Because they had learned in advance about the cliff, Yun Shu and her group paid closer attention as they rode up the mountain, especially to narrow paths without any forks.
Meanwhile, Yun Shu picked up the thread of an earlier conversation, turning toward the guard who had spoken before.
"You mentioned earlier that you're familiar with the hunting grounds?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
The guard responded earnestly.
"The hunting grounds are vast and filled with hidden dangers. When the masters are not here, it's our duty to patrol every corner of the grounds and commit the terrain to memory. Once the masters arrive, we are assigned to their sides to serve as guides."
"I see."
Glancing casually around at the surrounding landscape, Yun Shu seemed to speak on a whim.
"Are there any hidden caves in these mountains? I read in storybooks that whenever a hero falls off a cliff, they always end up in some mysterious cave where they discover a legendary martial arts manual."
"How legendary are we talking?"
Before the guard could respond, Yun Chuhuan—who had been eavesdropping unintentionally—suddenly lit up.
"Would it be enough for me to beat Tang Muxi?"
Yun Shu blinked.
"Do you have a grudge against my cousin?"
"No…"
It was just a passing question, but Yun Chuhuan's evasive response was far more suspicious than expected. He stammered like someone harboring a secret he didn't want uncovered.
Raising an eyebrow, Yun Shu smoothly deployed her tried-and-true technique for coaxing secrets out of the Sixth Prince:
"Want hotpot? It's really good."
Yun Chuhuan hesitated, face twisting.
"There's really nothing to say."
Usually full of smug little princely pride, Yun Chuhuan now looked uncharacteristically bashful. His sulky, almost bashful expression made Yun Shu's skin crawl, but just as quickly, a spark of insight lit her eyes.
"Wait a minute. Could it be… because last time Cen Yiyi praised my cousin's martial arts skills?"
"It's not that!"
Yun Chuhuan blurted out the denial before he could stop himself, only to immediately realize how overly defensive he sounded. His face darkened with frustration as he slammed a small fist onto his saddle.
"I just think Cen Yiyi's an idiot who praises everyone she meets, yet she's never once said anything nice about me. It's irritating, that's all."
"Pfft—"
Yun Shu had been trying to spare the boy's dignity, hoping not to laugh outright. But unfortunately, she had never trained in the art of keeping a straight face. Her self-control crumbled, and she burst out laughing.
"What's so funny!"
Yun Chuhuan looked even more annoyed.
"I am Father Emperor's son. A prince of the realm. Am I really lesser than anyone else? Cen Yiyi just has no taste, that's all."
"You're right," Yun Shu nodded solemnly.
Who would've thought? Yun Chuhuan spent his days in the study hall constantly bickering with Cen Yiyi, sniping at her every chance he got. And the root of it all was that she praised everyone—except him.
Tsk. With Yun Chuhuan's proud and petulant nature, if things kept developing along this path, the "chasing his future wife to the crematorium" arc might end up even more dramatic than the original story.
Yun Shu silently claimed her front-row seat for this delicious drama.
She didn't say anything to clue the silly boy in. Cheerfully sidestepping the subject, she turned her attention back to the guard.
"So, are there really any caves in the mountain?"
"There are."
The guard scratched his head. He hadn't expected the Fifth Princess to circle back to the topic so casually.
"There's a small cave over in that direction. But we've been inside many times already. I can say for certain there are no martial arts manuals hidden there."
"Ah, right. I forgot you all have already explored everything."
Feigning disappointment, Yun Shu let out a small sigh, though her grip on the reins subtly shifted. She steered her short-legged pony toward the direction of that cave.
In the original storyline, the white "divine deer" used to lure the Crown Prince was first hidden in a mountain cave.
That meant the narrow path the "divine deer" would later lead the Crown Prince down must be somewhere near that cave.
"Fifth Princess, the cave is just up ahead."
After another quarter of an hour's ride, the guard spoke again.
"Would Your Highness like to take a look?"
"No need. Didn't you say there were no martial arts manuals?"
She wasn't joking. If they approached now and happened to run into men from the Eldest Prince's faction hiding there, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
Yun Shu shook her head decisively.
"Let's keep looking for narrow paths without forks. Once we find one, set more traps. Who knows, maybe we'll catch a brown bear or a tiger. If that happens, we'll be crowned champions of this year's autumn hunt, don't you think?"
The guard fell silent for a moment.
That was… simply not possible.
Beasts like brown bears and tigers had long been driven into the designated feral zone. Only hunters with the highest skills ventured that deep.
If such dangerous animals could appear in random areas, it would be far too easy for an accident to occur. What if a noble were injured?
Still, such discouraging words were best left unsaid.
He lowered his head obediently and followed Yun Shu's lead, continuing to search for the kind of narrow path she described.
Another fifteen minutes passed.
Then the guard finally spoke again.
"Fifth Princess, Sixth Prince, I believe this path we're on has no forks."
"Really?"
Yun Shu thought back.
"That does seem to be the case."
"So are we digging a trap now?" Yun Chuhuan tugged his reins excitedly and turned back to shout to the others. "Everyone get off your horses and grab the tools! We're digging right here!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The guards dismounted at once. Shovels and spades in hand, they set to work.
In just a short while, they had dug a pit over a meter deep.
"Fifth Princess, is this big enough?"
"It needs to be deeper. Wider too."
They were aiming to catch a deer, after all.
Yun Shu remembered that deer had long, slender legs and were capable of leaping great distances with ease. A shallow hole like this wouldn't even come close to doing the job.
She was about to explain when Yun Chuhuan beat her to it. His face darkened and his voice rang out sharply.
"Didn't you hear what my Fifth Sister just said? This trap is for catching brown bears and tigers! What's this little hole going to do? Fit half a bear's backside?"
The guards fell quiet.
They knew full well there were no bears or tigers in this area.
But what could they do?
When the young masters and mistresses insisted, all they could do was keep digging.