Chapter 63: “I thought you would be upset upon hearing San Lang is injured…”

Chapter 63 "We assumed you'd heard about San Lang's injury..."

A long wind swept in from the distance, snapping the emperor's black banner embroidered with golden patterns.

Huo Ling descended the high platform alongside Emperor Jingyuan, and a guardsman brought a horse forward for her.

The man seemed familiar to Huo Ling. She cast a casual glance at his face, shadowed by his helmet, then smiled. "Why aren't you competing in the mounted archery contest for His Majesty's prize?"

Wu Feng, realizing he had been recognized, flashed a bright grin.

Emperor Jingyuan turned at the sound of their voices. "So this is Wu Feng—the one you specifically requested Our favor for?"

Huo Ling was surprised. "Your Majesty still remembers?"

Emperor Jingyuan replied, "Had you given him any other name, We might have forgotten it long ago."

Huo Ling immediately turned to Wu Feng. "Now do you still dare say I'm bad at choosing names?"

Wu Feng hastily bowed. "Your Highness, your servant only grumbled once—how could you remember it for so long?"

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled. "You haven’t answered Her Highness’s question yet."

Wu Feng lowered his head respectfully. "If it please Your Majesty, within the Vermilion Guard, this servant is no match for young master Zheng's skill in mounted archery. Furthermore, I am on duty today. Should I neglect my responsibilities as a Vermilion Guard merely for the sake of a prize, I would betray the expectations of Your Majesty and Her Highness."

After hearing this, Emperor Jingyuan remarked to Huo Ling, "The mightiest blade needs no edge; supreme mastery seems effortless. We told you his name was well chosen."

Huo Ling replied, "Your Majesty shouldn’t offer mere words of praise."

Emperor Jingyuan paused, then looked at the sword at Wu Feng’s waist—standard issue for every imperial guardsman. "You're skilled with the sword, correct?"

Wu Feng already guessed what was coming. "Yes."

"Then We shall grant you one of the new blades forged by the Ministry of Works," the emperor declared. "They are said to be sharp enough to cleave iron. Serve well in the Vermilion Guard henceforth."

Wu Feng's face lit up as he bowed deeply in gratitude.

The other guards looked on with barely concealed envy.

In truth, they were all members of the Vermilion Guard. In terms of background, apart from Wu Feng, each hailed from noble families. Yet who among them had gained such distinction before the emperor—having their name remembered, let alone receiving imperial favor?

Though Wu Feng had performed admirably within the guard, his advancement clearly stemmed from being favored by the empress.

As long as Her Majesty's standing remained secure, Wu Feng's future prospects were assured. More than one guard silently resolved to find ways to cultivate his friendship later.

...

Huo Ling had casually requested the reward for Wu Feng simply to help improve his relationships within the Vermilion Guard.

As time passed, Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan entered the hunting grounds, followed closely by their retinue of guards.

This time, Huo Ling hunted with no hidden purpose, purely enjoying the experience.

Indeed, the imperial hunting grounds were magnificent—the grandest she had ever seen, teeming with game. Last year, her mind had not been fully on the hunt, but this year, she was completely immersed.

Her focus brought a rich harvest.

Suddenly, a badger burst from the underbrush. Huo Ling reached for an arrow—only to find her quiver empty.

"The arrows are all..."

"Missed," Emperor Jingyuan remarked from the side.

The badger had already vanished from sight. Huo Ling lowered her bow with regret. "Your Majesty, why didn’t you remind me earlier?"

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled. "Why would I remind you? If anything, I should’ve reminded you to take a break. Count how many arrows you've shot."

The moment he mentioned it, Huo Ling became aware of the soreness in her shoulders.

She raised a hand to rub her shoulder, her hairline damp with sweat, yet her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I haven't hunted this carefree in ages."

Emperor Jingyuan could tell.

That's exactly why he had refrained from interrupting her—until her quiver was completely empty.

"Rest for a while before continuing."

Huo Ling nodded, dismounting first. She wiped her face with a handkerchief and drank the water Wu Mo handed her before finally feeling better.

After resting in the shade for a while, she picked up the refilled quiver and slung it over her shoulder, but didn’t go all-out hunting anymore.

