EWRN - Chapter 49
Chapter 49: Autumn Hunt (IV)
A warm, fragrant, soft jade in her arms. Huo Jinyu's heart was somewhat stirred.
Hua Ying held the beautiful Di An in her arms, spurring her horse to follow Huo Jinyu. As an outsider, Hua Ying saw the situation with perfect clarity. Huo Jinyu, a woman herself, held some affection for Princess Yan, Yan Xi. And Noble Consort Yan Xi, in turn, was deeply in love with His Majesty Huo Jinyu. But it seemed the noble consort was unaware of the truth, still foolishly loving a woman disguised as a man. Yan Xi's love was deep, but paper could not contain a fire forever. Hua Ying wondered what it would be like when Huo Jinyu's identity was one day exposed, and how Yan Xi would feel.
The autumn wind blew against them, carrying the fragrance of Di An's hair. Hua Ying reveled in the moment, feeling utterly refreshed and content.
Although Huo Jinyu had no guards to lead the way, she had participated in the Autumn Hunt many times in her past life and remembered the territory reserved for the imperial family perfectly. She spurred her horse and galloped toward her designated area. The sound of hoofbeats echoed from behind, and when Huo Jinyu turned, she saw Hua Ying and Di An following closely.
Huo Jinyu knew of Hua Ying's feelings for Di An, so she naturally understood the need to create an opportunity for them to be alone. They soon arrived at their destination—the imperial hunting grounds.
The imperial hunting grounds bordered the primeval Jiangbei forest. Because many beasts from the old forest often wandered into the area, it was the most abundant hunting ground. The best game and the best grounds were naturally reserved for the imperial family of Great Yuan.
Huo Jinyu remained on her horse and gave Hua Ying a few simple instructions. She told her to be careful, as there were no guards near the primeval forest. As long as they didn't wander into the old woods, it was quite safe. The border between the forest and the hunting grounds was marked with conspicuous red knots that were easy to see. Then, Huo Jinyu handed Hua Ying a tiny signal flare, telling her to light it and fire it into the sky if they got lost in the forest. Guards would then come to their rescue.
Hua Ying accepted the signal flare but didn't pay it much mind. The Autumn Hunt of Great Yuan had been held for hundreds of years, and she had never heard of any major incidents occurring. It was surely safe, she thought, and the flare would likely prove unnecessary.
The two pairs waved farewell and headed off in separate directions.
Now that she had reached her own hunting grounds, Huo Jinyu was in no hurry to gallop. The autumn sun peeked out from behind the clouds, its golden rays spilling over them with a pleasant warmth. A gentle breeze caressed their faces, carrying the refreshing scent of the grass and trees.
Huo Jinyu and Yan Xi rode together on a single horse, moving slowly across the grassy field. Ahead lay a large, tree-covered slope where the wild grass grew ankle-deep. The horse's hooves made a crisp, rustling sound as they stepped through it. The calls of wild beasts echoed from the woods, though it was impossible to identify them.
They rode into the woods, where the tall, dense trees blotted out the sun. After a short while, Huo Jinyu handed the reins to Yan Xi and took up her bow and arrows, her eyes scanning their surroundings with vigilance.
Soon, Huo Jinyu reached out, placed her hand gently over Yan Xi's, and gave a light tug on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt. Her sharp eyes had spotted a flash of bright white and a patch of light gray about thirty zhang away. The two spots of color were moving, seemingly grazing. Wild rabbits!
Huo Jinyu's gaze sharpened. She took two arrows and nocked them firmly on the bowstring. Exerting her strength, she drew the string taut with her right hand and took aim. Yan Xi had also spotted the two rabbits. She held her breath, remaining perfectly still and silent.
Huo Jinyu held the bow steady with her left hand. Once the string was fully drawn, she abruptly released it. Swoosh! The two arrows flew from the string, speeding toward their targets and striking the two spots of color.
Huo Jinyu gently nudged the horse's sides, and with Yan Xi holding the reins, they rode over to where the arrows had landed.
Huo Jinyu dismounted, bent down, and picked up two dead rabbits. She gave Yan Xi a brilliant smile. "Today's lunch is taken care of," she said.
Yan Xi looked at Huo Jinyu's wide, toothy grin and found it hard to watch. Why is the emperor smiling like a fool? Huo Jinyu, who thought her smile was dashing and elegant, had no idea what was going through Yan Xi's mind.
After tossing the two rabbits into a black cloth bag on the horse's flank, Huo Jinyu prepared to mount. But Yan Xi reached out a hand toward the bow. Misunderstanding, Huo Jinyu thought Yan Xi was offering to help her up, so she placed her own right hand in hers.
Yan Xi suddenly found a fair, slightly calloused hand in her own. She was baffled, unable to comprehend Huo Jinyu's action. So, Yan Xi stood there, stunned. Huo Jinyu, her hand resting in Yan Xi's, also stood there blankly, waiting to be pulled up onto the horse, having completely forgotten her role as a man. Why would she need a woman to help her mount?
They stood holding hands, staring blankly at each other. The moment lasted only a few breaths, but it felt like an eternity. Yan Xi was the first to react, snatching her hand away. Blushing, she shot Huo Jinyu a glare. A little bewildered, Huo Jinyu withdrew her hand and awkwardly touched her nose, unsure of what to say.
"Jinyu, give me the bow and arrows," Yan Xi said, finally breaking the silence. "It's been a long time. I miss it." She turned her head slightly, peeking at Huo Jinyu from the corner of her eye, not wanting him to see her burning face.
