It turned out that the crown prince's group had encountered the second prince's party on their way to rescue the people.
The second prince had been hunting with several noble descendents as they laughed and chatted. Seeing the crown prince making such a fanfare, they grew curious and went to ask about it.
The two of them exchanged hidden barbs. The crown prince was naturally anxious and knew this Luo Jin had probably done something. He was deeply afraid they wouldn't make it in time. The second prince's aides took this opportunity to secretly send people ahead to pass on the message.
The second prince continued to keep the crown prince tied up via questioning. The crown prince also didn't hide things and spoke the truth of the matter. They would have found out sooner or later anyway. He took the opportunity to question if the second prince was trying to delay them from saving people.
The second prince was startled and said they would come along to help.
The second prince was very familiar with this area of the hunting grounds. He estimated that by the time they hurried over, everything would be arranged already. He was naturally confident.
Unexpectedly, when they arrived his subordinates had all been wiped out and those who should have died were alive and well.
The second prince had never suffered such a shock in his life!
He was certainly shocked, but also couldn't help but rejoice. Luckily they had planned everything meticulously, and along with the lack of witnesses it would be hard to find any incriminating evidence against him!
While the crown prince was coaxing Shen Qi, Yan Ting also jumped out. He was both startled and worried as he asked Yan Yan if she was hurt, putting on the appearance of a compassionate father concerned for his daughter. He loudly denounced whoever came up with this plot and cursed them to die horrible deaths. If he knew who was responsible, he definitely wouldn't let them off.
Even though Xu Xiang Rong knew this was a necessary performance, he still couldn't help but feel a little unwell.
Being cursed by someone right in front of them, both Xu Xiang Rong and even the second prince felt some indescribable emotions. Especially since Yan Ting himself had been more or less involved!
Before long, the Zhenguo Duke and Emperor Xi arrived as well.
The emperor's arrival was naturally more awe-inspiring than the crown prince's group.
Emperor Xi was furious. His voice rang out as he ordered for a thorough investigation.
The crown prince hugged Emperor Xi's leg as he cried and scolded himself for being too muddled at the time, almost making a huge mistake. The crown prince's attitude was extremely good and he was showing remorse. Furthermore, the situation was truly dangerous at the time. The crown prince was naturally more important than others. Seeing that he had returned with reinforcements as well as the pile of corpses on the floor and the wolf pack that shouldn't have appeared, Emperor Xi didn't scold him. He felt some sympathy instead.
Since the emperor didn't force the issue and the crown prince acted appropriately, naturally no one dared to mention the crown prince's conduct again.
The Zhenguo Duke's reaction was truly as Empress Xiao predicted. Since his grandson and granddaughter were fine, he naturally wouldn't get further involved. Actually, he was also pretty clear on what had happened. It definitely involved the empress and the senior concubine. The two children were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
People below being swept into the struggles of those above. This was something the Zhenguo Duke had seen far too often. He also knew how to handle such matters.
After returning to camp, everyone present was called over for questioning.
Yan Yan's group as well as Liu Shu Yi and Chu Ming Chen who had gone for reinforcements were all brought in. However, they didn't say too much. They merely described the general situation. Liu Shu Yi also didn't mention the weirdness that happened on their way back. They made it seem like their group was ambushed by the wolf pack and the two of them had broken out to get reinforcements. Unexpectedly, by the time they arrived the crown prince had already set out with people to help. Therefore, their efforts had been in vain.
There was also an explanation for Luo Huai Yuan's presence. He had gotten separated from his guards and was chased by a single wolf. After being rescued by Shen Qi's group, he ended up being swept into the calamity.
Of course, many people wondered how the dozen or so people managed to kill so many wolves as well as over twenty ambushers. The Zhenguo Duke provided the explanation. His grandson and granddaughter were both young, so the guards he arranged this time were all experts.
The traces of explosions around the corpses were also explained away by Shen Qi. The explosives were given to him by the Zhenguo Duke to defend himself. The wolf pack wasn't actually wiped out. They were just scared off by the heavy casualties and the loud explosions.
The matter of Yan Yan killing people was concealed by Shen Qi and Luo Huai Yuan. Apart from the Zhenguo Duke knowing about it, even the Zhenguo madam wasn't told.
