Chapter 45 - 2#

Even the most unruly Yueyu people couldn’t help but show solemn expressions.

If the reason why Emperor Helian summoned them in Shangyu Garden was initially incomprehensible, now looking at these fierce soldiers, who among them truly didn’t know?

This was undoubtedly a means of deterrence.

The Yueyu envoy and the Gaonan envoy exchanged glances, then looked back at the movement in the distant river valley, whispering, “This is just Emperor Helian deliberately trying to scare us. Those who can be drafted must be the most elite soldiers.” He said this in Yueyu language, and only the nearby Yueyu civil officials could hear it.

This time, accompanying Emperor Jingyuan, these foreign envoys naturally couldn’t bring their own guards. They could only bring a few ministers.

Yueyu civil official: “The envoy is right, but Emperor Helian having such thoughts means that he is probably… afraid of border issues.”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but those who heard it understood the implication.

Even if the soldiers in this drill were the most elite, the Yueyu envoy had dealt with border troops before coming to court.

Not as strong, but not that inferior either.

Otherwise, when the previous generation of Helian emperors was so weak and powerless, they would have long ago marched south and flattened the Central Plains. If these troops were carefully cultivated by this generation of Helian emperors, even if it was only a part of them, they should not be underestimated.

This was enough to show that the Emperor was determined to resist the enemy.

The Yueyu envoy was very clear about the ambitions of those in the Yueyu royal court!

And now, they could only investigate further and further.

…

Shi’en was very excited, talking about the river valley for two or three days straight.

Jingzhe listened for a few days, then suddenly asked, “Have you ever seen His Majesty the Emperor?”

Shi’en was stunned, rubbing his nose, “How could I be qualified to serve His Majesty? I only saw him from afar a few times, and saw nothing.”

From such a distance, let alone seeing what the person looked like, just knowing the color of their clothes was already remarkable.

However, as if remembering something, he approached Jingzhe.

“Are you asking about Rong Jiu?”

Ever since the insect repellent incense incident, Jingzhe’s friends all knew the name of that imperial guard.

Jingzhe was slightly stunned and nodded.

Shi’en: “I didn’t see him either. After all, the imperial guards must be serving in front of His Majesty. However, I heard that after the drill, there will be a hunt. Jingzhe, why don’t you try to go and see then?”

Jingzhe was a bit moved.

With an idea in mind, he also tried to ask Hua Yunfei in the following days.

Hua Yunfei laughed and scolded, “You always seem so calm, I didn’t expect you to be curious about these things.”

Jingzhe smiled awkwardly, “After all, it’s rare to leave the palace, and I’ve never seen such a scene before, so naturally I’m a bit curious.”

Hua Yunfei pondered for a moment. He quite liked Jingzhe. He was thoughtful in his work and generous in his dealings. What Jingzhe said inevitably made Hua Yunfei feel a little pity.

They often saw each other a few times in Shangyu Garden.

After all, Emperor Jingyuan always came to Shangyu Garden to hunt once or twice a year, and the late Emperor liked it even more, staying here for two or three months every year.

Hua Yunfei had seen enough, but Jingzhe came from the palace. If he missed this opportunity, he wouldn’t know when he would see it again.

Thinking of this, Hua Yunfei beckoned to Jingzhe, “If you want to go and see, it’s not impossible.”

Jingzhe: “If it’s too much trouble, then never mind. Manager, I’m just curious for a moment…”

Since Hua Yunfei had made up his mind, it couldn’t be changed.

He waved his hand and said indifferently, “What’s the big deal? I’ll just let you go and see. Anyway, these days are leisurely, and there’s nothing else to do.”

He called out towards the door, and soon, Wei Liang came in, looking bewildered.

Hua Yunfei: “Take my token and find Chen Changming. Just tell him I sent you. Consider these few days a break, you have nothing else to do anyway.”

Wei Liang’s eyes lit up, and he happily took Hua Yunfei’s waist token. He understood what the manager meant as soon as he heard it, no need to explain too clearly.

Although he had seen a hunt once or twice, he was still young. Such things, even a few more times, would not be boring.

The two came out together. Wei Liang said with a smile, “Jingzhe, thanks to you, I can also go and see this time.”

Jingzhe couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, “Is this too much trouble for the manager?”

Wei Liang led Jingzhe out, shaking his head, “You know what our manager is responsible for. Manager Chen sometimes needs our manager’s help, sending more things… He has something to ask of the manager, so he’s happy to do it.”

As Wei Liang said, when they arrived at the racecourse and told Chen Changming their intention, the short, stout middle-aged man immediately arranged them into the nearest team.

