Chapter 131 Sudden Shock

Chapter 131: Unexpected Turn

"Your Majesty... it's good that you're safe."

Su Jiaojiao stilled momentarily, never imagining the Emperor would come.

Ever since she urged His Majesty to visit Noble Consort Lan in the Taiji Hall last time, the atmosphere between them had turned frosty.

Though they still met every few days, each time the Emperor arrived, his face was unreadable. Su Jiaojiao knew he was displeased, so she measured every word.

Yet no matter how cautious she was, no matter how she tried to exude her usual coy charm, the air between them never returned to its former ease.

It was as if a wall neither could breach now stood between them.

With their meetings being so strained, neither knew what to say, so their encounters were fleeting.

Counting the two days of travel, it had been roughly ten days since their last meeting.

She had thought this awkwardness between them would continue until she found a way to resolve it.

Never had she imagined that the Emperor himself would take the initiative to approach her while she stood there, uncertain and watching from afar.

It was him—yielding to Su Jiaojiao.

Since His Majesty had already taken the first step to mend things and let go of his grievances, Su Jiaojiao could hardly play coy.

After all, she had overstepped in the first place.

Under the starlight, atop the grasslands,

Su Jiaojiao’s palace dress gleamed like moonlit silk in the faint moonlight, a vision from the moon palace.

Undeterred, she teased, stepping forward and taking his hand, "You’re not angry anymore?"

Her sudden initiative threw Shen Huai off balance, who had come intending to reprimand her.

His anger faltered before he turned his head away.

Yet his hand, now held by hers, did not pull back. His tone remained cold: "Su Jiaojiao, your boldness knows no bounds."

Unperturbed, she replied with a playful lilt, "Jiaojiao knew Your Majesty wouldn’t stay cross forever, right?"

"If I wouldn’t, does that mean you would?" Shen Huai felt a spark of temper at her words and turned back to glare at her. "Do you think my favor made you reckless—or have I never mattered to you at all?"

Realizing he had lost his composure, Shen Huai bit back his frustration before falling silent.

Su Jiaojiao opened her mouth, but for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond to his accusations.

She knew his care for her was real—fondness, concern.

But she had greeted him with a smile and spoken gently. Why wouldn’t he relent?

Su Jiaojiao couldn’t understand. She was doing and saying the very things that once pleased him. Why did he dislike them now?

What else could she possibly do to satisfy him?

People always said a woman’s mind was inscrutable, but now it seemed a man’s was no simpler.

After all these days of His Majesty’s displeasure, she had tried every method she could think of. She had hoped today would finally melt the tension and put this misery to rest, yet here they were—trapped in the same stalemate.

Su Jiaojiao had always been the one to accommodate him, walking on eggshells—how could anyone say she was spoiled by favor?

Her face fell slightly, though she didn’t show it outright. Her tone cooled as she looked at him and asked, "Don't you truly know whether Jiaojiao has been spoiled by Your favor?"

"What else do I need to do to matter?"

"You—" Shen Huai gritted his teeth, staring at Su Jiaojiao’s expression, his chest growing unbearably tight. He thrust the reins into her hands and turned away without another word.

Su Jiaojiao stared in the direction the Emperor had left for a long time, only snapping back to reality when the small white horse beside her snorted twice.

Yu Ying, who had been watching from afar, only dared approach when it seemed no one else was near Her Ladyship.

As soon as she drew close, she spotted the white horse that Su Jiaojiao was holding.

Her eyes sparkled as she walked around the horse, admiring it. "Your Ladyship, is this the horse His Majesty chose for You? What a beautiful horse—it looks so gentle too."

But Su Jiaojiao was in no mood to appreciate the horse. Without a word, she handed the reins to Yu Ying and let out a soft sigh as she turned. "Yu Ying… what does loving someone really feel like?"

Yu Ying stood frozen with the reins in hand, bewildered. Watching as Her Ladyship walked away, she grew even more puzzled.

Love?

What had happened lately between His Majesty and Her Ladyship? Could it be… that Her Ladyship had also fallen for the Emperor?

Yu Ying sighed and shook her head, hurriedly leading the horse back to the stables before returning to the tent.

This question was something only the two of them could answer. All she could hope was that her mistress would remain composed and unharmed.

The next day, after resting overnight, the autumn hunt officially began.

Early in the morning, the blast of horns sounded outside the tents.

The imperial family gathered, officials stood at attention in welcome, and armored soldiers sat astride sturdy horses, holding longbows with quivers on their backs, their expressions resolute.

Su Jiaojiao emerged from her tent with assistance, wearing riding clothes—an unusual change from her usual elaborate palace robes. The change made her appear less soft, more sharp-edged and striking.

With Yu Ying in tow, she approached the Emperor, tilting her chin slightly as the bright morning sun cast golden light over the grasslands.

In contrast, the Empress and Noble Consort Lan still wore their opulent palace gowns, making clear they wouldn’t be joining the hunt.

The stark difference made Su Jiaojiao stand out all the more, effortlessly catching everyone's attention.

By palace tradition, Imperial Consorts attending the hunt were just there to observe and not expected to join the chase—unless granted special permission by the Emperor, which was not without precedent.

Thus, while Su Jiaojiao’s presence was conspicuous, it did not break protocol.

Moreover, as the daughter of the influential Su Chang, no one would dare cause trouble for her at such a moment.

Only now did everyone truly grasp how much the Emperor favored Consort Zhen.

