On the evening of the third day of travel, the group arrived at the North River hunting grounds.

After resting for one night, early the next morning, those participating in the hunt gathered with their longbows and quivers, clustering around the Emperor as they headed toward the hunting park.

Luo Sheng, now dressed in a青-colored riding outfit, was among them.

Before her eyes stretched an endless expanse of grassland and dense forest. Wind swept through the low grass beneath a high sky with pale clouds.

Not far away stood tent after tent.

The ladies not participating in the hunt could amuse themselves in the tents or stroll nearby to admire the scenery.

Such vast heaven and earth could not be seen from the inner quarters of households in the capital. Naturally, they couldn’t waste such fine times cooped up in the villa.

Luo Sheng gazed toward the tent adjacent to the most magnificent golden pavilion.

That was the Crown Prince’s golden tent. Zhaohua should be inside.

However, with her status as the Crown Prince’s Selected Attendant, it wasn’t convenient for her to move about freely. Even if she came out, she would inevitably be surrounded by attendants.

They still couldn’t be too hasty.

Luo Sheng gripped the reins and sighed softly in her heart.

“Cousin, let me hunt a deer for you later.” Sheng Sanlang’s black horse stood head-to-head with Luo Sheng’s jujube-red horse. Compared to his master’s excitement, the big black horse was much calmer.

Hong Dou pursed her lips: “Our miss hunted a small leopard last year.”

Sheng Sanlang was shocked: “Cousin, you really hunted a leopard?”

Luo Sheng noncommittally curved her lips slightly.

How would she know whether Miss Luo had hunted a leopard last year? If Hong Dou said so, then so be it.

Sheng Sanlang was clearly震撼: “Cousin is truly amazing… Is leopard meat better than deer meat?”

Hong Dou: “…” She had thought the young master was impressed by the miss’s glorious achievement, but it turned out he was still thinking about eating.

A horn sounded, and several cavalry squadrons galloped in all directions.

Deep in the dense forest, whistles rose and fell in succession.

Groups of deer ran across the forest meadows, attracting more wild beasts.

As the encirclement tightened, the deer herds began running in panic while jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards gave fierce chase.

Watching this scene from afar, everyone’s mood became stirred and excited.

The annual autumn hunt was truly beginning.

“Your Majesty, please take the first shot.”

Following the minister’s request, Emperor Yong’an accepted the bow and arrow handed over by an attendant and rode forward.

An arrow flew out like a meteor, striking right through a male deer.

The crowd immediately burst into waves of cheers and flattery.

“Crown Prince, please follow with your shot.”

Wei Qiang gripped the reins and looked toward Emperor Yong’an.

“Go ahead.” Emperor Yong’an nodded slightly.

Only then did Wei Qiang ride out. He surveyed his surroundings, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot.

The feathered arrow flew out and struck a white rabbit.

The crowd erupted in another round of cheers.

Although shooting a male deer and a white rabbit didn’t compare to the glory of shooting fierce beasts, the first arrow wasn’t meant to be particularly impressive anyway.

As long as the arrow didn’t miss—it was for good luck.

Next came Wei Han’s turn.

In previous years with Prince Pingnan present, as the elder brother, Prince Pingnan would shoot before Prince Kaiyang. But this year, with Prince Pingnan’s misfortune, no one from the entire Prince Pingnan Manor had come.

In the autumn hunt’s ranks, aside from the Emperor and Crown Prince, the most distinguished person was none other than Prince Kaiyang.

Crimson robes, white horse.

The handsome, stern youth gripped his longbow and rode toward the running wild beasts with astonishing momentum.

Yet it was difficult for the crowd to associate him with the romantic image of a well-dressed youth on a spirited horse. There was only the vigorous heroic bearing of military might.

Someone couldn’t help whispering: “Could Prince Kaiyang be hunting a tiger or leopard?”

“With Prince Kaiyang’s skills, hunting a tiger or leopard would naturally be no problem, but wouldn’t that be somewhat inappropriate…”

Just now, the Emperor and Crown Prince had each hunted a male deer and a rabbit. If Prince Kaiyang killed a tiger or leopard, wouldn’t that overshadow the Emperor and Crown Prince?

