Chapter 44 Hunting Competition
2224 Words
Leng Qingtang never thought he would be rendered speechless by a little girl.
He stopped the brush pen and looked up at her. He was even a bit lost.
Gu Yunxi started to get a bit scared. She secretly guessed what the Master would do next and whether he would be mad at her like the Double Ninth Festival.
She looked down quietly and secretly glanced at the Master with her split vision. She saw the Master look interested, so she was lively again.
Leng Qingtang was thinking about what tricks he should use to punish Gu Yunxi at the moment. But he also quickly remembered how he scared her and made her cry on the Double Ninth Festival, so he didn't dare to try again.
"Never mind. It's ok to be teased by her now and then. It's on me that I fall in love with this naughty little girl!" The moment when he laid eyes on her, his eyes and heart were filled by her every twinkle and smile.
Leng Qingtang dropped the documents and looked at the copybook in Gu Yunxi's hand. He then straightened his face.
"All play and no studying!"
"I didn't. I've traced a couple!"
Being scolded by the Master, Gu Yunxi was not convinced. She pressed her lips together and pushed the copybook towards the Master.
Leng Qingtang held up the copybook and looked carefully.
Her tracing was straight and narrow. All strokes were exactly following the example. The undried ink shone under the light. It had a simple and elegant beauty.
Leng Qingtang pretended to look unsatisfied. He said with a deep voice,
"You had all that time, and you didn't even finish tracing one page? And you think you were not absent? Look at it yourself. How many strokes were traced outside the box?"
Leng Qingtang gave her the book back. He looked up and stared at Gu Yunxi's move.
Gu Yunxi was surprised. She looked carefully at the book. She didn't think she traced as bad as the Master described. She frowned and winked. Looking unsatisfied, she stretched her neck and said unhappily,
"You said my writing was bad. Then show me yours! I'm almost sixteen. It's not like I've never learned how to write in the Garden. There's no need to tell me how to trace!"
Watching her delicate face plumping up because of anger, Leng Qingtang felt funny.
Yunxi was showing some temper with him. It showed that she really saw him as someone close! Leng Qingtang was touched and delighted.
He didn't care for her in vain.
The documents were classified and couldn't be shown to others. So he grabbed a piece of white paper and wrote a poem on it without much hesitation. He then handed it to Gu Yunxi.
She looked at it and was amazed.
He wrote:
Far away, the mountain had a hint of blackish green. Close up, the island was clear with a tad of green. The ocean raged as if swallowing the city. The mermaids closed the doors of their houses. The clouds were waiting for the dawn. The returning tide released the hidden spirits. The sun traveled from the east. It would shine on this land.
Gu Yunxi didn't really understand the meaning of the poem. But she could see a powerful and majestic stance from the Master's handwriting.
His well-arranged writing was as powerful as a flying dragon. One look and Gu Yunxi could immediately image a strong, free, easy, and generous man.
Gu Yunxi read the poem carefully again. Even though she was still confused with the meaning, she did find something. She pointed at the sentence, "The clouds were waiting for the dawn. The returning tide released the hidden spirits." and smiled surprisingly,
"Master, did you pick this poem because it has my name in it? There are 'Yun' (cloud) and 'Xi' (tide) in it!"
Yunxi was clever. She understood him immediately.
Leng Qingtang patted on Gu Yunxi's head delightedly and smiled, "Exactly."
"Master, you are so knowledgeable. You must have read a lot of books!"
Gu Yunxi looked at Leng Qingtang with watery eyes. Respect and admiration mixed together in her eyes. They shone like bright stars.
Leng Qingtang smiled lightly,
"Reading and cooking are the same. You can't be good at it in just one day. You need days and years of accumulation. From now on, I'll teach you."
"I like to watch you write. Please write me another one!" Gu Yunxi stuck to the Master, acting all lovingly.
"Sure!"
