c12 (2/2)

Yun Ge frowned and sighed “If you can’t figure him out, then stop trying. Trying to figure out what a man is thinking is really painful. Best not to bother.”

Xu Ping Jun was drinking tea when Yun Ge said this, so Xu Ping Jun spit her tea out and laughed “You little thing! You…..what were you doing trying to figure out a man to the point of finding it painful?”

Yun Ge pretended she didn’t hear it and ran out “I’m off to ask the maids what dishes I need to make.”

Yun Ge was wondering why the Princess summoned her hear to cook, but in two days she’s not cooked once, only eating other chefs cooking. Yun Ge asked but no one could give her an answer, only saying the Princess will summon her cooking when she desires.

Because she is a guest of the Princess, Yun Ge and Xu Ping Jun are allowed to explore the mountains with servants in attendance, making their days more carefree than in Chang An.

Today the servant attending them is named Guo Fu Su, an eunuch around their same ages. They have a great time and get along marvelously since they all enjoy having fun.

Yun Ge wanted to get closer to a waterfall but Fu Su tried to dissuade them “Let’s go tomorrow! Big sisters I’ll take you then. Today, the Infantes of Yen, Guang Ling, and Chang Yi are here to pay fealty to the Emperor and are out hunting. To avoid trouble and upsetting these royal dukes, let’s go towards the East where there is another waterfall.” Yun Ge smiled and agreed.

Xu Ping Jun asked Yun Ge “Do you think we’ll meet the Emperor this time?” Yun Ge glared at her “You still want to see? Didn’t you get frozen enough last time?”

Xu Ping Jun pouted “That was all the fault of Da Gong Zhi. This time the Princess invited us. If I see the Emperor, I can tell my mom and she’ll be happy being about to boast for quite some time.”

Yun Ge smiled and didn’t reply. The Emperor claimed he was here to hunt and stay cool, but he clearly didn’t invite the Infantes here just to hunt. But she’s just a cook, and didn’t want to think too much. Fu Su may be young but he’s really careful, all the questions about the Emperor he deftly avoids.

The conversation turns to the Infantes. Liu Che had six sons – Crown Prince Liu Ju, Liu Hong, Liu Dan, Liu Xu, Liu Bo, and finally the current Emperor Liu Fu Ling. Liu Che had Liu Fu Ling when he was already past sixty, so Liu Fu Ling is much much younger than his five older brothers. Other than Liu Fu Ling, the only other living sons  are the Infante of Yen Liu Dan and the Infante of Guan Ling Liu Xu. The current Infante of Chang Yi is the son of Liu Bo. Despite being older in age than Liu Fu Ling, he has to call the Emperor uncle. The other two dead sons of Liu Che don’t have living male children so their line has ended.

Yun Ge wondered – how could Crown Prince Wei not have male offspring. He had one son and three daughters, and many grandchildren. But everyone was killed.

The Infante of Yen Liu Dan was intelligent and a skilled warrior, he was polite and learned, always having visitors to his door. He was well liked by the people.

The Infante of Guang Ling Liu Xu was powerful and strong, able to fight wild beasts with his bare hands. But he was vicious and cruel, and Liu Che did not favor him when he was alive. Sadly he thought highly of himself and has always been bitter that the throne was pa.s.sed to his youngest brother.

Fu Su was afraid to discuss much about those two Infantes, but when the conversation got to the Infante of Chang Yi Liu He, Fu Su got all animated. “Big sisters you must see the Infante of Chang Yi. He is so good looking no one could match up to his looks.”

Xu Ping Jun and Yun Ge laughed. Before they met Meng Jue, they would have believed Fu Su. But after meeting Meng Jue, only Da Gong Zhi could rival him in looks. It would be highly impossible to find another man better looking than those two.

“I heard he is very easygoing, even helping the maids with their toiletries. But when he is bad……” Fu Su whispered “when the old Emperor died, he didn’t mourn and instead went out to wh.o.r.e and drink, much to the dismay of everyone. What a royal duke with no manners………..”

A deer suddenly burst out from the trees and dashed right past Fu Su and disappeared into the forest again. The arrows following the deer all missed. A forty-some year old man ran out and he stared at Fu Su with a face full of rage. Fu Su didn’t know this person, but based on the rich embroidery on his clothes and the dress of the servant behind him, Fu Su could guess this man was an Infante. His face was broad and filled with violent energy, so it must not be the elegant Infante of Yen, or the handsome Infante of Chang Yi, but was instead the vicious Infante of Guang Ling.

