Captured by the Emperor After a Successful Faked Death - Chapter 3

The second day was the day of the Spring Hunt, which would last for ten days.

Spring is the season when all things revive. While it was called a hunt, it was really just an opportunity for the noble clans, royalty, and high officials to gather in a different setting to catch up, chat, and see if there were any suitable marriage prospects among their sons and daughters to foster alliances and build relationships.

If the Hu people weren’t also participating, Xie Chengyun would have been quite happy to come out for a change of pace.

But between reviewing memorials, lecturing, handling official business, and taking medicine every single day—while also finding the time to check on Zhu Yunyin to ensure the boy didn’t grow up crooked—Xie Chengyun wished he could split himself into eight pieces just to keep up.

As for that “Fierce General,” Xie Chengyun had already asked around: the Marquis of Dingyuan was still three days away by carriage. For these first three days, he had prepared a “field hunt.”

Everyone could just hunt rabbits, foxes, birds, and sparrows; there was no need to be obsessed with large carnivores. The big beasts were just born looking scary; who did they ever provoke?

Xie Chengyun set his heart at ease. If they couldn’t even out-hunt the others while chasing rabbits, then he truly had nothing else to say.

Let’s just go home; everyone, let’s just go home.

Looking around, perhaps because word had spread through the court that the Emperor was looking for a consort, the young ladies today were dressed exceptionally beautifully. Although they all wore veils and hats, one could still vaguely discern the peerless beauty hidden behind their masks.

Xie Chengyun thought to himself, Being an Emperor is certainly good.

When he was seventeen, he had been busy chasing after young girls, and by the time he died, he hadn’t even held a girl’s hand. But at seventeen, the male lead was already choosing a consort. Truly, comparing people to people only leads to frustration.

Xie Chengyun found a comfortable spot to sit, just preparing to see exactly what kind of person this “Fierce General” was, when a young lady approached with a waft of fragrance. Xie Chengyun hurriedly stood up.

He heard the lady whisper, “Mr. Xie, I wonder if I might sit here?”

“Of course, please, feel free.”

Seeing the lady sit down, Xie Chengyun felt awkward and immediately prepared to slip away.

Unexpectedly, the lady spoke again: “My surname is Zhuang, and my given name is Qingjun. I have long admired your name, Mr. Xie.”

Zhuang Qingjun? The name sounded familiar; she seemed to be the eldest daughter of the Secretariat Director and a famous talented woman in the capital.

Xie Chengyun didn’t know how to chat with girls, so after thinking for a long time, he replied, “I didn’t expect Miss Zhuang to come to the Spring Hunt as well. How has the Secretariat Director been lately?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Xie Chengyun regretted them.

He saw the Secretariat Director every day at court; no one knew better than him whether the man was in good health or not. Besides, why would the man come to the Spring Hunt if he wasn’t participating? Did he think everyone was here to slack off like him?

The remark made the lady laugh, a soft “pfft” sound escaping her.

She slowly removed her hat, revealing her face. “I didn’t expect you to be so interesting, Mr. Xie; you are quite different from what I imagined.”

With clouds of hair, fragrant cheeks, and elegant eyebrows, she was indeed the capital’s number-one beauty.

But why is the capital’s number-one beauty hitting on me, hey?! Isn’t this supposed to be one of the male lead’s harem members?

The lady’s slender fingers slowly presented a fragrant sachet. “I made this myself in my boudoir, knowing you are always busy. I’ve put herbs inside to clear the mind and sharpen the eyes. I hope you will accept it.”

For a moment, Xie Chengyun didn’t know where to put his hands. A faint blush spread across his face as he accepted the sachet.

Seeing him accept it, the lady put her hat back on, bowed, and departed.

Xie Chengyun squeezed the sachet and discovered a small note inside. Opening it, he saw delicate handwriting.

It read: I would rather wed the sharp blade of a sword than marry a dull youth.

Has the lady taken a fancy to me? But Miss, I am no sharp blade; I am a short-lived traitor. If you follow me, it will only bring misfortune to your family in the future.

Xie Chengyun sighed. He knew exactly what his ending would be; why drag a lady into it?

However, the moment he turned his head, he saw the little Emperor, Zhu Yunyin, standing behind him, staring at him expressionlessly with dark, inscrutable eyes.

Xie Chengyun nearly suffered a heart attack. He stepped back so suddenly he almost fell, but the little Emperor reacted quickly and caught him. With concern, he asked, “Father-in-court, are you alright?”

Xie Chengyun clutched his chest and waved a hand. “I’m fine, but why are you here? And you didn’t make a sound.”

At this, Zhu Yunyin actually acted the aggrieved one first.

He whispered, “I’ve been standing here for a long time, but you didn’t notice me at all. Seeing that you were chatting so happily, I didn’t dare come forward to disturb you.”

Ho! You were eavesdropping, and it’s my fault? Xie Chengyun was speechless, but there was no helping it; since he was the male lead and the Emperor, whatever he said was the truth.

