Chapter 39: Chapter Thirty-Nine This Prince Is the Master, You Do as This Prince Says…

Chapter Thirty-Nine: I am the master, and you shall do as I say...

Because he had to feign foolishness, Wei Zheng had never been brought to the hunting grounds in previous years, but that didn’t mean he was unaware of the autumn hunt’s rules.

During the autumn hunt, one could act alone or form a team of three to five. The better the game hunted, the greater the rewards, and the top hunter could even receive a promise from the old emperor.

Zhao Fu followed convention by saying a few words and, at the old emperor’s signal, announced the start of the autumn hunt.

The accompanying officials had also brought their families. These young men all hoped to win the top prize and make a good impression in front of the emperor. However, neither the Crown Prince nor Wei Zheng made the first move, and due to their status, no one else dared to step ahead of them.

The Crown Prince and his two companions led their horses over to Wei Zheng, adopting a posture of brotherly affection as they warmly invited him, "This is Seventh Brother’s first time at the autumn hunt. It would be much more convenient if you joined my team. What do you think?"

Wei Zheng had no intention of teaming up with him, nor did he want to steal his spotlight at this moment. He pulled Wei San closer into his embrace, hinting meaningfully, "I have no interest in hunting today. I only wish to take my Sui Yun out for some fun and not dampen Your Highness’ spirits."

Anyone with eyes could see what he meant by "fun." The Crown Prince’s lip twitched slightly, and he gave Wei San a deep look before smiling and saying, "It seems I’ve been inconsiderate. How could I forget that Seventh Brother has a beauty by his side?"

The Crown Prince spoke half-jokingly, as if it were just light banter between brothers, and his companions joined in with teasing laughter.

One of them said, "Prince Wei is at an age of vigorous vitality. It’s not so strange for him to prefer beauties."

Another even jokingly suggested to the Crown Prince, "Since Prince Wei favors handsome men, why doesn’t Your Highness find a few more to send his way? Let him experience different companions."

Their words showed little respect for Wei San as a male consort.

Wei Zheng couldn’t help but give the two a sharp look, sending chills down their spines and silencing them abruptly.

Seeing Wei Zheng’s darkening expression and impending outburst, the Crown Prince raised a hand to stop his companions from continuing. He said with feigned righteousness, "Enough of your foolish ideas. Do you think everyone is as frivolous and dissolute as you?"

The companion who had spoken out of turn pretended to slap his own mouth but didn’t put any real force into it.

Both Wei Zheng and Wei San looked displeased. Having achieved his goal of sowing discord, the Crown Prince smiled with satisfaction and said to Wei Zheng, "I won’t disturb your time alone then. Enjoy yourselves."

Wei Zheng offered a tight smile and made a gesture of invitation. "I wish His Highness the Crown Prince the best of luck in claiming the top prize."

"Thank you for your well-wishes."

The Crown Prince mounted his horse with his retinue, cracked his whip, and the horse neighed in pain before galloping into the forest.

With the Crown Prince leading the way, the other young men excitedly shouted, mounted their horses, and followed closely behind.

Wei Zheng watched the large group depart with icy eyes. Then, holding Wei San’s hand with one hand and the reins with the other, he walked leisurely into the hunting grounds.

Inside the Fifth Prince’s tent, the prince, who was confined to a wheelchair due to a leg injury, watched the bustling activity outside through a gap in the tent with a dark expression.

He gripped the wooden arms of his wheelchair tightly, glaring furiously at his legs, which still couldn’t support him for long.

After the commotion outside died down, a middle-aged man dressed as a guard entered and bowed to whisper in his ear.

"Master, the assassins are already lying in ambush. Everything is guaranteed to go smoothly. We await only your command..."

The guard made a throat-slitting gesture, and the Fifth Prince laughed heartily. Clenching his jaw, his eyes gleamed with malice. "Tell those assassins to be quick. I want all of them dead!"

***

The imperial hunting grounds were located in the outskirts of the capital, encompassing several interconnected mountains enclosed within boundaries. The area wasn’t vast, but it was certainly not small.

To facilitate hunting and returning to camp, several flat paths had been built within the grounds. To avoid the main group and carry out their plan, Wei Zheng took Wei San along a less crowded path.

The weather that day wasn’t ideal. Despite it being nearly noon, a thin layer of clouds obscured the sunlight in the sky.

It wasn’t a suitable day for hunting.

Wei Zheng led Wei San deeper into the forest, his leisurely pace making it seem as though he truly was just accompanying his lover for a stroll.

The further they went, the more animals they could see curiously peeking from the shadows from a distance. Had it been anyone else, they might have drawn their bows to hunt them, but the animals were lucky to encounter Wei Zheng and his attendant.

"Master, can that Thousand Kill Pavilion Master truly be trusted?"

The two had already distanced themselves from the main group. Most of the young hunters had followed the Crown Prince, leaving this part of the forest deep and quiet, with no outsiders around.

"Assassins only care about money. As long as the payment is sufficient, they’ll dare to do anything. If that Thousand Kill Pavilion Master is playing both sides—accepting your offer while also selling you out to the Crown Prince or the Fifth Prince—wouldn’t your safety be jeopardized?"