Leng Qingtang grabbed another piece of paper. He gently glanced at Gu Yunxi's innocent yet charming oval face. He smiled warmly.
He only wrote a few words which lined up vertically on the paper.
"Men all desire beautiful women."
"Your old teacher must have taught you the meaning of this?"
He looked at her affectionately. His eyelashes cast some mottled shadows on his pale face, making him even gentler.
Gu Yunxi grabbed the paper and looked at it. She was suddenly shy. She folded the paper and held it on her chest. She stood up from her chair.
"Master, I'm tired. I want to go back and sleep..."
"I'll walk you back."
While Leng Qingtang was leading the way in the front, Gu Yunxi secretly hid the folded paper in her clothes.
In the hallway, Leng Qingtang handed the lantern into her hand.
The night was dark, and all was quiet. There was only a shade of red light moving in the air. The light reflected on them, making it hazier.
Leng Qingtang suddenly looked down and kissed on Gu Yunxi's cheek. He said quietly, "Look for the road. Walk slowly. Have a nice sleep."
"Sure." She nodded shyly and looked unwilling to leave.
The Master's Mansion was unlike the Eastern Depot. The Master couldn't live in the same residence as her. This made her feel lost. Carrying a hint of loss and loneliness, Gu Yunxi walked in the hallway holding the lantern and went to the inner residence.
...
Mid October.
Leng Qingtang looked sulky when he came back from the Palace.
"Master, what's wrong?" Gu Yunxi handed him a cup of hot tea and asked quietly.
Leng Qingtang thought for a while. Still looking sulky, he looked up at Gu Yunxi and asked,
"It's the annual Hunting Competition of the Palace in two days. Do you want to go with me?"
"Of course!" Gu Yunxi agreed without thinking.
Qinger was cleaning by the side. She interrupted,
"Master, Miss only learned how to ride for a couple of days. Hunting Competition is a mess. Why should she go? If she goes, I'll go with her!"
Gu Yunxi was unhappy. She looked angry and said, "I will go! Stop talking. I can ride horses!"
Qinger made a funny face and continued her business.
Leng Qingtang knew Gu Yunxi's riding skills.
But after the morning ritual today, Wan Yuyao suddenly called him to the Yongning Palace and talked about the Hunting Competition in two days. She specifically told him to bring his apprentice Yun Guaner to show her.
It hadn't been long since the last incident with the Western Depot. The whole thing hadn't cooled down. Leng Qingtang really didn't want Gu Yunxi to come along.
He wasn't afraid of other things. He was worried that the Imperial Noble Concubine was being swayed by Ming Lan. That vile man took a beating. He was probably plotting some revenge in the dark.
But right now, since the Imperial Noble Concubine asked, he couldn't just refuse her.
Sipping the tea, Leng Qingtang stood up and walked towards outside. He said to Gu Yunxi without looking back,
"I'm going back to the Eastern Depot. Don't wait up for lunch!"
...
Two days later. The autumn air was fresh, and golden leaves covered the ground.
Royal Guards set up lines of defense around the Yufeng Mountain located in the outskirts west of the capital. Emperor Jingxiao and all the officials lined up tidily.
It was just about time. The guards freed the beasts from the cages and large troops started chasing and hunting.
This year, there was a rare white deer among the beasts. Emperor Jingxiao said whoever hunted the white deer could win fifty kilograms of gold by cutting off the deer horns and presenting it to the Emperor.
When the competition started, Leng Qingtang didn't rush into the mountains with all others. Instead, he took Gu Yunxi to another group of people.
"Greetings to Your Grace."
Dismounting the horse, Leng Qingtang saluted.
He had advised Gu Yunxi to say less and follow whatever he did before they came.
Seeing the Master kneeling, Gu Yunxi released the halter on her little red horse in haste. She kneeled without saying anything, saluting to the women surrounded by eunuchs and maids.
