The young man, dressed in a black and red patchwork martial arts suit, squatted on the ground, staring unblinkingly at the pitch-black hole. For a moment, a small black shadow darted out of the hole with a "whoosh".
The young man was quick-witted, grabbed the rabbit's two ears and lifted it up. He smiled to reveal a row of white teeth, "Found another one, hahaha, quick, strike the gong!"
"Clang, clang——"
The follower neatly struck the gong, took out a small notebook, and meticulously wrote the first horizontal stroke of the character "Zheng".
Qin Qinian stood up with the rabbit, "It's still faster to find rabbit holes. Just hunting rabbits is too inefficient."
Ten rabbits are only worth one rabbit hole with live rabbits, so of course they should put their effort into the latter.
"Xuenu, quick, let's go find the next rabbit hole," Qin Qinian shouted into the hole.
Soon, another small creature, entirely snow-white, ran out of the pitch-black hole. The animal had a slender body, short limbs, a triangular head, large ears, and a fluffy tail. It was clearly a sable.
The snow sable climbed up the young man's shoulder along his lowered hand with a "whoosh". Qin Qinian was in high spirits, "Let's go, let's continue to other places. We can't let them get ahead..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of cymbals and suonas. He let out an "ouch" and said, "Qin Yanzhou and Rongrong are close behind, so I can't fall behind even more!"
He hurriedly led his people to find the next rabbit hole. Along the way, he unexpectedly saw a wild rabbit. Qin Qinian didn't miss this opportunity to score points.
The young man drew his bow and shot an arrow, never missing his target.
"Clang, clang——"
Two more gong sounds.
Anxious in his heart, Qin Qinian acted quickly. He lifted the rabbit and hurried to other places, not stopping for a moment.
He didn't know that shortly after he left, a group of people followed the sound to the place he had just been.
As a result, they missed him.
Looking at the traces on the ground, Qin Shaozong had already guessed what the other party was hunting. Just as he was about to order his subordinates to pass on an order, he heard two "clang clang" sounds again.
His five senses were sharper than others, and he was holding back anger in his heart. Now the sound of gongs and cymbals followed one after another, making Qin Shaozong's temples throb, and he even felt a little headache.
He dismissed the idea of sending someone over and went over personally again.
...
Qin Qinian was "clang clang clang clang" all the way. He had a fruitful harvest and was satisfied. Just as he was about to mount his horse and continue forward, he heard the sound of approaching horse hooves from behind.
The snow-covered twigs trembled slightly, and the snow fell rustling down.
There was definitely more than one rider.
Qin Qinian looked back curiously. From a distance, he saw a burly man in a black robe riding towards him.
The horse's hooves stepped on the snow, moving at lightning speed. The other party's momentum was majestic, and his clothes were blown into sharp arcs by the wind.
Winter was cold, and if the wind blew, it would be even colder. But the young man was hot-blooded. Qin Qinian hadn't felt cold since he woke up this morning, except for this moment——
A cold wind blew from nowhere, making Qin Qinian's back feel chilly.
Especially after meeting those narrow eyes, Qin Qinian wondered if it was an illusion, but he seemed to see rolling flames and lightning flashing with purple light in the sky.
Qin Qinian's scalp tingled slightly, and his hair stood on end inexplicably. He immediately stood to the side, making way, and motioned for his attendants to stand aside so as not to block the way.
After everything was ready, Qin Qinian kept his eyes and nose focused, waiting for his father to completely pass by.
But the red dragon stopped in front of him.
"Qin San." Two heavy words fell.
This ominous tone made the young man subconsciously shrink his neck, but his mind quickly thought it over.
No, what was he afraid of? He hadn't done anything bad!
Thinking of this, Qin Qinian instantly stood up straight and even took the initiative to talk to Qin Shaozong: "Father, I heard wolves howling everywhere last night. There must be a pack of wolves nearby. Are you going to hunt wolves?"
Qin Shaozong sneered, "With you around, your father won't be able to hunt a single hair."
Feng Feng, who was following Qin Shaozong, kept winking at Qin Qinian, motioning him to look at the guard holding the gong.
But at this moment, Qin Qinian couldn't see anything else. He was shocked by his father's words and said without hesitation, "How could that be? Your son is hunting rabbits, not competing with you."
