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

Lu Xiulin's incident seemed to be just a small episode. Afterwards, Tang Ling and Qi Xiao finished their meal happily, chatting and laughing.

It wasn't until Qi Xiao lifted the door curtain and returned to his tent that his face suddenly darkened.

Zong Sheng and Bai Xiqiao had been waiting. When they saw Qi Xiao coming back, Zong Sheng immediately went to greet him: "Master."

"Why did you go to Tang Ling?"

"I got lost and you didn't come to find me, so I was kidnapped." Qi Xiao smiled bitterly.

"What's wrong with you?" Bai Xiqiao keenly noticed that something was wrong with Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao took a deep breath and said, "Lu Xiulin was found. Tang Ling found him."

"W-what...where are the people?"

"right here."

"Is he still in Yuanjing City?"

Qi Xiao looked at Baixi Bridge: "Here."

Zong Sheng was the first to react: "Baiyan Mountain?"

"He is now in the Five City Guards."

"I'll go find him tonight!" Bai Xiqiao wanted to go right away, but he knew that his current identity made it inconvenient. Lu Xiulin had been hiding from him for so many years and might not be willing to see him. It would be better to visit him at night.

Qi Xiao shook his head: "Don't worry, we'll find an opportunity during the hunt."

"why?"

Qi Xiao frowned and said nothing, pouring himself a glass of water.

Bai Xiqiao thought about it, but still asked in confusion: "I shouldn't be discovered if I act at night, so why wait?"

"The camp is heavily guarded, so it's unlikely to cause any complications, making it more convenient for hunting." The camp was crowded with people, not just the Imperial Guards, but also Old Five and Old Seven. Qi Xiao couldn't risk it. Furthermore, Tang Ling had specifically told him about Lu Xiulin to see how he would react. Perhaps the Xingluo Guards were already targeting Lu Xiulin. Qi Xiao trusted Bai Xiqiao's skills, but not Lu Xiulin. If anything went wrong, it wouldn't hurt to resort to violence during the hunt.

Bai Xiqiao had no way to refute and could only agree.

***

The next day, the weather was still good, with clear skies and a gentle autumn breeze.

The Baiyan Mountain Autumn Hunt officially commenced. The rules for the first and second days were simple: each person had twenty arrows, and within two hours, whoever shot the most prey would win. During these two days, all participants, including the princes, Zhou envoys, royal family members, members of aristocratic families, and military officials, were divided into four groups. Points were calculated based on the number of prey they hunted, and half of the groups were eliminated. Only the winners would be eligible to participate in the subsequent "prize" hunt.

As usual, the groups are determined by drawing lots.

Qi Xiao stretched out his hand and drew a lot. His brows couldn't help but frowned, but he regained composure in a moment. He turned around and handed the lot to the eunuch beside him, who then handed it to Zhang Suian.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Ninth Prince has been selected into the first group."

The emperor glanced at Qi Xiao and nodded slightly without much expression.

The first group. Qi Xiao had been considering whether to hold back and see how many the fifth and seventh brothers could hunt, so he could just make up the numbers. But the first group was fine; he'd just have to act according to circumstances.

Qi Xiao was just thinking when he heard someone approach and say something random: "Your Majesty, I heard that the Ninth Prince happened to rescue Young Master Tang while hunting in Tiger's Mouth Gorge. I believe the Ninth Prince must be an expert in horse riding and archery. I would like to ask Your Majesty's permission to join the Ninth Prince's group."

Qi Xiao had seen the man who was speaking before. He was a captain serving beside Song Li, the lieutenant general of Wudu Prefecture. Qi Xiao didn't remember his name.

The captain of Wudu Prefecture wasn't as high-ranking as Su Qin, but Wudu Prefecture was under the Emperor's command and directly under the Cabinet, making him a close minister. Therefore, he dared to stand up and kneel to beg His Majesty's favor in such an occasion. But he dared to act on his own before Song Li spoke, so someone must have been behind it. Otherwise, even if His Majesty didn't punish him for disrespect, Song Li would not tolerate his disrespect for the commander.

Qi Xiao looked up at the emperor who was high above him, waiting for him to speak.

"allow."

