accidental injury

The training ground was scorching hot in the middle of summer.

Dust billowed across the polo field, and the sounds of fierce collisions and the neighing of horses filled the air.

A crowd had already gathered on the training ground. Zhu Mingyu, dressed in white, was warming up with several guards. When he saw Zhiwei, he waved from afar, looking like a large dog wagging its tail.

On the other side, Zhu Liji, dressed in a black robe, was slowly fastening his wrist guards, his expression indifferent, as if he were just out for a stroll.

"These two are really completely different," Zhiwei muttered.

"When can this end?" Wan Zhen'er hid in the shadiest spot of the training ground. She hadn't brought any maids with her today, and after just a little sunshine and sweating, she was already so tired that she was seeing stars.

Seeing this, Zhiwei reached out and supported her: "I'll make you some cold drinks later, just hold on a little longer."

Nodding slightly to indicate that she had heard the words, Wan Zhen'er deflated like a punctured balloon, her soul seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Shao Zhao tugged at Zhi Wei's sleeve and pointed to the distance: "Sister, everyone's here."

Looking closely, Zhiwei saw that Sun Wei was still wearing that guard uniform, carrying some melon seeds and nuts in his hand, and he also brought some wine, looking exactly like a bystander watching the excitement.

Seeing everyone there, Sun strode over with light, quick steps.

Zhiwei nudged Wan Zhen'er's forearm: "If you keep squatting down with your head down, you'll faint soon."

"What? I fainted? Oh well, I dreamt of everything." Looking listless, Wan Zhen'er forced open one eye. A figure loomed in front of him, just enough to shield him from the blazing sun.

"Greetings to the concubine." Sun Wei stood in the sunlight, a bright smile on his face.

Wan Zhen'er finally opened her eyes wide.

.

Zhu Mingyu narrowed his eyes, leaned forward, and glanced at Zhiwei beside him like a hunter, ready to pounce.

Today is a great opportunity for him to show off his charm. Zhu Mingyu stared intently at the ball, ready to unleash his charm.

The whistle blew, and he took the lead, tightening the reins. With a nimble spin, he dribbled past his opponent, his movements clean and efficient.

In just a few moments, with a precise strike of his club, the wooden ball transformed into a brown meteor, whistling through the gap between the two opposing defenders and nestling in the top corner of the goal.

Score!

"Uncle Li, left wing!" Zhu Mingyu remained vigilant and shouted to Li Mingjing, the end of his pole drawing an arc in the air.

Li Mingjing understood the code and, with a sharp crack of his whip, squeezed through the gap between his two opponents to catch the ball passed to him by Zhu Mingyu.

Another point in hand!

"Bravo!" A cheer erupted from the stands.

The Emperor also attended the match today. He sat under the canopy, peeling grapes for Empress Shen Danxi beside him. When he saw Zhu Mingyu score a goal, he pointed in his direction with a loving expression.

On this side of the field, Zhu Mingyu's hearty laughter echoed, sweat trickling down his tanned neck to his collarbone. In the sunlight, he was like a burning flame, dazzling and impossible to ignore.

Behind Zhu Mingyu followed Li Mingjing and his group of former Shenjing soldiers. Having grown up together over the years, they were all well-coordinated, like sharp daggers driven into the enemy lines, fierce and ruthless.

At halftime, the score was 5-3, with Zhu Mingyu's team leading the way with overwhelming momentum.

"Young General, you're so brave! Did you learn these skills in the womb?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? It's clearly because I trained him well. Who was it that accompanied him to train his horses every day at the border? Go away, get out of here." Li Mingjing shooed away the sycophant. "It's all thanks to me, you know?"

“Without me, where would this kid be?” Li Mingjing slapped Zhu Mingyu’s chest with his big hand.

The men, used to being disrespectful, were not bothered by Li Mingjing's behavior. Li Tai, Li Mingjing's adopted son, didn't bother to give him face and pouted, saying, "You're just bragging. When you were twelve, your horsemanship was already worse than mine. Mingyu's riding skills are much better than mine, and you taught him..."

"So what!" Li Mingjing blushed instantly when Li Tai exposed her, and shouted, "I used to change your diapers when you were little, and you were still wetting the bed at five!"

"These are not the same thing at all!"

"If I say so, then it is!"

During halftime, the former members of the Divine Mirror Army were engaged in a chaotic brawl, creating quite a commotion. A group of them gathered around Zhu Mingyu, shouting and yelling.

Seeing Zhiwei walking this way, someone deliberately bumped into Zhu Mingyu's shoulder and joked, "I was wondering why the young general was performing so well today. It turns out that having a beauty by his side gives him plenty of motivation!"

"Get out of the way, get out of the way." Zhu Mingyu knocked his comrade's hand away, stepped forward, and took the pottery pot from Zhiwei's hand.

"Look what I brought you." Zhi smiled and turned away from Zhu Mingyu's smug face. "I know you're very capable. You're great, General Zhu."

"It's iced tea made by my older sister herself." Shao Zhao opened the ceramic teapot, the liquid inside was amber in color, and the ice cubes made a crisp sound as they collided.

"The tea leaves from early spring are roasted until slightly charred, then mixed with honey and dried plums. It's more thirst-quenching than sour plum soup," Shao Yang explained from the side, dividing the chilled tea from another ceramic pot into several portions using small bowls.

“This is exclusively for you,” Zhiwei added to Zhu Mingyu.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Mingyu tilted his head back, pressed his ear against Zhiwei's, and gulped down most of the pot of liquor. The way his Adam's apple bobbed was enough to make anyone envious.

