Chapter 60 being released suddenly is never a good sign. ...
"Autumn hunt?" Lou Xueying was taken aback.
“Yes, the autumn hunt,” Li Pan said. “I heard that an autumn hunt is held in the capital every August, and it seems that preparations for this year’s hunt are underway. On my way home from court, I overheard several officials discussing this matter.”
Lou Xueying: "Do you want to go?"
Li Pan countered with, "Have you been there?"
Lou Xueying: "...No."
She had actually been there, but only once.
The Autumn Hunt was essentially a grand hunting event for the powerful and wealthy, accessible only to imperial relatives, officials of the fifth rank and above and their families, as well as a select few. The hunting grounds were located on Qishan Mountain outside the capital, a place lush with trees and abundant waterways, where numerous animals of all sizes were carefully raised for this annual Autumn Hunt.
The Lou family was qualified to attend, but the men of the Lou family were all scholars, none of whom were skilled in riding or archery. They had never been interested in activities that were clearly meant to showcase the military generals. Lou Xueying was not interested at first either, but when she turned eighteen, she fell in love with the Crown Prince, who always had to go on the autumn hunt, so the Lou family finally got to participate in the autumn hunt for once.
Lou Xueying remembered that time when her father and mother didn't want to move, so they rested in the mountainside garden. Her eldest brother was still serving as an official in the capital and didn't come. Her second brother and other sons of officials who weren't good at riding or archery but loved to join in the fun went to study how to tame stubborn horses. She, on the other hand, was summoned by the Empress to her side to keep her company and talk with the Empress and other noble ladies.
The head palace maid would come in from time to time to report the Crown Prince's hunting achievements to the Empress. She sat aside and listened quietly, secretly happy for the Crown Prince.
By evening, the prince had returned.
The noble ladies tactfully bowed and took their leave, leaving only the Empress, the Crown Prince, the head maid, and her in the tent.
The Empress asked with a smile, "Look at you, you're covered in sweat. You've been running around all day. Aren't you tired?"
The Crown Prince smiled and replied, "Not tired at all. Your Majesty, I have had a very fruitful day."
"I do know, but I've forgotten the exact number." The Empress looked at Lou Xueying beside her. "Xueying, do you remember?"
Lou Xueying hurriedly replied, "I remember. Your Highness hunted two deer, a gazelle, a roe deer, two foxes, and a pheasant today. Such a feat is unmatched except by Marquis Wu'an. Your Highness is truly remarkable!"
The Empress nodded, her face approving: "My son's riding and archery have improved even more than last year."
The Crown Prince said, "It's also possible that others were being lenient with me."
“Your Highness, why be so modest?” Lou Xueying said with a smile. “Even if others were to yield, they could only stop and let Your Highness gain the upper hand. But the prey is alive. If Your Highness is not skilled in riding and archery, the prey will escape even if you yield. Moreover, others may not necessarily yield to Your Highness. If they did, why would Your Highness settle for second place?”
The Crown Prince laughed, "That's because Marquis Wu'an would never give in to me."
The Empress said, "Alright, go back and change into clean clothes. It's time for dinner soon."
The crown prince then took his leave.
The Empress then looked at Lou Xueying: "You should go back and rest too."
Lou Xueying knew that the Empress was giving her and the Crown Prince a chance to be alone, so she withdrew shyly.
Outside the tent, the Crown Prince was indeed waiting for her.
The prince asked her, "How about I take you to see the prey? Don't worry, it's all cleaned up, it's not scary."
Lou Xueying said hello.
The crown prince then took her to see the spoils of war, and said with a rather arrogant smile, "Winter is coming soon, shall I have someone make you a scarf out of fox fur?"
Lou Xueying was somewhat tempted, but too embarrassed to accept the offer.
Just as they were hesitating, they suddenly heard a commotion not far away, and a man excitedly rode up to report: "The Marquis of Wu'an has just hunted a bear!"
"A bear?" The Crown Prince was taken aback. "Haven't most of the people returned? Did Marquis Wu'an hunt a bear all by himself?"
Before she could finish speaking, a figure leaped out from the dense shadows of the trees. Before Lou Xueying could even see clearly, the man pulled on the reins, and the horse beneath him let out a long neigh, reared up on its hind legs, and then landed heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Amid the congratulations of the crowd, the man dismounted, casually tossed his riding whip to a servant beside him, and then took the water bag handed to him by the servant, tilting his head back to drink it.
That was the first time Lou Xueying vividly understood what "guzzling" meant.
After a while, several more servants rode out on horseback, dragging a bear along with them.
The Crown Prince asked Lou Xueying, "Would you like to go and take a look?"
Lou Xueying quickly shook her head: "I'm scared."
The crown prince then said, "Then I will go and see for myself."
Lou Xueying stood there waiting for the Crown Prince, and couldn't help but glance at Marquis Wu'an sitting on the hillside from afar. She couldn't actually see what Marquis Wu'an looked like at all, but she felt that this person was very impolite. The Crown Prince had already come forward, but he didn't even get up to greet him.
