The annual autumn hunt was a grand tradition. Before her marriage, Mingtan, not being of royal blood and lacking an official title, was never allowed to participate. Last year, she had traveled south with Jiang Xu, returning just too late for the event. So this year, Mingtan was eager to witness the spectacle.
“Very well,” Jiang Xu said casually, reviewing confidential reports from the northwest in his study. “You’ve been cooped up in the manor for a while. Some fresh air would do you good. Didn’t you have riding attire made before? That should suffice.”
Mingtan inwardly rolled her eyes. Setting down her ink stone, she emphasized, “That riding outfit was made last early summer!”
“Then have a new one made.”
“With the snow-white silk, you gave me over a year ago? It’s out of fashion now.”
Jiang Xu fell silent for a moment before murmuring, “I thought the Princess Consort wanted to be frugal?”
“This is different!” Mingtan insisted.
“How so?” Jiang Xu resealed the reports and looked up at her, seemingly ready to listen.
Mingtan shuffled over in small steps, settling into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. Looking into his eyes, she said, “The fifth prince and sixth princess of Nanlu are coming this time, aren’t they?”
“What’s that got to do with you?” Jiang Xu met her gaze unflinchingly.
Mingtan held his stare for a moment. Seeing no hint of guilt in his eyes, she let her gaze wander down to his chest. She poked him gently with her index finger, her tone turning mildly threatening. “You ask what it has to do with me?”
Jiang Xu was often slow to catch on to such matters. After a while, amidst Mingtan’s repeated mentions of the “Nanlu princess,” he finally understood.
“Nonsense,” he dismissed.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Mingtan persisted, tightening her embrace.
Jiang Xu fell silent, unsure how to refute her.
The rumor had reached the capital through merchants traveling between north and south. It was said that after Princess Yongle, Zhai Nianci, was sent to Nanlu for a political marriage, she was treated with due respect, given Nanlu’s desire to maintain good relations with Daxian. However, for some unknown reason, she had gotten into an argument with Nanlu’s sixth princess, born to the queen, and showered with affection, at a banquet.
And this dispute was over the Prince of Beiding from Daxian—
According to the rumors, the Prince of Beiding had visited Nanlu with a diplomatic mission in his youth. The Nanlu sixth princess, only about ten years old then and whose father had not yet ascended the throne, had fallen for him at first sight during a banquet.
When the new Nanlu king ascended the throne and sought to strengthen ties with Daxian through marriage, the sixth princess pleaded with her father to arrange this marriage. Little did she know that her beloved Prince of Beiding had already taken a wife.
Upon learning this, the sixth princess threw a massive tantrum, irrationally demanding her father draft a letter asking the Daxian emperor to order the Prince of Beiding to divorce his wife. The Nanlu king nearly fainted from anger.
Not only was it doubtful that the Daxian emperor could order the Prince of Beiding to do anything, but the prince’s wife also came from an illustrious family, with her father commanding significant military power in Daxian. How could the Daxian emperor be foolish enough to do such a thing? Sending such a letter would be tantamount to seeking trouble with Daxian.
After barely quelling this matter for a few days, the sixth princess declared that she would be willing to become a concubine if it meant marrying the Prince of Beiding.
While she might have been willing, the Nanlu king still had his pride! She was the daughter of the queen, the most noble princess of Nanlu. How could she eagerly offer to be a mere concubine to a Daxian prince?
To prevent his beloved daughter from concocting any more outlandish ideas, the Nanlu king hastily dispatched envoys to Daxian to seek a princess in marriage, finally putting an end to her fantasies.
However, the Nanlu sixth princess remained resentful. She blamed the Yongle Princess who had been sent to Nanlu for a political marriage, believing that if not for her, she could have become the Prince of Beiding’s side consort. Consequently, she often caused trouble for the Yongle Princess in the Nanlu palace.
But the Yongle Princess was no pushover either. After enduring several incidents, she finally lost her temper at a banquet after drinking some wine. She publicly argued with the sixth princess, telling her to wake up and stop daydreaming!
…
These rumors had been circulating since last year, with vivid details that lent them credibility. Mingtan found them quite believable. However, with Nanlu being thousands of miles away from the capital, she couldn’t be bothered with such distant matters. Besides, her husband’s popularity reflected well on her, satisfying a young woman’s vanity…
But what happened in faraway Nanlu was one thing; now that they were coming to the capital with the diplomatic mission and participating in the autumn hunt, it was quite another matter.