She wasn’t in it to win—just wanted to enjoy herself. No need to wear herself out on the first day at the hunting lodge.

Huo Ling took occasional shots, occasionally egging on Emperor Jingyuan to take a few as well. Unfortunately, after wandering through the hunting grounds for some time, they hadn’t spotted a single deer.

Commander Bai of the Vermilion Guard glanced at the sky and rode forward to remind the Emperor and Empress that it was getting late and perhaps it was time to return. If they returned too late, those left at the training grounds would start worrying.

"Then let’s head back. Tomorrow—"

Almost the moment Huo Ling spoke, a deer streaked across her line of sight.

For a skilled hunter, the moment to take the shot was almost instinctive. Without lowering her bow, she drew it fully and released the arrow without hesitation.

Such instinctive shots were often the fastest. It wasn’t until they saw Huo Ling’s movement—and followed the arrow’s flight to see the prey pierced—that many even noticed the deer’s presence.

Amidst a wave of muted exclamations, Emperor Jingyuan clapped his hands. "Last year, you needed two arrows to hit your target. This year, one was enough."

Huo Ling lowered her bow with a smile. "With this deer, today’s a perfect wrap."

Everyone was delighted by such a significant catch just before returning.

When the Emperor and Empress arrived back at the training grounds, Zhan Ling, the Commander of the Imperial Guard stationed there, exhaled in relief. Had they been even a quarter-hour later, he would have personally led a team into the hunting grounds to search for them.

Before long, other hunting parties also returned to the training grounds, all with their own catches.

The one with the most game was still Zheng Xinjue, the Heir to the Duke of Jingguo.

Last year, he had hunted a wild boar, coming out on top and winning the prize set by Emperor Jingyuan.

This year, he hadn’t managed to take down another big game, but the pile of various small and large prey was impressively high.

Huo Ling only glanced briefly in that direction before turning her attention to the ladies.

With the prize Huo Ling had set, many noblewomen who had originally not planned to hunt or had intended only to casually participate found their competitive juices flowing.

They went at it competitively. Though their riding and archery skills varied, and their catches differed in number, they all returned to the training grounds excited, crowding around their kills to talk.

Huo Ling couldn’t easily mix in with the group, so she sent Wu Mo to catch what they were saying.

Wu Mo went quickly and returned just as fast. "They’re all talking about the hunt. Some are arranging to return to the woods tomorrow, while others are swapping tricks on riding and archery."

Huo Ling smiled and said, "It seems setting this prize was the right call. A hunt ought to be this lively."

In truth, the series of protocols drafted by the Ministry of Rites had never included her setting a prize.

But as she stood atop the high platform, the idea suddenly came to her.

If the Emperor could set a prize, why couldn’t the Empress?

As long as the reward’s standard did not surpass Emperor Jingyuan’s, and the recipients were women, who could find fault with her?

The lack of such a rule in the Ministry of Rites’ protocols was simply because no previous empress had ever done so.

But once she did, this could be added to the protocols for the next time, and the time after that, becoming a tradition.

Just like how no empress before her had written spring couplets with the Emperor during the New Year to gift to the wives of officials.

She could issue an edict reprimanding Chancellor Jiang, order Qiu Hongzhen to execute He Tai, propose to Emperor Jingyuan to reform the horse administration—using blunt, forceful methods to boost her standing.

Or she could employ this subtle, gradual approach to gradually cement her authority and influence in people’s minds.

As her thoughts wandered, Huo Ling turned her gaze back to the women and smiled. "It seems the top prize has been decided."

The winner among the women was Bai Wenjun, daughter of the Vermilion Guard’s Commander Bai.

Huo Ling called Bai Wenjun before her and, without rushing to ask anything else, simply said she wished to see her hands first.

Tracing the calluses on Bai Wenjun’s fingertips with her fingers, Huo Ling smiled. "No wonder you won the top prize. Just looking at these calluses, I need not ask anything else."

She motioned to Cui Hongyi behind her, instructing him to bring out the three treasures prepared in advance for Bai Wenjun.

Once Bai Wenjun had thanked her and left, Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan also returned to the palace with the First Princess, Second Princess, and Ji Yuanwan.

Over two consecutive days in the hunting grounds, Huo Ling had made significant gains. Emperor Jingyuan, encouraged by her, also improved noticeably—at least one or two of every three or four shots hit their mark.

