Chu Xiao looked down at the yellow amulet lying quietly in his palm. He knew that Yun Chaoxi had never worn amulets before, so it must have been specially obtained for him. Chu Xiao tucked it into his chest. "Xi'er's kindness is something I can't let down. I will definitely wear it carefully."
"Xi'er, wait here. I'll go hunt a silver fox for you and make you a cloak."
Having said that, the spirited emperor glanced back. Behind him, all those fully prepared and ready to go were loyal generals of the court and promising descendants of powerful families, each rubbing their hands together, eager to fight. Chu Xiao took the lead, whipping his horse and leading the group behind him into the forest.
Since few women participated in the hunt, Yun Chaoxi had people set up open-air seating in a spacious place, and while holding Chen'er, she chatted with many ladies and played with the child.
Somewhat absent-minded.
A lady laughed and said, "Does Your Majesty still worry about the Emperor? I heard that when the Emperor was still a prince, he always came in first place in every hunt. Even the late Emperor praised the Emperor's horsemanship and archery."
Yun Chaoxi smiled. She always felt a vague unease, hoping that Chu Xiao had truly escaped death.
Once inside the forest, everyone scattered, and how much prey they managed to hunt depended entirely on their own abilities.
Those who are timid or poor at riding and archery only dare to stay on the outer perimeter. Those who want to win first place or achieve a good ranking will choose to go to the middle of the forest, where they have a better chance of hunting larger prey such as deer and foxes. Wolves and tigers often roam the depths of the hunting grounds, so warning signs are always set up near the middle and rear of the enclosure to remind visitors of the danger and not to go any further.
When Chu Xiao was a prince, he ventured into the deepest parts of the country several times to try and win first place, and even hunted a brown bear. However, he no longer needs to take risks to stand out like he did before.
Chasing after a silver fox, Chu Xiao led Eunuch Liu and two guards on horseback to the middle of the forest. He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot it through the air, striking the fox's hind leg.
A guard dismounted, picked up the fox, and handed it to Chu Xiao.
Chu Xiao lifted the fox by its ears and looked at it. The fox protected its belly with its two front paws, making whimpering sounds, and looked at him pitifully, as if begging him to let it go.
Chu Xiao couldn't help but think of Yun Chaoxi, who also had those fox-like eyes, and when her eyes were filled with tears, she looked so pitiful that it made people's hearts soften.
"It's a pregnant female fox, take it back."
"yes."
Chu Xiao plans to find another male fox, one that is large enough to make a cloak.
The group rode westward, and as they passed through a dense forest, they heard rustling sounds coming from within.
Chu Xiao looked into the jungle and saw a patch of yellow and black striped fur flash by. The next moment, he met two tiger eyes the size of copper bells, gleaming with a fierce light.
Chu Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he raised his hand to signal the people behind him to stop.
"There's a tiger! Get out of here!"
As if it had spotted a delicious meal, the tiger leaped out of the jungle and stared intently at the four people and four horses in front of it.
The horse beneath him seemed to sense danger, taking two steps back and making a wheezing sound from its snort.
Chu Xiao didn't have time to think about how the tiger had come from the depths to the middle level. He was at the front, and the tiger with its piercing eyes and white forehead locked onto him first.
...
The weather in early September wasn't too cold yet. There was a gentle breeze in the morning, but the sun came out near noon. Gradually, some hunters who had been out hunting couldn't stand the sun and returned, with many small prey such as pheasants and rabbits hanging on the sides of their horses.
Just then, a guard rode back at breakneck speed, still catching his breath, and shouted, "It's terrible! His Majesty is in danger! We encountered a large tiger in the middle of the forest, and His Majesty is trapped and unable to escape! Quickly send someone to provide assistance!"
Yun Chaoxi suddenly stood up, her unease finally becoming a reality. She quickly said to the commander of the Imperial Guards who had been guarding the camp, "Quickly send someone to rescue the Emperor! Hurry!"
After saying that, she handed Chen'er over to the wet nurse and asked her to take good care of him. She then mounted a horse and ordered the guard from before, "Lead the way!"
She now only hopes that Chu Xiao can hold on a little longer, until the guards arrive. Even if he is seriously injured, the life-saving medicine in her space can save him.
The commander of the Imperial Guards quickly led a team of guards on horseback to catch up. They had received special training and were better at horsemanship than Yun Chaoxi. Yun Chaoxi told them to go ahead and not to wait for her.
Halfway there, a deafening roar of a tiger came from afar, as if the tiger had been provoked. Yun Chaoxi's heart jumped into her throat.
She rushed over as fast as she could and saw a group of guards in the distance wearing imperial guard armor. The inside of the armor was blocked, so she couldn't see clearly and quickly dismounted and ran over.
The guards made way for him, revealing Chu Xiao surrounded by the crowd.
"Your Majesty!" Yun Chaoxi rushed forward.
Chu Xiao looked up, paused slightly, and smiled. "What brings you here?"
"I didn't catch the fox that was going to make the cloak, but I did catch a tiger."
Chu Xiao spoke lightly, but his condition was far from good. He sat leaning against a tree trunk, while the commander of the Imperial Guards bandaged his wounds. His left arm, covered in black tight-fitting clothing, was soaked with blood, having been cut open by a dagger to reveal the gaping, raw flesh beneath.
Yun Chaoxi quickly took out a bottle of wound medicine and gave it to the commander of the Imperial Guards. She had just taken it out of her small space, and its effects were definitely better than ordinary wound medicine. "Give this to His Majesty. I brought it with me."
The commander of the Imperial Guards nodded, took the medicine, and treated the emperor's wounds.
Looking at his injuries, she felt pain for him, and tears streamed down her face. She knelt down in front of Chu Xiao and asked, "Are there any other injuries? Let me see."
As she asked this question, her eyes, brimming with tears, looked her up and down.
Chu Xiao reached out his right hand to wipe away her tears and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm fine. This little injury to my arm is nothing."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
