Spring Hunt

The day of the Spring Hunt arrived.

The Eighth Prince Xie Tingchun's Spring Hunt took place as scheduled. The invited nobles' sons and scholars arrived at the Capital Suburbs Hunting Grounds throughout the day, their vast procession of carriages, horses, and attendants making an impressive spectacle.

The guards the Eighth Prince had brought surrounded the hunting grounds so tightly that not even a mosquito could fly in, leaving no chance of escape even for someone with wings.

The tents for the Spring Hunt had already been pitched, and everyone was resting nearby. The noblewomen ate fruit and watched the entertainment, while those intending to hunt adjusted their bows or fed their horses, preparing for the hunt.

There was a reason for their enthusiasm.

The annual Spring Hunt had another name: a matchmaking gathering for men and women of marriageable age among the rich and powerful.

If someone at the hunt caught their fancy, they would give that person their prey to win their heart, hoping to gain their favor.

Most who could attend a royally hosted Spring Hunt came from families of comparable standing. If fate brought them together in marriage, their families would be delighted.

The young men all wore fitted riding clothes and looked capable and sharp. Eager to hunt, they wanted to display their skills before everyone and show off in front of their sweethearts.

The frail scholars, however, had little interest. Rather than hunting, they would have preferred to stay at their inns reviewing their books. Besides, the Eighth Prince had a taste for men and specifically targeted scholars with neither power nor influence.

Intimidated by his power, they had accepted the invitation despite their profound reluctance. They tried to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible and prayed the Eighth Prince would not set his sights on them.

Everyone had their own thoughts.

More than the Spring Hunt itself, those present cared about the feud between the Eighth Prince Xie Tingchun and Xie Huizhou. Every one of them burned with curiosity about the gossip.

They had heard that the Eighth Prince had also invited the supposedly useless Ninth Prince Xie Huizhou, and everyone was watching the feud between the brothers.

Those watching the drama never minded if things got worse.

According to the information they had gathered, the two had come to blows in a restaurant over a beauty they had fallen for at first sight. Having lost face in public, the Eighth Prince bore a grudge against him and was preparing to teach him a lesson.

They had heard it was a great beauty, but no one knew who.

Some of these rumors were true, and some were false.

They gathered together and quietly discussed the matter.

"Sure enough, hardly anything involving His Highness the Ninth Prince is ever good. If he isn't fighting crickets, he's fighting his older brother over a beauty."

"Was His Highness the Ninth Prince drunk? Fighting his own brother over a beauty! His Majesty has always hated strife between siblings most of all. I doubt His Highness the Ninth Prince will ever amount to anything in this lifetime."

"His Highness the Ninth Prince has never attended such a large gathering before. This must be his first appearance in person, right? What would a prince who was never raised in the palace be like?"

"What can a sickly man like him do at the Spring Hunt? He'd better not accidentally die here and get all of us implicated."

"The Imperial Preceptor personally visited the Ninth Prince before. There's no telling whether he might gain the Imperial Preceptor's support. We'd better watch what we say."

"The more we say about the grudges between the princes, the more mistakes we'll make. Let's just prepare for the hunt. Speaking of which, the Imperial Preceptor is an excellent rider. I'd really like to see it for myself."

"No, thank you. If he came, I wouldn't even dare speak. I'd be afraid he'd shoot me dead."

"Luckily, the Imperial Preceptor has never been interested in the Spring Hunt. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come."

"The Imperial Preceptor would never attend an occasion like this. Let's just enjoy ourselves."

Those enjoying a rare chance to relax discussed the matter with great enthusiasm.

Inside his tent, the Eighth Prince Xie Tingchun was wiping down his bow and arrows, waiting for Xie Huizhou to arrive at the hunting grounds.

He had already stationed his deathsworn men in ambush here. With so many people around and blades showing no mercy, he was confident he could have Xie Huizhou killed at the hunting grounds as long as he dared come.

If he dared enter the hunting grounds, he would die to an arrow from an unknown bow. If he stayed in camp, bandits would come to assassinate him.

"Are you sure he's coming?" The Eighth Prince still had not seen that loathsome figure and was growing rather uneasy. "Why isn't he here yet? Don't tell me he's lost his nerve?"

He feared only that Xie Huizhou would lose his nerve and stay away, wasting this opportunity.

All he had done was set his sights on a scholar, yet Xie Huizhou had dared come looking for trouble and made him lose face before others.

