Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 42

Su Ling stretched her arms, drew the bow the way Xiao Yu had taught her, and released her thumb quickly with a bit of force. The bowstring shook faintly, her posture excellent, and her movements were clean and neat.

Thunk!

The arrowhead was firmly inserted into the red target.

Although the distance to the red target was the shortest and, therefore, the easiest compared to the latter nines, which were the real test of strength, this promising start reassured one’s skill and a stable state of mind was necessary to perform stably.

Su Ling rode forward, and the first five arrows hit the red targets without accident. It was challenging to hit the bullseye on the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth targets, but the last arrow actually hit right in the center of the…last and furthest target, leaving Su Ling a higher score than Princess Consort Cheng.

Su Ling was aware that the last arrow was probably the case of a blind cat meeting a dead mouse, but luck was also a part of strength, so she quite frankly accepted the applause of the onlookers.

After the competition, Su Ling returned to the viewing platform. At this time, an extra female relative of Empress Chu was sitting on Xiao Yu’s left side.

Empress Chu smiled and said, “Ah Ling, your archery skills have indeed improved a lot. I’m especially impressed by the last arrow.”

Su Ling replied, “Imperial Mother is exaggerating. The last arrow was just luck.”

Empress Chu tilted her head and said, “Ah Ying, didn’t you always want to learn archery? Bengong thinks you might as well learn from your third brother.”

Chu Ying smiled, showing her dimples, and said to Xiao Yu, “I want to learn. Will Your Highness teach me?”

Chu Ying was Empress Chu’s sole biological niece, who was fourteen this year.

“Mother, the Procuratorate has become busier lately. This son’s afraid he won’t be able to teach the Second Lass properly. After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yu added, “If the Second Lass wants to learn horseback riding, I have a candidate. Although he doesn’t have an official position, his archery skills are excellent.”

The smile on Empress Chu’s face gradually disappeared, but she followed along and replied, “Oh? Who is this person who can get your appreciation?”

Xiao Yu replied softly, “Second Young Master of the He family.”

Su Ling swallowed as soon as the words fell.

She suddenly remembered that He Zichen had looked at her for a while before he was out hunting.

Su Ling hadn’t expected this man to hold grudges to such an extent and couldn’t help but pinch his hand that was put down. She wanted to express her dissatisfaction, but Xiao Yu grabbed her wrist.

On the other side—

Emperor Jiaxuan was very satisfied with the competition. He clapped his hands and laughed, “There’s a saying that a tiger father has no dogs as daughters. We have now witnessed it. Princess Consort Jin is the model daughter of the generals today. Don’t you think so, Duke of Zhen?”

Su Jingbei smiled. “Your Majesty’s words put this official to shame.”

“How could these words come from Duke of Zhen’s mouth?” Emperor Jiaxuan asked.

Su Jingbei replied, “It’s not that I had never taught the princess consort archery, but she just couldn’t make any progress. It can be said that she’s improved only after marrying His Highness Prince Jin.”

Emperor Jiaxuan was even happier now and shouted, “Bestow the bundle of deerskin that I have brought to Princess Consort Jin.”

The chamberlain replied, “As you ordered.”

After mealtime, some people went on the platform.

Emperor Jiaxuan was thinking about what to do in the second half of the hunting outing and said casually, “Anyone with good ideas may voice them out.”

He wasn’t satisfied with what the civil officials had suggested. Thinking that Jing Changyi usually had creative ideas, he asked, “Official Jing, what do you have in mind?”

Jing Changyi stood and saluted. “This is an ordinary hunt with bears, leopards, monkeys, wild cats, wolves, wild boars, and other small games, but this official heard that there are tiger dens hidden in this Mount Li, and there’s the most gorgeous tiger king among them. It is said that its bones can be boiled into soup to repair the kidney and prolong life. This official thinks it’ll be very interesting if we can find this tiger king.” Then he added, “But this is just a hearsay. No one is sure whether there’s such a gorgeous tiger or not.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not.” Emperor Jiaxuan smiled. “If it’s a myth, then we will decide the winners as in previous years.”

