Ever since that day, Xiao Yanshi would steal away to Xie Kaiji’s manor whenever he had the chance.
Xue You was there occasionally.
When he wasn’t, Xiao Yanshi and Xie Kaiji would head to the mountains behind the manor to hunt for wild game.
On this day, the Emperor had suspended court for the day. The local specialties Xiao Yanzhi had ordered from the Southwest had just arrived mostly wild, health-nourishing delicacies and among the items delivered to the estate was a pair of wild cranes. After much thought, Xiao Yanzhi decided to send them to the palace.
When Xiao Yanshi heard about it, he didn’t say much, simply selecting a few items from the heap of specialties, dividing them into two portions: one sent to Xie Kaiji’s estate, the other to Xue You.
“You skipped over the Princess to send gifts to Xue You; aren’t you afraid people will hold it against you?” Xie Kaiji rode his horse in the lead, swinging his longbow. “Strictly speaking, the Princess is your future mother-in-law, hahaha…”
Xie Kaiji laughed gleefully, only to receive a fierce kick from Xiao Yanshi that nearly sent him tumbling off his horse. “Hey, I was just speaking the truth, why are you getting angry!”
“What others think is their business. If I were to send the gift to the Princess now, it would make the Marquis Estate appear weak, as if I were seizing an opportunity to curry favor… Besides, the gift for Xue You is nothing rare; the value lies in the sentiment. There is no point in wasting it on others.” Xiao Yanshi’s logic was simple. Xie Kaiji cast a sideways glance at him, his thoughts unreadable.
“Is it… truly a matter of the heart between you and Xue You?” Xie Kaiji struggled briefly before asking the question.
Xiao Yanshi paused at the words, then nodded. “My feelings for him can hardly be called ‘pure’.”
In truth, even before Xie Kaiji brought it up, Xiao Yanshi had asked himself this very question. He had tossed and turned all night thinking about it, and the conclusion he reached was, naturally, an affirmation. Perhaps from the very first meeting, Xue You had entered his heart. It was just that, caught in a mix of suspicion and caution, he hadn’t even realized when he had drowned in it. Later, emotions grew beyond his control, and that incident at the flower house was the proof.
He knew perfectly well that Xue Shao loathed that man, yet he still couldn’t resist helping him, only to fall into a trap himself and, ultimately… experience a night of absurdity. Xiao Yanshi had even stabbed Xue You with a dagger. He later thought that if it had been anyone else anyone at all he surely would have taken their life.
Xie Kaiji watched as Xiao Yanshi offered a faint smile. “I cannot be certain if he holds the same feelings for me, but… he should have been moved somewhat.”
It sounded as though he had a shred of certainty, but Xie Kaiji frowned.
“Only ‘somewhat’? Then wouldn’t you be at a disadvantage?”
Xiao Yanshi snapped back to reality and poked Xie Kaiji with his riding whip. “This is already enough.”
“Love” is not a transaction, nor can it be measured on a scale. Xie Kaiji didn’t understand his perspective, only vaguely feeling that Xiao Yanshi’s devotion might not be worth it. Not knowing how to comfort him, he turned to another matter. “I heard from my brother that you and Xue You agreed that this marriage would last only one year, and you would divorce afterward?”
Xie Kaiji’s words brought Xiao Yanshi back to his previous statement. He gripped his whip. “I wasn’t sure if he was willing at the time, so I made that agreement.”
But now, Xiao Yanshi suddenly felt a touch of regret. That year could have been a bit longer.
“Judging by the way you both seem so deep in it, I suspect that agreement will end up being meaningless chatter…” Xie Kaiji eyed Xiao Yanshi’s expression and couldn’t help but tease, “It is quite marvelous, come to think of it. You two were originally worlds apart, yet in less than a month, it has turned into a happy occasion!”
Xiao Yanshi coughed lightly, feeling a sudden shyness. “Stop making fun of me…”
“Fine, fine, I’ll let you off for now. Just wait for the day you two marry; I shall make sure to ply you with plenty of wine.” Xie Kaiji spurred his horse ahead to clear the path, with Xiao Yanshi following a step behind.
This manor of Xie Kaiji’s backed onto Qingfeng Mountain, a range spanning hundreds of miles. Few people ever ventured deep into the forest, but for some reason, news had spread a few months ago about a massive tiger with glaring eyes. Braver souls had been heading in recently, hoping to hunt the beast. But three or four months had passed, and despite wave after wave of people entering, there was not a trace of the tiger.
Xie Kaiji and Xiao Yanshi weren’t here for the tiger, however.
The two had been riding their horses, occasionally shooting small game like rabbits and deer, and had gathered quite a haul in a short time.
But the deeper they went, the denser the foliage became, nearly blocking out the sky overhead. A faint, humid, and putrid smell began to drift through the air.
“If we go any further, we’ll have to abandon the horses,” Xie Kaiji stopped and looked at Xiao Yanshi. “What do you think? Shall we continue?”
Xiao Yanshi reined in his horse, contemplated for a moment, and said, “Perhaps we should turn back. We’ve already hunted quite a lot today…”
“But we’ve only caught small things along the way; it’s rather dull,” Xie Kaiji poked the game hanging behind his horse with his longbow, frowning. “I had originally intended to hunt a fox to make a shawl for my mother…”
The “mother” Xie Kaiji referred to was his foster mother, Lady Wei. She had been a concubine of the old Prince. After the Princess Consort passed away, she had treated Xie Kaiji like her own. Had it not been for the care she showed him, Xiao Yanshi’s mother would never have felt at ease leaving Xie Kaiji in the Prince’s estate.
