Chapter 10 The Sow in Heat

In the main hall of the Southern Capital Garden, the emperor sat high, with one hundred and twenty drums, horns, flutes, and pipes placed on each side of him.

At the sound of a drum, princes, officials, and soldiers, mounted on horseback and dressed in military attire, entered the hunting ground one after another.

First are Crown Prince Shen Jizhao, then his nineteen brothers of varying ages but all around twenty, followed by various officials and dignitaries.

The scene was solemn and dignified, like a vast army surging in.

The solemn drumbeats echoed one after another, like toes leaping across the drumhead, drowning out the gasps and pounding hearts of the noble ladies below.

The noble ladies who came to participate in the hunt all harbored the intention of finding a match, and today's male companions included many of the most sought-after figures in the capital, so they were naturally excited.

The most eye-catching of them all is that apricot yellow, a symbol of supreme status.

Jiang Shuifu was also shocked. No matter when, she would still be repeatedly attracted to the man she fell in love with at first sight in her teenage years.

Chen Jizhao's hair was tied high with a crown, and his hair ribbons fluttered, a time when he was full of vigor and spirit.

He rode forward on his horse, which was no ordinary horse but a treasure presented by a vassal state. It was extremely fierce and no one but him could tame it.

Unlike other horses, this warhorse, which exudes a fierce and domineering aura, is incredibly docile under Shen Jizhao's feet.

Indeed, only a stronger king can make a king submit.

With a pull of the reins, the horse's hooves tumbled, and the apricot-yellow figure came to a nimble stop in the field.

Then all the male members of the family entered the hunting grounds, lined up neatly in place, and looked like they were about to strike.

The emperor stood up with satisfaction, took the arrow from the eunuch's hand, and his eyes instantly darkened.

With a "whoosh," three eagles in the air were pierced by an arrow.

Accompanied by the eagle's sharp cry and the dull thud of its fall, the emperor spoke slowly and deliberately:

"A grand hunting feast, a time for all to revel in. Today, you must unleash your full potential and display your unique skills. Do not conceal your strengths and avoid danger. You must demonstrate the bravery of our nation and invigorate its spirit. I await you here."

Thus, the hunt officially began.

All that could be heard was the sound of horses' hooves echoing across the hunting grounds, raising clouds of sand and dust. The situation was instantly disrupted, with only the apricot-yellow hue at the very front still dominating and leading the way.

Jiang Shuifu's eyes followed Shen Jizhao closely, just like the infatuated gazes of other girls.

Her husband was always so outstanding.

His figure, leaping and bounding, gradually disappeared from her sight. The princesses beside her were all talking and comparing how delicious the wild game their husbands had promised to bring them was, but she couldn't join in.

To be precise, ever since she married him, she has been unable to participate in anyone's world, including his.

She didn't want to think about it, but she had to admit that perhaps one day they would drift further and further apart, just like now, with him running ahead and her never being able to catch up.

Half an hour after the men entered, the women were also allowed to go hunting. Many noble ladies from prominent families held their heads high and were eager to try.

There are plenty of people who dislike Jiang Shuifu, and now someone has fired the first shot:

"Why isn't the Crown Princess going? Is it because she's not skilled enough to embarrass herself? Well, today all the civil and military officials and members of the royal family are here. Those who only know trivial skills certainly won't be worthy of respect!"

The rest of the group continued to fan the flames:

"Don't say that. The Crown Princess probably disdains hunting with us ladies. After all, everyone knows that the Crown Princess loves catching insects and playing with birds. The mere rabbits and pheasants in this forest are nothing to her."

“If the Crown Princess is unhappy with us for not going hunting, then we are guilty for offending the Crown Princess to this extent…”

As soon as she finished speaking, the noble ladies in front of her covered their mouths and laughed mockingly. The Crown Princess was actually afraid of the daughter of a minister who had no title, and she even acted like a coward.

The laughter had barely stopped when Gao Zhuxia, who had been keeping a low profile since the last banquet, couldn't help but glare at Jiang Shuifu with hatred:

"But if it is because of disrespect for the Emperor's majesty that one is usually lively and energetic, but when it comes to a critical moment, one is unwilling to even have the strength to hold an arrow, His Majesty just said that one should spare no effort to show the grandeur of a great nation. And the Crown Princess, of noble birth and in a high position, yet she disregards His Majesty's words and treats the Crown Prince's responsibilities as a joke, is there not a suspicion of disrespect and lack of seriousness?"

These words, on the surface, say that Jiang Shuifu is disrespectful, but in reality, they are accusing her of being disloyal to the country, disobedient to the emperor, and disrespectful to her husband, and that her heart is deserving of punishment.

Gao Zhuxia looked down at the weak and pitiful Jiang Shuifu with disdain.

She remembered the lesson the Crown Prince had taught her last time and applied it to Jiang Shuifu. Thanks to her, if she hadn't succeeded this time, she would have had no choice but to return to Youzhou and marry into a local noble family. She hated Jiang Shuifu to the core.

With the Crown Prince absent today, she is determined to make him bow his head and beg for mercy.

Jiang Shuifu remained calm and slowly withdrew her gaze from the depths of the hunting grounds, turning it towards the noble ladies blocking her path.

She moved gracefully, her innocent and pure eyes gazing calmly at them.

Gao Zhuxia and the others stopped pretending at this point. Now that there were no outsiders, she twitched the corners of her mouth and said, "Your Highness should just keep this act for the Crown Prince's benefit. However, if you are willing to apologize to everyone properly, bow, and give up your seat, Sister Wang might be able to keep you as a concubine."

The remaining noble ladies remained silent, watching the show from the sidelines. Wang Hanzhu, who had been mentioned, gave Gao Zhuxia a warning look. This fool had become a bit smarter now and was even using her as a pawn.

