The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

As night fell, a roaring bonfire was lit in the open space of the hunting grounds.

At the lower end, members of the imperial family and civil and military officials sat together.

At the head of the table, Shen Wangxi and Shen Qingruo sat in the main seats.

Shen Qingruo changed out of her riding clothes from the daytime and into simple everyday clothes, which made her look even more delicate.

Shen Wangxi kept his arm around her shoulder, half-encircling her in his embrace. His gaze frequently fell on her face, filled with worry, fearing that the sudden danger of the day might leave a shadow in her heart.

Below, the spoils of today's hunt were displayed one by one, ready to be awarded and rewarded.

Qi Rui stood at the front, his voice echoing throughout the camp: "Thank you all for your hard work during today's hunt."

"Now let's take stock of the prey. The top three will be rewarded by His Majesty!"

In the firelight, the prey were piled up, bloodied and gruesome, and a faint smell of blood filled the air.

There are roe deer, hares, and also some large prey.

Shen Qingruo was initially startled by the bloody scene, and shrank into Shen Wangxi's arms, covering her eyes with her small hands.

Shen Wangxi sensed her fear and whispered, "If you're scared, don't look."

Shen Qingruo gently shook her head in his arms. After a while, she quietly opened her fingers that were covering her eyes, and a watery eye peered curiously and timidly at the scene below through the gap in her fingers.

Shen Wangxi looked down and saw her little action, finding it somewhat amusing, and her earlier worries dissipated a bit.

He covered her small hand with his large hand, gently pulled it down, held it in his palm, and whispered, "Look if you want, I'm here."

His indulgence emboldened Shen Qingruo; she stopped covering her eyes, but still tried to avoid looking at the overly bloody parts.

Qi Rui continued the inventory and concluded: "The one who hunted the most today is Xiao Yu, the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo."

"A total of three large prey animals were captured, including one adult black bear, and more than twenty medium and small prey animals were captured."

Upon hearing this, a murmur of astonishment rippled through the room.

Hunting a bear is no easy feat, which shows Xiao Yu's bravery.

Xiao Yu stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

He was dressed in a smart outfit, and in the firelight, his face was handsome and his figure was tall.

Shen Wangxi's gaze fell on him, and she nodded, her tone approving: "Minister Xiao is exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts, not bad."

Shen Jingyan looked at Xiao Yu in the arena, feeling proud as well.

Qi Rui echoed with a smile, "The young master is young and promising, truly worthy of being the son of the Duke of Zhenguo."

Xiao Yu lowered his head: "Your Majesty is too kind, Duke Su is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise."

He felt the calm yet extremely oppressive gaze of His Majesty above him, and dared not overstep his bounds in the slightest. After expressing his gratitude, he returned to the ranks.

Shen Qingruo followed everyone's gaze to Xiao Yu. Seeing that the black bear he had hunted was huge with dark fur, and even in death it still exuded a fierce aura, she couldn't help but move closer to Shen Wangxi.

Shen Wangxi noticed her movements and thought she was frightened by the bear, so he gently patted her back: "It's dead, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Next, the Duke of Su announced the winners of the second and third place, both of whom were valiant generals in the army.

Their hunts mainly consisted of large predators, such as wolves and wild boars, which were displayed in a bloody manner.

Seeing the several young fawns and foxes, Shen Qingruo felt a pang of pity. She gently tugged at Shen Wangxi's sleeve and whispered:

"Your Majesty, they are young and pitiful."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wangxi looked down at her and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed, indicating that she was genuinely reluctant to let her go.

Microsoft in his heart, his Aruo, always had such a gentle heart.

"The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is the law of nature," Shen Wangxi explained in a low voice.

"However, if Aruoruo doesn't like it, I will give the order that no one is allowed to hunt these cubs."

A casual remark from a superior could become a customary rule over the centuries following the Zhou Dynasty, even influencing the hunting customs among the common people.

Do not hunt cubs, and do not harm mother animals.

This allowed the creatures in the mountains and forests to rest and recuperate, and their populations to continue to multiply.

Even in later years of famine, the number of adult wild animals was enough to feed the disaster victims, forming a virtuous cycle to some extent.

Historical records state:

Consort Zhao was kind-hearted and, seeing the pitiful state of the young animal, the Emperor followed her advice and established rules to protect it.

Therefore, in later generations, meat was commonly eaten in the mountains and forests, and people rarely suffered from hunger.

Of course, that's a story for another time.

At this moment, the emperor simply held his beloved concubine in his arms, enjoying this rare and grand occasion on this autumn night.

The campfire continued, and the prey of some of the young noblemen was brought up for display.

Their martial arts skills were inferior to those of the generals before them, so they didn't hunt many large beasts. Instead, they caught many small, colorful prey such as pheasants, rabbits, and golden pheasants, which didn't look so bloody and terrifying.

Shen Qingruo's attention was drawn to a golden pheasant with brightly colored and gorgeous feathers. Its tail feathers were extremely long and shimmered in the firelight. Although it was dead, it was still very beautiful.

She couldn't help but glance at it a few more times.

Shen Wangxi smiled slightly, pulled her closer to his chest, and whispered in her ear, "It seems that Aruo still prefers pretty things."

Shen Qingruo tilted her head up, her eyelashes fluttering, with a hint of coquettishness: "Because they don't look that scary."

Seeing that her mood had improved, Shen Wangxi gestured for the Duke of Su to continue.

Duke Su understood and laughed loudly, "Gentlemen, you are all quite skilled. These pheasants and rabbits will add some fun to the banquet."

The atmosphere at the camp became lively again, and the servants began to process the game and prepare for a barbecue.

Before long, the aroma of meat gradually filled the air.

Golden-brown, oily roasted venison and wild boar meat were served to each person at their table.

What was laid out in front of Shen Wangxi was naturally the most tender part of the stag he had personally shot that day.

He cut off a small piece, tested it, and felt it was cooked just right before cutting another small piece and offering it to Shen Qingruo's lips.

"Try it, this is what I hunted today."

Shen Qingruo took a small bite from his hand; the meat was tender and juicy. She nodded, "Delicious."

Looking at her satisfied expression, Shen Wangxi smiled and cut a few more pieces for her, placing them on a plate.