The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

Zheng He stepped out from the crowd, clasped his hands in salute, and said in a steady voice, "Your Majesty, Commander, after this tiger arrived in the capital, it was received and guarded by the Imperial Horse Administration. However, during the transport from the northern border to the capital, it passed through three checkpoints: the Northern Border Office of the Zhenwu Division, the Ministry of War's postal escort, and the Imperial Guard's entry into the city for verification."

Qin Wu's gaze was like a knife, piercing Zheng He's face.

Zheng He looked back at him with neither arrogance nor servility, his gaze calm as still water.

There are three checkpoints; if you want to investigate, then start from the beginning.

Zhou Qian was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "I remember you. You were the one who recommended Dian Wei, who was transferred to oversee the armory before the spring hunt?"

Zheng He was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Your Majesty, I did indeed recommend Dian Wei to Admiral Hai. Dian Wei is a steady and reliable person, and I believe he is a suitable candidate for the armory."

Zhou Qian didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded slightly and stood up.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly heard throughout the hunting area: "By imperial decree, the Imperial Horse Stables are found to have failed in their duty to guard the tigers and are to be fined three months' salary."

"The Zhenwu Division failed in its inspection and supervision duties and is fined six months' salary. It is required to ascertain the source of the tiger carcass medicine within ten days. If it fails to do so within the time limit, Qin Wu will be held responsible for the punishment."

"The relevant personnel in charge of the Ministry of War and the Imperial Guard will each be fined one month's salary as a warning to others. Xu Chu has rendered meritorious service in saving the emperor and will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold and a jade belt."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Zheng He for a moment, before adding, "Zheng He, the keeper of the Imperial Horse Stables' treasury, remains calm and organized in the face of adversity; he is hereby awarded fifty taels of silver."

Qin Wu bowed to accept the punishment, his face ashen as if he had swallowed a fly, but he had no choice but to lower his head and reply, "Your subject obeys."

His most frustrating point was that the tiger had indeed passed through the hands of the Zhenwu Division, and he couldn't completely deny any involvement. However, at the same time, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong. The Imperial Horse Administration had handled things far too cleanly and efficiently.

As the sun began to set, the spring hunt came to a close in an atmosphere tinged with excitement and undercurrents.

As is customary, the scores for the flag-capturing competition are announced publicly by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs after the hunting and martial arts demonstration, but this year's results left everyone silent for a moment.

The eldest prince, Zhou Cong, won first place in the flag-capturing competition with a total score ten points higher than Zhou Xun.

Although he had fewer prey than Zhou Xun.

However, he only shot seven arrows in total, hitting seven prey, while Zhou Xun shot more than thirty arrows.

He also found eight command flags, two more than Zhou Xun had.

The flag carries far greater weight in the scoring than the prey, because searching for the flag tests one's observation, judgment, and patience—qualities that rulers value highly.

Zhou Xun stood outside the hunting circle, still holding the hunting spear with three deep scratches from the tiger's claws. When he heard the score, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Zhou Cong and said, "Congratulations, elder brother," his tone as calm as if he were offering a casual greeting.

Zhou Cong smiled and returned the greeting, his expression as gentle as ever, as if this first place was nothing more than icing on the cake for him.

The banquet was held on an open area by the hunting ground lake, where hundreds of palace lanterns illuminated the night.

The aroma of roasted whole lamb mingled with the sweet scent of osmanthus wine, filling the air. The soldiers of the Imperial Guards shed their daytime sternness and gathered in small groups around the campfire, some playing drinking games loudly, others chatting and laughing quietly.

Xu Chu sat in his seat in the Imperial Guard camp, with a whole roasted lamb leg in front of him. He tore off a large piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it with great gusto.

Dian Wei sat next to him, holding a bowl of wine in his hand, taking small sips. The two occasionally touched bowls together, but hardly spoke.

Zhan Zhao was not in his seat.

He held a bowl of wine, leaned against an old locust tree far from the campfire, and slowly drank it.

The wine reflected the distant firelight, flickering in his eyes.

He mentally reviewed every detail of today's spring hunt, from the tiger's unusual mutation to the timing of Xu Chu's attack, and Zheng He's composure in the face of Qin Wu's questioning.

He sighed inwardly. After setting up such a scheme for so long, his master's people had finally begun to clash in the highest echelons of power. And in today's game, the pieces had cooperated perfectly.

In the midst of the banquet, Emperor Wu of Zhou suddenly put down his wine cup and spoke a few words.

The sound wasn't loud, but the entire banquet fell silent instantly.

