Chapter 13: Frightened Horses, the Prince in Danger
On the forest path deep within the enclosure, the autumn sun filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The steady, powerful sound of horse hooves crushing fallen leaves, accompanied by the occasional clink of the sword at Xiao Jin's waist, was particularly clear in the silent forest.
He rode his black steed, his figure erect as a pine tree, a corner of his dark riding coat lifted by the wind, revealing his lean waistline beneath. He had just shot an arrow at a distant stag, and while the guards were busy preparing the prey, he, along with two personal guards, ventured deeper into the forest. The autumn hunt was a showcase for archery and horsemanship, and as Prince Duan, he naturally didn't want to be left behind.
"Your Highness, the Cliff of Broken Souls is just ahead. The road ahead will be dangerous," the guard on the left whispered, his eyes scanning the surrounding dense forest vigilantly. "Wild beasts often roam in this forest. Should we turn back?"
Xiao Jin raised his hand to rein in the reins. The black stallion snorted and pawed the ground lightly with its front hooves. He looked up into the depths of the dense forest. The branches and leaves were thick, and he could faintly hear birds singing in the distance, but he didn't notice anything unusual. "It's okay, let's go a little further." His voice was flat, but it carried unquestionable majesty. "This enclosure is the royal hunting ground. It has been cleared long ago. How could there be so many wild animals?"
The guards didn't dare to persuade him anymore and could only follow him and continue forward.
But no one noticed. The black horse's ears twitched subtly, the breath from its nostrils gradually became more rapid, and the horse's eyes faintly glowed an abnormal red. Just now, when passing a bush, it seemed to be startled by something, but the movement was so subtle that even the guards who tended the horses all year round didn't notice.
Xiao Jin was still concentrating on observing the prey's tracks, his fingers unconsciously stroking the reins. Suddenly, the black stallion raised its front hooves, let out a sharp neigh, and began to gallop forward uncontrollably!
"Your Highness!" The guards cried out in surprise and hurriedly spurred their horses to chase after him, but the black horse ran too fast and left them behind in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Jin's face suddenly changed. He gripped the reins tightly, his arm muscles tense and his knuckles white. "Evil beast! Stop!" He growled, nearly snapping the reins. But the black horse seemed to have completely lost its mind, charging forward like crazy, its hooves sending stones flying and leaves scattering.
He quickly realized something was amiss—he'd ridden this horse for three years, and it was usually docile and steady, but he'd never seen it act this frantic. Its eyes were a frightening red, and its ears were glued to its back. It was clearly irritated by something, or perhaps... tampered with!
"Someone's tampering with the horse!" Xiao Jin's heart sank, his eyes sweeping sharply through the surrounding dense forest. But at this moment, the black horse was carrying him towards the Cliff of Broken Souls. There was only a low guardrail at the edge of the cliff. If he rushed over, the consequences would be disastrous!
He struggled to control his horse while trying to see the figure in the dark. At this moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark shadow flash through the dense forest on the right, and then there was a sharp sound of breaking through the air - it was an arrow!
Cold arrow!
Xiao Jin's heart trembled, and he tried to dodge sideways, but the black horse was frantic, and he couldn't fully control his body. The arrow was too fast, and it flew straight towards his back with a whistling sound. The distance was getting closer and closer, and he could almost feel the coldness brought by the arrow tip!
…
On a gentle slope not far away, Yun Zhi was standing there holding a lunch box.
Lin Wanru had just used the excuse that "the prince had a hard time hunting, so Yun Zhi sent some snacks," but in reality, she was trying to get her lost in the woods or frightened by wild animals. Yun Zhi knew what was going on, but she came anyway—as much as she hated Xiao Jin, she also knew that if anything happened to him in the royal enclosure, she, the "slave substitute," would be the first to be held accountable.
She originally wanted to hand the food box to the guard from a distance and leave immediately, but she didn't expect to see such a thrilling scene - Xiao Jin's black horse suddenly went crazy and carried him towards the Cliff of Broken Souls, and now, a cold arrow was shooting towards his back!
