Chapter 53 The Startled Horse Incident
In the Mulan Hunting Grounds, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the banners flutter in the wind.
The grand spring hunt was in full swing, and the Emperor himself was present. Crown Prince Xiao Jingzhan, dressed in a black, sturdy outfit, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, accompanying the Emperor and high-ranking officials of the imperial clan to watch the horse archery competition. He slightly raised his phoenix eyes, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the stands not far away—Su Jingyu was attending to the Empress, wearing a soft silver silk dress in a smoky hue, over which was a moon-white brocade cloak embroidered with magnolia branches, making her skin appear as white as snow.
Her pregnancy accentuated her delicate, slender figure. Her dark hair was loosely styled in a low bun, adorned only with a single white jade hairpin featuring twin lotus blossoms and a few fresh pink crabapple blossoms, making her exquisitely beautiful. Sunlight bathed her in a soft glow, her eyes gentle and tender as she smiled and played with the toddler Yu'er. Occasionally, she would glance up at the scene, her gaze captivating Xiao Jingzhan's entire heart.
He felt a surge of excitement, planning to hunt down the most beautiful white fox later to make her a collar.
As if sensing his gaze, Su Jingyu suddenly looked up and accurately caught his eyes. She was slightly taken aback, then a very faint smile appeared on her lips. She quietly raised her hand and half-covered her face with the wide sleeve of her cloak, revealing only a pair of watery eyes. She blinked at him very quickly, then lowered her head as if nothing had happened, as if the mischievous little action had never occurred.
Xiao Jingzhan's heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped his cup. His Yu'er, usually so charming and gentle in private, was always quiet and demure in such situations. She had never before secretly exchanged glances with him in such public. An indescribable tingling and burning sensation instantly swept through his body. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he almost wanted to leave his seat on the spot to grab that unsuspecting little thing and give her a good "lesson." He forced himself to look away, but the corners of his lips couldn't help but curve into a smile, and he felt as if the sunlight today had become even brighter.
The change happened in an instant.
Suddenly, from one side of the stands, came the mournful neighing of horses and the terrified screams of the crowd!
Xiao Jingzhan's heart sank, and he abruptly turned his head—only to see a chestnut horse that had inexplicably gone mad, rearing up and charging wildly toward the stands! And that direction was none other than where Su Jingyu was! She seemed stunned by this sudden turn of events, frozen in place, her smoky-colored skirt trembling slightly like the wings of a startled butterfly, while Yu'er was being held by his wet nurse a short distance away!
"Yu'er—!!!" Xiao Jingzhan's eyes were bloodshot as he let out a heart-wrenching roar and shot out like lightning! He threw all the etiquette between ruler and subject, all the emperor in front of him, to the back of his mind! In his eyes was only that smoky figure about to be trampled by the mad horse!
At the critical moment, Xiao Jingzhan rushed forward, grabbed Su Jingyu's slender waist with one hand and pulled her away, while the other hand, imbued with his inner strength, slammed into the side of the mad horse's neck! The horse, in pain, neighed miserably and swayed to one side before crashing to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
He held Su Jingyu tightly in his arms. The shock and shock made her vision go black and she fainted. Her face was as pale as paper, her long eyelashes were tightly closed, and she looked like a fragile glass doll.
"Yu'er! Yu'er!" Xiao Jingzhan held her in his arms, his hands feeling her icy coldness. Looking at her pale face and tightly closed eyes, it felt as if a giant hand was squeezing his heart, the pain almost suffocating him! His trembling fingers checked her breath, feeling her weak but steady breathing. He then carefully touched her slightly protruding belly, confirming there were no signs of impact. Only then did his heart, which had been in his throat, ease slightly, but what surged up afterward was a surge of overwhelming anger and lingering fear!
"Summon the imperial physician! Quickly!!!" he roared, his voice trembling without him even realizing it. Lu Shen and the others had already rushed up to control the scene, protecting the still-shaken Yu'er and the wet nurse.
The crowd had rushed over and were all horrified by the sight. "Zhan'er! How is Lady Su?" the Emperor asked urgently.
"Father, Yu'er has fainted from fright, which may have affected the pregnancy. She needs immediate medical attention!" Xiao Jingzhan picked up Su Jingyu, his gaze sweeping across the chaotic scene and the dead horse like an icy blade. Finally, his eyes lingered for a moment on the face of the Crown Princess Li, whose face was slightly pale, and his eyes revealed murderous intent.
But he forced himself to calm down. At this moment, the most important thing was Yu'er's safety, and... to find the mastermind behind it all!
He took a deep breath, gently placed Su Jingyu on the chair, and carefully handed her over to the imperial physician and trusted palace maid who had rushed over.
When he turned to face the emperor, the shock and anger on his face had turned into a cold, murderous glint. He knelt on one knee, his voice deep and cold as iron:
"Father! During the Spring Hunting Ceremony, the imperial horse went berserk before the Emperor, charging straight towards the stands. This is no accident; it must be a deliberate act of sabotage! If the horse is frightened today, who knows if it won't frighten the Emperor tomorrow? Such a madman is vicious and ruthless. To target the imperial horse, he must have other plans at the hunting grounds! Your Majesty, I implore you to immediately seal off the hunting grounds and forbid anyone from leaving! All personnel, horses, and belongings must be thoroughly investigated to find the mastermind behind this, eliminate the hidden danger, and reassure Your Majesty and stabilize public sentiment!"
These words are reasonable, well-founded, and dignified.
It not only highlighted the seriousness of the incident—that it might threaten the emperor—but also provided ample justification: to investigate other potential threats, elevating the necessity of sealing off the hunting grounds to the level of safeguarding imperial power, leaving no room for argument.
The emperor's face was ashen, his eyes blazing with fury. The safety of the emperor was of paramount importance! "Granted! General Zhou, Lu Chen, listen to my command! As the crown prince said, immediately seal off the hunting grounds and conduct a thorough investigation! Arrest anyone suspicious!"
"Your subject obeys the decree!" General Zhou, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and Lu Chen, a confidant of the Crown Prince, solemnly accepted the order.
Xiao Jingzhan rose, his gaze sweeping coldly over the various expressions of the imperial relatives and court officials. He added, "To avoid alarming everyone, we'll use the excuse that 'a wild beast has entered the hunting grounds, disturbing Your Majesty's presence, and a thorough investigation is needed to ensure safety' to appease the public. General Zhou is in charge of the outer perimeter cordon and personnel screening. Lu Chen, you lead the Eastern Palace Guards, focusing on investigating that mad horse, the horse handlers involved, and... anyone who unusually approached the stands today! Remember, be quick, be accurate, and leave no room for error." He emphasized the last four words heavily.
Lu Chen understood immediately: "Understood!" This "watertight" approach was meant to take this opportunity to identify and eliminate any other potential threats!
Inside the tent, Su Jingyu slowly woke up.
Her shoulders and back ached slightly, and her lower abdomen felt a bit heavy, but what terrified her most was the terrifying scene before she lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she saw the familiar canopy ceiling, and... Xiao Jingzhan, who was standing guard by the bed, his face pale, his phoenix eyes bloodshot, and his sleeves stained with blood.
"Your Highness!" Her heart tightened, and she struggled to sit up. "You're injured?!" She saw the glaring bloodstains on his sleeve.
"Don't move!" Xiao Jingzhan quickly pressed her down, his voice hoarse. "I'm fine, I'm not injured. The imperial physician said you were too frightened and it affected the pregnancy; you need to rest. How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?" He held her hand; his fingertips were icy cold.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com