Chapter 8

As the fierce cold wind blew and dark clouds floated in the sky, it was early winter in Mianshang, where the temperature was cool and the earth was a desolate yellow.

From a distance, the soldiers of the Zhao clan, who once harvested the left ears and heads of enemy soldiers on the battlefield, were now hunters in the countryside, preparing to capture the prey that had been nourished by the earth for a whole year, growing fat and strong.

As the deer horn sounded, the creatures in the Mianshang hunting grounds began to leap and flee through the sparse grass, including hares, pheasants, deer, elk, and geese. Their pursuit and death would bring the nobles a bloody and thrilling pleasure.

The Zhao clan's chariot formation was slowly unfolding from behind.

The skill in hunting lies in the encirclement, driving the prey to a predetermined hunting ground. This not only improves the efficiency of the hunt but also has a strong military training significance.

Of course, the annual spring hunt, summer hunt, autumn hunt, and winter hunt are all conducted during the agricultural off-season. This is also how the lords of the Spring and Autumn period trained their archery, charioteering, and chariot driving. Everything must be done according to rules: not violating the agricultural season, not taking bird eggs, not killing pregnant animals, not injuring young animals, not destroying bird nests, and leaving some prey when hunting...

However, excited young people, if unsupervised, would not pay much attention to these rules.

From a high vantage point, the first to move was Bo Lu's central army. Although Bo Lu's character was gentle and he did not like to compete, under the urging of his younger brothers and the encouragement of some loyal retainers, he sometimes had no choice but to compete. Now, with the help of the family司马 (military commander), he held a bronze halberd and directed the entire chariot formation, driving the prey to the open space in the forest for slaughter.

At least so far, he was still the most likely heir, the eldest legitimate son!

The right flank moved, and Zhong Xin, who had always believed that chariot warfare was the noblest, leaned on the chariot railing and secretly vowed to capture more prey than Zhao Wu Xu, to show that arrogant bastard what a true noble army was.

His charioteer, Cheng He, had a white silk bandage on his face, with spots of blood visible. The fact that Zhao Wu Xu had not been punished was truly unexpected. With a sense of frustration, Cheng He sharply pulled the reins, causing the horses to feel pain and pull the heavy war chariot into a mad gallop.

Shu Qi's pale, beardless face no longer showed a smile. He had calculated and schemed, intending to create enmity between Wu Xu and Zhong Xin. Although the current situation was similar, Wu Xu's performance today not only surpassed Zhong Xin but also left him, who had been watching from the sidelines, far behind. It was like a fisherman waiting for the crane and the clam to fight, only to find that the crane was not trapped by the clam but had instead devoured it and was about to soar into the sky!

He urged his charioteer, She Tuo, to hunt fiercely, fearing to fall behind Wu Xu again and be seen as useless by his father.

Finally, the left flank moved. Zhao Wu Xu rode on horseback, carrying a horn bow, with Yu Xi and Mu Xia, his two subordinates, following closely behind. Behind them were seventy-two foot soldiers waving bronze short swords to scare and drive the beasts, and several supply wagons to carry the prey.

In the Spring and Autumn period, when the states of the Huaxia nations were arrayed for battle or hunting, the right flank was considered the most prestigious, while the left flank was slightly lower in status. However, overall, this position was still important. Zhao Wu Xu knew that he had crossed a threshold and had received the first formal recognition from Zhao Yang, allowing him to compete on the same field as his half-brothers!

With the opportunity at hand, he must seize it, because only by securing the position of the family heir and becoming the successor could he change the fate of the Zhao clan and his sister Ji Ying.

Zhao Wu Xu's eyes were sharp, and he drew his bow, shooting arrows left and right with perfect accuracy. Unfortunately, most of the prey on the left flank were small animals. In no time, the supply wagons behind him were hung with over a dozen hares, but the number, though large, was clearly insufficient.

Moreover, he was only thirteen years old, and his body had not fully developed. After drawing a heavy horn bow more than ten times, his arms began to ache, and his pace gradually slowed. Thinking of the Tartar emperor who could shoot three hundred rabbits in a day, known as the "rabbit-shooting maniac" by history enthusiasts, Zhao Wu Xu felt he could not even come close.

Yu Xi and Mu Xia, who came from the stables, had no large-scale hunting experience and limited archery skills, so their role as subordinates was quite limited. It seemed that winning this competition would not be an easy task.

At this moment, the wind blew the grass low, and a rare white elk appeared before everyone's eyes, causing a chorus of exclamations.

...

The thrilling chase belonged to the young, while Zhao Yang and Yue Qi sat on a high platform, sipping wine and watching the human and animal chase.

Although there had been a brief disorder earlier, Zhao Yang was quite satisfied with the performance of the Zhao clan's chariot formation. However, the forester sent to find Gu Bu Ziqing reported that no one had been found near Jie Zitui's tomb, which greatly disappointed him.

At this moment,

"Elk, it's a white elk!" someone shouted loudly.

A white elk? Zhao Yang was secretly delighted and could not help but stand up to look.

