SWHCBB 59

Chapter 59: Three Years Ago / Royal Hunting Grounds

Three years ago, in the dead of winter, at the royal hunting grounds.

The princes had all changed into their riding and archery gear, sitting tall on horseback, each of them brimming with ambition, chins lifted high. Even the Emperor had donned riding clothes, unwilling to admit his age and eager to compete with his sons.

Only one prince, whose looks were the most striking of them all, sat beneath a pavilion, wrapped in a thick cloak, holding a cup of hot tea. His expression was calm, without even a trace of joy.

A servant beside him refilled his tea and handed it over. Only then did he take it and softly say, “No more. If I drink too much, I’ll have to relieve myself again. It’s troublesome.”

“Don’t be afraid, Your Highness, Changning is here.”

He shook his head. He didn’t want to seem like a burden in this kind of setting.

Looking closely, his eyes were hollow and unfocused, blank and without light. Such a breathtaking beauty… yet blind.

Who knew how many people had sighed and lamented over him: “What a pity he’s blind. Such a shame.”

But they didn’t know that every sigh and word of pity was a blade carving deeper into his heart. As the years passed, the wounds scabbed over and numbed the pain, but the scars remained.

The Sixth Prince glanced disdainfully at Wen Jue, who sat beneath the pavilion. “What’s a blind man doing in a place like this? Just getting in the way!”

The Fourth Prince gave Wen Jue a glance too, then rebuked the Sixth Prince: “Why don’t you ask Father that? Sixth Brother, do you dare repeat what you just said in front of him?”

The Sixth Prince glared and fell silent.

The Third Prince, still just Prince Yi, stepped in to smooth things over. “It’s not good for Fifth Brother to stay cooped up in his manor all the time. Even if he can’t hunt, he can at least enjoy the sounds of the hunt, can’t he? Fifth Brother is quiet and well-behaved, and his servant is always at his side. What trouble could he cause?”

The Sixth Prince rolled his eyes. “You’re so generous, huh? Everyone’s here to hunt, and he’s tagging along just to do nothing, ruining the mood! If you’re so generous, why don’t you hunt for two people’s share? Didn’t Father say everyone must bag at least one animal, no returning empty-handed!”

The Third Prince hesitated. “That…”

Before he could respond, a horse trotted over. Wen Yan’s voice rang out: “No need! I’ll hunt on Fifth Brother’s behalf, no need for any of you to worry!”

They turned and saw the eldest princess, Chenyu, dressed in riding gear, her hair tied up in a single high ponytail.

She wore no makeup, her riding clothes clearly tailored to her form, sharp, neat, and unburdened.

She looked over them with a calm gaze. Though shorter than the rest, she somehow made them feel as if they were being stared down from above.

The three princes had to greet her. Still seated on horseback, they bowed their heads reluctantly. “Eldest Sister.”

Wen Yan deliberately targeted the most annoying, oversized baby, the Sixth Prince. She smirked, “Now that Empress Mother isn’t here, if you don’t catch anything, no one’s going to cover for you!”

The Sixth Prince scoffed, “Just watch, I’ll be the top hunter today!”

He was certainly confident. And Wen Yan knew he had a reason to be, how could he not, when Deputy Envoy Xiang had snuck into the woods the night before and drugged a few of the animals?

The Third Prince feigned curiosity. “If you’re so confident, then it seems even Father can’t compare to you, huh?”

Yes, who would dare outshine the Emperor? Maybe it was a game now, but one day he’d start suspecting people of overstepping.

The Sixth Prince’s expression froze, and he quickly countered, “Don’t slander me!”

Wen Yan scoffed, “Idiot.” She then rode up to the pavilion and called out, “Zhiyu, what do you want? Tell your sister, I’ll bring it back for you!”

Zhiyu smiled faintly. “A soft-shelled turtle, can I ask for that?”

Wen Yan raised an eyebrow and nodded. “If I find one, I’ll catch it for you.”

Catching a turtle in a jar, except in this case, the ‘turtle’ was the Sixth Prince. Didn’t he want to show off? Be the champion?

Fine, let him. But he’d better not regret it.

Wen Yan then rode up to the Emperor, smiling broadly. “Father, your daughter has trained hard in archery. You’d better watch out. I might just out-hunt you!”

If the Sixth Prince had said this, he’d never get away with it. But Wen Yan could say it, and the Emperor only laughed heartily, not offended at all. “Alright! I’ll be watching! Come, everyone, get ready!”

With the Emperor’s command, the princes and Wen Yan all rode out together. The thunder of hooves echoed as they galloped off, growing more distant until it faded completely.

Wen Jue listened quietly to the faint trickle of sand falling in the hourglass beside him, tapping his fingers lightly on the tea table to count the time.

Changning had been gone for a while. No one noticed. The most important people had entered the hunting grounds, so all the guards were stationed nearby to protect the princes and the Emperor, no one cared about blind Wen Jue left behind under a tent.

When Changning returned, he leaned in and whispered, “Everything’s arranged as per your instructions. But it seems the Sixth Prince doesn’t dare go all out, he’s only hunted two wild boars so far.”

Wen Jue nodded, unsurprised. He’d hidden so many drugged animals, and the prince still didn’t have the guts to take full advantage. He wanted attention but didn’t dare take risks.

The hourglass was nearly empty. An official came into the woods, striking a gong to signal that the hunt was ending.

The first to return on horseback was the Fourth Prince, carrying only a single rabbit and looking rather disgruntled.

Next came the Sixth Prince with two boars. When he saw the Fourth Prince had only caught a rabbit, he lifted his head smugly.

They thought the others would start returning one after another, but suddenly–A scream echoed from deep within the forest: “Vultures!!!”

“Vultures! Why are there vultures here?! Run! Protect the Emperor! Protect His Majesty!”