Jiang Changyang escorted her to the tent, watching her enter and listening for a moment to ensure she was safe before turning to leave. He looked back at the mountains shrouded in the vast night, letting out a soft sigh. This time, he had advanced in rank, becoming a Fourth Rank Mingwei General, still taking orders directly from the emperor. Though far from his ultimate goal, he knew that one day he would achieve what he desired.
Early the next morning, Mudan heard movement outside and quickly woke Snow Maiden. By the time they were dressed and ready, everyone else had almost finished packing. After a hasty breakfast, they mounted their horses, released the dogs and hawks, and headed into the mountains.
Mudan stayed close behind Li Manniang, occasionally exchanging stares with the lynx crouching on her saddle. Boldly, Mudan extended her riding crop to gently scratch its fur. Sensing no ill intent, the lynx merely watched her without reacting.
Li Manniang laughed, “Ruhua has a good temperament. If you like, I can ask your older cousin to get you a cub to raise. It’s quite nice.”
“Ruhua,” Mudan chuckled, then covered her mouth. Li Manniang certainly had a way with names. Truthfully, setting aside its alert and imposing appearance, the lynx was indeed beautiful, though the name easily led to flights of fancy.
Li Manniang joined in the laughter, “You think I’ve given it a strange name, don’t you?”
Mudan replied, “People usually prefer names like General, Jingfeng, or Leibao.”
Li Manniang smiled, “It doesn’t need a fierce name to be fierce. You’ll see its skills soon.” She leaned in and whispered, “Ruhua is more capable than Jingfeng.”
Just then, Jiang Ergong’s leopard trainer, Ake, rode past on horseback with Jingfeng sitting behind him on an ornate thick cushion. The leopard lounged with its eyes half-closed, exuding an aristocratic air. As it passed Mudan, it seemed to catch her scent, remembering her from yesterday’s encounter. It suddenly opened its eyes wide and turned to look at her, appearing ready to act.
Ruhua, behind Li Manniang, suddenly bristled, glaring at Jingfeng and emitting a low, threatening growl.
Li Manniang smiled triumphantly at Mudan. Mudan was amazed; Ruhua knew who was on its side.
Jingfeng also bristled, arching its back and half-standing on the horse. To prevent a fight, Li Manniang sharply reprimanded Ruhua. Though Ruhua crouched in submission, it remained vigilant, its back tense. Ake was more direct, turning to whip Jingfeng before offering an apologetic smile to Li Manniang and Mudan.
Mudan noticed that after Ake’s whip, Jingfeng became completely docile, lying relaxed on the cushion—a stark contrast to yesterday when it seemed unafraid of Ake and only feared Jiang Ergong. What did this mean? Mudan furrowed her brow, looking questioningly at Ake.
Ake met Mudan’s gaze openly, smiled slightly, and rode ahead.
Seeing Mudan’s puzzled expression, Li Manniang asked, “Danniang, what are you looking at?”
Mudan recounted yesterday’s events in detail. Li Manniang lowered her voice, “Jiang Ergong probably has a bad temper. His subordinates likely deceive him to keep him happy. The leopard has been with its trainer since it was young, living and eating together. It listens most to the trainer. How could it obey someone who rarely shows up, only occasionally playing with it, and lashing out with whips and fists when displeased? Fear? Maybe, but it’s probably afraid of the trainer. If the trainer weren’t nearby, I suspect the leopard would attack after a couple of lashes.”
Mudan couldn’t help but ask, “So it’s quite dangerous then?”
Li Manniang laughed, “These creatures are inherently dangerous. If they weren’t, the nobles in the capital wouldn’t be interested. Having a leopard makes one look impressive; even the young ladies can’t help but take notice.”
Mudan chuckled lightly, “What about you, Aunt? Do you look impressive with your lynx?”
Li Manniang laughed heartily, “Mine is purely for amusement, not to catch young men’s eyes. When I was in Youzhou, with your uncle and cousins away, I had to find something to do to avoid dying of boredom.”
Suddenly, there was a commotion ahead. Li Manniang urged her horse forward, “Quick, they’ve spotted game up ahead.” Mudan followed swiftly, with no time to ponder further.
That day, Ruhua showcased its skills brilliantly. The hawks, falcons, and hunting dogs brought by Princess Ankang and others also performed well. However, the supposedly most impressive and renowned Jingfeng only achieved mediocre results. While not as poor as Princess Ankang had claimed, it still greatly disappointed Jiang Ergong, who had hoped to take first place. The deer he had wanted to hunt remained elusive. Though displeased, he remembered Zhengde’s words and maintained a facade of smiles in front of Xiao Xuexue.