They didn’t have to worry about food, drink, or lodging. Even new clothes were prepared.

Jingzhe raised his eyebrows and looked at Wei Liang.

Wei Liang grinned and put away the token, not surprised at all.

Jingzhe followed Wei Liang to pack his things, his eyebrows lowered in thought. Hua Yunfei was indeed a very good place to go. So Hu Yue arranged for him to come here… was he trying to curry favor with him?

But what did he have that was worth Hu Yue’s attention? Or, as Manager Hua said, as long as it’s a person, there’s something worth scheming for?

Although Jingzhe was thinking, he moved quickly. Soon, he packed up with the others and went to the camp.

Since it was a hunt, it was naturally impossible to stay in the separate palace. Large banners lined up, fluttering in the wind. The guards were majestic, and people entering and exiting the camp would be carefully checked.

Jingzhe and the others were checked for their waist tokens and personal belongings before being allowed to enter.

It was the first time Jingzhe saw the tall horses Shi’en mentioned. They were indeed very fierce. Not far from the camp, many people were riding horses, galloping, like a hunt in progress.

However, the palace servant leading them glanced at it and said to them, “This is to drive the prey in advance. When His Majesty leads people there tomorrow, they won’t return empty-handed.”

There were many animals in Shangyu Garden, but they were too widely distributed. It was impossible for them to run all over the mountains and plains.

These envoys wanted to, but it depended on whether it was allowed.

Driving the prey over in advance would make hunting much easier tomorrow.

Jingzhe nodded and walked with them. After a long time, they reached the middle section. The leading palace servant raised his hand again and pointed to the huge tent in the distance, “That is His Majesty’s imperial tent.”

Hearing this, many people looked up, and Jingzhe was among them.

The imperial tent was heavily guarded, incomparable to other tents. There were countless guards patrolling around it.

Jingzhe could vaguely see Wei Haidong. He was at the entrance of the tent, talking to someone. He looked around but didn’t find Rong Jiu.

He didn’t know if he was too far away or not there.

After passing the imperial tent, they soon arrived at their own living quarters. Seven or eight people squeezed into one tent, which seemed a bit crowded. However, the food was good. They had meat as soon as they arrived.

According to Wei Liang, the food was always good during the annual hunt.

If there was a lot of game, and His Majesty rewarded them, they could even get a palm-sized piece of meat, which tasted incredibly delicious.

Jingzhe and Wei Liang were both second-rank eunuchs, so they were spared some hard labor, following the palace servant who brought them in and out.

After a day of work, they went to bed. The next day, they were woken up by vibrations.

Jingzhe was drowsy, but quickly woke up hearing the shouts of the soldiers outside.

Wei Liang quickly got up and listened for a while, “They are drilling.” He was very experienced. When he came, he told Jingzhe a lot. Now that he actually saw it, he realized the hardship of the army.

The time Jingzhe and the other palace servants got up was already very early, but the soldiers’ drill time would only be even earlier than theirs.

Jingzhe: “It’s really hard work.”

Wei Liang grinned, “That’s natural. The hardships of military households are what bring about today’s stability.”

While talking, they walked out of the tent.

Today, the hunt began, and it was time for serious work.

And only then did Jingzhe understand what Shi’en meant. Even if they could see the Emperor, from such a distant place… it was good enough to see that there was a person there, let alone clearly see their appearance.

If they were close, they could see, but then due to rules, they couldn’t look up.

Jingzhe’s interest in Emperor Jingyuan was only momentary. What he was looking for everywhere was Rong Jiu’s trace.

However, if the Emperor couldn’t be seen clearly, the guards naturally couldn’t be seen clearly either. Only vaguely could it be seen that the guards riding horses beside His Majesty the Emperor were very majestic.

Jingzhe couldn’t help but imagine Rong Jiu riding and shooting, and couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile.

Although he couldn’t see anyone, in the camp, Jingzhe saw many things he had never seen before.

Whether it was those fierce soldiers, or the strict discipline in the camp, or the bloody and fierce hunting every day… all were very interesting.

Every dusk, the camp would be filled with a strong smell of blood. The carcasses of the prey hanging on the horses, the dripping blood, seemed to carry the wails before death.

The densely piled prey was quickly counted.

The animals hunted every day would be used as daily food and would not be stored. After counting, they would be sent directly to the chopping block.

It was summer. If not processed for a day, it would rot tomorrow.

And in the number of prey counted every day, Emperor Jingyuan was far ahead.

Naturally, some envoys criticized, saying that Emperor Jingyuan took advantage of the host.

