Chapter 10
With the grip on the rope slackening, Ning Rushen hurriedly withdrew his hand.
Li Yingtan cautiously peeked out again, cradling Li Jingyu with care.
Li Jingyu struggled out of the grasp with muffled noises, revealing two innocent and bright eyes, expressing confusion.
Ning Rushen rose and performed a bow, “Minister Ning Chen pays his respects to Prince Xuan and Prince Jing.” Even as he bowed, his hands were still shackled together.
Quickly, a hand reached out, slender fingers slipping through the rope loop with a gentle tug, and the tightly bound rope around Ning Rushen’s wrist was abruptly loosened.
Ning Rushen hurriedly removed the rope and adjusted his cloak, which was slipping off his shoulder, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Li Wuting sat back down, turning the page on the matter, “What is it?”
Li Yingtan took the hint and spoke, “The spring hunt in a few days…”
He barely caught his breath when Li Jingyu turned his attention to Ning Rushen again, “Why did Imperial Brother bind Mr. Ning?”
Ning Rushen swallowed, thinking to himself, Little Prince, read the room.
Li Wuting paused, then couldn’t help himself, “It wasn’t I who bound him.”
Li Jingyu, curious, “Not Imperial Brother? Did Mr. Ning bind himself?”
That sounded eerily familiar.
Ning Rushen quickly intervened, “It was indeed I who bound myself.”
Li Yingtan hurriedly silenced Li Jingyu with a tone one might use on a child, “Alright, alright, you heard it was he himself. No more questions.”
Ning Rushen, “…”
You could also say less.
Perhaps sensing that continuing this topic would only lead to further embarrassment, Li Wuting tapped the table lightly, “Wish to join the spring hunt?”
Li Jingyu immediately straightened up, “Yes, Imperial Brother.”
“I’ll join as well, just before heading to my fief,” said Li Yingtan. “Besides, though Cui Hao Yuan has been imprisoned, there remain some demons and ghosts lurking in the shadows… I’ll help clean up.”
“The spring hunt is up to you, the Cui family will be handled by me,” Li Wuting declared, then paused, “Reward those who deserve it, and punish those who do not.”
A clothes prop flashed through Ning Rushen’s mind.
Suddenly, Li Wuting’s gaze, as if sensing something, fell on him, “What are you thinking, Ning Qing?”
Ning Rushen blurted out, “Has the Pokémon been confiscated?”
“…” Li Wuting seemed to pause for a moment, “Hmm.”
Li Yingtan: ??? Who?
“That’s good.” With the revenge of the hot pot settled, Ning Rushen formally excused himself, “If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave.”
Li Wuting nodded towards him.
After exchanging bows with the two princes, Ning Rushen turned and headed for the door. His cloak’s tie had been taken away, leaving him to clutch at the neckline, exposing half of his arm.
Just as he reached the door, he was suddenly called, “Minister Ning.”
Ning Rushen, clutching his neckline, turned around, “Your Majesty?”
Li Wuting’s gaze, from across the vast imperial study, landed on him, “You will accompany us on the spring hunt in a few days.”
Ning Rushen, “…”
What role could his frail body play?
As prey?
He silently accepted, “Yes.”
As he was about to leave the imperial study, Li Wuting casually commanded, “Go get another cloak.”
·
Ning Rushen fetched a cloak from Xiao Rongzi.
It was of a dark gold brocade and su-fang color, brighter and more striking than his usual crimson garment, with a snow-white lining.
As Xiao Rongzi led him through the imperial garden, he flattered, “Sir truly embodies the saying ‘accumulated stone becomes jade, unparalleled in beauty’.”
Ning Rushen pondered what to eat upon returning home, “I haven’t accumulated food, and I try not to wolf down.”
Xiao Rongzi, “…”
As they passed the flourishing pear orchard, De Quan suddenly caught up from behind, “Minister Ning, please wait!”
Ning Rushen turned, “Eunuch De?”
De Quan hurried over and, with a meaningful smile, gestured for a palace servant to stuff something into Ning Rushen’s arms—
Softly, a few branches of pure white jade pear blossoms fell into his embrace.
Ning Rushen, “?”
De Quan, with a twirl of his finger, hinted, “Did not sir mention liking that jade pear tree last time? Our sovereign always distinguishes clearly between rewards and punishments. Thus, I boldly sought a reward for sir~”
Ning Rushen suddenly recalled the burial site he had chosen for himself.
He looked at the pear blossoms in his arms with a hint of subtlety, softly saying, “Thank you for His Majesty’s grace, and thank you, Eunuch De, for your consideration.”
De Quan waved his duster, “It’s enough that sir has thanked His Majesty~”
Ning Rushen then turned and bowed in the direction of the imperial study.
De Quan looked up.
But saw amidst the vast pear blossom trees, Ning Rushen with his black hair and red cloak, holding a branch of jade pear blossoms, standing sideways. A few white jade petals dotted his red cloak, shining against the white silk of spring, like new snow under a clear sky.
Suddenly, a phrase leapt into his mind:
Who would have thought, in the mortal world, one could meet a man as pure as white jade.
