Chapter 141 Do I Look Like Good-for-Nothing to You?

With the Emperor's permission, Chu Ge officially stepped into the crowd of testosterone-fueled men. Though slightly short in stature, she stood out remarkably among the group of males.

Chu Ge flashed a small, triumphant hand gesture toward Chong Li, who returned the exact same gesture, causing a wave of commotion among the audience in the stands.

"Look quickly! Don't you think the Prince of Qi and the Princess of Qi suddenly look so well-matched?"

A princess's eyes sparkled with little stars. "Don't you all think Second Brother suddenly looks much more handsome? And Second Sister-in-law is exceptionally pleasing to the eye!"

A county princess exclaimed, "So sweet! So sweet! I ship them so hard! I am willing to spend this entire year of my singlehood in exchange for the Prince and Princess of Qi loving each other deeply and growing old together!"

"Awww! My baby wants this kind of romance too. Look at their little hand gestures, it's so full of love! The Prince of Qi is so doting on the Princess of Qi!"

...

Pricking up her ears, Chu Ge mentally noted down the announcements made by the eunuch on the stage while listening to the blessings from the crowd below. She felt thoroughly satisfied!

Little Cheap wasn't surprised by his host's behavior anymore. However, a romance blessed by the world somehow looked as though it had received official validation, making it appear even sweeter.

"According to reports from the villagers, there is a rare fierce beast in this mountain forest! If any of you manage to hunt it this time, you will directly claim first prize!"

A fierce beast was the commoners' term; in official language, it was a tiger.

Tigers were ferocious, and some even consumed human flesh and blood. The lives of the villagers all around the mountain had been severely impacted.

In a village surrounded by mountains on all sides, the locals basically relied on the mountains for their livelihood. With such a dangerous predator suddenly appearing, the safety of the villagers was threatened. Venturing into the mountains to hunt for money had practically become snatching food from a tiger's jaws. If they were lucky, they might get by; but if they were unlucky and ran into a tiger coming out of its cave to forage, not even their bones would be left behind.

Gongs and drums were beaten around the perimeter to boost morale, and all the contestants mounted their fine steeds.

Noticing Chu Ge, a guard specifically selected a gentle, small pony for her sake of safety.

Chu Ge looked at the pony and frowned slightly, finding it neither tall nor imposing. "Your Majesty, could you replace this commoner with a taller, fine steed?"

The Emperor looked at Chu Ge, who stood only around one meter fifty-eight. "Are you certain you want to change it? You must think carefully. Although this pony is a bit slower in speed, it is very safe."

The chief eunuch beside the Emperor also persuaded, "Your Highness the Princess of Qi, please use some common sense. Although you have learned some skills, the fine steeds led out from the imperial palace are blood-sweating heavenly horses. They are naturally proud, do not easily cozy up to humans, and if one suddenly loses control, it might cost you your life!"

Seeing the Emperor speak up with a warning, the Empress also chimed in with a token remark of her own: "The Princess of Qi should still weigh her own capabilities."

Chu Ge sneered inwardly. The Prince of Qi's biological mother had died young, and the Empress had a hand in that—though she merely fanned the flames indirectly. Still, these polite words of hers could just be brushed off as a show. "Many thanks, Your Majesty. Since this commoner dares to ask, she is naturally capable of handling it. Could it be that Your Majesty is reluctant to part with it?"

As soon as Chu Ge uttered these words, the entire arena drew in a collective breath of cold air. Anyone who dared to talk back to the reigning sovereign would either have their entire clan executed or be thrown into the heavenly prison. This Princess of Qi truly possessed extraordinary courage.

The Empress, alongside Chu You out of sight, both wore a sneer of ridicule. A mere woman, brandishing her meager skills before experts, trying to catch everyone's eye with pretentious posturing.

Seeing Chu Ge insist on her choice, the Emperor—though his imperial dignity had been touched—felt that this woman possessed a certain boldness. Since she was dead set on changing horses, he stopped trying to dissuade her. "Since that is the case, prepare a fine horse for the Princess of Qi! This Emperor shall look forward to the Princess of Qi presenting me with a miracle!"

