After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General - Chapter 32

“Your Majesty, today your Majesty was the most valiant during the hunt. Hunting this huge beast is truly extraordinary and mighty!” The officials on the side flattered.

Zhao Xuan’s ears were ringing. He disliked hearing these flattering words. These people were used to praising the powerful and oppressing the weak, and when he was powerless in the past, he never heard such things.

There was only Zhao Yelan who grew up at his side, urging him on and encouraging him, never deliberately flattering him. Even though he was now honored as the Emperor and had hunted a fierce tiger, the other party only gave him a smile to show affirmation, which was instead more comfortable than such vain flattery.

Thinking of this, he looked at his prey again and planned to reward Zhao Yelan with both the tiger skin and the stag to make him happy. Of course, there was also some pride in it. 

Perfectly satisfied, he moved forward and looked toward Zhao Yelan, then saw a white rabbit jump out of his hands and Zhao Yelan taking two steps after it.

Zhao Xuan was wondering where the live rabbit came from when he saw Zhao Yelan turn around and say to the other person: “What are you doing still in a daze, are you just going to let it run away?”

“Ask me, ah,” Yan Mingting said with a smile.

“In your dreams.” Zhao Yelan stood in place and said, “Forget it, I don’t care if it runs away.”

“I care.” Yan Mingting quickly caught the rabbit and stuffed it into his arms. “You have literary talent, give it a name.”
Zhao Yelan thought for a while: “I’ll call it Hongshao,[1] ba, I haven’t eaten rabbit head in a long time.”

Yan Mingting: “……”

The rabbit flinched, and the others laughed out loud.

Zhao Xuan looked at the group of people, staring straight at Zhao Yelan and not letting the expression on his face slip. He clearly saw the cunning that flashed in his eyes, like he was deliberately teasing Yan Mingting to play, and the joy that came after success.

When did Zhao Yelan ever tease others?

Zhao Xuan’s eyes gradually darkened, his heart feeling bitter and sour. When he looked over again, Zhao Yelan had returned to his original appearance, as if it had just been an illusion.

He walked over with heavy steps and asked with a forced smile: “Where did this rabbit come from?”

“Answering Your Majesty, the General caught it,” Zhong Yuehong said.

“It is likely that the person in charge accidentally mixed in this rabbit,” Yan Mingting explained.

It stood to reason that there would only be wild rabbits in the hunting grounds, not domestic ones, but not long after Yan Mingting entered, he saw this white and tender domestic rabbit and supposed that the palace servants had accidentally let it in. It had no experience living in the wild. In these hunting grounds, it would either die to an arrow or at the mouth of another beast, so he simply took it away. It also looked inexplicably like Zhao Yelan, who was also soft and white, and insisted on looking at others fiercely despite the lack of red eyes.

“So that is the case.” Zhao Xuan reached out to touch the rabbit’s head with a gentle smile, and said to Zhao Yelan, who was holding it, “This is really a good thing, don’t you love rabbit meat? This is a blessing, right, Mengting?”[2]

The people around were stunned. Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Xuan in surprise, and then at Zhao Yelan with a complicated expression. 

Zhao Yelan nodded, calm and composed: “En.”

After saying a few words, Zhao Xuan went on to inspect other prey.

This group of talents regained their noisy atmosphere, and Zhong Yuehong couldn’t bear it, saying: “My lord, do you really want to braise it? In that case, give it to me, I’ll buy it from you.”

Zhao Yelan was distracted, staring at Zhao Xuan’s back. He couldn’t quite understand why the other party had suddenly called him “Mengting.” Could it be that he was threatening him because he saw him lingering with Yan Mingting and his group?

Yan Mingting followed his line of sight to Zhao Xuan’s tall, straight back. His eyes darkened a bit, and he raised his hand to stroke the rabbit’s head.

The atmosphere was a bit strange, and the two of them were completely silent, standing in place with their own thoughts. They didn’t come back to their senses until everyone began to return home.

At sunset, there was only a little bit of warm afterglow in the forest as everyone left in an orderly manner. Zhao Yelan turned to go, but Yan Mingting grasped his arm.

“Wait.”

Yan Mingting was responsible for the security of the hunting grounds, and had arranged many people around him, so he had to deal with the aftermath. Zhao Yelan thought for a moment, then stayed and waited for them to go back together.

The crowd gradually dispersed. When Li Yucheng passed by him, he gave him a fierce look and whispered: “Zhao Yelan, you wait for me, I will remember the grudge from last time.”

Ignorant fool.

Zhao Yelan didn’t even bother to respond to him, and put the rabbit on the ground. As soon as it  ran away, Zhong Yuehong caught it again for a thorough petting. 

He could see that she liked it very much, and said: “Take it back and keep it for yourself.”

Zhong Yuehong shook her head: “Forget it, the General caught it for you, my lord. If I take it away, he will punish me with fifty blows with a cane.”

Zhao Yelan wondered: “You will be caned?”

“Of course, I’ve been through it many times and couldn’t get out of bed for days,” Zhong Yuehong complained.