“If you aren’t staying properly in your tent, what are you doing running around out here?”

“I saw that you weren’t there, Father-in-court, so I came out to look for you. You haven’t checked yesterday’s lessons yet.”

Forget it, forget it. Xie Chengyun wasn’t a petty person; he wouldn’t bicker with a child.

He took the little Emperor’s hand and walked toward the tent, not forgetting to urge him: “Your Majesty, the Spring Hunt is full of mixed company, including the Hu. Don’t run around without your guards next time; at the very least, take Eunuch Li with you.”

The little Emperor nodded repeatedly, though it was unclear how much he had heard.

Just then, a commotion broke out ahead.

Xie Chengyun frowned. With his sharp eyesight, he saw several large men drinking and chatting.

With thick beards, braided hair, leather armor, and sturdy builds, he knew at a glance that they were Hu people participating in the hunt. They were speaking in their native tongue.

Xie Chengyun stood still, tilting his head to listen.

“This Central Plains Spring Hunt is so boring. We traveled thousands of miles here just to accompany this effeminate little Emperor to hunt rabbits?”

“Hahaha, you don’t know the reason. Our Fierce General is here, but the Marquis of Dingyuan hasn’t arrived yet. They’re probably only making us hunt rabbits because they’re afraid of losing face.”

“Pah! Central Plains people are truly despicable. Besides the Marquis of Dingyuan, do they not have a single person who can draw a bow and shoot an arrow? Such a weak race should kneel beneath our iron cavalry. Only the children of our grasslands are fit to be the masters of this world.”

Xie Chengyun’s expression darkened. Damn Hu people. How dare they speak such arrogance in public. He knew he wasn’t the only one here who understood their language.

Zhu Yunyin tugged on Xie Chengyun’s sleeve and whispered, “Father-in-court, you understand their language?”

Xie Chengyun nodded.

Zhu Yunyin asked again, “Then what are they saying, Father-in-court?”

Xie Chengyun didn’t want to elaborate, so he took the little Emperor’s hand and said, “Let’s go back, Your Majesty.”

But that wasn’t the most infuriating part—the worst part was that they had performed worse than the Hu in the hunt.

Xie Chengyun was so angry his face turned pale. He wanted to drop his persona and go over to question those generals—Do you even deserve to be called generals? You can’t even out-hunt them when it comes to catching rabbits, and this is your own territory!

Besides, if you can’t hunt better than them, don’t you know how to cheat? Couldn’t you have had someone release more dead rabbits beforehand?

Seeing the Hu approaching in high spirits, carrying their rabbits, Xie Chengyun forced himself not to show his anger and managed a stiff smile. “Congratulations, General.”

The Fierce General looked down on weakling scholars; they couldn’t lift anything heavy or shoulder burdens. If you left them on the grasslands, they’d starve to death on their own.

Looking at this legendary Xie Chengyun, he certainly had a pretty face, with a posture as upright as bamboo, but he was as thin as a pole—as if a gust of wind could blow him over. It was already spring, yet he was still draped in a cloak, his complexion deathly pale, his lips looking as if they were painted with rouge.

The little Emperor sensed his gaze and moved silently to the left, attempting to shield Xie Chengyun.

The little Emperor of the Central Plains is different from what others say, the Fierce General thought. He’s like a wolf cub protecting its food.

The Fierce General dismounted and offered a perfunctory Hu-style salute. “I have long heard that the Central Plains are full of talent, but hearing about it is not as good as seeing it for oneself.”

Xie Chengyun’s eyebrow twitched. “General, since you are on our Shangliang soil, shouldn’t you be offering our Shangliang salute?”

“Prime Minister Xie, our Hu people are not bound by such rituals.”

“But what we in Shangliang value most is ritual.”

The surrounding crowd had already sensed the tension and had fallen silent.

The Fierce General offered a mocking, provocative smile. “Our Hu people only offer salutes to warriors we admire in our hearts. Your country insisted on a three-day field hunt—is it because you have no one capable and are waiting for that Marquis of Dingyuan to come back and hold the fort?”

“Presumptuous!”

The Vice Minister of War shouted loudly, but the Fierce General stood provocatively where he was.

A gentleman can bear what a gentleman cannot tolerate!

Xie Chengyun stepped forward. “Bring me a bow.” He looked at the Fierce General. “I wonder if I might have the honor of a competition with you?”

“How does Prime Minister Xie wish to compete? Is it more rabbit hunting?” The Fierce General’s smile remained, his face full of disdain he was just a weak scholar.

“The Fierce General’s subordinates haven’t returned yet, have they?”

Before the Fierce General could react, he saw Xie Chengyun notch an arrow on his longbow, squinting as he looked at something in the distance.

He released his fingers, and the arrow flew out, leaving only the sound of rushing wind.

Everyone present was stunned by that shot. Although they didn’t know what he had hit, it was a sharp piece of archery!