What happened next no longer concerned Shen Qi's group.
After a round of investigations, apart from finding out the people in green were responsible for the wolf pack, nothing else was discovered.
There were no witnesses left alive. The wolves in the hunting grounds were wiped out and those responsible for guarding the perimeters were scolded. But there truly weren't any clues. It was as though these wolves and those mysterious people had appeared from thin air. Emperor Xi was extremely furious.
The only thing they got was a wax paper pouch from one of the people in green. In the pouch was a sort of secret medicine powder. This powder had no smell to humans, but wolves were not fond of it. The wolf pack was probably gathered using the influence of this medicine.
This matter caused quite a lot of waves in the camp.
Some women had been planning on going along to play and hunt. After this matter, the amount of women going out had suddenly decreased by a lot.
The third prince was without a doubt the champion of the first day's hunt. However, since this matter had occurred, there was no celebratory banquet or whatever for him. The handsome reward mentioned by Emperor Xi naturally failed to materialize.
Several noble descendents who had wanted to impress the emperor were upset at the lack of recognition. They could only hang their heads in dejection as they cursed whoever was responsible for this matter.
In the following days, the empress and the crown prince's side turned the entire surroundings upside down. Senior Concubine Xu and the second prince also expressed a lot of concern and busied themselves as well. But there was still no conclusion to this matter. The empress's side naturally didn't want to let the senior concubine's side off, but the problem was the lack of evidence.
This matter thus passed. It seemed neither side suffered losses. Only the crown prince got a scare and lost several loyal guards.
The only unfortunately ones was Yan Yan's group. However, the empress and the crown prince had lowered themselves sufficiently, continuously sending over rewards. What could anyone say about it? Those few guards had died unfortunate deaths.
In fact, Luo Huai Yuan ended up in the spotlight.
This was because the empress and the crown prince expressed a lot of concern for him. There would frequently be people coming over to inquire about his health. The crown prince also kept coming over and chatting with this brother of his, seeming very concerned about him.
Actually everyone understood that this was just a performance for others. However, that in itself also had some implications. Those underneath naturally no longer treated the fourth prince the same way. It wasn't clear if this was a blessing or not.
Another group that was extremely unfortunate was Senior Concubine Xu's side, who was the instigator of this affair.
After preparing for such a long time, they had wasted all their efforts. They had finally gotten an opportunity to pull the crown prince off his horse but it was ruined by others.
Senior Concubine Xu's group naturally complained about the Zhenguo Duke for being too cautious, arranging such skilled guards for the two juniors. Of course, such words couldn't be said out loud. Apart from cursing the Zhenguo Duke Estate for being overprotective, they also didn't know what else to say. With the empress's side pressuring them relentlessly, they also didn't have time to think about it.
After a few days, Emperor Xi brought up the first day of the hunt. He said they couldn't let these minor details disrupt the rules laid down by the ancestors. He chose another day to hold the competition again.
The first place would be handsomely rewarded and the top ten would each get a prize.
The noble descendents starting making preparations once again, eager to put on a good performance.
The campsite grew lively once again, a change from the previously bleak atmosphere. It was like the matter never occurred.
~~~~~~~
When Yan Yan returned that day, Shen Yi Yao had held her and cried for an entire hour.
Ever since Liu Shu Yi snuck over and informed her about them encountering wolves, Shen Yi Yao's heart had been hung. Although she knew her daughter was quite skilled and that her maternal household had sent experts to guard them, she still couldn't help but worry. Luckily her daughter returned unharmed.
Yan Yan was bowled over from her crying and didn't know what she should do.
She was never good at comforting people, and could only say rigidly that she was fine. It was only when Yan Mo said sis was definitely tired before her mom finally gave it a rest.
The following days, Shen Yi Yao forbade Yan Yan from going out. Yan Yan had yet to recover from that day and took the opportunity to calm herself.
Therefore, she didn't see the spectacle on the day of the hunt.
Yan Yan wasn't the only one who didn't attend. Shen Qi didn't either. These days Second Madam Shen kept a close eye on him, deeply afraid he would run off. Luo Huai Yuan was another one who didn't attend. The fourth prince had always been timid, and had suffered a fright this time. He naturally wouldn't participate.
