Youthful Glory

While the Sixth Princess was questioning her life choices, Ming Tan and her companions were directing the guards to dig a pit. They carefully placed the unlucky rabbit she had pinned to the ground inside, solemnly covered it with soil, and even discussed erecting a small wooden marker for it.

The Sixth Princess tightened her reins, momentarily stunned to the point of forgetting to protest, "That's my prey."

After a long pause, distant cheers from the men celebrating their successful hunt snapped her back to reality—oh, this really was a hunting expedition, she hadn’t misunderstood.

She stared at the group before her, her gaze settling on Ming Tan, and couldn’t help but exclaim, "You women of Daxian are far too affected! If you’re hunting, then hunt properly. Who are you putting on this pretentious show for?"

The group silently answered in their hearts: For you, of course.

Ming Tan straightened her skirts, wiped her hands with a clean handkerchief, and met the Sixth Princess’s gaze with deliberate grace. "Heaven cherishes all life. Though it is merely a wild rabbit, it was still a living creature. While the Sixth Princess sees it as prey, we may regard it as a life. We do not interfere with the Sixth Princess’s heroic display of hunting prowess, so why should the Sixth Princess concern herself with our burial rites and memorials? It is said that Nanlü also studies our culture and etiquette. There is an ancient saying: 'Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.' Has the Sixth Princess not learned this?"

The Sixth Princess: "..."

What was she going on about? It sounded somewhat reasonable, but something still felt off... though her voice was rather pleasant.

Wait, no—the Sixth Princess closed her eyes briefly to clear her head, then retorted, "You—what nonsense are you spouting? Someone like you, who can’t even lift a bow, dares to lecture me? I can’t imagine why Prince Dingbei would marry such a useless, pretty vase!"

Hearing this, Ming Tan curved her lips slightly. She signaled for someone to help her remount her pony and deliberately fussed with her sleeves. "What a coincidence. My husband happens to adore such a pretty vase like me. As the saying goes, 'Beauty is a feast for the eyes.' Just looking at me, he can eat several extra bowls of rice."

"As for women like the Sixth Princess, so bold and heroic—" She gave the Sixth Princess a once-over from head to toe before sighing regretfully. "Before and after our marriage, I’ve had to dismiss quite a few of them. Having a husband who’s too popular is truly a sweet burden." ???

The Sixth Princess flushed red.

This pretty vase had seemed so reserved earlier—how could she speak so shamelessly now? Weren’t women of Daxian supposed to be dignified and modest?

Yet, glancing at the young ladies behind Ming Tan, they were all nodding in earnest agreement. The Sixth Princess fell into self-doubt once more.

After a long silence, she tugged weakly at her reins and moved aside. "F-fine, you outnumber me. I can’t win this argument!"

She urged her horse toward the camp where the hunt’s tally was being recorded, her retreating figure bearing all the signs of a hasty escape.

Ming Tan sighed lightly, her interest waning. "This Sixth Princess has some temper, but she’s not as unreasonable as I imagined."

Nearby, Jiang Xu, Lu Ting, and the others, who had stopped their horses, exchanged silent glances, thinking in unison: It’s clearly you all who are the unreasonable ones.

The autumn hunt typically lasted three days. The first day’s activities continued until dusk. Outside the forest, centered around the imperial tent of Emperor Chengkang and Empress Zhang, numerous tents of varying sizes had already been erected.In fact, there was a temporary palace less than ten miles outside the imperial hunting grounds in the outskirts of the capital. However, staying at the palace would have diminished the rustic charm of the autumn hunt. Moreover, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had observed the celestial phenomena and predicted clear weather for the next few days. With the guards from the Palace Command and the Imperial City Patrol accompanying them, along with the elite troops from the nearby capital garrison providing additional security, it was only natural to set up camp on a whim.

On the first day of the hunt, the top hunter was the martial arts champion, followed by the Deputy Commander of the Palace Command, Lu Ting, and the heir of Duke Pingguo, Zhang Huaiyu.

As for Jiang Xu, he didn’t even make the top three—simply because he couldn’t be bothered to hunt more. His sole purpose in venturing into the dense forest was to catch two red foxes to make a cloak for Ming Tan. The red fox cloak she wore during New Year’s Eve had been stunningly beautiful, but a careless servant had placed it too close to the charcoal fire while drying, scorching a small patch. She refused to wear it after that.

Red foxes were hard to find. After a whole day of searching, he had only managed to catch one, and even then, he had accidentally damaged its fur. He gave it to Zhang Huaiyu, letting him use it to make a scarf for someone.

As night fell, autumn stars twinkled in the sky, and clusters of bonfires lit up the campsite. Various game were skewered over the flames, sizzling and dripping fat under the firelight, their rich aroma mingling with the scent of spices, making mouths water.

Though this was a wild hunt, the imperial hunting grounds were meticulously maintained and stocked, ensuring the meat served to the imperial family and nobility was clean and safe.

Ming Tan sat obediently beside Jiang Xu, letting him roast a chicken for her. This time, with added spices, the chicken looked even more appetizing, its fragrance even more enticing. Ming Tan discreetly swallowed her saliva several times, tugging at his sleeve now and then to whisper, "Husband, is it ready yet? Is it ready?"

"Wait a little longer," Jiang Xu replied calmly, turning the skewer. "Pass me the scallions."

Ming Tan reverently handed him the porcelain bowl of chopped scallions.

After a few more turns over the fire and a sprinkle of scallions, Jiang Xu finally slid the roasted chicken off the skewer onto a plate and handed it to her. "Done."

Ming Tan had told Jiang Xu early that morning that she wanted to eat his roasted chicken, so she hadn’t eaten anything since leaving home—only hastily nibbling on two pastries and half a plate of grapes to stave off hunger. By now, she was absolutely famished.