Fu Su’s face turned white and he immediately kneeled to bow “Your highness, your servant I did not know you would be here hunting……..” “Do I need to tell you where I’m hunting!”

Fu Su was so frightened he couldn’t say another word and could only bow repeatedly. Xu Ping Jun also kneeled but Yun Ge stood there until Xu Ping Jun pulled her down. “You guys let my prey get away. Then you guys can be the prey.” The Infante of Guang Ling clapped and the two hunting hounds behind him leaped forward “Go!”

The hunting hound are bred by putting puppies in one room and not feeding them, letting them kill each other for food, and the strongest remaining will be selected. In the common world, at most nine puppies are locked in a room for the training. In world of n.o.bles and royals, more than one hundred are locked up, so the remaining hunting hound is vicious and bloodthirsty beyond belief. It’s as rare and prized as a tiger or a panther.

Fu Su cried for mercy but did not resist. Xu Ping Jun pushed Yun Ge behind her “Run” and tried to use a branch as weapon, but she was shaking violently. The two hunting hounds rushed them and the branch in Xu Ping Jun’s hand was easily crushed. Yun Ge also grabbed a branch and used it to block one hound headed for Fu Su, and another attacking Xu Ping Jun.

The two hounds stared at Yun Ge, and she didn’t move and stared right back. There was a low growling coming from deep in her throat. The two hounds took a step back and the hair on their backs stood straight up. They were facing a deadly enemy and were being cautious. They circled Yun Ge but didn’t attack.

“Xu jiejie, take Fu Su and leave.” Yun Ge’s voice was calm but Xu Ping Jun could see that cold sweat was coming down the back of her neck.

“Go? The entire world belongs to my Liu family, where can you hide?” The Infante of Guang Ling saw his hounds wary of Yun Ge and was amused “This is more interesting than hunting deer!” He whistled for the hounds to attack.

The hounds could not hesitate under direct orders and attacked. In a few short moves, the Infante of Guang Ling could see that Yun Ge’s martial arts was paltry and could not defeat the hounds. Yun Ge’s earlier merely emulated Snow Lady’s aura to scare the hounds.

One hound grabbed Yun Ge’s skirt while the other leaped forward aiming for her throat. Yun Ge fell backwards while Xu Ping Jun closed her eyes, too afraid to watch anymore. She heard a howl of pain and she started to cry.

But when Xu Ping Jun opened her eyes, she saw that Fu Su had grabbed Yun Ge and the two hounds were instead biting him on the leg and arm. Fu Su cried out “Your highness, let them eat me, these two ladies are guests of the Princess, they are not servants………..”

The Infante of Guang Ling acted like he didn’t hear anything and was happily watching the show. Yun Ge got up and grabbed a stick to fight the hounds off Fu Su, and Xu Ping Jun also did the same. Soon both had been bitten, and it was only a matter of time before all three of them were dead at the hands of the hounds.

Right when they have given up hope, they heard a lazy drawl “Were we hunting humans today? How come royal uncle didn’t tell me! Let your nephew say one thing – the servant can be eaten but its a waste for the beauties to be eaten. If uncle doesn’t like them, can nephew have them?”

The Infante of Guang Ling glanced over the Infante of Chang Yi Liu He and laughed “Those two beasts have been spoiled by me. Once they see blood, they won’t stop until they eat their fill.”

Liu He walked towards the hounds “Ay, what bad hounds who won’t listen to their owner. Beasts should be well trained, the ones who don’t listen to their owner ought to be put down.”

Suddenly there was a flash of a weapon and before anyone could see clearly, the head of one of the hounds was flying through the air. The other hound released Fu Su and rushed Liu He, who yelped and ran away “Servants! Servants! A hound is attacking me, release arrows, release arrows!”

A row of servants stepped forward and got ready to shoot. It was expensive and time consuming for Liu Xu to train the hounds, and he’s lost one already and doesn’t want to lose the other, so he calls the remaining one back. He glares at Liu He.

Yun Ge finally took a clear look at who saved them and she almost fainted in shock. Da Gong Zhi? He…………..he’s a royal duke? No wonder Hong Yi was so frightened of Huo Guang and Shang Guan Jie and those folks. He lied to them……….no…………he told Yun Ge once he was a royal duke, but she didn’t believe him.

He’s a royal duke? The Da Gong Zhi that she and Xu Ping Jun constantly mock and yell at? Yun Ge felt dizzy all of a sudden. Xu Ping Jun almost cried out in shock but Yun Ge silenced her with a hand to the mouth.