Seeing that his little wife wasn’t going to let this go, Jiang Xu finally asked after a long silence, “What do you want to do?”
Mingtan had been waiting for this question: “I want to have riding attire made to match yours. The kind that, at a glance, everyone will know I’m your wife.”
“When you’re with me, who wouldn’t know you’re my wife?”
“I don’t care. I insist on having it made. If you don’t agree, it means you don’t love me,” Mingtan wheedled softly.
“…”
Wearing matching riding attire in public, which, given her taste in clothes, would undoubtedly be extravagant, seemed unnecessary to Jiang Xu.
However, in the deep of night, faced with his little wife’s seductive charms, the Prince of Beiding once again found himself defeated.
–
Several days later, the autumn hunt commenced in the imperial forest on the outskirts of the capital. As the first grand gathering in the capital in nearly half a year, all officials were present, creating a lively atmosphere.
When Jiang Xu and Mingtan arrived at the hunting grounds, most people were already there. All eyes turned to the striking couple as they entered, dressed in matching black and white riding outfits with identical embroidery.
Mingtan, always a paragon of etiquette on such grand occasions, carried herself with grace and dignity, radiating charm. Her every move was neither stiff nor frivolous, seeming to embody the quintessential elegance of Daxian noblewomen.
Only after paying respects to Emperor Chengkang and Empress Zhang and taking their seats did Mingtan casually glance toward the Nanlu envoys.
To her satisfaction, although she couldn’t precisely identify which one was the Nanlu sixth princess, she could feel intense gazes from the direction of the Nanlu delegation.
As she had anticipated, the Nanlu sixth princess was indeed staring at her intently.
In truth, most of the rumors circulating in the capital about Nanlu were accurate. The sixth princess had indeed fallen for Jiang Xu at first sight when he visited Nanlu on a diplomatic mission years ago.
This time, she had pestered and coerced her way into accompanying the envoys to Daxian, promising to obediently return and marry her designated consort if she could just see the Prince of Beiding once more.
She and her royal brother had been in Daxian for four or five days, but confined by her brother, she couldn’t roam freely. The Prince of Beiding hadn’t attended the welcoming palace banquet either, so today was the first time she had finally laid eyes on her long-cherished Prince of Beiding.
Years had passed, yet the Prince of Beiding remained as before – tall, handsome, and extraordinary. However, he seemed to have shed the youthful air she had found so captivating.
He was no longer the icy, fierce young war god she had met during his diplomatic mission to Nanlu years ago. Now, he had matured considerably, exuding an air of inscrutable calmness. Moreover, he now had a breathtakingly beautiful wife by his side.
His wife was truly stunning, like a person who had stepped out of a painting. Even the curve of her smile was pleasing to the eye. In Nanlu, she had never seen such an exquisite young woman…
No, this wasn’t right. This woman was her rival!
She’s just somewhat pretty, that’s all!
Realizing this, the sixth princess hurriedly adjusted her posture, subtly straightening her back.
Soon after, everyone had arrived. Emperor Chengkang began with the customary recollection of the hardships endured by the court since the Lingzhou disaster, followed by some encouraging words about the current clear skies ahead. He also briefly mentioned the friendly nation of Nanlu, whose envoys had come to pay tribute. With that, he announced the commencement of the autumn hunt.
Jiang Xu, dressed in his riding attire, was here for the actual hunt. Mingtan, on the other hand, wore her riding outfit to show off their relationship, with no intention of mounting a horse. After seeing Jiang Xu off into the dense forest, she went to find Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan.
Zhou Jingwan was now the wife of Lu Ting, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. Although their wedding had been somewhat subdued due to the Lingzhou calamity, forgoing the originally planned ten-mile procession of betrothal gifts, Commander Lu deeply loved and respected his wife. He had even exchanged his meritorious service in saving the emperor for a first-rank title for his wife, earning the envy of all the ladies in the capital.
