HXC Chapter18

The emperor of the Great Heng Empire, Li Shanghui, was a legendary figure.

 

Li Shanghui was the seventh son of the late emperor. His mother had been only a low-ranking palace maid serving in the empress’s quarters, whom the emperor once favored on a passing whim.

 

The palace maid was both blessed and unfortunate. After receiving the emperor’s favor and giving birth to a prince, the prince’s mother suddenly died of a strange illness before he was even a month old. The prince, being of humble rank and lacking the emperor’s favor, endured a harsh and trying life within the palace.

Yet it was this very prince, scorned by all, who proved so shrewd that he won the allegiance of countless court officials. Amid the bloody contest for the throne, he distinguished himself and ultimately rose to become the new emperor of the Great Heng Empire.

There were rumors among the people that the emperor’s birth mother was harmed by the empress, which is why the empress passed away without any apparent reason as soon as the emperor took the throne. Royal secrets are the most intriguing, and with so many different accounts, perhaps only those involved know the truth.

 

Ji Zhen had seen many sides of Li Shanghui.

 

When he was a child, his father and elder brother often took him to palace banquets. After marrying Shen Yanqing three years ago, he came to the palace less frequently. He had seen him a few months ago, but looking at him now, perhaps due to the heavy workload of state affairs, the emperor’s demeanor was still dignified, but he looked a little tired.

 

Ji Zhen then looked at the empress.

 

Empress Xue came from a noble background. Her father was a famous military general, and her family contributed greatly to the emperor’s succession. The emperor and empress had shared a harmonious union for many years, a tale often spoken of as a beautiful story.

 

While Ji Zhen was lost in thought, the crown prince, the crown princess, and the imperial grandson entered.

 

The three bowed to the emperor and empress, who were seated. The imperial grandson, inheriting his father’s bearing, carried himself with remarkable steadiness for one so young. Kneeling to kowtow, his clear, innocent voice resounded through the hall: “Grandson pays his respects to Imperial Grandfather.”

 

The atmosphere was pleasant and harmonious.

 

Ji Zhen secretly grabbed a sour plum, covering his mouth with his sleeve as he popped it in. The sourness made him shiver.

 

With the emperor and empress seated, the banquet truly began.

 

Ji Zhen ignored the congratulatory words offered to the imperial grandson and paid no mind to the dances or acrobatic performances. He simply focused on the endless stream of delicious food.

 

This was good, and that was also good. He wished he had a few more stomachs so he could pack up all the dishes on the table and take them with him.

 

He was finally satisfied after eating his fill, and upon hearing the emperor invite the officials to the horse grounds, his mind became active. He asked Shen Yanqing, “Is it time for the entertainment part?”

 

Shen Yanqing nodded and walked out from under the eaves with Ji Zhen and a group of officials.

 

The sun was brilliant, and several archery targets were set up on the horse grounds. Young officials were already eager to get on their horses and shoot arrows.

 

Prizes were provided by the officials present, to be won by the victor.

 

Ji Zhen was not good at riding or archery, so he could only watch this event. His round eyes shifted about, glancing at the emperor and empress seated on the high platform, then wandering further to rest upon the female guests. He said, “Princess Lingyue is here too.”

 

Princess Lingyue, who was ranked ninth, was the birth sister of the third prince, Li Muhui. She was two years younger than Ji Zhen and had a gentle nature.

 

Ji Zhen had played with her before and wanted to greet her. He had just raised his hand when Shen Yanqing stopped him. He was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

 

Shen Yanqing said, “There’s a game of touhu[mfn]Touhu is an ancient Chinese game where participants throw arrows or sticks into a distant pot or vase.[/mfn].”

 

Ji Zhen wasn’t good at other things, but he was excellent at touhu, and his attention was immediately captivated.

 

He pulled Shen Yanqing to the very front, where everyone was discussing who would provide the grand prize.

 

Ji Zhen’s gaze accidentally fell upon a mutton-fat jade hairpin set against a python robe. The pin bore a distinctive peony design. Tracing upward, he realized it was worn by Li Muhui.

 

Li Muhui met Ji Zhen’s gaze with a smile and casually took off his mutton-fat jade. “Let’s make this uncut jade the prize then.”

 

A palace attendant bowed and came forward. The jade was tied to a wooden stand, and it shimmered with a crystalline phosphorescence in the sunlight.

 

Ji Zhen liked it very much and didn’t care who its owner was. He shouted, “I want to play too!”

 

Shen Yanqing’s brow furrowed slightly as a palace attendant came forward with bamboo arrows.

 

“Is Lord Shen playing too?”

 

Ji Zhen was already standing in position and raised his chin toward Shen Yanqing. “I can’t beat you in academics, but I’m definitely better than you at touhu. Shen Yanqing, want to have a match?”

 

The young man in the sun was radiant and uninhibited. He casually threw an arrow, and with a ‘ding,’ it accurately dropped into the bronze pot.

