Wild beasts were ferocious, and hunting was dangerous. So civilian hunters entering the mountains usually went in groups, or brought along one or two hunting dogs that could help pursue small animals like pheasants and wild rabbits, and help kill wolf packs or tigers and leopards when encountered.
The imperial North Garden hunt also didn’t prohibit forming teams, but points were calculated individually based on the arrows that killed the game.
One point equaled one tael of silver in rewards, and the top three total scores received additional prizes.
Lower-ranking military officials who lacked confidence in their archery or luck preferred forming teams. The one with the best archery would take the total kill score, while others helped search for and drive game. After the competition, they would divide the reward silver according to pre-agreed methods.
Princes, sons of meritorious nobles, or ambitious and capable high-ranking military officials wanted to place in the top three total scores to gain face before the Emperor. They could choose to hunt alone or recruit other military officials to serve them, which involved judgment in selecting people, hunting techniques, and tactical deployment.
Emperor Yongchang knew his second son had always hunted alone, only bringing two attendants responsible for transporting game who didn’t participate in hunting. But this year the situation was different, so Emperor Yongchang assigned Yao Lin to be second son’s deputy. With second son’s temperament, he might not be happy selecting outsiders. Yao Lin was his wife’s brother, and given second son’s loving relationship with his wife, he shouldn’t mind.
After arranging for his second son, Emperor Yongchang looked toward eldest son’s side and unsurprisingly spotted the two young masters from Duke Zhenguo’s Li family residence, both excellent sons skilled in riding, archery, and martial arts.
When ready, Emperor Yongchang led numerous dukes, marquises, famous generals, and a team of imperial guards, charging first into the hunting ground.
Prince Kang and Prince Hui followed closely behind, with nearly a hundred spirited young military officials behind them.
Entering the hunting ground, Emperor Yongchang rode to higher ground, turned his horse around, and looked back.
Prince Kang’s group followed a middle route straight toward the mountain where the most game was hidden. Looking east, Prince Hui’s fine horse raced like lightning across flat grassland. The speed looked like he desperately wanted to enter the mountain first, but Emperor Yongchang and the others could see clearly—Prince Hui wasn’t heading up the mountain at all. He kept going north, eventually becoming obscured by trees.
The hunt had just begun, and no one knew Prince Hui’s intention.
Emperor Yongchang was too far away to ask. Yao Lin, watching the prince show no intention of entering the mountain, grew anxious: “Where is Your Highness going?”
There were too few foxes for him to harbor such dreams, but wolves and deer together totaled thirty animals. Both his and the prince’s horses were exceptional mounts chosen from thousands. With their speed entering the mountain first, they could casually hunt several wolves or deer. One deer was worth ten taels of silver, one wolf twenty taels. As long as they bagged one, he could go back and boast to his hundred subordinates, to his parents and grandfather at home!
The more Yao Lin thought about it, the more excited he became. The more they veered off course following Prince Hui, the more anxious he grew.
Unfortunately, his reserved and taciturn prince brother-in-law didn’t answer him.
Yao Lin didn’t dare speak up, only following closely at every step.
The hunting ground was vast. After galloping all the way, circling several sparse woods, crossing a glittering shallow stream, about a quarter-hour later, Zhao Sui slowed down at the mountain’s northern perimeter. Finally selecting seven or eight low, leafy trees growing on a small mound, he guided his horse to hide on the shaded side of the hill, took down his bow and arrows, and didn’t move.
Zhang Yue and Wang Dong likewise sat motionless on horseback behind Prince Hui.
Yao Lin asked, “…What does Your Highness mean by this?”
Zhao Sui replied, “Waiting by the stump for rabbits.”
Yao Lin looked at Prince Hui, then at the mountain forest ahead. While looking, continuous hoof beats could still be heard from the southern side of the mountain.
After looking back and forth several times, Yao Lin understood: “Your Highness means the game in the mountain will definitely flee here because there are too many hunters entering the mountain?”
Zhao Sui said, “Not necessarily. The mountain’s range is quite extensive. Perhaps the game will be intercepted by others before running over here. It’s just that the chances of catching escapees here are greater.”
Game living in the mountains wouldn’t immediately flee outward just because hunters arrived. Only after discovering the mountain was thoroughly unsafe would they escape downhill.
Yao Lin’s face fell. Whether the chance was big or small, he didn’t like foolishly waiting here.
Zhao Sui said, “I don’t intend to compete for rankings and don’t need a deputy’s cooperation. Go hunt in the mountain yourself. Be careful.”
