Chapter 8: The Deranged, Lustful Hostage Prince and the Pampered, Wayward Princess (8)

Cen Mo and Cen Yan exchanged a look and simultaneously rubbed their arms.

This was chilling to hear.

To discard the tool once the work is done and to return kindness with enmity was indeed their master’s style.

"Master, given Princess Zhaoyang’s intellect, will she even understand the subtext of your words? What if she can't even distinguish the right person and ends up taking revenge on the wrong one?"

Shen Jingmu rubbed the wooden armrest of his chair. "If she is foolish enough to take revenge on the wrong person, then she is even less worth cooperating with."

Cen Mo quietly gave a thumbs-up, but Cen Yan considered another problem.

"If her plan fails, what if she exposes us?"

Shen Jingmu picked up his wine cup, his pale, cold fingertip dipping into the liquid, his eyes filled with deep meaning.

"She would have to be alive by then to do that."

A chill ran down Cen Mo’s spine; he quickly retracted his thumbs-up.

"The master is wise."

Cen Yan rolled his eyes at his sycophantic display. A fool with nothing but brute force and no brain, who only knew how to flatter.

-

Emperor Chu An placed great importance on the Autumn Hunt and participated in person every year. The one who bagged the most game would be crowned the victor and receive a reward from him.

Moreover, with the court rife with rumors and gossip, every prince was straining every nerve, determined to claim the top spot.

In this regard, Emperor Chu An was quite enlightened; not only princes but also princesses were eligible to participate in the Autumn Hunt. This was one of the reasons for the Great Chu’s national strength. Regardless of gender, both men and women could take to the battlefield to kill enemies, though to maintain a unified patriarchal structure, women were not permitted to serve as civil officials in the court.

In past Autumn Hunts, the princesses were merely supporting roles, while the protagonists remained the fiercely competitive princes.

Of course, there was one special exception—Princess Jianing.

She considered herself noble and looked down upon such physical labor as drawing bows and shooting arrows, being spoiled to a staggering degree. Every Autumn Hunt, Jianing would change into the most exquisite and luxurious attire, her hair adorned with pearls and hairpins, and sit inside her curtained pavilion as if watching a play, enjoying the sight of the others fighting. Her low table would be filled with delicacies and fine wine; while others were drenched in sweat from exhaustion, she seemed to be on a leisurely excursion.

Such extravagant behavior inevitably drew dissatisfaction and criticism from the ministers. Yet, Emperor Chu An was highly indulgent, dispatching dozens of guards to protect Princess Jianing’s safety.

"Your Highness, which one shall you wear?"

The maidservants held up newly tailored dresses for Shu Yao to choose from.

Shu Yao selected a bright red cloud-brocade long dress and commanded the makeup artist to apply the most vibrant lip tint.

Everyone has a love for beauty; since Emperor Chu An had prepared so much for her, it would be a shame to let it go to waste.

Wantao took two gold bracelets and gently fastened them around Shu Yao’s wrists. The bracelets were engraved with golden scrolling flower patterns, making her wrists appear even more slender and fair.

"Your Highness is truly beautiful."

Princess Jianing’s beauty was known throughout the court and the country; countless nobles and royals had exhausted their fortunes just to catch a glimpse of her smile. A single glance could topple a city, and the beauties of the six palaces paled in comparison. Even when Consort Yu was alive, she did not possess half of her radiance.

Although the old fools in the court submitted memorials impeaching the princess every day, Wantao always felt that the princess deserved the best of everything in the world. Even if she were to be whipped and beaten by her, it would be a favor to be craved.

Looking at Shu Yao’s beautiful hairstyle, Wantao said, "Let’s add a pair of gold hairpins; otherwise, it looks a bit too plain."

"Mm."

Shu Yao tilted her head, letting her style her hair. The shimmering gold hairpins were tucked into her dark tresses, the tassels swaying slowly and emitting a crisp sound as they collided.

Wantao withdrew her hands and nodded with satisfaction.

