Spring Hunt

Li Yunye's hands, clasped tightly behind his back, became fists. "I've said it before, Your Highness and I don't get along well. Your rejection that day really saddened me." Tang Feng shook his head, then walked to Li Yunye's side and said softly, "I'm really looking forward to Your Highness's performance during the spring hunt." After leaving the palace gates, Tang Feng saw Zhou Ziliang waiting for him, so he hurried forward and said, "Let's go to Zuixianju for dinner today. I'm craving their drunken duck." Zhou Ziliang leaned against the carriage with his arms crossed. Hearing Tang Feng's words, he didn't immediately agree. Instead, he pointed to the carriage and said, "I'm fine with it, but there are people waiting for you in the carriage. Let's wait until Xiao Feng has met them before we decide whether to go to Zuixianju." Tang Feng clearly didn't quite understand Zhou Ziliang's words. He slowly lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw Shen Qinghang sitting inside, looking at him. Tang Feng silently lowered the curtain, pulled Zhou Ziliang a few steps outside, and asked in a low voice, "Why did you let him in?" Zhou Ziliang didn't expect Tang Feng to say that, and looked at Tang Feng in surprise, as if he had done something wrong. "Hasn't Xiao Feng been getting close to him lately? I thought he had something to discuss with you..." Tang Feng sighed. Of course, he knew that Shen Qinghang had something important to discuss at this time, but Tang Feng didn't want to see Shen Qinghang. He always felt that meeting him would bring bad luck. Tang Feng could only wave his hand. "Never mind, let's see him off before we go to eat. Bringing him along feels like a downer..." Tang Feng had just finished speaking when he heard Shen Qinghang speak up. "I heard you, Grand Tutor Tang. Isn't that a bit much?" Turning around, he saw Shen Qinghang lifting the carriage curtain and looking at him. Tang Feng chuckled twice, then silently climbed into the carriage. "I... I didn't mean that."

"If that's not what you meant, then please, Grand Tutor Tang, treat me to a meal at Zuixianju." Looking at Shen Qinghang's shameless attitude, Tang Feng was furious, cursing Shen Qinghang's ancestors hundreds of times in his mind. What did I tell you? Meeting him never brings good news! But on the surface, Tang Feng had to maintain appearances, forcing a smile and gritting his teeth, he said, "Of course... I wonder what Lord Shen likes to eat?"

"I heard that you're craving the drunken duck, Grand Tutor Tang. Since you're a patient, I can only reluctantly join you. Of course, if your wallet allows, Grand Tutor Tang, I wouldn't mind ordering a bowl of Ganoderma lucidum seed and black pigeon soup as well." Tang Feng trembled with anger. "You'll eat yourself to death..." "Grand Tutor Tang, what are you muttering about?" "Nothing... nothing." Tang Feng lifted the curtain and said to Zhou Ziliang, "Ziliang, let's go to Zuixianju." Then he sat back down and looked at Shen Qinghang, saying, "Speak, what brings you here this time?" "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Shen Qinghang turned his head to look at him, his eyes serious, not joking. "Did you teach Ninth Prince what he said in court today?"

"Me? Honestly, I have no such ability," Tang Feng argued, but a smug smile crept onto his face. "Our Ninth Prince, without any instruction, gave Li Yunye a taste of his own medicine."

"Then you, Grand Tutor, can finally hold your head high. I was really worried for you all today in court. I thought you were the one who instructed the Ninth Prince to say those words, but it turned out he did it himself." Shen Qinghang then smiled. "Seeing him like this, I feel much more at ease. You've taught him so well; even without me, you will definitely succeed. Clearing the Crown Prince's name is finally not just empty talk." Tang Feng frowned upon hearing this. "Without you? What do you mean?"