Princess Ankang, believing his temperament to be genuinely good, teased him a bit and suggested he should train his leopard better. Xiao Xuexue and several young nobles joined in the laughter. Normally, such good-natured teasing among young people would be brushed off, but Jiang Ergong was neither good-tempered nor broad-minded. He couldn’t tolerate any mockery, whether well-intentioned or not. Despite the constant reminders from his one-eared attendant to be patient, he could barely contain himself, forcing a stiff smile while his hand trembled visibly on his wine cup.
Seeing this, some troublemakers provoked him further. Among the young nobles, some even deliberately mentioned Jiang Changyang, boasting about his military achievements at a young age and his hunting prowess. They also praised Grand Duke Zhu’s youthful valor, implying that only Jiang Ergong was incompetent. This enraged Jiang Ergong, who nearly leaped up, restrained only by Zhengde’s firm grip on his clothes. He struggled to contain himself, veins bulging on his forehead and neck. When he bit into the roasted meat, he looked as if he were devouring human flesh.
Eventually, Xiao Xuexue diffused the situation by changing the subject, drawing everyone’s attention away from the nearly exploding Jiang Ergong. The conversation meandered through various topics, from one family to another, discussing people’s quirks, new favorites, household dynamics, lavish banquets, and personalities. Mudan sat quietly eating, listening intently, and committing to memory all the useful information about her potential clients’ taboos and preferences.
Snow Maiden, uninterested in the gossip, finished her roasted meat and tugged at Mudan to go for a walk. Mudan declined, whispering, “Listening to this could be beneficial for you too.”
Snow Maiden pouted, “I really can’t stand it anymore.” Noticing Jiang Ergong silently leaving towards where the servants were gathered, her interest was piqued. Suspecting he might lose his temper after enduring so much, she stood up with her maid, pretending to go see Li Manniang’s lynx, and followed him.
Back at the main gathering, after eating and drinking their fill, the group chatted by the fire for a while. Feeling tired and needing to rise early for another day of hunting, they soon dispersed. Mudan returned to her tent and had just finished tidying up when Snow Maiden burst in, breathless. She sat down next to Mudan on the couch and exclaimed, “Oh, Sister He, guess what I just saw? Oh my, I’m so thirsty!”
Seeing Snow Maiden’s flushed face from running, Mudan handed her a cup of water and asked, “What did you see?”
Snow Maiden took the water but didn’t drink immediately. “Jiang Ergong was venting his anger. The way he was whipping…”
Mudan immediately thought of the leopard trainer Ake and quickly asked, “Who did he beat?”
Snow Maiden took a sip of water and mumbled, “Who else? Whoever made him lose face, of course. He first whipped Jingfeng a few times. Jingfeng has a bad temper; it was dodging and roaring, looking quite fierce. Good thing it was muzzled and restrained. When the trainer came forward to plead, Jiang Ergong started lashing out at him, threatening to fire the trainer and skin Jingfeng for a rug if they couldn’t redeem themselves tomorrow. The poor trainer, beaten for no reason, still had to go comfort Jingfeng afterward.”
Mudan recalled Li Manniang’s words—that Jingfeng feared the trainer, not Jiang Ergong. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how spoiled and flattered Jiang Ergong had become, unable to see the truth. Such a person, even if granted a title, would likely lose it sooner or later. Knowing one’s child best, Grand Duke Zhu’s insistence on bringing Jiang Changyang back was probably due to guilt and long-term considerations.
Snow Maiden paused briefly, then continued, “That’s not all. When he came out and saw me standing there, he looked furious and loudly asked what I was looking at and who sent me to watch his embarrassment. That one-eared man kept pulling him back, but he even kicked him. I just told him that this wasn’t his home, and I could stand wherever I wanted; no one could control me. He glared at me like he wanted to eat me alive. But when Xiao Xuexue called him from afar, his face instantly changed. He smiled at her like a flower and spoke so gently. When Xiao Xuexue asked what he was saying to me, he shamelessly claimed I was asking him how to make the leopard more obedient. Pah! What kind of person changes faces so quickly and lies so easily?”
Is Xiao Xuexue actively showing goodwill to Jiang Ergong? What could this mean? Mudan didn’t believe Xiao Xuexue would be interested in Jiang Ergong. She frowned, thinking hard but couldn’t make sense of it. She advised Snow Maiden, “You know his temper. Why provoke him? If you accidentally offend him, even if you can get it even later, you’ll still have suffered. Get some sleep; we have to rise early tomorrow.”
Early the next morning, as Mudan left her tent, she was surprised to see Jiang Ergong and Xiao Xuexue sitting together, chatting and laughing. Jiang Ergong looked animated, showing no signs of dejection. As everyone prepared to set out for the hunt, Mudan heard Xiao Xuexue say to Jiang Ergong, “Lord Jiang, I wish you success in taking first place today.”