"No!" Yun Zhi screamed, and the food box in her hand fell to the ground with a clang, and the snacks were scattered all over the floor.
Her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain so severe that she could barely breathe. She hated Xiao Jin, hated him for forcing her to drink sterilizing soup, hated him for forcing her to kneel in the snow, hated him for whipping her, hated him for trampling on her dignity... But the moment she saw the cold arrow, all the hatred was cast aside, leaving only pure panic.
She can't let Xiao Jin die!
It's not because she still loves him, but because after he died, no one would be able to clear up the injustice in the Taifu Mansion, and she would never be able to avenge herself!
The thought flashed through her mind, and Yun Zhi, almost instinctively, rushed towards the mad horse. She ran so fast that she didn't even notice when her skirt was caught on a branch. The stones under her feet hurt her feet, but she didn't dare slow down at all - the cold arrow was getting closer and closer to Xiao Jin. If she was a step later, it would be too late!
"Prince! Be careful!" Her hoarse voice, filled with tears, echoed in the woods.
Xiao Jin was struggling to turn his horse's head when he heard Yun Zhi's voice and subconsciously glanced back. It was this glance that allowed him to see the cold arrow shot straight at his back, and also saw the slender figure in black riding clothes galloping towards him.
Her hair was blown messy by the wind, her face was full of panic, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye looked particularly bright in the sunlight, but it also revealed a desperate stubbornness.
Why was she here? Why was she rushing over here?
Countless questions flashed through Xiao Jin's mind, but he had no time to think. The cold arrow was close at hand. He wanted to dodge, but he was restrained by the mad black horse and could not completely avoid it!
“Puff—”
The sound of the arrow piercing the air was incredibly clear; Yun Zhi could even see Xiao Jin's dark robes lifted by the wind. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she quickened her pace, using almost all her strength to lunge towards Xiao Jin.
Everything around her seemed to slow down—the guards' exclamations, the neighing of the black horse, the sound of wind blowing through the leaves—all became blurry. Yun Zhi's eyes were filled with only Xiao Jin's figure and the arrow about to strike him.
She knew that she might be shot by an arrow and die. But she couldn't stop - she had to investigate the injustice in the Taifu Mansion and avenge her parents. She couldn't let Xiao Jin die at this time!
"Your Majesty!"
She roared again, and her body rushed towards Xiao Jin like a feather. Just when the cold arrow was about to hit Xiao Jin's back, she finally rushed to his side and pushed him aside with all her strength!
Xiao Jin hadn't expected her to suddenly pounce on him, and she pushed him so hard he staggered and nearly fell off his horse. But just as he was steadying himself, the arrow arrived—originally aimed at his back, but Yun Zhi's push deflected it, sending it hurtling towards Yun Zhi's shoulder!
"Be careful!" Xiao Jin's pupils suddenly shrank, and his heart felt like it was hit hard by something. An unprecedented panic instantly swept over him. He wanted to reach out and grab Yun Zhi, but it was too late.
The tip of the arrow pierced Yun Zhi's shoulder with fierce force.
"Ugh..." Yun Zhi groaned, and a heart-wrenching pain came from her shoulder. Blood instantly dyed her black riding uniform red, like a gorgeous flower blooming in the autumn sun.
Her body slumped over, her vision blurring. Before she lost consciousness, she saw Xiao Jin leap from his horse and gallop towards her. For the first time, his always icy eyes were filled with panic and confusion she had never seen before.
"Yunzhi!" Xiao Jin's voice trembled slightly. He quickly ran to Yunzhi, squatted down, and carefully held her in his arms.
Warm blood stained his hands, carrying a pungent smell that made his heart tighten like never before. He looked at Yun Zhi's pale face, the blood that continued to flow from her shoulder, the tear that hadn't fallen in the corner of her eye, and an unprecedented emotion surged in his chest—not hatred, not disgust, but panic, heartache, a panic that he himself couldn't understand.
"Imperial Physician! Call the Imperial Physician!" Xiao Jin, holding Yun Zhi, roared at the guards in the distance, his voice more out of control than ever before. "Xie Heng! Find Xie Heng here! If anything happens to Yun Zhi, I will not forgive you!"
