Chapter 54: Hunting

Outside Lanzhou, the Ming army's main camp began to set out.

War flags fluttered, and carriages and horses clattered.

Xu Da ordered the troops to split into three routes to return to the capital.

The left route was led by Li Wenzhong, taking the northern road through Shanxi.

The right route was led by Chang Yuchun, taking the southern road through Henan.

The central route was personally commanded by Xu Da, with the Expanded Frontier Troops and prisoners, traveling the middle road through Guide Prefecture, Henan, straight back to Yingtian.

Zhu Yong was assigned to Xu Da's central army, and Guanyin Nu accompanied them.

"Prince, this route will take more than twenty days; if you get bored, come find us to talk," Wang Gui said while helping Zhang Wuhe and Chen Heng pack Wu Wang's gear, chattering.

Zhu Yong squatted by the tent, watching the soldiers dismantle the camp, and said innocently, "Brother Wang Gui, where will you go after returning to the capital?"

Wang Gui was startled, then laughed, "Of course I'll follow General Chang; wherever he goes, I'll go. But... if the Prince needs anything from me, just say the word."

"Hmm," Zhu Yong nodded.

Meanwhile, Guanyin Nu had also packed a simple bundle, stood outside her own tent, and stared dreamily at the endless camps in the distance.

The horses were ready; Zhu Yong swung onto their Black Horse, the pair of drum‑hanging golden hammers dangled on both sides of the saddle, heavy.

Xu Da rode over, looked at Zhu Yong, and said warmly, "Prince, if anything feels uncomfortable along the way, just tell me."

"Uncle Xu, I'm fine, it's just... the dry rations in the camp lack any fat, I'm craving meat," Zhu Yong said with a goofy smile.

Xu Da laughed heartily, "Easy enough; if there's a market along the way, we'll buy some meat, and if not..."

He paused, looked toward the distant mountains, and said, "Prince, with Divine Strength, you're also a fine hunter."

Zhu Yong's eyes lit up.

The great army set out, marching grandly eastward.

For the first three days, the column moved across the Longdong Plateau, where endless yellow‑soil ravines stretched.

The sun was scorching, and the wind‑blown sand stung the face.

Zhu Yong wore a bamboo hat, rode his horse, and gazed at the scenery before them, both familiar and strange.

He recalled the mountain village of Fengyang, which also had yellow earth, but not this vastness.

Guanyin Nu rode beside him, saw him lost in thought, and asked softly, "Prince, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking of the times back in the village, when my father was still alive, and my grandfather and I often went up the mountain to hunt. Yet the mountain had few game; sometimes after a whole day we'd only catch a few hares,"

Zhu Yong said honestly.

Guanyin Nu fell silent.

She recalled the days on the grassland, when Elder Brother rode with her at full gallop, hunting yellow sheep and shooting great eagles—that was true hunting.

"Prince, if you wish to hunt, ahead lies Liupan Mountain, where the woods are full of game," Guanyin Nu said.

Zhu Yong turned his head to her and asked, "Do you hunt?"

"Among the children of the grassland, who doesn't know how to ride and shoot..." Guanyin Nu smiled faintly, with a hint of pride.

Zhu Yong scratched his head and laughed, "Alright, once we set camp, we'll go hunting."

At dusk, the army pitched camp at the foot of Liupan Mountain.

Zhu Yong indeed went to find Xu Da, saying he wanted to take a few people into the mountain to hunt.

Xu Da glanced at the sky, then at Zhang Wu, Chen Heng and Wang Gui beside Zhu Yong, and the Northern Yuan Princess, paused a moment and said, "You may go, but you must return to camp before sunset, bring enough torches, and don't go too deep."

"Good!" Zhu Yong replied eagerly.

Six people and six horses entered the mountain.

Liupan Mountain's terrain was steep and its woods dense.

In July, the mountain was cool, and the vegetation lush.

Zhu Yong led on his horse, with Guanyin Nu close behind.

Zhang Wu and two others followed behind, watching the surroundings warily.

"Prince, there's deer dung here," Guanyin Nu, sharp‑eyed, pointed at the ground.

