Green Mountain

The snow on Fragrant Mountain had just melted, and the leaves on the slopes, damp with snow water, made a soft, dull sound as the horse hooves stepped on them.

The squirrel on the tree branch held a pine cone, cautiously watching as the Crown Prince galloped beneath the tree.

Mr. Liao rode beside the Crown Prince, blowing a bamboo whistle, directing the Eastern Palace attendants to drive the prey out of their lairs.

Over ten Eastern Palace attendants shouted slogans, striking their iron stirrups with their sabers. The clashing sound of metal startled the beasts into fleeing towards the valley. They carried bows and arrows but did not draw their bows to shoot, only slowly closing in on the circle, herding the beasts into the valley in a panic.

Mr. Liao accompanied the Crown Prince as they stood still on the slope, quietly observing the "encirclement" in the valley.

He took down the bamboo whistle from his mouth and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Your Highness, a black bear has been caught in the circle. Using a black bear to 'open the hunt' befits your status."

The Crown Prince nodded slightly.

Mr. Liao blew the bamboo whistle again; upon hearing the command, the Eastern Palace attendants opened gaps and slowly released the rabbits, weasels, lynxes, and spotted deer, leaving only the black bear.

Each time the black bear attempted to break out of the enclosure, the attendants would strike their iron stirrups with their sabers, the clanging sound of metal sending it back in fright.

Mr. Liao took a longbow from his saddle and handed it to the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, it's bewildered, ready for the hunt. The sixty-pound birch bow can't move it; you'll need the ninety-pound black horn birch bow."

The Crown Prince took the black horn birch bow, squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, and charged down the slope, only stopping within twenty paces.

He drew the bow and nocked an arrow.

The first time the Crown Prince pulled the bowstring, the veins on his neck bulged, and the ninety-pound bow only drew halfway before the tension suddenly released, and the longbow returned to its original state.

Mr. Liao reassured from the side, "Your Highness, no need to hurry; it won't escape."

The Crown Prince breathed lightly, staring intently at the black bear: "I've been slack in practice. Two years ago, I could draw a ninety-pound horn bow, but now I can't."

Mr. Liao stroked his beard and smiled, "Leave such coarse matters to us. Your Highness needs to concern yourself with the grand affairs of the realm; why worry about how many pounds you can draw?"

The Crown Prince calmly replied, "The Zhu family won this empire with skill; how can the descendants neglect martial arts? Upon returning, I must find time to practice. If one day the Jing Dynasty lays siege to our city, I can fight alongside the soldiers."

Mr. Liao praised, "Your Highness's ambition and courage are the fortune of the Ning Dynasty."

The Crown Prince drew the bow and nocked the arrow once more.

This time the longbow was fully drawn, his hands trembled uncontrollably, the arrowhead swayed left and right at the black bear, hesitating to release.

Seeing this, Mr. Liao gestured to an attendant for a one hundred eighty-pound hard bow, drawing it easily like a full moon. Should this iron arrow be shot, it might pierce straight through the bear's belly.

Yet the Crown Prince's hand trembled, but his voice remained calm, "I will do it myself."

Mr. Liao slowly lowered the hard bow upon hearing this, waiting quietly.

At that moment, urgent hoofbeats sounded behind them.

Mr. Liao turned to see Prince Fu galloping towards them. As his horse surged up and down, the mountain wind filled Prince Fu's black robes, making them billow like an unfurling dragon's mane, exuding an imposing aura.

Prince Fu laughed heartily: "Your Highness, why do you shake so when drawing the bow? Let me lend you a hand!"

His warhorse charged downwards towards the Crown Prince, as if to forcefully collide and unseat him.

Mr. Liao's expression changed, raising the hard bow, nocking an arrow towards Prince Fu: "The Crown Prince is here, don't be reckless!"

But Prince Fu, facing the Black Iron Arrowhead, did not evade and laughed boldly: "Do you think I'm made of mud? Go ahead, shoot, and face your whole family's wrath!"

Mr. Liao turned pale but dared not actually release the arrow, urgently reminding, "Your Highness, avoid this madman!"

The Crown Prince did not evade, instead releasing the arrow, the bowstring rang loudly like thunder.

The black iron arrow flew forth, heading straight for Prince Fu's face. Prince Fu seemed truly insane, not even blinking as the arrow pierced through the crest above his head.

Such martial valor!

In an instant, Prince Fu was upon them. He abruptly reined in his horse before the Crown Prince, the majestic black warhorse rearing high, blocking out the sky!

Mr. Liao attempted to pull the Crown Prince away from the saddle, but the Crown Prince calmly watched the falling hooves: "Let him come."

At the crucial moment, Prince Fu tugged the reins, causing the horse to land its hooves just a hair's breadth away from the Crown Prince.

A Crown Prince, an Eldest Prince, neither was cowed.

The Eastern Palace attendants were shocked, abandoning the bear hunt to surround Prince Fu. Zhou Kuang and the Five Armies Camp men behind Prince Fu also stepped forth, swords drawn.

Prince Fu suddenly laughed heartily: "Excellent! The Zhu family has no cowards! You dared to shoot that arrow earlier, I won't hold it against you. Had you not dared and instead hid behind this Mr. Liao, I'd look down on you."

He pointed his whip at the Crown Prince with a smile: "Do you know why I haven't contested you all these years?"

The Crown Prince remained silent.

Prince Fu, with great interest, said, "I haven't contested because I truly believe you are more like an emperor than I, and more suited to be emperor. Before the succession was decided, you used those vile tactics to tarnish my reputation, yet I didn't hold it against you. I reasoned, if I were to become emperor, I might not handle those treacherous ministers' dirty tricks, but if you become emperor, then it's your headache. As long as you can safeguard our Zhu family's empire, what's the harm in you sitting on that throne?"

Prince Fu gazed at the Crown Prince: "But over the years, you've become increasingly impatient and intolerant of others. Don't you know, leaving others a way out is also allowing yourself a way out? Mother has always treated people kindly in the palace, never harsh towards Imperial Concubine Xue, yet you seek to doom her, now your enemies include not just Father, but also me."