Sitting beside him, she eagerly reached for the chicken, but the moment her fingers touched it, the heat made her yank her hand back with a soft hiss.

"What’s the rush?" Jiang Xu took her hand to inspect it. Thankfully, it wasn’t burned badly. "Soak it in cold water."

Ming Tan obediently dipped her delicate hands into a basin of cold water.

After a while, Jiang Xu dried them with a fine cotton cloth and asked, "Does it still hurt?"

Ming Tan shook her head.

The chicken had cooled slightly by then. Jiang Xu tore off a drumstick and handed it to her. "Eat slowly. Don’t choke."

Ming Tan took a delicate bite and was so overwhelmed with delight that she nearly burrowed into her husband’s arms. It was delicious! The skin was slightly crispy, the meat tender and juicy, perfectly seasoned—this familiar taste was pure bliss!

Sitting beside him, she showered him with praise—

"Husband, you’re amazing! Even a simple roast turns out this delicious!"

"The culinary world truly lost a great chef when you didn’t become one!"

"But then again, you excel at everything effortlessly—it’d be a waste for you to just be a chef!"

...

Jiang Xu listened to her praises without a word.

Yet, in a place Ming Tan couldn’t see, a faint smile flickered across his face.

From a distance, the Sixth Princess watched this scene and suddenly found the specially seasoned roasted lamb leg beside her far less appetizing.Was that really the iron-faced war god, Prince Dingbei? What had happened to him over the years? How could someone from such an illustrious family be so... frivolous? He actually stooped to roasting chicken for that pretty but useless thing! Those were hands meant to wield thousand-jun bows and ten-thousand-jun swords, to command armies and slay enemies on the battlefield! Roasting chicken of all things!!!

Though seeing Prince Dingbei again didn't stir her heart as wildly as before, witnessing him treat that frivolous thing with such care still left her unsettled... That roasted chicken did look delicious. The pretty thing was eating it with such relish—it must be incredibly tasty. She wondered if her secret-recipe roasted lamb leg would be enough to trade for it. Surely it would be acceptable? Trading such a large lamb leg for just a chicken leg was clearly her loss. If not, even a chicken wing would do...

"Imperial Sister! Sit down!" The Fifth Prince, seeing his younger sister suddenly stand up as if about to approach the illustrious Prince Dingbei, quickly reached out and grabbed her arm in alarm.

The Sixth Princess shook off his hand. "Imperial Brother, what are you doing? I'm just going to trade for some roasted chicken!"

"Imperial Brother will roast some for you."

The Sixth Princess wrinkled her nose in disdain. "I'd rather do it myself."

With that, she picked up the roasted lamb leg and strode toward Prince Dingbei's tent without looking back.

"Prince Dingbei, may I trade my lamb leg for one of your roasted chickens?" She stood before Jiang Xu, who was still turning the skewer, and asked nervously.

Jiang Xu lifted his gaze, swept a glance over her, then lowered his eyes again to continue roasting. "This prince roasts for his consort. Whether to trade is entirely her decision."

Though she had expected this answer, hearing it only made her feel worse.

Undeterred, the Sixth Princess turned to Ming Tan. "Consort, may I trade with you? Yours... looks very delicious."

She hastily added, "Of course, mine isn't bad either. I roasted it myself—it's a secret-recipe lamb leg from Nanlü, different from what you have here. It's very tasty."

"If it's so delicious, why does the Sixth Princess wish to trade?" Ming Tan feigned ignorance.

"I... I've eaten it often in Nanlü. I'm tired of it." The Sixth Princess compromised. "How about leg for leg? My lamb leg for your chicken leg? My lamb leg is so big—you're definitely not losing out."

She had only hoped for a chicken leg to begin with, but it was better to start with a higher demand so the other party would find the compromise more acceptable.

Yet Ming Tan remained silent, as if seriously considering whether the trade was worthwhile.

The Sixth Princess, already lacking confidence, deflated further. Her round, dumpling-like face puffed up slightly, and her voice drooped. "A chicken wing would do too..."

Ming Tan studied the girl's soft, white, dumpling-like face, now fallen in disappointment, and inexplicably felt that poking it would probably feel quite satisfying.

Just as she was about to agree, a messenger arrived from the imperial tent, announcing that His Majesty requested Prince Dingbei's presence. Jiang Xu stood, glanced at the harmless Sixth Princess, exchanged a few words with Ming Tan, and followed the attendant to the imperial tent.

With Jiang Xu gone, the Sixth Princess visibly relaxed, her bargaining skills suddenly sharper.

Ming Tan seemed moved by her persistence. After a moment's thought, she nodded. "Very well, I'll trade with you. I won't take advantage—you can have a whole roasted chicken."

The Sixth Princess's eyes widened. "Really?"

Ming Tan shifted aside slightly. "If the Sixth Princess doesn't mind, you may sit here to eat."Jiang Xu had also prepared a dipping sauce for the roasted chicken, which enhanced its flavor even more when paired together.

The Sixth Princess, thinking to herself that this embroidered pillow was actually quite decent, unceremoniously plopped down onto the seat.

She was quite self-aware—after sitting, she immediately picked up a silver needle from the side and repeatedly pricked the lamb leg, stabbing it all over before handing it out. With an earnest expression, she said, "Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned. If you’re concerned, I can take a bite first."

Ming Tan wasn’t worried about her poisoning the food. With the Southern Law delegation present, unless she had gone mad, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to attempt such a thing.

Moreover, she didn’t seem as infatuated with her husband as rumored. Earlier, when he was still there, she had only stared at the roasted chicken without sparing him a single glance. After he left, far from appearing disappointed, she even seemed to relax, becoming noticeably more at ease.