That night, Emperor Jingyuan held a bow and shot ten arrows in a row in the dark, all piercing the target in the distance. Two or three arrows deeply penetrated the giant trees behind, unable to be pulled out.

Emperor Jingyuan casually threw the heavy bow to the attendant palace servant and looked at the Gaonan envoy expressionlessly, “Next, it’s your turn.”

Wei Haidong stepped forward and handed over the same bow with a smile, “Please!”

The faces of several envoys were not good. In the dark night, they couldn’t even see the target clearly, how could they shoot accurately?

Under the gaze of other foreign envoys, they still had to bite the bullet and go, mostly ending up with ten arrows missing nine.

Slap!

When Wei Liang said this, he was so excited that he slapped his thigh, almost turning it red.

“Good, really good!”

The other palace servants listening also couldn’t help but blush, which was from excitement.

No matter how calm Jingzhe was, he couldn’t help but be excited.

Emperor Jingyuan was a very deterrent emperor in many matters.

As long as he was willing.

Jingzhe could easily feel this in Shangyu Garden.

Compared to the fear of Qianming Palace in the imperial palace, people in Shangyu Garden still felt that Taishi Palace was a good place. Especially those like Wei Liang, who occasionally entered and exited the hunting grounds, were easily aroused to bloodlust.

That feeling of surging blood could easily subdue them, making them wish they could follow the Emperor immediately.

Thinking of this, Jingzhe couldn’t understand why, according to the system, Emperor Jingyuan burned all the imperial relatives in the palace fire?

Seriously ill?

Emperor Jingyuan would suffer a serious illness in the future, and then go mad before dying… No, the current Emperor is already mad enough…

Jingzhe just vaguely felt something was wrong.

As an Emperor, Jingyuan was not bad to the common people. In daily political affairs, he was also diligent. Otherwise, Jingzhe would not have heard Zheng Hong praise him.

Jingzhe had never heard that Emperor Jingyuan delayed morning court.

This showed that no matter how eccentric Emperor Jingyuan was, he was serious when he was Emperor.

Then this act of burning everyone into a ghost realm with one fire seemed bizarre and strange compared to all the previous things.

There must be another reason for this.

If this outcome was to be prevented, then the root cause must be found.

As for those foreign envoys?

The existence of some of them would indeed endanger the safety of the dynasty, but this was not the main reason, but the result of various driving factors.

If the royal family did not decline and could maintain its national strength, they would naturally not be able to break through the border.

The existence of the royal family is one of the sources of morale. Without morale, even the most elite soldiers cannot straighten their backs.

“Jingzhe?”

Wei Liang patted his shoulder, “What are you thinking about?”

Jingzhe said casually, “I’m thinking about what meat I can eat tonight.”

When others heard this, they couldn’t help but lick their lower lips.

Last night, they were given a palm-sized piece of wild boar meat. It tasted a bit gamey, but no one was willing to spit it out, eating it ravenously.

Wei Liang said with a grin, “Maybe we can get some venison?”

Someone laughed at Wei Liang, “You really can imagine. How could precious venison be given to us?”

Everyone chatted for a while, then dispersed to work, not daring to linger.

But unexpectedly, at night, Jingzhe really got a small piece of venison.

Upon asking, he only then learned that Emperor Jingyuan had chosen the largest herd of deer near the river valley today. Except for those pregnant and too young, all were brought back.

However, there were not many palace servants as lucky as Jingzhe to eat venison.

After all, the distribution was random.

Jingzhe ate the venison under the envy of others. It was tenderer than expected. He didn’t know which part it was, but it tasted better than yesterday’s wild boar.

However, after eating venison, Jingzhe had a little trouble sleeping at night. He tossed and turned a few times, always feeling like he could stay awake until tomorrow.

He clenched his palm. This strange heat made his face a little strange. He secretly got up. When he went out, Wei Liang vaguely called out to him.

“I’m going to relieve myself.”

Jingzhe dropped these words and lifted the tent flap.

In the camp, there were few truly dark places. Even at night, people would often patrol. Some places were brightly lit, with no blind spots at all.

Jingzhe didn’t lie to Wei Liang. He was indeed sneaking out to relieve himself, but this convenience was not that convenience.

Jingzhe was going to check something, and as a result, he really did get a bit of an erection.

He really wanted to become enlightened and become a monk.

The venison tonight looked delicious, but it was a considerable trouble for him.

He held his breath and rinsed himself with cold water several times before coming out again.

The coolness of his skin in the wind did suppress a little of the heat, but in midsummer, no matter how much wind there was, it couldn’t be very cool.