Chapter 48: Accumulating Strength... She is asking him for another man...
Wanshou Festival, Nanyuan Hunting Ground.
The morning dew had not yet dissipated, and the forest's moisture, tinged with the bitter fragrance of pine branches, condensed into fine droplets on the tips of slender leaves. A stag lowered its head to nibble on moss, occasionally looking up, its moist nose twitching gently.
The creaking sound of the taut bowstring was drowned out by the birdsong. The cold light of the arrow pierced through the shadows of the trees. The stag's ears suddenly stood up, and the next moment the arrow pierced into its ribs. The wail in its throat was cut off by another arrow. Blood splashed on the ferns. The stag let out a low wail in its throat, and then fell heavily to its knees.
A low, dark growl came from the distance.
The knuckles tightened the bowstring again, the "crunching" sound of the bow arm under pressure became louder, and the sharp arrow moved quickly following a white flash behind the maple tree.
The panicked figure passed through the gap in the bushes. The pupils of the person behind the bowstring shrank slightly, and then he continued to gather strength to stretch the string to its full capacity, and the black arrow broke through the air.
The little lamb, who was still hesitating about where to run, shook his ears which were numb from the shock, bleated, and jumped into the dense forest.
The Eighth Prince noticed the distraction of the people around him and joked, "That's not like you." He glanced at the prey captured behind Shen Changfeng and nodded with satisfaction, "But today's harvest is quite good. Remember to say a few good words when you receive the reward later. Maybe the emperor will be so happy that he will release you. The emperor always says that we should give young people more opportunities..."
Shen Changfeng picked up the stag and responded casually.
The Emperor had specifically requested the Eighth Prince to accompany him on this winter hunt. The Eighth Prince was in a very good mood and spoke more frequently than usual. "It's said that my aunt has a good memory. After drifting at sea for several days, she still remembered the date and chose a good time for you."
Li Jieyi gave birth to Shen Changfeng on a boat. It's said that there wasn't even a midwife nearby, and the boat was caught in a terrible storm. The boat was tossed around in circles, unable to find a way out. Amidst the oppressive and desperate atmosphere, a fierce conflict erupted among the crew over who was controlling the boat. After giving birth, Li Jieyi didn't even have time to see if it was a boy or a girl. She handed the baby, whose umbilical cord had still been cut, to her assistant, who was frightened and crying from the birth. She rushed to the wheelhouse, killed the ringleader with a knife, and reassured everyone with a single sentence, "I will take you back."
In fact, even if she said nothing, the moment they saw her, everyone's hearts were at peace. She was strength itself.
It was just that Li Jieyi had a difficult delivery at the time, and everyone thought she wouldn't make it, which caused her to panic.
Coincidentally, Shen Changfeng's birthday fell on the same day as the current emperor's. Emperor Qinglong had always been particularly fond of this nephew, and when the Eighth Prince exaggerated, claiming Shen Changfeng had turned over a new leaf and reformed his past, and remarked on how hard his life was in the palace, the emperor softened his heart and granted him permission to go out for some fresh air.
The Eighth Prince wanted to explain a few more words, but he noticed from the corner of his eye that Shen Changfeng hadn't followed him. He followed his gaze and squinted his eyes to recognize him for a moment: "It's the young master of the Li family. You haven't seen him before, right?"
There were several willow branches standing on the ice surface of the small enclosure. Behind the spring rope stood several half-grown children, all holding a black bow. The boy on the outermost side was about five or six years old, with red lips and white teeth, but he was a little thin, and the arm holding the bow was shaking. The arrow fell to the ground less than fifteen steps away from the string, and was still halfway to the target.
The young man tried several times, each time getting worse and worse. He wished he could find a way to get in. Gradually, he could no longer tell whether the people around him were being kind or just teasing him. He felt embarrassed and anxious, and looked like he was about to cry. At this time, a supervising archer in a green robe approached, raised his red lacquer bow, and strung it with gold wire, as if to demonstrate to the young man.
