Chapter 25 You Qing and the spirit bird, come with me to hunt deer!
On the sixteenth day, Fu Sui unusually got up very early, changed into his Hu-style clothes and leather boots, and led his hunting party in a grand procession to the Forbidden Garden.
Fu Sui's early morning was hardly early for others. She was accompanied by a large group of people and the Forbidden Garden was far away. By the time she arrived at the Forbidden Garden, everyone else had already arrived.
Originally, it was arranged for Qiao Zhuo, but Qiao Zhuo had important matters to attend to recently, so Qiao Zhenzhen was accompanied by the second son of the Qiao family.
There was also a stranger, a robust man dressed in Hu clothing, with several strings of colorful bones jingling around his neck, laughing heartily. His slightly dark skin made his teeth appear even whiter, and upon closer inspection, one could see two sharp tiger teeth.
This man was none other than the seventh prince of Kule, Chifule Zhuoda. He had heard that Tian Ganyou was hunting with the Ma people, and he pestered Tian Ganyou to come.
The matter of the marriage alliance could not be kept from Yanshan. Yanshan pressed him for answers and learned that the Prince of Xiping had once wanted to exchange his life for Yanshan's departure from the capital. He had almost cried himself blind. The Prince of Xiping was so frightened that he repeatedly admitted his mistake and swore that he would never do such a foolish thing again.
When the Kule delegation left, the Prince of Xiping was still somewhat incredulous and specifically asked Yue Shanling why the delegation's stay was so short, wondering if there was something fishy about it.
Feng Xianyi misjudged the length of the Kule delegation's stay, which led to this foolish move. Even if the Prince of Xiping hadn't been captured by Yue Shanling, the rumors of a marriage alliance would have been dispelled in two days after the Kule delegation left the capital.
On the day the delegation left the capital, Consort Feng was confined to the palace for offending the emperor. The Prince of Xiping, who had been anxiously waiting for several days, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
When Tian Ganyou asked for everyone's opinion on the Seventh Prince joining the hunt, the Prince of Xiping was reluctant to agree, considering the rumors of a marriage alliance. It was Yanshan who said that the man was, after all, the prince of Kule, and the marriage alliance was not his doing. It would be unfair to him to be angry with him because of someone else's mistake. Besides, he had taken the initiative to request it, and it would seem that his cousin was arrogant to refuse him so easily. Only then did the Prince of Xiping agree.
When Tian Ganyou saw Fu Sui arrive, he waved to Fu Sui from afar. Qiao Zhenzhen wore a sky-blue round-necked robe and rode a gentle little mare. Yan Shan, on the other hand, wore a rare brocade robe with a turned-down collar and floral patterns, and her long, black hair was braided into several braids that fell over her shoulders.
The two men rode their horses to greet Fu Sui, and the others also rode forward.
A few barks were heard, and Cheng Liwu put several hunting dogs on the ground. Neither the Qiao family nor the Prince's Mansion kept dogs. Tian Ganyou brought two greyhounds, and Yue Shanzheng also kept a few, but they were in such poor condition that Yue Shanling didn't borrow any from him.
Looking across the mountains, Fu Sui wasn't riding his usual lively and energetic horse today. Instead, he rode a tall, powerful, steady, and magnificent black horse with a silver mane.
"Shadow," Yue Shanling almost called out the name, but upon closer inspection, he noticed white spots on the horse's forehooves and forehead and realized it wasn't it. This horse looked remarkably like Shadow, but seeing dozens of people riding behind him, surrounded by hawks and hounds, Yue Shanling momentarily thought it was still the Prince of Jin leading him on a hunt.
When a fair-skinned man with handsome eyes and a face full of disgust appeared behind Fu Sui, Yue Shanling smiled and looked even more like him.
Yan Tianqing was so excited yesterday that he almost couldn't sleep after getting the job of accompanying the nobles on a hunt. Today, seeing how strong this horse was and how glossy that horse's coat was, he wanted to touch them all. As soon as Fu Sui's hunting dog got off the ground, his eyes were glued to the dog.
Hearing Yue Shanling laugh, he looked up and froze on the spot.
Yan Tianqing had never seen a man with such a face. His third brother was handsome, and the man was handsome too, but in a completely different way. His third brother was like a sharp knife, honed to a fine point, standing straight up in the snow-capped mountains. That man… Yan Tianqing racked his brains but couldn’t find the words to describe him. He only felt that he was like silk drawn from water, pure white and soft, radiating an indescribable light.
"Qin Zhongguan, how have you been?" Yue Shanling said first.
If it weren't for the fear that Fu Sui might have an accident while riding and sightseeing, Qin An wouldn't have bothered coming. He looked at him carefully for a while before finally matching the tall and imposing man in front of him with the boy in his memory.
Yue Shanling smiled as he met Qin An's disdainful gaze. Unlike the scrutinizing gaze of a woman of Fu Sui, Qin An treated him as if he were picking and choosing vegetables at a market: "Doesn't the court pay General Yue? How come General Yue is doing the work of pulling boats and carrying stones?"
