EWRN - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: Autumn Hunt (I)
More than half a month had passed since the Rite of Heaven banquet, and under Hua Ying's meticulous care, Huo Jinyu's sword wound had healed considerably. But had a jar of vinegar been overturned in the imperial harem? The air was thick with jealousy. What Huo Jinyu didn't know was that two such jars had been toppled.
During this half-month, Huo Jinyu would occasionally visit the Third Prince, Huo Jincheng, at Xianxi Palace. The Third Prince was still young, and fostering a bond with him was a swift process. He was now incredibly familiar with Huo Jinyu. Children, however, are also quite forgetful. The Second Prince had been placed under house arrest and then exiled to the border; after not seeing him for some time, Huo Jincheng had forgotten him completely. This saved Huo Jinyu the trouble of explaining the Second Prince's whereabouts.
If one was to raise a dog, one had to ensure the dog's devotion to its master was absolute. In his past life, the Third Prince had been a fool, believing everything the Second Prince, Huo Jinye, told him. He had respected Huo Jinye tremendously, far more than he respected her, his Imperial Brother. Now, with the Third Prince's maternal family firmly in her grasp and bound to her own fate, Huo Jinyu was greatly relieved. All that remained was Huo Jincheng's training. If this "little dog" was trained properly—obedient when it should be, barking on command when it should—it would be perfect.
Huo Jinyu refused to believe that, having been reborn, she couldn't even properly train a fool.
As for Jinxiang Palace, Huo Jinyu had also managed to get a couple of meals from its private kitchen. Some days prior, she had specially transferred one of the best chefs from the Emerald Fragrance House to serve there. The culinary arts of Jinxiang Palace's kitchen were now on par with, if not superior to, those of the imperial chefs.
But freeloading meals was one thing; Huo Jinyu had no intention of staying the night. Especially after dinner, when an inexplicable expression would appear on Yan Xi's cold, aloof face, making her feel a little uneasy. She didn't want to probe its meaning, nor was she willing to. So, she chose to "flee." After every dinner, she would stay only for a moment before using the excuse of pressing state affairs to make a swift departure from Jinxiang Palace.
In truth, no matter how numerous the affairs of state, they were all handled by Eunuch Wang; Huo Jinyu herself rarely bothered with them. It was merely an excuse, and perhaps Yan Xi knew it, for she never tried to make her stay. Despite both being women, Huo Jinyu felt it was best not to share a bed, lest new complications arise. Besides, her true identity was a significant hidden danger.
Over at Yuzhe Palace, Di An was quite jealous of Hua Ying constantly running off to Huo Jinyu's Hall of Imperial Governance. But she also knew that Huo Jinyu had risked her life to save them both that night, so she didn't let it show. Though her heart was filled with jealousy, she could see things clearly. Huo Jinyu was their savior, after all, and she harbored an inexpressible gratitude. Thus, she never revealed her feelings openly.
Hua Ying, however, was a sensitive person. Even though Di An said nothing, she sensed a hint of it. A faint joy bloomed in her heart. Di An was unhappy because she was away—didn't that prove that An'er still cared for her? Delighted, Hua Ying brought Di An many little trinkets from outside the palace, successfully winning the beauty's favor.
Time flew by, and half a month later, the season for the annual Autumn Hunt arrived.
The Great Yuan Kingdom's Autumn Hunt, much like the Rite of Heaven, was an annual event. It was held at the Jiangbei Hunting Ground, and all princes, nobles, and civil and military officials could attend with their families. Even several small neighboring kingdoms that maintained "friendly" relations with Great Yuan showed great interest, sending their own royalty and nobility to participate. Great Yuan, of course, received them with all due courtesy.
The sheer scale of the Autumn Hunt was incomparable to that of any of the surrounding kingdoms, large or small.
As the rules permitted female relatives to attend, the Autumn Hunt was also a perfect opportunity for young men and women to meet and for sparks of romance to fly.
Huo Jinyu announced the auspicious date for the Autumn Hunt in the imperial court two or three days in advance, instructing all civil and military officials who wished to attend to register their names and those of their accompanying family members with Eunuch Li.
Many ministers signed up. After all, with tens of thousands of imperial guards providing protection, the event was generally considered very safe, with little chance of mishap. They all selectively forgot, however, that assassins had managed to infiltrate the impregnable imperial palace during the Rite of Heaven banquet. The few officials who did consider this possibility reasoned that the banquet incident was an accident caused by an insider, and since that "insider"—the Second Prince—had already been exiled to the border, they put their worries aside and confidently wrote their names and those of their relatives on the red registration paper.
Several of the smaller kingdoms were eager to join in the festivities. Some even hoped to arrange a marriage alliance and attach themselves to the powerful Great Yuan. Their formal requests had been delivered by swift envoys to Huo Jinyu's desk well in advance.
The ministers' households were filled with festive cheer. The unmarried young ladies were particularly excited, as this was a rare chance to broaden their horizons—far more interesting than the usual poetry and wine gatherings! It was also an opportunity to see the dashing young sons of the officials; perhaps they might even find their ideal husband.
After lining up to register, the ministers were dismissed from court and hurried home to prepare their carriages, horses, and provisions for the journey. There was no morning court for the two days preceding the hunt, so the officials enjoyed two fine nights of rest. The young masters and ladies of every household made meticulous preparations, eagerly awaiting the event's arrival.