"That's great!" Zhu Mingyu wiped his mouth, and the Divine Mirror Soldiers around him immediately surrounded him, eager to try it.

"Sister-in-law's cooking is amazing!" someone shouted, followed by a burst of laughter. Yan Zhiwei's face flushed red, but Zhu Mingyu laughed even harder, pulling her behind him to shield her from the teasing gazes.

.

On the other side, Zhu Liji took the tea from Jiang Tan, his fingertips touching the coolness of the teapot. He looked up and met Zhiwei's gaze.

"Madam Yan is so thoughtful; I didn't expect her to prepare a portion for each of us." Jiang Qin pointed to the empty earthenware pot. "Everyone drank it all up."

Zhu Liji did not dismount, but rested in the shade. His black robes almost blended into the shadows, and his golf club stood upright in his hand.

He coldly swept his gaze across his team: "What's the use of drinking it all out? Winning cleanly and beautifully is what matters."

No one dared to answer.

The opposing side consisted of seasoned military veterans, including generals and their personal guards, making them highly compatible.

On the other hand, their own side did have some Imperial Guard commanders, so they shouldn't have been at such a disadvantage. However, General Wan Qi, who was supposed to be the core commander, was unexpectedly involved in an emergency. Without their leader, and with the rest of the team having almost no prior experience coordinating, mistakes were inevitable.

Jiang Qin lowered his eyes and noticed that one of the servants who came on stage to make up the numbers hadn't drunk any iced tea. He was curled up in a ball and hadn't even dismounted.

He went up to inquire and learned that the servant had been suffering from severe abdominal pain since waking up this morning and had come despite his physical condition.

The servant's face turned pale, his teeth clenched, and he could barely utter a word.

"Your Highness, if this servant is delayed any longer, his life may be in danger," Jiang Qin said, supporting himself with his hand.

Zhu Liji remained silent.

The game still has a second half, but with fewer players, how can it continue?

Just as the servant was about to collapse, Wan Qi, who was originally scheduled to inspect the capital, suddenly appeared from a crowd. He reined in his horse, mounted it, and embraced the servant's body.

Wan Qi stood ramrod straight, his figure as sharp as a silver spear.

His gaze swept quickly over Zhiwei and he saw a familiar figure hiding in a corner, idly covering his face with a fan, seemingly uninterested in the intensity of the action.

Wan Qi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

"The inspection ended a little too early."

"This competition looks interesting."

"I'll take his place."

.

In the second half, the whistle pierced the air with a sharp whistle. The afternoon sun shone brightly, almost suffocatingly so.

Wan Qi's arrival instantly changed the course of the battle.

He was like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep, with superb riding skills and astonishing strength. His tactic was to hold off the opposing team's captain, Zhu Mingyu. The two remained locked in a fierce struggle, their clubs colliding in mid-air with a dull thud.

Zhu Mingyu, relying on his strength, forcefully pressed down on the polo ball, but Wan Qi twisted his wrist, hooking the end of the club onto the polo ball and using the momentum to carry it towards the goal.

"Dream on!" Zhu Mingyu spurred his horse to catch up, and the tip of his club precisely struck the ball.

The polo ball changed direction and flew straight towards Zhu Liji.

"Stop him!" Zhu Mingyu shouted. Li Tai stepped forward, trying to intercept the ball being passed towards Zhu Liji. However, Zhu Liji used a feint to fool Li Tai, flicking the ball with his club as it flew over the crowd.

Amid the chaos, everyone searched for the ball.

Jiang Qin suddenly moved. His horse wasn't fast, but it seemed to have calculated its trajectory, stopping precisely in front of the ball's path.

Jiang Qin shouted from behind Zhu Liji: "Blind spot on the right, transmit it over!"

Zhu Mingyu also saw the opening and spurred his horse to intercept it.

Wan Qi had somehow managed to get around to the side, and the three horses almost collided.

"Watch out!" Zhiwei's shout was drowned out by screams.

Zhu Liji's horse was startled and reared up, causing him to sway and fall off its back.

Zhu Mingyu instinctively reached out to pull him up, but was pulled off balance and fell heavily to the ground, his left leg twisted at an odd angle.

"Mingyu!"

The guards rushed forward. Zhu Mingyu gritted his teeth and tried to stand up. Cold sweat on his forehead splattered into the dust, leaving dark marks.

Zhiwei rushed over and pressed down on his legs, her voice trembling: "Don't move! Please don't move!"

A commotion arose from the direction of the emperor's entourage, and Shen Danxi's voice was filled with panic: "Imperial physician, quickly summon the imperial physician!"

The drill ground was still covered in dust, filled with the clamor of voices, and a scene of utter chaos.

The guards shouted to maintain order, the imperial physician came running breathlessly with his medicine chest, Jiang Qin directed the men, and the emperor, with a furrowed brow, was helped down from the throne by a eunuch, each step appearing extremely heavy.

Zhiwei stood in the middle of the chaos, watching people and horses fall to the ground before her. Zhu Mingyu frowned and hissed, and she was at a loss for what to do.

In the chaos, Shao Zhao tugged at Zhi Wei's sleeve, her face pale: "Sister, the concubine has disappeared!"

Zhiwei then realized that Wan Zhen'er, who had been standing next to her just moments before, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Sun Wei? Ask him to help look for him!"

Shao Zhao's voice became even softer: "Brother Sun... is gone too."