Jiang Ergong smiled, “Thank you for your kind words. Why don’t we go together?”
Xiao Xuexue smiled brightly, “I’m clumsy and not good at riding or archery. If I go with you, I’m afraid I’ll only hold you back.” Without waiting for Jiang Ergong to insist further, she called out loudly to Princess Ankang and swiftly joined her, leaving Jiang Ergong standing alone, looking wistful.
Mudan instinctively searched the crowd for Ake, the Jiang family’s leopard trainer. It took her a while to spot him riding on the edge of the group with Jingfeng. Today, his face was devoid of smiles, calm and aloof. In contrast, Jingfeng seemed extremely agitated, bristling at anyone who came too close. Only Ake’s touch could soothe it.
As dusk approached, everyone returned to camp and tallied their spoils. By the time the count was finished and dinner was nearly ready, Jiang Ergong and his group were still nowhere to be seen. Someone remarked, “Jiang Ergong said he’d hunt a deer today. Perhaps he went deeper into the mountains?”
Princess Ankang looked at the now completely dark sky and frowned, “I brought him here, so we should go look for him. If anything goes wrong, I can’t explain it to my aunt.”
Shuer whispered gossip in Mudan’s ear, “I heard that Grand Duke Zhu’s wife is the only daughter of the late Princess Jinchi.”
Mudan finally understood that the current Grand Duke Zhu’s wife was related to Princess Ankang and was of royal blood. It made sense; someone who could prompt the emperor to intervene personally wouldn’t be from an ordinary family. She wondered how the dramatic events of the past had unfolded.
Even though not everyone was particularly close to Jiang Ergong, out of respect for his position, people began organizing their men, horses, dogs, and torches to search for him. Just as they were about to set out, someone shouted, “They’re back! They’re back!”
With this cry, Jiang Ergong and his entourage gradually emerged into the firelight. He walked smugly at the front of the group, looking triumphant. Seeing everyone prepared to depart, he joked loudly in surprise, “Where are you all going? Has a tiger invaded the camp, forcing us to relocate in the middle of the night?”
Princess Ankang, relieved to see him return, explained, “We were about to search for you since you hadn’t returned.”
“Thank you all,” Jiang Ergong bowed to the crowd, in high spirits. “I was just chasing a deer and went a bit far. Then I came across another one and went even further. I’m sorry to have worried everyone.”
Xiao Xuexue smiled, “From what Lord Jiang says, did you hunt a deer today?”
Jiang Ergong smiled without speaking, gesturing for his attendants to bring forward the horses carrying the game for all to see. In the firelight, everyone could see two deer, a muntjac, and various small game like pheasants and rabbits.
Xiao Xuexue laughed brightly, “Oh my, Lord Jiang truly took first place today. It was worth going so far.”
Jiang Ergong, feeling vindicated, bowed to her with a smile, “Thank you for your kind words, Miss Xiao.” Then, looking at the crowd, he enthusiastically suggested, “Have you all had dinner yet? How about we skin one of these deer and roast it?”
Snow Maiden muttered discontentedly, “I can’t believe it. He took first place. What incredible luck, encountering two deer when no one else did.”
Mudan replied, “Perhaps his harsh treatment of the leopard yesterday worked.”
It wasn’t just Snow Maiden who was grumbling; many others shared the same thought. Seeing everyone’s surprised expressions, Jiang Ergong became even more pleased with himself. After a moment’s thought, he suddenly announced, “I hunted these two deer today thanks to Miss Xiao’s good wishes. To show my gratitude, besides the one we’ll eat tonight, I’d like to give the other deer to Miss Xiao. I hope you won’t refuse.”
The one-eared attendant looked dismayed upon hearing this but couldn’t stop the words already spoken. He could only fret silently on the sidelines. Everyone turned to look at Xiao Xuexue. The phrase “A dead deer in the wild” from the Book of Songs came to mind. Jiang Ergong giving a dead deer to Xiao Xuexue carried significant implications, leaving much to the imagination.
“A dead deer in the wild, wrapped in white rushes. A maiden with spring fever, enticed by a fine gentleman. In the woods, a straight tree; in the wilds, a dead deer. Bound with white rushes pure; a maiden fair as jade.” A public declaration of love—Jiang Ergong was certainly confident. Just because she had spoken kindly to him last night and this morning, he dared to be so forward. Mudan watched the unfolding drama with great interest, eager to see the outcome. However, she was certain that Xiao Xuexue would never give him such an opportunity.
Xiao Xuexue smiled naturally and asked, “Lord Jiang Er, how many deer did you hunt today in total?”
