The prince's face was still pale from blood loss in the light of the campfire, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.
Facing his father's concerned gaze, he said without hesitation, "Father, I am fine. The Lishan Summer Sprout Ceremony is a grand ceremony for the nation and a testament to our military preparedness. How can this ceremony be interrupted because of me? The assassins have already disturbed your majesty. If I retreat, wouldn't I be showing weakness to the villains and emboldening the enemy? Please, Father, grant me permission to stay!"
He lifted his clothes and wanted to kneel down to beg for mercy.
The emperor was quick to support his arm.
After a moment of silence, he finally let out a long sigh: "Well..."
He paused, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "Announcement: Dispatch two more teams of elite Jinlin Guards to provide personal protection for the Crown Prince! Increase sentries around the enclosure. If any further mishaps occur, the officers on duty will bring their heads before me!"
The officials' books recording the number of prey were flipping through quickly.
One name climbed the list overwhelmingly.
Princess Jiaqing, Jiang Songyi.
The guards responsible for collecting and counting her prey were obviously working harder than the other teams. They ran back and forth, and the prey they dragged back became heavier and heavier.
The official's voice was filled with unconcealed surprise as he counted the animals. "County Lady Jiaqing, we've added one new musk deer, one wild boar, and one stag! The total weight exceeds that of the Third Young Master Jiang by a stone and eighteen!"
Not far away, Jiang Yihan had a gloomy face and swung his knife to cut through a bush of thorns.
He also shot down several fat roe deer, two not-so-small foxes, and a not-so-small gazelle. His record was definitely impressive, enough to put most of the noble sons present to shame.
However, no matter how fast he chased, his prey was always left behind.
The final outcome of the hunt was no surprise.
Jiang Songyi was far ahead, taking the top spot, while Jiang Yihuan came in second with a considerable gap.
Su Sheng, the son of Princess Linchuan, came in third.
What's strange is that this arrogant young man didn't have the resentment he had when he was suppressed by Jiang Yihan in the past. Instead, he had an expression of watching a good show.
In the last half day, Jiang Yihan tried his best to close the gap and followed the trail of a group of wild boars into a swamp.
Su Sheng did not compete with him, but galloped on another open hillside.
His eyes were sharp, and he suddenly raised his whip and gestured towards Jiang Songyi, who was concentrating on the bushes on the other side while putting an arrow on it. His voice was not loud, but it was clear enough to carry through: "County Lady! Behind the third dwarf locust tree on the left! Good stuff!"
Jiang Songyi turned his horse's head following the sound and shot an arrow decisively!
Arrows flew through the forest!
“Ouch!”
A short, miserable howl belonging to a large wild boar was heard.
The smile on Su Sheng's face, which seemed to be waiting for a good show, deepened.
…
Night falls.
A huge bonfire burned brightly in the center of the camp, dispelling the chill of the mountains and forests.
The fat from the barbecue dripped into the fire, making a sizzling sound, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the smell of burning wood filled the air.
The prince is at the top, and since the emperor has returned to the capital, he is the center of this place.
Because Jiang Songyi was the hunting leader, he was placed not far from the prince's lower left hand, not far from Jiang Yihan, Su Sheng and others who were also among the top few.
The warmth of the campfire and the aroma of food seemed to relax the tense atmosphere a little.
Su Sheng was turning over a branch with rabbit meat on it in his hand, and sparks were jumping on his handsome and smiling eyebrows.
He glanced at Jiang Yihan, who was silent and only focused on tearing the barbecue in his hand, with undisguised ridicule and mischief in his eyes.
"Tsk, I didn't expect that," Su Sheng raised his lips, "Mr. Jiang San, didn't you claim that you wanted to be a leader for the younger generation of Western Wei? How come you can't even control your own sister this time? Look at this meat,"
He shook the golden, greasy rabbit meat and tutted, "Is it delicious? I see that mountain of meat piled in front of the county lady. I'm afraid it'll take until next spring to eat it all. Losing so many pounds to my own sister? This taste... I'm afraid it's even more intense than chewing coptis root, right? Hmm? Am I wrong?"
These words were so harsh that several familiar noble sons nearby could not help but laugh.
Jiang Yihuan's face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
The feeling of being suppressed by Jiang Songyi and Su Sheng's mocking attitude of a villain were like adding fuel to the fire.
He fiercely chewed the piece of roe deer meat in his mouth that had been torn to pieces and had no taste. He suddenly raised his head, and his voice rose several degrees with shame and anger as if a sore spot had been touched:
"Su Sheng! Shut up! She's my biological sister! What's wrong with losing to my own sister?!"
His chest heaved violently. "This is our family affair. How can you, an outsider, get to gossip about it? Gossip girl!"
He tried to use the boundary of "outsider" to exclude Su Sheng and regain some dignity as an older brother.
However, a female voice with a lazy and undisguised tone cut in, with a deliberate sense of distance:
"Jiang Yihuan."
Jiang Songyi slowly wiped the oil stains on her fingertips with a handkerchief. Without even raising her eyelids, she looked in his direction and added in a tone that sounded like an announcement:
"Please watch your wording. How can we be considered siblings?"
The bonfire crackled.
The air was stagnant.
Everyone, including the sizzling barbecue on the campfire, the mocking look on Su Sheng's face, and Jiang Yihuan's face that instantly turned purple, froze at these words.
Jiang Songyi finally raised his eyes, his gaze like a sword edge tempered with ice.
There was even a hint of oil on the corner of her mouth from eating dried meat, but the words she spoke were cold as ice:
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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