Chapter 280: On the Eve of the Spring Hunt

Exquisite wooden plaques were suspended above, each clearly inscribed with the names of various official ranks. Among them, the spot belonging to An Wangfei and her party was especially eye-catching, for the two bold, vigorous characters "An Wang" were prominently written there.

This position was right beside the Emperor's lower seat, highlighting its exalted status. One must know that in this imperial court, apart from the lofty Emperor and the Empress who is mother to the realm, Prince An ranked highest in position and power.

Since this was not a formal Imperial Banquet occasion, there was no need to follow the strict rule of separate seating for men and women. A family could sit gathered together, sharing the joy of kinship.

After An Wangfei and her party of four settled into their seats, sitting not far away were Ai Sheng, Guo Lanxin, and Ai Jiao. Sharp-eyed Qianqian spotted Ai Jiao at a glance; she excitedly raised her hand and waved cheerfully at Ai Jiao.

Although Ai Jiao had now grown into an adult and her temperament had become much steadier than before, upon seeing Qianqian her eyes still revealed a warmth she could not conceal, and she swiftly responded in kind.

Simultaneously, Guo Lanxin also noticed An Wangfei; a warm smile bloomed on her face, and she gave a slight nod toward An Wangfei as greeting.

Seeing this, An Wangfei likewise smiled and lightly dipped her head in return. Everyone waited quietly like this; after a good while, they finally saw An Wang stride into the hall with long steps.

Today An Wang wore a suit of black brocade robes, his bearing tall and straight like a pine. Yet his handsome face was overcast as though shrouded in dark clouds, as if a cold-faced killing god had descended upon the world.

After An Wang entered the hall, his gaze swept a circle and did not discover the Emperor's figure, so he walked straight toward his own seat.

An Wang did not sit down calmly like the others; with a grave expression he walked quickly toward where Qianqian and Yan Wang were.

Halting, he looked at the two with a stern gaze and admonished solemnly: "During the hunt later, remember to be extremely careful and ensure your own safety. Not only yourselves — if you detect any abnormal situation, you must withdraw immediately without the slightest hesitation!"

Before the words were finished, An Wang seemed to suddenly recall some urgent matter; he turned and left in great haste. Left behind, a bewildered Qianqian had just wanted to ask the reason, but An Wang had already vanished into the crowd.

Watching An Wang's retreating back, Qianqian could not help but feel doubt, secretly wondering what had happened. She turned her head to look at her elder brother Yan Wang beside her and said softly: "Father is in charge of security for this spring hunt; could it be that villains have infiltrated it? Otherwise why would An Wang leave in such haste and specially instruct us like this?"

Yan Wang frowned slightly, pondered a moment, then nodded, expressing agreement with his sister's conjecture. With a concerned face he said to Qianqian: "What Younger Sister says is very true; whatever the case, during the hunt later you must pay redoubled attention to your surroundings and absolutely not be careless." As he spoke, he once again tirelessly urged Qianqian to mind her safety.

Just as the siblings were conversing, suddenly a sharp, piercing sound tore across the sky: "The Emperor arrives — The Empress arrives —"

This sudden shout instantly turned the originally clamorous scene deathly silent. Upon hearing it, everyone sprang up from their seats like startled birds, then knelt neatly in unison on the ground, heads bowed, not daring to raise their eyes and look directly.

Before long, the Emperor and Empress were seen slowly approaching, surrounded by a retinue of attendants.

When they reached the front of the seats and halted, the Emperor spoke majestically: "All Grand Councilors, rise." Hearing this, the kneeling people carefully stood up.

The Emperor first sat steadily upon the Dragon Throne; the Empress then gracefully took her seat at his side. Immediately after, the Emperor scanned the surroundings and declared loudly: "All be seated." Only upon receiving the decree did the people dare return to their respective seats.

Just at this moment, a figure was seen hurrying from the distance toward this side. Looking closely, it was actually An Wang!

His expression appeared slightly tense; his steps were hurried yet careful, fearing to draw too much attention. When he drew near, he swiftly glanced around, then silently took his own seat.

Precisely at this moment, the Emperor on high slowly spoke: "Today's weather is truly fine — gentle breeze, bright sun, azure sky washed clean; such a fine day is most suited for our Dachang Kingdom's annual spring hunt!"

Finishing, he slightly lifted his chin, his gaze sweeping the assembly, and continued: "Taking this opportunity, we can also test the true strength of our Dachang Kingdom's younger generation. Therefore, for today's spring hunt, I hope all of you will give it your all, display your abilities to the fullest, so that We may see who becomes the final victor!"

After the Emperor's words fell, Sun Gonggong, who had been standing by, hurriedly stepped forward a half-step and respectfully announced the competition rules in a loud voice: "The rules for this spring hunt are as follows: each successfully hunted animal earns one point; the total competition duration is one hour.

When the time ends, all participants' points will be tallied; the one with the highest score is this spring hunt's winner. That winner will receive a precious treasure from the Emperor's private treasury and have the right to choose it freely.

However, a reminder: during the competition, you must mainly shoot small animals; brawling and fighting are absolutely forbidden. Once anyone is discovered violating this rule, their participation qualification will be immediately revoked, and for a full ten years thereafter they may not take part in our Dachang Kingdom's spring hunt.

I hope everyone present will strictly abide by these competition rules! Very well, next we will allow everyone two ke of preparation time. Please hurry to change into the specialized riding-and-archery attire, then gather here and await orders."

After Eunuch Sun finished speaking, Qianqian and Yan Wang slowly rose and walked toward the several small tents not far away. These small tents were clearly divided into male tents and female tents.

Mantou had long been waiting at the side, holding the riding-and-archery garments just taken down from the carriage. He first handed the bright red riding-and-archery garment, brilliant as flame, to Qianqian, then took out a deep black riding-and-archery garment, dark as ink, and presented it respectfully to Yan Wang. Afterward, the two went separately to the tents belonging to their respective genders.

Upon entering the tents, they nimbly shed their outer garments, leaving only the close-fitting undergarments worn against the skin. Then they carefully donned the brand-new riding-and-archery garments. This series of movements flowed like clouds and water; not much time passed before both had finished changing.