This time, the group would stay at the palace for a full month, so Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan were in no rush to exhaust their excitement all at once. In the following days, they stayed in the palace to rest, venturing out during cooler hours to stroll around and visit all the halls they hadn’t had time to see the previous year.

Though the palace was vast, the truly scenic spots were limited. With so many people staying there, running into others was unavoidable.

While wandering, Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan not only ran into Prince Su but also encountered the Princess Consort of Duan taking her second son, Ji Yuankang, for a walk.

Her youngest son clung tightly to the Princess Consort’s sleeve as she bent down to speak to him. Hearing her maid’s reminder, she hastily turned and bowed to the Emperor and Empress.

"No need for formalities," Huo Ling said, smiling at Ji Yuankang, who was peeking at her from behind his mother, before turning to Emperor Jingyuan. "Your Majesty, let’s go."

When they reached Liuyan Garden, Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan also spotted Prince Duan inside.

Prince Duan sat atop a rockery, sipping wine. Seeing the Emperor and Empress approaching together, he froze for a moment before quickly descending, his tone gentle and natural. "I hadn’t expected Your Majesties to visit."

Emperor Jingyuan glanced at the wine jar in his hand and smiled. "We were merely taking a leisurely stroll. But you—why aren’t you accompanying the Princess Consort and Yuan Kang, hiding here instead?"

Prince Duan’s lips stiffened slightly. His troubled marriage was practically an open secret. He didn’t believe his elder brother hadn’t heard of it.

But just as quickly, Prince Duan regained his composure and tactfully replied, "I was just about to go find them. Since Your Majesties wish to stroll the garden, I shall not disturb you further."

As he left, Prince Duan kept his gaze deliberately away from Huo Ling.

Huo Ling looked at Emperor Jingyuan and said, "You did that on purpose, Your Majesty."

A faint smile flickered in Emperor Jingyuan’s eyes. "Didn’t you want to pick lotus flowers for brewing wine? Behind Liuyan Garden lies a pond with exceptionally fine lotuses. With Thirteenth Brother gone, we won’t be disturbed."

Huo Ling drew out her tone with an "Oh," saying, "I originally wanted to invite Princess Jiale to join me in making the wine."

Emperor Jingyuan knew she was teasing him on purpose, but still followed his own heart and replied, "Don’t call her. If she wants to make wine, let her do it with the Two Princesses and the young ladies from Prince Su’s residence."

To make wine with lotus flowers, the first step was to gather enough of them.

Small boats lined the lotus pond, and Huo Ling, immediately intrigued, waved Emperor Jingyuan over to paddle out and pick lotus flowers together. The attending servants could not just stand by idly either—after getting permission, they also pushed the boats into the pond to help gather the flowers.

With their assistance, it took only a little over an hour to collect several large baskets of lotus flowers.

Li Man had already found a master skilled in brewing wine, and all the necessary materials were prepared.

With the palace staff eagerly handling the miscellaneous tasks and the master guiding and demonstrating, the brewing process went smoothly.

Emperor Jingyuan had Li Man fetch the palace layout map and, pointing at it, asked Huo Ling where she wanted the nine jars of wine to be buried.

Huo Ling studied it carefully for a moment before pointing at Changle Palace. "Let’s bury them here."

"I remember there’s a wutong tree (a type of Chinese parasol tree) in the courtyard. We can bury the jars beneath it."

Last year, when they visited the palace, Huo Ling had stayed in Changle Palace.

This year, she and Emperor Jingyuan resided together in Changqing Palace, leaving Changle Palace unoccupied, with no one else assigned to stay there.

Emperor Jingyuan smiled. "Good, then we’ll bury them here."

Before nightfall, Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan, accompanied by a group of palace attendants and a cart carrying the wine jars, made their way from Changqing Palace to Changle Palace and buried all the jars beneath the wutong tree.

Looking up at the lush tree, Huo Ling’s eyes twinkled with delight. "In a few years, Your Majesty must return here with me to dig up these jars and drink together."

A smudge of dirt had somehow found its way onto her cheek, and some twigs had caught in her hair. Emperor Jingyuan gently brushed away the twigs and wiped the dirt from her face with his thumb, smiling as he agreed.

