My Three Kingdoms is not right

Liu Xun did not participate in the subsequent hunting.

The skill "Shooting the Halberd at the Gate" has a one-month cooldown; if you shoot it again, you'll give yourself away.

He hung the black lacquered horn bow on his saddle and, along with Zhao Yun and Sun Shangxiang, rode along the edge of the hunting grounds.

Sun Shangxiang's archery skills are indeed extraordinary. Although she is young, no one can surpass her in accuracy.

A cool autumn breeze swept through the forest, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees. Liu Xun watched the young women around him galloping on horseback, chasing their prey in the golden sunlight, and felt a profound sense of peace.

"Your Highness," Sun Shangxiang finally changed the subject after pestering Liu Xun for a long time without getting any information about how he shot two eagles with one arrow:

"Was Cao Sikong trying to steal the Emperor's thunder just now?"

Liu Xun glanced at her and laughed, "Young lady, don't ask about these things."

"I'm not young at all, I'm a year older than Sun Yi!" Sun Shangxiang muttered unhappily.

The atmosphere became somber during the afternoon session.

Each battalion commander led his soldiers into the hunting grounds, and they conducted a coordinated hunt in teams.

This is the time to test the army's combat capabilities.

Although they are usually allies, this occasion also has a competitive feel to it.

Xiahou Yuan's troops, Cao Ren's troops, Yue Jin's troops, Yu Jin's troops... each army took turns to fight, each displaying their abilities.

Liu Xun's imperial guards also entered the fray.

Xu Huang led her troops with excellent teamwork and discipline. Although they did not win the first battle, their performance was still outstanding. She herself even shot and killed a large wolf.

As the sun began to set, the hunt entered its final stage: the collection of game.

The soldiers inventoried and cataloged the game they had hunted, reporting it by type and quantity. Cao Cao personally reviewed it and then presented it to the emperor for his perusal.

Next, the emperor rewarded each army with gold, silk, wine, and meat based on their hunting results.

The Xiahou Dun tribe, which had the most kills, received an extra ten bolts of Shu brocade and twenty jars of imperial wine.

The sun sank completely below the mountain ridge, and the sky changed from orange-red to deep purple, then gradually became inky black.

Countless torches and campfires lit up the campsite. From above, they twinkled like stars, resembling an inverted starry sky on the ground.

Dozens of bonfires were lit in the open space in the center of the hunting ground.

The aroma of roasted meat wafted in the night breeze, mingling with the scent of wine and the fresh fragrance of herbs, making one's mouth water.

The soldiers sat in small groups around the campfire, eating large chunks of meat and drinking large bowls of wine, their laughter and songs rising and falling.

The largest bonfire was located below the city wall, where the emperor and his officials held banquets.

Liu Xie sat in the main seat, dressed in casual clothes, looking less like an emperor and more like a lively young girl.

She held a wine cup, chatting and laughing with Cao Cao and Liu Xun beside her. Occasionally, she would get up and walk to other campfires to share a drink with a courtier.

Having left behind the solemn palace and set aside the elaborate rituals, under this vast night sky, the individual appears so insignificant.

At least at this moment, the distance between the emperor and the minister of work, who were high above, and the ordinary gentry seemed to have narrowed considerably.

Liu Xun couldn't drink alcohol, but the campfire had made his cheeks slightly red, as if he were drunk.

"Mengde," he chuckled, patting the girl in red on the shoulder, "do you think that in ancient times, before emperors and ritual music existed, Yao and Shun, along with their subordinates, simply sat around a campfire drinking wine and roasting meat, and that's how they handled tribal affairs?"

Cao Cao was slightly taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "Your Highness's thoughts are truly imaginative."

"However, it is indeed something to aspire to."

Just as Liu Xun was about to say something more, he noticed that Sun Shangxiang was making a famous hand gesture at him from not far away.

And beside her was Sun Yi, whom he had left in Xudu.

The bonfire flickered, sending up a cluster of flames.

-----------------

Zhang Fei, who was drinking with Zhao Zhen, the Tiger-General, was pulled behind a tent by Guan Yu where no one was paying attention.

There were no lights in the tent, only a few rays of moonlight seeping in through the cracks, drawing a thin white line on the ground.

"Yide, you mustn't drink anymore tonight," Guan Yu said in a low voice. "I have something I need you to do."

"Second sister, stop fooling around! This little bit of wine won't get me drunk!" Zhang Fei hadn't fully recovered from the excitement of the drinking contest, and his voice was a bit loud.

"Keep your voice down! This is important, listen carefully!"

Zhang Fei scratched his head and remained silent.

Guan Yu remained silent for a moment, the moonlight falling on her profile, illuminating a cold, austere white.

"Tonight, I will kill Cao Cao."

The air inside the tent seemed to freeze.

Zhang Fei sobered up considerably in an instant, his eyes widening: "Second Sister, what did you say?"

Guan Yu's voice was as calm as a stagnant pool: "Cao Cao is arrogant and domineering, disrespectful to the emperor, and a treacherous official of the court. Today at the autumn hunt, we both witnessed her overstepping her bounds."

Zhang Fei nodded vigorously: "I know that."

Guan Yu continued, "My elder sister is torn between loyalty and righteousness, and she has been extremely distressed these days. Moreover, if this continues, she will only achieve nothing and her ambitions will remain unfulfilled."

"I wish to kill Cao Cao with my own hands, firstly to rid the country of a scourge and uphold the righteousness of a subject; secondly, to relieve my sister's worries and fulfill our sisterly bond."

"This is extremely dangerous. Would you be willing to help me, Yide?"

"Second Sister, what are you saying?" Zhang Fei patted his chest. "Just say the word, and I'll follow you through fire and water!"

"However, Cao Cao has many guards around him, and I'm afraid I won't be able to kill her."

Guan Yu smiled slightly: "In Xuchang, Cao Cao's guards were indeed very tight. However, in this open wilderness, it is impossible for there not to be loopholes."

"I had already secretly scouted the surrounding terrain and, five days in advance, had eighteen Xuzhou assassins ambushed in the hunting grounds."

"Once night falls, I will send a signal, and the assassins will set fires from the west to create a feint attack and create chaos."

"At that time, the two of us will take the opportunity to approach Cao Cao's tent under the guise of protection."

"Yide, do your best to block Xu Chu and his guards who are protecting Cao Cao, while I will go straight for Cao Cao's head."

"After we succeed, we will retreat from the valley in the northwest. There are several giant trees that I have prepared in advance. As long as we smash them, they will fall down and block the road, which can hinder Cao Cao's army's movement."

"Great!" Zhang Fei became increasingly excited as he listened: "Second Sister, this is too extravagant!"

"What about your eldest sister? Have you spoken to her yet?"

Guan Yu shook his head: "My elder sister is gentle by nature, and she is caught between the emperor and Cao Cao, hesitant and in a dilemma. If I were to tell her, she would definitely not agree."

She looked at Zhang Fei, her tone becoming more resolute: "Let's act decisively and do it first. We can tell our elder sister after it's done."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Zhang Fei's almond-shaped eyes blazed with fury. "Let's do it this way! I've been itching for this for ages!"

Just then, the tent flap was suddenly pulled open from the outside.

Moonlight streamed in, illuminating a tall, slender figure.

"Yun Chang, Yi De, why aren't you drinking outside? What are you doing hiding here?"