Chapter 77: She Knew the Plot Had Arrived
Gan Qiongying strode swiftly toward the halfway platform, moving so fast that Manyue behind her could barely keep up.
Dusk had fallen, the sky pressing down heavily as birds flapped their wings, hurrying back to their nests to rest before darkness fully descended. Yet the halfway platform remained bustling with noise and excitement, the clamor audible from afar. People jostled against one another, voices rising and falling in a lively cacophony.
As Gan Qiongying drew closer, she confirmed that the commotion was indeed, as she had suspected, due to the return of the hunting party.
On the ground, prey was piled high. The young masters skilled in riding and archery had nearly all returned with full loads. Someone had even managed to hunt down a full-grown black bear, which lay on the ground, weighing several hundred pounds—it took nearly ten men working together to barely move it.
Attendants were busy tallying the spoils. Hares and pheasants were no longer a novelty, while wild foxes were less common. More surprising was the sight of two birds felled by a single arrow—a testament to someone’s exceptional marksmanship.
Everyone was rejoicing over the bountiful harvest. Young noblemen presented their catches to the ladies they admired, promising to craft winter garments from the furs as gifts. Amid this harmonious and convivial scene, however, two figures stood out, their tension palpable and out of place.
Zhongli Zhengzhen wore an expression of amusement, his gaze fixed with interest on the arrow embedded in the black bear’s left eye. Slowly, he raised his head and turned his eyes toward the equally mounted, stern-faced Regent.
“There are two arrows in the bear,” an attendant noted during the tally, observing that the arrows bore different markings—one belonging to the Regent, the other to Jinchuan Zhizi.
The onlookers’ attention was drawn to the two arrows in the bear’s body: one pierced through the heart, the other driven through the left eye and protruding from the skull. The bear was long dead, but determining which wound had been fatal left the tallying attendant at a loss, sparking murmurs and debates among the crowd.
The attendant dared not hastily declare who had slain the bear, as both figures were beyond his reproach.
Some young noblemen, observing the scene, whispered among themselves.
“Wouldn’t the shot to the eye be more lethal?”
“But the arrow to the heart is deeply embedded too.”
“Perhaps the eye injury startled the bear, allowing the heart shot to land.”
While still some distance from the scene, Gan Qiongying overheard these discussions. She tried to move closer for a clearer listen but was stopped by a group of guards.
Raising her eyes, she noticed other female attendees being similarly held back.
The guards were keeping the women at a safe distance out of concern for their security. Although the hunters had dismounted, their horses had not yet been fully led away and tethered. Some of the more spirited steeds, still exhilarated from the vigorous run, snorted and resisted being led. The guards could not afford to lower their vigilance at such a moment—their duty was to ensure the safety of all guests, leaving no room for error.
Today, the number of guards had doubled compared to the previous day. Towering and imposing, they formed a barrier that separated the female attendees from the field. Yet this did little to dampen their curiosity.
They stood on tiptoe, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the young masters they admired and the trophies they had brought back. Hearing rumors of the black bear, they eagerly peered forward, hoping for a look.
Gan Qiongying, stuck on the outer fringes of the crowd, surrounded by layers of women, could see nothing at all.
Time passed, the sunlight gradually faded until it disappeared, and a few stars could faintly be seen in the sky. The torches in the hunting grounds had not yet been lit, and the light on the field was very dim.
Gan Qiongying pushed through the crowd and squeezed to the front. Suddenly, exclamations and the neighing of horses came from within the grounds. Guards rushed forward to investigate, and those on the outskirts took the opportunity to move a few steps closer. Gradually, Gan Qiongying could clearly hear the sounds of an argument on the field.
Through a gap, she saw a person with his back to her suddenly dismount, flinging the reins aside. A nearby attendant was startled, as the reins happened to strike his shoulder—the exclamation earlier had come from him.
The person who dismounted had long legs and an imposing presence, but the dim light prevented Gan Qiongying from immediately recognizing who it was. Based on his build and demeanor, however, she guessed it must be the Regent.