Liu He continued to look pleased and giddy, but this time it wasn’t directed at Yun Ge or Xu Ping Jun, but instead at the Infante of Guang Ling. He appeared not to care how furious his uncle was, and smiled like a nephew happy to see his uncle “Uncle, I heard dog meat is very nouris.h.i.+ng. Let’s have some dog meat at my place tonight?”

The Infante of Guang Ling made a fist and was about to rush forward when his servants restrained him “That’s crazy fool, your highness needn’t bother. If you fight here, it’ll give the Emperor and Huo Guang ammunition.”

The Infante of Guang Ling took a few deep breaths to calm down and then gave a cold smile to Liu He “Good nephew, we can discuss later what happened today.”

Liu He frowned “I’m not interested in men, I only discuss things with women. Beyond being a guy, you’re also my uncle, and so much older than me. That’s fine as well since us royal family getting incestuously cozy has been heard of before. But the most important thing is that uncle looks like………… Ay! I remember royal grandfather still handsome in his sixties, and all his wives were beauties. Uncle, how did you end up looking like………………” Liu He checked out Liu Xu and shook his head.

The Infante of Guang Ling’s expression was turning from black to purple to white. His servants saw his look and realized a fight was imminent and got ready for action. One crazy royal duke, one impetuous royal duke, they were like fire and water.

Suddenly the sound of fast horses approaching arrived. A clear voice called out “Cheng Jun didn’t know your highness was here hunting. Apologies for not avoiding this area and alarming your highness.” Huo Cheng Jun was talking as she jumped off her horse and curtsied to the Infante of Guang Ling.

Meng Jue, who arrived with Huo Cheng Jun, also got down and bowed, his eyes sweeping quickly over Yun Ge. The Infante of Guang Ling was wary of Huo Guang even more than he was wary of the Emperor, so he forced a smile “Get up, no harm done since you didn’t know. It’s been a few years, you’re a big girl now.”

The hunting hound which had been summoned back suddenly sniffed the air and let out a bloodcurdling howl before rus.h.i.+ng Huo Cheng Jun. Everyone screamed and even the Infante of Guang Ling lost his composure and yelled trying to get his beloved hound back, but the beast paid him no heed.

Meng Jue s.h.i.+elded Huo Cheng Jun and the hunting hound managed to tear away part of his robe sleeve. Before the hound could attack again, it was surrounded by servants and corralled back inside his cage. Huo Cheng Jun’s face was stark white and everyone was also still in shock.

Only Liu He acted like nothing weird had just happened and was checking out Huo Cheng Jun with his usual lascivious smirk, completely without etiquette or acknowledgment of Huo Cheng Jun’s status. Huo Cheng Jun was upset with his staring, and though she could tell who he likely was by his attire, she pretended not to know who he was and didn’t even bother to curtsy to him.

The Infante of Guang Ling looked apologetic and was about to speak when Huo Cheng Jun said “Your highness has an energetic hound. My brother thinks he has the best hunting hound in all of Chang An, but is a house pet compared to yours. If he saw yours, he’d die of envy”. She used a joking tone to diffuse the tension and resolve the Infante’s awkward situation.

The Infante of Guang Ling smiled “Your brother also likes these? Have him come ask me, I have the best in the world.” Huo Cheng Jun smiled back and then looked at Yun Ge “Oh! Isn’t that a guest of the Princess? Did they offend Your highness?” The Infante of Guang Ling coldly huffed.

Huo Cheng Jun smiled “May Cheng Jun be bold and please have Your highness forgive them this once, on account of the Princess. Even if their offense was unforgivable, please let the Princess handle the punishment. Hunting should be for fun, Your highness should not allow these worthless people to affect familial affection.”

The Infante of Guang Ling could not get mad in front of Huo Cheng Jun, but he was still p.i.s.sed. He glared at the Infante of Chang Yi, while his servant whispered in his ear “Restrain yourself now so not to ruin the bigger plans. After things are achieved, Your highness can feed Liu He to the dogs for all anyone cares.”

Liu He covered his face with his sleeve and acted all coy “Ay ya ya! Royal uncle! You can’t be staring at me like that. I said it can’t happen between us. In front of all these people, you look like you want to “eat” me. If word got out, it would ruin the reputation of the royal family.”

The Infante of Guang Ling turned abruptly and swung on his horse, taking off before Liu He said even one more word that he couldn’t endure to hear.

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