Haha. As expected, this person's actions were exactly what Your Majesty wanted, to test his skills in the hunt.

"I bow to thank Your Majesty." The man stood up and walked towards Qi Xiao, clasping his hands and bowing. "I am Yao Yishan, and I pay my respects to His Majesty the Ninth Prince. May Your Majesty live a thousand years."

"Captain Yao, excuse me," Qi Xiao replied with a smile, ignoring the rage in Yao Yishan's eyes. Qi Xiao knew he couldn't escape this. His Majesty already knew everything that happened on the way back to the capital, so it wasn't surprising that he wanted to test his skills. He could still handle Yao Yishan.

The drawing of lots continued. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the old rivals, Old Five and Old Seven, were not drawn into the same group. The Zhou envoy and Su Qin were drawn into the second group, competing in the afternoon. After the groups were drawn, they had an incense stick of time to select horses from the stables. Everyone was eager, but Qi Xiao walked leisurely towards the stables, seemingly unconcerned about whether or not he'd chosen a good horse.

The emperor tilted his head slightly and ordered Zhang Suian: "Go, call back His Highness the Ninth Prince."

"Yes."

Zhang Suian trotted to catch up with Qi Xiao. Fortunately, Qi Xiao walked slowly, so it didn't cause too much trouble for Zhang Suian's old bones.

"Your Highness the Ninth Prince, please wait. His Majesty has summoned you."

Qi Xiao turned around and gave Bai Xiqiao a look, asking him to choose for him. Then he followed Zhang Suian back.

"Eunuch Zhang, what are your instructions, Father?"

"This old servant does not know, but Your Highness will know when he sees His Majesty later."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Qi Xiao returned and was summoned to the emperor's presence: "Come closer."

Qi Xiao had no choice but to walk onto the platform.

The emperor raised his hand again and beckoned: "Come forward."

Qi Xiao then moved to the emperor's side. He could feel many eyes on him. The ones staring intently, as if they wanted to poke holes in him, were probably the fifth and seventh brothers. Those with suspicion, confusion, and prying eyes were probably from the military and the princes of the royal family.

Qi Xiao sneered inwardly. If only his father had looked at him more, had shared a moment of intimacy with him, when he was younger, he and his mother wouldn't be in the situation they are in today. His father had never considered him a son, not then, not now. He was merely a pawn, used to stir up trouble at court. The emperor was intent on disrupting the balance between the Qin and Gongsun factions.

"This is your first time participating in a hunt. Are you confident of winning?"

"Captain Yao is a formidable general of the Chen Dynasty. I dare not overestimate him."

"Haha, okay, if you win, I will fulfill one of your requests." The emperor had a rare and amiable smile on his face. Not only had Qi Xiao never seen it before, even the fifth prince and the seventh prince, his sons who had been by the emperor's side all year round, rarely saw it, and they were even more surprised and uneasy.

Qi Xiao was right in front of him. The smile he saw was not only unfriendly, but also had a cold light in his eyes like a sharp blade. He lowered his head and frowned slightly.

The emperor beckoned Qi Xiao closer and whispered, "There's a mysterious camp hiding in the forest. If you try to be clever, you'll be committing the crime of deceiving the emperor."

Qi Xiao raised his eyes for a moment and then immediately lowered them, nodding slightly: "Your son dare not."

"Go."

Qi Xiao stepped down from the platform, his expression normal, but his steps seemed heavier, his earlier leisurely pace gone. Tang Ling saw him like this, clearly perceiving the gloom on his face. She began to suspect that this was an opportunity for Qi Xiao, but why didn't he seem pleased at all? Did he truly not care? That supreme power.

Qi Xiao didn't expect that the emperor would not only test him, but also coerce and bribe him. Not only did he leave no room for maneuver, but he was also quite straightforward.

is it necessary?

It was not difficult for Qi Xiao to win or lose, he sighed, but he felt very uncomfortable having no choice.

What worried Qi Xiao even more was that if the Xuanji Camp was hiding in the forest, Bai Xiqiao would have to be extra cautious when he went to find Lu Xiulin. He had to investigate first. Fortunately, Lu Xiulin had been drawn into the fourth group. With his ability, passing this round of competition shouldn't be difficult, and there would always be opportunities later.