The next day, Eunuch Fu, who was by Xiao Teng's side, directly announced the rules of the hunt.
All participants can form their own groups, and the total amount of prey is distributed per person. The three groups with the most prey will each receive a reward from the emperor.
"The third place winner will receive five jade artifacts, the second place winner will receive ten thousand taels of gold, and the first place winner will receive the Imperial Sword and the Benevolent Sword," Eunuch Fu announced as Xiao Teng listed the rewards.
After he finished his announcement, the ministers present were all excited. This time, the emperor had really gone all out to save face, and the first place winner was actually awarded the imperial sword Rende Sword.
It should be known that this imperial sword represents the emperor's existence. If any prince were to obtain this benevolent sword, it would prove his strength and greatly assist him in his struggle for the throne.
The Third Prince was visibly excited; this was a golden opportunity for him. Xiao Mu, however, didn't look so pleased. Though his face darkened, he managed to control his emotions. If he could obtain it, wouldn't that mean the Third Prince's fate was sealed?
Thinking of this, Xiao Mu's expression softened considerably.
The two princes quickly gathered their troops, and at this point it became clear which forces supported which prince.
"Brilliant!" Nan Wusi thought to himself, then glanced at Wu Qingzi beside him and asked, "What are your plans?"
Wu Qingzi looked displeased but helpless, and muttered, "I'll stay with my brother."
“Okay.” Nan Wusi didn’t say much. She knew that Wu Qingzi’s family supported the Third Prince, which was something she couldn’t change.
Just as Nan Wusi was about to pull Nan Wuyu to find Xiao Yi, they discovered that the Seventh Prince Xiao Heng was walking towards them.
"Greetings, Seventh Prince." Nan Wusi and his sister bowed to Xiao Heng.
"Please, no need for formalities." Xiao Heng smiled and looked at Nan Wusi, saying, "Miss Nan, I've come to seek refuge with you, so please don't be so polite."
"The Seventh Prince wants to join our team?" Nan Wusi was momentarily stunned. Xiao Heng had never had any connection with their family before, so why would he choose to join them now?
“I have admired Miss Nan’s talent several times, so if you don’t mind that I’m a burden to you, please let me join you,” Xiao Heng said sincerely.
Nan Wusi and Nan Wuyu exchanged a glance, and Nan Wuyu nodded slightly, so Nan Wusi agreed.
"However, Seventh Prince, my brother and I are now going to find Prince Yi. I wonder if you mind?" Nan Wu thought that if Xiao Heng minded that Xiao Yi was blind, she would definitely abandon him.
"So you're looking for your royal uncle. I don't mind at all," Xiao Heng said with a good-natured smile.
"Alright, let's go." Nan Wusi led the way and walked in Xiao Yi's direction.
"Your Highness Prince Yi, would you like to join us?" Nan Wusi asked Xiao Yi with a smile.
"If Miss Nan is willing to take in this burden, I will naturally be willing to join you." Xiao Yi smiled slightly at Nan Wusi, who was actually inviting him in public.
Then their group entered the hunting grounds.
The first to enter were the people from Bei Huan, since they wouldn't team up with anyone else. Crown Prince Xiao Mu and Third Prince Xiao Jing had also entered the hunting grounds long ago, leaving only Lai Nan Wu Si's team, which had just been formed.
However, they weren't in a hurry at all, since first place didn't hold much appeal for them.
Of course, Crown Prince Xiao Mu and Third Prince Xiao Jing were in a frenzy at this time. Whenever they saw prey, a group of them would rush up to hunt it down, like locusts passing through, leaving nothing behind in their wake.
Since Nan Wusi and his group arrived later, they naturally suffered a lot. However, fortunately, the hunting ground was quite large, so they were able to catch some prey by randomly choosing a direction.
"Should we stay on the outskirts or go deeper?" Nan Wusi asked Xiao Yi. Although she was very envious of the second-place reward, she also knew that if they wanted to compete with the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, they were not good enough.
Moreover, there are several people among them who are not very strong, so she is the only one who can fight.
Although Xiao Yi was highly skilled in martial arts, he couldn't show it off, so he could only be considered a decoration.
"Miss Nan, would you like to win the prize?" Xiao Yi didn't answer directly, but asked instead.
"Of course I wanted it, but I really wanted the second-place prize," Nan Wusi chuckled, looking every bit the money-grubber.
"Haha, Miss Nan's business is so big, yet she still has such a fondness for gold and silver." Seventh Prince Xiao Heng laughed heartily upon hearing this, never expecting the Third Miss of the General's Mansion to be so genuine.
"Seventh Prince, you don't know this, although my business seems to be doing very well now and I've made a lot of money, my investment is also huge, so I'm actually not making any money at all," Nan Wusi said seriously.
"I see. I've always heard Jingxue mention Miss Nan, but I've never had the chance to meet her. Today, I'm fortunate to be on the same team as her, and I feel that Miss Nan is indeed as wonderful as Jingxue described," Xiao Heng praised.
"Seventh Prince, you flatter me. I am but an ordinary person." Nan Wusi smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
"If you want the prize, then head deeper into the hunting grounds," Xiao Yi said at the opportune moment.
"But with just a few of us, will we encounter any danger once we go in?" Nan Wusi had never been to the hunting grounds before, so he wasn't sure.
"Don't worry, there's no danger. The wild animals in the hunting grounds have all been selected, and there won't be any large beasts." Xiao Heng was quite clear about this, after all, although he didn't have much of a presence, he had participated in the hunting every year.
“In previous years there might not have been much danger, but this year it might be different,” Xiao Yi said calmly from the side. “But you don’t need to worry, with your strength, most ferocious beasts can’t hurt you.”
"Alright then, let's keep going." Nan Wusi finally decided to go further in. She figured these beasts shouldn't pose too much of a threat, and with her strength, she should be able to protect her second brother.
As they walked further in, they continued hunting, and the amount of prey in their hands visibly increased. Now, the men were all carrying various kinds of game.
As they ventured deeper into the area, they suddenly heard sounds of fighting and killing.
"Don't move, something seems to have happened up ahead." Nan Wusi cautiously stared ahead, listening carefully to the sounds.
"Xuan Li, go up and check, be careful," Xiao Yi instructed.
"Yes, Your Highness." Xuan Li replied and then used his light-footed skill to run forward, while the rest of the people patiently waited for news.
Fifteen minutes later, Xuan Li returned.
"Your Highness, the Third Prince is under attack ahead. His men are fighting back fiercely, and the situation is not optimistic."
“The attackers were all dressed in black and masked, so it’s impossible to tell which side they were from,” Xuan Li said.
"Should we save him or not?" Nan Wusi asked, looking at Xiao Yi who was deep in thought. She was inclined to save him, after all, she didn't want the Third Prince to die so early, as it would be very disadvantageous for her to deal with Xiao Mu.
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