all out.

Who guided this impoverished scholar to such masterful skill?

Talent?

Jiang Taolue did not look down on those from humble backgrounds; he was simply astonished by Wei Qin's martial arts skills.

Jiang Yinyue ran to Wei Qin's side, using his power to intimidate him, "Brother, don't even think about dragging me to morning exercises anymore, unless you beat Wei Qin."

Jiang Taolue beckoned, "Come here, continue practicing the shoulder throw."

"No way..."

The young woman, who refused to comply, practiced diligently for many days under the coercion and enticement of her brother, until the day of the autumn hunt.

Due to three years of war, the imperial court had not held an autumn hunt for three years. Now that the borders were at peace, Emperor Shunren restarted the autumn hunt, and civil and military officials, along with their families, went to the royal hunting grounds.

The yellowish grasslands stretched out endlessly, where horses galloped, hunting dogs ran wildly, and eagles and carriages advanced side by side.

The young military officers not only took the opportunity to compete in horsemanship, but also in eating. As soon as the campfire was lit, the royal chef brought out a whole roasted lamb, and everyone enjoyed the meal with great relish, singing and laughing all the while.

The Crown Prince, who had been staying in seclusion for many days, glanced thoughtfully at Wei Qin, who was far from the fire, amidst laughter.

A beautiful figure ran to Wei Qin's side and presented the mutton as if it were a treasure.

Wei Xichen gripped the silver cup in his hand, his eyes, reflected on the wine's surface, were unfathomable.

The armored guards, always on standby, reminded everyone to assemble at dawn the next day and head to the deep mountains and forests.

"Gentlemen, please rest early tonight so you can show off your skills tomorrow. His Majesty has said that whoever hunts the most will be richly rewarded!"

"good!"

As the night grew quiet, voices continued to emanate from outside the tent. Jiang Yinyue, somewhat excited, huddled with her blanket on a small bed with Wei Qin, chattering about their plans for the next day.

"I want to catch a rabbit and take it back to my mansion to raise."

"We need to catch another one... um?"

Wei Qin covered her mouth and said gently, "Go to sleep. Be sure to be careful tomorrow."

Not only him, but his father-in-law and brother-in-law also accompanied him, and his wife would travel with other officials' families. The deep mountains and forests were vast, and the groups of people might not even have a chance to meet.

Jiang Yinyue nodded, tucked the blanket over herself, and thought for a moment before sharing half of the blanket with Wei Qin. The autumn wind howled in the hunting grounds.

The young couple slept with their foreheads touching.

The following day at dawn, after the imperial eunuch read out the imperial decree regarding the rewards, the troops split up and rushed into the old forest.

Jiang Yinyue gazed at her father and his two companions, feeling reluctant to part. How wonderful it would be if the whole family could go hunting or even just enjoy a spring outing together.

After waiting for half an hour, the procession of officials' wives slowly moved forward, appearing much quieter than the previous groups that had been full of vigor.

Jiang Yinyue rode the Lightning Chaser ahead, constantly being reminded by the guards behind her to be careful.

The woman turned around and smiled, a wisp of hair tucking into the corner of her mouth.

"drive!"

"Giddy up!" Following closely behind was a young man in red, not belonging to the family of officials. His eye-catching brocade robes stood out against the lush old forest. "You spoiled brat, come along, come along."

Is this fellow's hunting skill so poor that he's afraid of being laughed at for not traveling with the ministers? Jiang Yinyue looked at him with some disdain, spurred her horse, and galloped off.

Wei Yangwan followed closely behind, chattering away all the way, making Jiang Yinyue's head buzz.

Arriving at a clearing covered with fallen maple leaves, Jiang Yinyue dismounted and waited for the officials' wives behind her.

"There are rabbits over there, anyone want to team up with me?"

The officials' wives looked at each other, none of them wanting to team up with Jiang Yinyue.

"Your reputation is still pretty bad." Wei Yangwan, hands behind his head, followed Jiang Yinyue around like a little puppy. "I'm a kind-hearted person, I'll team up with you... Hey hey hey..."

The boy who was thrown over the shoulder lay on his back, stunned.

"Jiang Niannian!!"

"Stay away from me."

My childhood friends and I used to chase each other through the maple forest.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, who had been neglected by the Emperor and unable to accompany him, led his men to hunt a herd of deer.

The man in white, mounted on his horse, was distracted and did not join the encirclement. When he heard the sound of the imperial carriage's hooves in the distance, his gaze fell on the sorcerers.

One person is missing.

The absent person was the sorcerer who had warned him that there were evil spirits in the Jiang residence that day.

The evil spirit resembles a fox spirit and fears fire...

