Aoyama

Chapter 390 Tacit understanding
The snow on Fragrant Hills had just melted, and the leaves on the hillside were covered with snowmelt, making a soft, muffled sound when the horses' hooves stepped on them.

Mr. Liao stood beside the Crown Prince, blowing a bamboo whistle and directing the palace attendants to drive the prey out of their den.

More than ten palace attendants shouted commands and struck the iron stirrups with their swords. The clanging of metal startled the wild beasts, causing them to flee into the valley. They carried bows and arrows, but did not draw them. Instead, they slowly closed the circle, trapping the beasts in the valley as they fled in panic.

Mr. Liao stood with the prince on the hillside, silently observing the "enclosure" in the valley.

He removed the bamboo whistle from his mouth and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Highness, on capturing a black bear. Using a black bear to 'open the enclosure' is worthy of you."

The crown prince nodded slightly.

Mr. Liao blew his bamboo whistle again, and the palace attendants, upon hearing the command, immediately opened the gaps and slowly released the rabbit, weasel, lynx, and deer out of the enclosure, leaving only the black bear behind.

Whenever a black bear tried to break out of the enclosure, the attendants would strike the iron stirrups with their swords, the clanging of metal startling it back.

Mr. Liao took the longbow off the saddle and handed it to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, it is completely disoriented and can be hunted down. A sixty-pound birch bark bow will not be enough to shoot it; a ninety-pound black horn birch bark bow will be needed."

The prince took the black birch bark bow, spurred his horse down the hillside, and stopped when it was within twenty paces of him.

Draw the bow and nock the arrow.

When the prince first drew the bowstring, the veins in his neck throbbed. The 90-pound bow was only halfway drawn when he suddenly released the tension, and the longbow returned to its original shape.

Mr. Liao reassured him, "Your Highness, there's no need to worry, it can't run away."

The prince breathed slightly, staring intently at the black bear: "I have neglected training. Two years ago I could draw a 90-pound horn bow, but this year I can't."

Mr. Liao stroked his beard and smiled, "Leave these rough and crude matters to us. Your Highness should be concerned with the affairs of the world. Why worry about how many pounds of bow you can draw?"

The Crown Prince calmly said, "The Zhu family conquered the country on horseback. How can future generations neglect martial arts? When I return this time, I should take the time to practice martial arts. If the Jing Dynasty's army comes to the city one day, I can fight alongside the soldiers."

Mr. Liao exclaimed, "Your Highness's magnanimity and courage are a blessing to the Ning Dynasty."

The prince drew his bow and nocked an arrow once more.

This time, as he drew the longbow to its fullest extent, his hands trembled uncontrollably, and the arrow swayed back and forth as it pointed at the black bear, he hesitated to release the string.

Seeing this, Mr. Liao beckoned to his attendant and took a 180-pound hard bow, which he drew back to its full extent with a flick of his wrist. This iron-rimmed arrow, once fired, would likely pierce the bear's belly.

The crown prince's hands trembled, but his tone remained calm: "I will do it myself."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Liao slowly lowered the hard bow and waited quietly.

Just then, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind them.

Mr. Liao turned around and saw Prince Fu galloping towards him on horseback. As the horse rose and fell, the mountain wind blew into Prince Fu's black robes, making the robes billow like the bristling whiskers of a dragon, exuding a powerful aura.

Prince Fu laughed heartily: "Your Highness, why is your bow shaking so much when you draw it? I'll lend you a hand!"

His warhorse, riding with the momentum of descending the mountain, charged straight at the crown prince, seemingly intent on knocking the prince off his horse.

Mr. Liao's expression changed, and he raised his bow, nocking an arrow at Prince Fu: "The Crown Prince is here, do not be presumptuous!"

Facing the black iron arrows, Prince Kefu remained undeterred and laughed loudly, "Do you think I'm made of mud? If you have the guts, fire your arrows and I'll exterminate your entire clan!"

Mr. Liao's face turned ashen, and he dared not loosen the string. He could only hurriedly remind him, "Your Highness, get away from this madman!"

The prince did not dodge, but instead turned the arrow around and released it, the bowstring making a thunderous sound.

The black iron-rimmed arrow flew from the bow, heading straight for Prince Fu's face. Prince Fu seemed to have truly gone mad, not even blinking, letting the arrow pierce through the crown of his head.

Extremely brave!

Prince Fu arrived in an instant. He suddenly pulled on the reins before the Crown Prince, sat down, and raised his hooves high. The magnificent black warhorse blotted out the sky!
Mr. Liao tried to pull the prince off the horse, but the prince calmly watched the horse's hooves land: "Let him do it."

At the critical moment, Prince Fu flicked the reins, and the direction in which the warhorse fell suddenly changed, with its hooves landing just a hair's breadth away from the Crown Prince.