On the sixth day of their arrival at the royal hunting grounds, the Ministry of Rites arranged a mounted archery competition.

***

Last year, Huo Ling had been injured when her horse startled during the competition. Out of consideration for the Emperor and Empress’s feelings, the Ministry of Rites had originally planned to replace the mounted archery event with another, but after reviewing the schedule, Huo Ling insisted they revert to the original plan.

Emperor Jingyuan asked about it, but seeing her determination, he ultimately said nothing.

However, when the group arrived at the proving grounds and prepared to ascend the reviewing stand, Emperor Jingyuan paused, glanced at Huo Ling beside him, and extended his hand.

Huo Ling hesitated for a moment before placing her palm in his, allowing him to lead her up to the platform and sit together with him in the central seating area.

Today’s competition was again divided into two rounds—the first for military contestants and the second for young nobles.

The military contest was primarily among the four elite divisions of the Imperial Guard. Each division selected two outstanding representatives, making eight participants in total.

The two chosen by the Vermilion Guard happened to be people Huo Ling knew—one was the Heir to the Duke of Jingguo, Zheng Xinjue, and the other was Wu Feng.

"Which division do you favor?" Emperor Jingyuan asked, turning to Huo Ling.

Huo Ling replied, "I don’t know which division is the strongest, but since Zheng Xinjue and Wu Feng are both from the Vermilion Guard and now represent them in the competition, I naturally hope they will win."

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled and took the opportunity to explain the strengths of the four divisions.

Huo Ling listened attentively before suddenly asking, "And what about Your Majesty? Which division does Your Majesty favor?"

Emperor Jingyuan answered casually, "Then I shall also wager on the Vermilion Guard."

The four major battalions vary in strength, but each selects two competitors from tens of thousands to participate. It's anyone's game as to who will win.

The competition was neck-and-neck—no one managed to maintain a clear advantage from start to finish, and the gap only began to widen in the final three laps.

Zheng Xinjue and Wu Feng lived up to expectations. By working in tandem, they secured victory for the Vermilion Battalion.

Right after the first match ended, the second one quickly began.

Huo Ling had the best seats in the house, offering an unparalleled view of the arena. As she watched the competition intently, she suddenly felt the hand holding hers squeeze tighter.

"Your Majesty."

The match below the high platform remained intense, with cheers ringing out continuously.

But Huo Ling was no longer paying attention to the race.

She glanced at Emperor Jingyuan, gently shifting her right hand to lace her fingers through his.

"That's all behind us now."

Before arriving in the capital, she had been constantly vigilant against retaliation, plotting ways to fight back and ensure her own safety.

Now the tables had turned completely.

Now it was her enemies who feared her retribution.

Emperor Jingyuan didn't speak, his gaze settling on the back of her neck. The bad scrapes there had healed long ago, though if you looked closely, you could still notice a slight difference in skin tone.

"You're so reckless," he said. "The Ministry of Rites had already changed the event, yet you insisted on bringing it back."

A faint smile touched her lips. "That's exactly why I had to face it head-on."

After her fall, she avoided riding for a long time, sticking to carriages for travel. Even though the fall had been intentional, she couldn't help but shy away from the memory.

But fear was useless. That day, passing by the stables, she walked straight in and mounted a horse.

As she rode on the jolting saddle, what filled her vision wasn't the blue sky and clouds, but the image of blood gushing from the white horse on the training ground.

The wave of red overwhelmed her, consuming her completely. Yet between dismounting and pushing forward, she chose the latter.

All those years she'd put into perfecting her riding and archery—the calluses that formed on her palms—how could she let them go to waste because of one fall?

By the time Wu Mo came looking for her with an outer garment, Huo Ling had gotten her riding legs back.

Emperor Jingyuan's voice pulled her thoughts back: "Do you still want to watch the match?"

"I do," Huo Ling replied. "This match is really exciting."

She was watching purely for enjoyment now. Emperor Jingyuan smiled, knowing she had truly overcome her fear. "Then let's keep watching."

***

Huo Ling and Emperor Jingyuan would go hunting in the preserves every two or three days; otherwise, they mostly stayed at the palace.