"Literally, in my plan, I'm not part of the ending, so His Highness will still have to rely on you, his tutor, for his future." Tang Feng was amused by this, then lowered his voice and said, "Please, I won't live that long, you know?! Without me, and without you, how can he go on?" Shen Qinghang looked at Tang Feng's anger calmly, his eyes devoid of any emotion, and coldly said, "I'll help you kill Li Yunye, and then everything will come to light. By then, he will have succeeded. You just need to help him overturn the verdict, and everything will be over." "You! Cough cough cough cough!" Tang Feng couldn't catch his breath, a dull pain in his chest caused him to cover his mouth and cough. Zhou Ziliang, who was driving the carriage outside, couldn't help but turn his head and ask, "Xiao Feng, are you alright?" Tang Feng took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, quickly reassuring him, "I'm fine, don't worry." He then looked at Shen Qinghang, "You saw it too, in this state, I can't help him for long."

"I know, that's why I'm rushing to save time for you." Tang Feng lowered his head upon hearing Shen Qinghang's words, and after a long silence, asked in a muffled voice, "Does Li Yunye have to die?" "Yes," Shen Qinghang replied without hesitation, his words resolute. "Tang Feng, I don't know what you're hesitating about. The struggle for the throne is like this; some are happy, some are sad. If you live, he will die; if you die, he will live. Do you understand?!" Tang Feng looked at Shen Qinghang, silent, a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes. Tang Feng didn't know how to explain. He and Shen Qinghang were different; perhaps Shen Qinghang had grown up in this kind of environment... His family had always instilled in him the "winner takes all" mentality, but Tang Feng was different. He lived in a peaceful era; he'd only ever seen violence in movies. The thought of actually killing someone was unbearable for him. He didn't know what to do. Even if the murderer of Qin Liuliu were standing right in front of him, Tang Feng might not be able to bring himself to kill him. Now, Tang Feng felt like he was at a crossroads. Killing Li Yunye would be against his conscience, but not killing him would become a future threat. Tang Feng covered his eyes and slowly said, "I understand."

The carriage stopped at this moment. Zhou Ziliang lifted the curtain and said, "Xiao Feng, we're here. Get down." He then helped Tang Feng down from the carriage before asking, "What were you talking about just now? I heard you coughing so badly all of a sudden?" Tang Feng dared not tell Zhou Ziliang, so he just made up an excuse. After going inside, Zhou Ziliang chose a table with a view of the Wei River, picked up the menu from the table and handed it to Tang Feng. Tang Feng looked him up and down and then said to the waiter, "One drunken duck, one serving of eight-treasure gourd vegetarian three delicacies, and one chicken and alfalfa pastry, that's all for now... Huh?!" Tang Feng had just closed the menu when Shen Qinghang snatched it away. "Also, one serving of Ganoderma lucidum seed and black pigeon soup, and stir-fried lotus root and tendon."

"You're really not being polite." Seeing Tang Feng's displeased expression as he propped his chin up, Shen Qinghang didn't reply. He took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Let's talk about the spring hunt." Then Shen Qinghang looked at Zhou Ziliang and then at Tang Feng. "You should tell him. Don't let the two of you quarrel and say I've interfered in your relationship." Tang Feng shrugged. "What? You can help reconcile them after they quarrel?" Shen Qinghang coughed twice to clear his throat and said seriously, "On the day of the spring hunt, as civil officials, you and I can't enter the hunting grounds, but Li Yunye and the Ninth Prince can. We should find a way to get Li Yunye out, and..." Shen Qinghang thought for a moment and continued, "If the Ninth Prince shoots an arrow and you are seriously injured and fall to the ground, the scene will be very chaotic. You can't let Li Yunye kill the Ninth Prince..." "We need to expose him, otherwise if His Majesty punishes the Ninth Prince, all our previous efforts will be in vain." Tang Feng knew this, but he was still somewhat troubled. "The latter is easy to deal with. As long as Li Yunye believes me and I can persuade him, this matter can proceed. However, the former..." Tang Feng had never participated in a spring hunt before, so he naturally didn't know how to arrange things. Just as the two were struggling with this, Zhou Ziliang said, "After entering the hunting grounds, it's not that you can't come out. Before going into the hunting grounds, each person will put five arrows in their arrow basket. If the arrows run out, you need to go out of the hunting grounds to change the arrow baskets. He will definitely come out at this time." Then Zhou Ziliang pointed to the tea and drew on the table. "The hunting grounds are rectangular, with nine exits in each direction: east, west, north, and south. He will definitely come out, but we don't know which way he will come out."

