Chapter 73 Offering a Horse to Win Favor: A Fine Horse Matched with a Heroine

"I'm not a child anymore, why are you hugging me like this, Sister Yan?"

Yang Lingyi really liked the peaceful feeling of quietly snuggling together, but Yuan Yan's gentle patting always made him feel like he was being coaxed like a child.

"Yi'er is a younger brother, so what's wrong with letting his older sister hold him?"

Yuan Yan smiled, leaned in and kissed him, "Go to sleep."

"Mmm." Yang Lingyi took her hand.

The candles were extinguished, and the two of them fell asleep nestled together.

...

Even though Yang Lingyi was reluctant, Yuan Yan's leave soon ended, and he returned to his daily routine of attending court.

On his way to court, Yuan Yan bumped into Yuan Xiao on his first day back.

Yuan Xiao said sarcastically, "Yuan Yan, you've certainly enjoyed the company of beauties these past few days."

“What, Third Princess, are you envious… If you are, then let Lady Shu choose a marriage for you as soon as possible, so you won’t be constantly eyeing other people’s backyards.” Yuan Yan said with a smile.

Yuan Xiao was furious, his eyes blazing with anger. "You can only be so arrogant and domineering because you rely on the Empress's favor!"

"You flatter me. How could I possibly compare to my third sister in terms of arrogance? Addressing my elder sister by her first name—is that all the proper etiquette for my third sister?"

After Yuan Yan finished speaking, he turned and walked away leisurely, ignoring Yuan Xiao who was jumping up and down behind him.

"Your Highness, aren't you afraid of upsetting the Third Prince by acting like this?" Cui Mingwei watched the entire back-and-forth between the two and shook his head with a smile.

"What's there to be afraid of? Isn't my dear imperial sister always like this?" Yuan Yan lifted his court robes and stepped up the palace steps.

This morning at court, Yuan Hao suddenly brought up the matter of the Wule Kingdom again, deciding to reorganize military preparations to prevent unrest on the border.

While the ministers were still processing the emperor's decision, Yuan Hao had already chosen his successor, dropping a bombshell.

"I intend to entrust the elite troops to the Prince of Qin for training."

Yuan Hao's gaze fell precisely on Yuan Yan. "King Qin, are you willing to take on this important task?"

[The Ruijian Battalion is an elite force selected from the Imperial Guard. Although small in number, each soldier is a skilled warrior. The Emperor actually entrusted this army to you to lead.] The system wondered.

“Yuan Jing is now very powerful. She needs people to train troops and also needs to promote a princess to rival Yuan Jing. Who else but me can do that?”

Yuan Yan saw things clearly and knew that, given the current situation, this task would fall to her no matter what.

Upon hearing this, the others immediately became restless.

“Your Majesty, the Ruijian Battalion is a vital force in the capital region. Although the Prince of Qin is skilled in martial arts, he has never commanded troops before. If he were to suddenly be given command, I fear it would be difficult to gain the respect of the people,” Sun Shijun said.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Hao did not speak immediately, but instead turned to look at Yuan Jing.

"King Qi, what do you think?"

Yuan Jing certainly didn't want Yuan Yan to take command of the army, but she couldn't say it directly.

“Lord Sun is right. The Prince of Qin has no experience in commanding troops, and it will be difficult to achieve results in training soldiers in a short time. It would be more prudent for the Ministry of War to send an experienced general,” Yuan Jing said thoughtfully.

"What's the harm? Throughout history, which general was born knowing how to command troops? They all rose through the ranks in the military."

Yuan Hao calmly rejected the objections of the Prince of Qi and others. Clearly, he had already made his decision, and his proposal at the morning court was merely a formality.

"Mother Empress, if that's the case, then I also wish to join the army!" Yuan Xiao suddenly jumped out, his eyes filled with deep resentment.

"Third brother, your two elder sisters only took up their posts after they got married. If you want to join the army, you should settle down and start a family first before we talk about anything else."

