After the Crybaby Married the Disabled Villain - Chapter 26

Ultimately, no one managed to gain much of an advantage at the palace banquet. However, An Yu certainly ate happily; say what you will about the Emperor, but the dishes he provided were top-tier in terms of flavor.

The next day, the Autumn Hunt officially began. The officials crowded around Emperor Hongchang as they walked toward the viewing stands outside the hunting grounds.

The view was indeed excellent. The viewing stands were situated slightly higher than the hunting grounds, allowing one to see a few hundred meters into the entrance. The hunting grounds were immense, covering almost an entire mountain peak; what could be seen from the stands was merely the tip of the iceberg.

However, this was enough for the officials to enjoy the spectacle.

A group of princes and young noble masters prepared to enter the grounds were all geared up and ready to go. Dressed in athletic hunting attire with their hair tied into high ponytails, the twenty-odd young men looked vibrant and full of ambition.

But in any crowd, there are bound to be a few brainless NPCs.

Just as the final preparations were being made, a youth in the crowd suddenly spoke up:

“Everyone says the Crown Prince is brave and skilled in battle, and that in years past, he crushed the Xiliang soldiers on the battlefield. Why not let us witness his demeanor today?”

His tone was thick with provocation. Instantly, all eyes were fixed on the speaker. He was not particularly striking of average height and ordinary features; had he not been dressed in fine attire, he might have been mistaken for someone’s servant.

“Wang Yin! Audacious!”

A civil official sitting in the viewing stands spoke first. His brow was knit tightly in a display of sternness, clearly displeased with the one who had spoken.

“Father, what I said was correct. We merely wish to admire the Crown Prince’s majesty.”

The civil official was so angered that he broke into a fit of coughing, and the hand he used to point at Wang Yin trembled slightly.

“You!”

Other officials nearby hurried to console him:

“Lord Wang, please calm your anger. Your son is merely showing his admiration for the Crown Prince.”

“Lord Wang, Lord Wang, quickly drink some tea to soothe your spirit.”

The Emperor looked at Wang Yin and let out a light laugh, like an elder who wouldn’t lower himself to argue with a child:

“The Crown Prince is currently afflicted by illness. If he were in good health, I would naturally let you all admire his demeanor.”

Lord Wang breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Emperor Hongchang’s words, knowing his ne’er-do-well son had escaped a disaster.

However, before he could even draw another breath, Wang Yin refused to give up:

“This commoner naturally understands. But I do not wish for the Crown Prince to hunt alongside us; I merely wish to witness the Crown Prince’s superb archery. Surely, the Crown Prince is capable of that much.”

Lord Wang was beyond speech. He clutched his chest, his hand trembling as he pointed at Wang Yin. The Emperor had already stepped in to resolve the situation; there was no reason to keep pushing his luck.

The crowd looked at one another, unsure whether they should intervene or not.

“Why must Young Master Wang be so pushy? Everyone knows Imperial Brother Crown Prince is currently frail and sickly, subsisting on decoctions daily. To make such a request at this time is surely to make things difficult for him. Could it be that you harbor some dissatisfaction toward Father Emperor?”

The Fifth Prince, who had been silent in the crowd, uttered these words, causing a wave of gasps to echo through the stands.

Emperor Hongchang’s expression grew somewhat solemn.

An Yu almost wanted to stand up and see just how “transcendent” this Fifth Prince was; these words had directly elevated the matter to the level of the relationship between sovereign and subject.

“Your Majesty, forgive me! My son’s wild words are due to my failure in teaching him; I beg Your Majesty for mercy!”

Lord Wang ran directly down from the stands and knelt in the middle of the clearing. The mountain ground was covered in sand, gravel, and weeds; the old official knelt so forcefully that the expensive fabric at his knees tore instantly.

“This commoner certainly didn’t mean that!”

The youth also realized the situation was wrong and hurriedly tried to explain. Seeing no one respond, he rushed to his father’s side and knelt down.

