As Ning Rushen loosened his grip on the tied rope, he quickly retracted his hand.

Li Yingtang cautiously peeked out while still holding onto Li Jingyu protectively.

Li Jingyu struggled, making muffled sounds, and broke free from the large hand, revealing his pair of pure and bright eyes.

Ning Rushen stood up and saluted, “This official, Ning Chen, greets His Highness Prince Xuan and His Highness Prince Jing.” As he saluted, his hands were still shackled together.

Soon, a hand reached out, and with a light hook through the knot with slender fingers, the tight rope around Ning Rushen’s wrists was quickly loosened.

Ning Rushen hurriedly pulled off the rope and adjusted the cloak slipping off his shoulders. 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Li Wuting sat back behind his desk and moved on from the matter, “What is it?”

Li Yingtang followed the lead, “In a few days, during the Spring Hunt…”

Just as he caught his breath, Li Jingyu glanced at Ning Rushen again, “Why did imperial brother tie up Lord Ning?”

Ning Rushen’s throat tightened. 

Little prince, read the room.

Li Wuting paused for a moment but couldn’t resist, “It wasn’t me who tied him.”

Li Jingyu, curious, asked, “If it wasn’t imperial brother who tied him, did Lord Ning tie himself up?”

This sounded strangely familiar.

Ning Rushen quickly took the blame, “Yes, it was this official who tied himself up.”

Li Yingtang quickly used a tone to placate a child, “Alright, alright, you heard him, he tied himself up, so stop asking.”

Ning Rushen, “………”

You could say a little less too.

Probably feeling that continuing this topic would only make it worse, Li Wuting tapped the table with his fingertips, “Do you want to attend the Spring Hunt?”

Li Jingyu immediately sat up straight, “Yes, imperial brother.”

“I’ll go as well, just before I head to my fiefdom,” Li Yingtang said, “Besides, though Cui Haoyuan has already been imprisoned, there are still some hidden allies and shady connections to deal with… I’ll help clean up.”

“The matter of the Spring Hunt is up to you, I’ll handle the Cui family,” Li Wuting said, then paused briefly, “Rewards to those who deserve them, punishment to those who are guilty.”

A particular image of a clothes rack floated through Ning Rushen’s mind.

Suddenly, that gaze landed meaningfully on him, “What is Ning Qing thinking?”

Ning Rushen instinctively blurted, “Has the Pokémon been captured?”

“……” Li Wuting seemed to take two seconds to respond, “Yes.”

Li Yingtang: ??? Who?

“Good,” with the hotpot grudge avenged, Ning Rushen decisively asked to leave, “If there’s nothing else, this official will take his leave.”

Li Wuting lifted his chin slightly toward him.

Ning Rushen bowed to the two princes and turned to walk toward the door. With the rope taken away, he had to hold the collar of his cloak with one hand, exposing half his arm.

Just as he reached the door, he was called, “Ning Qing.”

Ning Rushen, holding his collar, turned, “Your Majesty?”

Li Wuting’s gaze from across the large Imperial Study fell on him, “In a few days at the Spring Hunt, you will accompany the imperial party.”

Ning Rushen, “……”

What exactly could his fragile self do there?

Act as prey?

He hesitated for a moment, “Understood.”

Just as he was about to leave the Imperial Study, Li Wuting casually added from behind, “Go and get another cloak.”

·

Ning Rushen fetched a new cloak from Xiao Rongzi.

It was dark gold with delicate embroidery, in a vibrant reddish hue, even brighter than the usual crimson he wore, with snowy white lining inside.

Xiao Rongzi led him through the Imperial Garden, flattering him, “My Lord truly embodies the saying, ‘a man as fine as jade, unmatched in beauty.’”

Ning Rushen was pondering what to eat when he got home, “I don’t have indigestion, but I try not to wolf down my food.”

Xiao Rongzi, “……”

As they passed through the thriving pearwood grove, De Quan suddenly rushed up from behind, “Lord Ning, please wait!”

Ning Rushen turned his head, “Eunuch De?”

De Quan jogged over and smiled meaningfully before signaling to a nearby palace servant to place something into Ning Rushen’s arms.

Rustle, a few branches of pure white jade pear blossoms fell into his embrace.

Ning Rushen, “?”

De Quan pointed with an orchid finger, “Didn’t you mention before how much you liked that jade pear tree? Our emperor has always been fair with rewards and punishments, so I took the liberty to ask for this reward on your behalf~”

“……” Ning Rushen suddenly remembered the burial site he had picked for himself.

He gave the pear blossoms in his arms a subtle glance and softly said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you for remembering me, Eunuch De.”

De Quan lifted his whisk with a flourish, “As long as you’ve thanked His Majesty, that’s enough~”

Ning Rushen gave a bow in the direction of the Imperial Study.

De Quan raised his eyes.

He saw Ning Rushen standing amidst the pear trees, black hair and red cloak, holding the jade pear branches. A few white petals gently fell onto the red cloak’s shoulder, white silk spring attire, as fresh as newly fallen snow.