The Eighth Prince couldn't help but sigh, "Back then, the Li family produced five generals in three generations, and even General Li's wife was a top-notch female hero. Who would have thought that after three generations, the younger generation of the Li family couldn't even use a bow?"
"The Li family's main line has been completely cut off, and the side branches will never be able to achieve anything significant."
The Eighth Prince was slightly startled. He did not expect him to continue the conversation. He thought to himself: Shen Changfeng has always been quite dissatisfied with Li Jieyi's persistent search over the years. Could it be that the knot between these two people is about to be resolved?
In fact, the Eighth Prince was really overthinking it. The reason why Shen Changfeng responded was because all his attention was on the archery officer. He didn't even realize that they were talking about a sensitive topic, and he just responded subconsciously.
The Eighth Prince sighed, "That's right. After that bloody incident, the Lady Dowager of the Li family forbade any of her descendants from practicing martial arts... Alas, these days, my father has been reminiscing about the past. Whenever he thinks of those close ministers who were falsely accused and exiled, he can't help but shed tears. That's why he brought the young master of the Li family to the palace..."
"It seems to be called..." The attendant beside him reminded him, and the Eighth Prince continued, "Li Zhengan, who just inherited his father's title."
The paddock was the most exciting part. The Eighth Prince couldn't help but take a second look. Li Zheng'an, who had been coached by someone, fired another arrow, and his accuracy was indeed much better. The Eighth Prince sighed, "I didn't expect that he, who looks so gentle, is also a master of horseback archery."
Seeing no response from the people around him, the Eighth Prince turned around and looked, but there was no sign of Shen Changfeng. Although he was a little confused, he felt that Shen Changfeng had just gotten into trouble and should be careful about his reputation. After all, what kind of outrageous thing could he do under the nose of the emperor?
If the Eighth Prince knew that Shen Changfeng would end up in disgrace after leaving, he would definitely try every means to stop him from going to that enclosure.
On the hawk-drying platform, cheers thundered. Dozens of horses galloped past along the bridleways surrounding the platform, filling the air with yellow sand. A minor official held his breath, checking arrows. The ground rumbled again, sending a cloud of gravel billowing in his face. The official coughed profusely, choking. Rubbing his tears, he looked up to see several tall, majestic horses roaring towards him. He stood beside the bridleway, his face pale with fear, turning to flee. Far from slowing or yielding, the riders' shouts grew louder and more brazen. The laughter frightened the official, his legs weakening, and he fell to the ground, tumbling and tumbling, unable to rise. As the iron hooves approached, two hands, one on each side, grasped his arms and quickly lifted him off the bridleway like a chicken.
The petty official was still in shock, staring at the cavalry galloping away. Then, he came to his senses and was filled with indignation. Just as he was about to curse, a soft, large hand slapped him on the shoulder: "Brother, a good man never suffers a loss in front of him."
The clerk then remembered to thank his two classmates, "Brother Zhou Er, Chu Qi, thank goodness you guys are here. They were such a bully!"
Zhou Liangnian covered his mouth and nose, pointed at the sky and said, "It's time for the end of the shift. Let's go to the bathhouse and wash off the bad luck. Let's go on Chuqi as well and ask him to rub our backs. You've never had a back rubbed by a scholar, right? Me neither, hehe..."
Before he could finish his words, he heard the sudden, thunderous clatter of horses' hooves, which gradually intensified as they left and returned. As they drew closer, the horses, as if receiving some command, scattered in all directions, surrounding the three of them in a flanking formation.
Those young men in their arrow-sleeved silk robes appeared to be strolling leisurely, but in reality they were weaving back and forth, not allowing anyone to pass through. They observed the reactions of the people below, looking down on them like they were teasing a cat or a dog, and teasing, "I heard this archery officer is a skilled archer."
Another person replied, "That's why they put it in the small enclosure for young children!"
There was a sudden burst of laughter on the horse trail.
A young man of fifteen or sixteen rode forward, set his eyes on the red lacquer bow on Chuqi's back, and reached out to pull it: "Could this be something a child uses for acting?"
