Chapter 5 "Since my royal sister is dawdling like this, then let's just stop..."

Zhuo Sha conceded defeat, and Xiao Che won this round, which truly added to the fame of the Great Wei.

Emperor Yuan of Wei was overjoyed and immediately ordered that Xiao Che be rewarded.

Since he was out hunting and had nothing to give as a reward, he decided on a whim to give Xiao Che a snow-white horse that was originally intended for Xiao Jue.

In two days it would be Xiao Jue's birthday. It just so happened that Emperor Wei Yuan had acquired this snow-white steed. By chance, he went hunting at Mount Li and brought it along, intending to find a suitable opportunity to bestow it upon Xiao Jue at the banquet.

As its name suggests, Snowflake Steed is pure white, has excellent stamina, and is a first-class steed. What's even more remarkable is its gentle nature, making it very easy to ride. Xiao Jue wanted to practice riding and archery but lacked the ability to tame a wild horse, so rewarding him with Snowflake Steed was the most appropriate thing to do.

Xiao Che could only be matched with a wild and untamed horse, but unfortunately there was no suitable one at the moment, so he was given a Snowflake Steed for the time being. In any case, it was an extremely precious and fine steed.

As for Xiao Jue, we can find him another horse later.

The imperial decree of Emperor Wei Yuan had just been issued, and before Xiao Che could even receive it, the Second Prince Xiao Yan suddenly stood up from his seat. His Adam's apple bobbed twice, and his eyes held a hint of urgency. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Father, my third brother has always loved taming wild horses. It might not be appropriate for you to reward him with the Snowflake Steed... How about... how about rewarding him with something else?"

Xiao Yan was always clever and tactful, and was best at understanding the emperor's intentions, which was why he was so popular with the emperor. But today, he was acting out of character and actually dampened the emperor's spirits.

As expected, Emperor Wei Yuan frowned immediately upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "What, does Yan'er mean that my reward is not right and does not suit Che'er's taste?"

Xiao Yan looked troubled: "Father, your son..."

Seeing this, Xiao Che stood up and promptly came to Xiao Yan's rescue, saying, "Father, please don't be offended. Second Brother has always thought that I only tame wild horses, which is why he said that. This is just a sign of Second Brother's care for his brothers."

"But Second Brother only knows one side of the story and not the other. I have tamed many wild horses, so it is quite novel to have a gentle one. Moreover, this Snowflake Steed is pure white and has a very good appearance. I like it very much just by looking at it. I thank Father Emperor."

Emperor Wei Yuan laughed loudly, "That's excellent. It's Yan'er who doesn't understand. Who says this horse can't match you? Putting everything else aside, its appearance alone is a perfect match for you."

Upon hearing this, Yan Jiarou looked at the snow-white horse and her eyes lit up. She turned to Emperor Wei Yuan and said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty has excellent taste! What a beautiful horse!"

—She and Emperor Yuan of Wei were always close, and they never held back when they were together.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wei Yuan laughed heartily and said, "Our Jia Rou has excellent taste. What do you think? Haven't you ever seen such a fine horse before?"

As they were talking, something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked, "I remember you recently learned to ride a horse. I wonder how your horsemanship is now? This Snowflake Steed is gentle, and you like it. Why don't you ride it for a couple of laps?"

Yan Jiarou's eyes lit up, her expression revealing her excitement: "Really? Can I try?"

Before Emperor Wei Yuan could answer, Xiao Che's lazy voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of nonchalance, and he chuckled: "Father, this is the horse you bestowed upon me. How can I let someone else ride it first? No matter what, I have to try it first before someone else can get on."

Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment, then belatedly realized that she was the person Xiao Che was talking about.

"You!" She turned and glared at him. "You're so stingy!"

Emperor Wei Yuan laughed and said, "You all love to quarrel. Well, since it's a horse given to Che'er after all, let him ride it a couple of times to enjoy it. Our Jia Rou isn't in a hurry, is she? Jia Rou is the most sensible."

With Emperor Wei Yuan bestowing such high praise upon her, Yan Jiarou had no choice but to become sensible, even if she was ignorant. Besides, although such words did not suit her wishes, they were still pleasing to the ear: "Of course, Father, I will not stoop to someone's level."

"Someone" smiled slightly, said nothing, walked straight to the horse, stroked its back a few times, then stepped into the stirrups, nimbly mounted the horse, pulled on the reins, and rode away.

Sunlight fell on the young man, casting a faint halo around his handsome profile. He rode on horseback, his back possessing the youthful elegance characteristic of a young man, his posture upright, and his demeanor exceptional.

