Captured by the Emperor After a Successful Faked Death - Chapter 4

On the day of the wild hunt, Xie Chengyun tied up his long hair and donned a white, fitted martial outfit.

The Hu people stood far off in the hunting grounds, watching him. Xie Chengyun smiled and gave them a slight nod.

A guard led a horse over, and when Xie Chengyun looked at it, he found it remarkably familiar. The horse didn’t seem to recognize him as a stranger either, lowering its head to nuzzle against Xie Chengyun’s face.

The guard cupped his hands in a salute. “Prime Minister Xie, I heard you had no horse of your own. This is a prize steed the Marquis of Dingyuan left behind in the capital; I hope it can be of assistance to you.”

There are many famous horses in the world, but the Marquis of Dingyuan’s horses are far more precious than any famous breed. Having braved life and death alongside the Marquis, a horse is the most vital partner a soldier can have on the battlefield. A soldier might mistreat himself, but he would never mistreat his horse—because at a critical moment, the horse could save a life.

Xie Chengyun did not stand on ceremony. “Many thanks!” he said, flipping onto the horse with a suave, spirited grace.

Time had left no mark on Xie Chengyun’s face; it had only transformed the boyish youth into a more mature man. Seeing him in the saddle, many recalled the seventeen-year-old top scholar, wearing a red flower, full of spirit as he rode his horse through the spring breeze.

Xie Chengyun and the Fierce General stood face-to-face. The General pointed to the left, where a black bear stood.

The Fierce General said, “Prime Minister Xie, we know your health is poor. We don’t wish to bully anyone. How about we decide the winner with a single hunt?”

“Oh?”

“Today, let us hunt the bear. Whoever hits this black bear first will be the champion.”

The black bear, as tall as a man, was kept in a cage. It had been starved for several days and was now drooling at the sight of humans. Xie Chengyun felt that the bear could kill him with a single swipe of its paw. But there was no help for it the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to regret.

He tried to comfort himself: Deciding it with one bear is better than riding a horse all day.

He nodded. “Very well!”

Zhu Yunyin watched Xie Chengyun from the viewing platform, filled with worry. Eunuch Li said kindly, “Do not worry, Your Majesty. Didn’t Prime Minister Xie say yesterday that his health has improved?”

Seeing that Zhu Yunyin was still frowning, Eunuch Li added, “Riding and archery are part of the Six Arts of a Gentleman. I heard yesterday that when Prime Minister Xie compared archery skills with the Marquis of Dingyuan in his youth, even the Marquis couldn’t beat him. Having Xie compete against that Hu is practically a waste of his talents.”

Only then did Zhu Yunyin’s expression soften. He glanced down at the Fierce General, thinking: If anything happens to the Father-in-court, I will make sure that man is buried with him.

As the black bear was released into the mountains, a whistle blew a moment later.

Xie Chengyun and the Fierce General both spurred their horses forward simultaneously. Having taken Han Cizhi’s medicine, Xie Chengyun felt a rare surge of strength flooding his entire body. He leaned low, watching the scenery change around him, a look of certain victory on his face.

Plagued by illness and tasked with caring for the young Emperor, he had almost forgotten that he himself was only twenty-six years old this year.

The wind whistled past. He saw the black bear up ahead. He saw it, and naturally, the Fierce General saw it too. His was a white-feathered arrow; the Hu’s was a black-feathered one.

Xie Chengyun straightened in his saddle, ready to notch his bow, but the Fierce General was also drawing his. Xie Chengyun frowned, watching the bear run toward a different area, and retracted his bow. It is not yet time.

Although the medicine allowed him to ride and shoot like a normal man, the foundation of this body was still fragile; he had to kill with a single strike. He didn’t know if he would have the strength for a second shot, or if he would fall from his horse after firing.

They followed the bear deep into the jungle. The Fierce General had already fired three arrows, only one of which had struck the bear’s right leg. The Fierce General cursed in his native tongue. Xie Chengyun watched the bear’s pace slow down due to the injury. A good opportunity!

He immediately pulled his bow taut. Seeing this, the Fierce General did the same.

Three. Two. One!

