He Xulan watched as Xueya shyly dodged his hand. The corners of his lips curved slightly before he withdrew his hand. “There’s no way to hide it. If you really don’t like it, you should just wear your previous clothes.”
Xueya had finally gotten a hunting outfit to wear and wasn’t about to change back to his ruqun so quickly. He stared at the rabbit tail on his backside in the mirror for a long time, deciding that probably not many people would notice, so he continued wearing it.
But, as luck would have it, he cherished that hunting outfit so much that he folded it neatly and placed it on the table at night. Then, when he got up to drink water, he accidentally knocked over the teapot.
The hunting outfit got soaked, and by the next morning, it still hadn’t dried. So, on the first day of the spring hunt, Xueya had no choice but to wear his ruqun.
As a servant of Ningfu Palace, Xueya had to follow He Xulan. On the first day of the spring hunt, He Xulan donned an all-black hunting outfit, the wide belt cinching his waist, making him look even taller and more slender. His already stunning appearance was enough to turn heads just by sitting on his horse, without doing anything at all.
Though those gazes were restrained, they were filled with admiration.
Unlike in the palace, things were a bit more relaxed outside.
Especially this time, many officials had brought their families. Before entering the palace, He Xulan had been a prominent figure in the capital, with countless admirers and followers. When he rode through the streets, his arms would be filled with gifts of handkerchiefs, and many young men eagerly imitated his style of dress.
Even though he had since entered the palace, those who had once idolized He Xulan did not think it shameful that he, a man, had married another man. In fact, they saw He Xulan as a hero of the Great Yi Dynasty, willing to sacrifice his personal desires for the greater good.
It was a courage they lacked themselves.
These admirers, who rarely saw He Xulan, knew that the spring hunt was their only chance. Within moments, several young men had crowded around. “Empress Dowager, please allow us to accompany you on the hunt.”
He Xulan held the reins with one hand and calmly glanced over at them. He then gave a slight smile. “No need. I’m only planning to wander around today. If you follow me, you won’t get to enjoy a proper hunt. His Majesty has set a prize for today. You young men should give it your best effort—I’m quite curious to see who will win.”
Though they were turned down, He Xulan’s smile made their hearts soar, and they became determined to win the prize, hoping to catch his attention.
Soon, He Xulan had sent them all away.
Xueya had been by He Xulan’s horse initially, but when the young men arrived, he was pushed aside. Seeing He Xulan surrounded by people while he stood alone, with no one paying attention to him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit upset.
But when he saw He Xulan looking his way, Xueya deliberately stayed where he was until He Xulan called out, “Xueya, come here.”
Xueya’s anger flared up quickly but faded just as fast. Mostly, he didn’t want to waste such a beautiful day sulking. The weather was perfect—spring was in full bloom, and the landscape stretched out magnificently before him. The sight of it seemed to widen his heart.
“Your Majesty, are we going hunting?” Xueya asked excitedly.
He Xulan nodded, tugging on the reins. “You don’t know how to ride, so walk behind.”
He Xulan rode slowly, allowing Xueya to keep pace. As Xueya followed him, he couldn’t help but glance around, envying those riding horses and looking so free.
After they traveled a bit farther, there was no one else around, just He Xulan’s attendants. He Xulan stopped his horse and extended his hand toward Xueya.
He didn’t say anything, but Xueya understood and immediately beamed, grabbing He Xulan’s hand.
In the blink of an eye, Xueya found himself sitting in front of He Xulan on the horse.
He Xulan’s arms reached around him to grab the reins.
“Hold on tight,” He Xulan’s deep voice rumbled in Xueya’s ear.
Barely had he finished speaking when the horse took off, causing Xueya to let out a startled cry. He instinctively curled into He Xulan’s chest, gripping his arm tightly, afraid of falling.
But soon, Xueya cautiously opened his eyes. What he saw was a vast world, endless fields of spring grass swaying in the wind, with new green leaves dancing in the sunlight, casting golden spots of light on the ground like tiny stars.
Xueya had never seen such a view in all his life. For most of his seventeen years, he had been confined indoors. No matter how luxurious the palace was, it couldn’t show him such scenery.
Unconsciously, he forgot his fear and smiled as he felt the spring breeze on his face. Gradually, he straightened up, eagerly taking in the rare and beautiful sights.
Suddenly, Xueya spotted a rabbit darting through the grass. He immediately grabbed He Xulan’s arm, both nervous and excited. “A rabbit!”
He Xulan gave a quiet hum. “Do you want it?”
Xueya nodded quickly. He had never seen anyone hunt before, but seeing how fast the rabbit moved, he couldn’t help but ask, “Can you hit it?”
He Xulan didn’t answer. Instead, he drew his bow and aimed at the fleeing rabbit.
With a swoosh, Xueya watched the rabbit fall.
He Xulan slung his bow over his shoulder and rode over to the rabbit. It wasn’t dead—just shot through the ear. The arrow had pinned it to the ground, and although it was immobilized, it continued to struggle, kicking its hind legs.