Suddenly, a line of verse sprang to mind.

“Who would have thought, amidst the dust of the world, one could meet a man as pure as jade.”

De Quan couldn’t help but sigh, Lord Ning is truly…

Before the sigh was fully released, he saw Ning Rushen’s lips moving from afar, muttering something under his breath.

Ning Rushen glanced toward the Imperial Study, “Actually, I also like pearls and agate…”

De Quan, “…………”

·

After parting ways with the speechless De Quan, Ning Rushen exited the palace gates where the Ning family carriage was already waiting.

The driver was the household servant, Yuan Liu, “My Lord!”

Ning Rushen asked, “Where’s Uncle Yan?”

Yuan Liu replied, “Steward Yan yelled himself hoarse, Miss Xing Lan told him to stay at the residence.”

Ning Rushen immediately became nervous, “What happened? Did the Meng family use force against him?”

Yuan Liu shook his head, “Steward Yan was kidnapped by thieves while at the Meng residence and spent the whole time shouting for help.”

Ning Rushen, “……”

He got on the carriage and sighed lightly, “No problem, let’s head back home.”

The carriage returned to the Ning residence.

Just as they arrived at the gate, a heated argument could be heard faintly.

Ning Rushen lifted the curtain to take a look, and saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance, arguing with Yan Min, who was shouting hoarsely.

As soon as she saw him return, Yan Min shouted, “Lord Ning! There’s a suspicious stranger here, claiming to be your guard!”

Shi Yi, carrying a large bundle, looked over.

Ning Rushen took a deep breath, “Why are you here?”

Shi Yi replied solemnly, “The lea… leader said I did a good job on this matter, rewarded me with a piece of cloth to wrap my bundle, and told me to follow you from now on.”

“……”

Ning Rushen’s gaze became complicated, You’ve been cast aside.

He couldn’t bear to shatter the truth and patted Shi Yi on the shoulder before instructing Yan Min to prepare a room. 

“From now on, he’ll be my guard, named… Little Pebble.”

Shi Yi blinked.

Yan Min was shocked, “Where did you find this guard, my lord?”

Ning Rushen, holding the pear blossoms, walked into the residence, “I randomly shook one out from the nearby people.”

Yan Min: ???

…

The Chancellor’s mansion had been raided for a whole night, turning everything inside out.

The results were revealed during court the next day.

The Right Chancellor, Cui Haoyuan, was found guilty of corruption, embezzling the national treasury, forming factions, and trampling on human lives… with irrefutable evidence, he would soon be executed.

The direct family of the Cui clan would be exiled to the northern frontier, while the collateral branches would be judged according to their crimes. Co-conspirators like the Meng family were all imprisoned and awaiting trial.

Minister of Revenue Geng Yue was found guilty of dereliction of duty and was demoted to the Ministry of Public Works.

Grand Scholar Ning Chen, for his assistance in the investigation, was reinstated before the emperor…

Overnight, the political situation in the court had drastically shifted. Especially those rumors from days ago about Lord Ning “falling out of favor” — now, he was once again the emperor’s favorite.

Meanwhile, the former crown prince’s faction was caught off guard by the downfall of the Cui family and temporarily kept a low profile.

However, the court officials didn’t have much time to dwell on it, as another major event was approaching—

The annual Spring Hunt of the Great Cheng Dynasty.

·

On the day of the Spring Hunt, Ning Rushen packed a small bundle.

Shi Yi advised him to bring a set of light riding clothes and spare clothes for washing. The Spring Hunt could last a few days at the shortest, or up to half a month, and anything could happen.

Ning Rushen finished packing and headed to the palace gates.

Once the time arrived, the grand procession of the Spring Hunt passed through most of the capital, setting off toward the outskirts with the city’s citizens lining the roads.

The journey was long, with military officials mostly on horseback and civil officials in carriages.

Ning Rushen, jostled by the ride, was dizzy and pale.

Just as he was seriously wondering whether this road would lead to the end of his life, the carriage finally stopped, and the long convoy arrived outside the Spring Hunt grounds.

Stepping down from the carriage, he felt so dazed he almost missed a step.

As he gathered his bearings, a sound of approaching hooves came from nearby, followed by a voice from above.

“Lord Ning, are you feeling unwell?”

Ning Rushen looked up to see Li Yingtang, seated on horseback, dressed in white riding attire, looking particularly dashing.

He whispered weakly, “Motion sickness.”

Li Yingtang chuckled, “No worries, take a good rest.” With that, he spurred his horse and rode off.

Around them, many carriages were still parked.

Ning Rushen had just regained his senses when he turned and caught the gaze of a few colleagues looking his way.

Their eyes quickly flickered away, moving in twos and threes.

Ning Rushen patted his chest, still motion sickness, ugh.

…

The hunting ground was vast, stretching endlessly toward the sky.

Behind it was a dense forest, with a clear river flowing through it.

Tents for the emperor and officials to rest in were quickly set up by the guards. While the emperor and the princes had their own individual tents, the other officials shared tents based on their rank.

