Madam He, seeing her worried expression, quickly reassured her, "Don’t worry, Jincheng gets along well with them. They’ll keep each other company during the hunt, so nothing will happen."
Xu Wan smiled politely on the surface, but inwardly she thought, *That’s exactly why I’m worried!*
She didn’t know much about Wei Xinglu and feared that this boy might undo all the progress she’d made with her little troublemaker.
Meanwhile, Zong Jincheng, completely unaware, replied, "His name is Zong Wenxiu. He’s from my second uncle’s family, my cousin. He just returned to the manor earlier this year."
Wei Xinglu let out a long "Oh" and said, "So, he’s that country bumpkin of a half-brother of yours. Hearing you call him ‘brother’ so affectionately, I thought your father had somehow produced another legitimate heir."
Zong Wenxiu, hearing this, looked hurt and took a step back.
Zong Jincheng was stunned and immediately flared up. He shouted at Wei Xinglu, "Are you deaf? I just said he’s my cousin! Why would you say something like that? Don’t you realize how much that hurts people? Do you have any tact at all?"
Buyan, standing behind them, was quite surprised.
He vaguely remembered when Wenxiu first returned to the manor, Wei Xinglu had told Jincheng that he now had a country bumpkin for a brother. Back then, Jincheng hadn’t just failed to defend him—he’d even joined in on the mockery.
Who would have thought that just a few months later, Jincheng would have changed so much?
Wei Xinglu, too, was taken aback by this side of Zong Jincheng. He scratched his head and said, "What’s gotten into you, Jincheng? I only said one thing about him, and you’re throwing a fit. Why are you so protective of a half-brother who’s not even close to you? The others are going to laugh at us."
"You’re still talking? I’ll fight you!" Zong Jincheng looked around for a brick but, finding none, grabbed his bow instead and charged at Wei Xinglu.
Wei Xinglu, terrified, ran around in circles, yelling, "Have you lost your mind, Jincheng? What’s happened to you in these few months? We were supposed to be troublemakers together till we’re ninety-nine!"
Zong Jincheng, bow in hand, chased after him, shouting, "Who’s troublemaking with you? I’m studying hard now, aiming to become the most talented genius in the Capital City!"
"Ahhh! Studying? You’ve gone mad! Zong Jincheng’s been possessed by a ghost!!!"
"You’re the mad one! Stop running!"
Wei Xinglu was chased around like a rabbit, and the onlookers burst into laughter. It was quite a sight to see the four little troublemakers turning on each other. They used to be inseparable, causing headaches wherever they went.
Xu Wan finally let out a sigh of relief. The boy was teachable after all, and her efforts were bearing some fruit.
Madam He exclaimed in amazement, "In just three and a half months, Jincheng seems like a completely different person. Madam Zong’s skills are truly admirable. If you were a man, my husband would definitely invite you to the Ministry of War for guidance."
Xu Wan chuckled, "You flatter me, Madam He. Your husband is quite impressive himself."
After all, he’d almost turned his son into his mortal enemy—truly a unique father.
"Ah…" Madam He sighed, unable to bring herself to discuss it further. Every family had its own struggles.
"The Crown Prince has arrived, and the Crown Princess as well."
Everyone quickly rose to their feet to pay their respects. After seeing the Crown Prince off to the hunting grounds, they sat down with the Crown Princess to enjoy the flowers and fruits, patiently waiting for their children to return from the hunt.
Meanwhile, Zong Jincheng was still chasing Wei Xinglu. It wasn’t until Zong Wenxiu stepped in to pull him away that the little troublemaker finally relented. Before leaving, Jincheng didn’t forget to throw out a threat, "If you dare badmouth my brother again, I’ll chase you to your house and beat you up!"
Wei Xinglu patted his chest, relieved, and muttered to those around him, "This guy… has he lost his mind?"
The servants didn’t dare to breathe a word, but inwardly, they all gave a thumbs up. The quartet of troublemakers had finally split, and their young masters would surely be easier to manage from now on.
After running around, Zong Jincheng, though panting, quickly regained his energy. He picked up his bow and inspected it, asking, "It’s not broken, is it?"
Buyan didn’t even want to respond.
*Whatever, it’s not like you’re going to hit anything anyway.*
Zong Wenxiu offered, "Why don’t we switch? You can use mine."
Zong Jincheng waved his hand, "No need, no need. It looks fine. Let’s go hunting."
"Alright."
"Brother, what kind of prey do you like? I’ll hunt it for you."
"Me? Anything’s fine…"
"Then I’ll get you a fox fur for a scarf!"
"Sure."
Zong Jincheng loved horseback riding and had stopped letting others lead his horse once he’d learned how to ride. Zong Wenxiu, however, wasn’t as skilled, so Jincheng assigned Buyan to lead his brother’s horse while he took his bow and chased after a little fox.
"Whoosh—" Missed.
"Whoosh—" Missed again.
Zong Jincheng stared at the fleeing red fox, nudged his horse with his heels, and commanded, "Go, let’s chase it!"
After a long pursuit, the red fox hid behind a tree, its tail peeking out. Zong Jincheng dismounted and crept forward, careful not to startle it.
He considered pouncing on it but feared the fox might bite him in desperation. Instead, he quietly drew an arrow from his quiver, placed it on his bow, and waited until he was close enough to strike.
The little troublemaker thought to himself, *Hmph, at this distance, I’m definitely going to catch you this time!*
In the next moment, he swiftly moved around the tree and let the arrow fly, hitting the little fox squarely.
The red fox kicked its legs and died.
The little troublemaker, satisfied, picked up the fox, only to turn around and find his horse gone.
"Wait… where’s my horse?"
In the vast hunting grounds, surrounded by lush trees, even with his photographic memory, Zong Jincheng knew that without his horse, he’d be walking until dark.
Grumbling, he carried the fox and started walking back, thinking he’d surely run into someone who could give him a ride.
It didn’t take long before he heard familiar voices.
Looking up, he was delighted to see a familiar face and called out, "Crown Prince!"
But then he noticed something was off.
The Crown Prince was pointing his sword at the chest of a young general, who in turn had an arrow aimed at the Crown Prince. However, the arrow was too short to reach the Crown Prince’s neck.
Zong Jincheng was shocked. "Are… are you trying to assassinate the Crown Prince?"
This was the hunting grounds, surrounded by guards and the Crown Prince’s entourage. If this man dared to kill the Crown Prince, he’d be signing his own death warrant. And judging by his attire, he seemed to be a high-ranking official. What was going on?
The young general was in the most precarious position. A single push from the Crown Prince, and the sword would end his life. Yet, he showed no fear, his expression cold and even slightly disdainful.
The young general looked at the Crown Prince’s pale, sickly face, his thin, frail arms, and the calluses on his palms that had been worn away by years of medicine. The hand holding the sword trembled slightly.
For a swordsman, a shaky hand was a fatal flaw.
The young general sneered, "Crown Prince, can your sword still kill?"