The follow-up shots were different from the large-scale encirclement hunt that would come next. They were part of the autumn hunt ceremony and required restraint where appropriate.

Watching that upright crimson figure, many people secretly shook their heads: Prince Kaiyang had just reached his coming of age—he was inevitably somewhat young and impetuous.

Wei Han naturally paid no attention to what others thought. He drew the longbow to full draw, and a feathered arrow swiftly flew out.

Everyone’s eyes followed the flying feathered arrow. Before they could see clearly, the arrow had already pinned the distant prey to the ground.

The speed was rather fast, the distance rather far. The crowd craned their necks and stretched their heads but couldn’t make out what wild beast Prince Kaiyang had actually hunted.

At this moment, the cavalry responsible for driving the wild beasts shouted loudly: “His Highness has hunted one wild boar—”

Wind rustled through the grass, horses swished their tails.

Yet those present seemed petrified, their expressions frozen one after another.

Had they heard wrong?

Looking at Prince Kaiyang’s heroic and spirited manner just now, even if he didn’t shoot jackals, wolves, tigers, or leopards, he should at least shoot a fox.

He hunted a wild boar…

Guards specially assigned to the task came forward to drag the wild boar away to preserve it as Prince Kaiyang’s trophy.

Everyone silently watched that thoroughly dead wild boar being dragged and carried away, their feelings complex.

In the eyes of Northern Qi people, Great Zhou’s Prince Kaiyang was a god of death. Couldn’t he bring them some glory? How could he shoot such a crude and clumsy wild boar!

The quiet scene momentarily surged with invisible resentment.

Emperor Yong’an cleared his throat and spoke: “Eleventh Brother, excellent archery.”

When a wild boar turned fierce, it was extremely ferocious. To kill it with one arrow from such a distance showed he had struck a vital point.

Not only did it require accuracy, but also sufficient force.

Prince Kaiyang’s archery was unmatched—this was a fact that even the vulgarity of a wild boar couldn’t obscure.

Hearing the Emperor speak in praise, everyone collected themselves and joined in the admiration.

The horn sounded, opening the curtain on the hunt for princes, nobles, and ministers.

“Watch me hunt a deer!” Sheng Sanlang raised his bow and charged forward excitedly.

Hong Dou was eager to try: “Miss, why aren’t you going?”

“Go ahead. You’re all free to act as you please. If you hunt good prey, we’ll roast the meat and eat it when we return.”

As soon as Luo Sheng finished speaking, she saw two youths ride out on horseback.

One was Luo Chen, the other was Xiao Qi.

Hong Dou also cheered and rushed out.

Luo Sheng shook the reins. Her speed wasn’t fast—rather than hunting, it was more like leisurely wandering.

The jujube-red horse beneath her seemed somewhat hurt in its pride and swished its tail in dissatisfaction.

A big white horse approached.

“Has Miss Luo not spotted any prey to her liking?”

Luo Sheng turned her head to look at the white horse’s rider and said coolly: “Nothing has caught my eye yet.”

The two horses ran forward side by side. The man’s clear voice sounded again: “What does Miss Luo think of the wild boar I hunted?”

Luo Sheng felt this question was difficult to answer. After thinking, she said: “Imposing and majestic?”

That crimson figure swayed slightly, nearly toppling from the white horse.

After recovering, Wei Han asked tentatively: “What does Miss Luo think about using it to make beggar’s pork knuckle?”

He still remembered the chance encounter with Miss Luo on the road back to the capital, when he had happened upon her making beggar’s pork knuckle.

The fragrance of that knuckle had not only made him pause but had also tempted a group of bandits to wait until the knuckle was done before jumping out.

Ah, that black-faced youth among the bandits had now also come hunting with Miss Luo.

“Does Your Highness want to eat beggar’s pork knuckle?”

Looking at the cool-expressioned young woman, Wei Han coughed lightly: “It’s just a suggestion. I’ll eat whatever Miss Luo makes.”