“Your Majesty is wise! This commoner would not dare!”

The Empress let out a helpless sigh.

“Today is the first day of the Autumn Hunt; there is no need for this. Young Master Wang merely admires Shiyan’s archery; how could it possibly involve the relationship between sovereign and subject? The rest of us are laymen; why not let Shiyan speak for himself? Can you give everyone a demonstration today?”

Her words were light and airy, and Emperor Hongchang also turned his gaze toward Lu Shiyan. Even the father and son on the ground turned their heads expectantly; a flicker of success flashed in Wang Yin’s eyes.

Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Lu Shiyan coughed so hard he was out of breath. An Yu, at his side, hurriedly patted his back, his face full of worry.

“Your son… cough, cough… does not wish to fail the expectations of Father Emperor and the Lords, cough cough… however… cough cough.”

Before he could finish the sentence, his face was already flushed from coughing.

“It is only that I fear I would lose Father Emperor’s face.”

He followed this with several more coughs, while An Yu continued to pat his back to provide relief.

“It is no matter. Since your health allows it, then let them gain some knowledge.”

Emperor Hongchang’s words satisfied the crowd. The Wang father and son hurriedly rose and hid at the back of the group. Lord Wang, who had been sitting in the front of the stands, even swapped seats with someone else, fearing he would be noticed.

While the head eunuch was ordering people to prepare targets, An Yu stared at the Wang youth and said:

“Young Master Wang wanted to admire the Crown Prince’s demeanor; how can you admire it while hiding at the back of the crowd?”

At these words, the noble masters in front of Wang Yin immediately cleared a path, exposing his startled and panicked face.

The Fourth Prince, Lu Mufeng, gave a light laugh:

“We brothers have already witnessed Imperial Brother’s archery, but I’ve heard that on the battlefield, Imperial Brother could kill a person galloping on a horse with a single shot. That is something we truly haven’t seen.”

An Yu: Oh?

“How about this: Young Master Wang can hold a target and ride a lap on his horse, and we’ll let Imperial Brother take the shot. Would that not display his exquisite skill even better?”

“This—” “Is that not too dangerous?” “Fourth Prince, absolutely not!”

An Yu loosened his clenched fists: As expected, an ally.

The sounds of the officials’ discussion reached Emperor Hongchang’s ears, making him waver: “Mufeng, this method—”

Before Emperor Hongchang could finish, An Yu spoke as if he hadn’t heard him:

“This method is excellent! Does Father Emperor still not trust the Crown Prince? He is indeed the one who inherited Father Emperor’s bravery and skill in battle.”

Emperor Hongchang already had a biased trust in An Yu, so he acted as if he hadn’t intended to object. Not to mention, An Yu had just directly flattered him.

He suddenly laughed aloud, like a kind father waiting for his son to display his prowess: “The Crown Princess speaks well! Then we shall trouble Young Master Wang. Shiyan, you aren’t allowed to lose face.”

Lord Wang felt like he was about to faint upon hearing this. Wang Yin was so terrified his face turned ashen; his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

The horses and targets were ready, but a bow was still missing.

“Imperial Brother!”

After the sound of a bow cutting through the air, Lu Shiyan reached out and steadily caught the fine bow thrown by the Fifth Prince. One could see its value was immeasurable; every inch of it was exquisite and beautiful.

An Yu smiled and nodded at the Fifth Prince. Ally count: plus one.

On the other side, Wang Yin was pushed onto a horse by several large guards. He clutched the target in his hands, trembling as he lay flat against the horse’s back, not daring to look forward. The target was pressed so close to the horse’s body that it was impossible to shoot.

“Young Master Wang, sit up!” “That’s right, Young Master Wang, rest assured. The Crown Prince won’t miss.”

An Yu took advantage of the noisy crowd to shout mockingly: “Sit up, Young Master Wang!”

Someone whipped the horse, and it suddenly bolted forward. Wang Yin, unable to react, nearly fell off; he stopped caring about the target and sat upright to control the horse’s direction.