At the Mulan Hunting Grounds on the outskirts of the capital, the bright yellow banners embroidered with dragon patterns whipped and snapped in the wind. The guards stood in a line, the iron halberds in their hands glinting with a chilling light.

Emperor Chu An sat atop a fiery horse with a red mane, draped in a black hunting robe embroidered with golden dragons. His two-meter-long bow looked intimidating just to behold, fully manifesting imperial majesty. Behind him, over a dozen princes and princesses, dressed in hunting gear and mounted on tall horses, stood in neat rows, waiting for the command to begin.

"Royal Brother looks very imposing today; I presume the top spot belongs to none other than you."

Chu Lanqing smiled gently, his voice like jade dipped in morning dew.

Chu Zhaoyuan glanced at him sideways, his voice cold. "Third Brother, you flatter me. Your archery is sublime and unerring; how could Big Brother dare to compete with you?"

Chu Lanqing’s face remained fixed in a faint smile.

"My archery is not worth mentioning in front of Royal Brother. Not to mention the top spot, I would be content as long as I do not return empty-handed."

"Enough." Emperor Chu An tightened his reins, having heard every word of their conversation. "You two brothers are more humble than the other. This is the Autumn Hunt; bring out your true skills and let me see whose archery has truly improved!"

Chu Lanqing bowed. "Yes, Father."

Hypocritical posturing.

Chu Zhaoyuan snorted coldly in his heart and turned his head away.

Shen Jingmu was positioned at the end of the line. Not many people noticed him; even Emperor Chu An’s requirement for him to participate was born out of a desire to humiliate him.

His gaze drifted involuntarily toward the curtained palace not far away—the area designated for the noblewomen to rest—which was now entirely occupied by one person.

The woman’s slender figure was faintly visible behind the curtains, indistinct and elusive, surrounded by three inner and three outer layers of guards. Even the serving maids numbered over a dozen, prepared with the finest pastries and hot tea, terrified of being negligent.

Is she really this foolish?

Shen Jingmu curled his lips in a cold sneer. The more conspicuous and beautiful something is, the easier it is to incite covetousness in others. And even the desire to possess or destroy it.

Shu Yao leaned half-reclined on a soft couch, opening her mouth to bite into a grape offered by a maid, completely unaware of anything amiss.

Through the transparent gauze curtains, she saw Zhaoyang dressed in tight-fitting hunting gear, holding the reins in her left hand and gripping her bow and arrows tightly in her right.

She seemed... very nervous.

Shu Yao felt a touch of curiosity. Her peripheral vision caught Anle approaching with several noble ladies, saying something to Zhaoyang. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't kind; Zhaoyang’s complexion visibly soured, her earlobes flushed with a faint red, making the scar beneath her ear all the more prominent.

Zhaoyang’s background was not honorable, and aside from Shen Jingmu, she was the one bullied most severely by the original owner. After the incident where her cat was drowned some time ago, Zhaoyang had completely given up on the original owner.

The vicious female supporting character and the kind-hearted heroine were always at odds; even if they were close at the beginning, they would eventually move toward opposition due to the development of the plot.

However, Shu Yao had not expected that in the face of the humiliation from Princess Anle and the noble ladies, Zhaoyang would not resist, but instead mount her horse and ride away alone.

*Sigh.*

Shu Yao sighed softly and shook her head.

Hearing the sigh, Wantao asked with concern, "Your Highness, what is wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Wantao, do you think people should be kind, or should they be a little more vicious?"

Kindness makes one easy to bully, while viciousness leads to no good end; it seems there is no way to have the best of both worlds.

After asking, Shu Yao felt it was amusing; what could a maid like her possibly know? When Wantao died, everyone cursed her as a wicked servant. Yet, everything she said and did was at the original owner’s behest; she had no thoughts of her own.

Wantao did not understand the meaning behind Shu Yao’s question, assuming only that she had heard some gossip and was in low spirits. She parted her lips, about to speak, when she heard Shu Yao say, "Forget it, it's useless to ask you."

Wantao lowered her eyelids, her gaze dimming.