Chương 668: Autumn Hunt in Progress 3

As it turned out, the wild boar was very cunning. Instead of charging at anyone, it turned and disappeared into the bushes.

Cheng Chumo missed his target with his spear, lurched forward, and nearly fell off his horse. Fortunately, Qin Huaidao reacted quickly and pulled him back.

Then, Qin Huaidao raised his hand and shot an arrow, hitting the wild boar squarely in the hind leg.

The wild boar let out a loud "Oink!" and ran even faster, dashing into the forest like a madman.

"Chase!" A group of young men spurred their horses and gave chase, weaving through the woods, their clothes rustling as the branches smacked against them.

Finally, the wild boar was cornered. Zhang Bao jumped off his horse, rushed forward, and pressed down on the boar's head, shouting, "I've got it!"

The wild boar was strong; with a flick of its head, it knocked Zhang Bao down on his backside.

Cheng Chumo quickly rushed over to help, and the two of them pressed down on the wild boar. The boar was still struggling and ended up with a muddy mess on Cheng Chumo's buttocks.

Guan Ping swung the lasso, and with a "snap," it caught around the wild boar's neck. Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang quickly came over to pull the rope, while Qin Huaidao and Guan Xing helped to hold the boar down.

It took seven or eight young men a long time to finally tie up the wild boar securely.

The wild boar grunted twice before it died, and its tusks scraped off a piece of leather from Cheng Chumo's boot.

"…That was exciting!" Cheng Chumo gasped for breath, his face covered in mud, a wide grin revealing his pearly white teeth.

"Much more exciting than sparring on the training ground! I can brag about this for a month straight!"

Qin Huaidao added insult to injury from the side: "Your boots are gone."

"...... Shut up."

Zhang Bao chuckled, scratching the back of his head, "My butt hurts from the fall, but it was worth it! Such a big wild boar, my dad will definitely praise me when we get back!"

A group of people looked at each other, all covered in mud and leaves, looking like mud monkeys, and burst into laughter.

The children of civil officials were much more refined. Du Gou, Du He, Xun Yun, and Fang Yi'ai did not chase wild boars but instead targeted the most beautiful prey.

Several golden pheasants flew up from the maple forest, their red bellies and golden tails, their feathers glossy and incredibly beautiful.

Du Gou raised his hand and shot an arrow, hitting a male bird. When it fell, its feathers were completely undamaged.

He dismounted, picked it up, and carefully pinched the wing: "I can pluck the feathers when I get back and make a beautiful crest."

"Mine is pretty good too!" Du He also hit one; its tail was longer and its color was more vibrant.

Xun Yun squatted down, notebook in hand, and wrote: "Red-bellied pheasant, male, tail three feet two inches long, brightly colored plumage..."

It was like doing academic research; they even measured the length of my legs.

Fang Yiai pushed up his glasses and explained to everyone, "These golden pheasants like to fly high, so you have to calculate the lead time in advance when shooting. Wind speed has a big impact. Look at Du Gou's arrow just now; the lead time was accurate."

"Alright, alright, Fang Glasses, I know you understand." Du Gou interrupted him with a smile, "Quick, look, there are still a few over there, let's shoot a few more to make fans for the mothers."

Several people crept over quietly and shot a few more birds, each with intact feathers, very beautiful.

They also picked up a lot of pretty leaves and wild fruits, saying they would take them back to make specimens, which were a hundred times more civilized than the mud monkeys at the military general's house.

Xun Yun even picked up a few bright red maple leaves and tucked them into his notebook, saying he would keep them for writing articles.

At the end of Shenshi (3-5 PM), three horns sounded deep within the hunting grounds, the "hunting signal" set by the Imperial Household Department.

"Fall back! Back to the hunting lodge!" the messenger shouted as he rode his horse along the edge of the woods.

The group gradually gathered in the open space in front of the hunting lodge, each with a smile on their face, their saddles and the hands of their attendants laden with game.

The open space had been prepared long ago, with dozens of tables set up. A space was left in the middle, with charcoal stoves and grills on the sides. The imperial chefs were already waiting with their tools, and the charcoal fire was burning red-hot.