“Whoosh!” A sharp arrow pierced the air.

Before Wang Yin, riding the horse, could even react, a sharp arrow struck the center of the target in his hand.

The force of the arrow drove it halfway through the target, making Wang Yin’s hand go slightly numb. He stared with disbelief at the “sickly and weak” Crown Prince who had just finished the shot.

“Cough, cough cough.” “Your Highness.”

Lu Shiyan’s arm dropped naturally, and the bow dangled toward the ground. He broke into an uncontrollable fit of coughing. The officials around him looked at one another, but not a single one dared to go forward to offer their regards.

After the horse ran a few more laps, it stopped steadily among the crowd. Wang Yin scrambled down from the horse, nearly kneeling on the ground in his shaking state.

Only then did everyone see the state of the target in his hand: the long arrow had pierced through the bullseye, with only the fletching remaining on the front to keep it from going all the way through.

“This!” “To have such accuracy!”

Wang Yin murmured: “How! How can this be!”

The officials marveled one after another, yet not one dared to stand out and offer praise.

“Imperial Brother is truly formidable! I am filled with admiration.”

The Fifth Prince also added: “To think I harbored thoughts of competing with Imperial Brother; indeed, I was too arrogant.”

The truly arrogant Wang Yin could not say a word now. He stood frozen in place until someone pulled him from behind, hiding him back into the crowd.

No one dared let the Fifth Prince’s words fall flat, so someone immediately called out:

“The Crown Prince is indeed worthy of being raised by Your Majesty; he is the blessing of our Great Shang!” “Your Majesty is wise!” “Your Majesty is wise!”

The flattery is practically hitting the sky, An Yu thought indignantly.

He continued to massage Lu Shiyan’s arm, feeling the solid muscle of his upper arm and even giving it a few extra squeezes for his own private amusement.

Fortunately, he has to turn his wheelchair every day, otherwise the muscles in his arms would have atrophied too.

Lu Shiyan turned his head helplessly: “Xiao Yu.”

The Empress finally acknowledged Lu Shiyan’s intermittent coughing and said warmly: “Shiyan is indeed the young general of Great Shang. Were you injured just now?”

“In response to Her Majesty, I merely overexerted myself slightly. Drinking some medicine will set it right.”

“Then rest well. In a while, I shall have Meng Hai send you some newly arrived ginseng. If you are tired later, you may go back and rest.”

“I thank Father Emperor.”

The Autumn Hunt officially began. Emperor Hongchang brought out his own prized bow—a pure black bow that appeared even more precious than the Fifth Prince’s, adorned with black and green gemstones that added a touch of magnificence.

Emperor Hongchang declared that whoever took the top spot in this Autumn Hunt would be rewarded with this bow. The young men were instantly filled with excitement, their eyes fixed on the bow in the Emperor’s hand, shining with the light of determination.

The field once again rang with shouts of “Long live the Emperor!”

The weather was cool, and the tree shadows were mottled.

More than twenty young men galloped toward the hunting enclosure, scattering at the entrance to race toward different parts of the forest.

Lu Youqi rode his horse. Once he had galloped out of the range of the viewing stands, he reined in his horse and slowed down. He meandered through the forest without a trace of his previous urgency.

The horse was led into the depths of the forest, where the trees were densely intertwined and the surroundings were so quiet it felt as if he were the only one left in the hunting grounds.

“Second Highness.”

A voice sounded behind Lu Youqi. A man in black robes was kneeling on the ground, his entire face hidden under his hood, save for his eyes which were clearly not a color possessed by the people of Great Shang.

“Did you bring the item?”

The man took a packet of powdered medicine from his chest and handed it to Lu Youqi, then vanished back into the forest.

Looking at the item in his hand, a contemptuous smile curled on Lu Youqi’s lips, and his eyes narrowed with a sinister look. He applied the powder to each of his arrows, then used a fire starter to burn the remainder into ash.