"Ziliang... will you go?" Tang Feng looked at Zhou Ziliang, who nodded and let out a sigh of relief. He then said, "Could you go with Li Yunye? Once he runs out of arrows, you can come out with him. We'll agree to meet at one exit, along with the Ninth Prince." "Where should we choose that exit?" Shen Qinghang carefully examined the drawing Zhou Ziliang had made on the table and said, "Let's choose the east side. His Majesty's viewing platform is on the east side, so the commotion will be greater." Then Shen Qinghang looked at Tang Feng. "Will Li Yunye believe you? It depends on whether you're still alive. How confident is the Ninth Prince?" Shen Qinghang's concerns were not unfounded. He knew that Li Yunye had been in the military camp for a long time and might be a good archer, but this time was different. If Tang Feng... To make his performance natural, he couldn't just stand there motionless. Moving around would change the angle, and if Li Yunyu's arrow had missed by even a fraction, Tang Feng could very well have died on the spot. Of course, Tang Feng couldn't tell Zhou Ziliang that Li Yunyu had been terrified by him that day, trembling before finally agreeing. "His Highness has been staying in the military camp, so his archery skills are naturally excellent. Don't worry, it only hit his shoulder; he won't die." "It would be best if..." Shen Qinghang added a few more bites of food, about to put them in his mouth, but then seemed to remember something and put down his chopsticks. "When will His Highness begin overseeing the hunting grounds?" Tang Feng, spoon in hand, shook his head. "When it will begin depends on Li Yunye, but His Majesty has also set the deadline at the ninth of next month."

"Place two clever people around His Highness Ninth Prince to assist him. Meng Lie, who's by his side, is a boorish and uncouth man. He's passable in leading troops, but he's far too inept at strategic planning." Tang Feng naturally agreed with Shen Qinghang's words. How could he not know Meng Lie's character? What Meng Lie had done before was enough to give Tang Feng a hard time. "I know that, and I already have someone in mind. I'll start making arrangements in a few days."

Tang Feng didn't just agree without reason. A few days after returning home, he had Meng Lie summon Lin Siwen. Lin Siwen arrived quickly; Tang Feng had barely sat down when Liu Yiwan entered with his men. "Grand Tutor!" Seeing Lin Siwen about to bow, Tang Feng quickly blocked him with his fan. "No need for formalities, I'm not one to stand on ceremony." Tang Feng gestured for Lin Siwen to sit down. "I'm not here for anything else, you know about the spring hunt in a few days." Lin Siwen nodded. Since the incident with the Lin family, he had been working for Meng Lie. Meng Lie's army was stationed near the hunting grounds, so they must have seen Li Yunye arranging things a few days ago. Seeing Lin Siwen nod, Tang Feng didn't explain further and continued, "His Majesty has entrusted the handling of the spring hunt to Li Yunye and the Ninth Prince. It's not appropriate for me to go along now, General Meng is too reckless, and Ning Wan's status is too low; she can't speak up for Li Yunye. After thinking it over, you're more suitable." Lin Siwen lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before replying, "I understand what you mean. You're afraid the Third Prince will set a trap for the Ninth Prince, so you're sending someone along, right?" Seeing Tang Feng nod, Lin Siwen continued, "It's fine for me to go along, but you..." "You summoned me here not just to warn us, right?" Tang Feng smiled. He knew Lin Siwen was clever and understood that his summons wasn't simply about following the Ninth Prince. "I need you to sow discord between Li Yunye and others." Tang Feng then explained his plan to Lin Siwen. Lin Siwen pondered for a moment, then stood up and said, "I know what to do, but Grand Tutor, isn't this a bit risky?" Tang Feng waved his hand. "As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If I don't do this, Li Yunye won't believe me."

Lin Siwen sat on a wooden stake in the hunting grounds, waiting for Li Yunyu to arrive. These past few days, Li Yunye had been quite diligent, not letting Li Yunyu handle anything, afraid he would steal Emperor Yun's praise. Therefore, Li Yunyu seemed somewhat idle. Looking from afar, he saw Lin Siwen waiting for him, quickly ran a few steps forward, and hugged her. "Siwen! What brings you here!"