First, the spoils were tallied. A junior official from the Imperial Household Department took notes: His Majesty and the princes and princesses' group: two deer, three roe deer, more than twenty wild rabbits and pheasants, one fox, and half a basket of river crabs and half a bag of acorns.

The military group consists of one black bear, three wild boars, five wild goats, more than fifty wild rabbits and pheasants, and a large number of badgers and foxes.

Warrior's offspring group: one wild boar, and more than twenty wild rabbits and pheasants.

The civil official's offspring group: eight golden pheasants, five wild rabbits, and a pile of wild fruits and leaves.

The most outrageous one was the Fifth Prince Liu Yan. While others brought birds and beasts, he brought half a basket of river crabs, a few fish, and a bag of acorns and wild dates, saying that "aquatic products and wild fruits are also hunting, and do not violate the rules."

"... Are you hunting or having a picnic?" The Third Prince Liu Yao came over with wet boots, looked at the crabs with their claws outstretched in the basket, and laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight.

"Father said there's no limit, any kind is fine." Fifth Prince Liu Yan said confidently, holding a basket.

"Steamed river crabs are fragrant, even better than roasted rabbits."

Liu Ce, who was overhearing this, was overjoyed: "Alright, it's on you! We'll have the imperial kitchen steam it tonight, so everyone can taste your catch. If it's delicious, we'll set up a special 'Seafood Award' for autumn hunts."

Liu Yan grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth.

After taking inventory, it's time to process the game and roast the meat.

The imperial chefs worked swiftly, gutting wild boars, skinning deer, removing the meat from foxes while keeping their skins, plucking feathers from pheasants and skewering them on iron skewers, and cutting wild rabbit and goat meat into large chunks and skewering them on iron skewers.

The charcoal stove was burning brightly, the charcoal glowing red. The meat skewers were placed on it, sizzling and dripping oil, which crackled and popped in the fire, and the aroma wafted far and wide.

The imperial chef sprinkled salt, cumin, and chili powder on the ingredients, and the aroma wafted straight into the nose, making people's mouths water.

The Fifth Prince's river crabs were also steamed; they were bright red and looked very fresh.

Wine jars were also brought out; the Imperial Household Department had prepared wine that was low in alcohol and sweet, so that the concubines and young ladies could also drink it.

There's also fruit wine and rice wine, as much as you want.

The entire open space was filled with the aroma of barbecue, wine, and charcoal, making it as lively as a night market.

Liu Ce sat down in the main seat, leaving a seat for Cai Yan next to him.

Zhang Ning, Zhen Jiang, and the others were at their own table, laughing and joking with the general's wives, glancing over here every now and then.

The princes and princesses sat together, the civil and military officials sat in separate groups, and the second generation gathered in a separate group, creating a lively atmosphere.

The generals sat in a group, eating meat from wine jugs and boasting about their recent victories.

Qin Qiong tore apart the venison, saying that the wild boar weighed at least two hundred pounds, and it took them half a mountain to catch it. If it weren't for his spear, it would have definitely escaped.

Zhao Yun laughed and said that the most amazing thing about the rabbits and pheasants he shot today was that he shot two at once, strung together with one arrow.

Everyone cheered, "General Zhao has excellent archery skills!"

Guan Yu was a man of few words. He slowly drank from his wine bowl, while those around him praised his impressive feat of splitting the bear in two, saying, "General Guan is as brave as ever."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and laughed, showing no modesty whatsoever.

Zhang Fei, gnawing on a pork knuckle with his mouth greasy, said that he had been chasing pheasants earlier and would have shot them all down if the ground hadn't been slippery.

Everyone laughed, but didn't call him out on it, knowing that he was just stubborn by nature.

Cheng Yaojin was the most talkative, chatting about everything from his youthful days of fighting to his current hunting adventures, his spittle flying everywhere, and the people around him listened with great interest.

Li Jing and Li Ji were still discussing the terrain, saying that with a little modification, Shanglin Garden could be used for military exercises, and His Majesty might use it for training troops in the future.

In high spirits, Cheng Yaojin patted Qin Qiong on the shoulder: "Old Qin, back when we were fighting alongside His Majesty to conquer the world, who would have thought we'd be where we are today? We were fighting every day, risking our lives. Now, all is well, the world is at peace, and we can even go hunting and drinking. How wonderful!"