Chapter 81 Palm: A Hawk as a Gift

“Then we really are a perfect match,” Xue Qingyin said casually.

King Xuan remained silent for a moment before replying, “Hmm.”

He then added, “The Ministry of Rites said so.”

Xue Qingyin was taken aback. She thought, “You know that too?”

But then she realized that King Xuan must have done something behind the scenes.

“The auspicious day has been chosen, and the betrothal gifts will be sent to your house soon,” King Xuan said.

“To the Xue family again?”

“That’s the custom.”

“Alright,” Xue Qingyin pouted. “It’s such a hassle to move back to the Xu family.”

King Xuan said, “Someone will come to help you.”

Xue Qingyin vaguely remembered some of the ancient procedures like the “Naji” and “Nazheng.”

She couldn’t help but ask, “Since you’re the one arranging this marriage, and it’s only a concubine position, do I get the usual gifts that ordinary families receive?”

She was never shy when it came to money.

It was about getting what she deserved.

King Xuan said in a deep voice, “Yes. First, the betrothal gifts, then the ‘Naji’ gifts, and finally the ‘Nazheng’ gifts. The officials will deliver them.”

In simple terms, there were dedicated departments responsible for delivering them.

King Xuan paused for a moment, then said, “Come up.”

Xue Qingyin hesitated for a moment, looking back at the Xu family’s gate.

The Xu family members who had been watching from behind the gate had disappeared at some point.

The Xue family members who had come to visit had also been driven away.

Xue Qingyin then boarded the carriage.

Once inside, she habitually looked down.

There was indeed a large box at King Xuan’s feet!

Xue Qingyin’s eyes lit up.

King Xuan was truly a good person, bringing gifts every time he visited. She loved people who were so polite.

“Open it,” King Xuan’s voice rang out.

Xue Qingyin nodded and cheerfully, familiarly lifted the lid.

Then a wave of bloodiness hit her nose.

But it wasn’t smelly, it must have been fresh blood.

Xue Qingyin’s face immediately crumpled into a frown, and then she lowered her head to look closely.

Inside lay a hawk.

A huge hawk.

A golden arrow pierced through the hawk’s abdomen and out the top of its head. Upon closer inspection, one could see the word “Yi” engraved on the tail of the arrow.

The hawk’s wings were full and majestic, its appearance was formidable, its claws were curled up, sharp and ferocious, its beak formed a sharp arc, recreating its posture in life.

Therefore, even though it was dead, it still made people feel a primal fear when they saw it.

Xue Qingyin’s heart skipped a beat, then slowly returned to its normal rhythm.

She took a deep breath and asked, “This is… for me?”

King Xuan replied, “Yes. It’s a good omen, using a hawk as a gift is the ‘Naji’.”

Xue Qingyin was confused.

But they were supposed to use a goose, and you…

King Xuan continued, “The Ministry of Rites will prepare a pair of geese to be sent to the Xue family.” He said, “This is my gift.”

Xue Qingyin was startled. If you put it that way, you’re quite thoughtful, but this goose and hawk…

“Don’t you like it?” King Xuan asked.

Xue Qingyin lowered her head and thought to herself, “I like the golden arrow stuck in the hawk’s head better.”

Gold was soft, she wondered how swift the arrow must have been to pierce through the hawk’s body so easily.

King Xuan fell silent for a moment, then said, “I saw you flying a giant serpent kite that day, so I thought you might prefer a hawk to a goose.”

Xue Qingyin was startled again.

That makes you seem even more thoughtful.

“Yes, it’s better than a goose,” Xue Qingyin nodded. Then she couldn’t help but ask, “Did you shoot it yourself?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Why do they all send geese?” Xue Qingyin was curious, and she closed the lid.

“Since ancient times, geese have been a symbol of faithfulness, and they often come in pairs,” King Xuan’s tone seemed a little cold, but he was patient in his explanation.

“Pairs?” Xue Qingyin suddenly noticed a small detail.

King Xuan paused.

Then he remembered that geese were usually sent in pairs.

He had sent one.

King Xuan’s face did not reveal any emotion, but he said, “Would you like to ride a horse?”

Xue Qingyin was puzzled, how did the conversation turn to this?

But she still nodded honestly, “I would like to.”

“Then let’s go,” King Xuan said.

“Ah?”

Mrs. Xue and the others waited at the Xu family’s gate for a while, but they didn’t see Xue Qingyin come back. Instead, they saw their carriage move, and then it was gone, gone…

“The imperial decree has been issued, there’s no need to elope!” Xu Qi blurted out.

Mrs. Xue turned and glared at him, “What are you talking about?”

But her heart couldn’t help but hang.

King Xuan took Xue Qingyin all the way to the forest outside the city.

This wasn’t near the Xue family’s estate, but a completely unfamiliar place.

As they approached, they saw a sign that read “Imperial.”

It was the royal forest.