"Of course, it's to celebrate His Highness the Ninth Prince becoming a prince," Lin Siwen smiled, then stood up and said, "The Grand Tutor asked me to pass on a message to you." Lin Siwen then pulled Li Yunyu towards the edge of the hunting grounds, saying as they walked, "The scene on the day of the spring hunt will definitely be chaotic, but the Grand Tutor has already made arrangements. At the third entrance on the east side of the hunting grounds, the young Marquis will bring Li Yunye here to replenish his arrows, and the Grand Tutor will also be waiting there. You just need to follow behind them. And I just went to check; although the third entrance is next to His Majesty's..." "The platform is close, but the trees there are lush, providing good cover." Lin Siwen then led Li Yunyu outside the hunting grounds, pointing to the neatly arranged arrow baskets on the wooden racks. "Each arrow basket is painted a different color, and the arrows are tied with cloth of the same color as the basket." Lin Siwen casually picked up an arrow and handed it to Li Yunyu. "When shooting, you must not let the cloth fall off. But don't worry, the Grand Tutor won't let Li Yunye investigate your responsibility." Li Yunyu took the arrow from Lin Siwen and examined it for a long time. "Siwen, thank you."

"Why thank me? It was the Grand Tutor who sent me to help you." Lin Siwen put her hands behind her back, looked into the distance, and asked softly, "Why haven't I seen the Third Prince?" "My third brother came today, but he doesn't want me to get involved in the spring hunt, afraid I'll steal his credit. So he's in the west with the ministers planning these things. It'll be the ninth in a couple of days, he should be quite busy." Lin Siwen thought for a moment, then said to Li Yunyu, "It's alright, I'll go find him. You can't come with me, just stay here." Then she climbed over the fence and walked inside.

When Lin Siwen found Li Yunye, he was verifying the list. Li Yunye was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice Lin Siwen standing to the side. It wasn't until he handed the list to the minister and turned around that he saw Lin Siwen standing there, seemingly waiting for a long time. "Siwen? What are you doing here?" Lin Siwen stepped forward and said, "General Meng's camp is nearby, so I just came to take a look." Lin Siwen was now the son of a disgraced official and only a captain in the army, so he naturally couldn't participate in the spring hunt. Li Yunye pointed to the arrows, "Want to shoot a couple of arrows? Have some fun." Lin Siwen didn't refuse, picked up his bow and arrow, and shot into the sky. After a few cries, a wild goose fell from the sky. "Such good archery skills, what a pity, it can't shine during the spring hunt." Lin Siwen held the goose with his back to Li Yunye, "I still can't calm my anger when I think about how my family was wronged." Then he turned to look at Li Yunye, startling him. "My family has been loyal ministers for generations, and my sister married into the Crown Prince's household..." "Of course I know the Crown Prince is an upright man, how could he suddenly be executed for treason?" Li Yunye forced a smile and said, "The Lin family is loyal, I believe Father will definitely clear your name." Lin Siwen laughed as well, "Of course, I know Your Highness wouldn't be the murderer of the Crown Prince, after all, you are his brother, and you couldn't possibly be the one to frame our Lin family, we have no grudge against you. Oh right, I just saw the Ninth Prince sitting on the east side, why isn't he with you?" Li Yunye looked at Lin Siwen, waited for a while before saying, "Ninth Brother is just here to help. The Spring Hunt is the first celebration after the New Year in Yan Yun, it's very important. If it's messed up, I'll naturally take the blame alone." Lin Siwen lowered her eyes and smiled lightly, "Then you are indeed quite good to the Ninth Prince. However, the Ninth Prince is also quite ambitious, he was recently granted the title of Prince, and I heard His Majesty's attitude towards him has improved a lot. But the Ninth Prince's behavior of crossing the river and burning the bridge is somewhat unacceptable."

"Crossing the river and then dismantling the bridge?"