De Quan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking how truly…
Before his sigh fully escaped, he saw the person bowing in the distance, lips moving as if murmuring something.
Ning Rushen looked towards the imperial study, “Actually, I also like pearls and agates…”
De Quan, “…………”
·
After parting with the hesitant De Quan, Ning Rushen stepped out of the palace gate where the carriage of the Ning estate was already waiting.
The coachman was Yuan Liu from the estate, “My lord!”
Ning Rushen asked, “Where is Uncle Yan?”
Yuan Liu replied, “Steward Yan lost his voice from shouting. Miss Xinglan told him to stay at the estate.”
Ning Rushen immediately tensed, “What happened, did the Meng estate use torture on him?”
Yuan Liu shook his head, “Steward Yan was kidnapped by thieves at the Meng estate and screamed for help all the way.”
Ning Rushen, “……”
He boarded the carriage with a soft sigh, “It’s fine, let’s go back to the estate.”
The carriage returned to the Ning estate.
Just as they approached the estate gate, they faintly heard an argument.
Ning Rushen lifted the carriage curtain to look and saw a familiar figure standing at the gate, opposite him was Yan Min, who was talking in a harsh voice, “Lord Ning! There’s a suspicious newcomer claiming to be your bodyguard!”
Shiyi looked over with a large bundle on his back.
Ning Rushen took a deep breath, “Why are you here?”
Shiyi seriously replied, “The… The leader said I did a good job on this matter, rewarded me with a cloth to wrap things, and told me to follow you from now on.”
“……”
Ning Rushen’s expression was complex: You were actually being sent away.
He didn’t have the heart to reveal the truth and patted Shiyi on the shoulder, turning to tell Yan Min to prepare a room, “From today on, he is my bodyguard, called… Little Stone.”
Shiyi blinked.
Yan Min was surprised, “Where did the lord find a bodyguard?”
Ning Rushen, holding the pear blossoms, entered the estate gate, “Just shook one out from the nearby people.”
Yan Min: ???
The residence of the Prime Minister was raided overnight, revealing all its secrets.
The very next morning, the court session brought a verdict:
The Right Minister, Cui Hao Yuan, was found guilty of corruption, embezzlement of the national treasury, forming cliques for selfish interests, and ruthlessly taking lives… Every charge against him was proven beyond doubt, and he was sentenced to execution without delay.
The direct family of the Cui household was exiled to the northern frontier, while the collateral relatives were judged according to their involvement; co-conspirators like the Meng family were all imprisoned, awaiting trial.
The Minister of the Household Department, Geng Yue, was demoted for dereliction of duty, sent to work in the Ministry of Works’ Water Department.
The Grand Scholar, Ning Chen, was credited for his role in the investigation and returned to the emperor’s favor…
Overnight, the political landscape of the court dramatically shifted. Especially for Ning Chen, who was rumored to have fallen out of the emperor’s grace days before, he suddenly became the darling of the imperial court once more.
The party aligned with the former crown prince was caught off guard by the fall of the Cui family and temporarily kept a low profile.
However, the ministers had little time to ponder over these developments, as another significant event was approaching—
The annual Spring Hunt of the Da Cheng dynasty.
·
On the day of the Spring Hunt, Ning Chen prepared a small bundle for the journey.
Shi Yi advised him to bring a set of lightweight riding attire and spare clothes. The Spring Hunt could last from a few days to half a month, and anything could happen.
With his preparations made, Ning Chen headed to the palace gates.
As the hour arrived, the majestic hunting party traversed most of the capital, setting out for the countryside amidst the cheers of the populace.
The journey was long, with warriors on horseback and civil officials in carriages.
Ning Chen was jostled until he was dizzy and pale.
Just as he pondered whether this road led to the end of his life, the carriage finally stopped, and the long procession reached the outskirts of the hunting grounds.
Stepping out of the carriage, he almost stumbled in his confusion.
As he regained his bearings, the sound of hooves passed by. Li Ying Tang’s voice then reached him from above.
“Is Minister Ning feeling unwell?”
Ning Chen looked up to see Li Ying Tang sitting high on his horse, clad in a striking white riding outfit, looking dashing.
Breathless, he replied, “I’m carsick.”
Li Ying Tang chuckled, “Then it’s nothing serious. Rest well,” before riding off.
Many carriages still surrounded the area.
As Ning Chen collected himself, he found himself under the gaze of several colleagues, which quickly shifted away in small groups.
Ning Chen patted his chest, still feeling nauseous: it was indeed the carsickness.
…
The hunting ground was vast, stretching to the horizon and backed by dense forests and a clear river flowing through.
Tents for the emperor and the officials to rest were quickly set up by the guards. Apart from the emperor and the princes, who had their own tents, the other court officials shared one according to their ranks.
As Ning Chen was surveying the surroundings, Geng Yue approached with Geng Yan,
“After the last incident, I owe Minister Ning a great debt. If you don’t mind, would you join us for this Spring Hunt?”
Geng Yue patted Geng Yan, “As for setting up the tent and such, let my son handle it.”