Silk clothes are not durable; they become unwearable after being hung in the forest for a day. Yue Shanling wore a set of fine cloth clothes.
"Rice is expensive in the capital, so I, Yue, have to be frugal." Hearing the familiar sarcastic words, Yue Shanling felt no anger, only endless sighs. "If I have no rice to cook in the future, I wonder if Qin Zhongguan could grant me a bowl of porridge?"
Upon hearing this, Qin An rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky: "At least you won't starve to death."
He laughed heartily as he crossed the mountains, walking side by side with Qin An.
Yan Tianqing found the handsome man's words unpleasant, but his third brother didn't seem angry at all. Confused, he scratched his head and urged his horse to follow.
Fu Sui brought a golden eagle and two falcons. The two falcons perched on the arms of two Hu slaves, while the golden eagle circled several times in the air before swooping down and landing on the arm of a man with a Central Plains appearance.
The Qiao family forbids their descendants from keeping dogs, fighting cocks, or indulging in pleasure, but what young man doesn't love fine horses and eagles? Qiao Er looked at the golden eagle with great envy, and he leaned close to Fu Sui and said, "You still keep these eagles, why didn't you say so earlier?"
Fu Sui laughed and said, "Even if you knew beforehand, could you still come to my house every day?" Fu Sui had no male relatives at home. If Qiao Er dared to come alone, Qiao Xiang would dare to break his legs.
Qiao Er chuckled twice: "Your eagle slave is not bad; he can even lift such a big eagle."
Fu Sui looked in the direction Qiao Er pointed and saw Cheng Liwu's elder brother, Cheng Liyang. He reminded Qiao Er, "His father was a graduate of the Imperial Academy and was once a fifth-rank military officer. He is not some kind of servant."
Qiao Er realized he had misspoke, but fortunately the eagle-bearer was far enough away that he couldn't hear him. He had asked Fu Sui for the man's name, thinking he would ask him for some eagle-training techniques later.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Tian Ganyou called out and prepared to spread the net to encircle them. The group chatted and laughed as they headed deeper into the forbidden garden.
As Yue Shanling turned around, sunlight fell on his neck, and Qin An vaguely saw a thin mark flash by. Before he could see it clearly, Yue Shanling had already spurred his horse forward. Qin An recalled that Yue Shanling in his youth did not seem to have this mark, and doubted that he had seen it wrong, so he ignored it and only instructed the men following Fu Sui to protect Fu Sui well.
The seventh prince rode a few steps and stealthily approached the salt mountain.
"You are the Lady of Yanshan County?"
Yanshan turned his head and was first dazzled by a set of bright white teeth. The man had broad shoulders and a sharply defined face. He had prominent brow bones, a high nose bridge, and a pair of gray eyes hidden in deep sockets, revealing a wild spirit. His wheat-colored skin, tanned by years of wind and sun, exuded the ruggedness and resilience unique to men of the grasslands.
He laughed even harder when he saw Yanshan looking over, his two prominent canine teeth adding to his innocent appearance.
"Seventh Prince." Yanshan, still on horseback, nodded slightly as a greeting.
The young grassland prince had not yet learned the arrogance of a gentleman from the capital, and he said cheerfully, "Just call me Zhuoda."
Yanshan smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
The Seventh Prince, accustomed to the robust and spirited women of the grasslands, had never seen such a delicate woman before. Her voice was as soft as the reeds on a lake, and her skin as tender as a newly blossoming flower. The Seventh Prince was momentarily speechless, and blurted out, almost unconsciously, "It's a good thing you didn't marry into the Kule tribe. You're like a rhododendron, easily broken; how could you withstand the fierce winds of the grasslands?" He had somehow heard about the arranged marriage.
The Seventh Prince's words were very rude, and Yanshan bit her lip and turned her head away, not wanting to talk to him.
Seeing that Yanshan ignored him and only spurred his horse forward, the seventh prince caught up and asked, "Are you angry? Why are you angry? Did I say something wrong?"
Yanshan gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse started to trot.
Undeterred, the Seventh Prince pressed on, "You don't like Kule? Then I won't mention it again, okay? You won't be angry, will you?"
Prince Xiping rarely participated in hunting. He was originally asking Yue Shanling for advice when he looked up and saw that the man from Kule had somehow gotten close to Yanshan. He shook the reins and rushed over, squeezing between the Seventh Prince and Yanshan without saying a word, and glared angrily at the Seventh Prince.
Even though the seventh prince was unfamiliar with Central Plains etiquette, he realized he was unwelcome and had no choice but to leave.
After the Seventh Prince had gone some distance, Yanshan tugged at the sleeve of the Prince of Xiping and said, "Brother, he is a guest. Don't be so rude."
The Prince of Xiping gave a reluctant hum, but ultimately said nothing more.
The emperor assigned a troop of imperial guards to Fu Sui for hunting, and Tian Ganyou busied himself following the guards as they chased the prey. They didn't go into the deep forests where there were wild beasts, but only hunted some roe deer and gazelles on the grasslands, mudflats, and the outskirts of the forests. They only needed to drive those light and easy-to-hunt animals to the women.