"Yes, didn't you know? Grand Tutor Tang has helped the Ninth Prince a lot, but the Ninth Prince seems to have a lot of opinions about Grand Tutor Tang!" Could it be that Tang Feng's defection to him was not an act? Before Li Yunye could finish pondering, Lin Siwen continued, "The Ninth Prince is still childish. Grand Tutor Tang has helped him a great deal. If his actions truly offend the Grand Tutor and lead him to help someone else, then the Ninth Prince will only remain stagnant. Think about it, weren't all of the Ninth Prince's actions conceived and orchestrated by Grand Tutor Tang himself?" Seeing that Li Yunye remained silent, Lin Siwen knew she had said enough, and added a few final words, "Your Highness, my family's affairs were handled entirely by the Grand Tutor, so I am very grateful to him. If the Ninth Prince has offended the Grand Tutor, then don't blame me for turning against the Ninth Prince for his sake. Alas... I'm in a difficult position too. Tell me, what's going on here?" Without waiting for Li Yunye to speak, Lin Siwen left the hunting grounds. After Lin Siwen left, Li Yunye thought for a long time. Had he really been overly suspicious? Has Tang Feng and Li Yunyu's relationship really deteriorated to this point? Even Lin Siwen knows this, which means Tang Feng saved the Lin family with the intention of keeping Lin Siwen and leaving her to Li Yunyu later. But things have come to this, so Lin Siwen... is she here to act as an intermediary for Tang Feng? Although Lin Siwen's words have already hinted at this, Li Yunye is still hesitant. How could he not know Tang Feng's methods? If it really was arranged by him, wouldn't believing him be pushing himself into a trap?

Lin Siwen wasn't idle either. He went straight to the Tang residence after leaving the hunting grounds, afraid of being late. "Grand Tutor," he said, "Li Yunye never intended for the Ninth Prince to accompany him. They're far apart, one in the west and one in the east. He probably didn't have time to set traps for the Ninth Prince, so I went directly to him and put some pressure on him. Although I didn't say much, it worked very well." Tang Feng naturally trusted Lin Siwen's abilities. They chatted for a few more minutes before letting Lin Siwen go back. Tang Feng now had a better understanding of the situation. He knew that Li Yunye still cared a lot about his position in the Emperor's heart. Now, Li Yunheng was acting much like Li Yunrui had before, not doing much, which made things much easier for Li Yunye. However, the Emperor's attitude towards Li Yunyu had changed so quickly that Li Yunye was caught off guard.

The spring hunt was set for the fifteenth of April. As the first celebration after the New Year, it was naturally to be a grand affair. All the feudal lords and ministers, along with their families, were invited and waited on the viewing platform early in the morning. At dawn, countless war drums thundered, instantly filling the hunting grounds with a deafening roar and an imposing atmosphere. Then, the deep, resonant sound of horns rang out, and Emperor Yun slowly walked towards the viewing platform. The ministers knelt and bowed, saying, "Your subjects pay homage to Your Majesty."

Emperor Yun waved his hand, "Rise!" Then, sitting on the dragon throne, he said in a deep voice, "Since the founding of our nation, Yan Yun has emphasized both military and civil affairs. This emphasis on military strength is exemplified by the spring hunt. Yan Yun conquered this land on horseback, bought with the blood of countless men who died on the battlefield. The year's plan begins in spring, and the day's plan begins at dawn. We are holding this spring hunt today to show the warriors who gave their lives for Yan Yun that even though war has ceased, Yan Yun remains a powerful and well-equipped nation." Emperor Yun then looked at Eunuch Feng, "Begin." Eunuch Feng took the dragon-headed bow with a red ribbon from the eunuch beside him, placed it on the bow, and Emperor Yun, holding the bow and arrow, looked at the target ten meters away, picked up the arrow, drew the bowstring, and calmly released the first arrow, hitting the bullseye; two arrows flew, and a phoenix built its nest; three arrows flew, shattering the target and leaving only the arrows. Emperor Yun planted the dragon-headed bow on the ground and said, "Let's begin." Then Eunuch Feng took the bow and arrows from Emperor Yun's hands and shouted, "Princes and heirs, please mount your horses and receive your arrows!"

