Chapter 32: The Imperial Uncle Gets Jealous and Loses His Composure
The Hu people were easy to distinguish by their appearance, and Fu Tangli’s eyesight was good. With just that one glance, she had already recognized him as the Imperial Son-in-law of Princess Linchuan, Li Huai’en.
What was this person doing, hiding there without a sound?
Fu Tangli’s hands and feet turned cold. A sudden sense of alarm rose in her. She drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and pointed it in that direction, while at the same time, she urged her white horse to back away slowly, wanting to leave this place as quickly as possible.
But it was too late.
With a roar, the fierce growl of a beast was heard. A cheetah suddenly shot out from behind the bushes, bringing with it a pungent, foul wind, and lunged at Fu Tangli. Fu Tangli was terrified, her heart almost leaping out of her throat. There was no way to escape. She gritted her teeth and shot an arrow at the cheetah.
After all, her hand had trembled a little. The arrow went wide, grazing the cheetah’s ear and drawing a string of blood beads.
The cheetah was enraged. It let out a huge roar, leaped up, and charged viciously, biting the white horse’s neck.
The white horse neighed pitifully, thrashing about, kicking at the cheetah with its hooves in a desperate struggle.
Fu Tangli rolled off the horse. Without any hesitation, she endured the pain and quickly got up to flee.
The cheetah was only held back by the white horse for a moment. Soon, it had killed the horse and was chasing after her, its roars echoing.
Fu Tangli was startled. Her foot was caught by a tree root, and she stumbled, falling again. In her panic, she only had time to glance back.
The cheetah had already caught up, its bloody mouth wide open, revealing its sharp fangs.
Fu Tangli’s eyes widened.
In a flash, the clear cry of a falcon came. A white shadow dove down from the sky like lightning. The fierce Haidongqing spread its massive wings, extended its sharp claws, and with a dull thud, collided with the cheetah.
Grass and dust flew. The raptor and the fierce beast were locked in a struggle, rolling and pouncing. They each let out horrifying sounds from their throats. Blood splattered, and the foul smell in the air grew stronger.
Fu Tangli shivered, gasping for breath. She crawled over, wanting to pick up the bow and arrow that had fallen on the ground.
From behind her ear came the sharp sound of something cutting through the air. A black light came through the clouds and flashed past her eyes, so fast that she couldn’t see it clearly, only feeling a chill on her brows.
With a thud, a black iron arrow pierced through the tip of the Haidongqing’s wing and accurately penetrated the center of the cheetah’s face. Its momentum did not decrease, and it carried the cheetah with it, pinning it to a tree trunk. The arrow was embedded in the cheetah’s head, only the fletching still trembling.
The cheetah opened its mouth and let out a muffled roar, but only half of it. An arrow, like a meteor, whistled through the air, followed by three more in succession, hitting the cheetah’s mouth and throat, embedding it completely in the tree trunk, so that it could no longer make a sound. Its limbs twitched for a moment, then went limp.
Fu Tangli, still in shock, finally heard the sound of hooves.
Zhao Shangjun came galloping on horseback, as swift as the wind. As he drew near, he reined in his horse sharply. The black horse reared up, almost standing on its hind legs. Zhao Shangjun leaped down and, in a few steps, was before Fu Tangli, leaning down.
He said nothing. He looked at her, and that gaze was probably gentle.
Fu Tangli seemed not to have recovered her senses yet. She was dazed, her eyes red.
Zhao Shangjun hugged her, holding her in his arms, and gently patted her back, silently comforting her.
The Haidongqing fluttered to the black horse’s saddle, cooing, and rubbing the blood from its feathers with its beak. The black horse snorted in dissatisfaction and shook its head.
The armor was hard and cold against Fu Tangli’s cheek, but his embrace was so broad and secure. His scent was still that of ebony and white plum blossoms, a faint bitterness. Perhaps the mountain forest wind had mixed in, bringing with it the scent of forest musk, a masculine, dry scent.
Fu Tangli’s heart had not yet calmed down. Now it was beating even faster. Her face was burning hot. She moved in his embrace, perhaps wanting to shake her head, but he was holding her too tightly. Her movement was just a couple of rubs against his chest, like the tender wings of a fledgling, fluttering.