Ning Chen happily accepted, “Well, then I must thank the young master in advance.”
“…” Geng Yue.
Geng Yan was nearly infuriated: who calls someone else’s son a ‘young master’ like that!?
Fortunately, Geng Yue wasn’t bothered, and after exchanging a few polite words, he was called away by other colleagues, leaving Geng Yan grinding his teeth in frustration.
“Let’s go, I’ll show you to the tent.”
After settling their belongings in the tent,
Geng Yan glanced at him, “You should change into something more comfortable. Although there won’t be an official hunt right now, there will likely be horse racing and archery to win favors.”
Ning Chen began to unpack, “I’m not good at any of that.”
“Even if you’re not, change anyway.” Geng Yan said before leaving the tent, “I’ll check outside.”
Once alone, Ning Chen changed into the riding attire.
He had been wearing wide-sleeved robes since he arrived in this era; this was his first time wearing something more fitting and comfortable.
The sleeves were tight around the wrists, and the trousers tucked into his boots; the crimson top was tucked into a dark belt, highlighting a fine waistline. Ning Chen tied his long hair back, revealing a slender neck.
Feeling refreshed, he stepped out of the tent.
From a distance, he could see the imperial tent adorned in bright yellow. Though separated by some distance, there was nothing obstructing his view between them.
Emperor Li Wu Ting was standing in front of the tent, instructing his guards.
Beside him were De Quan and Yin Zhao.
Ning Chen noticed that Emperor Li was wearing dark riding attire. Despite the distance and not being able to see clearly, he could still sense the emperor’s tall and robust figure, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, impeccable in form.
As Ning Chen made his way, the air was filled with the anticipation of the hunt and the subtle dynamics of court intrigue playing out in this grand setting.
It was clear that he was diligent in his exercises.
He was brazenly staring when Li Wuting at the other end suddenly paused, and then his gaze sharply turned and accurately fell on him.
Ning Rushen, “…”
Should he respectfully bow from afar, or pretend to casually avert his gaze?
Just as his fingers were about to lift, suddenly, a young voice came from the other side, “Lord Ning.”
Ning Rushen turned his head, only to see the young Li Jingyu, accompanied by palace attendants, walking over.
“I have seen His Highness, Prince Jing.”
“Lord Ning, no need for formalities,” Li Jingyu said, following his gaze curiously, “Is Lord Ning going to my royal brother?”
Ning Rushen shook his head, “His Majesty has not summoned me.”
Li Jingyu thought for a moment and then asked, “Has the injury on Lord Ning’s wrist healed?”
Ning Rushen was slightly moved, “Thank you for your concern, Highness. It has healed.”
Li Jingyu, wise beyond his years, patted him, “Very good. Try not to always bind yourself.”
Ning Rushen, “…”
The attendants behind him were shocked by his gaze.
Li Jingyu added, “Unless my royal brother requests it.”
Ning Rushen’s lips quivered, and he said softly, “Your Highness, please don’t talk nonsense.”
…
On the other side, in front of the main tent.
Li Wuting withdrew his gaze, turning to call Dequan and Yin Zhao, “Walk with me.”
Dequan, accustomed to this, responded, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Behind the camp, there was a river, its waters clear and flowing smoothly over the rocks, reflecting the sunlight above.
In earlier years, when all the princes were young.
Accompanying the late emperor on spring hunting trips, they often frolicked by this river, full of spirit and making bets on who could catch more.
Time had passed, and circumstances had changed.
Observing Li Wuting’s expression, Dequan tried to lighten the mood, “This is the first time Prince Jing has come here. I just noticed, despite his young age, he carries himself with poise and exudes a martial spirit. Surely, he will excel in both letters and arms in the future.”
Li Wuting’s expression softened somewhat, and he hummed in agreement.
That scene just now brought another person to mind.
Dressed in bright red riding attire, with long hair tied back, markedly different from usual. He almost didn’t recognize him at first glance.
Li Wuting stood by the river with his hands behind his back for a while, then turned and walked towards the camp, “Let’s go back.”
The main tent was set up centrally, like stars around the moon.
Returning from this riverbank, they had to circle behind other tents.
As Li Wuting approached the outermost tent, he heard several voices heading towards the river, mentioning “Ning Chen” among their words.
His steps halted.
“Ning Chen has returned to the emperor’s side…”
“With his talent for ingratiating himself, is it any surprise he’s climbed so quickly? Haven’t you noticed how even two princes look favorably upon him?”
Dequan’s heart skipped a beat, quickly glancing at the emperor’s expression.
But he saw that Li Wuting’s profile was cold, his emotions unclear. Yin Zhao also stood silently by, his hand on the hilt of his Spring and Autumn blade.
The voices continued, seemingly emboldened by the seclusion of the spot, gradually becoming more familiar:
“Speaking of flattery, huh… did you see what Ning Chen was wearing?”
“Yes, I saw. I must say, despite his usual frail appearance, once he sheds his official robe and tightens his waist and legs… Oh, one can only imagine how vigorous he must be!”