Unexpectedly, Chuqi seemed to have eyes on his back and dodged to the side. The young man was caught off guard and was almost pulled off the horse by the force. A big hand at the side grabbed his collar and threw him back onto the horse.
"My brother can't speak, so please don't take it to heart. The archery inspector chosen by Your Majesty is naturally a man of both civil and military talents. How could he be just a figurehead? Don't you agree?"
Soon someone started to encourage him: "Sir, please show us your skills!"
Someone else said to his companion, "You weren't just talking nonsense, saying that the shooting officers' assistants were all weak and ignorant of the scoring rules. Now's your chance to convince them."
"Please, sir!"
Zhou Liangnian recognized that all the people here were children of wealthy families, and each of them was a top-notch gangster. He thought to himself: I definitely shouldn't agree to this competition. If I do, I will definitely be in endless trouble.
Since ancient times, the distinction between civil and military officials has been clear, and the two factions have always been at odds with each other. However, the scale of this winter hunt was so grand that many officials were temporarily assigned to the Nanyuan to assist in miscellaneous tasks, including newly minted Jinshi scholars who were learning practical skills from their superiors. Although ordinary civil officials generally did not directly serve as archery supervisors to avoid conflicts with military officials, but instead assisted the head of the Ministry of War in checking targets and copying the rules to avoid overstepping their authority, this measure still attracted considerable criticism.
Those with keen senses sensed the deeper meaning behind the Wei Emperor's actions. Previously, the Emperor prioritized both civil and military scholarship, but in recent years, with the introduction of special examinations and the transfer of newly minted Jinshi candidates to practical work, there seemed to be a tendency to prioritize civil over military scholarship. Consequently, tensions between the two factions grew even stronger.
Most of the participants in the winter hunt were the sons of nobles and marquises. They were proud and arrogant, and already disliked these weak civil officials, let alone asking them to judge them. Zhou Liangnian knew these people would not take the children of humble families seriously, and he also knew that these scoundrels had been pent up all day and had nowhere to vent their anger. He had a headache, and he glanced at the crowd, his heart fluttering with anxiety: Where is Old Lu? Come and save him!
Zhou Liangnian was just about to say a few words to smooth things over and buy time when he heard the person next to him casually say "OK". His eyes suddenly widened: He didn't respond so quickly when he was asked to go to the bathhouse just now!
Chuqi walked across the crowd and met a pair of eyes as deep as a cold pool.
Shen Changfeng was wearing a robe with sable edges and gold weaving. He sat upright on horseback, playing with a green jade-handled whip. The small gilded heater beside the stirrup swayed slightly with the bumps. He had a leisurely smile on his face, and seemed to be completely unconcerned about the movement here. He looked like an idle young man who stayed out of the matter. However, his eyes were so cold that they were captivating. The look he gave Chuqi was as sharp as a blade, like a hungry beast sizing up the prey it had been eyeing for a long time, wishing to tear it apart and chew it raw, which was chilling.
The spectators on the martial arts stage were making their way out when they suddenly saw a crowd of people rushing in, shouting and yelling. Among them was a man dressed in a green robe, his demeanor gentle and pure as jade, his expression awe-inspiring and clear as water. Many recognized the man holding the bow as the newly-minted third-place scholar. Curious, they stopped and whispered, "Are they going to shoot a willow? They're going in the wrong direction, too."
Standing shooting at the willow is an archery activity held every winter hunting season. Newly broken willow branches are hung high on a wooden frame, and square-holed coins are tied to the forks of the branches. The archer stands behind the spring rope and wins by shooting the willow branches and making the coins fall to the ground.
Three heights of archery willows were set up for this event. The first was the Longmen Willow, which was nine feet high and was specially used for martial arts competitions. The second was the Tanhua Willow, which was for scholars to practice with, and the last was the Zhizi Willow for children to practice with.
Chuqi went straight past the first two targets and stopped in front of Longmen Willow. He stood sideways, drew his arrow with his backhand, pulled the string, and fully drew the bow. Three white-feathered arrows flew into the air. The willow branches did not tremble, but the square-holed coin suddenly disappeared.