The Fierce General laughed. “Prime Minister Xie, are you performing a bow-and-arrow act for us?”

Xie Chengyun also smiled, the wind blowing his ink-black hair. He held the bow, placed a finger to his lips, and made a “shh” sound.

The Fierce General suddenly felt uneasy. A moment later, his subordinates returned.

They were all in a panic. Upon seeing him, they shouted, “General, it’s bad! It’s bad! There’s an assassin!”

“What assassin?”

A subordinate leaped off his horse. “We were picking up our game in the back when an arrow suddenly flew over. It knocked the pendant right off my ear! It must have been a long-range shot, and the assassin missed his mark.”

The Fierce General’s expression turned strange. “Where are the pendant and the arrow?”

“We brought them both.”

Saying this, he handed them over.

The connecting link of the pendant was the size of an ant, and the cut was precise; it had clearly been shot off by an arrow. All arrows used in the Spring Hunt were marked for fairness. The Fierce General held the arrow—he had an excellent memory—this was the white-feathered long arrow Xie Chengyun had just fired.

“General?”

The Fierce General turned back, offering a stiff, Central Plains-style salute. “Prime Minister Xie’s archery is truly admirable.”

Xie Chengyun stood where he was. “General, you flatter me. My archery is only at an ordinary level.”

The surrounding onlookers were speechless. Prime Minister Xie, if you knew how to shoot, you should have said so earlier—why make us suffer this humiliation? Besides, if this is your “ordinary level,” then what are we? Kindergarten level?

Thinking the matter was over, Xie Chengyun prepared to take the little Emperor and rest.

Unexpectedly, the Fierce General continued, “Prime Minister Xie’s archery is so powerful, your horsemanship shouldn’t be too bad either, right? Why don’t we have a wild hunt tomorrow? Let us have a proper competition on horseback.”

Damn it, how can I agree to that? His body was already drained from that single shot, and cold sweat was pouring down his back. If he had to ride and shoot, he’d probably die on the horse’s back without anyone else needing to lift a finger.

Before he could refuse, the Fierce General said, “We just took a city at the border called Zhalie. If Prime Minister Xie wins, I am willing to hand over the city with both hands as a prize.”

A city. An entire city.

Xie Chengyun was tempted, but Zhu Yunyin shook his head frantically. Xie Chengyun calmed down; Han Cizhi hadn’t followed him to the Spring Hunt. If something went wrong, he was a dead man.

Seeing that Xie Chengyun wasn’t swayed, the Fierce General increased the stakes. “This bow is the divine bow that only the first warrior of our Hu tribes may possess. It is rumored to have been used by Genghis Khan. If Prime Minister Xie wins, I will hand it over with both hands.”

Xie Chengyun lowered his eyes to appraise it; it was indeed a fine bow.

The bow of the first warrior of the Hu tribes its symbolic significance far outweighed the object itself.

Thinking that the little Emperor had studied archery but still lacked a proper tool, he revealed a smile. “Fierce General, it’s a deal!”

“A gentleman’s word is his bond.”

This time, Xie Chengyun truly smiled; he hadn’t expected the Hu to know their idioms.

After the man left, Zhu Yunyin’s face was dark. He ignored him and walked toward their tent on his own.

It was obvious the child was angry, and this was the first time Zhu Yunyin had ever been angry with him. Xie Chengyun felt a wave of guilt and hurriedly followed the little Emperor’s pace.

In the tent, Zhu Yunyin sat in a chair, arms crossed, refusing to look at him.

Xie Chengyun offered a fawning smile. “Your Majesty.”

Zhu Yunyin turned to the other side and continued to ignore him, arms still crossed.

Xie Chengyun had no choice but to say, “Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. My health is fine; you just wait for that city.”

Zhu Yunyin felt that Xie Chengyun was truly beyond saving. He stood up abruptly and said, “I don’t want this troublesome city! All I want is you, Father-in-court—I want you to be well. You are all I have left!”

The little Emperor’s eyes turned red, welling with tears. His delicate face looked even more like a young girl’s now that he was crying.

Xie Chengyun’s heart softened. He hugged Zhu Yunyin and patted his back to comfort him. “I know.”

“You know? If you know, then why did you agree to it! Don’t you know the state of your own body?”

Xie Chengyun felt guilty and kept his silence.

“It’s alright, Your Majesty. My body has improved much; in the last few days, I have even been taking less medicine.”

The little Emperor looked up. “Really?”

“Of course, it’s true.”

Not.

After finally coaxing the little Emperor to sleep, Xie Chengyun returned to his own tent.

Mr. Han had given him some emergency medication years ago; taking it could temporarily ward off physical discomfort. In modern terms, it was a mix of painkillers and adrenaline.

Fortunately, he had brought it with him just in case when he left.

Xie Chengyun thought smugly, I really do have foresight.

But when he thought of Han Cizhi’s face, he couldn’t feel smug anymore.

Whatever. If I get scolded, I get scolded. It’s not the first time, and I have too many debts to worry about one more.