Due to this matter, the fourth prince and the Zhenguo Duke Estate young master's relationship could now be revealed to the public. He owed him his life, and they had also escaped death together. No one would say anything if Luo Huai Yuan occasionally sought out Shen Qi.
Carriages filled with trophies were sent back continuously. Each carriage had identification markers and there were people in charge of recording things. By the time everyone returned that evening, there was already a large banquet prepared in the center of the campsite.
The rankings were announced at the banquet. The first place was actually not the third prince, but the second prince instead. The crown prince got second place and the third prince was third. The remaining rankers were all youngsters known for their courage in the capital.
Emperor Xi awarded the tenth through seventh place a spot in the son of heaven's personal troops, and they were each given various positions. Many of the noble descendents came for this purpose. If they could stand out, those with lesser backgrounds were naturally happy to change their circumstances.
The third prince received a bullhorn bow used by Emperor Xi in his early years. The crown prince received a jade pendant. For the first place's second prince, Emperor Xi asked him on the spot what he wanted.
This was the main event of every hunt. Actually, this scene wasn't unfamiliar to the crowd. Although Emperor Xi said it was an opportunity for everyone in the Grand Xi, no one was foolish enough to fight over the top spots with the princes. The three of them had always been in the top three, though the rankings would occasionally change between them.
The crown prince would occasionally take first, and occasionally it would be the second prince. Ever since the third prince exhibited his fierceness after maturing, the second prince seemed to have stopped contending with his younger brother. The first place would go back and forth between the crown prince and the third prince each time. But as the third prince gradually grew older, the crown prince seemed to fall behind.
This won't be mentioned for now. Everyone also knew about Emperor Xi's convention.
However, these princes were all good at acting and wouldn't request anything too excessive. This was just a performance of filial piety and fatherly love for the crowd.
The second prince got up and walked to the center.
He first knelt and kowtowed in gratitude for his royal father's grace before standing.
Luo Jin was truly quite good looking. He was tall and upright, with sharp brows and glistening eyes. He was graceful with a sort of genteel and scholarly temperament. He had a faint smile on the corner of his lips, making people feel as though bathed in spring winds.
The second prince didn't make any request, but instead gave a speech.
"Princes get married at eighteen but your son actually ended up being an exception. Mother empress and mother concubine have worried over your son a lot. Unfortunately, your son has always been picky, making it quite hard on mother concubine. For the sake of this matter, she has shed quite a lot of tears."
Speaking to this point, the second prince bowed respectfully to Senior Concubine Xu, seeming to express gratitude and apology.
Senior Concubine Xu's eyes were teary.
Everyone had weird expressions as they listened.
The second prince wanted to discuss his own marriage in front of everyone?
"Your son has always felt that a consort should be one that matches the heart. Only this way can there be harmony between husband and wife. Someone who can become your son's consort naturally can't be ordinary. Therefore, your son would prefer to go without rather than settle. Luckily, on this trip to Mt. Meng, your son encountered a girl he admires. Hopefully royal father can grant this wish."
The nobles and officials were in uproar. Only Yan Ting who sat in the corner revealed a confident smile.
The empress's dignified smile turned rigid. Emperor Xi's expression also became a little inexplicably gloomy.
"Which household's miss caught my royal son's eye?"
Emperor Xi gripped his glass and smiled without care at Senior Concubine Xu. "Didn't expect our royal son to admire a girl. Does my beloved consort know who she is?"
Senior Concubine Xu's expression was angry yet not.
She shook her head: "How should this concubine know? Your majesty knows that Jin'er's standards have always been high. Someone who could catch his eye definitely can't be ordinary. These years this concubine has worried quite a lot about his marriage and grew a few more white hairs. Who would have thought he would bring up this matter himself."
As she spoke, she covered her mouth, seeming to laugh at her son.
The second prince slightly lowered his head, seeming a little embarrassed.
Senior Concubine Xu's eyes roamed, her appearance peerless. "Since your royal father has asked, you should answer. As long as that girl's background is pure, your father will certainly grant you your wish. Right, majesty?" She gave Emperor Xi a gentle smile.
Emperor Xi didn't respond to her and spoke to the second prince: "Then speak. We also really want to know which girl has caught the eye of our son with such high standards."