Tang Feng, a civil official, sat at the far end of the stands and asked Zhang Mobai in a low voice, "How do we watch this competition?" Zhang Mobai, of course, knew Tang Feng didn't know, so he turned and explained in a low voice, "There are many animals in the hunting grounds. Each person's arrow has a ribbon of the same color as the arrowhead, embroidered with their name. Whoever kills the most animals wins." "That's dangerous, isn't it? What if there's a bear or something?" Zhang Mobai smiled. "Why are you worried about that? Those are all princes and nobles; naturally, they won't be in danger. How could there be any ferocious beasts? I heard from Yang Fei that at most there might be a wolf; most of them are deer or rabbits." After watching for a while, Tang Feng stood up and said, "That's enough. I'll go wait over there." Seeing Zhang Mobai about to get up, he quickly stopped him, "Don't come with me. It's best you don't get involved in this." Then he walked towards the agreed-upon exit of the hunting grounds.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ziliang had been following Li Yunye's horse in the hunting grounds. He had already fired four arrows, waiting for Li Yunye to run out so they could go to Tang Feng to exchange their arrows. However, Li Yunye had indeed ridden quite far. Zhou Ziliang had been following him for almost an incense stick's time, but instead of heading east, Li Yunye was riding further and further west. Zhou Ziliang was getting anxious, keeping his horse close behind without daring to make a sound. Then, he saw a deer standing in front of Li Yunye. Zhou Ziliang slowly rode his horse to the side and behind the deer, fired a blank arrow, and hit the deer right at the foot. Startled, the deer took off running. Li Yunye drew his bow and gave chase, heading east. He fired three arrows in a row but failed to hit the deer. Only when his arrow basket was empty did he stop and sigh. At this moment, Zhou Ziliang caught up. "Come on," Zhou Ziliang said, feigning concern. "Your Highness? Why did you stop?" Li Yunye waved his hand and sighed repeatedly. "I saw a deer, but unfortunately, my archery skills are poor. I shot three arrows but failed to hit it, and my arrow basket is empty." Zhou Ziliang took his arrow basket and said, "That's perfect. Mine is empty too, and I was just about to change it. Would Your Highness like to come along?" Li Yunye naturally nodded in agreement, and he and Zhou Ziliang rode their horses toward the exit one after the other. At this time, Li Yunyu was already standing in the bushes. Seeing that Tang Feng was already waiting there, he took the arrows out of the arrow basket, nocked them on his bow, and waited for the right moment. Yang Fei did not know when Tang Feng and the others would make their move. Zhang Mobai had only told him where to make their move, but had not specified the time. He could not find Li Yunyu in the vast hunting grounds, so in his haste, he also headed toward the exit.

As Li Yunye and Zhou Ziliang exited the hunting grounds, they saw Tang Feng waiting nearby. Li Yunye was somewhat puzzled, "Tang Feng? Why aren't you at the viewing platform? What are you doing here?" Before Tang Feng could answer, Zhou Ziliang interjected, "Xiao Feng was worried about me. The Prince knows this is Xiao Feng's first time participating in the spring hunt, and he didn't sleep a wink last night. To put his mind at ease, I specifically told him to wait for me here. I come here every time I change the arrow baskets."

Seeing that Li Yunye had already stood beside Tang Feng, Li Yunyu drew his bow fully, quietly waiting for the right moment. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, fearing that he might not have controlled the angle properly and endanger Tang Feng's life. However, Tang Feng wasn't standing there motionless. Li Yunyu knew that Tang Feng had to appear natural; he couldn't just stand there motionless waiting for him to draw the bow. He adjusted the position of his bow and arrow repeatedly.

Yang Fei finally arrived at the exit and saw Li Yunyu already lying in ambush there. He cursed Tang Feng's audacity under his breath, dismounted, and walked behind Li Yunyu. Li Yunyu jumped in fright, nearly dropping his arrow. Yang Fei quickly pulled back the arrow with one hand and covered Li Yunyu's mouth with the other, signaling him to be quiet. "Ninth Prince, I am Yang Fei, here to help you. Don't be afraid."