Zhao Shangjun was brushed by the tips of those wings. He let out a sound that was almost a sigh and patted her back again, as if coaxing her. “I’m here. It’s alright now. Don’t be afraid.”
Fu Tangli immediately felt wronged. She looked up in Zhao Shangjun’s embrace, as if tattling, and said to him, “I saw him. It was Li Huai’en. That was his cheetah. How hateful that barbarian is! I have no grievance with him. Why would he want to kill me?”
Zhao Shangjun ruffled Fu Tangli’s hair. “It’s your own fault for running around and seeing something you shouldn’t have.”
“What did I see?” Even as clever as Fu Tangli was, she couldn’t understand at this moment. “I didn’t see anything.”
Zhao Shangjun pointed into the distance and said nonchalantly, “A little further on is my Black Armor Army’s main camp. That barbarian Li Huai’en probably wanted to take the opportunity to spy on it and was accidentally discovered by you, which is why he wanted to silence you.”
What kind of luck was this? It was too unlucky. If she had known, she wouldn’t have come in this direction.
Fu Tangli looked around. The mountain forest was empty and quiet, with no one around, only a horse and a falcon, and a cheetah pinned to a tree trunk. The Haidongqing named Yaoguang saw her and even stretched its neck and let out a loud cry, trying to intimidate her.
She was vexed and couldn’t help but sigh. “The military camp of Your Highness, the Prince of Huai, is an important place. It should be strictly guarded. How can you let people approach it at will, without any warning?”
Zhao Shangjun’s expression was placid. “Mount Beiqi is a forbidden area for the imperial family and has never allowed outsiders to approach. It is only opened when His Majesty and the Crown Prince want to hunt. As for the vicinity of the southern slope camp, it is even more heavily guarded. Normally, if anyone were to set foot here, they would have been shot dead with a volley of arrows long ago.”
Fu Tangli’s heart pounded violently.
The spring sun was brilliant, but Zhao Shangjun was leaning over, against the light, and the color in his eyes grew particularly deep. A faint smile slowly appeared on his lips. “I saw you coming this way, so I ordered them all to withdraw. I’ve been waiting for you here for a long time. I even pretended not to see that barbarian when he came, for fear of startling you and making you run away again.”
He was waiting here for her to walk into his trap.
In that instant, Fu Tangli felt a chill run down her spine. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t say a word. She secretly shrank back.
But Zhao Shangjun was still holding her, not letting her leave in the slightest. He pressed the back of her head, pulling her toward him. He was fond of this posture; it was a form of absolute control over her.
“I just want to ask you, what did Zhao Yuanjia say to you? Why was he so close? Was there something that others couldn’t hear?”
That was the scene at the hunting ground camp just now. So, this man had been in the woods nearby the whole time. He had been spying.
How long had he been spying?
Fu Tangli’s heart trembled. She flung her hand, trying to push him away. “It’s none of your business. I don’t want to say.”
Zhao Shangjun easily brought her down with one hand, pressing her to the ground, holding her shoulder, and showing an almost gentle smile. “What did he say? Tell me.”
Before, when she had seen him, he had always been wearing a wide Daoist robe, cool and proud, like a celestial immortal. But now, he was in a suit of black armor, as grim as a beast in the mountain forest. At such a close distance, pressing down on her from above, he seemed exceptionally powerful and strong, his heavy presence almost enough to crush an army.
Fu Tangli ultimately could not resist that intimidation. She was silent for a moment, then said reluctantly, “I had refused the pheasant the Crown Prince offered, so he said that if I wanted any prey, he would hunt it for me.”
Zhao Shangjun let out a long, sigh-like sound. He slowly leaned down, getting closer and closer, his shadow completely enveloping her. It was a dangerous distance, just a hair’s breadth away, or perhaps no gap at all. He lowered his head, and their noses almost touched.
“Oh, right. You were fighting with another young lady over Zhao Yuanjia? Lihua, that’s really not like you.”
His breath brushed against her lips, a man’s, a male’s scent, shockingly hot, almost making her heart stop.
“Why not?” Fu Tangli forced herself to suppress her trembling, to maintain a calm expression, and said softly, “The Crown Prince is my rightful fiancé. I am to marry him in the future. Naturally, I cannot tolerate other young ladies coveting him. Isn’t that a matter of course?”