Wei San voiced his doubts and unease. Wei Zheng casually ruffled his hair affectionately. "What are you afraid of? If you don’t trust that assassin from the Thousand Kill Pavilion, do you not trust Commander Duan and the others? Besides, aren’t you here with me? Would you abandon me?"

Wei San shook his head hurriedly. He would protect his master with his life—how could he ever betray him?

Wei Zheng looked at the young assassin, who was frowning with worry as he gazed at him, and couldn’t resist planting a kiss at the corner of his eye. He gently stroked the back of Wei San’s neck in reassurance. "Don’t overthink it. Your master doesn’t fight battles he isn’t sure of."

Wei San wasn’t reassured by these words. Instead, his unease grew stronger, and he had a growing sense of foreboding that something was about to happen.

From then on, he remained particularly vigilant. On the surface, everything was calm, but his instincts made him sense something unusual.

That night, Wei San quietly opened his eyes. He had just sat up and hadn’t yet gotten out of bed when a familiar warm body pressed against him from behind.

"Where are you going?"

Perhaps awakened from his sleep, Wei Zheng’s voice still held a trace of drowsiness. He didn’t open his eyes but wrapped his arms around Wei San’s waist, resting his chin on his shoulder and nuzzling lightly.

Wei San placed his hand over Wei Zheng’s and explained in a hushed tone, "This subordinate wanted to take advantage of the late hour to go out and investigate."

Wei Zheng’s remaining drowsiness vanished instantly. He released Wei San, pushed himself up with one hand, and rubbed his temples, which were aching dully from lack of sleep.

"I’m coming with you."

He didn’t stop Wei San but decided to accompany him instead.

Wei San’s eyes showed surprise; he clearly hadn’t expected this decision.

It was already late at night. Aside from the imperial guards on duty, everyone else was asleep. However, it was unknown how many people were hidden in the shadows to protect the old emperor. Wei San was confident in his skills and believed he could move freely even under the watch of the old emperor’s hidden guards.

He watched as Wei Zheng actually got up in the dark to grab their dark clothing. After hesitating for a moment, he suggested, "Master, it’s late. Please allow this subordinate to investigate alone. You should rest properly. You’ll have to face His Majesty and the officials during the day. If you’re not well-rested, it will be easy for others to suspect something. As for me, a mere male consort, no one will pay much attention."

It wasn’t that he doubted Wei Zheng’s abilities, but he always tended to prioritize his master’s safety. He wanted to eliminate even the slightest uncertainty.

His plan was thoughtful, but Wei Zheng wouldn’t hear of it.

Wei Zheng didn’t answer, but he picked out two sets of dark clothing, threw one to Wei San, instructing him to change, and then began changing himself.

"Master..."

Wei San clutched the garment, still trying to persuade him, but Wei Zheng turned around and interrupted him, his brow slightly furrowed.

Perhaps because his sleepless headache was making him short-tempered, his tone was harsher than usual. "I am the master. You will do as I say."

Wei San’s face instantly drained of color, his heart clenching as if squeezed tightly by a pair of hands, aching with pain.

That’s right. How dare a mere assassin like him question his master’s orders? It must be because his master had been pampering him too much lately, making him daring enough to attempt influencing his decisions.

Wei San bowed his head and knelt, whispered an apology, "This subordinate has overstepped my bounds. I beg the Master's punishment."

The tent was unlit, so Wei Zheng couldn't see his pale complexion. Wei San had always kept his inner thoughts deeply hidden, betraying no hint of his inner turmoil in his tone. Unaware of his distress, Wei Zheng helped him up with a hint of displeasure.

"How many times have I told you not to kneel so readily? Why have you done it again?"

Wei San obediently rose, still apologizing.

This time, Wei Zheng vaguely sensed something amiss, but before he could ponder further, Wei San had already turned around and swiftly put on his black attire.

The distraction kept Wei Zheng from dwelling on it. Seizing the moment when dark clouds briefly obscured the moonlight, the two skirted the edge of the tent, quickly crossed the camp, and vanished into the darkness without arousing any suspicion.

Deep in the mountain forest, inside a cave, the Thousand Kill Pavilion Master was meditating with his eyes closed. Suddenly, a dark figure slipped in through the entrance, and in an instant, dozens of assassins hidden in the shadows surrounded the newcomer.

The person removed his mask, revealing himself to be Duan Lin, the Shadow Guard Commander of the Virtuous Prince. Undeterred by the circle of assassins, he locked eyes with the Thousand Kill Pavilion Master and stated purposefully, "The master has ordered me to relay a message: there will be a hunting event at Chen hour (7-9 AM) the day after tomorrow. Seize the opportunity to act then."

The Thousand Kill Pavilion Master raised an eyebrow. "Doesn’t Master Xue need to take advantage of the chaos to take out a few more targets?"

He was curious—was the Virtuous Prince really so merciful? Having already hired assassins to kill, taking one life was no different from taking several. What's the difference in taking out a few more? It would only require a bit more silver taels, after all.

Duan Lin snorted coldly. "Unnecessary. The Pavilion Master need only follow orders. Do not act on your own and cause trouble for the master."

The Thousand Kill Pavilion Master shrugged. "Don’t worry, Master Xue doesn't take jobs that don't pay."