Chapter 589: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 589: Undercurrent (2)
Although the young princes were still children, they had been studying literature and practicing martial arts since the age of five, with archery being a required skill. While their archery might be lacking, their horseback riding skills were commendable.
The young princes, riding the smallest horses, excitedly followed Xiao Ruiyuan, chattering about the potential game they might encounter. Each one was eager and competitive, unwilling to let anyone else have the upper hand.
Only the Sixteenth Prince remained silent, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the imposing figure of Xiao Ruiyuan, his admiration never fading.
The thirty imperial guards trailing behind were vigilant, not daring to relax their guard. If anything were to go wrong with these young masters, their own lives might be at stake.
The group soon arrived at their destination. Xiao Ruiyuan dismounted first and tied his horse to a tree. The young princes followed suit, albeit clumsily, and managed to secure their horses as well.
Xiao Ruiyuan, with his lips pressed in a thin line, waited silently. His sharp eyes scanned the surrounding forest, his expression darkening slightly as he listened to the distant bird calls.
"General Xiao, this mountain is low and small. Will there be any game here? Perhaps we should move to a different location!" The nine-year-old Thirteenth Prince approached Xiao Ruiyuan with a brave face, suggesting a change of venue.
"Yes, this mountain looks barren, likely only home to wild chickens and rabbits. I don't want these small things!"
"Exactly. I was hoping to see live tigers or bears. Wild chickens and rabbits are too dull."
...This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://www.eternalnovelhits.com....
"General Xiao, do you think we princes only deserve to hunt here for small game?"
"..."
The other princes echoed similar sentiments, their dissatisfaction apparent. They seemed to believe that Xiao Ruiyuan had brought them here as a mere formality, looking down on them.
Before Xiao Ruiyuan could respond, the Sixteenth Prince spoke up, his small face serious. "We have several people here with limited skills in martial arts and archery. If we went deeper into the mountains and encountered danger, what would we do? General Xiao is considering our safety by not taking us into the deeper mountains."
The other princes seemed to consider the Sixteenth Prince’s words, gradually calming down. However, the Thirteenth Prince, who had originally suggested going to the deeper mountains, was still displeased. "Hmph, the wild beasts in the deep mountains have all been driven away. There’s no real danger. He’s only bringing us here to make excuses!"
His words reignited the dissatisfaction among the princes, and they turned their discontent toward Xiao Ruiyuan. The Sixteenth Prince found it hard to counter their complaints.
Xiao Ruiyuan coldly watched the bickering princes until they fell silent. He then spoke calmly, "You princes are overthinking. This mountain is rarely visited by people, and many of the prey that were being hunted recently have hidden here. It won’t be just wild chickens and rabbits."
The princes looked at Xiao Ruiyuan with skepticism but, intimidated by his stern demeanor, reluctantly fell silent.
Xiao Ruiyuan paid no further attention to their thoughts, gave some instructions to the guards, and proceeded into the forest with his bow. Ignoring the murmurs behind him, he nocked an arrow and shot a wild chicken that was about to flutter away, pinning it to the ground.
This demonstration proved effective. Seeing the wild chicken impaled by Xiao Ruiyuan's arrow, the princes immediately quieted down.
With the noise gone, Xiao Ruiyuan focused on searching for game, sticking to this small forest and avoiding the deeper areas.
Arrows flew one by one, and game was collected. Although the young princes found the wild chickens and rabbits beneath their notice, they were impressed by Xiao Ruiyuan's precise archery. Some even practiced their own shooting, mimicking his stance.
Only the Thirteenth Prince, who had wanted to go deeper, had a sullen expression, his eyes darting around.
The forest did indeed have larger game such as deer and wild sheep. However, they were highly alert and fast-moving. Xiao Ruiyuan, considering the young princes’ safety, refrained from pursuing them, which disappointed the princes who wished they could catch these larger animals themselves.
After hunting several wild chickens and rabbits and losing their initial excitement, the young princes began pestering Xiao Ruiyuan to teach them archery.
At this moment, the Thirteenth Prince clutched his stomach in pain and said intermittently, "General Xiao, I have a stomachache and need to relieve myself."
Xiao Ruiyuan frowned and, surveying the area, pointed to a dense patch of bushes not far away. "Go there." He then assigned a few guards to follow him for safety.
The Thirteenth Prince glanced at the guards, his expression uneasy but saying nothing, and walked towards the bushes with the guards in tow.
Xiao Ruiyuan turned back, hung a wild rabbit on a tree branch about four feet off the ground, and told the princes, "Practice shooting."
The princes, excited, drew their bows and aimed at the rabbit ten meters away. However, their arrows missed the target, with only the Sixteenth Prince’s arrow grazing the rabbit’s fur.
The princes looked at Xiao Ruiyuan, hoping for guidance.
Xiao Ruiyuan, expressionless, watched them and made no comments, only instructing them to continue practicing.
The young princes, weary and unable to leverage their royal status to compel him, continued practicing diligently.
Two hours passed quickly. The princes, exhausted and with sore arms, were struggling with their aim and range.
Seeing it was time, Xiao Ruiyuan decided to let them rest. After they had rested, he would provide individual guidance.
The princes cheered and, ignoring the damp ground, sat down. They asked the guards to bring food and water to replenish their energy.
The Sixteenth Prince, sitting beside Xiao Ruiyuan and nibbling on a pastry, glanced at the bushes and murmured, "Thirteenth Brother still hasn’t returned. Could he be constipated?"
Xiao Ruiyuan’s expression tightened. Sensing something might be amiss, he looked towards the bushes, saw the guards still stationed outside, and, uneasy, quickly walked over…
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