He could hardly wait to make the Spring Hunt the place where Xie Huizhou would die without a grave. Most of the people here were his. He held the advantage.

Even if someone died, he was the highest-ranking person here. Who would dare say a word?

"Your Highness, don't worry," his adviser said. "The men we sent to inquire reported that His Highness the Ninth Prince is rather fussy. He refused to come unless he had the finest carriage, which delayed him considerably. Your Highness, will you truly not reconsider? This course of action is inadvisable."

The adviser did not approve of assassinating Xie Huizhou. To resort to murder so soon over a personal grudge was far too hasty, especially when the death would occur at a Spring Hunt he himself was hosting. If anything went wrong, His Majesty would only become suspicious of the Eighth Prince.

The other princes were watching hungrily, ready to find fault with them.

This move was too hasty.

Consort Yu had cast a shadow over the Eighth Prince's childhood, and his hatred had already spread to those associated with her. "Then let him enjoy his final moments. He will die today."

With the master he served saying that, what else could the adviser do? He could only swallow his objections and carry it out.

The Eighth Prince Xie Tingchun looked up at Zhou Yanqing, the scholar he had previously set his sights on, his eyes filled with indescribable admiration for his beauty.

He had gone drinking at a restaurant and encountered Zhou Yanqing, who was lodging there. Zhou Yanqing's looks suited his tastes so perfectly that he could not resist harboring wicked intentions.

If Xie Huizhou had not suddenly intervened, he would have succeeded long ago.

"The person they're talking about is the Ninth Prince Xie Huizhou, who saved you that day?" Fang Yuanke walked over, leading his horse, and blocked the Eighth Prince's gaze toward Zhou Yanqing. The indolent young heir was rather surprised. "I really didn't expect that. To think he would save you."

Xie Huizhou was famously disinclined to meddle in other people's affairs. He spent his days drinking and indulging in pleasure, behaving outrageously and doing nothing good.

"His Highness the Ninth Prince is an honorable gentleman. Everyone has misunderstood him." Amid the mocking voices, Zhou Yanqing's face took on a livid tinge. He clenched his fists, his heart filled with grief and indignation. "It's my fault His Highness the Ninth Prince was dragged into this. Everyone knows His Highness the Eighth Prince is plotting against him, yet I can't help."

He hated that he was still merely a commoner, with nothing but looks that others coveted and no power to resist, like meat on a chopping block, at their mercy.

If he could make a name for himself in the imperial examinations and enter the court, would he be less helpless?

Would he be able to help Xie Huizhou?

"Do you need me to cause some trouble for the Eighth Prince?" Fang Yuanke asked. "We're friends. I can at least manage something that small."

He had encountered the still-shaken Zhou Yanqing at the restaurant that day. As they talked, they had felt they should have met sooner and come to regard each other as confidants. He was furious over what Zhou Yanqing had suffered.

He felt for him, having encountered a scumbag like the Eighth Prince who intended to humiliate him.

"No. I'll distinguish myself in the imperial examinations. Sooner or later, I'll have a place at court. They won't be able to keep acting so arrogantly before me." The desire to become a powerful minister took root in Zhou Yanqing's heart. "If His Highness the Ninth Prince is here today, I'd like to thank him in person."

Ever since that day, Zhou Yanqing had been grateful to Xie Huizhou for saving him from the Eighth Prince's clutches. But their status differed, and as a commoner without office, he could hardly pay a personal visit.

If Xie Huizhou came this time, he wanted to thank him face-to-face. If he could befriend His Highness the Ninth Prince, that would be even better.

He wanted to help His Highness the Ninth Prince ascend to that position.

Just then-

Xie Huizhou's carriage came rolling back at a leisurely pace, accompanied by his disreputable friends. The late arrivals drew the attention of everyone present.

Arriving only at the very last moment-he truly showed no regard for the Eighth Prince.

"Your Highness, we've reached the hunting grounds. Allow this old servant to help you down." Eunuch Li lifted the carriage curtain and helped the youth out. "The wind is strong here. Please take care of your health, Your Highness."

Having slept the whole way, Xie Huizhou opened his drowsy eyes at the sound of Eunuch Li's voice and slowly stepped down. He swept a casual glance around, then walked unhurriedly toward the crowd.

"I was delayed on the way. Sorry to have kept you all waiting."

Those who had never seen Xie Huizhou before drew sharp breaths at his extraordinary beauty.

"This is His Highness the Ninth Prince?"