Feng Feng's mouth twitched.
Qin Shaozong's face darkened a degree.
Did this kid really not understand, or was he pretending?
Truly enraged, Qin Shaozong whipped the young man in front of him with his horsewhip, "You bastard!"
Qin Qinian dodged subconsciously, but the tip of the whip still brushed his arm. He had thick skin and was used to being beaten. At this moment, compared to the pain, he felt more wronged, "I don't hunt wild beasts, why did you hit me, Father?"
"Who told you to beat gongs and drums everywhere? You take a broken gong and go clang clang clang everywhere. The wild beasts run away when they hear the sound. How are others supposed to hunt?" Qin Shaozong gritted his teeth.
Qin Qinian choked, realizing belatedly that the problem was the gong.
"I was doing it because..."
"Clash clash——"
At this time, the cymbals not far away started ringing again. After this side finished ringing, there were suonas playing.
Qin Shaozong got a headache from hearing it and called Feng Feng's name, "Feng Feng, go and confiscate all those broken cymbals and broken suonas for me."
Feng Feng took the order and quickly led his men into the forest.
After Feng Feng left, Qin Shaozong looked at his youngest son again, "What did you just say?"
Qin Qinian swallowed his saliva, "Father, there's a reason I was beating the gong. Qin Yanzhou, Rongrong, and I are competing to see who can hunt more rabbits and find more rabbit holes. Beating the gong is for communication, so we can inform each other of our progress."
"Clash clash——"
The cymbals not far away were still ringing.
The veins on Qin Shaozong's forehead throbbed twice more.
No need to ask, he had already guessed which little bastard came up with this idea.
No, maybe it wasn't a little bastard, it was a bad fox.
"Father, I won't continue beating the gong. Can I go now?" Qin Qinian was still thinking about the competition.
The gong was confiscated, but it didn't mean the competition was over.
He had to hurry up.
"Get lost. If you cause trouble for your father everywhere again, see how I deal with you." Qin Shaozong ordered someone to confiscate Qin Qinian's gong and led his people to continue inward.
But after walking a long way, the harsh "clash clash" sound lingered in his ears, making Qin Shaozong furious.
This sound kept ringing. Not to mention tigers, bears, and other beasts, even larger herbivores like deer completely disappeared.
"Did Feng Feng not eat breakfast today? Qiao Wangfei, you lead your men over there too."
...
Feng Feng didn't know that his superior had grown disgusted with him. If he knew, he would definitely be extremely depressed.
It wasn't that he wasn't doing his best, it was that he really couldn't catch the person.
For some reason, the other party seemed to know he was coming to catch them. They would knock for a while, stop for a while, and run very fast. When they had run enough, there would be two more "clash clash" sounds, which was no different from a provocation.
Feng Feng was so depressed that he almost vomited blood, and once doubted whether the other party was playing him.
However, not finding the cymbals didn't mean he had no harvest. He found the source of the suona sound, but the owner surprised him extremely.
“Young Lady Shi?”
Shi Rongyue was just holding a little white rabbit when she turned her head at the sound. She had met Feng Feng before and knew that he was the Platoon Commander of the Black Brave Cavalry.
However, she didn’t remember having any interactions with him.
At this time, Shi Rongyue didn’t pay too much attention to it. She merely gave Feng Feng a slight nod and then said to the person beside her, “Blow it.”
Feng Feng: “...”
“No, no, no!” Feng Feng hurriedly tried to stop it, but he was a step too late and could only watch helplessly as the suona blared “ba ba”.
In the Great Yan Dynasty, the suona was basically used as the musical accompaniment for folk weddings, funerals, and festive ceremonies. Now that the suona sounded, Feng Feng felt that his soul had been sent away along with it.
While the “ba ba” sound continued vigorously over there, Feng Feng wiped his face in despair.
“Platoon Commander Feng, what are you looking for me for?” Shi Rongyue asked.
Feng Feng dismounted from his horse. He didn’t answer Shi Rongyue’s question immediately, but walked silently toward the soldier. Snatching the suona from the soldier’s hand, Feng Feng couldn’t help but kick him in the butt, “Did you grow ears for nothing? Step aside.”
Seeing this, Shi Rongyue frowned, “Platoon Commander Feng, what is the meaning of this?”
