The Blood Crown - Chapter 142

As dawn broke, the various princes and nobles participating in the spring hunt were already dressed and ready outside their tents. Each of them brought their horses, crossbows, guards, and hunting dogs, eager to make a name for themselves at the hunt.

 

At this time of year, the earth was warming and everything was coming back to life. Many animals that had hibernated during the winter would come out to forage, but the abundance was not as great as in summer or autumn, making it not easy to find prey. Each group would have to rely on their skills.

 

Yan Sikong had changed into a custom-fitted white cloud-patterned riding outfit. Compared to his usual wide-sleeved court attire, this more streamlined outfit made him appear even more upright and extraordinarily handsome.

 

Chen Mu watched Yan Sikong intently, his eyebrows raised in a smile. “This is the first time I’ve seen you in riding attire, sir. It makes you look even more dashing than usual.”

 

Yan Sikong smiled. “I haven’t ridden a horse in a long time. Wearing this outfit makes me want to gallop for eight hundred miles.”

 

“Hahaha, then this royal hunting ground won’t be enough for you.”

 

“If I can help Your Highness find good prey, I wouldn’t hesitate to run across the entire hunting ground.”

 

Chen Mu smiled and personally chose a good horse for Yan Sikong. “Ride this one, sir. I don’t need a scholar like you to find prey for me. Just stay by my side.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Chen Mu ordered his guards, “Once we’re in the hunting ground, be careful. Arrows can be unpredictable, and horses can get startled by prey. Make sure to protect the gentleman well.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Chen Mu was the first to mount his horse, followed by Yan Sikong, who deliberately made his mounting look a bit clumsy.

 

Facing the morning’s cool breeze and the rising sun, Chen Mu gazed at the vast forest ahead, his eyes shining with a determined arrogance, as if it were the world he was about to conquer.

 

If everything went as expected, Chen Mu would likely emerge as the top hunter in this event. As the Crown Prince, no one would dare to compete with him for the chance to impress the Emperor. However, the Second Prince, who was also eyeing the throne, might challenge him, so Chen Mu had to give it his all.

 

With a squeeze of his legs, he spurred his horse forward, shouting in a clear and spirited voice, “Let’s go!” His horse shot out like an arrow.

 

The group followed closely behind, racing towards the hunting ground.

 

Soon, another group of riders approached from the side, led by Feng Ye and his servants. Feng Ye glanced at Yan Sikong from a distance. Before Yan Sikong could react, Chen Mu shot a cold look at Feng Ye and then slowed down, retreating to Yan Sikong’s side, positioning his larger horse to completely block him.

 

Feng Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise, slightly frowning.

 

Once inside the hunting ground, the groups dispersed into the vast forest to search for their prey.

 

Blending into the team, Yan Sikong didn’t contribute much. Instead, he occasionally flattered Chen Mu, just enough to keep him pleased.

 

They soon spotted a deer. The guards, with their hunting dogs, surrounded it from the sides. Chen Mu charged ahead to chase it. He swung his whip rapidly, shouting, “Hyah!”

 

The deer, panic-stricken, ran erratically through the forest. Chen Mu tightened his legs around the horse’s belly, pulled out his bow from behind, drew an arrow, and slowly aimed.

 

The deer, after making another turn, headed south. Chen Mu had to put away his bow and steer his horse abruptly. The turn was so sharp that it looked like he might fall off.

 

“Your Highness, be careful!” a guard shouted worriedly.

 

But Chen Mu ignored him, focused solely on chasing the deer. Once they reached a slightly open area, he quickly drew his bow again. Despite his lean frame, he displayed surprising strength. In a split second, the arrow flew from the bowstring, turning into a silver streak heading towards the running deer.

 

With a loud thud, the deer fell heavily to the ground, sliding several meters, its legs twitching.

 

Chen Mu slowed his horse to a trot, approaching the fallen prey. He looked down at it, his face expressionless.

 

“Congratulations, Your Highness! You must be the first among the princes to catch prey. This deer must weigh at least a hundred pounds!” a guard exclaimed.

 

Chen Mu said, “It’s pregnant.” His tone carried a hint of sorrow.

 

Everyone exchanged looks. Yan Sikong quietly observed Chen Mu, curious about what the young prince would do next.

