Queen of No.11 Agent 11

Vol 2 The Great Xia Dynasty

Chapter 4: Royal Hunting

The birthplace of the Great Xia Dynasty was in Hengshui. Located at the east banks of Hongchuan. Their ancestors began by living by the water grass, coming from a nomadic life, bringing their folk customs and martial arts. The Xia Dynasty was bitter cold. The environment had limits to its development for the Xia people, but there existed the Quanrong people who constantly tried to invade the border despite that.  For a thousand centuries they’ve come. It was hard to live in the Xia Dynasty until that man came to be. Luo Zhenhuang established the Great Xia regime, that made, to this day, the people free to develop and breath.

In the Great Xia’s history, almost every word was casted with blood and tears. The nature of the nomadic nation caused the relationship with them and the land to be simple. This also made easy for them to swallow Southern Bian Tang and Eastern Huai Song. Over the centuries, the Xia people continued to migrate to the west, fighting different nationalities, increasing their vast homeland. Growing to the point that they’ve exceeded more than 3000 years of history. Bian Tang became the center of commerce, Huai Song was the most fertile farmland, and the mainland gave rise to its first military power.

The Dynasty rose majestically, with the bright city of Hongchuan becoming it’s economic and political center. The city was filled with tall buildings, business dealings,exquisite silk, powerful officials, rich and powerful merchants that shuttled back and forth on the Nine Lofty Main Streets. It was equal to any other bustling city.

The first morning bells sounded. The sound of the distant and mighty bells spread as the gates slowly opened. The sun shone on the city, under the blood and iron order of the empire, the new day slowly started again.

“Drive!”

A hoarse voice suddenly sounded, as a dark horse came up with a white horse beside it. Riding in the snow, the hooves thundered on the ground as the snow splashed. They were followed by more than a dozen followers.

“Yan Shizi, you’re late!”

Zhuge Huai chuckled while driving his horse forward, facing the person with a smile. His voice was warm. In the spring’s breeze a pair of eyes partly narrowed with a glittering astute light. Wearing a purple, gold, and silver carp designed dress, with a Cang Wu Shan Silver jade, and snow ferret fur over his shoulder. He appeared even more elegant and clean, however, at fifteen years, he seemed more elegant and wise beyond his age.

Standing beside him were four youths. The younger ones were 11-12 years old, while the older ones were 13-14. Everybody wore a brocade satin Chinese dress, looking extraordinary. Hearing this voice,together they turned their heads to look locate it.

Yan Xun reined in his horse at the call. His snow-white horse stomping on the ground with a loud neigh and firmly stopping in the snow. He wore a deep purple dress with snow white fur over his shoulders,  “When  brother Zhuge received the news that Eighth Princess is home, you wanted to get out. It is going to be somewhat difficult, you wait.”

“Originally, that Beautiful woman kept harassing Yan Xun, ruining his fun.” A pine green brocade gown wearing boy walked up. He had soft voice, with eyes slanted like a fox general. He looked to be 11-12 years old, with a sneaky smile on his face.

Yan Xun looked at him indifferent, “Prince Jing Xiao should not be laughing, the day before at the state banquet. I, who if not for Prince Jing Xiao, would not have broken the Princess’s glass. Today there will be no such flying. I thank Prince Jing in advance.”

Jing Xiao smile slowly faded to slight huff before turnign to look at another young boy in a blue gown boy, “See Mu Yun, I said Yan Shizi would not let it go. He never fails my expectations. ”

Mu Yun slightly raised his eyebrows: “This is the root of the imperial people who makes you suffer so little? Yan Shizi is  good-tempered. For me, he was very kind to me yesterday evening on the way to your house.”

“In the end he is better? If you want to chat with just him, I might as well go back.”

Another young man in a Jinpao walked up, on his waist hung a bright yellow bow, looking regal. Yan Xun seemed to have noticed him and jumped of his horse in a respectful salute, “Yan Xun greets His Highness Seventh Prince.”

Zhao Chexie shot a diagonal glanced at Yan Xun, his mouth pulled slightly at the greeting, then looked at Zhuge Huai straight on,” Eighth younger brother and I have a dinner we must go to in the Shangshu room, we do not have that much free time.”

Zhuge Huai laughed, “Since Yan Shi came, lets start!”