The sky would darken in another half an hour. The mountain road was steep and rugged, and it would be dark even with the fire pits to illuminate the path; it would be perilous. One may not come out alive.

Emperor Jiaxuan asked, “What do you think?”

Prince Cheng said, “This son is willing to try.”

Xiao Yu and Prince Yan replied, “This son is also willing.”

The three imperial sons calmly expressed their willingness to go, but it was different with everyone else; their hearts were pounding. They thought about whose person this Jing Changyi was, but no one could come up with an answer. Their eyes were guarded. After all, everyone had their own plans in their hearts.

It was a different story with the womenfolk.

Su Ling still looked calm as she understood that Xiao Yu’s horseback archery skills were excellent. It wasn’t because he had studied hard since he was a child. Only men who have been on the battlefield could likely possess the stability, accuracy, and ruthlessness he demonstrated.

By contrast, Princess Cheng and Princess Yan couldn’t sit still.

As the night fell and the wind blew, the top 20 people who came out to hunt took a few followers and walked toward the mountain. After they disappeared from sight, the show of the performers swallowing swords and spitting fire could no longer interest people…

Soldiers sent news to the viewing platform every hour because the forest was dangerous.

The early news could be considered peaceful. Either Prince Jin had hunted a wild deer, or Prince Yan had hunted a wild boar, or Su Huai’an had hunted a wild wolf…

One of the soldiers who delivered the news was eloquent and made the stories sound fun. This made the emperor happy, and he immediately gave him an official position.

The continuous good news gradually calmed everyone down.

Four and a half hours had passed. The scheduled hourly news hadn’t arrived.

“Go and ask what’s going on,” Emperor Jiaxuan asked anxiously.

Simultaneously as the return of the attendant, all the accompanying physicians were running to the south.

Something had gone wrong.

Even if Su Ling trusted him, she couldn’t help clenching her fists.

Before long, the soldier, who had been full of joy suddenly knelt before Emperor Jiaxuan and said anxiously, “Your Majesty, Prince Yan is injured.”

“Prince Yan is injured?” the emperor frowned and bellowed. He struck the table and asked, “What kind of injury?”

The uneven breath of the soldier filled the entire viewing platform.

“Speak!”

“P-Prince Yan entered the tiger’s lair, not expecting there were six tigers in it. On top of it, a female tiger was giving birth, so…after killing the accompanying imperial guards, they bit His Highness’ leg…”

Emperor Jiaxuan rose and asked, “Where’s Prince Yan!?”

Consort Zhuang, the birth mother of Prince Yan, immediately stood, repeating the words, “It can’t be… It can’t be…”

When Prince Yan was carried over, everyone present gasped.

This was not bitten in the leg; this was obviously missing a leg. Below the right side of his waist was empty, ignoring the blood and bits of flesh.

There was nothing left.

Emperor Jiaxuan stared at his dying eldest son, his arms shaking. Then he turned his head and asked, “Where’s Prince Cheng and Prince Jin?”

“We haven’t found Prince Cheng and Prince Jin yet!”

“Someone come! Follow me into the mountains to look for them.”

When the officials only watched each other silently, the Duke of Zhen stood and said, “Since the tigers must have frightened the other animals and the roads are dark, Your Majesty must not risk himself. Let this official do it.”

Consort Zhuang sat and knelt toward the emperor, crying out, “Your Majesty! Please give this concubine justice! Someone must’ve intentionally harmed our son tonight!”

As if he hadn’t heard her, the emperor only said to the duke, “You must bring my two sons back.”

Su Ling looked at the emperor’s back and instantly understood that he was ruthless. Prince Yan could be abolished, but nothing else should happen to the other two.

When the Duke of Zhen brought Prince Cheng back, Prince Cheng was already soaked with sweat. He knelt and said in a low voice, “It was out of incompetence that I failed to save Elder Brother.”

Without judging him, the emperor only asked if he was injured and then told Princess Consort Cheng to accompany him to rest.

