Chapter 252 Tiger Hunt
Phoenix Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing.
The palace was built along the mountainside, hidden among the green peaks and ridges.
When Su Zhizhi and Yuan Caiwei got up in the morning, there was still a thin layer of fog outside.
They got up early in the morning and gathered at the hunting ground.
While walking in the palace, Su Zhizhi was enlightened.
It used to be in Black Bandit Mountain, and the village was in the mountains.
And here, the mountain is in the palace.
The palace was enormous, with corridors connecting the various halls and pavilions. A mountain spring was channeled into a stream, which tumbled among the white rocks, turning into several small waterfalls before pouring into the lotus pond.
"It must have taken a long time to build such a large palace."
Su Zhizhi walked through the corridor and thought of the hard work the villagers in the mountains put in when building their houses.
It was a hot day, and the uncles' necks and arms were red and hot from the sun, and they were covered in sweat from head to toe. They hammered wood into the ground and built small houses.
Everyone said that although it was tiring, it would only last for a few months. Once the new house was completed, it would be comfortable to live in.
Zhou Jijiu said, "The Phoenix Palace has been built over three generations of emperors and took ninety years to complete. It was not until the current emperor ascended the throne that it was completed."
"Ninety years?! That's a long time." The students exclaimed.
Su Zhizhi: "What was this place like ninety years ago?"
Coach Lin: "That's a mountain forest."
Su Zhizhi nodded secretly. They built Heishan Township in just a few years. Ninety years later, Heishan Township might be even more beautiful than the palace on Fenghuang Mountain.
The hunting ground was some distance away from the palace, and when they rode there, there were already quite a few people there.
The mist completely dissipated and sunlight covered the mountaintops.
Tents had been set up outside the hunting grounds for everyone to rest after hunting. The imperial physicians and chefs were also in place.
Murong Yu and his concubines arrived late.
Seeing that all the officials looked good and the weather was good, Murong Yu said a few opening remarks:
"I have brought you to this hunting ground today, not for fun, but to demonstrate the might of our great nation! This hunting ground is home to countless birds and beasts, waiting for you to show your skills. Over the next three days, whoever catches the most will receive a reward. I will grant you a thousand-mile steed, a fine bow, and powerful arrows to honor your bravery!"
Several ministers flattered him.
Under heavy protection, Murong Yu also wanted to move around and try his skills.
Before he left, he asked Pei Shu with a smile:
"Whatever Shu'er wants, I'll hunt it for you."
Pei Shu said considerately, "As long as it's hunted by the emperor, I like it."
Murong Yu picked up the shiny sword, strode onto his horse, and rode away.
Su Zhizhi stood at the back of the team and couldn't hear clearly what was said in front, but she caught some key words.
For example, a good horse that can run a thousand miles.
She had no intention of listening to what was said afterwards, as her heart had already flown to the mountains and forests.
When Murong Yu gave the order for everyone to set off, the students of the martial arts school couldn't wait to enter the hunting ground.
Zhou Jijiu was worried about the youngest students, so he only allowed those over fifteen years old to hunt freely, while Su Zhizhi, Yuan Caiwei and other younger students still went with Zhou Jijiu and Instructor Lin.
Zhou Jijiu rode on his horse and taught the children earnestly:
"Though we martial artists are agile, we must be careful not to rush. Prey doesn't come easily, and it's possible to return empty-handed. As long as we try our best..."
Yuan Caiwei suddenly whispered, "There's a deer over there!"
Everyone looked in the direction Yuan Caiwei pointed and really saw a deer eating grass.
Instructor Lin lowered his voice: "Shh—don't startle it."
He bent his bow like a full moon and aimed the tip of his arrow at the brown spot in the forest.
call out--
The sharp arrow flew into the deer's neck and the deer fell to the ground.
"Wow!" Everyone cheered for Coach Lin.
Instructor Lin said, "I've demonstrated this to you just now. When you encounter prey again, remember to stay calm and don't panic. Just aim and shoot."
The primary school students were eager to try it out.
Their luck continued to be good, and they kept seeing pheasants, rabbits and other prey in the forest.
Zhou Jijiu held up a badger he had just shot and said, "It seems the animals are more active this spring than in previous years."
They wandered in the mountains and forests for most of the day, and on the way back almost everyone had a prey.
Su Zhizhi had a good harvest: two pheasants, two hares and a fox.
Yuan Caiwei hunted three pheasants.
It was the first time for the elementary school students to come to the royal hunting ground. They all got some prey on the first day. Although they were just small animals, they were very happy.
When we are happy, we can’t stop chatting.
Someone mentioned the thousand-mile horse they saw this morning:
"That horse is so tall and strong, and its legs are strong too. It must be able to run very fast."