He Xulan dismounted, pulled out the arrow, grabbed the rabbit, and tossed it into the basket hanging from the horse.
Just as he was about to mount again, a distant whistle sounded. He Xulan’s gaze quickly shifted in that direction. Although Xueya heard the whistle too, he couldn’t tell where it came from. Seeing He Xulan looking that way, he curiously followed his gaze.
“Go back with Little Pingzi and the others in a bit,” He Xulan suddenly said.
“Huh?” Xueya was a bit disappointed. “Can’t I play a little longer?”
“We’ll play again in the afternoon. I’ll send you back now.” He Xulan turned the horse around and soon returned to their previous spot, where Little Pingzi and the others were waiting.
He Xulan helped Xueya down from the horse and instructed Little Pingzi to treat the rabbit’s wound before leaving.
He had left the rabbit for Xueya to keep as a pet.
Xueya looked in the direction He Xulan had disappeared, then glanced at the rabbit Little Pingzi was holding by the ears. He licked his lips. “Little Pingzi, do you know how to skin a rabbit?”
Hungry.
I want to eat.
Unfortunately, Little Pingzi and the others don’t know how to skin a rabbit.
Xueya actually suspected they were lying because He Xulan had said before leaving that the rabbit was meant for him to keep as a pet, so Little Pingzi and the others didn’t dare skin it.
Without being able to skin it, Xueya could only tease the rabbit locked in the cage with some grass.
Little Pingzi and the others had brought along a lot of supplies, including a small cage just the right size for the rabbit. Xueya held the cage in one hand, teasing the rabbit with grass in the other, slowly walking with the group back to camp.
But then, chaos struck.
A wild bear suddenly appeared out of nowhere and charged toward them. Xueya was scared out of his wits, dropping everything and bolting. He had never run so fast in his life, and it wasn’t until his mouth filled with the taste of blood that he stopped to look back. There was no sign of the bear, but also no sign of anyone else.
Xueya was lost.
All around him were trees and grass, no landmarks to guide him.
While Xueya had a good sense of direction, he relied on buildings and other obvious markers. He had never studied, and as a former courtesan, he had no practical knowledge. He couldn’t use the sun to navigate, nor could he read nature’s signs.
He was completely panicked, retracing his steps for what felt like ages, only to find everything unfamiliar. He tried going another way, but the further he went, the more desolate it became, with no signs of human life.
“Help! Is anyone there?” Xueya shouted as loud as he could, hoping someone would hear him. But even after his voice turned hoarse, there was no response.
He was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. He didn’t even have any water with him—just the rabbit he had grabbed during his escape.
Completely worn out and on the verge of breaking down, Xueya plopped down on the ground, staring intently at the rabbit in the cage.
If only it were a roasted rabbit.
After resting for a while, Xueya forced himself to keep going. Finally, he heard voices. He ran toward the sound, excited, but when he got there, he froze.
Not far away, a group of masked men in black were surrounding a lone figure, and Xueya recognized the blood-stained man in the middle. It was Yi Yefeng.
Scattered on the ground around them were several bodies, their fates unclear, but the grass was soaked with their blood.
Xueya had stumbled upon a deadly confrontation. Panicked, he turned to flee, but it was too late—one of the masked men noticed him and rushed at him with a blade. Paralyzed with fear, Xueya couldn’t move as the sword came down toward him, his breath catching in his throat.
But just before death struck, the masked man attacking Xueya was pierced through the chest and collapsed with a grunt.
Yi Yefeng pulled out his sword, grabbed the still-shocked Xueya, slung him over his shoulder, and bolted.
The black-clad men were momentarily stunned. Yi Yefeng had just insulted them, calling them useless and urging them to attack all at once, but now he was running?
Gritting their teeth, they quickly gave chase, determined to kill Yi Yefeng today.
***
Xueya had never been carried over someone’s shoulder before. The pressure on his stomach from Yi Yefeng’s shoulder was uncomfortable, and having his head hanging down made him feel dizzy. But knowing they were fleeing for their lives, he didn’t complain and silently endured it.
The black-clad men were fast, and several times, Xueya saw blades swinging toward him. His heart couldn’t take it, so he shut his eyes, only hearing the clash of weapons and the sound of blades cutting through flesh.
Yi Yefeng kept running, and after what felt like an eternity, Xueya was finally set down. As soon as he touched the ground, his legs gave out, and his pale face flushed red from the rush of blood. Before he could catch his breath, he was picked up again.
Yi Yefeng tossed Xueya behind a large rock and gripped his sword, preparing to face the approaching black-clad men. After a brutal fight, all the attackers laid dead, but Yi Yefeng was also injured.
His arm had been slashed.
Yi Yefeng walked back to where Xueya was hiding behind the rock. Seeing him still curled up and motionless, he gave him a once-over, then crouched down and, without hesitation, ripped open Xueya’s ruqun.