Prince Jing Xiao smiled and clapped his hands, “Zhuge did you find any new stuff? Quickly take it out to show me.”

Zhao Jue said, “Over there I see a pile of animal cages. Zhuge, you didn’t ask us to go hunting for no meaning did you?

Zhuge Huai shook his head and mysterious, said, “Today, you are looking at something I gave a lot of though to.” Having finished, he reached out to gently shoot twice. The sound was crisp and reverberated far in the pale snow.

An empty paddock enclosed by a fence was opened in the distance, and the entourage of Zhuge Huai pushed their six carriages into the paddock. Lined with six large cages in the open space, covered with a black cloth, they could not see what was inside.

Prince Jing Xiao became interested, “What is inside? Zhuge, don’t keep us guessing.”

Zhuge smiled, facing them with a wave, all of them piled in, together with Prince Jing. When they came in they gawked slightly, then immediately happily smiled.

They saw that the huge cages were filled with not old but children, seven or eight-year-old. Each cage had twenty people. Everyone was wearing a homespun cloth gown, with a piece on the front with prisoner written in big characters. They all didn’t seem to belong together though. Zhuge, Zhao Che, and Zhao Jue saw that some  had “Che” and “Jue” written as a distinction. There were many words written, each word was not the same. The group of children were kept in a black cage for a long time. To suddenly see the light, they were suddenly blinded. Panic-stricken they crowded together, eyes panicked, like a group of timid rabbits.

Zhuge Huai laughed, “A while back  some officials went to the  Western Regions and came across a barbarian caravan. This the game that they taught me … Later, I will ask people to remove the cage, and also release the cage of wolves. Those animals haven’t eaten for three days and are red-eyed. We can hunt them and also the slaves in the other cage. You protect your own slaves. After a stick of incense, who ever has the most slaves remaining, wins.

Jing Xiao laughed, then clapped, “Sure enough, a little mean, but fun.

Zhuge Huai said, “Then lets began, everyone with 30 arrows.” Having said that, he turned his head to a subordinate, “Zhu Shun, open the cage.”

Under the command, the padlock to the cage was removed. The children were shivering standing in place. It was as if they were still trapped in their cage, they did not dare to move out.

Suddenly, they heard the wailing roars. On both sides of the fence the gate was opened. More than twenty ferocious wolves suddenly rushed into the paddock. With their big mouths opened they growled and rush to the children!

Huge screams resounded immediately. The seven-year-old children shouted all together, panicked all together, running towards the opposite direction of the wolves. At the same time, outside the fence, sharp arrows flew inside. But, those arrows were not meant for the wolves, but for the children.

Strong bloody fumes filled the sky. Mournful screams and howling could be heard as well. Arrows were shot through the children’s thin shoulder blades, chests, and abdomens. Blood gurgling out of their thin bodies like blossoming crimson safflower. This excited the wolves making them more ferocious. Even the fiercer Tongti Tibetan blue wolf quickly jumped in. It bit a child ‘s neck. That child didn’t even have time to scream, before another wolf tore off a thigh, then the child’s head was also bitten in half. The blossoming brain matter and blood mixed into one, splashing out, sprinkling on the white land.

In that world of chaos, the fierce pitiful yells were lingering on faintly. Jing Yuer shoulder was in extreme pain. Her eyelids were heavy and her little body was riddle with arrows, mercilessly nailed to the ground. Her breathing grew weak as if she was dead, but her brow wrinkled tightly together. More and more tightly knit. A fierce wolf slowly closed in, eyes gleaming as it watched the child. So close, as it’s saliva started to drip on the child’s cheek.

Somewhere, it seemed that God’s eyes were watching the tragedy of the world of mortals. At the moment when the wolf dropped its head to give her the kiss of death, the child’s eyes suddenly opened. As sharp as a knife, not having even a half of a minute to be timid and weak, the child reached out almost instinctively. Catching the wolf’s upper and lower jaw, raised her head, and bit the wolf’s extended tongue. This caused the wolf to cry out!

Sharp howling resounded and everyone turned their heads to see the child fiercely biting the wolf’s tongue. Stunned, they forgot about archery.

Zhao Che was first to react. Seeing the child with that big “penetrating” character, he laughed while shooting the wolf’s throat.