Neither the crown prince nor the eldest prince was terrified.

The attendants of the Eastern Palace were terrified and, abandoning their hunt for the black bear, rushed to surround Prince Fu. Zhou Kuang and the men of the Five Armies Camp behind Prince Fu also stepped forward, and tensions rose between them.

Prince Fu suddenly burst into laughter: "Very good, there are no cowards in the Zhu family! I will not hold it against you for daring to shoot that arrow just now. If you had not dared to shoot that arrow and instead hid behind this man surnamed Liao, I would have looked down on you."

He smiled and pointed his riding crop at the crown prince: "Do you know why I haven't competed with you all these years?"

The crown prince remained silent.

Prince Fu said with great interest, "I am not vying for the throne because I truly believe that you are more like an emperor and more suitable to be one. Before the establishment of the heir apparent, you used those despicable means to tarnish my reputation, but I will not hold it against you. It is only because I thought that if I were to become emperor, I would probably not be able to deal with the dirty tricks of those civil officials. If you were to become emperor, it would be their turn to have a headache. As long as you can safeguard the Zhu family's empire, what harm is there in giving you this position?"

Prince Fu stared at the Crown Prince: "But you have become more and more impatient over the years, and you have become increasingly intolerant of others. Don't you know that leaving a way out for others is also leaving a way out for yourself? The Empress Dowager has been kind to everyone in the palace and has never been harsh on Consort Xue, yet you want to put her to death. Now your enemy is not only the Emperor, but also me."

Having said that, without waiting for the crown prince's reply, he turned the reins and drove off: "Don't even think about hunting today. Go back to the capital empty-handed to offer sacrifices to our ancestors."

……

……

Red Leaf Courtyard.

Chen Ji was in the stable, where he selected the fiercest warhorse and saddled it.

The warhorse was initially restless, but as soon as Chen Ji touched its neck, it slowly calmed down.

Chen Ji was leisurely saddled his horse in the stable, wanting to observe the movements of the "Relief Guard". If they were chasing after the Crown Prince and Prince Fu, they wouldn't need to take a detour and could simply return to the capital while the guards were heading into the mountains.

The Crown Prince and Prince Fu had been in the mountains for the time it takes to burn two incense sticks, but the Jie Fan Guards had disappeared without a trace.

Zhang Xia walked to his side and whispered, "We can't delay any longer, or those people might become suspicious."

Chen Ji nodded and said, "I'll be going now."

Zhang Xia turned to look at Qi Zhaoning, Qi Zhenzhu and the others outside the stable: "What should we do with them? If we leave them at the Red Leaf Villa, it will be troublesome if they are kidnapped by those Jie Fan Guards. Those Jie Fan Guards might even try to kill them to silence them."

Chen Ji said calmly, "We can barely protect ourselves, how can we care about the lives of others?"

He led his warhorse out, only to see Qi Zhaoning smiling broadly, as if nothing had happened the night before: "Chen Ji, you will surely win today and receive His Majesty's reward. If you win, I will..." Before he could finish speaking, Yangyang led the men of the Longevity Army to the stables to fetch their horses, and retorted without any pretense: "With my Longevity Army here, if he wins, I'll write my name backwards!"

Zhang Zheng rolled his eyes: "Even if you write your name backwards, it's still 'Sheep'?"

Yangyang glared at him: "We've been best friends for over ten years, why do you always side with outsiders?"

Zhang Zheng chuckled and said, "If you hadn't harbored such great hostility, we could have been friends."

Sheep said disdainfully, "I don't make friends with people who exaggerate their achievements in battle."

He turned to Zhang Xia and said in a deep voice, "Xia, come with me today, and I will help you win the championship. Let's see if His Majesty will be willing to bestow upon you the title of the first female duke in the Ning Dynasty."

Zhang Xia said expressionlessly, "Since when can women participate in the spring hunt? They can only observe the ceremony; what they hunt doesn't count."

Sheep paused for a moment: "Huh? Really? Then watch me win the championship..."

Zhang Zheng laughed heartily: "Yangyang, who gave you your confidence?"

Sheep raised an eyebrow: "When it comes to archery and horsemanship, who can compare to me today?"

He looked at Chen Ji: "You don't really think this kid can win, do you? Hey kid, let's have a match today. If you win, I, Yangyang, will give you my ancestral horn bow. If you lose, you don't have to give me anything. How about it?"

Chen Ji ignored him and mounted his horse directly.

There are two narrow paths leading into the mountains, one leading to Plum Valley and the other to Autumn Forest. He deliberately avoided the direction of Plum Valley for the Crown Prince and Prince Fu and went to Autumn Forest instead.

Sheep sneered, "Look, he doesn't even dare to accept the challenge... Ah Xia, wait a minute."

