Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 559 Autumn Hunting (2)_1

Chapter 559: Chapter 559 Autumn Hunting (2)_1

The two hadn’t been chatting long when there was a knock at the door. Without waiting for them to call out to enter, Yan Junyu burst in, tossing the bundle he was carrying straight into Xiao Ruiyuan’s arms with envy, jealousy, and spite, "Someone made me bring this for you, hmph, there won’t be a next time!"

Not long after Yan Junyu arrived at Liu Yang Village, Xiao Ruiyuan had received word. Hearing his sour tone now, he knew where the bundle came from, and an uncommon smile appeared on his stern face.

"Tsk tsk, look at this idiot infatuated fool, blinding me with stupidity—how pathetic!" Yan Junyu leaned back in his chair, lazily fanning himself with the Jade Bone Fan, his expression filled with scorn. However, the gloominess that seeped out revealed his true thoughts.

With just a brief glance at Yan Junyu, Xiao Ruiyuan turned all his attention to the package. When he opened it and saw the ginseng as thick as a child’s arm, his smile froze for a moment. He instinctively looked at Chu Heng, and seeing his cousin urging him on with a smile, Xiao Ruiyuan suppressed the throbbing in his heart and picked up the bottle of Special Effect Sanqi Powder.

Unscrewing the bottle cap, he sniffed the not unfamiliar scent inside. Xiao Ruiyuan raised an eyebrow, his intuition telling him this wasn’t just any ordinary Sanqi Powder. But with no one injured and bleeding, it wasn’t like he could just cut himself to test its effectiveness, so he resealed the bottle and set it aside, his gaze shifting to the bulging water sack.

He could guess what was inside the water sack, and was moved by Mo Yan’s thoughtfulness, deepening the long-suppressed longing in his heart. He wished he could rush to Liu Yang Village that very instant, just to see her and hold her.

Lest some ill-intentioned people become aware, the two had not seen each other for over three months. Even though messages were occasionally sent back and forth by the Hidden Guard, it was still no substitute for a personal meeting.

No matter how intense his yearning was, for the safety of the one he loved, Xiao Ruiyuan had to suppress his urge and continue to endure. When the longing became too much, he’d leap onto the rooftop and gaze in the direction of Liu Yang Village, pondering what his beloved might be doing, and if she too, was thinking of him. Various nights passed this way, spent atop the roof.

Noticing Xiao Ruiyuan staring at the water sack as if in a trance, lost in thought, Yan Junyu grew even more unhappy. He came over and secured the bundle tightly, provocatively saying, "Every hunting competition, I always lose to you in the end. This time, if I win, you have to agree to one thing for me, deal?"

Xiao Ruiyuan, looking at Yan Junyu’s mischievous grin, responded coldly with three words, "No deal!" Fearing persistent entanglement from the other, he added, uncharacteristically explaining, "Cousin will also be attending the autumn hunt this time. I am to stay by his side for protection and will not partake in the competition!"

"What? What did you say? Cousin is joining too?" Yan Junyu was taken aback, forgetting all about the contest as he suddenly turned to glare at Chu Heng.

Yan Junyu rarely attended morning court and it had been some time since he last visited Jingshan Villa. The decision for Chu Heng to go to the royal hunting grounds had been sudden, so he had not been informed that Chu Heng would take part in the autumn hunt.

"Huaixi, there is no need to be alarmed. Cousin is just going to look around; there will be no trouble!" Chu Heng said with a smile. He didn’t want his younger cousin, although separated by a generation, to worry about him or get involved, so he concealed his own plan, "Cousin’s days are numbered, and in the remaining days, he hopes to experience things he hasn’t before, to live this life to the fullest!"

Yan Junyu heard the words, and his heart filled with a bitter sentiment, "Cousin..."

He was naturally unrestrained and loved freedom, and could understand the agony of confinement. Although his cousin had been able to walk freely in his early years, his delicate health and constant risk to his life had confined him to the cold Imperial Palace. Once his cousin had married and moved into the Prince’s Mansion, he no longer had the strength to stand and could only sit in a wheelchair, day by day waiting for that faint hope, until today’s utter despair.

Despite anticipating that this day might come, the thought that it truly was arriving made Yan Junyu’s heart feel unbearably oppressed. He clenched his fists tightly, nearly crushed by that deep sense of powerlessness.

The three of them looked at each other in silence, and the atmosphere in the study grew still. Before long, Xiao Ruiyuan and Yan Junyu left the study together, and unbeknownst to each other, secretly issued a series of covert orders...

August 16th was blessed with clear weather and a cloudless sky, a perfect day for travel.

Since the reign of Emperor Taizu of Great Chu, autumn hunts had become a tradition, though they had changed from once a year to once every three years. Initially, only the Emperor led the entire Imperial Family, World Family nobility, and a few trusted Ministers to the Royal Hunting Grounds for the hunt.

This custom quickly spread to the people. At first, many wealthy families emulated the Imperial Family; every Ghost Festival, they would invite friends and family to join them on nearby mountains for horseback hunting, partly for fun and partly to show off their skills.

Later, even commoners began to imitate the tradition. If there were no mountains or wildlife nearby, they would take their fishing rods to ponds or lakesides for fishing. Autumn was the prime season for seafood, and even if one spent the whole day and only caught one fat fish, it was considered great fun.

Thus, the triennial autumn hunt was a grand event throughout Great Chu.

The grandeur of an Imperial procession goes without saying; countless splendid carriages stretched for miles, closely followed by the carriages of Jing City elites, World Families, and senior court Ministers. These people were not only able to join the Imperial hunt, but also brought their families along, making the hunting convoy even more expansive and impressive.

The clip-clop of horse hooves carried on the wind, breaking the tranquility of the autumn fields. On both sides of the road, the formidable Imperial Guards, spears in hand, vigilantly monitored their surroundings to prevent any ill-intentioned individuals from disrupting the Imperial convoy.

The Royal Hunting Grounds were located one hundred miles outside of Jing City at Phoenix Mountain, a journey that would take four to five hours. Each carriage was stocked with ample water and food, and there was typically no need to stop deliberately for rest; however, nature calls, and a stop was usually made every two hours to accommodate and to take a brief rest.

This time, there was an additional distinguished, yet frail, Crown Prince. Emperor Huian not only personally decreed an extension to the rest periods but even dispatched a trusted eunuch to check on the Crown Prince to ensure his comfort and inquire about any discomforts. This move inevitably aroused the jealousy of the other Princes.

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