"I am very satisfied with Cong'er's performance today. He has eight command flags, two more than last year, and every arrow was accurate and precise. He was calm and composed, just like his father."

Zhou Qian's gaze fell on the eldest prince, Zhou Cong, a rare smile playing on his lips. "After the spring hunt, you will enter the cabinet to observe state affairs."

The room fell silent.

Even the crackling sound of the campfire seemed particularly jarring.

Observing government affairs in the cabinet means that the eldest prince will officially participate in government affairs as a candidate for crown prince, reviewing memorials, listening to cabinet discussions, and even directly asking questions to the Grand Secretaries of the cabinet.

This was the position that all the princes dreamed of, and it was also the first time in the nineteen years since Emperor Wu of Zhou ascended the throne that a prince had been allowed to enter the cabinet.

Grand Tutor Kong Yan paused slightly in his hand, which was holding the prayer beads, before resuming his normal rhythm.

Grand Commandant Zhou Jing sat upright beside Zhou Qian, his face calm and composed, but the knuckles of his fingers holding the bamboo cane were faintly white.

Zhou Cong stood up, straightened his clothes, knelt down properly and kowtowed, expressing his gratitude in a steady yet humble voice.

Everything was done impeccably, as if the decision had been expected all along, and he was simply following a set procedure.

Zhou Xun sat at the table, his knuckles white as he gripped a wine glass in his hand, but he still had a smile on his face. He raised the glass towards Zhou Cong and then drank it all in one gulp.

The third prince, the fourth prince, the fifth prince, and the others looked at each other, their expressions varied.

Some looked thoughtful, some smiled, and some had a fleeting, almost imperceptible shadow in their eyes.

Gao Lishi observed everyone's reactions as he changed dishes for the emperor from his seat in the Imperial Kitchen.

After the banquet ended, it was already late at night.

Zhou Xing followed the crowd back to his tent. Chunlan had already laid out the bedding, and Qiuju was adding calming incense to the incense burner.

He took off his outer robe, put on his inner garment, sat cross-legged on the bed, and stared blankly at the top of the tent.

During today's spring hunt, he didn't say a word or even glance at anything extra. He simply followed along quietly, eating and watching.

But every word spoken and every action taken by everyone was taken into his mind and is now being rapidly integrated, analyzed, and archived.

The eldest prince entered the cabinet to observe government affairs.

This is a signal that the Emperor is beginning to seriously consider the matter of establishing an heir.

The eldest prince follows the path of literature, with Kong Yan and the entire civil service system standing behind him.

The second prince pursues martial arts, and is backed by Zhou Jing and the military.

Two routes, two forces, and today they have already clashed for the first time on the hunting grounds.

The eldest prince won the hunt, while the second prince encountered danger during the hunt. One won and one narrowly escaped, neither gaining a clear advantage.

But this is only the beginning.

The cabinet's observation of government affairs means that the eldest prince will accumulate a wealth of political experience and connections in the court in a short period of time, while the second prince's influence in the military will be further amplified by today's incident of Xu Chu saving the emperor.

But none of that mattered to him.

The important thing is this ticking time bomb today.

The tiger that had been drugged confirmed his biggest fear.

The waters in the palace were deeper than he had imagined.

They were able to poison a tiger handled by the Imperial Horse Stables, and the timing was so precise.

During the spring hunt, the Second Prince took the lead in the attack. A tiger suddenly pounced, and if Xu Chu hadn't been there to decapitate it, there would likely have been a fatality during the hunt.

Who did it?

Is it aimed at the Second Prince, or at someone else?

The fact that they could extend their reach into the Imperial Horse Stables indicates that this force had considerable influence within the inner court.

Qin Wu will investigate, but he may not be able to find out.

He has his own people to protect. Zheng He has already made an appearance before the emperor today, which is both an opportunity and a risk for a low-ranking warehouse manager.

He turned over and buried his face in the pillow.

Today, the Emperor praised Zheng He for "remaining calm and organized in the face of adversity" and rewarded him with an extra fifty taels of silver.

This statement is far more valuable than fifty taels of silver. It means that Zheng He's name has been engraved in the emperor's mind, and in the future, if there are similar matters, the emperor will think of him first.

But at the same time, it also means that Zheng He will be watched by more people.

We must remind Zheng He to keep a low profile lately, to do what needs to be done, and not to say a single word that shouldn't be said.

As for Xu Chu's reward of one hundred taels of silver and a jade belt, he needs to go and congratulate Xu Chu.

It would be only natural to go and ask Vice Commander Xu for advice on swordsmanship tomorrow.

He rolled over, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and closed his eyes.