What The Fox? (Completely Free!)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The hunt took place in the gardens of the Imperial Palace. I heard it said that there were tigers, antelopes, and lions who were all fair game in the hunt. Some say there were even wolves that lurked among the artificial lakes and perfectly formed caves. I wouldn't know. Sixi, as far as I knew, had no interest in how many beasts the emperor or his princes could shoot from horseback.

I decided to continue my ruse and sit with the court ladies or risk rousing suspicion. Among the princesses was Lihua, the sickly wife of the Crown Prince, who was out and about with her favorite eunuch to show off her strength lest any of the Prince's other wives start getting ideas.

I quickly realized that Sixi was a beautiful but well-liked idiot, so Lihua came and told me to walk with her. I supposed that it was an honor to be the future empress's confidant, but I didn't want to waste my afternoon talking about my favorite pear-blossom painting or how to perfect my needlework.

"Seeing your sweet face always lifts my spirits," Lihua said and stroked the back of my hand. "You're not wearing the pearl bracelet that Seventh Prince gifted you?"

"It slipped my mind," I apologized and cursed myself for trying to pretend to be Sixi among her close friends. "I put it away for safekeeping until he returns from the battlefield."

"Do not worry, little sparrow," Lihua replied and smiled gently. Her lips were pale, and her face looked drawn and tired. I knew from my experience as a medicine woman that whatever ailed her was rapidly draining her life away. At least if she figured out that I was an imposter, she might not live long enough to figure out the real reason I was here. "I remember four years ago when my beloved Tai Zhi was off fighting in Henan with his brothers; I prayed at the temple night and day for his safe return. They say that he barely made it back alive if not for the Sixth Prince who saved his life. He was poisoned by one of his enemies. If not for the essence of the Fox Spirit, which worked a true miracle indeed, the Crown Prince would not have made it back alive."

"Henan?" I repeated, feeling the blood drain from my face. Was the meeting in those grass fields not an accident at all? Was Julong Tian after me for my essence, which he sold to the Sixth Prince for his freedom? I hadn't been able to use my powers since that day when the villagers attacked me. Speaking of which, I wasn't able to use my abilities at all. I once thought it was because of the fire and smoke or because I had worn myself out poisoning the river to cut off the Imperial forces from following Julong's men out west.

No, it wasn't any of those things. I couldn't defend myself because Julong had stolen my powers while I slept. What exactly did he do? Did he cut off my foxtails, or did he capture my shadow in an enchanted Yangzi Yu Jingping? Did the Crown Prince recover from his mysterious illness only after swallowing my animal aura? What did that mean for me?

Does that mean, even if Kujui decided to let me go, I'd be nothing more than a human woman? No, that can't be! That was a fate worse than death. Maybe, I'll only regain my full power if I murdered the Crown Prince.

"Oh, look at how pale and silent you've become, my sparrow," Lihua laughed and patted me on the cheek. "I'm sorry to scare you with all this talk of death and sickness. Don't worry; I'm sure Seventh Prince will arrive back in one piece."

"I need a minute to myself," I muttered and took a step back. Lihua, that cunning wrench, suddenly decided that she absolutely would not let me go. Her fingers were like monkey claws. I couldn't imagine Sun Wukong grasping at his gold-banded staff with more zeal than Lihua was grabbing my arm.

"The men are returning from the hunt. Let's go greet them," Lihua ordered. "I'm sure it will brighten your mood."

Lihua dragged me past my helpless servants. I made a pained face at Alix, but he doesn't appear at all eager to use his werewolf powers to save me from this silk-clad villainess. Alix looked like he could barely hold back a snicker to see a fox-spirit like me being dragged around by an annoying mortal woman.

The noblewomen were all gathered by the decorated tents. There, a feast of fruits and nuts were laid out for the returning men. I heard the barking of the hunting dogs before I saw a hoof from the hunting party. If watching a bunch of spoiled, overdressed, fat royals weren't enough, I had to stand within smelling distance of their hounds too. It shouldn't be any surprise that a half-fox spirit like myself hates dogs.

I hated them even more than wolves. At least wolves and foxes gave each other a respectable distance in the wild.

"Look, there he is, the Crown Prince!" Lihua exclaimed before she collapsed against me for support. "Isn't he handsome? He's caught the prize beast of the hunt."

Yes, there he was, the man who stole my essence to live. He was a short, plump fellow whose ruddy cheeks looked like he had eaten too many dumplings and forgotten how to swallow. He didn't look like he would put up too much of a fight if I went to reclaim what was mine. He was so plump that his eyes reminded me of two tadpoles swimming across a lake. I wouldn't even have known he was anyone important if now for the fact that his clothes were dripping with pearls and embroidered clouds. 

Behind him came his brothers, who were dressed far less ostentatiously but still richly enough that I wondered if any of them had ever done anything that required shading of a drop of blood on all that glorious tapestry. Crown Prince rode past us without a second glance at his fading wife. I saw that behind him, his attendants were dragging along a large boar with several spears still stuck in its back.

"If only Seventh Prince were here, he surely would have brought back a tiger or two," Lihua said, and I nodded weakly to signal my agreement. Yes, Seventh Prince, he was always a skinny and pale pipsqueak from what I remembered before I got rid of Sixi by sending her away with him to the battlefields in the north. I hoped that they were both dead by now.

"Yes, Seventh Prince is an accomplished hunter," I agreed to be polite, but the words died in my throat. Oh, no. There he was, I would recognize that haughty swing of his braided hair and the cruel smile anywhere.

It was Julong Tian.

He jumped off his horse and embraced the woman across from me. Yes, that beautiful slender woman dressed in pale blue silk was his wife. Or one of his wives.

Julong Tian, if that was what his real name was, wasn't an outlaw at all. No, what a fool I was to believe he was running away from the Imperial forces. Lies. It had all been lies. He didn't have to do that because he was the law. 

Julong was the Sixth Prince.