The Employed Empress 186 I Did Not See You

In this long sleepless night, specks of light flicker with an undying spark in the vast forest. Torch in one hand and carrying a vigilance of a soldier in their heart, all imperial guards comb along the eerie darkness.

There was the ruffling of trees, and then a dead silence, stretching their senses to a taut.

"Ah!" Someone cried, distracting the tension. 

"What is it?! What?!" 

"Something touched me! There was something! Snake!"

They waved the torches in his surroundings only to see the lush vegetation.

"..."

"..." 

"Phew. That scared me."

And so the poor young guard was bashed on the head.

"Brat! You should fear going back empty-handed instead!" Berate by their senior.

"My dinner." One of them sighed. His first order was actually finding some dandy, good-for-nothing, and prodigal sons.

As they grumble, someone trembled with eyes fixed towards the shadows. Within their sight, glowing eyes blinked open. There's one. And then followed by another. In nothing but a second, it's as if the shadow gained eyes all over, staring directly over their very souls.

"Mother!"

Broken cries echoed in the night, startling both birds and bats away. Silly big men full of muscles jumped and hugged the nearest one to them, intending to go through life and death together.

Little things spring out and scrambled at their feet. Both humans and beasts scuffled, their panic caused their brain cells to suicide. 

The scared little fellows brandished their claws and climbed over the nearest obstacle. 

Some guards pluck and fling them off, resulting in b.l.o.o.d.y scratches. While others scatter, blindly running.

A brave reaction, though a poor life choice.

The unlucky one ran until he collided headfirst into a tree. Young guard, newly in service, was taken out right then and there, solid collision indeed. 

The senior officer smacked his face. Only he remained clear-headed but his voice was drowned out. They thoroughly lost their face.

In response to all of them, a branch fell down, shooing all beasts away.

"Ahhh! Mother!"

Followed by a person cras.h.i.+ng down.

"AAAHHH!! Ghost! Ghost!!"

They shouted enough to even scare the ghosts away. Only after their voice broke that silence returned. 

Breathe in.

The guards finally recognized the creature that fell down as a person. 

Breathe out.

The guards slowly organized themselves and set their sights above the tree.

"..." expressed by the guards. 

The young masters hiding above, "..."

"..."

"...Can we pretend to not seeing each other?"

"..."

After this group, another group was found. And one by one, all missing people were found. 

Just like them, some were found above the trees. Hiding and refusing to come down until the little beast was shooed away. After a while, they learned those silly little predators could also climb up.

Ah, why do you think birds didn't nest there? Trying to replace them, you lack experience in finding a nest.

The others were in the river. They dive while in confusion and were too afraid to get out. One of them tried and got chased back in a second by a cat-like beast with protruding fangs.

Endless tears were spilled. 

They were scared. Really scared. Both of the sh.o.r.e and of the water. So regardless of knowing or not knowing, they all huddled together while s.h.i.+vering.

Before the dawn of the next morning, all missing young masters returned. All of them are similarly haggard and full of holes in their clothing. So dirty and with bruises, they surely rolled in the dirt for a few rounds.

"So how big again those that chased you?"

The young masters all squatted down. "...this big," they said, with one gesturing around his knee as the highest.

"..."

"They all have fangs and claws!"

"..." We all have our bows.

"It's a stampede!"

"..."

The yearly hunting event started with fanfare but ended in dismay. 

Maybe because no one suffered a grave injury, by the time of their return to the city, those poor young masters who are originally victims turn into this year's autumn hunt clowns.

Regarding this, they were really wronged. The harsh wind is not friendly at all, alright?! Ok fine, they were chased by preys that did not even reach their knees, but those were still ferocious beasts! And that was still a stampede! We panicked alright. Who knows if there's a wolf in there!

Others expressed, "Ha ha ha." 

This hunting ground belongs to the imperial family! Larger predators are either chased away or killed. For safety, the emperor allocated man-power to control this area.

During the journey back, just halfway on the road, their side was already full of sneers. 

In view of their erupting temper and brewing hatred, scholarly Wei Lian, elegant and poised, showed his expertise in watching these blood dog dramas. 

A cup in hand and a tranquil expression unaffected by earthly desires, who would think this young master frequents at the tea houses? Actually listening so attentively, ah?

"For his highness to stare at me for so long, this humble one is feeling embarra.s.sed." Wei Lian coyly tucked his loose hair.

"If you are, then at least blush."

"Ah? But I am. Look." Wei Lian shoved his face towards Jiang Liu. "Here, at the tip of my ears." 

Jiang Liu raised his arm in immediate defense. "Do--don't… don't get too close…"

"Not shouting?" Wei Lian sat properly. Turning his attention to the quarreling little masters. "Well, that's disappointing."

"This prince can't afford to entertain you."

Remembering being dragged around by him and what he plotted, Jiang Liu felt the gooseb.u.mps. 

Wei Lian always seems to be running towards other people's hunting grounds, mumbling incoherent words before leaving them alone. Jiang Liu thought they were aimlessly sightseeing, after all, none of them appear to know how to hunt.

Only, Wei Lian was actually setting a trap. And the prey that he was eyeing was not games but the others.

Yes, the stampede was man-made by this person. Even the turn over of opinions, rumors, and the direction of their reaction are still being controlled by him.

He could still recall the tremble of the forest. It came at exactly the moment Wei Lian gestured and went exactly where Wei Lian said. 

There was shock, the deafening beating of his chest and a dull numbness. Then came the overwhelming fear as Wei Lian whispered, "Comrade," like a tempest beside him. 

"Already abandoning your man, that was quite unexpected. Isn't my prince really gusty?"

Jiang Liu endured his teasing. "What makes you think that? w.a.n.gye is an idle prince who's afraid to face even the smallest minister."

The ministers who gained 'puppy', 'little kitty', 'slow turtle', and got compared to animals by the prince:........ Let us just kneel towards his majesty to send you to the border~

"People desperate for affection are gusty."

"How dare you. I am not!"

He is, but he won't admit, ah!