“Greetings, Your Highness, King Xuan,” the people inside hurriedly bowed.

King Xuan led Xue Qingyin straight past them, saying, “Bring the horse from earlier.”

Earlier?

Xue Qingyin was sure that the hawk was shot here.

It was slightly different from before.

King Xuan held her waist and gently lifted her, placing her on the horse’s back.

Then he mounted the horse himself.

The others, seeing this, acted as if they hadn’t noticed, simply standing guard respectfully.

The royal forest was much larger than the Xue family’s stables.

King Xuan spurred his horse forward, leaping straight into the forest.

The trees here were dense and grew exceptionally tall. The further they went, the colder they felt.

Xue Qingyin couldn’t help but think, “It would be so easy to assassinate someone in a place like this.”

Thinking this, she asked it out loud.

King Xuan said, “Indeed, that’s why my father rarely hunts here.”

“You’re brave!”

Xue Qingyin thought to herself.

They ran around like this for a few laps.

Xue Qingyin didn’t feel cold, she raised her head, breathing in the forest air, and then she saw geese.

Geese flew in flocks.

Then there were hawks.

Xue Qingyin felt like she understood!

King Xuan was here because there were hawks.

A hawk suddenly swooped down from the sky, Xue Qingyin raised her head and watched as it dived down, grabbed a goose, and immediately bit down, tearing at its flesh.

Primitive and ferocious.

But also extremely beautiful.

Xue Qingyin’s breath caught in her throat. But then she realized… why didn’t King Xuan shoot it? Did I guess wrong?

The forest was lush, and there were many birds.

After running around for one lap, Xue Qingyin had seen hawks catching geese, sparrows, partridges, and even fish.

A long cry echoed from afar above their heads.

It was the cry of a hawk.

Loud and piercing, Xue Qingyin narrowed her eyes and looked up. This hawk was covered in golden brown feathers, shining brightly in the sunlight, its wings spanned nine feet.

Taller than the King of Wei, Xue Qingyin thought.

If there were kings among hawks, then this one would be considered the king.

Xue Qingyin saw it spread its wings and fly, a sense of suffocation came over her.

King Xuan suddenly said, “Hold on tight.”

The horse immediately ran faster.

Xue Qingyin instinctively pressed against his thigh, in that instant, she could clearly feel his thigh muscles tense.

Under her palm, it was as if a heart was beating wildly.

Xue Qingyin herself became nervous.

As the horse galloped, King Xuan suddenly released the reins.

Xue Qingyin gasped.

She could feel King Xuan drawing his bow and shooting an arrow behind her, all in one motion.

“Whoosh” a sound rang out in her ear, carrying the wind.

It was the sound of the arrow leaving the bow.

Before Xue Qingyin could react, she heard a “plop.” The arrow pierced through flesh and fell, passing through layers of leaves, finally landing heavily on the ground.

The sounds before and after were closely connected, happening in the blink of an eye.

Du Hongxue, who had been following closely behind, immediately spurred his horse forward, pressing forward, tying the hawk’s feet, and raising his face to say, “Your Highness, it’s not dead yet.”

Xue Qingyin sat on the horse’s back and slowly approached.

She gasped.

You call this a hawk?

This is a freakin’ eagle!

She understood now.

King Xuan had to pick the biggest one… he wouldn’t even look at the smaller ones.

And since geese come in pairs, he had to get a pair of eagles, right?

Xue Qingyin clicked her tongue, she couldn’t tell what she felt.

Just then, Du Hongxue drew his short sword, about to deliver the final blow.

Xue Qingyin felt a little sorry.

She had never seen such a beautiful eagle before.

“Can we keep it?” Xue Qingyin asked.

And such a large and unique eagle, in the modern world, would be considered a national first-class protected animal.

Du Hongxue paused his actions, not daring to answer, first looking up at King Xuan.

King Xuan paused for a moment, then said, “We can keep it.”

Xue Qingyin said, “Then let’s keep it, it’s a pity to kill it.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “Will such a fierce bird hurt people?”

“The people of Guirong are skilled at taming hawks,” King Xuan said.

Xue Qingyin breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s great.”

King Xuan said, “The ‘Naji’ gift is missing one.”

Xue Qingyin waved her hand, “Why bother with so many formalities? The gifts you brought today are very much to my liking, that’s enough, isn’t it?”

“… Hmm.”

On the way back, Xue Qingyin asked, “Where is Guirong?”

King Xuan said, “It’s a country beyond the northwestern frontier, called Guirong.”

Xue Qingyin was disappointed, “Ah? It’s so far away? Then how do we find the people who are good at taming hawks?”

King Xuan saw her disappointment and moved his lips, saying, “It’s fine. I once captured a man from Guirong.”

Du Hongxue, hearing this, suddenly had a strange expression.

Right.

He only captured one person, it doesn’t sound like much.

But that person was the former king of Guirong.

… Are you going to ask him to tame an eagle for Miss Xue?