Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

He paused for a moment, picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and his tone softened considerably. "So you are the two young masters of the Rongguo Mansion. My apologies for my rudeness."

Seeing that his attitude was softening, Baoyu quickly and gently persuaded him.

"Brother Qiu, please calm down. Brother Xue was just being impatient. Tang Guan may be a good man, but he is ultimately just an actor. Why ruin the harmony between our families for his sake?"

Jia Cong also cupped his hands and added, "Brother Qiu is a shrewd person, and I imagine he wouldn't want to cause trouble over such a trivial matter. However, Brother Xue's intentions are sincere, so I hope Brother Qiu will consider them carefully."

Qiu Qian held his wine cup in his hand, pondering for a long while. He glanced at Tang Guan, who was trembling in his arms, and then at the expressions of Bao Yu and the other man. He immediately put down his wine cup, his tone carrying a hint of perfunctory politeness.

"Out of respect for the two young masters of the Rongguo Mansion, I will not hold this young master Xue accountable today. However, I have already taken Tang Guan back to serve me, and there is no reason for me to give him away again."

Xue Pan was about to argue when Jia Cong secretly pulled him back.

Qiu Qian then looked at everyone and waved his hand, saying,

"We're all acquaintances in the capital anyway, and we'll run into each other all the time. I'll host a banquet at my residence another day, inviting you two brothers, Brother Feng, and Brother Xue to join us. It'll be a way to make friends, and we can let this matter drop."

Seeing this, Feng Ziying knew that this was the biggest concession Qiu Qian could offer, and that further arguing would be inappropriate, so he could only give a vague reply.

"Brother Qiu is indeed straightforward. In that case, we will leave you alone. Let's call it quits here."

Baoyu and Jia Cong nodded in agreement. Although Xue Pan was unwilling, he knew that Qiu Qian was backing down for the sake of the Rongguo Mansion. He could only glare at Qiu Qian and then said nothing more.

Seeing this, Qiu Qian smugly hugged Tang Guan tighter and waved his hand.

"Alright, everyone, please make yourselves at home. I will send someone to deliver the invitations another day."

The group returned to the second floor. Xue Pan gritted his teeth in hatred, but was stopped by Feng Ziying and the others.

"Brother Xue, do not act rashly. That Commandant Qiu is powerful and currently enjoys the Emperor's favor. Do not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small matter."

Although Xue Pan was simple-minded, he knew that his family was merely imperial merchants, and if things really got out of hand, they couldn't compete with a military family like Feng Ziying's. So, he could only reluctantly pick up the wine jug and drink it all in one gulp.

"Forget it, he's just an actor, let him be. Damn it, it's pointless anyway, let's go!"

They came with high hopes but left disappointed. Baoyu and the others had no choice but to leave the theater together. Only Feng Ziying held onto Jia Cong, saying that they would definitely arrange a hunting trip at Tiewang Mountain in a couple of days.

Since Jia Cong had agreed, he couldn't break his promise. Two days later, he brought Li Rong and other servants to Tiewang Mountain. This was the northern suburb of the capital, and many young men from prominent families liked to come here to enjoy the spring or go hunting.

Two days later, under a clear sky, Jia Cong got up early to wash and dress, changed into a dark blue outfit with arrow-sleeved sleeves, prepared his smuggling tools, and took his bow and arrows, hunting knife, and other items. He then led three or four capable servants from his courtyard toward Iron Net Mountain in the northern suburbs of the capital.

The Iron Net Mountain range is undulating and lush with vegetation. It is home to many wild animals such as rabbits, pheasants, and deer, making it an ideal place for young men from prominent families in the capital to go hunting in the spring.

As soon as Jia Cong and his party arrived at the foot of the mountain, they saw Feng Ziying already waiting there with several servants.

