SBCEJM -Chapter 335 Good Heavens, With This Setup, You’d Think We Were Going To War!

On the day of the autumn hunt, the sky was only just beginning to lighten.

Outside the Northern Frontier Prince’s Manor, three magnificent horses snorted impatiently.

Feng Huai’an stood tall in a dark teal riding outfit, his back straight as a blade.

Feng Zekai had changed into a moon-white riding uniform, his features elegant and refined.

Feng Zeyuan wore a striking fiery red outfit. Her black hair was tied high, radiating sharp, heroic energy.

The three stood side by side, their presence commanding.

Liu San and Liu Si, disguised as servants, rode in a carriage mixed into the manor’s procession.

Along the long streets, carriages from various households converged like streams, eventually flowing into the vast tide of the imperial escort.

Flags filled the sky, armor gleamed like frost, and the enormous procession wound its way toward the Western Garden Hunting Grounds.

【Good heavens, this setup! Anyone who didn’t know better would think we were going to war!】

【How much money is this costing? That Old Xiao is such a spendthrift.】

Riding on horseback, Feng Zeyuan tapped her fingers lightly on the saddle.

The system immediately responded:

“Host, this autumn hunt has 13,427 registered participants.”

“Includes civil and military officials and their families, the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Medical Bureau, the Imperial Kitchen, the capital garrison, patrol battalions, hunters, and beast tamers…”

“Total estimated expenditure: 270,000 taels of silver.”

Feng Zeyuan almost choked.

【What?! 270,000 taels?!】

【Old Xiao basically dragged the entire palace out for a team-building trip!】

【If I had that money, I could open ten ‘Muscle Factory Institutes’!】

The procession arrived at the ceremonial platform at the entrance of the hunting grounds.

Xiao Juechen stood in golden armor, looking like a deity in the morning light.

He led the officials in burning incense and offering prayers to heaven and the mountain gods.

Feng Zekai stood to the side, brush and paper in hand, carefully recording the ritual proceedings.

Incense smoke rose, drums and bells rang out, and the atmosphere was solemn and grand.

When the ritual ended, Xiao Juechen turned around, his gaze sharp as a blade sweeping across the weary civil officials.

“Dear ministers, strengthening the nation begins with strengthening the body! Today, I want to see your physical capability!”

His eyes lingered on officials like Lin Zhengyan and Chu Heng.

“This autumn hunt will last seven days. All officials, regardless of civil or military rank, must each hunt at least three animals!”

“You must do it yourselves. No substitutes allowed. Violators will be punished for deceiving the emperor! Those who hunt more will be richly rewarded!”

The words struck down like a hammer, and the civil officials collectively seemed to shrink a little.

An elderly minister’s knees trembled, producing faint “clack-clack” sounds.

Another clutched his jade belt, as if it could provide spiritual support.

On the military side, suppressed laughter erupted.

General Cheng Ying slapped a comrade’s armor and whispered:

“Old Wang, time for those bookworms to see what’s what!”

【This is getting exciting! Now it’s fun!】

Feng Zeyuan’s eyes sparkled.

【Old Xiao really went hard—forcing these old men into live wilderness survival!】

The system added:

“Reminder: To increase entertainment value, His Majesty has ordered the number of artificially released chickens and rabbits to be halved.”

“Wild beasts captured from the deep mountains will be released directly by hunters. They are fully feral.”

Feng Zeyuan clicked her tongue.

【Old Xiao is really trying to kill these old men.】

【If someone unlucky runs into a real beast, they might be meeting the King of Hell.】

The system replied:

“Host, do not underestimate imperial guards. Each beast is accompanied by multiple imperial soldiers.”

【Good. That’s a relief. I was overthinking it.】

The hunting horn sounded long and loud.

Military generals spurred their horses forward like arrows shooting into the forest, soon followed by triumphant shouts.

The civil officials exchanged glances, reluctantly formed small groups, and slowly shuffled into the woods.

Feng Zeyuan nudged her horse and said to Feng Zekai:

“Brother, let’s not fight them for chickens and rabbits. Come on, let’s patrol our ‘melon field territory.’”

“Alright.”

Feng Zekai followed with a faint smile.

Liu San and Liu Si dismounted, quickly mounted again, equipped with quivers and short bows, guarding both sides.

They entered deeper into the forest, passing through dense thickets, until they heard rustling sounds near a quiet clearing.

Following the sound—they saw the Prime Minister, Lin Zhengyan.

He was rolling up his sleeves, squatting under a tree with a copy of The Art of War.

He flipped pages while drawing formation diagrams on the ground with a branch.

“Warfare is deception… hunting is also deception!”

He placed stones into an eight-trigram formation, with wild fruits as bait in the center.

With each stone placed, he calculated directions with his fingers, murmuring:

“This is a trapped beast formation. Once prey enters, it will lose its way…”

His servant stared blankly and whispered:

“Sir… do rabbits understand the Eight Trigrams?”

Lin Zhengyan snapped his head around:

“Silence! Even beasts have spirit—do not underestimate them!”

【Hahaha! Is this old man trying to trap rabbits with military strategy?】

【Does he think rabbits studied The Art of War too?】

【I strongly suspect the one getting trapped will be him!】

Feng Zekai suppressed laughter and recorded:

“Prime Minister Lin Zhengyan uses military formation theory to hunt; admirable intent, but rabbits do not understand strategy.”

Not far away, Minister of Revenue Chu Heng was crouched on the ground with an abacus.

He clicked it rapidly, muttering calculations:

“One rabbit weighs three catties… running speed approx… trap cost five wen…”

He drew a complex physics-style diagram in the dirt and constructed a scale-like device from wooden sticks—bait on one side, a basket on the other.

He even pulled out a small scale to weigh stones carefully.

“This stone is two catties and three taels… that one one catty seven taels… the difference is six taels—no, redo the calculation!”

His servant rolled his eyes:

“Sir… rabbits won’t jump onto a scale, right?”

Chu Heng didn’t look up:

“You don’t understand! Only precise data ensures absolute success!”

【Oh my god! Is he seriously weighing rabbits?!】

【He even carries an abacus and scale—this occupational disease is incurable!】

【Rabbit: I came to be hunted, not examined!】

A military general rode past—it was General Cheng Ying.

He drew his bow and shot.

“Whoosh—!”

An arrow pierced through the air, and a plump wild chicken collapsed instantly.

Cheng Ying smirked, preparing to dismount.

Then he noticed Lin Zhengyan’s stone formation and Chu Heng’s calculations.

He couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

“So, my lords, what exactly are you doing?”

He dismounted and pointed at the stone array.

“Prime Minister, are you trapping rabbits with formations? If rabbits could understand this, they’d be spirits already!”

Then he turned to Chu Heng:

“Minister Chu, your calculations are impressive, but rabbits don’t read or do math!”

“In my opinion, hunting should be like this—one arrow, one kill, simple and clean!”

As he spoke, he gestured dramatically toward the bushes.

“You scholars always make simple things complicated—what formations, what calculations…”

Just as he was mid-speech, a figure shot out from the bushes like lightning.

The person moved with incredible speed, scooped up the wild chicken, and bolted away.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.