Chu Ge cupped her fists in salute, abandoning the delicate courtesy of a maiden: "Then please, Your Majesty, keep your eyes open and wait!"

Just then, a stable hand led over a blood-sweating heavenly horse. Its coat was glossy and uniform, pure white all over like snow, with well-developed, powerful muscles. Chu Ge's eyes lit up the moment she laid eyes on it: "What a fine horse!"

The stable hand smiled and replied, "The Princess of Qi has a discerning eye. This horse is named Treading Snow, a prized steed that once accompanied the Prince of Qi into battle."

"Treading Snow, truly a fine name. It suits her well."

Chu Ge raised her hand and gently stroked the horse's body, allowing Treading Snow to get as familiar with her scent as possible. Then, stepping onto the stirrups, she hoisted herself lightly and effortlessly onto the horse's back. The entire movement exuded the heroic and dashing grace of a young man.

The county princess started fanboying again: "So women can be just as handsome as men! I'm in love, I'm in love! All hail the martial prowess of the Princess of Qi!"

The princess cupped her face in her hands: "Who says women are inferior to men?! This princess will definitely practice horseback riding diligently when I return this time, so that everyone in the palace looks at me with new eyes!"

The Emperor also applauded. After all, successfully mounting the horse was the first step, and judging by Chu Ge's posture and form, she was hardly a novice; rather, she looked as practiced as a seasoned veteran.

Chu You bit down on her back teeth, her brain throbbing with anger. She had expected Chu Ge to make a fool of herself, only to watch her show off instead. However, what could be proven merely by riding a horse? Only by bagging real prey could one claim genuine skill!

Until the very last moment, Chu You absolutely refused to believe that the once-idiotic Chu Ge had somehow cleansed even her talentless attributes!

Chu Ge mounted Treading Snow. To her delight, this horse felt an immense affinity with her, showing no signs of alienation whatsoever.

Chong Li watched Chu Ge shining brilliantly in everyone's eyes from the spectator stands. He felt a twinge of jealousy, yet swelled with pride. This was his wife, and she brought honor to his name!

Chu Ge was the last to leave. Watching her figure gradually vanish into the depths of the forest, the hunting competition officially began!

Deep within the mountain forest, a fierce contest commenced. No one wanted to lose, and each hunter eyed the incoming prey with predatory gaze. Animals in the woods fled in all directions as arrows whizzed through the trees.

"Whoosh!"

Directly hitting the target!

The attendants following Crown Prince Qi Ming hurriedly rushed forward to retrieve the struck quarry—a badger. It wasn't large, but it was a good start.

"His Highness is mighty! His Highness will surely capture the crown!"

Qi Ming wore no superfluous expression as he continued to track the next animal destined to fall victim.

As soon as Chu Ge entered the forest, the birds and beasts along the path previously tread by others had already been scared away. The ground was a mixed mess of hoofprints from horses and other animals, making it impossible to discern the direction the wildlife had taken.

Even the birds that should have been perching high in the trees had been frightened into flight by the passing princes and young nobles hunting before her.

Chu Ge could only ride Treading Snow deeper into the heart of the forest.

Elsewhere, several other imperial princes successively made discoveries; some hunted wild rabbits, while others bagged pheasants. Although these were all small game, they had at least opened their accounts.

Mounted archery was a mandatory course for princes and aristocratic scions; everyone participating was proficient in mounted archery, so this was entirely normal.

Thus far, Chu Ge was the sole person who had yet to discover any prey—not a single one. Chu Ge found it somewhat puzzling. Along the way, let alone animals, she hadn't even seen a single strand of fur.

The attendant following behind to pick up game curled his lip in a distracted manner. Clearly, he didn't expect Chu Ge to hunt anything at all. He wasn't even hoping for a wild rabbit; he just considered today a trip to the mountain forest to relax.