Yao Lin was very tempted but still refused: “I also don’t intend to compete for rankings. Since the Emperor told me to follow Your Highness, I’ll follow Your Highness.”
Zhao Sui replied, “If you could hunt wolves or deer, the princess consort would probably be very happy.”
Yao Lin thought of his younger sister waiting outside. Never mind wolves—in the past when he hunted rabbits in the mountains, his sister could jump three feet high.
He tried to persuade Prince Hui: “If Your Highness hunted the wolf, younger sister would be even happier.”
Zhang Yue and Wang Dong, silent for so long: “…”
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes and said, “The mountain paths are uneven. If I enter the mountain, there’s danger of falling from my horse.”
Yao Lin: “…”
Zhao Sui continued, “Go. I’m more accustomed to hunting alone.”
Yao Lin sensed it—the prince truly didn’t need him following along. Moreover, what use was his following? He would only say the wrong things and rub salt in the prince’s wounds!
“Alright, then Your Highness wait here. I’ll go hunt wolves in the mountain!”
Leaving behind this bold declaration, Yao Lin cracked his whip and resolutely charged into the forest.
The prince couldn’t enter the mountain to hunt wolves, right? Then he would help the prince drive wolves over!
Because Prince Hui had led him around to the mountain’s north side first, and they’d delayed there for a while, by the time Yao Lin entered the mountain, the young military officials from the south had also entered. Some searched for game from south to north, while clever ones circled from both sides, forming a four-sided encirclement of the game.
Red foxes and white foxes were small, extremely good at hiding, and intelligent creatures—encounters depended on chance and couldn’t be sought. Yao Lin didn’t count on them. He wanted to hunt wolves, which though lower in points, were more impressive and face-giving to bring out. Next choice was deer.
With difficulty spotting three wolves being driven over by others, Yao Lin chased after them trying to drive all three wolves to where Prince Hui was hiding. However, the three wolves ran in three different directions. Yao Lin could only focus on the nearest one. Seeing this one’s drive also fail, Yao Lin gritted his teeth, drew an arrow, nocked his bow. The arrow flew like a meteor and with a “zing” struck a tree after the wolf’s evasive dodge.
Yao Lin: “…”
In the spring palace military examination, his mounted archery had scored high. Apparently this wolf’s speed and evasion were superior.
Just then, another arrow shot through the air, striking the wolf squarely in the side of its neck.
Yao Lin turned his head and recognized the archer as Commander Jiang Qu, his own father’s superior’s superior!
Yao Lin excitedly rode over: “Sir, what excellent archery!”
Jiang Qu glanced at him and asked, “You’re not following the prince?”
He had spotted Yao Lin earlier. Seeing Yao Lin driving the wolf, he thought Yao Lin wanted to drive it to Prince Hui’s side. Only after Yao Lin chose to kill it himself and failed did Jiang Qu take action.
Yao Lin sighed, “The prince doesn’t need me following. He told me to earn points on my own.”
Jiang Qu asked, “The prince is on the mountain’s north side, waiting by the stump for rabbits?”
Yao Lin’s eyes widened: “How do you know?”
Jiang Qu didn’t answer.
That year when Prince Hui went on campaign to the southern border, he had served under Prince Hui’s command. It was Prince Hui who gave him the chance to establish merit, and it was Prince Hui who mentioned his battle achievements in memorials, allowing him, a son of a poor family, to become a garrison commander at such a young age.
The Prince Hui of those days never competed for military glory. The Prince Hui with crippled legs would even less greedily compete in this kind of hunting competition. So seeing Prince Hui gallop north from afar, Jiang Qu vaguely guessed Prince Hui’s purpose. Not competing was one thing, but for a dignified prince to not hunt even one decent animal would also damage his dignity. Under the premise of being unable to conveniently ride into the mountain, Prince Hui would naturally choose the most suitable ambush location.
“I’ll help you drive wolves. Just treat it as me competing with you. No need to mention me before the prince or others.”
Yao Lin was stunned: “Why would you help me, sir?”
Jiang Qu smiled and pointed at the wolf on the ground that had stopped struggling: “I took advantage of you here, so naturally I should make it up elsewhere.”
Prince Kang’s group of five entered the mountain first and were also first to encounter the wolf pack.
Duke Zhenguo’s heir Li Jingtang and second young master Li Guantang were both expert mounted archers. However, since they were helping Prince Kang win the championship this time, they could only help drive wolves but couldn’t shoot arrows themselves.
