Chapter 227 Rewarding Merit: A Ruler's Word is His Precept
The morning sunlight pierced through the thin mist, and sounds from the mountains and forests grew louder as they approached.
The hunters who had been hunting were already starting to head back.
The sound of drums echoed throughout the hunting grounds, and stepping out of the tents, one could see the victorious young men returning home, their bodies stained with blood.
Meng Shilan watched them and their horses exhale white mist in the rising sun.
These young masters of the capital enjoyed the best life and upbringing.
After growing up, starting a family and establishing a career, they can easily embark on a career in government thanks to the blessings of their ancestors.
They could not live without the support of their ancestors.
This hunt was a solo adventure, with no one to help or support me.
It is likely that they accomplished the entire hunting operation from scratch entirely on their own.
On the hunting platform, several eunuchs were registering and weighing the game, which was piling up higher and higher.
However, no one brought back any prey that could compare to the black bear that His Majesty brought back.
Zhou Congxian walked over, still carrying the chill of the morning dew.
Did I wake you up?
"I had a few drinks yesterday and went to bed early, so I'm feeling well-rested now."
Meng Shilan glanced at him and said, "The area outside the palace is not as heavily guarded as the area inside. You've been on guard all night again."
Zhou Congxian said, "It's my turn to be on duty tonight. I just relieved the guards. I'll go to the guards' tent to catch up on some sleep in a bit."
"Look! Someone has hunted a tiger!"
Everyone looked toward the edge of the woods.
His Majesty's black bear was brought back by a dozen guards working together.
A tiger weighs at least three or four hundred pounds.
How did they manage to bring one person back?
After yesterday's incident where a black bear nearly injured someone, Zhou Congxian immediately became vigilant and rushed over.
The hunter who returned from the hunt had dark skin and looked unfamiliar; he didn't look like a pampered young master from a noble family at all.
He held the horse's reins, his eyes warily watching the people who were gathering around him.
The horse was pulling a simple wooden raft, and the tiger was lying on its side on the raft.
This is how this person brought back a huge tiger.
As they got closer, they discovered that there was another person in the tiger's arms!
It was the Seventh Prince who had fallen into a coma!
"It's the Seventh Prince!"
Zhou Congxian looked at the stranger who had suddenly barged in and cautiously drew his sword.
As he had the guards carry Xiao Lin out, he stared at him and asked, "How did you get in here?"
Weichang is surrounded by cliffs on two sides and a dense forest shrouded in miasma on the other. The only entrance is Weichang itself.
Moreover, even though the royal hunting grounds here haven't been open for hunting for several years, ordinary people are not allowed to enter.
"I climbed up the rock face just to gather herbs."
The man took out a wilted herb from his pocket.
“I knew this was the hunting ground. After gathering the herbs, I was about to return the way I came when I heard the roar of a tiger. In a panic, the young master ran to the edge of the cliff.”
Zhou Congxian glanced at the tiger. "Did you kill this tiger?"
The man nodded. "Yes, that young master said he would reward us with a hundred taels of silver if we rescued him."
Even Zhou Congxian wasn't confident that he could kill such a big tiger by himself. This person had no weapons. Could he have killed the tiger with his bare hands?
Although this person saved Xiao Lin, he climbed the cliff face with his bare hands just to gather herbs...
"I have not yet asked the name of the righteous man, or where he is from."
“My name is Lu Dashu, and I’m from Lujia Village behind here.”
"Since I have saved the young master, I should repay this life-saving grace tenfold."
"Please come this way, Mr. Lu."
There was a small tent on the edge of the woods, far from the hunting grounds, which served as a resting place for the patrolling soldiers.
Zhou Congxian arranged for that person to stay here and be kept under guard.
"Go and deliver some good wine and food."
"Go to Lujia Village for a quick search."
Xiao Lin was injured, and the Empress was frightened.
What was supposed to be a joyous occasion for both the emperor and his subjects has turned into a series of mishaps, causing unease among some in private.
It seemed like an ominous sign.
Meng Shilan doesn't believe in ghosts and gods; some people are far more terrifying than ghosts and gods.
When Fu'er woke up, she heard that the hunt had brought back a lot of prey, including a big tiger.
She immediately became excited and wanted to go see it.
Unlike the live tigers I saw at Zizhuyuan Park before, this one was dead, so I could see it up close.
Of all the children who came to the hunting grounds, only Fu'er got a close look.
The most common prey consists of small animals such as pheasants and rabbits, while larger prey includes deer and wild boars.
Meng Shilan glanced at her curiously, "Don't you like rabbits the most? You want to see more?"
Fu'er said, "I can't stop eating just because I like it. These prey that others hunt are spoils of war, but the ones I rescued and raised myself are my treasures."
"I like mine, they eat theirs."
As she spoke, she winked at her mother, "So many people in the capital are talking about you, but you haven't changed, have you?"
Meng Shilan chuckled and patted her little head. "Your father said he'll send some venison over later, and Dan Niang will roast it for you."
When the last person returned exhausted, dragging his spoils, Eunuch Tian had already registered everyone's prey.
If we're talking about weight, the tiger is the heaviest, followed by the black bear.
Inside the imperial tent, after the imperial physician finished administering acupuncture, Xiao Lin slowly woke up.
He opened his eyes and saw his elder brother, his eyes immediately filled with tears, "Brother, I almost died!"
His Majesty pushed away his lunging head. "Tell me, how did you sneak in and provoke the tiger?"
Xiao Lin was only nine years old. He wanted to go and join in the fun, but His Majesty naturally wouldn't agree.
"I...I..."
Xiao Lin confessed honestly, "After I went back yesterday, I drugged Yuanbao and the others, and then I sneaked into the hunting grounds during the guards' shift change."
"That tiger, I thought I could shoot an arrow right through its head..."
"Who knew that tiger was so strong? It snapped the tree in half in one go, and that's how I fell from the tree..."
His Majesty raised his hand and tapped his forehead. "What's going on with the person who saved you?"
Xiao Lin then remembered that he had been saved by a person with unparalleled strength.
"Yes, yes! That guy! He's incredibly strong! He punched the tiger in the head and knocked it unconscious!"
His Majesty pondered for a moment, then said, "I understand. You may rest now."
He stepped out of the tent, and Zhou Congxian happened to come to meet him.
"This man is indeed from Lujia Village. He was incredibly strong from a young age, but he was a man who brought misfortune to his family. His entire family, young and old, died, and even the widowed woman who took him in is now sick."
His Majesty put his hands behind his back and said, "Since he hunted the tiger, I naturally cannot go back on my word."
Zhou Congxian looked up in surprise, "Your Majesty?"
The Left Commander of the Imperial Guards was a sixth-rank military officer.
The current Imperial Guards are either those who have returned after three years of training at the border, or those who have risen through the ranks from the Yan Guard Camp.
If someone were to break into the hunting grounds and kill a tiger, and then leap over so many others to become a sixth-rank military officer, it's unlikely anyone would accept that.
His Majesty simply waved his hand.
"When it comes to rewarding merit, a ruler's word is law."
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