The three women arrived around the same time and bowed to the Emperor in unison. After rising, they took their respective positions according to rank.

Su Jiaojiao glanced at the Emperor’s expression—he remained as calm and detached as always, as though everything in the world lay within his grasp.

There was no trace of displeasure from last night’s incident.

Only when he sensed her gaze did Shen Huai spare her a brief glance before coolly turning away.

The ministers knelt before them in unison, the sound was deafening.

Shen Huai raised his hand slightly, and the crowd stood up. Then he announced clearly, "Today begins our dynasty's triennial autumn hunt—"

The Emperor's voice came from beside her, but Su Jiaojiao wasn't listening carefully. Instead, she glanced at the Empress, who was smiling warmly and gracefully.

She stood close to the Emperor's side, projecting an image of imperial harmony. Yet, her personal maid Yu He was nowhere to be seen—instead, an unfamiliar palace maid attended her.

This autumn hunt would last only three days, and due to the large number of participants, the Imperial Consorts had to limit their palace attendants.

Su Jiaojiao brought only Yu Ying as her maid, while the Empress had only brought Yu He.

Today, with all the officials gathered for such a grand occasion, it was odd that Yu He wasn’t beside the Empress. Something was off.

Su Jiaojiao's expression turned cold as she whispered to Yu Ying beside her, "Yu He isn't with the Empress—something's wrong. Go look for her, especially near the stables."

Not long after Yu Ying slipped quietly out of the crowd, the autumn hunt officially began.

Today was the first day, reserved for contests among the imperial family and eager young men, full of ambition. Not far away, these spirited youths challenged each other to hunt a black bear and earn the Emperor's reward.

Shen Huai readily agreed. After returning to the imperial tent with the Empress, he chatted briefly with the court's high-ranking ministers, occasionally watching the distant riders galloping.

Before long, Yu He and Yu Ying returned to their respective mistresses one after the other.

Yu Ying was shrewd—aware that though her departure went unnoticed, returning too close to Yu He might arouse suspicion. So, she returned with a plate of Su Jiaojiao’s favorite pastries, placing them on the table before her as if she had merely gone to fetch snacks.

She whispered, "My lady, I went to search near the stables and indeed saw Yu He speaking with a strangely dressed man in the woods nearby. The area was too open, so I took one look and left."

"A strangely dressed man?"

Su Jiaojiao picked up a pastry, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she ate. "Did you find out who he was?"

"I asked our informant stationed at the stables. They say he’s remarkable—able to command beasts—though who knows if it’s true."

Su Jiaojiao gave a faint nod and lowered her handkerchief.

When she looked up again, she saw the Empress peeling a grape and affectionately offering it to the Emperor’s lips.

Subtly, as she pulled her hand back, her gaze briefly met Su Jiaojiao’s.

"Your Majesty and the Empress share such deep affection—truly a blessing for the empire."

"The Empress embodies the virtues of the realm. I toast to Your Majesty and Her Majesty..."

Praise came in waves, while outside, the thunder of hooves and excited shouts continued without pause.

Just as Shen Huai was conversing with his ministers, a thunderous roar erupted not far from the imperial tent, followed by the chaotic rush of galloping hooves—like hunters pursuing a wild beast.

The roar shook the air, radiating menace.

At this, everyone brightened. The elder ministers stroked their beards and chuckled, "It seems today will bring a great prize. I wonder who will claim it."

Yet no one expected what came next.

The pursuing riders looked pale, reining in their horses as they shouted, "Protect His Majesty! Guard the Emperor—!"

"A tiger! The tiger has broken free!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a massive, tawny figure burst from the woods, stirring up dust. The crowd was large, and the tiger, severely wounded, let out another furious roar.

The fully grown tiger was enormous, its massive teeth and thick claws sending chills down everyone's spines. The palace servants screamed in panic and scattered like startled birds, while the imperial guards instantly unsheathed their blades, forming a protective circle in front of Shen Huai to confront the wounded and bleeding beast.

The Empress turned deathly pale, her regal poise completely vanished as she stood trembling behind the Emperor, clutching the hem of his robe. "Your Majesty..." she whispered, her voice shaking.

At such a critical moment, reckless action was unthinkable. Shen Huai, having witnessed countless grand occasions since childhood, remained far calmer. He shielded the Empress behind him and said firmly, "Don't move."

The Empress nodded slightly, her entire body taut with tension, her grip on his robe tightening.

The standoff did not last long. A group of mounted archers came charging out from the forest, their leader drawing his bow and firing an arrow that struck the tiger squarely in the hind leg.

The tiger let out a blood-curdling roar of pain, lifting its head to the sky before charging straight toward Shen Huai.

The imperial guards swiftly raised their weapons, preparing to strike. Just as the tiger lunged toward the imperial tent, a plain-robed man hurled a spear from the side, while archers behind him loosed several arrows.

In that split second, the spear pierced the tiger's eyes, and two arrows embedded themselves in its body.

But one arrow went horribly off-course, flying directly toward the Emperor.

Su Jiaojiao had never imagined events would unfold this way. Overcome with terror, she instinctively moved to step forward but was pulled back urgently by Yu Ying.

"Your Majesty—!!!"

As the crowd paled in horror, the Empress threw herself in front of the Emperor, shielding him from the arrow.

"Sschunk!"

The arrow sank deep into the Empress's right shoulder, immediately soaking her bright yellow phoenix robe crimson with blood.

Clutching the Emperor's shoulders tightly, she whispered through gritted teeth, "As long as you're safe... that's enough."