Chapter 133: Shadows of the Hunt

"So, what is it that you wish to gain?"

"We hope to open trade routes between the Qing and Chu kingdoms. Furthermore, we wish to purchase sulfur and charcoal from you; when winter arrives, our local people struggle greatly to withstand the bitter cold..."

It was, all things considered, a reasonable explanation.

The Emperor did not grant his approval immediately. Instead, he found a pretext to have them remain in the capital for the time being.

"You have traveled thousands of miles from the Chu Kingdom. Even if we are to discuss the future relations between our two nations, there is no need to rush."

The art of imperial rhetoric. It was, as always, beyond reproach.

Yuwen Hong knew better than to be impatient. Besides, he wanted to stay for a few days, particularly to locate the whereabouts of other Chu nationals hidden within the capital. This way, many things would have a logical explanation.

However, Han Qing had not abandoned his investigation into the previous assassination attempt. Although the imperial court had already declared the case closed, he still felt that something was amiss. It seemed as if that actor had been exposed on purpose. In particular, Prince Huai had been extremely busy these past few days, even attempting to make contact with the Chu Crown Prince, though the Emperor had clearly denied him the opportunity.

"Brother Han, don't you find it strange? An assassination attempt that turns out to be some inexplicable act of revenge? Even the pulp fiction storybooks wouldn't dare write something like that, would they?" young Master Zhu remarked out of the blue.

He likely felt that closing the case in such a hasty manner was highly suspicious. Yet, he could understand why it had been done so quickly—it was simply to ensure that there remained a necessity for both sides to continue their dialogue. If the case had dragged on while the Chu Crown Prince’s true purpose remained unrevealed, the implications would have been far graver.

"Perhaps they simply wanted to close the case for the sake of appearances," Han Qing replied, waving a hand dismissively. Some things were indeed difficult to explain, but the situation was not as simple as they imagined.

Furthermore, with the Chu Crown Prince present, the Emperor—wishing to display the might of the Qing Kingdom—specifically commanded the civil and military officials, as well as the imperial kin and nobility, to join him for a hunt. Han Qing was also invited. He was not particularly interested; after all, he was merely a scholar. To be asked to hunt now—was that not overestimating his abilities? Especially since he had recently earned the title of "Poet Immortal," the Chu Crown Prince viewed him with a measure of disdain.

"Your Majesty, why is even this frail scholar permitted to be here?" Yuwen Hong asked with a cold, mocking tone. It was not that he looked down on scholars, but rather that he felt this was not a domain in which they excelled.

"Prince Yuwen is joking. I am merely here to record the hunting results of the various officials," Han Qing responded calmly. He felt no embarrassment at being belittled; in fact, his composure reflected the grace of a great nation. Seeing that his words had failed to provoke any incident, Yuwen Hong fell silent.

"No, no. Since all the civil and military officials are here today, there is no need for restraint. You may do as you please. Civil officials may hunt, and military officials may keep the records."

What? The officials present were instantly bewildered. What was the Emperor’s intention? However, they did not dare ask directly. Instead, they proceeded as usual. The military officers began the hunt, preparing all their equipment.

Suddenly, a vulture soared overhead—a massive creature. Someone with quick reflexes immediately drew their bowstring, but no matter how fast their reaction, they could not match the speed of the eagle. They fired dozens of arrows into the sky, but none came close to hitting the mark.

The Emperor found this quite amusing and spoke up: "Since all my ministers are interested in that vulture, let us make it a prize. Whoever manages to shoot it down, I shall grant them one wish."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s interest was piqued. But the vulture was no fool; although it circled in the sky, it was extremely agile and refused to land on any nearby branches.

The Chu Crown Prince, too, was eager to try. "Your Majesty, what if we Chu people manage to take this prize?"

"You, too, may make a request."

"If our request is to carve out a city, would the ruler of the Qing Kingdom dare to agree?" Marquis Yueling asked coldly.

"Your Majesty, this man is spouting nonsense; do not take him seriously. The requests we Chu people make will certainly not put you in a difficult position."

Yuwen Hong was truly playing the "good cop, bad cop" routine. If the Emperor were to refuse, would the people not think that a dignified monarch dared to go back on his word? Yet, to trade a city for a mere vulture? Such a thing was unheard of in the world—it was nearly impossible. Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Yuwen Hong immediately arranged for the most skilled archer among the Chu people to observe the vulture’s flight path and prepare to strike.

Young Master Zhu, standing beside the civil officials, heard this as well. The other officials were all anxious. "What are we to do? If they truly succeed, won't we become the laughingstock of the world?"

"What is the use of worrying? We can only record what happens."

The bickering of the civil officials was truly tiresome. Only Han Qing remained calm. Instead, he took up a bow and arrow, studied the wind direction, and gauged the flight trajectory of the vulture. It was circling at a low altitude, likely sensing a carcass nearby.

Han Qing felt something was wrong. From the moment the vulture appeared, he realized this was no ordinary bird of prey. How could it appear in the Imperial Hunting Grounds? Something must have attracted it. Furthermore, from the moment it began to fly, it had been circling specifically toward the southeast—the area where the imperial horses were kept.

As it flew further away, "Whoosh!" An arrow flew straight and struck the vulture. After circling for half a turn, the bird fell toward the stables in the southeast.

The people present were shocked.

"Who shot that?" Yuwen Hong asked, filled with disbelief. It could not have been one of his Chu archers, for he had observed dozens of their arrows, which had all missed by a wide margin—they hadn't even come within tens of meters of the bird. Everyone had thought it was impossible, yet someone had actually done it.

"It was that scholar you were just mocking," Lord Cao replied bluntly and honestly.

Yuwen Hong’s face turned pale, and he felt a surge of embarrassment. He had assumed this frail scholar was beneath them, yet he had proven to be a hundred times more skilled than the finest archer of the Chu Kingdom. It was truly terrifying. Even the Emperor was startled. At that flight altitude, it was essentially impossible for anyone to hit the target.

"Do you have a wish you would like to have granted?"