“The Marquis has ordered that no musical instruments be used in the hunting ground.” Feng Feng coughed lightly and explained, “Once the instruments sound, the fierce beasts are scared away, making it difficult to hunt. I hope Young Lady Shi can forgive us.”
Shi Rongyue pursed her lips.
Since it was an order from Second Uncle, there was really nothing to be done.
“Young Lady Shi, I have to go find the person with the cymbals. I will take my leave first.” Feng Feng cupped his hands to her.
Shi Rongyue curtsied in return. While looking down, she seemed to think of something. After the other party got on his horse, the young girl also climbed onto horseback and followed behind Feng Feng.
Feng Feng glanced back but didn’t say anything more.
The “cha cha” sound of the cymbals was still ringing.
Qiao Wangfei and Feng Feng followed the sound and attacked from both sides, finally catching the last source of the noise.
“Young Master Qin, musical instruments are not allowed in the hunting ground. Please hand over the cymbals to us.” Feng Feng looked as if he was facing a formidable enemy.
Along the way here, a smart person like Feng Feng had already figured out some clues on his own.
When had the Marquis ever been so low-key when hunting tigers in the past? Moreover, he had clearly seen the Marquis eating dry rations earlier, quickly and casually. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like he was in a hurry.
Now that there was a case of playing music in the hunting ground, the leaders were actually Young Master Qin and the Third Young Master.
Something was wrong!
Could it be that Young Master Qin was secretly...
But what surprised both Feng Feng and Qiao Wangfei was that the young man who was stopped not only obediently handed over the cymbals but also handed over the accompanying attendants around him.
He was extremely cooperative, looking as if he clearly realized his mistake.
Holding the cold cymbals in his hands, Feng Feng was in a daze for a moment, feeling that it was somewhat unreal. However, completing the task was a good thing. He cupped his hands to Qin Yanzhou, “The matter is settled. We will go back and report first.”
Feng Feng and Qiao Wangfei left with their men.
Shi Rongyue had observed the whole way and felt quite strange in her heart, vaguely noticing something. She dismounted and stepped forward, “Young Master Qin, my suona was also confiscated. How about we just don’t use musical instruments for the rest of the competition and just count the numbers?”
Qin Yanzhou looked at the retreating figures of Feng Feng and the others and smiled almost imperceptibly, “No, we still have to use them.”
Shi Rongyue was stunned, “Still use them? But the instruments were taken away, and Second Uncle won’t let us use them either.”
Qin Yanzhou said, “You don’t have to use them, but I will still use them.”
Shi Rongyue’s eyebrows twitched slightly: “Young Master Qin, actually, is it...”
She choked for a moment, and her subsequent words turned into, “Then, then I’ll use them with you.”
Qin Yanzhou looked at the little girl who only reached his lips. She was currently looking up at him slightly, her light brown eyes like pomelo konpeito hidden in glass.
The young man shook his head, “You clearly realized it, so why take the risk with me?”
Shi Rongyue had indeed realized it. When she followed Feng Feng over just now, she had been pondering it along the way. The strange feeling reached its peak when Qin Yanzhou said “still have to use them”.
He was doing it on purpose.
“We agreed on it at the time.” Shi Rongyue smiled, “Besides, the law does not punish the masses.”
Qin Yanzhou: “...Two people don’t count as the masses.”
“I heard that Second Uncle has never raised a hand against young ladies, and my mother will definitely help me. You don’t need to worry, Young Master Qin.” The dimples on Shi Rongyue’s face deepened.
Qin Yanzhou pondered for a moment, “Follow me first.”
Qin Yanzhou’s attendants had all been dismissed, while those following Shi Rongyue were the people Qin Hongying had brought from the Shi family in Nanyu.
Strictly speaking, they were Shi Rongyue’s own people.
They rode their horses for a distance. Qin Yanzhou stopped his horse in front of a crooked neck tree. He looked around and finally selected a spot to dig. Before long, a new gong and cymbals were dug out of the snow pile.
Shi Rongyue: “!”
*
“Marquis, the cymbals and suona have all been retrieved.” Feng Feng returned with the items and reported, “The cymbals were used by Young Master Qin, and the suona was blown by someone ordered by Young Lady Shi.”
Qin Shaozong remained expressionless and was not surprised.