 

Even the people who usually secretly laughed at Ji Zhen for being a good-for-nothing couldn’t help but cast aside some of their prejudice.

 

Shen Yanqing’s lips curled up ever so slightly. He threw an arrow forward, and it went into the even narrower left ear of the pot.

 

Ji Zhen didn’t panic at all. He took two arrows, squinted, and threw them out. They landed in both ears.

 

Applause erupted from the crowd. “Good, what great aim!”

 

Ji Zhen smiled triumphantly at Shen Yanqing. “How was that?”

 

For once, Shen Yanqing didn’t deny him. “Not bad.”

 

“Just ‘not bad’?” Ji Zhen snorted softly. “Let me show you my real skill.”

 

After saying this, he requested two more arrows and turned his back toward the bronze pot.

 

It had been so long since he had played touhu, so he was a bit unsure of his aim. He rotated his wrist and estimate the distance.

 

Shen Yanqing just watched him quietly. Perhaps the sunlight was too strong, but Ji Zhen seemed to be glowing.

 

Ji Zhen suddenly threw the arrows and turned around with little confidence. When he saw that both had landed in the ears, his eyes lit up with a brilliant smile. He happily jumped up and down a few times and then asked again, “How was that?”

 

Shen Yanqing’s heart gave a sudden jolt, causing his throw to falter for an instant, and he missed the target’s ear.

 

He withdrew his hand and looked at the jubilant Ji Zhen, praising him, “Very good.”

 

Li Muhui, who was watching from the side, clapped his hands and asked, “Lord Shen, are you admitting defeat?”

 

Shen Yanqing didn’t try to make excuses and nodded. “This minister is ashamed.”

 

“Since that’s the case, this piece of mutton-fat jade belongs to Ji Zhen.”

 

Ji Zhen beamed as he looked around, then proudly stepped forward to claim the prize. He walked up to Li Muhui and reached out to take it. But Li Muhui suddenly held the jade up high. Ji Zhen’s fingertips only brushed the tassel, and he looked at the other party in confusion.

 

Li Muhui’s eyes were long and narrow, similar to a fox’s, and he always had a three-part smile for everyone, earning him the nickname “Jade-Faced Fox.” Standing so near him, Ji Zhen found the name fitting. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that the smile was false, a mere mask hiding the truth. He thought that if the mask were removed, who knows what devious thoughts might be underneath.

 

Ji Zhen reached up and tugged the jade’s tassel twice, but Li Muhui, as if playfully teasing a child, held on and didn’t release it.

 

“It’s just a piece of mutton-fat jade. Your Highness, you’re not going back on your word, are you?”

 

Li Muhui glanced at the wide-eyed, puffed-cheeked Ji Zhen, smiled, and finally let go.

 

Ji Zhen took the peony-shaped jade, and examining it from every angle, unable to bring himself to let it go.

 

Shen Yanqing then walked up to him. Ji Zhen’s eyes flickered as he took Shen Yanqing’s hand and gently placed the mutton-fat jade into his palm with a soft ‘pat,’ saying cheerfully, “It’s for you.”

 

Li Muhui’s eyes narrowed slightly.

 

Shen Yanqing, who was just feeling annoyed that Ji Zhen had thrown his advice to the wind and gone to provoke Li Muhui, was stunned by the words. “For me?”

 

Ji Zhen was beaming. “I won this myself.”

 

This wasn’t something from the Ji family. This was something he had won with his own skill to give to Shen Yanqing.

 

Seeing that Shen Yanqing wasn’t moving, Ji Zhen worried that he wouldn’t accept it. He said anxiously, “Let me tie it on for you.”

 

Without waiting for Shen Yanqing’s consent, he took the mutton-fat jade back and, with his head bowed, deftly tied the object to the black cord.

 

Everyone had assumed the couple despised one another, but now they watched with curiosity, noticing that Shen Yanqing showed no sign of loathing toward Ji Zhen, contrary to the rumors.

 

If one were to set aside their intellectual differences, one was graceful and elegant, the other beautiful and naive. Their appearances were a surprisingly good match.

 

“A trivial skill.”

 

A contemptuous voice broke the harmonious scene.

 

Ji Zhen, having finished tying the jade, looked at the speaker. It was Zhang Zhen, the son of the vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, with whom he had a dispute at Ziyun Lou.

 

Why was this good-for-nothing always looking for trouble?

 

The mutton-fat jade Ji Zhen had been longing for was now in his hands. He felt great, and remembering his mother-in-law’s instructions before they left, he didn’t want to get into a conflict with this person. He glared at him and pulled on Shen Yanqing, wanting to leave.

 

Zhang Zhen held a lot of resentment toward Ji Zhen from the Ziyun Lou incident. His friends still teased him for being outwitted by a known good-for-nothing, which was a huge loss of face. He couldn’t just let him leave.

 

“Ji Zhen, do you dare to race me on horseback?”