He Cuizhang leaned down to touch the rabbit and joined the conversation: “Who told you to disobey orders and act without authorization? Besides, the General said that military merit would be awarded based on meritorious deeds, but according to military discipline, there is no difference between men and women. If you make a mistake, you will be punished.”

Zhong Yuehong glared at him, and the two started shoving and fighting.

Zhao Yelan nodded: “It should be so.”

As a female lieutenant general, Zhong Yuehong was very uncommon. If it wasn’t for the old general and Yan Mingting’s efforts to protect her, perhaps she would be a married woman by now, with a husband and child, and then how could she have thousands of soldiers under her command?

Therefore, if she made a mistake, she could not be shown favoritism, lest anyone think that General Yan would be partial to her for being a woman. If it were not this way, the soldiers under her would inevitably be dissatisfied, and she would be more likely to lose credit. If the hearts of the people were not in harmony, it would be difficult to resist the enemy.

“See, my lord also said there is nothing wrong with it. They really deserve to be a family.” He Cuizhang smiled and said, “Yuehong, you just be honest, how is it possible that you still want to use Zhao-daren to petition the General?”

Zhao Yelan’s expression froze slightly. He glanced away, ignoring the two people.

After a while, Yan Mingting returned. Zhao Yelan had been sitting for a long time and was slightly dizzy when he stood up, but he was supported firmly.

“You all go back first, we have something to do.” Yan Mingting grabbed the rabbit and handed it to Zhong Yuehong. “Send it back to the General’s Mansion.”

After everyone had left, Zhao Yelan turned and asked: “What else do we need to do?”

“I’m going to take you somewhere.” Yan Mingting whistled, and his horse trotted over. He mounted it easily, and stretched out a hand with a smile: “Let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Hunting.”

“Hunting?” Zhao Yelan gave him a surprised look.

“That’s right.” Yan Mingting bent down a little and looked at him with a smile on his face. “Do you want to go?”

Zhao Yelan frowned slightly and stood there for a time while the other waited for him patiently.

He unconsciously bit his lower lip, and then held that hand. Immediately afterwards, his body lightened and he easily sat on the horse’s back.

“Ya!”

The strong horse spun and galloped into the hunting grounds, then slowed down to walk steadily down the path.

Zhao Yelan’s tense body gradually relaxed, and he looked at the surrounding environment. The trees covered the sky and blocked out the sun, making it a bit dark. The grass around them made a little noise from time to time, and there was no telling what could be hiding within. 

“Come, take the bow.” Yan Mingting took an arrow from the quiver and handed him both.

Zhao Yelan took it and fumbled for a moment before getting the arrow stuck on the string.

“Pull,” Yan Mingting said softly.

Zhao Yelan raised the bow, but it took some effort to draw it. After trying a few times with difficulty, his arms began to shake. Then the back of his hand was covered by a warm palm, wrapping around his hand and pulling back hard.

“Hold it steady, look straight ahead, and hold your breath,” Yan Mingting whispered in his ear.

Zhao Yelan looked forward intently. It was silent for a moment, and then he heard a sudden movement.

“Release.”

As Yan Mingting spoke, he let go of his hand. The arrow shot out with a swish, and then the sound of something falling to the ground could be heard.

Zhao Yelan’s eyes lit up slightly, and he asked in a low voice: “What is it?”

“Let’s go and have a look.” Yan Mingting slowly rode his horse forward, then leaned down and picked up an arrow embedded in a hare.

Zhao Yelan immediately became more energetic and asked: “Are there more hares?”

“There are.” Yan Mingting instructed him again on how to exert strength.

“Next time I will do it by myself,” Zhao Yelan said.

“All right.”

Zhao Yelan sat on the horse and drew the bow again according to his instructions. When he heard the sound of movement, he let loose in a fluster. In the end, the hare escaped unscathed and the arrow shot out crookedly and landed nearby.

“……”

Yan Mingting laughed. Zhao Yelan turned his head to look back at him, and he waved his hand: “It’s okay, your first time was never going to be smooth.”

“Don’t play around.” Zhao Yelan pulled a long face.

“There is a sheep. The target is bigger and easier to hit.”

“Where?” Zhao Yelan looked around but saw nothing. Realizing that he was being teased, he was about to get angry when Yan Mingting took his hand again, readied the bow, and they released together. There was a plaintive cry in the distance.

Zhao Yelan gave him a surprised look, and in the blink of an eye, the two approached on horseback. It was indeed a sheep.

“How did you know it was a sheep?”

“I listened to the sound it made to distinguish its shape.” Yan Mingting asked with a smile, “How about it, do you still want to play?”

Zhao Yelan didn’t speak, but Yan Mingting suddenly urged the horse into a gallop through the forest

He quickly grabbed the saddle and focused on the path ahead. After a while, he relaxed again and felt the thrill of galloping, the corners of his mouth curving up unknowingly.

The sky was darkening swiftly. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a running deer and shouted hastily: “Quick, over there!”

“You steer the horse.”

“Me?” Zhao Yelan was about to refuse, but the other party had already handed the reins over to him and drawn the bow.