Seeing Zhang Xia urging Zaozao to follow Chen Ji into the mountains, he hurriedly called for the Wansui Army to spur their horses and follow.

Once inside the mountains, Chen Ji observed the terrain as he made his way towards Xuanqiu Forest.

He looked back and saw Yangyang leading the Wansui Army sneaking behind him, but he couldn't see the Jiefan Guards. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Qi Zhenzhuo, unaware of the dangers of the day, was still searching for prey: "If I had known that winning today would bring a title, I should have called Duobao and the others over. How can the two of us compare to the three Imperial Guards? They hunt together, with everyone driving the prey for one person to hunt and kill."

Chen Ji ignored him.

Qi Zhenzhuo continued to mutter, "Show off your skills, Master, and put those bastards from the Long Live Army to their toes."

Chen Ji was unwilling to explain further, only saying that they had not yet arrived at their destination.

Just then, a wild pheasant flew by in the forest, and Qi Zhenzhuo raised his heavy bow and shot it.

Although he was a playboy, Qi Jiazi had studied the Six Arts of a Gentleman since childhood, and his archery skills were not bad. The arrow shot towards the pheasant like thunder, and in an instant, it would pin the pheasant to the tree.

Suddenly, a strange thing happened. Not far away, the sound of thunder came from Yangyang's bow. An iron-rimmed arrow, fired after Yangyang, struck first and shattered the arrow that Qi Zhenzhuo had shot. As it stuck in the tree, the fletching of the arrow trembled incessantly.

His archery skills are far superior to Qi Zhenzhuo's, no wonder he is so arrogant.

Qi Zhenzhuo's expression changed: "What the hell are you doing?"

With one hand holding the reins and the other tucked under his arm, Yangyang slowly rode past him, saying, "Is this the archery skill of the Imperial Guards? You guys didn't make it back from Guyuan alive by luck, did you?"

Qi Zhenzhuo was furious, but he knew he was no match for others, so he was too angry to speak.

Chen Ji turned his head and looked at him, feeling that this "Long Live the Army" looked like a male peacock spreading its tail feathers.

He glanced back at the Red Leaf Villa at the foot of the mountain and whispered to Zhang Xia, "The fortress should no longer be able to see this place. Let's go."

Zhang Xia nodded.

Chen Ji gave Qi Zhenzhuo a low shout: "Come with me, we're going back to the capital."

Qi Zhenzhuo was taken aback: "No spring hunt?"

Chen Ji threw down a "dangerous" remark, spurred his horse, and galloped towards Xuanqiu Forest. He didn't care whether Qi Zhenzhuo was willing to follow or not.

The group walked past Yangyang without looking back.

Sheep called out loudly from behind them, "What, you're running away just because you can't win?"

But Chen Ji wouldn't listen to his provocation.
Seeing this, Yangyang turned to his colleagues in the Long Live Army and said, "Follow them!"

Suddenly, a forest bird took flight from the side and circled above the forest.

Chen Ji caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, and his heart sank. He turned to Zhang Xia and said, "That's not the direction the Crown Prince and Prince Fu went into the mountains. Someone else has entered the mountains. I don't know if it's aimed at the Crown Prince or Prince Fu."

He sped up again, and the group weaved through the mountains and forests. Just as they passed Yingluo Rock, a whooshing sound suddenly came from the rock, and three crossbow bolts whistled towards them.

Chen Ji suddenly drew two arrows from his quiver and, before anyone could react, nocked one and shot it.

Yangyang was startled when he saw Chen Ji draw his bow with lightning speed.

His gaze followed the arrows as they flew, and he saw two arrows collide with two crossbow bolts in mid-air, shattering the bolts before they flew into the forest on Yingluo Rock. A person in the forest screamed and fell from the top of the rock, wearing a straw raincoat.

The three crossbow bolts aimed at Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia were all blocked, while the one aimed at Chen Ji was dodged by him turning his head.

Yangyang looked at the mountains and forests above, then at the sixty-pound birch bark bow in Chen Ji's hand, and suddenly shouted angrily, "Enemy attack! That brat Chen, change the bow!"

As he spoke, he tossed his horn bow to Chen Ji from a distance, and Chen Ji, without hesitation, tossed his birch bark bow behind him.

The moment they both received each other's longbows, their movements were perfectly synchronized as they drew their bows and fired arrows at Yingluo Rock from the side.

As if they had planned it together, Chen Ji shot further and higher, while Yang Yang shot lower and closer. With a few bowshots, several Jie Fanwei fell down.

With the crossbow bolts ceasing, the two archers, working together, managed to pin more than twenty "Relief Guards" behind a tree, preventing them from peeking out again.

Zhang Xia, lying on Zaozao's back, said to Chen Ji in a low voice, "Be careful, they're not after the Crown Prince and Prince Fu, they're after you!"

(End of this chapter)