"The bow and arrows are also very good. I heard that the arrows are inlaid with gold."
"How many chickens do I have to hunt to get the reward?"
Zhou Jijiu and Lin Jiaotou couldn't help laughing.
Zhou Jijiu said: "No matter how many chickens you hunt, you won't get a reward. You have to hunt a wild beast to get a reward. Last year, only those who hunted bears, tigers, and leopards received a reward."
Someone asked: "Will we encounter bears, tigers, leopards, etc.?"
Yuan Caiwei said, "My father is in charge of the hunting grounds. They drove all the wild animals away before the spring hunt."
Zhou Jijiu nodded: "Caiwei is right, there is an area of wild beasts on the northern slope, and only there can they be found. It is impossible for us to stay here——"
Zhou Jijiu's words were stuck in his throat before he could finish.
The students' voices suddenly stopped.
From the dense forest, a tiger with golden stripes walked out, with fierce eyes, strong limbs, and a series of low roars coming from its throat.
Hearing about tiger hunting and actually confronting a tiger yourself are two different things.
Some of the elementary school students were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they stepped back repeatedly.
Zhou Jijiu and Lin Jiaotou immediately said, "Everyone, don't panic. Don't scatter alone."
However, two students who were close to the tiger were so frightened that they turned their horses around and walked a few steps faster.
Unexpectedly, the tiger was attracted by their action and pounced on them.
“Ahhhhh help—”
Seeing the tiger rushing towards them, several students became even more flustered. They could not hear what Zhou Jijiu and Instructor Lin said at all, and they fled in all directions subconsciously.
A small group of people scattered like flying sparks.
The tiger followed the lone man, pressed its four paws on the ground, gathered strength, and suddenly jumped up, about to pounce.
call out--
An arrow flew from behind and hit the little flower in the tiger's buttocks.
Ouch——!
The shrill roar of a tiger rang out, shaking the mountains and forests.
Yuan Caiwei was behind the tiger, still in the same archery pose she had just been shooting. She had been terrified the first time she encountered a tiger, but seeing her classmate in danger, she couldn't help but draw her bow.
The tiger was shot in the buttocks and fell to the ground in unbearable pain, rushing around like crazy.
Zhou Jijiu and Lin Jiaotou shot arrows at the tiger, but the tiger was running around and charging very fast, making it difficult to aim at its vital parts.
Just as the tiger opened its bloody mouth and howled again, an arrow shot from the front shot straight into the tiger's mouth.
The sharp arrow pierced the tiger's throat!
The tiger fell to the ground, its carotid artery punctured, and it bled profusely.
The sunlight passed through the branches and leaves, casting shadows the size of copper wires on the ground.
Everyone was stunned into silence.
Su Zhizhi, who had just shot the arrow, put down the bow and wiped the sweat from his head.
Instructor Lin rode his horse closer to the tiger and gave it another knife in the neck. After confirming that the tiger was dead, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Jijiu called Yuan Caiwei and Su Zhizhi over and said, "You two are very brave, but when hunting a tiger, you need to hit the vital part, otherwise you will be in a disadvantageous position. Why don't you shoot the tiger's neck?"
Yuan Caiwei: "I saw it was about to hurt my classmate, and I happened to be right behind it, so I didn't think too much and shot it. The tiger's skin was thick, and I was afraid the arrow wouldn't be strong enough to penetrate, so I aimed at that."
Su Zhizhi said:
"I originally wanted to shoot the tiger in the eye so that it couldn't see us. I've hunted tigers with people from my village before, and I'm very accurate at shooting tigers in the eyes. But it suddenly raised its head and opened its mouth, and the arrow flew into its mouth."
Zhou Jijiu was speechless for a moment.
The sound of galloping horses came from far away.
Yuan Chi led a group of soldiers and hurried over. Seeing Zhou Jijiu and others from a distance, he shouted:
"Zhou Jijiu, you go ahead. A tiger has escaped from the northern slopes. This place is dangerous. Come back after we capture the tiger."
Yuan Chi was in charge of the safety and order of the hunt. He heard that during the hunt at the northern slope, a tiger got frightened and fled, escaping from the northern slope in the chaos.
While they were searching, they heard a tiger roar coming from this direction, so they hurried over here.
"Dad!" Yuan Caiwei saw her father coming and ran to his side excitedly, "We have hunted the tiger."
"you?"
When Yuan Chi ran closer, he saw a tiger lying in the forest, with two arrows stuck in its head and tail, and a cut on its neck.
He actually died.
Yuan Chi cheered loudly: "Master Zhou and Instructor Lin are really good at fighting!"
Instructor Lin shook his head, his tone even more proud than when he had hunted the tiger himself:
"General Yuan misunderstood. My students teamed up to hunt him."
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