Xie Chengyun released the string, and the Fierce General did the same at that exact moment.

Two arrows flew out, leaving only the sound of them piercing through the forest. The attendants following behind were tense, and Zhu Yunyin, standing on the viewing platform, gripped his hands so tightly that sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Swish!

The Fierce General’s arrow missed, landing in a tree beside the bear.

At that moment, only the white-feathered arrow remained in the wind.

Crunch!

There was another sound. The white-feathered arrow pierced through the bear’s skull and continued with enough momentum to carry the bear along and pin it to a large tree behind it.

The winner was decided, and cheers erupted across the field. Even the ladies wearing veils stood up to applaud!

But Xie Chengyun felt everything around him twisting; his head grew dizzier and dizzier…

Zhu Yunyin was the first to notice something was wrong. He immediately shouted, “Quickly, help Prime Minister Xie off his horse! Hurry!”

Xie Chengyun gripped the reins, thinking: Too late, little Emperor. Your father-figure is about to fall.

The ground looks quite hard. I wonder if I’ll break my face? I haven’t even held a girl’s hand yet—if I break my face, will anyone still want me?

Zhu Yunyin rushed down from the viewing platform and ran toward Xie Chengyun. A crowd followed behind him—Useless, they’re all useless!

Just as Xie Chengyun was about to tumble from his horse, a man in light silver armor riding a reddish-brown stallion crossed the crowd. The horse’s hooves kicked up clouds of dust as it landed. The man’s horsemanship was superb; in only a few seconds, he reached Xie Chengyun’s side, scooped him up in his arms, and pulled him onto his horse.

Xie Chengyun was already drifting out of consciousness, coughing violently as if he would cough his very internal organs out. The man held him, smoothing his chest, and whispered softly into his ear, “It’s all right… A-Yun, it’s all right.”

“I am here. I am here to take your place.”

Xie Chengyun coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, struggling to see who it was. But his body was too limp to turn. The man seemed to know what he wanted; he took Xie Chengyun’s hand and placed it against his own face. Xie Chengyun felt him—from his brows and eyes to his high-bridged nose. He knew who it was, and only then did he fall into a peaceful unconsciousness.

Zhu Yunyin stood in the distance, his expression darkening as he watched the two in such an intimate embrace.

The man carried Xie Chengyun off the horse and walked slowly toward them. Blood stained his silver armor like red plum blossoms. He handed Xie Chengyun to the medical officer and then walked to Zhu Yunyin, bending his knee to salute. “This subject arrived late; I beg Your Majesty for punishment.”

Zhu Yunyin stood before him. Clearly, he was the Emperor, the master of the realm, but he felt incredibly weak. He could not protect the person he wanted to protect. He was too useless; he could only rely on others.

Zhu Yunyin looked at the man before him, killing intent hidden in his eyes. It does not matter; he is still young. One day, he will take this man’s place. He offered a smile and said softly, “Rise. The journey is long; the Marquis of Dingyuan has worked hard.”

The barrier of the Central Plains was not the city walls, the terrain, or the gods—it was this man.

The Marquis of Dingyuan—Zhou Biji.

“I will leave things here to the Marquis. I shall go see how the Prime Minister is.”

The Marquis lowered his head to clear the path. Only after Zhu Yunyin had left did he raise his face. Long years of warfare had filled him with a solemn, killing aura. Just a single look was enough to make one want to prostrate themselves in fear. It was the presence and dignity that only those who had returned from nine deaths on the battlefield could possess.

In the Hu tent, a small, thin man was pacing back and forth in a frenzy. When he saw the Fierce General, he used his native tongue to berate him, his frustration evident. “I thought the first three days were for field hunting, so I didn’t come, but what were you thinking? How dare you speak ill of the little Emperor in public? Did you not know Xie Chengyun understands our language? And how could you dare to compete against him?”

“The little Emperor is effeminate anyway; I didn’t say anything wrong. Xie Chengyun, too—he looked like he would fall over if a breeze hit him; who knew he could actually win? Military Advisor, you can’t blame me for this.”

The Advisor looked ready to jump up and slap the man. “The late Emperor entrusted his orphaned son to Xie Chengyun!”