Although that brat Qin San was noisy, he definitely couldn’t come up with such a wicked idea.
Qin Shaozong: “Since it has been resolved, let’s go.”
Tigers generally wouldn’t appear on the outskirts of the forest. More than half an hour later, just as this imposing tiger hunting team attempted to drive straight in—
“Dang dang dang!”
The familiar sound of the gong drifted over again.
After the gong sounded, there was also the sound of cymbals. It was like singing an opera; one would sing and the other would rest.
Qin Shaozong flew into a rage, “Didn’t you say they had all been confiscated?”
Feng Feng and Qiao Wangfei were both dumbfounded.
Feng Feng hurriedly said, “Marquis, at that time Young Master Qin only had one pair of cymbals. This subordinate indeed took them away, Old Qiao can testify.”
Qiao Wangfei nodded, “He carried very few things.”
Hunting emphasizes being light and agile, so the items carried are generally not too many, usually a bow and arrows, a knife, a water skin, and a net for catching prey.
Absolutely no one would carry a large backpack, so whether they hid anything was truly obvious at a glance.
Qin Shaozong took a deep breath, “That little brat must have hidden the things elsewhere. You two lead people to keep an eye on him and don’t let him continue to make trouble.”
The two cupped their hands in acknowledgement and immediately led their men to follow the sound.
...
Qin Qinian also heard the sound of cymbals and... gongs.
Gongs?
The young man pricked up his ears and listened again. It was indeed the sound of a gong.
But what was going on? Wasn’t it agreed that Qin Yanzhou would use the cymbals, Rongrong would use the suona, and he would beat the gong? But now his gong had been taken away by his father, so where did this gong sound come from?
However, this doubt only circled in his mind for a moment before Qin Qinian cast it aside.
Who cares why, hunting rabbits is more important.
As a result, Qin Qinian had just walked a short distance with high morale when he was stopped by Feng Feng, who he bumped into.
“Third Young Master, can you stop for a while?” Feng Feng urged earnestly, “The Marquis’s mood seems unclear today, so please don’t add fuel to the fire.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? How am I not stopping?” Qin Qinian was confused, and then he belatedly became angry, “It wasn’t me beating the gong just now!”
Feng Feng's eyes filled with suspicion, but after glancing around, he indeed saw no sign of a gong.
No?
Then who was bold enough to do this?
It was indeed not him, for the gong sounded once more.
"Clang, clang, clang—"
Instead of striking twice, it was hit three times in a row.
Qin Qinian let out a breath of frustration. "See? It really wasn't me!"
Looking embarrassed, Feng Feng cupped his hands and apologized. "My apologies, Third Young Master. I still have a mission to attend to, so I shall not disturb your leisure any longer."
With that, he hurriedly led his men away.
Qin Qinian watched his retreating back and muttered, "Something isn't right. Only the three of us knew about using sounds to signal the rabbit hunt. Where did these other gongs come from? Is it Qin Yanzhou? It must be him, but why would he act like this? Could it be that hunting rabbits and looking for rabbit holes was just a decoy..."
CR
Qin Yanzhou led Shi Rongyue further in, narrowly avoiding two groups of people.
When they heard the sound of approaching hoofbeats for the third time, he turned to Shi Rongyue and said, "Miss Shi, stay here for now. We must part ways temporarily."
At first glance, his words sounded unfeeling, but Shi Rongyue caught the underlying meaning. "You want to face them alone?"
This time, the people coming to catch them had brought a massive force. Just from the sound of the galloping hooves and the dust and shadows rising in the distance, it was clear there were many of them.
"Young Master Qin, do you still plan to continue with your plans after this?" Shi Rongyue asked.
Qin Yanzhou nodded. Not entirely sure what compelled him to explain, he added, "What happens during daylight today is of the utmost importance."
Shi Rongyue suddenly asked, "Do you have things hidden in other places? If you do, could you tell me? I can... help you."
Qin Yanzhou remained silent, simply looking at her.
His dark eyes were incredibly deep and quiet, like a still, mirror-like black pool that could reflect a person's innermost thoughts.
The young girl looked down at her toes, kicking at a little mound of snow with her white boots as she whispered, "Once they find you, they will definitely keep a close eye on you. But I am different. I am a young lady, so I won't easily draw suspicion. Even if they see through my act, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to lay a hand on me. Young Master Qin, you saved my life. It is only right that I help you."