Over the years, Xie Kaiji had become very close to Lady Wei. In his heart, she was no different from a birth mother. Whenever he had anything delicious or fun, he would always send a portion to the estate.
It was all out of filial piety to Lady Wei. Hearing this, Xiao Yanshi understood immediately and agreed decisively. “If that is the case, let’s leave the horses and game here. You can send a signal, and have the people from the manor bring them back. We shall head in on foot.”
Xie Kaiji slapped Xiao Yanshi on the shoulder. “Good brother!”
“Hmph!” Xiao Yanshi couldn’t be bothered to look at him.
The two took their bows and arrows and tucked daggers into their boots. Before they left, Xiao Yanshi didn’t forget to bring his water canteen.
Xie Kaiji saw this and asked, “Why take water? We’ll be out in no time.”
“There is wine inside,” Xiao Yanshi said as he secured it. “We don’t know what the situation is inside. If we accidentally get a scratch, it’s best to clean the wound. Better safe than sorry!”
“True,” Xie Kaiji nodded.
Without further delay, the two headed into the forest, one after the other.
Xiao Yanshi had spent eight years in the Northern Frontier, mostly slaughtering on the battlefield; his hunting skills were inevitably inferior to Xie Kaiji’s. Xie Kaiji only fired at spots that wouldn’t damage the pelt, but Xiao Yanshi was accustomed to killing with a single blow. After two arrows in succession, blood splattered, dyeing a large patch of the snow-white fox fur red.
Xie Kaiji was heartbroken. “Xiao the Second, stop! If you keep this up, I won’t be able to find a single intact pelt by nightfall…”
Xiao Yanshi felt sheepish. He pulled the arrow out, wiped it clean, and looked at the blood-stained dead fox on the ground. “Then what should we do with this?”
“Dig a hole and bury it, lest it attract something big.” Xie Kaiji dug twice and felt a headache coming on. “Or we could just throw it into the bushes. I imagine there shouldn’t be anything lethal.”
Xiao Yanshi shook his head. “Better to bury it, just in case.”
“Fine.” Xie Kaiji didn’t object, but after digging for a while, he sat down on the ground. “Let’s rest. Just clearing the path this far has taken most of our strength.”
“Thirsty?” Xiao Yanshi tossed him the canteen. “You rest for a bit; I’ll go find some wild berries. Once we hunt something good, we’ll head down the mountain.”
“Mm.” Xie Kaiji took a swig of the wine.
Xiao Yanshi didn’t walk far. Along the way, he had seen wild berries in the woods. He remembered the spot and followed his memory to find them.
Jiangling’s terrain was low and the climate hot. For some reason, the Qingfeng Mountain remained lush with trees even in the middle of winter. Xiao Yanshi didn’t know the species of the trees, but as he searched, he faintly heard the sound of water.
He pushed aside the bushes, stepping forward with difficulty, and suddenly found himself in a clearing.
Mist rose in swirling, steaming clouds. Screened by the dense forest, it would be difficult for anyone to discover that there was a vast hot spring here.
Xiao Yanshi walked in, a wave of humid heat hitting him.
No wonder the trees remained lush even snow was a rare sight on Qingfeng Mountain.
He marked the location of the hot spring and turned to leave, but at that moment, his gaze fell upon the bank not far away.
A series of tracks stood out with startling clarity.
They were tracks left by a tiger’s paw.
Beside them lay some blood-stained fur.
Xiao Yanshi’s heart skipped a beat. This Qingfeng Mountain really did have a tiger!
Without another thought, Xiao Yanshi turned and ran back the way he came; Xie Kaiji was still back there.
He prayed to the heavens for mercy, hoping he was merely jumping to conclusions—the tiger must not be allowed to scent Xie Kaiji’s location.
Xiao Yanshi raced along, but with the dense branches, he didn’t notice a gash forming on his face. He ignored it, speeding toward the direction of Xie Kaiji.
But whether the heavens were deliberately working against him or not, just as Xiao Yanshi was about to arrive, he heard a long, low roar.
Xiao Yanshi’s heart plummeted. His steps quickened. Xie Kaiji, you must not be harmed!
After noon, Xue You rode a horse at breakneck speed toward Xie Kaiji’s manor.
Before he was even close, he saw three or four kitchen workers walking out. He glanced at them and paid them no mind.
But the moment he crossed the threshold, the manor’s steward came out to meet him. “Young Master Xue is here…”
“Yes, I am looking for the Prince and… the Heir.” Xue You’s eyes brightened, a flash of tenderness crossing them at the mention of Xiao Yanshi.
The steward, however, shook his head. “That is unfortunate. Before noon, the Prince and the Heir went into the mountains together, saying they wanted to hunt some game. It seems they won’t be back for half a day… Oh, I almost forgot, the Prince just sent a signal, probably asking for someone to enter the mountain to collect the game. I have just dispatched a few men they have just left…”
Xue You frowned. “Heading into the mountains?”
“Yes. The Prince and the Heir went once the day before yesterday but didn’t catch anything, so they went back again today, full of excitement.”
“Qingfeng Mountain…” Xue You suddenly remembered the message his men had sent early that morning.
“They’re delivering food into the tiger’s mouth!” Xue You turned and ran.
The steward hadn’t caught what he said. Seeing him running off so urgently, he instinctively tried to follow, only to hear Xue You command coldly: “Take everyone in the manor who is capable, and head into the mountain!”
“Huh?!”