Zhao Shangjun’s thumb pressed on her lips. This gesture probably meant that she was not to speak anymore. The pad of his thumb was calloused, rough and dry, and it caressed her lips with an unspoken aggression, making her tremble.
His gaze was ice-cold. He let out a low laugh. “Lihua, you know how to displease me.”
This man’s skin was also fiery hot, completely at odds with his cool aura.
The corners of Fu Tangli’s eyes turned a rosy red. She was angry and aggrieved, feeling that this man was simply unreasonable. She struggled to bend her knees, trying to push him away. “You, you get up and talk.”
Her posture and movements were not quite right. In a moment of carelessness, she pressed against the hardest part of his body and even unconsciously rubbed against it.
In that instant, his body tensed, like a bow suddenly drawn to its fullest, the arrow sharp, ready to be released, but he forcefully restrained himself. The color in his eyes fluctuated, like a flame rising in an abyss. Even his voice became a little hoarse. “Shh, don’t move.”
The wind blew, and the beast’s blood was not yet cold, its foul smell permeating the wind.
Fu Tangli seemed to understand, and yet she didn’t. She just felt all the pores on her body stand on end, a cold sweat drenching her. She desperately pushed him away. At this moment, she had lost all her composed demeanor. She used her hands and feet, wretchedly, just wanting to escape from his grasp.
He let out a long sigh, relaxed his body, and no longer pressed down on her. But when she had crawled a couple of steps, he grabbed her ankle from behind. “Mm, why are you afraid of me? Lihua, didn’t I just save your life?”
Fu Tangli struggled to kick a couple of times, but how could she kick him away? She could only lie on the ground in frustration, biting her lip, and said sullenly, “You see, when I deceive you, you get angry. When I tell the truth, you also get angry. You, you’re always angry with me. How can I not be afraid?”
This was an old habit of hers. When she was displeased with him, her tone would carry a hint of complaint, soft and mushy.
Actually, she was still bold. At least, others did not dare to speak to him like this. Only she.
The feeling of being pressed against him had not yet faded, and he was aroused and trembling. He was a young, vigorous man. At this moment, the pain of his restraint was so great that his fingers, gripping her ankle, couldn’t help but tighten. “I was thinking, in this mountain wilderness, you are all alone. Perhaps you will encounter a wild beast and be devoured, or perhaps you will accidentally lose your footing and fall off a cliff…”
Fu Tangli suddenly turned back, her eyes wide, glaring at her with terror and anger.
They were too close. Zhao Shangjun could see his own reflection in her eyes. Her eyes were beautiful, like the magnificent spring light, charming and bright.
He was trapped in the spring light and could not escape.
“I’ll take you away. They won’t be able to find you. After some time, they will forget about you, won’t they?” he asked her in a low voice.
Fu Tangli wanted to retreat, to escape, but his hand was gripping her, so tightly that she couldn’t move. She could only answer him, “No!”
She was terrified, but she was also firm.
Zhao Shangjun suddenly smiled again, released her, and said gently, “Alright, I was just scaring you. I’ve already tried once. You’re so disobedient, so forget it.”
He stood up, straightening to his full height, and that tall, imposing presence became even stronger.
Fu Tangli’s hands and feet were weak. She managed to get up, leaning against a nearby tree to support herself. She lowered her head, turned her face to the side, her heart filled with guilt and fear, not daring to look at Zhao Shangjun.
The black horse came a little closer. Yaoguang spread its wings again, cried out twice, and flew from the saddle to Zhao Shangjun’s shoulder.
Zhao Shangjun had already regained his composure, at least on the surface. He was as calm as usual, noble and majestic. He patted the horse’s back and said to Fu Tangli, “Get on the horse. I’ll take you back.”
Fu Tangli’s white horse had been killed by the cheetah. It was still a good distance from the hunting ground camp, and it was indeed not easy to walk back.
She was very hesitant.
“I will not harm you.” He paused here, then smiled faintly and added gently, “Rest assured. At least I am not like you. I do not lie.”
The black horse was picky. It turned its head and sniffed at Fu Tangli. It probably smelled its master’s scent on her and then snorted, reluctantly agreeing.
Fu Tangli was silent for a long while, then hesitantly shuffled over and got on the horse. Zhao Shangjun took the reins and led them out of the woods.
And so, they walked along the mountain path.
