Chương 665: The Hunt Officially Begins

"Oh dear, then I'd better tell my husband to buy a few houses in Kaifeng as soon as possible!" Madam Li Jing interjected, her eyes lighting up.

"Kaifeng is about to become the secondary capital of Tokyo, won't the housing prices skyrocket? My husband is just slow to react, I have to remind him."

"I think prices will rise in Chang'an too!" Cheng Yaojin's wife chimed in.

"It'll definitely be lively over there! My husband Cheng only cares about eating; he never pays attention to these kinds of things."

The group chatted more and more enthusiastically, all planning to go home and have their husbands inquire about the news so they could buy a couple more houses, as if they could already see piles of silver in their pockets.

Cai Yan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and calmly steered the conversation back on track: "Hoarding is fine, but don't go overboard. His Majesty hates officials speculating on land the most. Look at how that prefect who embezzled funds for canal repairs to build a garden was dealt with last time. Ladies, go home and remind your husbands. Don't let them lose their official positions for a little money. It'll be too late to cry then."

The group of wives fell silent instantly, exchanged glances, and all suppressed their earlier excitement.

Zhang Ning covered her mouth and laughed: "Sister's still the same old self, what a spoilsport~"

"Better to be disappointed than to lose your head." Cai Yan glanced at her and said nothing more.

Lady Su, Guo Jia's wife, holding a potted orchid, added quietly:

"Actually... I think that position in the Imperial Academy is quite good, it's close to the Royal University, making it convenient for my children to go to school in the future. My husband, Fengxiao, said that His Majesty intends to have key universities built in each secondary capital, so... Jinling, Zhuozhou, and Chang'an, shouldn't they also..."

The ladies exchanged glances instantly... They understood!

As soon as she got home, she asked her husband to inquire about the school being established in the wartime capital so they could buy a house in advance!

This news is far more valuable than hoarding land.

The carriage swayed gently, and laughter drifted out from time to time, blending perfectly with the lively atmosphere ahead.

After walking for more than an hour, the large group finally entered Shanglin Garden.

During the later years of Liu Hong's reign, this place was largely abandoned, overgrown with shrubs and weeds, and even several sections of the wall collapsed.

After Liu Ce ascended the throne, he allocated some money to tidy up the area. Instead of luxurious renovations, he repaired the walls, cleared away weeds and shrubs, and preserved the natural charm of the place.

Shanglin Garden is truly beautiful in September.

The oak and locust trees covering the mountains and fields were half yellow, with patches of red, yellow, and green, as if God had spilled a palette of paints, splashing them everywhere.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which rustled underfoot. The wind carried the scents of wild chrysanthemums, wild dates, and pine needles, ten times better than the ambergris used in the palace. Taking a deep breath invigorated one.

The stream babbled and tinkled, sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell like scattered gold dust on the ground. Occasionally, a wild rabbit or pheasant would dart by and disappear in the blink of an eye.

Yuan Cheng had been waiting at the door with his men for some time. He stepped forward and bowed to Liu Ce.

"Your Majesty, the hunting grounds are all set up. The wild animals were driven into the enclosed area three days in advance, and protective netting has been set up all around. The ferocious beasts are all kept deep in the north slope, while the south slope is full of docile animals such as rabbits and pheasants, so it's very safe."

"Alright." Liu Ce nodded, then added, "Don't tie them up too tightly, leave some room for the wild. If they're all tied up for us to shoot, what's the point? Autumn hunting is all about having fun."

"I understand, I understand," Yuan Cheng nodded hurriedly, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The large group of people arrived at the open space in front of the hunting palace and dismounted to rest.

The princes and princesses skipped and jumped, stretching their arms and legs, eager to enter the woods.

The civil officials dismounted, grimacing. Tian Feng's legs were numb, and he was helped down by his attendants. It took him a long time to recover before he could walk again, muttering to himself:

"I'm getting old, I'm no longer useful."

The military officers were all in high spirits, stretching their wrists and ankles, checking their bows and arrows, waiting for His Majesty's order.