To foreign visitors, Mianshang was the site of Jie Zitui's tomb, the loyal minister who, after cutting flesh to feed his lord, was tragically burned alive in a man-made fire. His tragic story had spread throughout the nine provinces.

However, in the eyes of the old aristocratic clans of the Jin state, especially those like the Zhao and Wei clans, whose ancestors had followed Duke Wen of Jin during his exile, Jie Zitui did not receive much respect.

Was Zhao Cui, who followed Duke Wen of Jin, a traitor? He was skilled in diplomacy and won the favor and support of the three hegemonic lords, Duke Huan of Qi, King Cheng of Chu, and Duke Mu of Qin, playing a role no less significant than Jie Zitui, who only contributed by cutting flesh to feed Duke Wen once?

Therefore, for the Zhao clan, the significance of Mianshang was not just that.

Eighty years ago, the "Xiaogong Disaster" almost wiped out the Zhao clan, but for the "Orphan of the Zhao Clan," Zhao Wu, to survive, the family was able to continue.

When Zhao Wu grew up, it was in Mianshang that the new hegemonic lord, Duke Dao of Jin, held a grand hunt, a military parade. During this hunt, he promoted Zhao Wu and officially granted him the position of lower minister, marking the beginning of the Zhao clan's revival after years of silence.

Therefore, the Zhao clan regarded Mianshang as a blessed land. When the royal house declined and the six ministers fiercely divided the Jin state's territories, Zhao Yang did everything possible to incorporate Mianshang and its surrounding areas into his jurisdiction.

Now, this blessed land seemed to be showing its magic again. Was the long-awaited auspicious omen finally appearing?

Zhao Yang stood by the railing on the high platform and raised his hand, "Pass the order down, whoever can capture that white elk will receive this lacquered bow bestowed by the Son of Heaven as a reward!"

"The lord orders, whoever captures the white elk will be rewarded with the bow!"

"The lord orders, whoever captures the white elk will be rewarded with the bow!"

The forester passed Zhao Yang's order down, and the entire Zhao clan's chariot formation went into a frenzy.

For the honor bestowed by their lord, and for the unseen competition for the position of the family heir.

Under the leadership of the four gentlemen, the central army, the right flank, and the left flank all accelerated, beginning a three-sided encirclement.

The clever white creature sensed the impending danger and quickly leaped and ran through the grass, like a white spot flashing on the yellow-green earth.

At this moment, the advantage of Zhao Wu Xu riding alone became apparent.

It was speed!

Formation was no longer important, and the three of them gradually overtook the main force, rushing to the front of the chariot formation!

No matter how skilled the charioteers of his three elder brothers were, no matter how loudly the whips cracked, they could not match the speed of a single rider!

The galloping horse drew closer and closer to the elk, and Zhao Wu Xu could even see the dark white spots on its body.

Yu Xi and Mu Xia prepared to draw their bows and aim, but before they could fully draw their bows, the white elk entered their young master's range, and the decisive Zhao Wu Xu did not hesitate to draw his bow.

He pulled the composite bow into a crescent shape and shot an arrow at the elk's neck!

"Hit!" Yu Xi and Mu Xia could not help but cheer softly for their master.

However, the white female elk seemed to have anticipated this, and with a nimble leap to the side, it managed to dodge the arrow. Yu Xi and Mu Xia could not help but sigh in disappointment.

The white elk did not give Zhao Wu Xu another chance. It galloped up a small hill and ran into the dense forest.

Zhao Wu Xu did not hesitate for a moment. He spurred his horse to cross a small river and enter the forest, closely following the elk's tracks.

The three brothers, Bo, Zhong, and Shu, who arrived later, were stunned by the rugged hills, the pebbly riverbed, and the dense shrubs.

Panting foot soldiers and supply wagons loaded with prey arrived one after another but stopped in their tracks.

Zhao Bo Lu sighed, said nothing, and ordered his charioteer to turn the chariot around.

Zhao Zhong Xin looked incredulously at Zhao Wu Xu and his two subordinates riding away. He ordered his charioteer, Cheng He, to force the chariot forward, but the wheels were caught on obstacles in the riverbed and shrubs, making it impossible to move. This proud gentleman had to swallow the bitter pill of defeat, angrily throwing his bow and arrows to the ground and stomping on them in frustration.

However, the most bitter person was the schemer Zhao Shu Qi. If he had known that riding alone was so effective, why had he bothered to give Zhao Wu Xu advice? It was truly hateful to spend so much effort sewing clothes for others!

The white elk was like the position of the family heir, and in the competition among the four sons, only one could capture the elk and return.

However, Zhao Wu Xu's journey was not as smooth as others imagined. After they entered the forest, they were often obstructed by branches and thorns, which made it difficult to match the elk that had grown and thrived in the forest. In no time, the white elk disappeared from sight, and the fallen leaves on the ground covered its tracks.

The three of them were very unwilling and expanded their search area. Unexpectedly, they did not find the elk but discovered a large creature and a destitute traveler facing it on the other side of the forest.

...

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