Green grass was crushed under boots, and dust was swept up by the wind. Regent Sima Rui walked with heavy steps, his cold face naturally commanding respect. He headed straight for the black bear, moving closer to examine its corpse. Even he could not determine which arrow had killed the bear.
Not far ahead of him was Zhongli Zhengzhen, who had remained on horseback the entire time.
Zhongli Zhengzhen held the reins in his hand. Even after making eye contact with Regent Sima Rui, he still did not dismount. Instead, he maneuvered his horse to circle around the black bear in the center of the field—and even around the Regent himself.
This was clearly an extremely disrespectful act, bordering on provocation, especially since Zhongli Zhengzhen was merely a Jinchuan Zhizi, while the Regent was the true ruler of the Nanzhao Kingdom.
Gan Qiongying smiled. Although her position was not the best viewing spot, she knew the plot was unfolding.
The scene of the first confrontation between the two most formidable male protagonists in the original story had finally arrived.
The people in the field lowered their voices. The earlier lively discussions had been interrupted by the attendant’s exclamation, and now, witnessing Zhongli Zhengzhen’s actions, they turned to whispering.
The Regent’s gaze was sharp and piercing, as if everything it touched turned to ice. No one dared to meet his eyes. Zhongli Zhengzhen, however, did not flinch or avoid it. Looking down from his horse, he met the Regent’s stare with a scrutinizing expression.
The atmosphere in the field grew tense and confrontational.
Thinking of the upcoming developments in the plot, Gan Qiongying began searching for Wen Xueling’s figure in the crowd.
Wen Xueling was nestled among a group of noble ladies, not pushing to the front as described in the plot.
Her brows were furrowed, and she stood on tiptoe, peering into the field, her gaze fixed on Zhongli Zhengzhen.
Meanwhile, Zhongli Zhengzhen, mounted high on his horse, spoke slowly and deliberately: “This is a female bear. To protect her cubs, she stood up from the pit, attempting to confuse human sight.”
There were still murmurs in the field. Zhongli Zhengzhen raised his hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down. Then he dismounted, walked up to the black bear, and said leisurely, “Everyone, stop arguing. Although I shot the bear in the chest, the arrow in its eye is the fatal wound. The Regent’s archery is truly exquisite.”
Zhongli Zhengzhen observed the Regent’s expression, his tone seemingly polite yet strangely odd. “This black bear should rightfully belong to the Regent.”
Sima Rui neither agreed nor disagreed, turning as if to leave.
Zhongli Zhengzhen looked at the Regent across the dead bear and suddenly added, “I recall the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet is approaching. A black bear pelt would make a very sincere birthday gift.”
Sima Rui paused in his steps.
“This beast does have some intelligence, actually trying to sacrifice itself to protect its cubs.”
Zhongli Zhengzhen gave an eerie smile, staring into the Regent’s eyes as he said, “I do indeed want the bear pelt, and I’ve already found its cubs.”
The Regent’s gaze was icy, as if frozen over. His jaw tightened, his brow furrowed, yet he continued to listen as Zhongli Zhengzhen went on.
“I was lucky—those few cubs, pieced together, just happened to make up a complete pelt.”
Zhongli Zhengzhen laughed heartily, as if he had encountered some stroke of fortune. He bent down, reached out, and grasped the arrow embedded in the black bear’s chest. “The cubs were very clever, hiding in the den their mother had built for them. When the hunters arrived, the cubs even tried to fight back.”
“Pitiful and laughable…”
Zhongli Zhengzhen suddenly pulled out the arrow, and the blood that followed splattered across the ground. His eyes brimmed with pure provocation as he once again looked at Regent Sima Rui and said, “Little do they know, beasts are beasts after all. No matter how they hide or conceal themselves, no matter how they push their mother out to sacrifice herself, how could they possibly escape the discerning eyes of people?”
Sima Rui finally grasped the hidden meaning in his words. His heart shook violently as he stared intently at Zhongli Zhengzhen before him, the ferocity in his eyes nearly overflowing.
Sima Rui’s knuckles had turned white from clenching too hard, and his teeth ground together audibly. The entanglement between him and the Empress Dowager… how did this hostage from Jinchuan come to know of it!