Cheng Liyang released the golden eagle, while he and Yan Tianqing went into the forest to scout ahead. Two Hu slaves followed the women with their falcons.
This was the first time Qiao Zhenzhen had seen a falcon so close. She saw that the bird had long, pointed wings and smooth, iron-gray feathers, and that it was perched on Hu Nu's arm, looking around restlessly.
Qiao Zhenzhen was watching intently when the falcon suddenly moved, startling her so much that she leaned back and almost cried out. But the bird merely shook its feathers, moved a couple of steps on its leather arm guard, and continued to stand quietly.
Hu Nuhan spoke in a broken tongue, gesturing to tell Qiao Zhenzhen not to be afraid.
Qiao Zhenzhen hesitated before stepping forward and asking if she could touch it.
Hu Nu nodded in agreement, then pointed to the falcon and explained which parts he could touch and which he couldn't. He then stroked the falcon's back a couple of times to prove that the falcon wouldn't hurt anyone.
Qiao Zhenzhen was still a little scared when she saw the falcon with its sharp beak and claws. But when she saw it standing on one leg, tilting its little head and looking left and right, looking adorable, she mustered up her courage and stretched out a hand.
"Don't touch it yet." Qiao Er came over to stop Qiao Zhenzhen, and asked Hu Nu again how to touch the falcon. He then took the lead and imitated Hu Nu's actions, landing on the falcon's layers of feathers.
The falcon shook its body and moved half a step to the side. Qiao Er's hand followed, and the falcon moved back. After two such repetitions, the falcon finally stopped moving, twisting its neck to let Qiao Er gently stroke it.
Qiao Er fondled the thick, smooth feathers in his hands, touching them while looking at the falcon's eyes and sharp beak, and even tilting his body to look at the falcon's claws.
Seeing Qiao Zhenzhen smiling at him, Qiao Er reluctantly withdrew his hand: "It really doesn't bite, but be careful and try it."
Someone had tried it for her, so Qiao Zhenzhen was a little bolder. She carefully placed a finger on the falcon's back, and when the falcon did not react, she gently placed her hand on it and stroked it.
Yanshan was also tempted. After obtaining Hu Nu's permission, he and Qiao Zhenzhen circled around the two falcons, touching their feathers and poking their wings. Yanshan even boldly stroked the head of one of the falcons. The falcon shook its head uncomfortably and raised its talons to scratch the spot where it had been stroked.
"What do they usually eat?" Qiao Er asked Hu Nu as Cheng Liyang disappeared in a flash.
Hu Nu pointed to the leather pouch hanging at his waist.
Qiao Er opened the leather pouch and saw that it contained cut raw meat: "How was this fed?"
Normally, falcons aren't fed before a hunt; they only hunt actively when they're hungry. However, for these nobles, hunting was merely a form of recreation; the prey itself wasn't important, as long as the nobles were happy. Hu Nu took a piece of raw meat from his pouch. The previously idle falcon immediately fixed its gaze on the meat in Hu Nu's hand. Hu Nu merely waved it in front of the falcon's eyes, and the falcon suddenly stretched its neck to peck. Hu Nu deftly dodged with a flick of his wrist, guiding the falcon to peck in another direction. Before the falcon could reach it, Hu Nu tossed the raw meat high into the air. The falcon spread its wings and swooped down, gliding in the air before landing back on Hu Nu's arm, tilting its head back to swallow the meat. Hu Nu then fed the falcon a few more pieces and asked the nobles if they wanted to feed it as well.
Qiao Er was eager to try. Hu Nu dared not let the nobleman feed the falcon by hand, so he took out a long skewer from his bag, hung the meat on the skewer, and let Qiao Er feed it with the skewer. Qiao Er fed each of them a piece of meat, and seeing that there was no danger, he asked Qiao Zhenzhen and Yanshan if they wanted to try it too.
Yanshan held out a long skewer to the falcon, and was thrilled to see the falcon lower its head, peck off the meat, and swallow it. Qiao Zhenzhen also took a skewer, and she and Yanshan fed the falcon together, one piece at a time.
Just as he was feeling happy, a sudden cry of an eagle rang out, and Yanshan looked over at the sound.
The golden eagle swooped down like an arrow, and the Seventh Prince immediately leaped onto his horse, narrowly avoiding it. The eagle passed under the raised hooves of his horse, then grazed the Seventh Prince's shoulder and soared into the air. The Seventh Prince put two fingers in his mouth and blew a sharp whistle. The golden eagle somersaulted in the air and circled above him. The Seventh Prince laughed heartily, pointed at the golden eagle, and shouted, "Good spirit bird, come with me to hunt deer!" With that, he spurred the reins with one hand and sped away, leaving behind a tinkling sound of bone bells.
Seeing the rough and boorish Kule man playing with a bird, Yanshan smiled and said that he was quite genuine and cute.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