 

After a moment, Chen Mu suddenly raised his bow and shot an arrow through the deer’s head. “Take the unborn kid and present it to the Empress for a soup.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes.

 

After catching the deer, they spent the rest of the morning hunting, managing to catch only a rabbit. It was a bit frustrating. As noon approached, they had to return to camp for lunch and compare their morning’s catch with others. One deer and one rabbit weren’t an impressive start.

 

Growing impatient, Chen Mu ordered, “Find me a bigger one.”

 

“Yes.” The guards and hunting dogs spread out to search.

 

Yan Sikong reassured him, “There’s no need to worry, Your Highness. The snow just melted, so there aren’t many animals out yet. If we can’t find any, others probably won’t either.”

 

Chen Mu nodded. “If we can’t find anything, then so be it.”

 

After a while, a guard returned with the hunting dogs, shouting from a distance, “Your Highness, I found a deer!”

 

Chen Mu’s eyes lit up, and he spurred his horse to follow.

 

The hunting dogs led them deeper into the woods. Sure enough, among the newly sprouted trees, they spotted a beautiful sika deer, a strong and agile male, looking around warily.

 

Chen Mu slowed his pace. A mature male deer was extremely quick and agile, making it very difficult to catch. From this distance, any sudden movement would make it sprint away in an instant. The guards spread out with the dogs to encircle it, keeping it within bow range, while Chen Mu cautiously approached.

 

The deer noticed them and began to run, leaping gracefully and quickly.

 

Chen Mu urged his horse to chase, shouting commands, “Guard the east and west sides. Don’t let it escape!”

 

In an instant, the forest, still waking from winter, was filled with the lively sounds of shouting, hoofbeats, and barking dogs.

 

All of Chen Mu’s guards were busy encircling the deer, leaving only Yan Sikong closely following him. Yan Sikong worried that Chen Mu’s eagerness might cause him to fall off his horse.

 

“Hyah! Hyah!” Chen Mu chased the deer through the forest at a dizzying speed.

 

Yan Sikong called out from behind, “Your Highness, be careful! Your Highness!”

 

As Chen Mu closed in on the deer, a sudden commotion of hoofbeats came from the distance. Yan Sikong turned to see another group approaching from the southeast, also targeting the deer. Leading them was none other than the Second Prince!

 

Chen Mu noticed the Second Prince and his eyes turned cold as he redoubled his efforts to catch the deer.

 

The Second Prince, only a year younger than Chen Mu and nearly his height, was equally determined. He not only caught up but also drew his bow, aiming to claim the deer first.

 

Chen Mu gritted his teeth and urged his horse on, trying to draw his bow, but the dense forest obstructed his view. The deer’s speed made it look like a blur. Both Chen Mu and the Second Prince had little chance of hitting it.

 

“Your Highness, it’s too dangerous!” Yan Sikong shouted anxiously. Chen Mu’s reckless pursuit could easily lead to a fall from his fast-moving horse.

 

But Chen Mu ignored him, unable to tolerate the Second Prince taking the deer right under his nose. Still young, maintaining balance on the galloping horse was already challenging for him. Drawing his bow made his body sway dangerously.

 

Yan Sikong’s whip cracked loudly, but he couldn’t catch up with Chen Mu’s horse.

 

The Second Prince aimed his bow at the deer, but the arrow was clearly directed towards Chen Mu’s horse’s head.

 

Startled, Chen Mu had to drop his bow and grab the reins, pulling them tightly.

 

The horse reared up, front hooves pawing the air, nearly standing upright. Unable to hold on, Chen Mu’s legs gave way, and he fell from the horse.

 

In a moment of desperation, Yan Sikong leaped forward, catching Chen Mu and shielding his head as they both tumbled to the ground, only stopping when Yan Sikong’s back hit a tree.

 

Pain shot through Yan Sikong’s body, and his vision darkened. Chaotic images flashed through his mind as he struggled to stay conscious.

 

“Sir! Sir!” Chen Mu, protected by Yan Sikong, only suffered minor injuries and quickly got up. Seeing blood on Yan Sikong’s forehead, he shouted angrily, “Chen Chun, how dare you! Are you trying to assassinate the Crown Prince?”

