With the answer he sought already in hand, Emperor Xuanwu did not summon Yun Shu to read any more memorials in the days that followed.
Five days passed swiftly. And just as Yun Shu, through her peerless card-playing skills, managed to win ten thousand taels of silver from Noble Consort Liu and Yun Chuhuan during a game of Dou Dizhu, the royal hunting grounds finally came into view.
Emperor Xuanwu was the first to enter the imperial camp designated solely for him. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes landed upon the incense burner placed at the very center.
[You chose Option B and lost your favorite incense burner.]
The line from the Simulation Life Selection System surfaced unbidden in Emperor Xuanwu's mind.
His gaze instinctively returned to the burner once more.
The cloud-patterned censer, held aloft by three soaring golden dragons, was said to be the life's work of a master craftsman from five centuries ago, who had spent eight painstaking years creating it. Its craftsmanship remained unmatched to this day, and its value as a collectible was immense.
It was, without a doubt, his favorite incense burner.
If it were to be lost… it would indeed be a shame.
Perhaps...
Emperor Xuanwu hesitated. Concerned that removing the burner might trigger some unexpected consequence, he purposefully waited a moment longer, ensuring no new message from the system would appear. Only then did he call out to Li Dehai with confidence.
"Have this incense burner moved somewhere inconspicuous, and replace it with an ordinary one."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Though Li Dehai was puzzled by the order, he carried it out without question.
When the young maid tasked with moving the burner asked where it should be stored, Li Dehai paused in thought. Then he struck upon the perfect idea.
"Place it among the miscellaneous storage. Somewhere deeper in, so it won't catch anyone's eye."
Autumn winds stirred the air. The deep blast of a horn rolled across the open plains of the royal hunting grounds.
Those who had only just settled into their respective tents quickly returned to the wide, flat field where the carriages had previously stopped.
Because their tent was closer, Yun Shu and Yun Chuhuan arrived swiftly, yet even so, the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince were already standing to either side of the elevated platform.
Emperor Xuanwu once again wore the ceremonial armor from the departure day. Amid the thunderous cries of "Long live His Majesty," he ascended to the center of the high platform.
To Yun Shu's surprise, there was none of the elaborate ceremony she had expected. After a brief rite to honor Heaven, the Emperor raised a bow and loosed the first arrow.
The autumn hunt had officially begun.
Perhaps because it occurred only once a year, the reward offered by the Emperor was especially generous this time. He publicly pledged a remarkable prize.
From opposite sides of the platform, the Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince exchanged a glance. In each other's eyes, they saw the same fierce ambition.
"Do you recall how the Crown Prince nearly hunted a tiger last year?" the Eldest Prince remarked, deliberately stressing the words 'nearly hunted'. His tone was laced with mockery.
"I must admit, I'm a little worried I'll lose to him this year."
"Then it seems you've been rather lax in your training," the Crown Prince replied coolly, the corners of his lips twitching in a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "That's not something I need to worry about."
"What's all this talk about worrying?"
The Third Prince, ever the gleeful stirrer of trouble, slipped in with a mischievous grin. "Come to think of it, this is the first time both Fifth Sister and Sixth Brother are joining the autumn hunt, isn't it?"
He clapped his hands as if struck by inspiration.
"How about this—each of us offers a prize. The top three in the hunt will get to choose among them. That way, Fifth Sister and the others can feel more involved."
Yun Shu blinked.
What nonsense was this?
Even if she somehow placed in the top three, what did that have to do with anything?
It was clear he just wanted to win a treasure and used her and Yun Chuhuan as an excuse.
Neither she nor Yun Chuhuan could even draw a bow properly.
Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes outright, Yun Shu was just about to refuse when Yun Chuhuan eagerly spoke up first.
"I'm in! I'll put up a bird-and-flower painting by Master Mengshan."
Yun Shu: "…"
Was this teammate of hers both rich and foolish?
Master Mengshan's flower-and-bird paintings were worth a fortune. The moment Yun Chuhuan made his offer, the Third Prince lit up with excitement.
"Since Sixth Brother is being so generous, I, as the elder brother, mustn't appear stingy. I'll offer a Yao Lin jade flute."
"I see everyone is in high spirits," the Eldest Prince joined in smoothly. "Then I shall contribute a fan made of dragon hide."
Having won first place in the past two autumn hunts, he was supremely confident in his skills. Since the prize would likely return to him anyway, he saw no harm in putting forth something especially precious. And it gave him a chance to needle the Crown Prince.
"I wonder what the Crown Prince intends to offer."
"Well, since even the Eldest Prince is willing to go all out, We would be remiss not to match him."
The Crown Prince cast the Eldest Prince a cool glance before replying.
"We shall contribute a gold Buddha pagoda, inlaid with turquoise and shaped like a bell."
"Ho!"
The Third Prince whistled in awe.
"The Crown Prince and the Eldest Prince are certainly generous. I'm beginning to feel a bit ashamed of myself!"
Despite his words, he immediately turned to pull the Fourth Prince, Yun Chuxi, into the fray.
"What about you, Fourth Brother? What's your wager?"
Yun Chuxi sighed and halted mid-step.
"I'll put forth a Xishan inkstone."
The Xishan inkstone, one of the Four Famous Inkstones, was valued at around five thousand taels of silver.
It was expensive, but compared to the other princes' offerings, it paled somewhat in grandeur.
The Third Prince reluctantly nodded.
"Fine, fine. And what about you, Fifth Sister?"
His gaze turned toward Yun Shu, and he posed in what he clearly thought was a charming manner.
"Father Emperor spoils you more than anyone. Surely you've no shortage of treasures."
"Oh, I have quite a few!"
The blade, having circled around the others, was now finally pointed at her. Yun Shu beamed with childlike delight and answered in a bright, cheerful voice.
"I'll put up a first-edition movable type printing template, a piece of historical importance and long-term impact."
So this was a contest in shamelessness?
Did they think she couldn't compete?
With an angelic smile, Yun Shu added, "Father Emperor said this invention was worthy of being recorded in the annals of history!"
The Eldest Prince and the others: "???"
The Third Prince: "!!!"
Damn it! He had met his match!
All those lofty words—historical importance, long-term impact, worthy of the annals—meant absolutely nothing when the so-called treasure was, in truth, just a bunch of carved radishes.
But the worst part?
They couldn't refute her.
Because every word she'd used was technically correct.
They had truly been outdone.