Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

On the fifth day of August, the autumn gathering at Baiyan Mountain.

The nearest mountain to Yuanjing City is Chenshan, and Baiyan Mountain is just a small earthen slope compared to Chenshan. Although there are dense forests, the mountain is gentle and very suitable for horse racing and hunting, especially the royal autumn hunting, with loud gongs and drums, grand momentum, and carriages and horses like dragons. On this day every year, the emperor's carriage will pass through Changping Street, and the people of Yuanjing City will come out to watch the excitement, catch a glimpse of the style of the Emperor of Dachen, and feel his nobleness.

This year, His Majesty left the eldest prince in the city to handle government affairs. Besides General Lu Fangjin, he was accompanied by the fifth prince Qi Li, the seventh prince Qi Ting, and the ninth prince Qi Xiao. The ninth prince, a man no one had ever heard of, suddenly became the talk of the town, almost threatening to overshadow Tang Ling, the Zhou hostage.

"Hey, look, that one riding the brown horse is the Ninth Prince."

"You recognize the Ninth Prince too?"

"Tsk, are you stupid? The hunting carriage formation is well-regulated. The Imperial Guards lead the way, with General Lu Fangjin in armor at the front, followed by the Zhou Kingdom's envoys. After that come the three princes, ranked by seniority: the Fifth Prince, the Seventh Prince, and the Ninth Prince. Conventionally, each prince accompanying the hunting party can only bring ten attendants and guards. Look, aren't their attire all different?"

"Oh, that makes sense. He looks quite good despite being young. Has he already been crowned king?"

"Of course not. The Seventh Prince hasn't even come of age yet, so the Ninth Prince is naturally even younger. Your Majesty has many children, so to avoid trouble, you divided the princes into different fiefdoms early on. The Ninth Prince was only ten years old when he left the capital."

"Since you've been crowned king, why are you back?"

"I heard that the Ninth Prince saved the son of Marquis Xun'an and performed a meritorious service, so His Majesty specially allowed the Ninth Prince to return to the capital to tend to Concubine Lin's illness."

"Is there such a thing? This Ninth Prince is quite capable. He has been away from the capital for so many years and yet he has suddenly gained the favor of His Majesty. Perhaps there is a chance."

"You don't understand. The Ninth Prince has no influence in the court and can't stand alone. Besides, I heard he's close to Tang Ling, which isn't a good thing."

"Oh, now that you mention it, how come the Zhou Kingdom delegation is also among the hunting team?"

"You're really stupid. The purpose of the hunt is to let the Zhou envoys see the might of our army and horses."

"Why bother with all this trouble? Aren't they scared yet? Isn't there a defeated general in the delegation? He's just a prisoner now!"

"I've heard that the son of Marquis Xun'an is quite talented. These days, rumors are circulating in Yuanjing that he's proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. A student from the Imperial Academy lost humiliatingly in a chess match against him, and even Mr. Song Xiaosong, the top painter in our dynasty, praised him highly. He even won the favor of Miss July with a painting of a beautiful woman and became her lover."

"That's why they say the Zhou Kingdom has no generals. They actually sent a scholar to the battlefield. How could they not lose?"

"Ah, what you said is not the point!"

"What's the point?"

"Tang Ling is incredibly beautiful. If she could be born a girl, she'd be able to outshine Miss Qiyue. No, no, it doesn't matter if she's not a girl."

“…What?”

"I think what you said makes sense. Otherwise, why would the Ninth Prince save him?"

"Of course not. I heard that General Su Qin locked Tang Ling in a prisoner cart and headed north. When passing through Yongcheng, he was kidnapped in the street by the Ninth Prince. If it weren't for Tang Ling's beauty, how could such an idle prince dare to go against the Tiger Power Army?"

"Robbery in the street?! Quick, tell me!"

……

The chatter on Changping Street was very similar to the situation when Tang Ling first entered Yongcheng. Qi Xiao could guess what the gossip was about without even having to listen carefully. These days, even the servants in the guild hall would inevitably gather together to gossip secretly. The stories they told were very similar, and about 70% to 80% were true. Qi Xiao couldn't help laughing when he heard one or two sentences occasionally.

At this moment, Qi Xiao was sitting on a high horse and was not in the mood to listen to those "jokes".

Since the night banquet in the imperial city that day, His Majesty allowed him to enter the palace to serve the sick. The attitudes of the palace servants towards him and Concubine Lin suddenly changed, and they were all very attentive. The next day, Zhang Suian personally led the imperial physician to Qiyun Palace to check Concubine Lin's pulse. A cart full of medicine and tonics was sent to Qiyun Palace, and ten palace maids and servants were added to serve, and Qiyun Palace was soon filled with people.

These were minor matters. What truly unnerved Qi Xiao was that both the Empress and the Seventh Prince's mother, Concubine Zhao, had ordered their personal maids to deliver gifts and people to Qiyun Palace. The next day, when Qi Xiao entered the palace, he was startled by the bustling activity in the palace. He had never imagined the news would spread so quickly.

Qi Xiao stayed with Concubine Lin in Qiyun Palace for half an hour before the Queen sent someone to invite him.

According to etiquette, the Empress was Qi Xiao's nominal mother, so he should have paid his respects to her when entering the palace. Concubine Lin also wanted him to go early. Qi Xiao wanted to spend more time with Concubine Lin, but he couldn't stay in the harem for long. He was afraid of being late and causing trouble, so he had to say goodbye to his mother. However, before he could leave Qiyun Palace, Concubine Zhao arrived in person and blocked him.

Concubine Zhao nominally came to visit Concubine Lin's illness, but in fact she was chatting with Qi Xiao.

Not long ago, the scene where the fifth and seventh brothers were pulling Lu Fangjin from both sides was repeated on Qi Xiao. He had spared no effort in making fun of Lu Fangjin before, and now the retribution was coming. He felt helpless. Lu Fangjin had the Tiger Power Army in his hands, what did he have? Why bother the Queen and Concubine Zhao to mobilize an army?

But with just one word from the emperor, he deserved to be looked up to by others. Qiu Wei's company seemed to be surrounded by thousands of people, and Qi Xiao sat high on his horse, his eyes filled with absurdity.

When the imperial carriage arrived at the city gate, soldiers from the Five Capitals Prefecture surrounded it from front, back, left and right, and marched towards Baiyan Mountain in a mighty procession.

Baiyan Mountain is not far away and can be reached in half an hour by fast horse. However, the emperor's carriage was not suitable for galloping, so it took nearly two hours to reach Baiyan Mountain. The large group of people set up camp, and it was almost noon when everything was ready.

Qi Xiao had never been to Baiyan Mountain for hunting. He had heard of it in his childhood but could not remember it clearly. He only knew that the duration of the hunting depended entirely on the emperor's mood and the weather. If it was good, it could last as long as seven or eight days, and if it was short, it would take three to five days before the camp was broken up and returned to the capital. However, no matter how long it was, it would not last beyond the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Qi Xiao rode his horse around the camp. Their campsite was a vast expanse of open grassland, with dense forest to the southeast and a checkpoint. The mountain wasn't very high, and the forest wasn't very dense. It was far inferior to Fenglin Mountain, and even the mountains and forests near Yongcheng couldn't compare. This hunt didn't look like it would be very interesting. He might as well stay in Yuanjing City and spend a few more days with Concubine Lin.