Almost there, almost there—yet there was no answer.
Xiao Yu peered through the ranks of fire-lit guards and layers of crowds, spotting the Crown Prince seated among them—
It had been so long since he last played with his father.
He had been overjoyed when his father brought him along for this hunting trip.
He had imagined so many things—riding horses together, drawing bows and shooting arrows side by side, chasing prey through the woods, sleeping on the ground together, gazing at the stars in the night sky—
But in reality, none of it happened.
He could still only catch a distant glimpse of his father, and his father had no time to spare him even a glance.
"—Little Highness, what is that you’re holding?" Eunuch Zhu, catching a meaningful look from Qi Gonggong, understood immediately and smiled warmly as he looked at the bamboo tube cradled in the young boy’s arms. "Is it a gift for His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Xiao Yu took a step back, clutching the bamboo tube tightly to his chest, and shook his head. "No, it’s my toy."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Eunuch Zhu stared blankly at Qi Gonggong, who gave him a helpless look before turning to follow Xiao Yu.
Children were like this—their moods changed in an instant. Eunuch Zhu didn’t dwell on it and hurried back to attend to the Crown Prince—any delay, and those little rascals would seize the chance to take his place.
Xiao Yu, still clutching the bamboo tube, dashed into the luxurious tent.
The heavy curtain fell, shutting out the noise outside. Inside the opulently decorated tent, a light fragrance of incense filled the air, and only a few women were present.
The Crown Princess, seated in the center, was bent over something she was sewing, though her needle and thread had remained still for a long while. The palace maids beside her stood quietly, as if they noticed nothing.
The scene inside the tent was like a painting—beautiful, yet frozen.
Xiao Yu’s abrupt entrance tore through that stillness.
"Yu’er." The Crown Princess reached out, her face lighting up with a smile under the lamplight.
Xiao Yu ran toward her, bamboo tube in hand, about to throw himself into his mother’s embrace, when a palace maid nearby quickly cautioned, "Be careful."
Only then did the Crown Princess realize she was still holding her needle and thread, nearly poking Xiao Yu with it. She laughed softly and set it aside. "I’m making a pair of socks for you."
As the Crown Princess, she had no need to do needlework, yet she had always made it a habit to sew intimate garments for the Crown Prince and their son.
In truth, aside from sewing, his mother had little else to occupy her time. Even as a child, Xiao Yu could surmise this: his father had married his mother, made her the Crown Princess, but showed little warmth toward her. His father preferred spending time with the equestrian and archery officials, as well as the other women of the Eastern Palace—women who could freely indulge in drinking, singing, and dancing. Such activities were unbecoming of his mother’s status.
His mother was like a decorative piece in the Eastern Palace—meant only to sit quietly and gracefully.
But his mother was, after all, a person.
So when his imperial grandfather wanted him to reside in the Imperial Palace for his studies, he was reluctant to go.
"I want to stay with Mother," he said.
But his mother responded with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "What do you need to stay with me for? You are the imperial eldest grandson. You must go and study. Even if you were to accompany someone, it should be His Majesty."
His mother gently and hopefully stroked his head.
"Yu’er, all the honor in my life rests on you."
The young child seemed to understand then—his mother did not need his companionship; she only needed the glory he would bring.
"What is this?" the Crown Princess asked curiously, looking at the bamboo tube in her son’s arms.
Xiao Yu quickly hid it behind his back. "It’s a treasure I found."
The Crown Princess smiled and did not press to see it. With so many eunuchs and guards around her son, she had no worries about what he ate, used, or played with."You've been running around outside all day, must be happy?" the Crown Princess asked with a smile, looking at her son's flushed face, his hair and clothes stained with dust and grass blades.
It was a completely different state from being inside the Imperial Palace.
Although he couldn't be as fervently devoted to martial arts training as the Crown Prince, he still had to learn horseback riding and archery to strengthen his body.
"For this hunt, you should catch some game to bring back for your imperial grandfather," the Crown Princess said. "When your uncle was your age, not only did he excel in his studies, but his riding and archery were also—"
Xiao Yu usually loved hearing stories about his uncle, but today, as soon as the Crown Princess began, he yawned: "Mother, I'm tired."
The Crown Princess quickly stopped her story and stroked her son's face. "You must be exhausted from running around all day." She looked up and called out, "Hurry and attend to Yu'er's washing, let him sleep."
The palace maid and Qi Gonggong both hurriedly acknowledged the order.
Xiao Yu stood up, not forgetting to hold onto his bamboo tube, and followed the palace maid and Qi Gonggong out. Ultimately, he couldn't resist turning back to ask, "Mother, will Uncle come to see me tomorrow?"
Seeing the anticipation in her son's eyes, the Crown Princess felt deeply guilty and quickly nodded emphatically. "Yes, definitely. Today he followed your father's orders to attend your Third Imperial Uncle's literary gathering. He can come tomorrow—there was no helping it. You know how talented your uncle is, everyone knows. He couldn't miss the literary gathering. But since he's skilled in both literary and martial arts, he must come to your father's hunting event tomorrow to showcase his skills."
At this, she smiled again and winked at her son.
"He even prepared a gift for you, Yu'er—a bow he made himself. He told me to keep it a secret to surprise you. I'm telling you in advance, so you have to act like you don't know when the time comes, alright?"
Xiao Yu's eyes were full of laughter as he happily nodded. "I will, Mother, don't worry. I definitely won't let Uncle find out!"
The child turned around and skipped away joyfully.
Watching her son leave, the Crown Princess's smile faded. She called to the palace maid, "Go, send someone to see Yanfang immediately. Tell him he must come tomorrow no matter what. Let him know I've already promised a gift to Yu'er on his behalf."
The palace maid acknowledged the order and hurried out.
The capital city's gates were already closed for the night, but this was no obstacle for the Crown Prince's people.
Two imperial guards escorted two eunuchs as they quickly made their way from the distant hunting grounds to the city gate.
Under the night sky, the city gate was brightly lit, and looking up, one could see patrol soldiers walking along the top.
As soon as they appeared at the base of the gate, they were spotted by the guards on duty.
"Open the gate!"
Before the gate guards could inquire, the lead eunuch shouted loudly.
"East Palace attendants!"
After shouting this, the eunuch paid no further attention to the gate guards and turned to speak to the eunuch beside him. "After we see the Third Young Master, let's stay. Tomorrow we'll go together—"
The other eunuch nodded, then couldn't help glancing at the city gate. According to custom, upon hearing the words "East Palace attendants," the gate should immediately open, with the gate officers respectfully welcoming them—
But, the gate—
His gaze shifted to the tall, heavy gate—it remained tightly shut, unmoving. What was going on? Didn't they hear? He looked up and was about to shout again when he saw a group of soldiers appear, holding crossbows—
The moment his eyes met the crossbows, a buzzing sound pierced the night sky, and streaks of cold light came flying toward them.The two imperial guards and two eunuchs beneath the city gate had no time to react. With a cry of agony, they fell from their horses, and in the next moment, more arrows rained down like a downpour.
……
……
Deep within the capital, behind the towering city walls, in the Xie family residence, Young Master Xie the Third abruptly opened his eyes from his slumber.
Outside the bed curtains, shadows flickered, and urgent, hushed voices could be heard.
"Young Master, something seems amiss."
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