But then I thought, this man actually hunted a bear himself, the rumors were indeed true, he really is a fierce warrior. And looking at his figure, even just sitting there resting, he is as thick and upright as a small mountain. It's understandable that such a person would have some arrogance.
After inspecting the bear, the prince returned quickly.
He said sincerely, "The Marquis of Wu'an is indeed remarkable. Only he could hunt such a strong bear." At this point, he couldn't help but sigh, "I am not as good as him."
Lou Xueying quickly said, "Marquis Wu'an has been fighting on the battlefield for many years, and riding and archery are his forte. Why should Your Highness compare with him in this? Marquis Wu'an probably wouldn't compare literary talent with Your Highness either. Your Highness grew up in the palace, and your ability to win second place today is already an extraordinary achievement. How many people in the world are as accomplished in both literature and martial arts as Your Highness?"
The crown prince then laughed: "You have a nice way of speaking."
Lou Xueying pursed her lips and said, "The Marquis of Wu'an's return from hunting a bear was certainly brave, but such a big bear is not very practical. He's not a mountain king, what use would he have for such a big bear skin? I still prefer the fox that Your Highness hunted."
The Crown Prince said, "Very well, once the scarf is finished, I will have it delivered to your residence."
Later, the scarf was made and delivered to her, but before the season for it could be used, she entered the palace.
She never got to wear that fox fur scarf.
...
"Do you think the autumn hunt is fun?" Li Pan put his arm around Lou Xueying and scratched her chin.
Lou Xueying lowered her eyes: "I don't know."
Li Pan: "I've never actually hunted before."
Lou Xueying hesitated and said, "If you want to go..."
"I'd like to," Li Pan said, "but if you don't want to go, then I won't go either."
Lou Xueying whispered, "I don't hate the autumn hunt, I just..."
“I know you’re afraid of running into His Majesty,” Li Pan said. “He’ll definitely be there for the autumn hunt, and I think it’s best if you two don’t meet.”
Lou Xueying: "When is the autumn hunt this year?"
Li Pan: "It is said that it started on August 16th."
"So early?" Lou Xueying was taken aback. After a moment's thought, she immediately became serious and said to Li Pan, "This is too early. Something's not right. Don't go."
Li Pan asked in surprise, "Is it very early?"
Lou Xueying: "Although the autumn hunting time is not fixed each year, it is always at the end of August. There has never been a precedent of starting in the middle of the month."
Hearing her say that, Li Pan's expression also turned serious.
"Is it targeting me?" Li Pan pondered. "Could it be that His Majesty intends to use the autumn hunt as an opportunity to secretly eliminate me?"
Lou Xueying frowned and remained silent.
She couldn't understand why Emperor Jinghui, who clearly knew that the border still needed Li Pan at the end of the year and who shouldn't be the kind of foolish ruler who would abandon his country for a beauty, would suddenly target Li Pan during the autumn hunt. What benefit would Da Yue gain if something happened to Li Pan? And if he wasn't targeting Li Pan, why did he move the autumn hunt forward?
But no matter what, anything suddenly brought forward is never a good thing.
Li Pan patted Lou Xueying's head and comforted her, "Don't worry, I won't get involved. If His Majesty insists that I participate, I'll just pretend to be sick."
Lou Xueying gave a soft "hmm".
-
Li Pan's prediction was correct; he had no choice but to participate in this autumn hunt.
Even though he hadn't registered at all, the official in charge of registration came to his door several times, urging him to participate. But Li Pan stubbornly refused, and the registration official returned empty-handed several times before giving up. Li Pan thought the matter was over, but on August 16th, while he was still in bed, someone came to report that Eunuch Zheng had arrived.
Li Pan was in a real bind.
With a smile, Eunuch Zheng said that he was afraid Marquis Wu'an might forget, so he came to remind him to get up and go to the Qishan hunting grounds with the other officials.
Li Pan, separated by a door, coughed and pretended to be sick. But Eunuch Zheng said, "His Majesty said that many young officials' sons will participate in such a grand event as the autumn hunt. They take Marquis Wu'an as their role model. He cannot be absent. Even if we have to carry him there, we must carry him there."
Emperor Jinghui rarely showed such open force. Li Pan was pondering how to respond when he saw Lou Xueying, who was already dressed, walk over with a sullen face.
He quickly stopped her: "What are you trying to do?"
Lou Xueying angrily said, "I want to ask, even if you're terminally ill, do you still have to travel all over mountains and rivers to show your face? The autumn hunt is clearly voluntary, how can you force me like this!"
"Don't be impulsive," Li Pan said in a low voice. "His Majesty probably doesn't know that you told me about your affair. If you speak to Eunuch Zheng like this in front of me, it's tantamount to admitting that my absence from the autumn hunt was to guard against His Majesty. Originally, he might have only had a problem with me because I married you, but since I knew nothing, he could still take his time. But if he knew that I knew everything, wouldn't that be the same as telling him that I've already developed feelings for him? We're not ready yet; we can't just tear things apart like this."
