Chapter 137 Discord
137 Discord
“Wolf meat is too dry,” Lu Qin objected. “How about hunting bears? I want to eat bear paws.”
“Hunting bears is too dangerous. No, no.”
“Let’s hunt a tiger…”
Everyone expressed their opinions one after another, and it was lively.
In the end, it was Wei Jiaoniang who decisively slapped the table and said, “Tigers lead, wolves are second.”
In other words, whoever hunted a tiger would be the leader of this winter hunt. If no one hunted a tiger, the wolf hunter would be the leader.
No one had any objections. Then, Lu Qin said excitedly, “Then what’s the prize…”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Lu Qin’s gaze fell straight ahead. Her eyes darted around as she clapped with a smile and suggested, “Jiaoniang, why don’t we let the Eldest Prince set the bet?”
Everyone was stunned when they heard an excited cry from ahead.
“The Eldest Prince is here.”
There was a commotion, then silence.
All the voices seemed to be sucked away, and everyone’s eyes turned in unison.
From the direction of the rising sun, a team of 17 or 18 people galloped over majestically.
The most eye-catching person in the group was the young master riding a white horse. It was Chu Yi.
The resplendent sunlight poured down, coating him in a faint golden halo, making his temperament look clear and otherworldly, as clear as a breeze and as bright as the moon.
Chu Yi was dressed in a moon-white riding outfit embroidered with silver patterns. As he rode his horse, his shimmering clothes fluttered in the wind, making him look like an immortal who had arrived on a cloud.
At Chu Yi’s side was a handsome young man in his early 20s. He had dark skin, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. He was dressed in a sapphire blue lapel narrow-sleeved beard robe and rode a strong black horse with snow-white hooves.
The sound of hooves echoed in the forest, startling a group of birds. Occasionally, a few feathers would fall.
Everyone in the clearing stood up to welcome him.
Under everyone’s burning gazes, Chu Yi’s group drew closer and closer. Finally, they tightened the reins a hundred feet away. The horses stopped and whinnied.
Behind him, Kang Wang Chu You stopped his horse half a body away from Chu Yi.
Chu You had been watching Chu Yi. His face was calm, cold, and solemn, but it was obvious from the back of his hand that he was not as calm as he appeared.
The black horse under him seemed to sense its master’s emotions and panted heavily.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
The people in front bowed respectfully to Chu Yi. Their shouts were uniform, startling three to five more birds.
One of the sparrows spread its wings and flew quickly over Gu Yanfei’s head. One wing seemed to brush gently against her bun.
Chu Yi immediately saw Gu Yanfei in the crowd and smiled.
Today, Gu Yanfei was wearing a lilac-colored riding outfit with a narrow sleeve collar and wisteria embroidery on it. She was wearing deerskin boots, and her thick and fluffy black hair was combed into a simple bun. There was only a white jade plum blossom hairpin stuck diagonally into her bun and no other jewelry. The two red plums at the end of the hairpin shone beautifully under the sunlight.
When Chu Yi’s gentle gaze landed on the plum blossom hairpin, it lingered, and his eyes became even gentler.
Gu Yanfei gave Chu Yi a bright smile as a greeting.
Chu Yi raised his right hand as if in response to something. Then he said calmly to everyone, “At ease.”
Chu You followed Chu Yi’s gaze and saw Gu Yanfei. He narrowed his narrow eagle eyes and fixed his eagle-like gaze on the white jade plum blossom hairpin on Gu Yanfei’s head.
This was…
Chu You’s pupils constricted slightly, and his eyes darkened.
Others might not recognize this plum blossom jade hairpin, but Chu You did.
This jade hairpin was called the “Plum Blossom Hairpin”. It was personally carved by Emperor Taizu and given to Empress Taizu. Back then, after the late Emperor married Madam Liu, Empress Taizu gave this plum hairpin to her.
When Chu You was six years old, he once saw a portrait of Empress Taizu in Cining Palace. In the portrait, Empress Taizu was wearing this plum hairpin. At that time, the lost expression on his mother’s face was deeply engraved in Chu You’s heart, ever since he was still young.
Chu You knew that his mother also wanted that plum hairpin. However, the plum hairpin had been given to his eldest brother, Chu Qi, before Madam Liu passed away.
Obviously, Chu Qi had passed it on to Chu Yi.
And Chu Yi actually gave it to Gu Yanfei?!
Chu You’s eyebrows jumped, and he tugged unconsciously at the reins.
The horse whinnied lowly as it paced its iron hooves.
Chu You couldn’t help but think of the last time he was with Yuan Zhe. He had seen Chu Yi and Gu Yanfei in the private room of Qiongfang Shop on the street.
He originally thought that the relationship between Chu Yi and her was at most “a beautiful sight to behold”, but Chu Yi actually gave away Empress Taizu’s things.
Could it be that things between the two of them were not that simple?!
Chu You looked deeply at the girl in front of him, whom he had once disdained.
After a while, his gaze shifted from Gu Yanfei to Chu Yi. His gaze was different again, filled with understanding, disdain, and thoughtfulness.
At this moment, thinking about what Rong’er had told him, Chu You suddenly felt enlightened, as if some scattered beads had finally been connected…
A storm brewed in his eyes. Veins popped on the back of his hand, and his body tensed.
“Your Highness, you came at the right time.” Wei Jiaoniang took a step forward with a smile and cupped her hands at Chu Yi.
As a daughter of a general, she was still generous and unabashed even in front of so many people.
Beside Chu Yi, Baili Yin casually glanced at Wei Jiaoniang.
When his gaze swept past the beautiful girl beside Wei Jiaoniang and settled on Gu Yanfei, his brown eyes lit up. His originally cold and boring gaze instantly became as hot as fire.
...
Wei Jiaoniang said in high spirits, “I just agreed that whoever catches the tiger will be the champion today. It’s rare that Your Highness is also here, so we want to invite Your Highness to set a bet…”
“I have other thoughts.” Chu You suddenly interrupted Wei Jiaoniang and rode his horse to Chu Yi’s side. An ambiguous smile appeared on his handsome face as he suggested, “Nephew, the bet should be decided by our guest, Third Prince Baili.”