All the wild animals in this forest are afraid of fire, including the foxes.

Fox, fox spirit, fox spirit bewitching the master...

A bad feeling crept into my heart.

Wei Xichen stared intently at the imperial carriage, then suddenly turned his horse around and galloped towards the officials' families.

The seductive vixen the sorcerer spoke of was not Wei Qin!

**

The wind howled, and the pond in the forest rippled.

Jiang Yinyue, who was squatting by the pond with a tree branch in her hand, planned to stick a crucian carp in the water for lunch.

The young lady, who had no other choice but to partner with Wei Yangwan, shushed him, forbidding the boy from causing trouble.

Wei Yangwan paced back and forth by the water, hands on his hips, tilting his head back and making "ah ah" sounds, then straining his ears to listen to the echo.

They were in a low-lying mountain ravine, surrounded by trees on all sides. The officials' wives and their families, in twos and threes, scattered throughout the boundless forest.

In order not to disturb the young masters and ladies' enjoyment, the guards did not enter the low-lying ravine, but guarded the entrance and exit.

"You delicate little thing, let's pick some nourishing mushrooms and make soup."

"Don't make a sound."

It delayed her fishing.

A hand parted the tangled branches and leaves, gazing at the man and woman by the water.

The goal is too far ahead; there is a risk of miscalculation.

"We can make our move after they enter the woods ahead. We can just knock them unconscious. The weather is dry, which will make it easier to fake a forest fire."

A sorcerer stood on a branch and said, "Remember, you must not harm the Third Prince, nor let anyone notice the forgery."

"promise!"

But the woman by the water failed to catch a single fish.

The group waited and waited, until a figure in white appeared gracefully.

"Niannian, come with me."

Jiang Yinyue retracted the branch she had stuck into the water, her brows furrowing slightly. "Why?"

"The terrain here is low-lying and not suitable for hunting."

They also easily become prey for others.

Wei Yangwan stepped between the two, "Is that even a saying?"

Wei Xichen didn't even glance at his younger brother, staring intently at the woman squatting by the water, "Niannian."

"Your Highness is unusually attentive; I am humbled."

Knowing her stubbornness and unable to voice his suspicions, Wei Xichen sighed helplessly, dismounted, and stood beside the woman. No matter how much she resisted, he stayed close by. When she couldn't catch fish, he used his toes to hook a branch on the ground and plunge it into the pond.

Wei Yangwan, who returned with a large bunch of mushrooms, scoffed, "That was too accurate!"

Wei Xichen glanced at the mushrooms in the boy's clothes, picked out a few and threw them on the ground.

"Your Majesty has wasted it."

"Poisonous mushrooms."

Throughout the day, Wei Xichen stayed by Jiang Yinyue's side, enjoying the burnt fish and the overly salty mushroom soup.

As night fell, inside the imperial tent, Emperor Shunren dismissed all his attendants and instructed Wei Xichen to remove his outer garments, then struck his son with a specially made ruler.

“My son is wise. He guessed that I sent the sorcerer to test you. I am both pleased and helpless.”

The slapping continued relentlessly.

Wei Xichen knelt before the emperor, his bare upper body covered in red welts.

Even a minor flaw in mutton fat jade will diminish its value.

If he were to accept his father's test and let the sorcerer do as he pleased to Jiang Yinyue, it would be a swift and decisive move for him. However, he could not stand idly by.

"Does Father still intend to deal with her?"

Emperor Shunren made no attempt to conceal it, leaving marks on the mutton-fat jade, saying, "Fire can devour her, wind can sweep her away, and water can drown her. I will do it in a way that leaves no trace."

The fox spirit bewitched the emperor; he couldn't bear to see the crown prince, whom he had personally nurtured, become entangled in emotions and ruin important matters.

Despite the discomfort that had caused his arm to twitch from the beating, Wei Xichen forced himself to ask, "How can we let her go?"

"Choosing a concubine."

The young crown prince clenched his numb hands, his arms bulging with veins, and with each lash, he heard his own insincere response.

My throat is dry.

"good."

Beneath the white coat, his body was covered in wounds.

When Wei Xichen saw Jiang Yinyue again, news of the Eastern Palace selection spread like wildfire, and some unmarried young ladies, unable to contain their excitement, were eager to try their luck.

"I'm going to hold a talent show."

Unaware of anything amiss, Jiang Yinyue suppressed the upward curve of her lips and uttered an "Oh."

"Congratulations, Your Highness."

As the autumn wind blew gently, His Highness the Crown Prince, who could no longer wait for the golden autumn breeze and jade dew, lowered his eyelashes, a thin blush spreading across the corners of his eyes.

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Author's note: 50 small red envelopes~