Chapter 1: The Startled Horse During the Spring Hunt

Volume 1: Love at First Sight (30)

On the 16th day of the third month of the 12th year of the Yuanqi era of the Great Zhou Dynasty, hunting was auspicious, but weddings were inauspicious.

In the royal hunting grounds west of Beijing, spring was just beginning to bloom, and banners blotted out the sun. The thunderous sound of horses' hooves thundered across the newly green meadows, the hum of bowstrings mingling with the barking of hunting dogs, startling birds into flight from the woods. The annual Spring Hunting Ceremony was the grandest royal event of the year, bringing together princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials to demonstrate military might and strengthen bonds of friendship.

Duke Gu Yangui sat upright atop a jet-black steed. His dark-patterned riding attire accentuated his tall, slender figure, like a solitary pine tree, while the tightly cinched leather belt around his waist emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He was past thirty, his face bearing the cold sternness honed by countless battles. His jawline was taut, and his deep eyes were like unfathomable, calm pools. The surrounding clamor seemed utterly incongruous with him; he only occasionally glanced at the young men galloping across the field, eagerly displaying their riding and archery skills, his gaze carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible, indifference and scrutiny.

"Lord Duke," a guard rode up and reported in a low voice, "the young master has arrived."

Gu Yangui's slightly furrowed brows relaxed almost imperceptibly as he turned to look at her.

A boy, about five years old, dressed in a royal blue riding outfit, was being led by his wet nurse, Granny Zhang. He was running over with short legs, looking rather eager. The child had a round face and delicate features, and there was even a resemblance between his eyebrows and eyes and Gu Yangui. However, his expression was not as cold and hard as his father's, but rather had the unique liveliness of a child.

"Father!" Gu Mingxuan ran to the front of the horse, looked up at his little face, his dark grape-like eyes full of expectation, "Did you hunt that white fox? You promised to make a collar for Xuan'er!"

Gu Yangui bent down and easily lifted his son onto the saddle, placing him in front of him. Feeling the warmth of the little one in his arms, his cold, hard voice softened slightly: "That white fox is cunning; we haven't succeeded yet. I'll go back into the forest later and bring it to you."

"Yes!" Mingxuan nodded vigorously, his little hand trustingly grasping his father's arm that was tightly gripping the reins. Then, he was drawn to the new excitement in the arena. "Father, look! It's His Highness the Third Prince! He shot a roe deer!"

Gu Yangui looked up, his expression calm. Such scenes were commonplace to him. His lifelong military exploits, the fame he had earned through countless battles, were nothing like the leisurely hunting of these noble sons of the capital. He was here today primarily to observe royal protocol, and also to allow Mingxuan to relax.

He was about to take his son to a less crowded area so that Mingxuan could try out a small bow he had brought when he suddenly heard an unusual commotion coming from the edge of the hunting grounds not far away, mixed with a woman's exclamation and a guard's reprimand.

"Make way! Make way right now! The horse is startled!"

"Stop it!"

The crowd recoiled in panic to both sides like a tidal wave. A chestnut horse, out of control, charged wildly out of the enclosure, its eyes bloodshot, mane flying, and hooves pounding the grass as it charged straight toward the high platform where the imperial carriage was! On the horse's back, a slender figure in pale yellow lay slumped, rising and falling violently with the horse's lurching, teetering on the verge of being thrown off at any moment—a situation of extreme peril!

"Protect His Majesty!" the guards shouted, quickly forming a human wall to protect him. For a moment, no one could stop the raging beast.

On the high platform, the Emperor and Empress had already risen, their faces solemn. Below, the crowd either gasped in surprise, dodged away, or stood frozen in shock; the scene was chaotic.

In a flash, Gu Yangui's eyes sharpened, and he quickly handed Mingxuan, whom he was carrying, to Zhang Mama beside him, and ordered in a deep voice, "Protect the young master!"

Before he finished speaking, he spurred his horse and the black steed shot out like a black lightning bolt! He did not directly intercept the mad horse head-on, as that would only cause a more violent collision. Instead, he judged its momentum and took a shortcut from the side, rapidly approaching from the flank.

The wind whistled in his ears. Gu Yangui crouched low, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the pale yellow figure. The distance closed rapidly: ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang…

Just as he was about to pass the startled horse, Gu Yangui suddenly stood up from the stirrups, pushed off with his feet, and leaped into the air like an eagle, landing precisely on the chestnut horse's back!

"Whoa—!"