Lou Xueying gritted her teeth and clenched her fists: "But he's clearly luring you into a trap. I don't know what he's prepared at the hunting grounds to deal with you! There's no more taking things slowly; he's going to make his move now!"
Li Pan: "The imperial decree is right here. No matter what reason I have, disobeying the imperial decree is my fault. If I hand over this handle, I can be punished immediately even if I am at home."
Lou Xueying was so angry that her body trembled.
"Calm down, you must calm down." Li Pan gently put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her. "The most dangerous thing about the autumn hunt is the hunt itself. If I don't go hunting, does he think he can have someone drag me into the woods?"
Lou Xueying: "What if he poisons you?"
Li Pan: "The Crown Prince just got into trouble because he ate the wrong thing. He shouldn't have used the same method twice in such a short time."
Lou Xueying grabbed his sleeve and said, "I want to be with you! I'll eat whatever you eat, drink whatever you drink, and even if we have to go hunting, I'll ride the same horse as you!"
She refused to believe it. Could Emperor Jinghui really just stand by and watch her be poisoned, fall off a horse, or be shot to death by arrows?
Seeing her resolute expression as she prepared to face death, Li Pan couldn't help but smile. But after the smile faded, a deep sense of resentment and melancholy welled up within him, and he murmured, "Fine."
He changed his clothes, washed up, and went out with Lou Xueying.
The summer heat had dissipated, and the autumn air was crisp and clear—it should have been a beautiful day. However, neither of them showed any joy. Li Pan was feigning illness and coughing, while Lou Xueying supported him, remaining silent.
With a beaming smile, Eunuch Zheng said, "Please, Your Excellency and Madam. Rest assured, there are imperial physicians with you. If you feel unwell, you can summon them at any time."
Li Pan: "Cough cough cough, thank you for your concern, father-in-law."
After watching the couple board the carriage, Eunuch Zheng followed them for a while. Seeing that the carriage was gradually merging with the carriages of other officials leaving the city, he urged his horse to speed up and head towards the emperor's carriage at the front.
Emperor Jinghui sat quietly on the cushion, listening to Eunuch Zheng's report.
"Ill? Really ill or fake?" Emperor Jinghui asked, his expression unreadable.
"I don't know." Eunuch Zheng wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Marquis Wu'an looks alright, but he has a bit of a cough. Your Majesty, shall we send the imperial physician to take a look?"
Emperor Jinghui: "No need."
In his previous life, Li Pan was full of energy and participated in the autumn hunt with great enthusiasm. In this life, he suddenly stopped participating and inexplicably fell ill, which could only be attributed to the influence of Su Jun.
Emperor Jinghui: "Tell me, does he already know about my affair with Su Jun, and is afraid that I will harm him?"
Eunuch Zheng hesitated, not daring to answer, and indeed not knowing how to answer.
Emperor Jinghui slowly stroked the thumb ring on his hand.
Li Pan wasn't a god. Even if he thought it was strange that he had transferred Su Jun out of the capital, he couldn't possibly have thought it was Su Jun's fault, much less refuse to participate in the autumn hunt because of it.
The only explanation is that Su Jun really told Li Pan about their affair.
But when did Su Jun have such courage? Wasn't she afraid that Li Pan would blame her if he found out?
But perhaps the answer is already clear—Li Pan did not blame her.
Seeing that Emperor Jinghui remained silent for a long time, Eunuch Zheng pondered the emperor's intentions and tentatively said, "Speaking of which, Marquis Wu'an has indeed become much more obedient recently, and has not spoken disrespectfully to Your Majesty again. If he really knows about the matter between Your Majesty and the Marquis's wife, doesn't that mean he is sensible and dares not be disrespectful to Your Majesty again? It seems that the Marquis's wife is Marquis Wu'an's weakness, and for her sake, Marquis Wu'an will surely dare not disobey Your Majesty again! This is a good thing!"
Emperor Jinghui said quietly, "If he really knows what's good for him, he should divorce Su Jun."
Eunuch Zheng: "..."
Eunuch Zheng thought to himself, "Why won't His Majesty listen to reason?" He could only awkwardly say, "This old servant thinks that the Lady of the Marquis has a fiery temper. I'm afraid that the Marquis of Wu'an alone cannot decide on the matter of divorce."
Emperor Jinghui closed his eyes.
He already understood Su Jun's thoughts. He just didn't know what Li Pan was thinking now. Would he be like the crown prince of his previous life, outwardly showing forbearance and yielding while secretly harboring resentment, waiting for the right moment to unleash his revenge?
But this is not something that can be resolved in the short term.
"That's enough." Emperor Jinghui opened his eyes, his expression having returned to calm. "It's good that they've come; there's no need to worry about the rest."
The autumn hunt wouldn't be complete without their presence; without them, the hunt would be meaningless.
But he wasn't going to harm any of them.
His purpose was someone else.
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