That woman was wearing a red and sexy riding suit. Her white and tall horse was decorated with gilding tortoiseshell saddle, and halter weaved with silver. She looked elegant, graceful, and extravagant. She was surrounded by lots of eunuchs and maids, looking arrogant.
"So, this is your apprentice?"
Wan Yuyao sat on the horseback and glanced over Gu Yunxi carelessly. She then ordered, "Head up. Let me look at you."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Even though she was scared, Gu Yunxi still carefully and slowly raised her head. Her eyes focused on the dying grass on the ground.
Leng Qingtang had told her the rules. No matter when she should never look at the lords.
Looking at Gu Yunxi, Wan Yuyao was surprised. She raised her eyebrows and looked slightly more cheerful,
"He's worthy of being your apprentice. Quite pretty and looks loyal. How old are you?"
"I'm fifteen this year, Your Grace."
Seeing he know the rules and hearing his clear voice, Wan Yuyao nodded approvingly,
"Um, nice. Learn the rules well with your Master. Maybe one day you'll have the chance to serve in the Palace. Well, now that I've seen him. I'm more reassured. Leave. I'm going to find the Emperor."
"Excuse us."
Leng Qingtang saluted at her while looking down. He led Gu Yunxi on foot and pulled the horse for some distance. When they were far from Wan Yuyao's guard, they immediately rode back on the horses and headed towards the woods.
"Master, that's the Imperial Noble Concubine Wan?"
Gu Yunxi carried the bow and arrows on her back. Riding alongside the Master, she asked curiously.
"Yes." Leng Qingtang only answered with one word, straightforward and simple.
"Why did she want to see me?" Gu Yunxi asked again.
This time the Master didn't answer. He kicked the belly of the horse with his heel hard to speed up.
In the depth of the woods, Xiao Xiaoshen and Yuan Qian, along with some guards, were arguing something with some people from the Western Depot.
Leng Qingtang came forward, halted the horse, and asked, "Xiaoshen, what are you doing?"
Xiao Xiaoshen was furious. Seeing the Master, he tried to suppress his anger. Pointing at the red fox that had two arrows on its back and was twitching on the ground, he said,
"Master, the Western Depot has gone way too far. I hunted this fox, and they have to fight with me for it!"
"Fight with you? We shot the fox. It had our arrows on it!"
An Hong from the Western Depot was also angry. Seeing Leng Qingtang, he gritted his teeth with hatred.
The incident of Qingfeng Temple hadn't passed long. Qin Zhong died, and their Master Ming had just recovered. How could they easily forget being stabbed in the back? Now when everyone met again, nobody wanted to make this ugly on the surface, yet deep in their hearts, they were all being intense, being on guard against each other.
Yuan Qian rebutted, "It was us, the Eastern Depot, who shot it first! We saw the prey first and shot first!"
Gu Yunxi came up when they were arguing. When the people from the Western Depot saw her, they immediately looked vagabond.
Leng Qingtang saw it and didn't want to badger with them. He scolded Xiao Xiaoshen with a deep voice,
"No need to argue for a fox. Give it to them! There're more and better preys in the woods. Go hunt more!"
Xiao Xiaoshen couldn't say anything. He watched An Hong garb the fox and throw the arrow made by the Eastern Depot on the ground.
The Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot was cautious, yet these two young men under him were young and full of spirits, very gullible.
"You boy, do you dare to compete with us?" Even though he got the prey, An Hong still wouldn't let this go. He provoked Xiao Xiaoshen.
"Sure! I was just thinking the same thing!"
Xiao Xiaoshen and Yuan Qian didn't even think about it. They stroke the horse with the horsewhip and dashed into the deep mountain. The people from the Western Depot closely followed him.
In the noise of horse and people, Gu Yunxi felt someone whipping on the butt of her horse. The horse stretched its neck and neighed. Then it also ran into the woods with the crowd.
Leng Qingtang frowned. He opened his mouth yet he didn't stop his men. He had an ominous feeling, so he shook the halter and chased after the crowd.
- Writer