Huo Jinyu also sent word of the Autumn Hunt to Jinxiang Palace, Yuzhe Palace, and Xianxi Palace.
When Yan Xi learned she would be accompanying Huo Jinyu to Jiangbei for the Autumn Hunt, she was truly overjoyed—overjoyed at the prospect of riding freely, and overjoyed at traveling with Huo Jinyu.
But after a moment, once she had calmed down, her joy quietly receded. Yes, she would be traveling with Huo Jinyu. But unlike their last trip to the south, when it had been just the two of them, this Autumn Hunt would include all the civil and military officials and their families, and even that new consort from Yuzhe Palace. She wondered which of them Huo Jinyu would favor. Vexed, Yan Xi ordered a palace maid to pack some changes of clothes into a bundle, then promptly retired for the night. She had a strange premonition that this Autumn Hunt would not be simple, that something was bound to happen.
Over at Yuzhe Palace, Hua Ying was ecstatic at the news of another outing. She had long heard of the famed royal hunting grounds. The Jiangbei Hunting Ground was said to be vast and teeming with birds and beasts; with luck, one might even encounter rare and exotic creatures. She was determined to use this opportunity to show off her skills in front of An'er and catch the finest prey for her! Di An's reaction, however, was muted. She merely watched the secretly thrilled Hua Ying with a deep, inscrutable gaze.
The day of departure arrived swiftly. Early in the morning, the ministers' carriages were already waiting outside the city gates. The ladies of each family sat obediently inside, though a few curious girls secretly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to peek out.
Outside, the men of each household were mounted on their own tall, fine horses, each looking vibrant and in high spirits. Some, catching the gazes of the ladies from within the carriages, quickly puffed out their chests, straightened their backs, and stared straight ahead, affecting the perfect posture of a dashing young gentleman.
Inside the imperial palace, Yan Xi had risen early. Attended by her maids, she washed and changed into a light gray riding habit. The autumn morning was cool, so she added a long white robe. Accompanied by a senior palace maid, she stepped out of Jinxiang Palace to find Huo Jinyu already waiting. Dressed in a black riding habit, her hair tied high with a ribbon, Huo Jinyu cut a striking figure. Her face was fair, her frame slender and tall. Standing there on the bluestone path, her posture erect, she looked valiant and heroic, truly embodying the saying: A gentleman on the path, like flawless jade; a young master without peer in this world.
Yan Xi seemed surprised to find Huo Jinyu waiting specifically for her at the palace gate. On such a cold day, she wasn't even wearing a robe, and her sword wound from not long ago had yet to fully heal. How could she be so careless with her own body? Yan Xi felt a surge of both warmth and anger. Turning, she gave an order to a palace maid, who immediately scampered back into the palace. A moment later, she returned, running out with a black fur robe in her arms.
Only then did Yan Xi step through the palace gate. She took the robe from the maid and walked toward Huo Jinyu.
"Jinyu, why aren't you taking proper care of yourself? Put this on, quickly. Don't catch a chill." Huo Jinyu had just seen Yan Xi emerge and hadn't yet had a chance to speak before Yan Xi preempted her.
Silently, Huo Jinyu put on the thick robe and immediately felt much warmer. Only then did she belatedly realize that the weather was indeed quite cool.
"Thank you for your concern, Xi'er." Gazing at the incomparably beautiful, nation-toppling face before her, Huo Jinyu was momentarily lost in thought. She unconsciously reached out and gently smoothed the space between Yan Xi's brows. "Xi'er, you should smile more often." After speaking, she realized her actions might have been inappropriate. She turned away, a bit stiffly, and began to lead the way. "Let's go." A faint blush, however, secretly crept up the tips of her ears.
Yan Xi was taken aback for a moment. After Huo Jinyu turned away, the corners of her lips curved into a slight smile. This scoundrel, she thought, is she really so shy?
Huo Jinyu led Yan Xi, who was followed by her maid, on a winding path through the palace until they reached the main road. A massive carriage was already parked there. Huo Jinyu helped Yan Xi board, let the young maid climb in herself, and then waited a moment. Soon, another maid guided Di An and Hua Ying to the carriage. Once they were aboard, Huo Jinyu vaulted onto a magnificent, date-red steed. With a gentle shake of the reins, she positioned herself at the head of the carriage, and the driver quickly set the horses in motion, following closely behind her.
The streets of the imperial city were still deserted in the early morning. Huo Jinyu led the carriage out of the city and rendezvoused with the convoy of officials.
The journey was south. Even with the cumbersome convoy, if they traveled quickly, they could reach their destination in about a day. Once Huo Jinyu's carriage took the lead, the ministers' carriages formed a long line behind their emperor. The imperial guards and the young scions of noble houses flanked the procession and brought up the rear, ensuring the vast convoy was thoroughly protected.
The carriage swayed gently. Yan Xi, accompanied by her maid, sat facing Hua Ying and Di An. It was the first time they had all been in such close proximity, and the atmosphere was momentarily awkward.
Huo Jinyu's intentions had been good—she had put them in the same carriage so they could keep each other company and look out for one another. She had not, however, anticipated the complex relationships and misunderstandings that existed between them.
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