“Who in this world doesn’t know that Xie Chengyun and Zhou Biji grew up together? If Xie Chengyun hadn’t been in poor health and left to study, he would be the one who defeated you three times today!”

The Fierce General rubbed his nose. “Is he really that formidable?”

“What do you mean ‘is he that formidable’? He is formidable! And Zhou Biji has been stationed at the frontier for a long time; there is only Xie Chengyun in the Imperial City, raising that unweaned little Emperor.”

“You chose to bully them at this time—isn’t that just taking advantage of the fact that the ‘husband’ isn’t home to rely on, and bullying a single mother and a child?”

Seeing the Fierce General stay silent, the man continued, “It would have been one thing if Zhou Biji hadn’t returned, but you actually managed to get caught in the act of bullying orphans and widows. Go quickly and wash your neck clean; the Marquis of Dingyuan is coming to make trouble for you.” He paused for a long moment, then added, “You had best pray that Xie Chengyun is okay. If anything happens to him, neither you nor I will be able to face the consequences.”

“He wouldn’t dare! I am the first warrior of the Hu tribes, one of the sixteen sons of the Meng tribe!” The Fierce General slammed his hand on the table.

The Advisor scoffed. “Even if you are the little Emperor of Shangliang, it wouldn’t matter. Have you forgotten the Youlan Pavilion Incident? Is there anything Zhou Biji wouldn’t dare do for Xie Chengyun?”

In the large tent, Zhu Yunyin sat by the bed, holding the freshly boiled medicine. He carefully blew on it until it was lukewarm before offering it to the Father-in-court’s lips.

Xie Chengyun, acting unusually childish in his delirium, turned his head away. “I won’t drink it.”

“Father-in-court, you must drink your medicine to get better.”

“It’s bitter… I won’t drink it.”

Zhu Yunyin raised an eyebrow and took a sniff; it was indeed foul-smelling. He looked at the thick, bile-like liquid and took a spoonful himself. He couldn’t help but spit it out as soon as it hit his tongue; Eunuch Li hurriedly handed him a handkerchief.

What is this stuff? It’s not just bitter—it’s foul. It was sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty all at once. Will he lose his sense of taste if he drinks this for too long?

Seeing the Emperor frown, Eunuch Li hurriedly brought him a cup of water. “Your Majesty, should this servant feed him instead?”

Zhu Yunyin shook his head, unable to stop himself from asking, “Has the Father-in-court’s medicine always tasted like this?”

Before Eunuch Li could answer, a voice came from outside the tent: “Of course.”

Zhu Yunyin looked up and saw the Marquis of Dingyuan walking toward them from a distance. Before Zhou Biji could salute, Zhu Yunyin waved his hand to excuse the formality. Zhou Biji did not treat Zhu Yunyin as an outsider; he was from the Emperor’s mother’s side by rank, he was the little Emperor’s uncle.

Zhou Biji took the medicine from Zhu Yunyin’s hand. “A-Yun has been in poor health since he was young and has had to drink this soup and medicine every day.”

“I have searched through every ancient secret remedy, and this is the most effective. A-Yun didn’t want to drink it when he was little, so I would coax him with candy. Later, as he grew up, he didn’t need to be coaxed and could drink it himself.”

This was a past he knew nothing about. Zhu Yunyin’s jealousy was so intense that his face nearly twisted, but he dared not show it. Because this was his Father-in-court.

He still remembered standing behind a screen when he was young, secretly watching Xie Chengyun. He saw his father take Xie Chengyun’s hand and say, “I do not have long to live, and I cannot rest easy with only one son. His mother is not a good person, so I can only entrust him to you.”

His father called him out and told him to kowtow and call him Father-in-court; he had secretly looked up at the Father-in-court’s face. At that time, his Father-in-court was still young, only twenty-one.

His father passed away, and his mother wanted her lover, not her son. It was his Father-in-court who took his hand, using iron-fisted methods to stabilize the situation and push him onto the throne.

His Father-in-court had sacrificed everything to raise him. How could he not love such a good Father-in-court, who was only eight years his senior?

This was the official his father had chosen to guard him his only reliance in life.