Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 587 The Mountain Rain is Coming (5)_1

Chapter 587: Chapter 587 The Mountain Rain is Coming (5)_1

Seeing that there were only four days left before returning to Jingji, those young men who had yet to hunt any worthy game and gain face in front of Emperor Huian began to grow anxious.

Although their literary studies were not successful, they had some martial prowess to showcase. Fortunately for them, they were born with a much higher starting point than ordinary scholars, and even if they didn’t enter into the ranks of the nobility, they could ride on their fathers’ coattails to secure a minor official post. However, these were idle positions, and aiming for a promotion or a substantial role was harder than reaching the heavens.

Once one settled for such a path, they would be stuck that way for life. Only those truly indifferent, or who could not seize other opportunities, would choose this route. Anyone with a bit of ambition or capability despised such a choice.

Among the dozen or so princes, beside the ill-intentioned Crown Prince, everyone else was vying for Emperor Huian’s favor and eager to earn his praise.

But over the course of ten-odd days, only King Heng had bagged an elk and two roe deer, barely earning Emperor Huian’s commendation. The others either were too young and unskilled in archery or were just unlucky, failing to come across worthy prey. What they hunted daily were mostly insignificant creatures like wild chickens and rabbits, and the better ones had only managed to catch a few extra foxes.

In contrast to the mediocre hunting outcomes of the princes, within just three days, Xiao Ruiyuan and Yan Junyu—who had hunted seven or eight deer and even jointly caught a tiger—stood out considerably, receiving more praises from Emperor Huian than everyone else combined.

Yan Junyu was another matter. Although he was friendly with the Crown Prince, he was considered a hedonistic and ignorant noble. Despite bearing the title of Young Master, he wielded no real power. If you really thought about it, he couldn’t be counted as part of the Crown Prince’s camp; after all, he had Duke Wu’an as a grandfather overseeing matters. Duke Wu’an was a loyal servant of Emperor Huian, never engaging in clique politics. The Crown Prince couldn’t get any help from Yan Junyu.

For this reason, while the princes resented and were jealous of Yan Junyu for being more favored by Emperor Huian than the true royal descendants, they almost never plotted against him. If Duke Wu’an, who was fiercely protective, came to know of it, he wouldn’t care whether you were a prince or not. He would dare to give you a harsh beating right in front of Emperor Huian.

And Emperor Huian would not only refrain from blaming him but would also cheerily commend, "Uncle teaches well!"

Xiao Ruiyuan was different; he had countless military achievements and high prestige in the army, a leading figure among the younger generation of generals. Now he was a first-grade general with real power, not only in charge of the Bureau of Military Office but also the head inspector of the one-hundred-thousand-strong Jingji Army.

Although the head inspector did not have the authority to command the troops, anyone occupying that position was someone the emperor valued and trusted highly. Xiao Ruiyuan, an apparent part of the Crown Prince’s party, enjoying such trust from Emperor Huian—what did this imply?

Compared to Chu Heng, who was ailing and uncertain to see the sun of the next day, Xiao Ruiyuan was the real thorn in the side of the princes. They knew that once Chu Heng passed away, Xiao Ruiyuan would become the sweet pastry in everyone’s eyes. But this "sweet pastry" was too tough to swallow easily; biting down might just result in broken teeth.

The princes lacked the strength to take down Xiao Ruiyuan, yet they were afraid that their rivals might win him over and pose a threat. They tacitly tried everything to bring him down, to utterly destroy him so that no one could have him!

And this autumn hunt, this heavy rain, provided them with the perfect opportunity.

Beneath the calm surface of the hunting ground, sinister plots lay in careful calculation. At the luncheon, as the eight-year-old Sixteenth Prince requested Emperor Huian’s permission to accompany Xiao Ruiyuan on a hunt in the mountains, Xiao Ruiyuan’s gaze turned cold in an instant.

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