 

Horsemanship was Ji Zhen’s weakness, and he wasn’t about to fall for it. “I only want to play touhu.”

 

“Are you scared?”

 

Ji Zhen lifted his chin. “Who says I’m…”

 

He was interrupted by Shen Yanqing’s clear voice. “Lord Zhang, it’s not that Ji Zhen doesn’t want to accompany you, it’s just that he has already promised to go watch the archery with me. We will be going on ahead.”

 

He didn’t care what Zhang Zhen had to say. He then bid farewell to Li Muhui and led Ji Zhen toward the archery area.

 

Ji Zhen complained angrily, “He’s just a worthless person who frequents brothels all year. Why would I be afraid of him? I’ll race him, what’s the big deal…”

 

He met Shen Yanqing’s look, which seemed to say, “I know what you’re capable of.” And he reluctantly fell silent.

 

The two strolled forward as a gentle breeze stirred around them, greeted by continuous cheers, with onlookers casting occasional curious glances their way. As Ji Zhen walked close to Shen Yanqing, he felt as if a stream of clear water had been poured into his heart, filling his whole body and making his steps much lighter.

 

How great would it be if things could always be so harmonious with Shen Yanqing?

 

Ji Zhen kicked a small stone on the ground, then looked up and saw his elder brother not far away. He said happily, “I’m going to find my Gege.”

 

He tried to pull his hand from Shen Yanqing’s grasp but couldn’t, so he looked at him, puzzled.

 

Shen Yanqing stared at the joy on Ji Zhen’s face for a few moments before slowly releasing his fingers.

 

“I’ll be right back.”

 

Ji Zhen’s eyes were bright as he started walking toward Ji Jue.

 

After taking two steps, a piercing shriek echoed across the horse grounds. A sharp arrow whistled through the air, heading straight for Ji Zhen’s face.

 

The incident was so sudden that Ji Zhen couldn’t dodge it. He stood frozen in place, stunned.

 

Not far away, Ji Jue’s and Jiang Yuyu’s faces both changed dramatically at the sight. They dropped what they were doing and ran toward Ji Zhen.

 

In a flash of lightning, a pair of arms suddenly grabbed Ji Zhen’s shoulders and pushed him to the side. Ji Zhen’s vision blurred, and the sharp arrow whooshed past his ear.

 

He crashed heavily onto the ground, his palms scraping against the sand and losing a layer of skin. A faint grunt came from nearby.

 

Ji Zhen’s eyes widened in panic as he looked at the person who had fallen with him. He notices that the usually impassive Shen Yanqing now appeared slightly pale. Thinking that Shen Yanqing had been injured while saving him, he was flustered and so scared he couldn’t utter a single word.

 

Ji Jue had already arrived. Ji Jue pulled Ji Zhen to his feet and shielded him behind himself, his gaze fixed sharply on Shen Yanqing.

 

Ji Zhen heard Shen Yanqing softly say to his elder brother, “It was just an accident.”

 

Ji Zhen was a little confused. If it wasn’t an accident, what could it be?

 

The burning pain in his palm brought Ji Zhen back to his senses. He quickly looked at Shen Yanqing and noticed that he was only a bit dusty and not injured. His eyes welled up with moisture.

 

Shen Yanqing stood up, having already regained his composure. However, even he had not expected that he would risk his life to save Ji Zhen in such a critical moment—when he realized the arrow was aimed at Ji Zhen, he didn’t even have time to think. It was an almost instinctive reaction to run forward.

 

If… if he had a little more time to think, he wondered if he would have made the same choice.

 

Everyone gathered around to check on the situation and sighed in relief when they saw there was no serious harm.

 

The accompanying imperial physician bandaged the wound on Ji Zhen’s hand. Ji Zhen, who was still shaken, winced in pain and frequently looked at the silent Shen Yanqing.

 

The official who shot the arrow was covered in a cold sweat, repeatedly apologizing. “There was a stone embedded in my horse’s hoof, and I didn’t notice it. The horse suddenly went crazy, and my arrow went off course. Lord Ji, it was a mistake on my part…”

 

Ji Jue’s face was grim. He waved his hand. “That’s enough. You can all disperse.”

 

After his minor injuries were treated, Ji Zhen was about to thank Shen Yanqing when a palace attendant came running over.

 

“My Lords, His Majesty has learned that Lord Xiao Ji was startled and has invited you all up to the viewing platform.” The palace attendant glanced over. “Aiyo, the Young Marquis is here too. His Majesty was looking for you. Please come with this servant.”

 

Hearing this, Ji Zhen cast a glance at Jiang Yuyu, who stood with arms crossed, his striking face twisted into an expression that seemed capable of killing.

 

Ji Zhen clearly saw that Jiang Yuyu had also run toward him when the incident happened…

 

“Let’s go, Zhen Zhen.”

 

Ji Zhen collected himself and went with his elder brother and the others to meet the emperor.

 

The author has something to say:

Lord Shen, just admit it. You’re in love!