However, she didn't bother arguing with the people who were about to be sent back to their hometown. She fiddled with her fingernails and pretended to be deaf. She didn't hear anything, let alone utter a rebuttal, her eyes filled with arrogance.

She certainly deserves that position, and she is definitely better than Jiang Shuifu.

Cao Lanzi didn't aspire to be a legal wife; instead, she feigned concern and put her arm around Jiang Shuifu's to comfort her.

"Your Highness, please don't take offense at what Sister Gao said. The Crown Prince only has you as his Crown Princess; the others are just concubines..."

Cao Lanzi's words caught in her throat, and a sharp, piercing scream rang out, causing everyone in the audience to widen their eyes.

Gao Zhuxia was struck by an unexpected and powerful force that pierced through the quiver on her back and knocked her to the ground. The force also forced her to retreat several steps before she could barely stop.

Gao Zhuxia stood on the ground, surrounded by arrows, in disbelief. How could Jiang Shuifu dare to be so ruthless to the daughter of a high-ranking official like herself?

She was furious, but at the same time, she was still shaken by the arrow, her legs trembling, and she dared not make any rash moves.

Jiang Shuifu slowly toyed with Gao Zhuxia's arrows and began to speak:

"How dare a mere young lady speak ill of the royal family, interfere in court affairs, and offend the emperor? I wonder if this was at the behest of Lord Gao?"

This immediately pinned the blame for rebellion on the Gao family.

Just like what the noble lady did just now.

"You're just spouting nonsense, what right do you have to slander me?"

"If it's not your father, then who is it? Of course, a mere Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture wouldn't dare. Could it be some other official in the court? Madam Gao is quite capable, managing to strike up a conversation with such a high-ranking official."

Gao Zhuxia's face was contorted with fear. All the officials in the court were men. Wasn't what she said implying that she had been having an affair with a man before she was married, and that they were having an illicit relationship without a matchmaker?

Jiang Shuifu's expression was relaxed:

"Lady Gao should thank me; this arrow has bought my mouth."

Gao Zhuxia was furious. "You dare to put on airs in front of me?!"

She was mocking this shameless woman; what did she have to do with the royal family? And why should she be trusted?

She was taken aback, her eyes darting around unnaturally. Or... did she know?

Impossible, absolutely impossible! She was furious and embarrassed.

"Jiang Shuifu, don't try to confuse the issue or exaggerate. You're an unwelcome, filthy, and despicable person..."

Before she could finish her rant, a gust of wind rushed in, and she could only cover her head to avoid it.

"Ah! You're crazy!"

Gao Zhuxia was shot with another arrow, tearing a corner of her carefully made riding outfit, and the red fabric was pinned tightly to the ground.

"This arrow quelled the wrath of the Emperor."

Jiang Shuifu watched her disheveled state without any attempt to hide it. The remaining noble ladies who had been spewing malice and mockery turned pale and trembled like leaves, completely devoid of their previous arrogance.

She said with a light, mocking tone:

"From now on, remember to use your brain when you act. Today wasn't a complete waste of time; at least I encountered a group of sows in heat lining up to be mates with. It was truly amazing."

These words were too crude, and the remaining noble ladies were furious, but they could only retreat warily, looking at Jiang Shuifu who was walking towards them with lingering fear.

Wang Hanxi and Cao Lanzi, who were in the lead, were the most afraid, as Jiang Shuifu was directly in front of them.

Jiang Shuifu raised her arm, adopting the same posture she had used to aim at Gao Zhuxia.

Screams erupted from the crowd, and the girls all bent over in fear.

Jiang Shuifu chuckled and walked away with a slight smile.

Over the years, whenever she encountered them, she chose to ignore and tolerate them because of her status and didn't want to cause trouble.

But she overlooked the fact that the imperial family's reputation was at stake.

Moreover, she is so deeply ingrained that Zhao likes her.

A raccoon's claws always need to be exposed to scratch and prick in order to demonstrate their usefulness.

Gao Zhuxia, who was holding the arrows and crossbow tightly, was pale, but her face regained its color after she realized that she was safe.

Having survived a catastrophe, she actually gained a certain understanding of the meaning of that phrase.

That damned, lowly woman threw the bow and arrow straight at her; if she hadn't caught it in time, the arrow would have shot her right in the face.

Everyone present recalled Jiang Shuifu before she married into the Eastern Palace.

Back then, she was carefree and unrestrained, with a strong sense of pride in her bones, and even her smile was radiant.

She comes from a good family and is good-looking, which makes others envious.

Today, her arrows are not quite the same as before. Gone is the unruliness of the past, replaced by quiet gentleness. Yet, she can still find the right moment and hit the target with swiftness.

This unassuming manner, waiting for the right moment to act, is somewhat reminiscent of a crown prince.

This perception made them very unhappy.

A lowly orphan has shamelessly picked up some of the habits of a privileged child.

After this incident, the noble ladies present who harbored unrealistic fantasies about the Crown Prince completely banded together, hating Jiang Shuifu to the core, determined to make her pay the price and see her fall into the abyss.

Gao Zhuxia dragged her trembling and weak body into the forest. Suddenly, a pigeon circling in the sky landed in front of her. She excitedly opened the secret letter next to the pigeon's leg.

She bent over, laughing so hard she was shaking, and didn't forget to stuff the secret letter into her mouth and chew it up.

Finally, she's about to rise to prominence. Jiang Shuifu, I'll make you watch as the man you love most falls into my arms!

Will you still be able to act arrogantly then?

A note from the author:

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Haha, my darling daughter is just that unconventional; her words may be rough, but the meaning is sound.

Attention, the countdown to something big is about to begin. Let's look forward to it!