Jiang Ergong, confused, replied, “Just these two.” He noticed Xiao Xuexue’s sudden change in addressing him from “Lord Jiang” to “Lord Jiang Er,” which slightly displeased him, but he focused on the matter at hand, temporarily setting aside this small annoyance.
Xiao Xuexue shook her head seriously, “Then you don’t have enough deer to share.”
Jiang Ergong frowned, “What do you mean?”
Xiao Xuexue gracefully pointed to several people in the crowd and smiled, “I dare not take all the credit for myself. I wasn’t the only one who wished you success today. If you want to give away deer, you should give them to everyone. You can’t show favoritism, or people will say you’re not being fair.”
While she was playing dumb, her words essentially amounted to a refusal. If Jiang Ergong were sensible, he shouldn’t persist. However, Jiang Ergong was nothing if not persistent. He turned and held up a dead deer high in front of Xiao Xuexue, saying loudly, “I’ve already kept one deer for everyone to share. This one, I want to give to Miss Xiao. Surely no one will hold it against Miss Xiao for accepting. You won’t deny me this, will you?”
Xiao Xuexue’s expression remained unchanged, “Then I’m destined to disappoint Lord Jiang Er. I’m not feeling well recently and am afraid of getting too ‘heated.’ I can’t eat venison. If I accepted it, it would be a waste, so I absolutely cannot accept it.” She paused, then bowed apologetically to Jiang Ergong, asking with concern, “Lord Jiang Er, you won’t hold this against me, will you?”
Jiang Ergong’s face gradually darkened, a flash of anger in his eyes. He was about to speak again when Princess Ankang loudly intervened, “Alright, we’ve all had a busy day. Come and eat, then get some rest early. We’ll head back to the capital early tomorrow.” The one-eared attendant also tightly gripped his arm, and Xiao Xuexue quickly disappeared. Only then did Jiang Ergong reluctantly give up.
Snow Maiden couldn’t help but bury her head in Mudan’s shoulder, her whole body shaking with suppressed laughter.
The small incident caused by the impulsive and aggressive Jiang Ergong was quickly and deliberately forgotten by the crowd. People drank, ate meat, sang, and danced, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Everyone was in high spirits except for Jiang Ergong. Xiao Xuexue remained surrounded by admirers, relaxed and smiling brightly.
The night passed without further incident.
Early the next morning, shortly after Mudan and Snow Maiden had risen, they heard a commotion outside. Someone was shouting angrily, accompanied by the sound of whipping. Mudan and Snow Maiden exchanged a glance and walked out of the tent.
By the remnants of last night’s bonfire, two gray-clad servants were kneeling on the ground, enduring lashes from an enraged Jiang Ergong and crying out in pain. Several servants dressed similarly to the two stood around, angry but afraid to speak. Many servants from other households stood at a distance, whispering among themselves.
It was still early, and most people were either not awake or chose to ignore the disturbance, so no one came forward to intervene. Mudan and Snow Maiden recognized the two servants as belonging to a noble youth named Jiulang, who was close to Xiao Xuexue, but they didn’t know what had happened. They could only gesture for someone to go and find out.
Before their servant could report back, Jiulang himself strolled over leisurely, wearing a robe and yawning. He grabbed Jiang Ergong’s whip and said, “Jiang Er, why are you so angry this early in the morning? Did you eat too much venison yesterday? If you’re angry, take it out on me. Why beat the servants?”
Jiang Ergong tried to pull the whip back, glaring, “Jiulang! Your people have done a fine thing! How dare they spread such rumors to ruin my reputation! You owe me an explanation today!”
Jiulang’s lips curled in a lazy smile, his eyes cold, “May I ask, Jiang Er, what exactly did they say? Let’s hear it.”
Jiang Ergong’s lips quivered twice, his face reddening with anger and embarrassment. He shouted, “Ask them yourself!”
Jiulang looked at his servants, “What’s going on?”
One of the beaten servants suddenly lurched forward, crying out, “My lord, someone said that the deer Lord Jiang Er brought back was bought from hunters in the mountains, not hunted by himself. The teeth marks on the deer were from dogs, not hunting leopards. We didn’t say much, just that Lord Jiang Er was lucky, and we were beaten for it.”
At this, the crowd that had gathered from their tents all looked at each other in surprise. Some had already decided that Jiang Ergong had indeed done this, and muttered disdainfully, “No wonder his luck was so good. With so many skilled hunters here, only he managed to get two. So that’s how it happened.” “The Grand Duke Zhu’s son is clever…”
Seeing the contempt on people’s faces, Jiang Ergong’s face and neck reddened as he glared around, “I’ll beat anyone who spreads rumors. If you want to slander me, you’d better have proof!”