Before coming to the palace, Huo Ling had entrusted the management of court affairs to Consort De, leaving her with even more free time. The emperor, however, couldn't fully step away from state matters—each day brought him stacks of petitions to go through.

Madam Ji occasionally came to visit.

Sometimes she brought Ji Erniang and Ji Sanlang along; other times she came alone, always minding the proper decorum.

One afternoon, after her midday nap, Huo Ling suddenly wanted some ice cream to beat the heat.

She instructed Cui Hongyi, "Have the kitchen prepare extra iced bowls and send some over to the children later."

These children naturally included both Prince Su’s offspring and Prince Duan’s Ji Yuankang.

Before long, the kitchen sent over the iced bowls.

Huo Ling was enjoying them with Emperor Jingyuan when Cui Hongyi suddenly rushed into the hall, looking panicked.

Putting her spoon down, Huo Ling asked, “What’s all the fuss? What happened?”

Cui Hongyi replied awkwardly, “My Lady, the boys started throwing punches.”

Huo Ling looked surprised. “Why did they fight? Didn’t the attendants try to stop them?”

Before reporting in person, Cui Hongyi had already asked the palace staff what had happened, so he could now answer clearly.

There were only a few children at the retreat—all relatives and close in age—who often gathered together to play.

It was a nice day, not too sunny, so the eldest princess got everyone together for some kite-flying.

To make sure the kids had fun, the palace staff had whipped up all kinds of kites. But when it came time to pick one, Ji Yuankang and Ji Sanlang both went for the same kite.

Neither kid would back down, and as they tugged at it, Ji Sanlang stumbled and fell onto the kite, slicing his face on a bamboo strip.

Blood poured out. Ji Sanlang, hurt and terrified, sat on the ground screaming his head off.

Hearing his brother cry and seeing all the blood, Ji Dalang figured Ji Yuankang had picked on Ji Sanlang. He rushed over, shoved Ji Yuankang aside, and immediately called for someone to get an imperial physician while holding Ji Sanlang.

Ji Yuankang was shoved to the ground and scared stiff by Ji Sanlang’s bloody face. Knowing he was in trouble, he also started bawling.

Ji Yuanwan didn’t even know what had happened but wasn’t about to let his brother get pushed around. He jumped into the fray and began shoving Ji Dalang.

Everything happened so fast that by the time the second princess screamed at them to stop, things had already turned into a mess.

When Cui Hongyi arrived, the attendants had already pulled the children apart.

The eldest princess’s people had gone to fetch the imperial physician, Ji Yuankang’s attendants had run to inform Princess Consort Duan, and Ji Sanlang’s people had notified Prince Su’s household.

Cui Hongyi took one look and hurried back to report.

…

Huo Ling had been about to go see for herself when she heard the palace staff had already informed both Prince Duan’s and Prince Su’s households.

She asked, “Did you see Ji Sanlang’s wound? Was it deep?”

“The cut was long but not deep,” Cui Hongyi replied. “By the time I left, the bleeding had stopped.”

“What about the eldest and second princesses?” Huo Ling asked. “Were they frightened?”

Cui Hongyi shook his head. “They’re fine. Their nannies are taking care of them.”

Huo Ling sighed in relief. “Tell the imperial physician to use the best medicine on Sanlang. He’s still so young, and if it scars on his face, that’ll be terrible.”

Noticing that Huo Ling made no move to go herself, Cui Hongyi felt a flicker of surprise.

Though Huo Ling had never openly shared her thoughts, as her right-hand man, he had gradually come to understand some of her intentions.

But he quickly pulled himself together, bowed quickly, and ducked out.

Inside the hall, Huo Ling had lost her appetite for the ice bowl and pushed it aside.

Emperor Jingyuan glanced at her and asked the question Cui Hongyi had hesitated to voice: "Won’t you go see what’s happening?"

Huo Ling replied, "This is just kids getting a little too rough while playing.

"Since people from Prince Duan’s and Prince Su’s households have already gone over, I’ll wait and see. If they can settle it themselves, let them handle it. If they keep arguing and need us to step in, then we can get involved."

If it had been the First or Second Princess who was hurt, Huo Ling would have gone immediately. But with the children’s own parents already there, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to interfere directly.

The emperor also pushed his ice bowl aside. "I figured you’d be more worried when you heard San Lang was injured."