His strong arm wrapped around the pale yellow dress, tightly embracing the girl's slender waist like an iron hoop, while his other hand gripped the reins tightly at the same time, pulling them backward with all his might!

The chestnut horse cried out in pain, letting out a long, mournful neigh. Its front hooves rose high, almost making it rear up! The immense inertia caused the two people on the horse to fall backward violently, but Gu Yangui remained as steady as a mountain, his legs gripping the horse's belly tightly, his arms protecting the person in his arms, and he used his back to bear most of the impact.

The horse struggled and neighed, spinning several times before finally coming to a stop reluctantly, puffing out thick white breaths, under Gu Yangui's strong control.

The dust settled slowly.

The entire hunting ground was silent, all eyes focused on the two protagonists of this thrilling scene.

Gu Yangui lowered his head first, looking at the person in his arms.

She was a very young girl, no more than fifteen years old, her face ashen white, devoid of any color. Her long, thick eyelashes trembled violently, like the wings of a startled butterfly. Perhaps due to extreme fear, her slender white fingers unconsciously gripped his shirt, her knuckles turning white. Her hair was disheveled, a few strands of black hair clinging to her cheeks with sweat, adding to her pitiful appearance.

Feeling the delicate body trembling slightly in his arms, Gu Yangui spoke in a low voice, with the reassuring and steady strength unique to a warrior on the battlefield: "It's alright."

Three words, brief yet powerful.

The girl seemed to slowly recover from her fright, her long eyelashes lifting to reveal a pair of teary almond-shaped eyes. Those eyes were large and extremely clear, and now, because they were veiled with moisture, they appeared even more distinct, like a frightened fawn, so pure that they could clearly reflect her slightly tense face.

Their eyes met.

A faint, almost imperceptible jasmine scent wafted from her hair and clothes, gently brushing past Gu Yangui's nose. This fragrance was completely different from the sandalwood, ink, and even the stench of blood he was used to. It was fresh, soft, and carried the subtle sweetness of early spring, causing him to momentarily lose his senses.

He held a soft, fragrant body in his arms, smelled the delicate scent of jasmine at the tip of his nose, and heard her faint, surviving gasps in his ear.

At this moment, the clamor of the hunting grounds, the varied gazes of the crowd, the concern of the emperor and empress on the high platform, and even the real touch in his arms, all seemed to recede like the tide, becoming blurred and indistinct. Only his heartbeat, accelerating suddenly like an arrow piercing the air, struck his eardrums and chest heavily and clearly, one beat after another.

"Jiaojiao! My darling!"

A man in his fifties, dressed in the robes of an earl, staggered over. It was none other than Su Wenyuan, the Earl of Yongchang. His face was deathly pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat. As he rushed forward, he disregarded all formalities, first looking his daughter up and down. Seeing that she seemed unharmed, he knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling with sobs: "Thank you, Your Excellency! Thank you, Your Excellency, for saving my daughter's life! This humble official... this humble official is eternally grateful!"

Gu Yangui composed himself, his usual coldness vanishing. He loosened the reins, and with a slight effort, gently lowered the girl from his arms onto the horse's back. The moment her toes touched the ground, Su Wanrou's legs buckled, and she nearly fell, but fortunately, Gu Yangui caught her arm in time.

"Please rise, Lord Su." Gu Yangui's voice was calm, but his gaze remained subtly fixed on the young girl being helped by her maid. "Is your daughter injured?"

With the help of her maid, Su Wanrou managed to stand up straight. Still shaken, she forced herself to remain calm and, following protocol, curtsied to Gu Yangui. Her voice trembled slightly, but was clear and gentle: "This humble woman, Su Wanrou, thanks Your Excellency for saving my life. This humble woman... is unharmed."

The sunlight shone directly on her upturned profile, her skin as smooth as white porcelain, flushed with a faint blush from the recent ordeal, the fine downy hairs on her cheeks clearly visible in the light. Though still shaken, she maintained impeccable manners; this composure was unlike that of a typical delicate woman confined to her chambers.

Gu Yangui nodded slightly and said nothing more, only saying to the Earl of Yongchang, "Your daughter has been frightened, please take good care of her, Earl." After saying that, he nimbly dismounted, and a guard stepped forward to lead the chestnut horse that had already been subdued.

The Earl of Yongchang thanked his daughter profusely and helped her back down. Only then did the surrounding crowd seem to come alive, and murmurs of discussion and praise arose one after another.

"That was close! Thank goodness for the Duke of Zhenguo!"

"The Duke is truly skilled! His movements were lightning fast!"

"That must be the daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang, right? She's so lucky..."