Ning Rushen was carrying his bundle, looking around when Geng Yue approached with his son Geng Yan.

“Thank you for your help last time, Lord Ning. If you don’t mind, perhaps you could join us for the Spring Hunt?”

Geng Yue gave Geng Yan a pat, “Let my son handle the tents.”

Ning Rushen accepted with a smile, “Sure, thanks in advance, young master.”

“……” Geng Yue.

Geng Yan almost choked: Who calls someone else’s son “young master”!?

Luckily, Geng Yue didn’t mind and after a few pleasantries was soon called away by other colleagues, leaving behind a grinding-teeth Geng Yan.

“Come on, let’s set up the tents.”

The two of them set up their things in the tent.

Geng Yan glanced at him, “You should change into something lighter. Even though we won’t be hunting yet, there might be some games like riding or archery to get things started.”

Ning Rushen was unpacking, “I don’t know how to do any of those.”

“Even if you don’t, still change.” Geng Yan said, stepping out of the tent, “I’m going to have a look outside.”

Once he left, Ning Rushen changed into his riding attire.

Ever since coming here, he had been wearing wide-sleeved robes. This was the first time he wore something snug and fitting.

The cuffs wrapped around his wrists, and his pant legs were tucked into his boots; the crimson top was belted at the waist, creating a striking waistline. Ning Rushen tied his long hair behind his head, revealing a slender neck.

Once he finished, feeling refreshed, he lifted the tent flap and stepped outside.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw the bright yellow imperial tent in the distance. Although there was some distance between them, nothing obstructed the view.

Li Wuting was standing in front of the tent, giving instructions to the guards.

Beside him stood De Quan and Yin Zhao.

Ning Rushen saw that Li Wuting was dressed in a dark riding outfit.

Although he couldn’t see clearly, he could still sense the tall and muscular build, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, flawless.

Clearly someone who trained diligently.

While Ning Rushen was blatantly staring, Li Wuting suddenly paused, then his gaze shifted sharply and landed directly on him.

Ning Rushen, “……”

Should he bow from afar, or pretend to casually look away?

Just as he was about to raise his hand, a young voice called from the other side, “Lord Ning.”

Ning Rushen turned and saw the half-grown Li Jingyu approaching with palace servants.

“This official greets Prince Jing.”

“Lord Ning, no need for formalities.” Li Jingyu craned his neck, looking in the direction Ning Rushen had just been staring. “Was Lord Ning heading to see imperial brother?”

Ning Rushen shook his head, “The emperor has not summoned me.”

Li Jingyu thought for a moment, then asked, “Is the injury on Lord Ning’s wrist better now?”

Ning Rushen was touched, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It has healed.”

Li Jingyu patted him maturely, “Good. In the future, don’t keep tying yourself up.”

Ning Rushen, “…………”

The palace servants behind them were stunned.

Li Jingyu added, “Unless imperial brother asks you to.”

Ning Rushen’s lips twitched, and he softly said, “Young prince, please stop saying such things.”

…

On the other side, in front of the imperial tent.

Li Wuting withdrew his gaze and turned to De Quan and Yin Zhao, “Walk with me.”

De Quan, already used to this, replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Behind the tents, there was a river, its water crystal clear, flowing through the rocks and reflecting the sunlight overhead.

In the past, when the princes were still young, they often hunted with the late emperor during the Spring Hunts, laughing and riding along this riverbank, filled with youthful exuberance as they made bets on who would catch the most game.

Now, years had passed, and times had changed.

De Quan, sensing the emperor’s mood, tried to lighten the atmosphere, “This is Prince Jing’s first time attending the Spring Hunt. Although he’s young, he has such poise and a heroic spirit. No doubt, he will grow to be talented in both the civil and military arts.”

Li Wuting’s expression softened slightly, and he gave a faint acknowledgment.

The scene from earlier flashed through his mind, and he thought of someone else.

Dressed in crimson riding attire, with long hair tied behind his head, he looked completely different from usual. For a moment, he almost didn’t recognize him.

Li Wuting stood by the riverbank with his hands behind his back for a while, then turned back toward the camp, “Let’s return.”

The imperial tent was set up in the center, surrounded by others like stars around the moon.

To return from the riverbank, they had to pass behind other tents.

Just as they neared the outermost tent, they overheard a conversation from inside as a few people headed toward the river, mentioning “Ning Chen” in their words.

Li Wuting’s footsteps halted.

“Ning Chen has returned to the emperor’s side…”

“He’s skilled at currying favor. How could he not rise quickly? Haven’t you seen how even the two princes are fond of him?”

De Quan’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly glanced at the emperor’s expression.

Li Wuting’s side profile was cold, his expression unreadable. Yin Zhao stood silently by, his hand resting on his embroidered spring knife.

The voices inside continued, emboldened by the seemingly secluded location, gradually taking on a more lewd tone:

“Speaking of currying favor, hey… did you see Ning Chen in that outfit?”

“Yeah, I saw. Normally, he looks all frail and sickly, but once he takes off those robes, with that waist and those legs, tsk… I can’t imagine how thrilling that must be!”