Chapter 269: Brewing a Catastrophe
“Why is there a tethering rope here? Are you alright, Heir Apparent?” Two more people who had been following Ying Tong rushed forward to check on him.
“Damn it, it hurts so much! Who else could it be? It must be Ying Bai and his group!” Ying Tong gritted his teeth, a mix of pain and anger surging through him. “They were the only ones ahead of us!”
“Heir Apparent, your leg is injured. Let’s bandage it quickly and retreat down the mountain!” the follower said.
“It’s nothing! Just a superficial wound.” Ying Tong gritted his teeth and pulled out the sword.
Winter clothing was thick, so the wound wasn’t deep indeed.
The follower quickly bandaged him and tried to persuade him to go down, but Ying Tong was only thinking of revenge, his eyes red.
At this moment, the other followers also rushed over. Ying Tong said irritably, “What are you all crowding around for? I’m not going to die! Go and check if there are any more tethering ropes around! Go ahead and surround Ying Bai, I want to teach him a lesson!”
Everyone knew Ying Tong’s temper. When he was angry, no one could persuade him. They also thought that even if he found Ying Bai, they would only argue for a bit, and even if they fought, it wouldn’t escalate into anything serious with everyone there to stop them.
Besides, everyone was scattered now, so where would they find someone to preside over the situation?
Ying Bai heard that Ying Tong had fallen and was quite pleased with himself. He spurred his horse and galloped back up the mountain, hunting several prey along the way. Although they weren’t large game, it was still a considerable harvest.
They were surrounded by Ying Tong’s men halfway up the mountain. Ying Bai, who had been smiling, couldn’t help but put on a cold expression.
“Ying Bai, you dare to play dirty. Setting up a tethering rope on the road, you intended to harm me!” Ying Tong questioned him as soon as he arrived.
“Who are you accusing of setting up a tethering rope? It must have been the people hunting here before, right? Which eye of yours saw us setting it up?” Ying Bai was no longer as submissive as he used to be.
“There are horse hoof prints and footprints on the ground. It hasn’t snowed, and no one else has been on the mountain. If it wasn’t your men, then who else could it be? Stop being stubborn!” Ying Tong glared at him, furious. “If you admit it, I’ll consider you a true man.”
“I’m here to hunt today, I don’t have time to argue with you here.” Ying Bai didn’t want to deal with him. “Speaking of playing dirty, how can I compare to you?”
After speaking, he turned his horse’s head and prepared to leave.
Ying Tong shouted, “I dare you to leave! If we don’t settle this today, no one is leaving!”
The followers on both sides came forward to mediate, but neither Ying Tong nor Ying Bai would listen to a single word.
As they argued back and forth, Ying Tong couldn’t gain the upper hand.
Ying Bai proudly stroked his horse’s mane and said, “My horse is spirited; it can jump over a tethering rope, so I didn’t fall. Instead of blaming others for setting the tethering rope, you should blame your own horse for not being smart enough.
But then again! What kind of owner matches what kind of horse. If the owner’s brain isn’t sharp, then they shouldn’t waste a good horse.”
Ying Bai’s words made Ying Tong’s face turn black, his lips trembling so much that he couldn’t utter a word.
Ying Bai’s followers quickly said, “Alright, alright, Heir Apparent, let’s leave quickly!”
Ying Tong’s men also feared that he would be too angry, so they quickly came forward to persuade him.
Ying Bai had already turned his horse around and was preparing to leave. His followers in front of him were also getting ready to mount their horses and follow him.
Ying Tong sat on his horse, while his followers dismounted and came forward to persuade him.
Ying Tong held back a surge of anger; his reason was completely gone.
As quick as lightning, he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shouted, “Ying Bai.”
Ying Bai instinctively turned his head, feeling a chill rush towards him.
The next moment, screams echoed across the mountain ridge…
Gong Changan and Sang Er had also arrived here, but the Grand Princess did not allow them to ride horses or practice archery, keeping them close by.
Zhuola Han and her brother were feeling unwell due to the weather and did not leave the palace.
Tents had already been set up on the flat ground below the mountain, and fires were lit, so it wasn’t cold at all.
They gathered around the brazier, roasting milk skin and cheese, sprinkling a spoonful of sugar on top while it was hot, making it both sweet and fragrant.
“This child is truly beautiful,” Princess Duanmin said, gazing at Gong Changan’s small face, utterly delighted. “He is truly handsome.”
At this moment, the sound of chaotic horse hooves rushed down from the mountain, and people were shouting, “Imperial Physician! Imperial Physician! Quickly! Come quickly and treat the wound!”
The Grand Princess exclaimed in surprise, “Who is injured? Go and see!”
Sang Er quickly exited the tent, and Gong Changan followed closely behind.
Ying Bai was being carried by the crowd. The sky-blue brocade robe and silver fox cape he wore were stained with blood, and an arrow was lodged in his left eye, half of his face obscured by blood.
The other half of his face was frighteningly pale, even comparable to the snow on the ground.
“What happened? How did the Heir Apparent get injured?” Sang Er asked urgently.
However, no one responded to her.
Gong Changan looked up and saw Ying Tong on his horse not far away, looking completely stunned.
He knew then that this matter must be related to him.
Imperial physicians naturally accompanied them on the hunt, and they quickly went up with wound medicine to treat Ying Bai.
“Oh dear! The eye is injured.” The imperial physician’s voice was extremely anxious. “What… what should be done? Quickly go and report to His Majesty and the Prince!”
Such a serious matter was beyond the imperial physician’s authority to decide.
No one had expected such a major incident to occur during the hunt today, not even Prince Zhao and Prince Chu.
They fought each other fiercely in private, but neither was willing to be the first to break the facade.
They never expected Ying Tong to cause such a huge disaster today.
By the time the Emperor and Prince Zhao and Prince Chu learned of the news and arrived at the foot of the mountain, they were all aghast at the scene before them.
Prince Chu rushed forward and hugged his son, weeping, “Bai’er! Bai’er! Wake up! What happened to you?!”
“Your Majesty, Prince Chu, the Heir Apparent’s eye injury is too severe; it cannot be saved. It needs to be dealt with quickly, otherwise…” the imperial physician said nervously.
“What? His eye cannot be saved?! He’s only thirteen, how can his eye not be saved?! You must find a way!” Prince Chu shouted like a madman.
“There is truly no way. Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he couldn’t do anything,” the imperial physician shook his head. “Deal with it quickly while the Heir Apparent is unconscious from the pain, otherwise when he wakes up…”
“Who did it?!” Prince Chu’s eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged bull.
But no one answered him.
“Who?! Tell me who?!” Prince Chu grabbed Ying Bai’s follower, as if he were going to tear him apart. “Speak quickly! Otherwise, I’ll kill you!”
“Reporting to Your Highness, it was Prince Zhao’s Heir Apparent…” the follower cried, kneeling down.
Prince Zhao quickly signaled, and the people around him moved to surround Prince Chu, fearing he might harm Ying Tong.
“Good! Prince Zhao, you condone your son’s violence and blinded my son’s eyes!” Prince Chu truly wished he could chop both Prince Zhao and his son into mincemeat to avenge his son.
He drew his saber and was about to charge forward but was held back by everyone.
“Your Majesty, Tong’er has indeed made a grave mistake, but I believe it was an unintentional error,” Prince Zhao knelt before the Emperor. “I implore Your Majesty to preside over this matter!”