Huo Jinyu hadn't noticed her blush. It finally dawned on her that Yan Xi had wanted the bow, not her hand. How embarrassing! she cursed inwardly.
She quickly unslung the bow and arrows and handed them to Yan Xi, then nimbly mounted the horse, settling in behind her. Because of this, Yan Xi didn't see her own burning ears.
Each lost in their own thoughts, they rode aimlessly through the woods. As they gazed at the dense forest, the same line of poetry surfaced in both their minds:
"The mountain has its trees, and the trees have their branches; my heart delights in you, yet you do not know."
Huo Jinyu gazed at Yan Xi's small, pink ears, fighting the urge to nibble on them. Fortunately, her reason prevailed, and she reined in her impulses just in time to stop herself from doing something reckless.
Yan Xi sat in front of Huo Jinyu. The unavoidable jostling of the horse caused her back to bump against Huo Jinyu's body from time to time, the warmth passing through their thin clothes. Yan Xi's attention was completely fixed on her back. Through the fabric, she could feel that the body behind her was both soft and firm. For some reason, her mind drifted to the last time they had shared a bed, when she had accidentally felt his abdominal muscles. A faint tingling sensation spread from her back through her entire body, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Huo Jinyu's arms were wrapped lightly around Yan Xi's waist, so she naturally felt the tremor. She lowered her head and whispered near Yan Xi's ear, "Xi'er, are you feeling cold?"
The low, elegant voice beside her ear was like a clap of thunder to Yan Xi, who was still lost in her own world, and it made her jump. The warm breath of the person behind her brushed against her ear, leaving a refreshing coolness in its wake. Every word Huo Jinyu spoke seemed to hammer its way into the depths of Yan Xi's heart.
"The autumn wind is just a bit chilly, that's all. I'm fine," Yan Xi replied, feigning composure. Only heaven knew how tightly she was gripping the reins.
"Good. I'll light a bonfire for you to warm up by later," Huo Jinyu said.
It was nearly noon, and the sun was high in the sky. Only a great fool like Huo Jinyu would have believed Yan Xi's excuse about being chilled.
With Yan Xi now holding the bow, the two continued to wander through the woods. Suddenly, Yan Xi raised a hand, signaling for Huo Jinyu to stop.
Huo Jinyu halted the horse and scanned their surroundings intently, but she couldn't see anything.
Then she saw Yan Xi raise the bow, nock an arrow, draw the string, and release, all in one fluid motion. An arrow embedded itself firmly in a tree trunk several zhang away.
Something appeared to be writhing beneath the arrow. Only then did Huo Jinyu see it: a large, patterned snake pinned to the tree trunk.
They rode closer and saw that it was a highly venomous viper. The arrow had missed its vital point, so the snake was still writhing violently. Huo Jinyu had a fear of snakes. She drew her sword and lopped off the creature's head in a single stroke. Its body continued to twist for a moment before finally going still.
Seeing Huo Jinyu's brow furrowed in distaste, Yan Xi found it inexplicably cute. She never imagined that the reigning emperor, who seemed to fear neither heaven nor earth, could also be afraid of something.
Amused, Yan Xi went forward, grasped the snake's smooth body, and pulled out the arrow. She then tossed the snake into the bag on the horse's flank, causing Huo Jinyu's brow to furrow once more.
Over the next hour, Yan Xi shot four more snakes of various sizes, causing Huo Jinyu's face to shift between pale and green. Yan Xi found Huo Jinyu's colorful expressions quite handsome.
"Xi'er, no more snakes," Huo Jinyu said sternly. "It's past noon. It's time for lunch."
Seeing Huo Jinyu's expression, Yan Xi couldn't help but smile. She decided not to tease him any further and agreed. "Jinyu is right. Let's find a small river to prepare lunch. Snake meat is delicious, you know." Seeing Huo Jinyu's face start to pale again, Yan Xi laughed to herself.
Huo Jinyu led Yan Xi to a river she remembered from her past life. The water was crystal clear, and fish could be seen swimming within. It was time to prepare their catch.
When Huo Jinyu saw there were snakes in the bags, she was unwilling to reach inside. At this, Yan Xi could no longer contain herself and broke into a smile.
Seeing Yan Xi's smile, Huo Jinyu froze again.
"Jinyu, you fool," Yan Xi muttered, rolling her eyes to herself. She took out the snakes and went to the riverbank to prepare them. Only then did color return to Huo Jinyu's face. She reached in, pulled out the two rabbits, and also went to the river, making sure to position herself upstream from where Yan Xi was handling the snakes.
Yan Xi saw this but said nothing. Her hands moved deftly as she prepared the snakes, using Huo Jinyu's sword to chop them into sections and skewer them on branches. Pained that her personal sword had been sullied by the snakes, Huo Jinyu washed it in the river several times before she was satisfied.
Once they had both finished preparing the rabbits and snakes, Huo Jinyu gathered plenty of firewood. She lit a bonfire with a fire-starter and fashioned a rack from long branches. They placed the butchered game on the rack and began to roast it, quietly turning the skewers as they waited for the meat to cook.
Yan Xi stole glances at Huo Jinyu's handsome face, her heart secretly pounding in her chest.
Huo Jinyu sensed Yan Xi's faint gaze upon her. Her back went ramrod straight, and she turned the roasting meat with stiff movements.
For a time, there was only silence.
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