Yan Jiarou then realized that Emperor Wei Yuan had a truly good eye; this horse was indeed a perfect match for him.

Before long, Xiao Che rode back.

This surprised Yan Jiarou. She thought Xiao Che would deliberately make things difficult for her and make her wait a long time, but she didn't expect him to come back so quickly.

He stopped his horse in front of her, tightened the reins, looked down at her, and raised an eyebrow at her: "Alright, it's your turn." He said, "You can get on now."

After saying that, he jumped off his horse and walked straight towards her.

Yan Jiarou finally realized what was happening and snorted in dissatisfaction. Xiao Wenqi was always so annoying. So what if he let her ride him the first time? Did she have to let him ride her before she could have a turn?

But oh well, it was his horse after all, so she let it go after a moment of internal grumbling.

Under his gaze, she walked to the horse. He followed her and mercifully instructed her on how to mount. Although Yan Jiarou was surprised, she obediently did as he said. Although she knew how, Xiao Che's instructions were clearly more applicable.

She held onto the saddle, about to mount the horse, but for some reason, she felt a little apprehensive.

She used to ride her own chestnut pony, but this snow-white horse, though gentle, was very tall, and since it was her first time riding it, she couldn't help but feel afraid.

As she hesitated, her feet planted in the stirrups, a hand suddenly draped over her waist, lifting her upwards. Yan Jiarou was startled, then heard Xiao Che's voice beside her, lowered slightly, yet melodious and magnetic: "Don't be afraid, I've test-ridden it for you. This horse is exceptionally docile and easy to control. Just pull the reins, and it will stop. There won't be any problems."

Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head and bit her lip. Her mind was in complete chaos. Xiao Che... he wanted to be the first to ride the horse not to make things difficult for her, but to let her try out the horse.

A warm touch came from her waist, a temperature unique to him. Although Xiao Wenqi was quite annoying to her, he was generally not very talkative to others.

His face was extremely flamboyant, yet when he wasn't smiling, it exuded a coldness. His brows and eyes were reserved, and he seemed unapproachable, like snowflakes and ice mist, pure and immaculate. But unexpectedly, the temperature on his body was scorching hot.

They rarely had such intimate contact. Yan Jiarou didn't react for a moment, only feeling the heat flowing from his palms to her waist and then gradually spreading to her limbs. It was a strange feeling, and even her face became hot.

She hurriedly withdrew her hand. Xiao Wenqi raised an eyebrow, as if he had just come to his senses. A smile appeared on his lips, and he said lazily, "If you're so slow, then you might as well not ride at all."

Yan Jiarou looked up and met his brown eyes.

His eyes held a familiar teasing and playfulness as he looked at her with a slightly casual expression.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, this was the Xiao Che she knew all along—arrogant and wicked.

That absurd conjecture she had just made—that he was deliberately testing the horse for her—was nothing but her delusion.

Yan Jiarou exhaled, clearing her mind of all the chaotic thoughts. In addition, she was always most susceptible to Xiao Che's provocations. Hearing what he said, she gritted her teeth and mounted her horse in one breath.

After settling comfortably on the horse, she proudly raised her chin at him, and then stuck her tongue out at him when no one was looking.

Xiao Che chuckled softly.

——

Yan Jiarou rode on the snow-white horse, holding the reins, and trotted slowly around the perimeter of the camp. At first, everything was normal. Just as Xiao Che had said before, the snow-white horse was unusually docile and easy to control. She gradually felt comfortable and began to increase her speed.

The unexpected happened on the third lap.

As if suddenly provoked, the snowflake horse roared to the sky, then began to kick wildly, trying to throw Yan Jiarou off.

This turn of events came too suddenly; no one expected such a thing to happen so suddenly. Everyone present was stunned and stood there in shock. Yan Jiarou's face turned deathly pale, and her body swayed violently up and down uncontrollably, almost falling off her horse.

Although the Snowflake Steed is known for its docile nature, it is also exceptionally tall, standing at seven feet. This means that if it goes berserk and becomes uncontrollable, throwing a person off its back, the consequences would be unimaginable. Not to mention that its iron hooves weigh over a thousand pounds, and being trampled by it would result in either death or serious injury.

—And once a rider falls from his horse, being trampled by the enraged horse is almost inevitable.

In the overwhelming panic and fear, even her senses became confused. Yan Jiarou's mind went blank, as if she had fallen into a fog, surrounded by danger, yet she could not find a way out.

Suddenly she heard a voice pierce through the thick fog, clearing a sliver of light for her: Don't be afraid, tighten the reins and spur the horse!

It's Xiao Che's voice!