Liu Ce stood on the high place, raised his hand and pressed down, and the whole place fell silent instantly.

"Listen up, everyone..."

"There's no limit or ranking today, we're just out having fun, having a good time is the most important thing."

"There are only a few rules: First, the younger children and ladies should stay on the gentle slope south of the hunting lodge and not go north, as there are wild beasts there and it is not safe."

Second, the princes and princesses will stay with my group, while the children of civil and military officials can go with whomever they like, just don't get separated.

Third, and most importantly... don't shoot your colleagues, don't lose yourself, and don't set fire to the forest. Everything else is up to you.

The audience burst into laughter, and the atmosphere immediately lightened.

According to the rules, only after the emperor shoots the first arrow and the hunt is opened can others begin their hunt.

Without further ado, Liu Ce spurred his horse forward a few dozen steps and stopped at the edge of the slope.

Everyone held their breath to watch, eager to see how good His Majesty's archery skills were; even the young princes craned their necks.

On the north slope of the hunting grounds, under an old oak tree, a fat deer was scratching itself with its head down... It wasn't tied up beforehand; it was discovered the day before yesterday. This deer comes to scratch itself under this tree at this time every day. I've been watching it for two days now, and it's quite fat.

Liu Ce raised his hand, drew a white-feathered arrow from the quiver on the side of the saddle, nocked the arrow, pulled the string, aimed... his movements were fluid and efficient.

The wind stopped for a moment.

With a twang of the bowstring, the arrow pierced the air and hurtled towards the fat deer a hundred paces away.

Everyone was watching, and then the arrow pierced the oak bark half a foot away from the deer's neck with a "thud." It grazed the deer's neck without knocking off many hairs, but it startled the deer so much that it leaped away with a "roar" and ran three zhang away, heading straight into the depths of the hunting grounds.

"... Your Majesty, did that arrow miss?" Fang Xuanling whispered to Li Jing beside him, looking puzzled.

"Perfectly accurate." Li Jing stared at the arrow's trajectory, his eyes filled with admiration.

"It's for scaring away hunters. Look..."

Sure enough, as soon as the fat deer darted away, a herd of wild goats, numbering seven or eight, along with three badgers and a fox, sprang up from behind the slope and all ran toward the hunting grounds like sheep being herded.

Everyone then realized... His Majesty wasn't shooting inaccurately; he was deliberately scaring the deer and rousing all the hidden prey!

That mind, that technique, absolutely brilliant!

"Your Majesty's archery skills are superb!"

The generals shouted in unison, their faces filled with admiration.

The civil officials suddenly understood and nodded in agreement: "So that's how it is! Your Majesty is truly wise!"

Tian Feng stroked his beard, his face showing an expression that said, "I knew His Majesty wouldn't miss." The anxiety he had just felt was completely relieved.

"Let's go!" Liu Ce spurred his horse, and the black horse galloped off first.

"Charge!"

The princes, generals, and second-generation rich kids all rushed into the forest.

The autumn hunt has officially begun!

For the next few hours, Shanglin Garden was as lively as a New Year's market, with shouts, the sound of horses' hooves, the sound of bowstrings, and laughter all mixed together and spread throughout the entire forest.

Liu Ce's group hiked the North Slope Valley route, focusing on "steady, accurate, and ruthless" tactics, but the children's diverse personalities led to all sorts of unexpected situations.

The eldest prince, Liu Chen, followed behind Liu Ce the whole way. He was steady in character and drew his bow steadily.

A gray rabbit darted out of the bushes, and he raised his hand to shoot. The arrow went through the rabbit's shoulder, missing a vital spot. The rabbit thrashed about twice and then lay still.

He dismounted to inspect the rabbit, took out a thin rope from his bag, and tied it up with practiced ease.

"Not bad." Liu Ce glanced at it, nodded slightly, and didn't praise it much.

The eldest brother should be steady and reliable, and Liu Chen is like him in this respect—he's not reckless.