In the distance, the green mountains were layered, and the flowing clouds were outside the mountains. The wind came and went from the forest, carrying the scent of spring, a wild, restless feeling, and a faint fragrance of grass and trees, a strange mixture.
Zhao Shangjun walked very slowly. Yaoguang grew impatient, flapped its wings, and flew away on its own. Only the black horse and he were left, strolling in the mountains, as if very leisurely.
Fu Tangli, on horseback, felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. There was no one else. The Black Armor cavalrymen had probably received the Prince of Huai’s orders and had already moved far away. Here, there were only the two of them, and neither was speaking.
This quiet solitude made Fu Tangli feel constrained. She hesitated for a long while, then called him in a small voice, “Daoist Master…”
“Mm,” he replied casually, without turning his head.
It was as if, without realizing it, they had become too familiar with each other.
Fu Tangli’s lips moved, but the words she wanted to say wouldn’t come out. She could only cough twice.
Zhao Shangjun misunderstood. “Rest assured. I will not let anyone bully you for nothing. In the future, I will have Li Huai’en pay with his head. It’s just that the time is not yet right. You just have to wait patiently for a while.”
Fu Tangli quickly refused. “I dare not trouble you, Daoist Master. I will go and ask the Empress and His Majesty to uphold justice for me.”
Zhao Shangjun’s pace did not change. He led the horse, as if casually, and said, “There is someone else behind Li Huai’en’s actions today. His target was me. You just happened to get caught in it. If you pursue this openly, you will not get justice and will only attract trouble. It’s better to leave it to me.”
Who would dare to instruct Li Huai’en, to give him the courage to spy on the Prince of Huai?
Fu Tangli thought about Zhao Shangjun’s words and was suddenly startled. “Daoist Master, do you mean to say…”
Zhao Shangjun looked back, glanced at Fu Tangli, raised his hand, and made a hushing gesture, stopping her next words. “Alright, don’t be too clever. Sometimes it’s a blessing for a woman to be a little foolish.”
Fu Tangli felt a chill in her hands and feet. For a moment, she couldn’t sort out the chaotic inside story, but she immediately replied, “Yes, I understand.” She paused for a moment, then continued politely, “In that case, there is no need for you to trouble yourself with this anymore, Daoist Master, and certainly no need to have Li Huai’en pay with his head. Let’s just drop it.”
Zhao Shangjun stopped and looked up at Fu Tangli. “Why?”
The black horse stopped with its master and finally grew a little impatient, shaking its head forcefully.
Fu Tangli remembered the scene from just now, her mind in a turmoil, her palms sweating. She gripped the saddle, so tightly that her knuckles hurt, to maintain her calm expression, and looked straight into Zhao Shangjun’s eyes. “Because I don’t want to owe you any more favors, Daoist Master.”
Zhao Shangjun’s expression did not change. He asked again, “Why?”
Fu Tangli lowered her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled for a moment, then quickly settled. She answered in a gentle and respectful tone, “There should not have been any connection between you and me in the first place. I don’t want to continue like this…”
Like this? How?
She clearly got stuck here, turned her face away, and her voice grew smaller. “…I cannot meet with you privately anymore, Your Highness, the Prince of Huai. You are the Crown Prince’s elder, and also my elder. I only have respect for you, nothing else, and I cannot have anything else.”
She always called him “Daoist Master.” When she occasionally called him “Your Highness, the Prince of Huai,” it was probably to distance herself from him.
Zhao Shangjun’s voice was low, with a certain restrained control. “Lihua, at the very least, I just saved your life. Is this how you repay me?”
Fu Tangli bit her lip and said softly, “Yes. I told you long ago, I am not a good person. Don’t like me. Why do you never believe me?”
Zhao Shangjun looked at Fu Tangli quietly. The color of his pupils was a little light. At this moment, looking at her, it was as if the winter snow had fallen into the night, so deep it was frightening.
But the mountain wind blew, and it was still the taste of spring, a vibrant wildness, a restless unease. It was a strange feeling, both quiet and dangerous, which made one’s mind in a turmoil.
Fu Tangli’s palms were gradually sweating.
After a long while, Zhao Shangjun suddenly raised his hand. He was extremely tall and easily grabbed Fu Tangli’s shoulder, pulling her toward him.
Fu Tangli was caught off guard. Her body tilted, and she almost fell from the horse. She let out a cry of alarm, her heart suddenly tightening.