The crowd erupted in excitement: "Three Stars Piercing the Willow!"
Zhou Liangnian's worries vanished, replaced by a bright glow on his face. He had once asked Chuqi how his archery skills were going, and Chuqi had replied that they were just fine. He had taken it for granted, and it was truly just fine. It was truly just fine! There were probably only a few people who could hit three arrows in a row and mastered the "lice-piercing technique" since the beginning of the dynasty!
The people on the martial arts stage were still searching for seats when they heard thunderous cheers. Realizing they'd missed something exciting, they looked around, "What's going on? What's going on?" Then they saw a nimble, fat man holding aloft three arrowheads embedded in square holes made from copper coins. His grin was almost splitting, his face a look that said, "See? That's my brother! Isn't he awesome?"
Those noble sons had been humiliated elsewhere, and seeing Chu Qi, a woman-like beauty, they'd assumed he was weak and frail, hoping to vent their frustrations on him. Instead, they'd let him become a powerful force. Besides, even if they put all their efforts into it, they wouldn't necessarily be able to shoot a three-star willow. Several of them glanced at the people nearby, offering pleading glances. They knew there was someone who could definitely do it, someone who could defeat Chu Qi completely.
Everyone had an idea in mind: "Your Excellency is indeed skilled, but this standing archery is ultimately a dead target. Do you dare to compete with us in horseback archery?"
Chu Qi didn't say either yes or no. He looked in a certain direction and said, "I've heard that the Crown Prince is unparalleled in horseback archery, and has won first place in all competitions, big or small. If I can beat the Crown Prince in horseback archery, can I ask for a reward from him?"
The crowd erupted in an uproar. What a boast! What audacity! Was he taking the initiative, challenging the other? When had there ever been a feud between these two? What was the underlying story? For a moment, the crowd erupted in a clamor.
With a muffled thud, deerskin boots crushed the clamor of the hawk-drying platform. Step by step, the nearby Qinghai horses seemed to be troubled by the heavy footsteps. They stamped their hooves nervously, tossed their heads from side to side, and huffed and puffed. The noble sons of the nobles put away their playful expressions and formed a path, standing with their hands down and expressions serene, to greet the newcomer.
Before Shen Changfeng could speak, a figure hurriedly squeezed into the crowd and shouted from a distance: "You can't compete!"
Lin Meizhu took two steps at a time and came between the two of them. It seemed that she had walked too fast and for too long. The hair on her temples was already wet, and the hot air she exhaled formed white mist when she spoke: "The prince has been practicing martial arts since he was young and is proficient in riding and shooting. The result of this competition is obvious. Winning will make people question it and make people think it is an unfair victory. This competition is meaningless..." As she spoke, she took the initiative to hold Shen Changfeng's hand and gently pulled him back, but she couldn't pull him away.
These words were clearly meant to praise him and were for his own good, but she protected Chu Qi behind her, speaking without pause and in a hurry, her eyes full of unconcealable worry, her raven-black eyelashes even a little wet, revealing an emotion that was very unfamiliar to him... Surrender, or compromise. This was the first time Shen Changfeng saw compromise in her eyes. She was compromising with him for Chu Qi.
Shen Changfeng laughed. It was a strange laugh, hard to understand, even with a hint of crazy paranoia. He stared at Chu Qi and spoke word by word, "It's just horseback archery. No one will die, right?"
Lin Meizhu's heart sank to the bottom of the valley. She still wanted to persuade them, but many people in the crowd just wanted to watch the fun and called for people to distribute horses.
Amidst the wave after wave of drumming, Lin Meizhu's voice seemed unusually small and weak: "Stop competing, let's go back, Prince, I beg you, let's go back..."
Chu Qi looked at her slender and thin back, and saw her pleading look, with a bitter taste on his tongue, "Since the prince has accepted the invitation, please keep your promise when the time comes."
Someone asked, "What treasure do you want as a reward?"
Chuqi replied: "I just want a signature."
The divorce letter was missing a signature.
Lin Meiju was completely stunned.
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