Zhao Yelan’s heart beat fast as the horse galloped along. He didn’t dare stop recklessly, so he could only hold the reins apprehensively and shout: “Hurry up, we’re going to fall!”

There was the sharp sound of an arrow piercing the air. He glanced over to see that the deer had been hit by the arrow, and turned his head without realizing it to give Yan Mingting a delighted look.

Who knew that the horse would panic at this time and suddenly jolt, its two front hooves rearing up. Zhao Yelan cried out and fell backwards. Despite Yan Mingting hugging him tightly, the two fell from the horse together.

They rolled a few times through the grass before coming to a stop.

Zhao Yelan, having survived the catastrophe, slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was being embraced in Yan Mingting’s arms. After moving a little, he found no injuries on his body and pushed Yan Mingting away.

Yan Mingting chuckled and turned over to lay next to him, staring motionless at the sky.

Zhao Yelan panted heavily for a while, and regained his composure after lying down for a period of time. He asked: “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Yan Mingting said.

“Did you shoot the deer?”

“Of course.”

Zhao Yelan turned around and found that the other’s hand was still under his head. He had just moved to push his hand away when his back was pressed down. He lay down obediently.

Unable to move anymore, he asked: “Why did you give me the reins?”

“I don’t know, I just thought you would like it.” Yan Mingting raised one leg lazily, where he was slightly injured.

“Like what?” Zhao Yelan was puzzled.

“Riding horses and hunting.”

Zhao Yelan didn’t answer for a moment and remained silent.

“So you liked it?” Yan Mingting asked again, turning his head to look at him.

Zhao Yelan nodded faintly. However, it was dark now and Yan Mingting couldn’t see his movements, so he reached out to touch his cheek and asked: “Did you just nod or shake your head?”

Zhao Yelan slapped his hand away. “I liked it, okay?”

What man in the world didn’t like luxurious clothes and strong horses, drawing a bow to shoot wild geese, or becoming a great scholar, a talent in the prime of his life?

But as it happened, he couldn’t do it.

“It’s easy, ah.” Yan Mingting patted his back. “Follow me in the future to exercise well. I will teach you horseback riding and archery, and you will be able to come and show off your hunting skills in the coming year.”

Their surroundings were quiet. Zhao Yelan listened to his words in silence. It seemed that he could hear the lively beating of the other’s heart, which contained the incomparable vitality that he envied.

The two lay on the grass for a long time, until Zhao Yelan sneezed. Only then did Yan Mingting help him up, then turn and retrieve the arrow from the deer.

The deer was not dead yet. After a moment of struggle, it fled unsteadily.

“Let’s go back.” Yan Mingting led him to the horse, and they exited the hunting grounds together.

“By the way……” Yan Mingting hesitated to speak, and after deliberating for a long time, he couldn’t hold back the question. “Why did the Emperor call you Mengting?”

He still hadn’t escaped this problem. Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes and said slowly: “Mengting is my courtesy name.”

“Really?”

“En.”

Yan Mingting was slightly dissatisfied: “The Emperor knew your courtesy name, but I didn’t.”

“Then why don’t you reflect on yourself?” Zhao Yelan retorted.

“Clearly you didn’t tell me.”

“Well, you didn’t tell me yours, so why should I……”

“Fangli. I am called Yan Fangli,” Yan Mingting interrupted.

“Oh……”

“That is how you react?”

“How should I react?”

“Call it out for me to hear.”

“Hehe.”

After returning to the General’s Mansion, Housekeeper Qin saw that the two of them were a little out of sorts and said worriedly: “Did something happen during the hunt today?”

“Something happened,” Yan Mingting said solemnly. “Mengting was very stingy.”

“Who is Mengting?” Housekeeper Qin was at a loss.

Zhao Yelan felt a lot of regret. Ever since telling him that name, Yan Mingting kept saying ‘Mengting’ all the way –

“Mengting, after we go back, do you want to pick a good horse from my stables?”

“Mengting, sit back a little, don’t ride on the horse’s neck.”

“Mengting, hey. It’s fine, I just wanted to call you.”

“Mengting, you look so good today.”

“Mengting, Mengting, Mengting……”

The recitation made his brain buzz, until he almost couldn’t recognize these two characters.

“Mengting is certainly……”

“Yan Mingting!” Zhao Yelan hissed.

“Who is Yan Mingting? I only know Yan Fanli,” Yan Mingting said with a pleasant smile.

When Housekeeper Qin heard these familiar words, he suddenly realized: “I understand, the General is flirting with his wife, right?”

Yan Mingting: “ . ”

“……” Zhao Yelan gave Housekeeper Qin a sharp look.

Housekeeper Qin hurriedly covered his mouth, and then slapped himself lightly across the face – look at his big mouth, how could he accidentally say such a thing?

[1] Hongshao (红烧) means “braised.” ⮐

[2] Different from General Yan’s name, Mingting (明庭), which means “bright courtyard,” Zhao Yelan’s real name is Mengting(梦亭), or “dream pavilion.” They sound similar but consist of completely different characters. I can already tell this is going to be a joy to keep straight while translating…… ⮐