Bai Minmin’s marriage to Zhang Huaiyu had also been arranged. Initially, Empress Zhang had wanted Emperor Chengkang to bestow this marriage, making it more prestigious. However, due to the Lingzhou disaster, it was deemed inappropriate for imperial relatives to have grand weddings. Thus, the marriage was simply negotiated between the Pingguo Mansion and Changguo Mansion.
Empress Zhang had only this one younger brother, and since an imperial bestowal of marriage was no longer an option, this wedding couldn’t be too simple. Therefore, the date was set for this winter, merely a month or two away.
Bai Minmin, neither an imperial relative nor a titled lady, normally wouldn’t have been eligible to attend the hunt. It was only by Empress Zhang’s special permission that she was able to join in the festivities.
“Zhang Huaiyu boasted he’d shoot a fox and make me a fur blanket from its pelt,” Bai Minmin grumbled. “Given his archery skills, I’d be impressed if he could bag a rabbit to make me a scarf. I wonder why he’s so clueless about his abilities!”
“Oh, you!” Zhou Jingwan tapped her forehead lightly. “Young Master Zhang isn’t as hopeless as you make him out to be.”
Bai Minmin cupped her face and sighed, “Well, at least the Prince of Beiding and Commander Lu are skilled. They’ll surely bring down plenty of games. I can always get some from them later.”
Mingtan, having never heard a kind word about Zhang Huaiyu from Bai Minmin’s mouth, felt compelled to defend him. “You’re underestimating your future husband too much. Although Young Master Zhang may seem carefree—”
“He is carefree,” Bai Minmin interjected.
Mingtan was at a loss for words.
Zhou Jingwan chimed in, “Young Master Zhang’s skills seem quite decent. In last year’s polo match, although he lost to the Prince of Yu, he still came in second.”
“What use is second place when there’s an unparalleled first?” Bai Minmin argued. “Take the imperial examinations from two years ago. Everyone knows Su Jing topped the list, but who remembers who came second?”
“The second-place scholar was Liu Minzhi,” Mingtan answered without hesitation.
Bai Minmin was momentarily speechless.
“Doesn’t everyone remember that the third-place scholar was Young Master Shu? Is there anyone who doesn’t? Weren’t you quite fond of Young Master Shu?”
Bai Minmin found herself at a loss for words.
As the three were chatting, the Princess Consort of Yu, who had just been mentioned, approached them.
The Princess Consort of Yu was naturally lively and cheerful. Though not skilled in martial arts, she had some knowledge of horseback riding and archery. Seeing the three in riding attire, she invited them to join her for a hunt in the forest.
The three were unanimous in their polite refusal, shaking their heads vigorously while saying, “No, thank you.”
But the Princess Consort of Yu was very enthusiastic. “I’m not very skilled either. Let’s just ride around the nearby woods on ponies led by attendants. We might catch a rabbit or pheasant. It’ll be fun!”
Indeed, a small area had been set aside for the ladies to enjoy the hunt. It was teeming with plump rabbits – so many that they didn’t even need to wait by a tree; the rabbits practically offered themselves up to be hunted.
With nothing else to do, and not wanting the Princess Consort of Yu to go alone, the three agreed.
The Nanlu sixth princess, trained in martial arts from a young age, was skilled in horseback riding and archery. As she was returning from the forest with over ten prey, intending to store them before continuing, she spotted a group of young women in the nearby woods, laughing and chatting as attendants led their ponies.
She reined in her horse and watched for a while, bemused. The one who seemed most competent was shooting arrows at tree stumps. Another’s arrows fell limply to the ground as soon as they were released. The remaining two were even more impressive – they couldn’t even lift their bows.
And one of those who couldn’t lift a bow was the beautiful and refined wife of the Prince of Beiding.
The sixth princess couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Suddenly, she raised her bow, took aim, and with a whoosh, pinned a strolling rabbit to the ground. Then, puffing out her chest, she rode forward leisurely. Lifting her chin, she said with a mix of pride and disdain, “Are all the young ladies of Daxian this poor at riding and archery? Would you like me to teach you?”
The group looked at her with a mixture of respect and wariness.
“The little rabbit was so cute. Sixth Princess, aren’t you being too cruel?” one of them said.
“Indeed,” another agreed.
“There’s blood everywhere!”
“How pitiful. Let’s give it a proper burial.”
The sixth princess, who had been expecting admiration and requests for instruction, was left baffled. “…?”