Qin Yanzhou's gaze shifted past her, sweeping over the several guards accompanying her.
These were the Shi family's personal guards. It was evident that Qin Hongying cared deeply for her daughter's safety; every guard assigned to her was robust and powerful. If they worked together, they would even stand a chance against a small pack of wolves.
"You have my thanks, Miss Shi."
Shi Rongyue looked up in pleasant surprise, her amber eyes shining brightly. "Don't worry, I will definitely get this done for you."
Dai Li remained at the main camp. Ever since Qin Shaozong set out, she would occasionally peek outside. Unfortunately, the sun hadn't come out today, making it difficult to judge the time by the height of the golden crow.
When the first sound of the gong drifted over, a satisfied smile touched the corners of her lips, and she began to leisurely eat her noodle soup.
The sounds of gongs, cymbals, and suonas started and stopped, echoing intermittently until they finally ceased entirely right at the hour of Wei.
In winter, the days were short and the nights were long; by the end of the hour of Shen, the sky would be completely dark. And the time between the hour of Wei and the end of the hour of Shen was little more than two hours.
"How strange. Just who is out there beating gongs and drums all over the hunting grounds?" Qin Hongying wondered aloud.
Dai Li was in an exceedingly good mood. "Perhaps it is someone offering congratulations."
Qin Hongying misunderstood her meaning. "Carrying a gong and drum around to strike in celebration upon hunting a fierce beast—that is quite a novel idea."
Dai Li smiled but said nothing.
...
Two hours later, the daylight gradually faded, and the firmament was draped in a thin veil of black. Ever since dusk fell, the sunlight was swallowed up at an increasingly rapid pace, until in the blink of an eye, only a faint sliver remained.
Just as the last ray of sunlight in the sky was extinguished and the main camp lit its torches, Qin Shaozong returned.
Hearing the successive calls of "The Marquis has returned," Dai Li eagerly went out to greet him.
Not far away, the man sat astride a crimson steed. Dressed in a black robe and carrying a longbow on his back, his posture was heroic and extraordinary. Flanked by a throng of attendants, his imposing aura felt as vast as the mountains and seas.
However, that was all there was to it.
Let alone fierce beasts like tigers and bears, he had not even brought back secondary prey like wolves and deer.
Dai Li instantly bloomed with joy, her eyes curving into happy crescents.
And just as Dai Li saw Qin Shaozong, he saw her as well. He watched her rush out in a flurry, take one look at him, and then beam with a smile as beautiful as a flower.
That smile was genuinely radiant, even brighter and more brilliant than the clear moon that had already revealed itself in the sky.
Qin Shaozong ground his back teeth, his expression turning even fouler.
In his thirty-odd years, he had gone on countless hunts. He had hunted tigers, beaten black bears, shot down packs of wolves, and even harvested the white deer that symbolized auspiciousness.
The only thing he had never done was return empty-handed.
But it couldn't be helped; there was absolutely nothing along his path. He hadn't encountered a single large animal. As for the smaller prey, Qin Shaozong disdained the thought of bringing them back.
Bringing a mere rabbit back to see her would be worse than not returning at all...
The people gathering around, who had originally intended to flatter and congratulate him, looked at one another in dismay, momentarily at a loss for words.
It was truly a sight rarely seen in a lifetime—the Marquis of Wu'an had actually returned empty-handed?
"You have worked hard, My Lord," Dai Li said with a smile, walking up to his crimson steed.
Qin Shaozong gritted his teeth. "You look exceedingly cheerful, Madam."
"Of course. I am happier than anyone else that you have returned safely from the tiger's jaws, My Lord. Whether you caught any prey or not does not matter. If there is nothing this time, we can simply wait for the next." Dai Li smiled brightly, even reaching out to steady his reins.
Qin Shaozong vaulted off his horse. "Today cannot be considered a failure."
Dai Li looked at him in confusion. Meeting those narrow eyes surging with dark fire, her brow twitched.
"I indeed failed to hunt a tiger, but I did catch a wicked fox. Later tonight, I will most certainly strip this fox bare and spread it out for you to take a very good look at, Madam." His final sentence sounded as though it had been squeezed out through his teeth.