Zhu Yong dismounted to inspect, and indeed it was fresh.

He looked up toward the deep forest and laughed goofily, "Looks like we'll have meat tonight."

The group led their horses, following the tracks inward.

After passing through a pine forest, a broad valley opened ahead, with a stream flowing through it.

By the creek, seven or eight spotted deer were drinking.

"Prince, look!" Chen Heng whispered.

Zhu Yong waved his hand, signaling everyone to be silent.

He took the bow and arrows from the saddle; it was the Three-Stone Hard Bow that Chang Yuchun had given him, which ordinary people cannot draw.

He nocked an arrow and drew the bow.

The bow was like a full moon.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot through the air and struck a stag's neck.

The herd scattered; the stag struggled, ran a dozen steps, then crashed to the ground.

"Got it!" Wang Gui exclaimed excitedly.

Zhu Yong lowered the bow and smiled goofily.

Guanyin Nu, however, stared at the bow in his hand, a flash of astonishment flickering in her eyes.

The Three-Stone Bow, one arrow lethal, such power and accuracy…

"Princess, would you like to try?" Zhu Yong handed the bow to her.

Guanyin Nu shook their head: "I can't use a bow this heavy."

She took her bow off the horse; it was an exquisite recurve bow with silver inlay on the limbs.

Nock an arrow, aim, release the string.

The other fleeing doe fell at the sound.

"Excellent archery!" Zhang Wu praised.

Guanyin Nu sheathed the bow and said lightly: "Those raised on the Grassland all know this."

Zhu Yong grinned and said: "You're really impressive."

The group stepped forward to process the game.

Both deer were sizable; the stag was probably about two hundred jin, and the doe over a hundred jin.

"That's enough, that's enough; we can't bring back any more," Wang Gui said happily.

Zhu Yong, however, looked into the deep valley and said: "I still want to take care of something else; Xu Shu said there are wild boars in the mountains."

"Prince, wild boars are ferocious, or…" Chen Heng suggested.

Before the words finished, a snorting sound came from deep within the forest.

The group turned to look and saw a massive wild boar with several half‑grown piglets emerging from the forest depths.

That boar must have weighed three hundred jin, its tusks flared outward, and its bristly hair stood like needles.

"Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears." Zhu Yong laughed and reached for his hammer.

"Prince, use an arrow." Guanyin Nu hurriedly said.

"Arrows are too slow." Zhu Yong already lifted the hammer and stepped forward.

The wild boar saw the people, became instantly alert, lowered its head to root the ground, and emitted a threatening snort.

Zhu Yong remained calm and took step after step toward it.

Ten steps, eight steps, five steps...

The boar lunged fiercely, its tusks thrust straight forward!

Zhu Yong sidestepped, swung his hammer with his right hand, tracing an arc.

"Bang!"

The hammerhead struck the boar's side of the head.

That three‑hundred‑jin behemoth was blasted sideways by the hammer, slammed into a pine, and the trunk cracked.

The boar hit the ground, twitched a few times, then fell still.

Several piglet boars panicked and fled into the woods.

Zhang Wu and the two others stared dumbfounded.

Though Guanyin Nu knew Zhu Yong's Divine Strength, seeing him kill the boar with a single hammer still shocked her.

Zhu Yong walked back, hung the hammer on his saddle, and chuckled: "Now that's enough to eat."

The group tied up the game, dragged it behind the horses, and headed back.

Before sunset, they returned to the Military Camp.

Soldiers in the camp saw Prince Wu dragging back so many beasts and gathered around.

"Prince, you hunted?"

"What a huge wild boar!"

"Tonight we have meat to eat!"

Zhu Yong waved his hand and said: "Everyone help with the cleanup; tonight the entire camp gets an extra meal!"

The group cheered.

Xu Da rushed over upon hearing the news, looked at the boar and deer on the ground, shook his head and laughed: "Prince, did you scoop up all the wild game of Liupan Mountain in one pot?"

"Xu Shu, the wild boar meat is stewed fragrant, the deer meat roasted tender, I've been craving it for days," Zhu Yong said, rubbing his hands.

Xu Da laughed loudly: "Alright, tonight we'll have meat!"