46 A Flash of Silver

It actually was not considered very polite to simply approach another nobleman without having been introduced beforehand. This could be waived if the one approaching was of a higher status than the one being approached, but in the case of Hua Yan Ting wanting to approach Wei Tian Ao, it was not altogether proper. However, Hua Yan Ting had always been a bit of an eccentric. He was prone to large mood swings. Though he was famous for being the Golden Barley Scholar, he didn't live up to the "golden" part of the epithet at all. Hua Yan Ting was often taciturn and did not smile brightly around most people other than Yan Qiu Heng. Thus, it was rare for others to approach him. Who would want to try to squeeze in when the other party showed such coldness and lack of interest? Besides, he was not the type to simply wait for others to approach, so this led to him forcibly introducing himself to people he was interested in on multiple occasions. Hua Yan Ting had a healthy amount of self-confidence and had never been rebuffed by others, so this practice remained.

Demonstrating yet another occasion of this, as soon as he'd decided on the matter, he approached the low table where Wei Tian Ao and Yi Qiang Li were sitting and having a conversation. The prince consort was lively and animated, while Wei Tian Ao was more subdued. He wasn't exactly solemn and stoic, but definitely gave off a feeling of being less easygoing than his companion. This was in line with what Hua Yan Ting had heard about both of them, so this was not particularly a surprise to him.

Affecting an easy smile, he waited until he'd caught Wei Tian Ao's eye before bowing. "Hua Yan Ting greets Second Prince Consort, greets Prince Rui-shizi."

"Why, isn't this the Hua family's second young master? It's good to see you!" Yi Qiang Li returned with a smile. "I believe that we have not met since the last palace banquet."

"Indeed, it seems that you are a hard one to meet as of late."

"Please, how can that be? I spend many a carefree hour inside the Second Princess estate. One need only send a card over and I'll rush to the gates to meet you." Yi Qiang Li was gracious enough not to mention that though they were acquainted, Hua Yan Ting had never actually attempted to meet him privately before. These were all simply polite pleasantries to show the prince consort enough face before introducing himself to Wei Tian Ao. Yi Qiang Li was well used to such matters and understood that being acquainted with Hua Yan Ting would be beneficial to Wei Tian Ao. Even without that, he had never been one to arrogantly stir up conflict or jab at others.

Yi Qiang Li's strong point was that he was very mindful of his place and had no interest in flaunting his status nor raising it. This was something that both Wei Tian Ao and Hua Yan Ting appreciated.

Thus, as the pleasantries were concluded, Yi Qiang Li was happy to introduce the two of them. "I'm not sure if you're acquainted with my friend here, but Tian Ao is a good sort." He then rose from his seat. "I see another friend over there I'd like to greet. Why don't the two of you speak for a while and get to know each other? Then in a little while, we can hunt as a group. How about it?"

"I have no issues with that." Hua Yan Ting replied. Wei Tian Ao nodded his assent as well. With this decision made, Yi Qiang Li walked away towards another group of acquaintances and Hua Yan Ting took his place as he sat down beside Wei Tian Ao. "I regret to have not made your acquaintance sooner. You seem to be rather popular these days."

"You overpraise," Tian Ao chuckled as he sipped his tea. "Everyone is merely curious. I spent my childhood in Northern Xi, after all." Referring to his life in Nothern Xi as his "childhood" rather than "entire life thus far" showed that he was already somewhat distancing himself from that life. He was trying to firmly embed himself as a citizen of Eastern Wei.

"Still, you will soon become brother-in-law to one whom I regard as a brother of my own. So in a way, you will be a brother to me, as well."

Wei Tian Ao laughed. "Such a sparkling brother with many achievements despite his young age. One will have to endeavor not to be overshadowed by this golden light."

"So you do have ambitions? It feels that I have not heard of many movements from your side."

Tian Ao flashed a self-deprecating smile. It couldn't be helped; Hua Yan Ting's words stung a bit. It's true that he had spent quite a while out of commission, depressed by his father's death. That was wasted, precious time that he couldn't get back. "I have learned from previous mistakes. I am doing my best to understand my surroundings and shall endeavor to be a good prince in the future."

Hua Yan Ting nodded approvingly. This was all good. Wei Tian Ao inwardly let out a sigh of relief. This outing could be considered a success. He'd conversed with a few other noblemen which was all well and good, but this acquaintanceship with Hua Yan Ting was even better. Hua Yan Ting was well-regarded in the capital and was even on friendly terms with the emperor. Making this one good connection during this hunting trip made the entire thing worth it for him. Somehow, he had a feeling that Yi Cheng Rui would agree had he been here, though Tian Ao still felt a little funny weighing the pros and cons, benefits and whatnot of each and every social interaction. Was this something he would get used to over time?

Once Yi Qiang Li returned, the three of them packed their supplies and tools before getting on their horses to go hunt.

"So hunts like this are more loosely points-based. It's not like the hunting competitions that the imperial palace hosts so there isn't a strict ranking or points system, but the more special the prey you hunt, the more bragging rights you get. It's a battle for prestige," Yi Qiang Li explained to Wei Tian Ao as the three rode north at a leisurely canter.

"What's considered special prey? Tigers? Are there tigers in this area?" Wei Tian Ao asked.

"There might be a few... But those are indeed rare. Anything rare would be special." Yi Qiang Li nodded.

"My elder brother has brought prizes with him on this trip. It's nothing too fancy, but there are some nice jade items, good bows, and the like. At the very least, they'd make decent gifts." Hua Yan Ting added.

"I see." Truthfully speaking, Wei Tian Ao didn't have a whole lot of confidence in this area. He had never hunted before, nor was he well-versed in martial arts. But he understood that to thrive in this new life, he had to do as his peers did. He could accept that hunting was not his forte. Winning the top prizes this time around was out of the question. Still, Tian Ao wanted to try his best to participate.

Prince and Princess Rui had arranged some tutors for him in light of this hunt and in recent days he had at least learned to fire an arrow from a bow, even if his accuracy was on the low end. Even so, moving targets were...

As his thoughts continued to drift here and there, he caught a flash of something white in his peripheral vision. He turned his head and, at the same time, pulled on the reins to turn his horse towards that white blot. In the bushes a short distance away, he could see a bushy white tail sticking out. "...a white fox?" It was rare to still see one at this time of year.

In Wei Tian Ao's mind floated up the treasured memory of a certain young woman with her thin, snowy wrists and that elegant neck. If he could hunt this fox, its pelt could be used to make an accessory for Yan Qiu Yue. Such a shade of white would certainly be complimentary against her beautiful skin. Lost in thought for a moment, he soon realized that Hua Yan Ting and Yi Qiang Li had continued riding forward without him. He'd been at the back of the trio's formation to begin with, so it couldn't be helped that they didn't notice him drifting. "Let's shoot this quickly and catch up." They were still within sight.

"Hmm? It looks like Tian Ao spotted something." Yi Qiang Li noticed Tian Ao's absence first. He turned his head to see Tian Ao stopped a short distance behind them. Hua Yan Ting, too, turned his horse. The two decided to stay and wait for him lest their sudden movements frightened Wei Tian Ao's prey.

The Prince Rui-shizi pulled his bow up, setting an arrow in one hand and drawing the bowstring with the other. The fox seemed to be stationary for the moment, so he couldn't miss this chance.

Just then, something behind him moved. "Someone's behind Wei Tian Ao...?" Hua Yan Ting thought. Then, his eyes widened in horror as his eyes caught the glint of a notched silver arrowhead reflecting the afternoon sunlight. "Wei Tian Ao!!" he yelled, propelling his horse forward.

Two arrows were suddenly released at the same time.