Chapter 82 Hunting in Danger
Yan Shixu glanced at the two boxes, wondering, "What are these?"
Yan Shicheng kept it a secret: "Royal brother, open it and see for yourself."
Yan Shixu casually opened the box on his left hand, and when he saw what was inside, his brows raised slightly.
"The only copy of this by the great calligrapher Wang Gongquan of the previous dynasty?"
Yan Shicheng nodded: "I know that my brother likes it, so I found it specially."
As he said that, he asked Yan Shixu to open another pear wood box.
A piece of ink lies quietly inside, with a fine texture, a black luster, and a rich aroma.
This is a piece of Hui ink, known as the "best ink", and is famous for its durability.
Yan Shixu looked at these two things and immediately understood.
Yan Shicheng specially found this gift as a thank you gift for not pursuing Yang Guifei last time.
He laughed and said, "Third brother is thoughtful."
In fact, Yan Shixu quite likes his third brother. He is simple and honest, without many twists and turns.
Sometimes he wondered how Yang Guifei, who was so shrewd and restless, could raise such a son.
Yan Shixu ordered Yongtai to keep these two things away.
Then, he turned to Yan Shicheng and asked, "I have an appointment with Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang to go horse racing and hunting outside the city today. Do you want to come with us?"
The royal hunting ground outside Beijing was built by the emperor's grandfather.
My father had no interest in hunting at all, but after Yan Shixu taught himself riding and shooting, he often went there.
When Yan Shicheng heard about hunting two, his eyes lit up instantly.
When he learned horse riding and archery, he almost always did so in the training ground in the palace.
He also wanted to go hunting, but because of his mother's pressure, he never went once!
Thinking of his mother, the light in Yan Shicheng's eyes gradually faded.
"Or... I still won't go..."
If his mother knew that he went to the hunting ground with his brother, she would definitely blame him.
Yan Shixu nodded: "Okay, when you want to go there one day, I will accompany you. There are ferocious beasts there all year round, so remember not to go alone."
Hearing that there was a ferocious beast in the hunting ground, Yan Shicheng's heart instantly began to jump with joy again.
He has never seen what a living ferocious beast looks like!
Seeing Yan Shixu was about to leave, he hurriedly followed him.
"Brother, wait for me..."
Yan Shixu raised his eyebrows and looked at him. Wasn't he afraid of being punished by Yang Guifei?
Yan Shicheng scratched his head. He could have fun first and then come back to be punished.
The two of them arrived at the palace gate together. Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang had been waiting for a long time.
They were quite surprised to see the third prince coming along.
Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang were Yan Shixu's study companions in his early years. Later, one of them studied literature and the other studied martial arts.
The three of them have always had a good relationship.
Su Muyang leaned close to Yan Shixu's ear and whispered, "Why did you bring this kid with you? Won't you have to take care of him when the time comes?"
Although he lowered his voice deliberately, everyone was close enough to hear his words clearly.
Seeing that Su Muyang didn't give the Third Prince any face at all, Luo Yunzhen's mouth twitched slightly and he silently turned his eyes away.
Yan Shicheng blushed and emphasized loudly: "I don't need you to take care of me, I can take care of myself!"
Yan Shixu glanced at the two of them and ordered the eunuch to bring another horse over.
The four of them left the palace and went to the outskirts of the city.
Now that the weather has warmed up a little, many small animals have come out to look for food, and they all became prey to Yan Shixu and his companions.
However, no ferocious animals like tigers or black bears were seen.
Yan Shicheng came here to hunt ferocious beasts, and he walked into the depths of the forest with some anxiety.
Yan Shixu was a little worried, so he hurriedly followed him in.
Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang naturally couldn't let the two of them in, so they hurried to follow.
Yan Shicheng was walking in front. He was so focused on hunting a ferocious beast that he didn't notice that there were dark shadows floating in the dense branches and leaves on both sides.
Yan Shixu's intuition had always been sharp. He noticed something strange around him and immediately pulled the reins of his horse, shouting in a low voice, "Third brother, stop!"
Yan Shicheng was rushing forward with great interest, but when he heard Yan Shixu's voice, he subconsciously pulled his horse back.
He turned around and asked in confusion, "Brother Huang, what's wrong?"
Yan Shixu did not answer, his eyes scanning the surrounding dense forest like a hawk.
Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang also noticed something was wrong and quickly rode their horses closer, protecting Yan Shixu and Yan Shicheng on both sides.
"Your Highness, there is an ambush." Luo Yunzhen said in a low voice, his hand already on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Su Muyang narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on the shadows of the trees in the distance, and whispered, "About fifty people."
Only then did Yan Shicheng realize the seriousness of the matter, and his face instantly became tense.
Although he liked riding and shooting, he had never experienced the danger of being assassinated, and he couldn't help feeling a little panicked at this moment.
"Royal brother, what should we do?"
Yan Shixu remained calm and soothed him in a low voice, "Don't panic, just follow me. Yun Zhen, Mu Yang, you guys stay behind while we slowly retreat."
The four of them slowly turned their horses around and prepared to return the same way.
However, just as they turned around, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded from the dense forest.
Immediately afterwards, more than fifty men in black rushed out from all directions, holding sharp blades and rushing towards them.
"You dare to assassinate His Highness? You're seeking death!" Luo Yunzhen shouted and drew his sword to meet the enemy.
Su Muyang also quickly drew out his sword and protected Yan Shixu and Yan Shicheng.
Yan Shixu grabbed Yan Shicheng's horse reins with one hand and drew his sword with the other, saying, "Third brother, follow closely behind me."
Although Yan Shicheng was nervous, he knew that he couldn't fall behind at this moment.
He followed Yan Shixu closely, with the bow in his hand fully drawn, ready to shoot at any time.
The attack of the men in black was extremely fierce.
Although Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang were highly skilled in martial arts, they found it difficult to escape from the fifty or so assassins.
Yan Shixu waved his sword to resist while looking for an opportunity to break out.
"Retreat to the east!" Yan Shixu ordered.
The four of them quickly broke out to the east. In a panic, Yan Shicheng shot an arrow, hitting a man in black in the shoulder.
The man groaned and fell to the ground.
Yan Shicheng was delighted, but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, another man in black approached and swung his knife at his face.
Yan Shixu was quick-witted and quick-handed. He deflected the blade of the man in black with one sword and kicked the man away.
Yan Shicheng was still frightened and followed Yan Shixu closely, not daring to be careless at all.
The long swords in the hands of Yan Shixu, Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang flew, breaking through the encirclement and rushing out of the encirclement of the men in black.
The four men galloped on horseback, with the men in black chasing them closely.
Just as they rushed down the mountain, Zhang Sicheng led a hundred or so East Palace guards to charge towards them.
The situation quickly reversed, and the men in black retreated when they saw the situation was not good.
But the East Palace guards had already surrounded them and quickly captured all the remaining men in black.
Yan Shixu dismounted and walked up to a captured man in black, looking thoughtful.
It was his sudden decision today to invite Luo Yunzhen and Su Muyang to go hunting.
But these men in black came so quickly and set up an ambush in advance.
It only means that there is a secret spy in the Eastern Palace, right in his Yuqing Palace.
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