Today, Feng Ziying was dressed in a pomegranate-embroidered gold-sleeved riding outfit, with a jewel-encrusted curved sword at his waist and a jet-black steed standing beside him. Upon seeing Jia Cong, he immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Brother Cong is indeed punctual!" Feng Ziying patted Jia Cong on the shoulder, his gaze falling on Ba Hongchen behind him, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"What a magnificent steed! I noticed its extraordinary nature when I saw it outside the theater last time, and upon closer inspection today, I see even more remarkable bone structure and exceptional stamina."

Jia Cong bowed slightly.

"Brother Feng, you flatter me. It's just an ordinary steed, nothing like your Snow-Treading Black Steed, which is clearly a seasoned veteran."

It turns out that Feng Ziying's black horse was a fine breed obtained from the border army. It was jet black and shiny, except for its four white hooves, hence the name "Snow-Treading Black Steed". It was fierce but extremely intelligent and could not be controlled by ordinary people.

Feng Ziying laughed heartily, then mounted his horse.

"Enough with the small talk, let's have a contest today to see who can hunt the most game of all kinds. The loser will treat everyone at Dongxing Restaurant tonight, how about that?"

Jia Cong also mounted his horse, grasped the reins, and nodded in response, "I will do as you please, Brother Feng."

"Good!" Feng Ziying shouted, spurred his horse on, and the Snow-White Black Steed immediately galloped off into the mountains.

Jia Cong hurriedly urged Ba Hongchen to follow closely behind. The two fine horses rode one after the other, their hooves thundering and kicking up a trail of dust. The servants behind them also rode up to follow, but dared not get too close, only following at a distance to pick up the game.

Deep in the Iron Net Mountain, the forest was dense and the light was mostly blocked. Not long after entering the forest, a gray-brown wild rabbit darted out of the grass and ran nimbly into the depths of the forest.

Feng Ziying reacted swiftly, immediately reining in his horse, taking a bow and arrow from behind his back, nocking the arrow and drawing the string in one smooth motion. With a "whoosh," the arrow shot out like a meteor, striking the rabbit's hind leg.

The rabbit, in pain, staggered a few steps and fell to the ground, struggling for a moment before ceasing to move.

Several servants quickly picked up the rabbit, tied it with rope, and hung it on the horse's back. Feng Ziying turned the horse around, raised his chin at Jia Cong, and said with a hint of pride, "Brother, you flatter me!"

Jia Cong could see clearly that Feng Ziying's archery skills were indeed superb, with both power and accuracy being quite impressive. It seemed that he had already established himself in the second level of martial arts.

He offered only a few words of flattery before urging Ba Hongchen to continue forward and survey his surroundings.

A short while later, a rustling sound came from the bushes ahead, and a brightly colored pheasant flapped its wings and took flight, trying to escape.

Jia Cong's heart stirred, and he slowly took down the bow and arrow from behind him. He could have used his third level of martial arts internal force to accurately hit the vital point with one arrow, but he deliberately concealed his aura and suppressed his internal force to the level of the second level. With a slight release of his fingers, the arrow flew through the air, grazing the pheasant's wing. Although it knocked the pheasant down, it only injured its wing and not its vital point.

Li Rong quickly stepped forward, picked up the pheasant, and handed it to Jia Cong. Feng Ziying's eyes flashed with surprise upon seeing this, and then he laughed and said, "Brother, your archery skills are quite superb, but the force seems a little lacking. If it were a little stronger, it could have killed him with one arrow."

Jia Cong smiled sheepishly, "Brother Feng has a keen eye. I haven't been practicing martial arts for very long, and my strength is lacking. Please forgive my shortcomings."

The two continued deeper into the mountains and forests. Feng Ziying was a cheerful and straightforward man, and he did not hold back when hunting. He would sometimes shoot birds with arrows and sometimes slash beasts with his knife. Before long, he had hunted three rabbits, two pheasants, and a small deer. His movements were swift and decisive, and every strike was precise and ruthless. He was obviously a veteran hunter who had been hunting for many years.