Prince Kang played chuiwan well and occasionally scored high when shooting at stationary targets while standing still. Once he started moving, his archery accuracy dropped to barely average. As for mounted archery…
When the ten wolves hadn’t completely scattered yet, Prince Kang shot five arrows that all missed. On the sixth arrow, with Li Jingtang’s timely reminder to aim left-forward, he finally hit a wolf’s hind leg. Li Guantang had already gone ahead to herd wolves.
After hunting two wolves and two deer, Li Jingtang personally led Prince Kang to search for the three foxes’ dens. Li Guantang took one of Prince Kang’s attendants on a separate route to search. Once found, the attendant would come report.
Sitting mounted, Prince Kang felt an unprecedented surge of pride. In imperial hunts, military officials tacitly left the red fox for princes, which was why his second and third brothers had hunted the red fox the previous two times. This year third brother wasn’t participating, and second brother probably wouldn’t compete with him. Finally it was his turn to hunt the red fox!
After expending considerable effort to successfully hunt a white fox, Prince Kang’s confidence in killing the red fox soared even higher.
North of the mountain.
After waiting a long time, Zhao Sui suddenly heard the rapid galloping sound of animal hooves on the ground. Before nocking his bow, Zhao Sui quietly said to Startling Mist: “Don’t move.”
Startling Mist only tilted its head toward the other side of the woods.
A chestnut-red deer with spots all over its back ran over in panic. When the deer’s peripheral vision finally noticed people hiding here as it ran past the grove where Prince Hui was concealed, the arrow in Prince Hui’s hand had already shot out, striking squarely above the deer’s hind leg. Though it injured muscle and sinew, it didn’t hurt bone.
Wang Dong chased after it and successfully intercepted the deer that could no longer run fast, tying it to his horse’s back with rope.
Zhao Sui was very satisfied with this deer. Compared to a wolf, the princess consort should prefer a live deer that could be brought back to the prince’s residence to raise in the back garden.
Deep in the woods, peering through gaps in branches and leaves, Weiyuan Marquis’s heir Cen Jun watched Prince Hui slowly leave after hunting the deer. He made a hand gesture to his deputy across the way and continued his own hunt.
His luck was good—a wolf appeared ahead.
Cen Jun killed it with one arrow. Just after the kill, he heard a thunder-like angry roar from across the way: “That was my wolf!”
Cen Jun looked up and recognized Yao Lin, who had entered with the prince—Prince Hui’s consort’s own brother. Another figure withdrew on its own without approaching.
When Yao Lin angrily rode up close, Cen Jun said calmly, “Driving it for the prince? Unfortunately, the prince has already left.”
Yao Lin: “…”
Cen Jun added, “The prince seems to have hunted a deer.”
Yao Lin: “…”
Cen Jun offered, “If you don’t mind, I can serve as your deputy and let you hunt whatever you want.”
Yao Lin’s expression changed repeatedly. He said disdainfully, “Forget it. Your ability to hit the target is your skill. We’ll each go our own way. I want to hunt on my own!”
He wanted to earn silver, but he certainly didn’t care to take advantage of others.
Shaking off that person he didn’t recognize, Yao Lin randomly picked a direction. Hearing commotion in one area, he headed toward quieter places.
Walking along, suddenly hoof beats came from the northeast. Yao Lin didn’t bother identifying the person on horseback, because he saw the game the person was chasing—it was a red-furred fox, the one and only red fox worth one hundred points and one hundred taels!
Yao Lin nocked an arrow while giving chase.
The person behind called for him to stop, but Yao Lin paid no attention. Hunting was like this—whoever shot it got it. He had twice driven wolves that benefited others. Angry as he was, he hadn’t actually gone to fight them.
After shooting two arrows, the Yao family military graduate who had scored high in mounted archery in the spring palace examination finally didn’t disappoint his years of hard practice. The second arrow hit the fox’s rear!
Yao Lin laughed heartily as he rushed over, untied the catch-net issued before entering the field, and netted the hundred-tael red fox inside.
Only then did he look toward the person who had caught up.
Duke Zhenguo residence’s second young master Li Guantang looked at him with a complex expression. If he hadn’t been waiting for Prince Kang to arrive, how could he have let the fox fall into someone else’s hands?
Yao Lin smiled at him: “The dignified second young master of a duke’s residence—surely you’re not a sore loser?”
Both following princes, Li Guantang recognized Yao Lin. Looking around, he asked: “Where is the second prince?”
Yao Lin replied, “He went back. He’s not short of silver. After hunting one deer, he left contentedly.”
Li Guantang: “…”