Tang Feng then handed the arrow basket to Zhou Ziliang, chuckling, "I was worried the Ninth Prince would cause you trouble. I just had a fight with him these past two days, and he almost smashed up my Tang residence. Alright, seeing you're fine, I'm relieved." Just as he finished speaking, Li Yunye exclaimed, "Hey, what's wrong with this arrow basket!" Tang Feng looked over and saw that the straps on the arrow basket in Li Yunye's hand were broken. "If the straps on this arrow basket are broken, you can't put it on the horse. You should quickly find someone to fix it, otherwise delaying the competition would be a loss." Li Yunye watched Tang Feng and Li Yunye's struggle... As the arrow drew in, and worried that Li Yunye might leave, Li Yunye wiped the sweat from his palms on his clothes, drew the bowstring taut, and looked at Yang Fei. Yang Fei nodded. "It should be around this time. Keep a close eye on it and don't accidentally hit anyone." Li Yunye aimed at Tang Feng's right shoulder, drew the bowstring with a hissing sound, and released it with a snap. But at that moment, Tang Feng turned to the side, and the arrow that was originally aimed at his right shoulder went straight for Tang Feng's heart. Yang Fei exclaimed in alarm and quickly picked up a stone and hit the arrow's fletching, causing it to deflect slightly to the left and hit Tang Feng's left chest.

Although Tang Feng had mentally prepared himself, the arrow still caused him excruciating pain and blurred vision when it pierced his chest. A wave of fear washed over him. Holding the arrow embedded in his chest, Tang Feng looked blankly at Zhou Ziliang and Li Yunye. Li Yunye was clearly terrified. Only when he saw Tang Feng collapse into Zhou Ziliang's arms did he regain his senses and shout, "Assassin! Assassin!" Several palace maids standing nearby were also frightened, covering their heads and shrinking to the side. There weren't many people at each exit to begin with, and there were two guards. One quickly drew his sword and stood in front of Li Yunye and Tang Feng, while the other went to the stands to report to Emperor Yun. The arrow was deeply embedded, and a large patch of blood had been stained the chest of Tang Feng's white official robe. Tang Feng knew that his injury was more severe than he had expected, but even with tinnitus and blurred vision, he still pulled off the cloth attached to the arrow and clutched it in his hand. With a trembling voice, Tang Feng stammered in terror, "Ziliang...it's...it's His Highness the Ninth Prince!" As soon as he spoke, blood gushed from the corner of his mouth like a burst dam, unstoppable. Zhou Ziliang, holding Tang Feng, looked at Li Yunye, "Your Highness! Quickly call the imperial physician! Call the imperial physician! Xiao Feng! Xiao Feng, don't sleep, do you hear me!" Tang Feng gasped for breath, his blood-stained hands gripping Li Yunye's arm. "Your Highness...this is your good brother. I helped him, but he wants to kill me!" Li Yunye was terrified by Tang Feng's injuries. He never imagined that Li Yunyu would actually want to kill Tang Feng. Li Yunye knelt down, took Tang Feng's hand, and comforted him, "Tang Feng, don't speak yet. Listen to me, you're badly injured. The imperial physician...the imperial physician will save you. Just hold on..." Then Li Yunyu looked at Zhou Ziliang, "Carry him to the tent first! I...I'll go find the imperial physician now!"

"Your Highness!" Tang Feng, clinging to the last shred of his consciousness, grabbed Li Yunye, enduring the pain in his chest, and said, "Your Highness... please... cough cough, don't reveal the Ninth Prince's matter to His Majesty. I don't want him to embarrass the Zhou family in the future... cough cough cough, embarrass the Tang family."

"Okay, okay, I promise you, just stop talking!" Li Yunye was terrified when he saw Tang Feng's mouth full of blood, so he quickly agreed and rushed towards the stands. Once Li Yunye was gone, Tang Feng could no longer bear the pain in his chest and buried his face in Zhou Ziliang's arms, clutching Zhou Ziliang's sleeve tightly as he groaned, "Ziliang...uh...it hurts so much! Waaah..." Zhou Ziliang knew how badly Tang Feng was injured. The plan was to shoot him in the shoulder, but he had ended up in the chest. If the arrow had been a fraction more to the right, Tang Feng would have been dead. Zhou Ziliang didn't dare think further and carried him to the tent. Seeing that Tang Feng was barely breathing, with blood and foam rising from his mouth, he quickly called out, "Xiao Feng, don't fall asleep! Do you hear me? Xiao Feng? Xiao Feng!" But Tang Feng couldn't hear him anymore. The hand gripping Zhou Ziliang's sleeve suddenly went limp and fell heavily to the ground.