The guards had never seen Xiao Jin lose his composure like this, and they quickly responded. They sent someone to call Xie Heng while trying to control the black horse that had gradually calmed down.
Lin Wanru and Su Yurou heard the noise and hurried over. Seeing Xiao Jin holding the bloodied Yun Zhi, Lin Wanru's eyes flashed with surprise, then jealousy. Su Yurou immediately revealed a look of worry and quickly stepped forward. "Your Highness, what happened to Sister Yun? How could she be so badly injured?"
Xiao Jin didn't look at them, not even a glance. He carefully held Yun Zhi, wrapping his robe around her bleeding shoulder, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a fragile treasure. "Don't touch her!" His voice was as cold as ice, carrying an undeniable warning, "Get out of my way!"
Lin Wanru and Su Yurou were frightened by his aura and subconsciously took a step back, watching Xiao Jin, holding Yun Zhi, running quickly towards the camp. His steps were fast, yet extremely steady, as if he was afraid to knock the person in his arms. His dark robe, stained with Yun Zhi's blood, was particularly glaring in the autumn sun.
Su Yurou watched Xiao Jin's back, a calculation flashing through her eyes. She had originally intended to shoot Xiao Jin with a hidden arrow and frame someone else, but Yun Zhi had unexpectedly blocked it. This was a good thing, though. Yun Zhi was seriously injured and might not survive. With one less competitor, she and Lin Wanru had a better chance.
Lin Wanru bit her lip, her heart filled with resentment and jealousy—that slave had actually dared to take the blame for Xiao Jin! Xiao Jin's reaction just now had been so nervous and flustered. Could it be that he was truly attracted to that slave? No, she absolutely could not allow this to happen!
Yun Zhi, who was held in Xiao Jin's arms, was gradually losing consciousness. She could feel the warmth in Xiao Jin's arms, hear his rapid heartbeat, and feel the hand he held her in, trembling slightly.
She wanted to say, "I'm fine," but she didn't even have the strength to open her mouth. The pain in her shoulder grew more intense, but she felt a strange feeling in her heart - was Xiao Jin's panic just now because he was worried about her? Or was it because she was the only face that looked like Shen Qingyue, and she couldn't just die like this?
This question remained in her heart forever as her consciousness sank completely into darkness.
Xiao Jin carried Yun Zhi in his arms and ran all the way back to the camp. He was running so fast that the wind whistled in his ears, but he didn't feel tired at all. He had only one thought in his mind - Yun Zhi must not die, absolutely not!
He didn't know why he cared so much about this slave, this substitute. Perhaps it was because she looked like Qingyue, perhaps it was because she had blocked the arrow for him, or perhaps... it was because the moment he saw her rushing towards him, his heart, for the first time, beat violently for someone other than Qingyue.
No matter what the reason was, he couldn't let her die.
"Xie Heng! Where are you?!" Xiao Jin shouted at the camp as soon as he arrived, his voice carrying a hint of unprecedented loss of control, "Come out here! If anything happens to Yun Zhi, I will tear down your Imperial Hospital!"
The officials and concubines in the camp were frightened by his roar and all leaned out to see what was happening. Xie Heng heard the sound and hurried out of his tent, medicine box in hand. "Your Highness! I am here! What happened to Miss Yun?"
When he saw Yun Zhi, covered in blood, in Xiao Jin's arms, his expression changed instantly and he ran over quickly: "Your Highness, quickly put Miss Yun in the tent. I will treat her immediately!"
Xiao Jin quickly carried Yun Zhi into an empty tent nearby, carefully placing her on a cushioned bed. He breathed a sigh of relief as Xie Heng produced needles and herbs and began treating Yun Zhi. However, he remained standing by, staring intently at her face, his palms sweating from nervousness.
Outside the tent, the wind still blew, and the autumn sun shone brightly, but Xiao Jin's heart felt like it was blocked by something. He felt depressed and a little panicked. He knew that from the moment Yun Zhi blocked the arrow for him, something had changed.
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