Emperor Jiaxuan turned his head again. “Where’s Prince Jin?”

Duke of Zhen said in a low voice, “This official only saw Prince Cheng in the mountains. Your Majesty, the mountain road is too rugged. It’ll only cause further problems if we search like this. This official would like to request the help of the imperial bodyguards to help with the search.”

Emperor Jiaxuan repeatedly nodded, “Let’s do it as you say. Everyone, go to the mountains! Follow the duke’s arrangement!”

Immediately afterward, with torches in their hands, a group of soldiers clad in black hurried to the south, illuminating the dark forest. After two incense sticks, everyone finally saw Prince Jin and Su Huai’an.

The full moon hung high, and fog filled the air.

The two people walked out, covered in blood, like reapers.

Xiao Yu’s hand was holding a cloth soaked in blood: it was Prince Yan’s leg that had been severed.

After Emperor Jiaxuan saw it, his body shook, and he closed his eyes in pain. The Taoist priest near him quickly took a pill and served it to the emperor.

With someone supporting him, Emperor Jiaxuan stood, patted Xiao Yu’s shoulder, and said hoarsely, “Call the imperial physician. Tell them to do whatever it takes to reattach it to your brother.”

Even if he died, his body must be whole.

In the hall, the three imperial physicians were sweating bullets, burying their heads together to connect Prince Yan’s leg. It wasn’t exactly ‘connecting’; they were just using needles and threads to bind the two parts together. Deep down, everyone knew that his leg would still be useless even if he were spared from the God of Death today. After stitching up his leg, the physicians gave Prince Yan two large bowls of concoction to relieve the pain and suspend his life.

Xiao Yu walked over and opened the curtain. The couch was covered with blood, and some skins had accidentally fallen off during the sewing.

Prince Yan’s chest rose and fell, his breathing weak.

He was aware that even though what had happened in Mount Li today was the case of brothers killing each other, the emperor would suppress the news and let the historians tamper with the story, turning it in tune with the winner. And the winner…

He raised his chin with difficulty and looked at Xiao Yu.

He’d been looking down on this younger brother whose biological mother died early and who came from a lowly background. How could he climb up on his head all of a sudden?

Xiao Yu dragged the chair beside him, sat, and said in a low voice, “Consort Zhuang has passed out from crying. Father just took his medicine; he will come over in a while. Just wait a little longer.”

Xiao Chongzuan clenched his fists and said, “You don’t have to act before me!”

Xiao Yu replied, “I didn’t do it.”

Xiao Chongzuan snorted.

So what if he had? So what if he had not? All he knew was that while he had been trapped in the tiger’s lair, Xiao Yu’s men had been outside, waiting for him to die. As if that wasn’t cruel enough, he used what was left of him in exchange for virtue.

Xiao Chongzuan’s eyes reddened. With gritted teeth, he raised his hand and pointed out, “Look back.”

Xiao Yu followed where his finger was directed—

Su Ling was walking toward them while supporting Empress Chu…

Prince Yan’s pale lips moved, and he said in a low voice, “The daughter of the Su family with a duke of outstanding military service as her father and an infamous high ranking official of the Imperial Court as her elder brother. Her Majesty the Empress…has truly found a good marriage for you. But Third Brother, don’t you think the Su family today is similar to the Chu family back then?” It was said the Chu family could control the imperial court back then—hiding the sky with one hand. The story began when the old Duke of Chu saved the former emperor. Since then, the Chu family had held military power in their hand; their second son had become an official and their daughter the empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

History seemed like it was about to repeat itself again.

Xiao Chongzuan took a deep breath and said aggressively, “Even if Imperial Father gave you the throne…it will be hard for you to guard the country.”

Xiao Yu rose abruptly, looked at Prince Yan condescendingly, and said coldly, “Brother, be careful with your words.”

Xiao Chongzuan read his thoughts and sneered, “In this lifetime, you will either end up becoming ungrateful, lonely, or be ruined by the Su family’s hand.”

The mountain breeze blew—

And the window of Jingren Palace was blown open by the wind.