"Tsk, a hero rescuing a damsel in distress, that's quite a tale..."

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Gu Yangui walked straight towards Gu Mingxuan, who had been carried back by Zhang Mama.

"Father!" Mingxuan's little face was full of admiration and lingering fear as he opened his arms to rush over.

Gu Yangui bent down and picked up his son, feeling the little guy hugging his neck tightly. He gently patted his back and said, "It's alright."

His gaze, however, involuntarily drifted over his son's head towards the direction of the women of the Yongchang Marquis's residence. The slender figure in pale yellow was surrounded by her family, and he could vaguely see her head slightly turned, as if she were also looking in his direction.

Their gazes briefly met in the air.

Su Wanrou seemed startled and immediately lowered her eyelids, but her ears secretly blushed.

Gu Yangui calmly withdrew his gaze, picked up his son, and turned to walk towards his tent. But that pale yellow, those tearful almond eyes, and that faint, cool fragrance of jasmine seemed to be branded onto his eyes, nose, and heart.

That night, a banquet was held at the Spring Hunting Camp to calm the nerves from the day's thrilling episode and to reward the outstanding performers of the day.

Inside the imperial tent, the lights were bright, and wine cups were clinking. The emperor was clearly in a good mood and specially summoned Gu Yangui to his side, laughing loudly, "Today during the spring hunt, Minister Gu remained calm in the face of danger and acted decisively, saving the daughter of the Earl of Yongchang from a frightened horse. Not only was he highly skilled, but he also demonstrated the responsibility of the officials of our Great Zhou. He deserves to be rewarded!"

A palace attendant brought out the imperial wine, which Gu Yangui bowed to accept and drank in one gulp: "Your Majesty is too kind. It is my duty."

The Emperor stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions on the faces of the assembled guests. He paused, particularly on the faces of several princes and members of the imperial family of marriageable age, before smiling again and saying, "I remember that the daughter of the Earl of Yongchang is of marriageable age but not yet married. Minister Gu's heroic rescue of her is surely the will of Heaven; perhaps it will lead to a beautiful and harmonious marriage!"

These words caused an immediate silence in the room, with many eyes, openly or subtly, turning towards Gu Yangui. Everyone knew that the Duke of Zhenguo had been widowed for five years, and only had a young adopted son in his household. Countless noble families longed to marry their daughters into the Duke's family but could not. Now, His Majesty's words—could it be an attempt to arrange a marriage? But the Su family's daughter was of ordinary birth and still very young; how could she possibly be worthy of being the mistress of the Duke's mansion?

Gu Yangui held the cup firmly as a rock, his face expressionless, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is joking. Miss Su was frightened, and it is only right and proper for me to help her. I dare not have any other thoughts, lest I tarnish her reputation."

His answer was impeccable, fulfilling both the proper etiquette and avoiding any direct confrontation with the emperor. The emperor laughed heartily, not pursuing the matter further, and instead began discussing the hunting trip scheduled for the next day.

Gu Yangui returned to his seat, poured himself a drink, but his gaze inadvertently swept over the slightly secluded women's seats opposite him.

Among the group of jeweled ladies, the figure in pale yellow stood out as remarkably quiet. She lowered her head slightly, taking small bites of her food, seemingly out of place amidst the lively conversation around her. In the lamplight, her profile was soft, her neck slender and white, like a newly blossoming white jasmine—quiet, yet subtly captivating, already stealing a corner of one's heart.

After the palace banquet ended, Gu Yan returned to his own tent.

The tent was brightly lit by candlelight, and his guards had prepared hot water. He dismissed his attendants and stood alone before the basin stand, splashing cold water on his face. The icy touch invigorated him, but it couldn't dispel the image of those tearful almond eyes and the lingering scent of jasmine from his mind.

He walked to the desk, where an unfinished map of the northern border lay spread out. He picked up his pen, but couldn't bring himself to write for a long time.

The moonlight outside the window was cold and clear, and the camp gradually quieted down, with only the rhythmic footsteps of the night patrol soldiers ringing out.

Gu Yangui put down his pen, stood with his hands behind his back in front of the tent, and looked up at the bright moon in the night sky.

A startled horse.

Rescuing the beauty.

Jasmine scent.

The emperor's words seemed to have a deeper meaning.

And...those crystal-clear eyes.

All of this seemed to foreshadow that this otherwise ordinary spring hunt would bring some unexpected changes to his uneventful life.

He remained silent for a long time, and a very faint ripple, which he himself did not even notice, passed through his deep eyes.