"They're not fools, you know!"
Yun Chuhuan, still disgruntled after being scolded by Yun Shu, muttered his protests.
"If it really were Eldest Brother and his men, wouldn't they just turn back the way they came?
And as for anyone else, they don't deserve to fight this prince for anything!"
"You—"
That brash, cocky tone was making a comeback again—loud where he ought to whisper, arrogant where he ought to be cautious.
Yun Shu had just opened her mouth to say more when she suddenly reached over and yanked Yun Chuhuan toward her, clapping a firm hand over his mouth.
"Quiet. There's something approaching."
"Mm-mm-mm!"
What? Prey?
Yun Chuhuan, eyes wide, squirmed to peer through the gaps in the vines. Sure enough, a flash of pale white flickered in and out of view between the trees.
It looked like…
"Mm-mm!"
A divine deer! That was a divine deer!
Hadn't he said all along they'd catch something big today?
Yun Chuhuan nearly burst from excitement, bouncing in place several times. If Yun Shu hadn't been covering his mouth, he would've cried out on the spot.
The rhythmic sound of hooves drew closer—da-da, da-da—and the white figure of the "divine deer" darted ahead, followed closely by riders.
The Crown Prince and his entourage had entered their line of sight.
"Mm-mm-mm!"
The Crown Prince?!
Yun Chuhuan froze mid-bounce.
His eyes flitted nervously between the deer and the Crown Prince's group, and after a moment, he gave Yun Shu's arm a gentle pat.
"Mm-mm."
The sound was barely audible.
Yun Shu understood the signal and finally removed her hand from his mouth.
"What is it?"
"If the divine deer falls into our trap first, let's charge out and claim it!"
Yun Chuhuan whispered urgently.
"Otherwise, Second Brother will definitely take it for himself!"
"…You really think if we jump out, the deer will become ours?"
Yun Shu looked at him as if he were hopelessly naïve.
"Isn't a white deer considered an omen of heavenly blessing? The Crown Prince will certainly want to bring it back as an offering to Father Emperor. There's no chance he'll yield it to us."
"But if it falls into our trap, that means we caught it!"
Yun Chuhuan was visibly upset.
He had always been the one taking from others. Never once had he let someone else snatch something from him.
"If it comes to that, then we'll just escort the deer back together with Second Brother!"
"…Let's wait and see."
Yun Shu shook her head lightly.
The Eldest Prince had spent considerable effort in procuring this "divine deer" as bait. Although her involvement today might prevent the Crown Prince from chasing it all the way to the cliff edge as planned, there was no telling whether the Eldest Prince's men might act early if they noticed something was amiss.
She wasn't about to leap out just to become cannon fodder.
Anticipating what might unfold, Yun Shu once again clamped her hand over Yun Chuhuan's mouth.
Yun Chuhuan: "???"
Wait, what? Didn't they agree to wait and see? Why cover his mouth again?
He'd already calmed down. He wasn't going to yell!
He gave a muffled, aggrieved hum.
At that moment, the "divine deer" reached the edge of the trap.
The warning sign that read Trap Ahead stood prominently at the side, its lettering stark and clear.
Even the Crown Prince, who was still some distance away, instinctively pulled his reins to slow down at the sight of it.
But the "divine deer," being unable to read, galloped forward without hesitation and leapt…
Right into the pit.
The Crown Prince: "???"
There was really a trap?
He had thought someone was simply trying to alert him with that sign—perhaps a subtle warning from a kind soul who knew something.
Turns out it was a genuine pitfall.
Maybe that flattery from his guards earlier wasn't entirely empty talk after all.
Clearly, Heaven favored him.
That thought alone swelled his confidence anew. With a smug smile that said No wonder—I'm me, the Crown Prince rode slowly up to the trap.
After confirming there were no sharp spikes at the bottom and that the deer seemed unharmed, his grin deepened with satisfaction.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry and retrieve this Heaven-sent divine deer for me!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
His guards rushed forward without delay.
Only the spy among them frowned deeply, utterly perplexed. He couldn't understand where this massive trap had come from—and why none of his fellow agents seemed aware of it.
What was going on?
Still, to avoid drawing suspicion, he had no choice but to jump into the pit as well and help hoist the deer out.
Elsewhere, black-clad men darted swiftly along the cliffside trail, finally arriving near the scene.
The moment they took in the unexpected situation before them, the leader's face darkened beneath his mask.
"What is going on? Didn't we inspect this path this morning?"
"Th-this subordinate swears it was clear!" stammered one of the masked men.
"I assure you, this trap only appeared after I made the inspection!"
The leader narrowed his eyes. "Aside from our men, only the Fifth Princess and Sixth Prince passed through here since then. Are you saying they had someone dig—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence.
Could it… Could it really have been those two?
They couldn't ride or shoot, so they resorted to digging holes?
The leader seethed inwardly, cursing up a storm in silence.
But it was too late for regrets now.
The "divine deer" their master had painstakingly acquired must not fall into the Crown Prince's hands. If they couldn't use the cliff, then this location would have to do.
Without hesitation, the leader drew his sword and charged toward the Crown Prince.
"Assassin!"
"Protect His Highness!"
Chaos erupted in an instant.
Behind the curtain of vines, Yun Chuhuan, who had moments ago wanted to run out and stake a claim on the deer, now shrank into silence.
He even shuffled closer to Yun Shu for comfort.
"Fifth Princess, Sixth Prince, should we…"
The guards hesitated. After all, they had just witnessed an attempt on the Crown Prince's life. If they stood idle and word later got out that they'd been present, it wouldn't matter whether they were directly involved—none of them would walk away unscathed.
"Are you mad? What good would it do us to charge out now?"
Fortunately, Yun Shu had just released Yun Chuhuan's mouth.
He dropped his voice and barked out a sharp rebuke:
"Your only duty is to protect this prince and Fifth Sister. Forget about the Crown Prince. Are you one of his guards?"
"But…"
The man faltered, then instinctively looked to Yun Shu.
She said nothing, only kept her gaze fixed on the chaos down below, her expression tense.
Most of the guards accompanying the Crown Prince were ordinary soldiers. Though a few hidden bodyguards had now revealed themselves, their numbers were limited.
Compared to the Eldest Prince's men—who had come fully prepared—the Crown Prince was already at a disadvantage.