 

The Second Prince, Chen Chun, remained on his horse, looking at Chen Mu coldly, without a trace of fear. He replied indifferently, “Calm down, brother. I only wanted to shoot the deer and had no intention of offending you.”

 

“You scoundrel!” Chen Mu roared, “Guards! Guards!” He trembled with a mix of anger and humiliation. As the Crown Prince, being bullied like this was unbearable.

 

The guards rushed over from all directions.

 

“Quick, bring a stretcher!” Chen Mu cried, cradling Yan Sikong, tears welling up in his eyes. “Sir, sir, are you alright? Don’t scare me.”

 

Yan Sikong weakly opened his eyes and whispered, “Your Highness… I’m fine… Are you alright?”

 

Chen Mu shook his head, choking up. “It’s all my fault. My eagerness put you in danger.”

 

“No need… to blame yourself, Your Highness. I’m fine…” Yan Sikong could tell from the pain that his ribs were likely broken, and his head was probably injured too. However, he still had feeling in his limbs, so it seemed there were no severe issues. But the pain was excruciating, and he cursed Chen Chun in his heart. If anything happened to Chen Mu, all his efforts would be in vain.

 

Just then, the sound of approaching hoofbeats echoed through the forest. Yan Sikong, through his blurred vision, recognized the horse that Feng Ye often rode—not the usual Drunken Red, but a black horse, a rare and excellent steed.

 

Feng Ye arrived, seeing the dirty and battered Yan Sikong lying weakly on the ground. His eyes nearly bulged with anger, and he dismounted swiftly.

 

Yan Sikong shook his head at Feng Ye. If Feng Ye showed any weakness now, they would be doomed.

 

Feng Ye froze, gripping the reins so tightly his knuckles turned white. His lips trembled, and it took all his willpower to stop himself from rushing to Yan Sikong’s side.

 

Chen Mu looked up at Feng Ye, anger flashing in his eyes. “Feng Ye, why aren’t you dismounting in the presence of the Crown Prince?”

 

Feng Ye suppressed the tremor in his voice, keeping it steady. “This deer caused Your Highness to be injured. It deserves to die. I hunted it down and brought it here for Your Highness to deal with.” Though his tone was calm, his demeanor was proud and defiant, making no move to dismount.

 

Chen Mu was momentarily taken aback, then looked past Feng Ye. Behind him, Feng Ye’s guards were dragging the massive deer, which weighed at least three or four hundred pounds. Catching such a large, agile deer in the dense forest was an impressive feat, yet Feng Ye spoke as if it were a trivial task.

 

Chen Mu clenched his teeth. “Even if I am disgraced, I won’t take someone else’s kill to claim credit!” Blood dripped from his bitten lips, but the pain was nothing compared to the humiliation he felt. Chen Chun and Feng Ye—both disregarded him, both harmed Yan Sikong!

 

The guards quickly modified a sheep-dragging stretcher, laying a clean raincloth on it. “Your Highness, please place Master Yan on the stretcher.”

 

Chen Mu gently whispered in Yan Sikong’s ear, “Sir, please bear with it. I’ll take you back to the imperial physician right away.”

 

Yan Sikong nodded.

 

Chen Mu carefully lifted Yan Sikong, placing him on the stretcher. His eyes were filled with deep concern and urgency.

 

Feng Ye watched, stunned.

 

The guards lifted the stretcher, and Chen Mu gently wiped the dirt from Yan Sikong’s face with his sleeve, his eyes red. “Sir, we’ll return immediately. Tell me if you’re in pain.”

 

Feng Ye’s gaze grew colder. He noticed a familiar emotion in Chen Mu’s eyes—a look he couldn’t ignore. Such a look shouldn’t appear on Chen Mu’s face, and Chen Mu’s attitude towards Yan Sikong shouldn’t be so… affectionate.

 

“It’s nothing…” Yan Sikong’s eyes met Feng Ye’s briefly, conveying countless unsaid words.

 

With just that one look—pleading silently—Feng Ye’s heart wrenched with pain. His hatred burned deep, but he could only watch as others carried Yan Sikong away, unable to offer even a word of comfort.

 

Yan Sikong closed his eyes, feeling utterly exhausted.