Yuan Hao shut Yuan Xiao up with a retort, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"King Qin, effective immediately, I hereby appoint you as General of the Sharp and Valiant Camp. You will oversee the training of the soldiers and the maintenance of military equipment. All matters concerning drills, rewards, and punishments within the camp will be decided by you. You must ensure that the soldiers are elite and that military discipline is maintained." She gazed at Yuan Yan, finalizing the matter.

Yuan Yan knelt to receive the decree, saying, "Your subject accepts the order."

Yuan Xiao, standing to the side, could no longer hide his hatred as he looked at Yuan Yan.

She wouldn't consider why her mother, the Empress, refused to send her and instead chose Yuan Yan. She would only think that Yuan Yan was blocking her way.

"Didn't Mother Empress say that I couldn't take up official duties before I was married? Then I'll marry a high-ranking official and see what Mother Empress has to say then." Yuan Xiao thought indignantly.

After the court session, Yuan Jing approached Yuan Yan.

"Second Princess, I want to congratulate you."

"My sister has not only married your brother, but has also been favored by the Empress and entered the army. She is truly riding high and enjoying unparalleled success."

Yuan Jing smiled, but his words carried a hint of sarcasm.

Yuan Yan pretended not to understand: "As princesses, everything we do is to share the burdens of our mother."

"If my eldest sister is willing, she can also ask Mother Empress for permission to resign from her position as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and volunteer to go to the military camp. I believe Mother Empress will consider her request."

Yuan Jing was speechless for a moment before he could find his voice, "Forget it, I don't have the ability of my second sister."

"However, military affairs are easier said than done. If we don't do them well, we won't be able to pass the Empress Dowager's approval... I wish my second sister a smooth training of troops."

"Smoothly? You'd be more like hoping you'd mess it up." The system was speechless.

[Host, the Emperor has finally given you this real power, so you must seize the opportunity and not give Yuan Jing and the others an excuse to attack you.] It was somewhat worried.

"No rush, let's go to Ruijian Camp tomorrow to check on the situation first."

Yuan Yan first went to the Ministry of War to collect the official seal, and then inquired about the situation of the Ruijian Battalion with Zhao Yutong, an official of the Ministry of War.

"With Your Highness's martial arts skills and prestige, it shouldn't be difficult to manage these soldiers. However, the current deputy commander of the Ruijian Battalion, Zhonglang, is the Third Prince's person. I'm afraid that when Your Highness takes over, she will inevitably try to sabotage him in secret."

Zhao Yutong was always loyal to Yuan Yan and spoke up for her in court on many occasions. When Yuan Yan asked her this question, Zhao Yutong immediately told her everything important that he knew.

The text specifically mentions General Wu Ju, an official from Yuan Xiao's faction, and warns Yuan Yan to be wary of her.

"Thank you, Attendant Zhao. I understand." Yuan Yan listened thoughtfully, his eyes filled with understanding.

When Yuan Yan returned to the Prince's residence, he did not see Yang Lingyi.

"Your Highness, the Lord and the other ministers are both at the stables in the rear garden. The Lord said he would like Your Highness to come to the stables." The servant reported.

[What happened, host? Why did Yang Lingyi and the others go to the stables?]

Upon hearing this, the system couldn't help but speculate, "Could it be that the two have gotten into an argument and need you to mediate?"

The servant spoke evasively, and Yuan Yan guessed that something was amiss, so he went to the back garden.

In the back garden, not only Yang Lingyi and Shen Lianzhou, but also a group of servants were gathered in front of the stable.

Before Yuan Yan even got close, he heard the sound of a horse neighing.

"Your Highness, you've arrived." Shen Lianzhou turned around and saw Yuan Yan, her clear eyes holding a faint light.

"What are you doing?" Yuan Yan walked towards the group and looked behind Chen Lianzhou.

"Sister, look over there, that's the precious horse presented by Shen Shuqing." Yang Lingyi ordered her servants to take down the silk cloth.

The crowd made way. As the servants removed the silk cloth, a magnificent horse came into view.

Upon closer inspection, the horse's entire body was as black as ink, its coat glossy black, subtly shimmering in the sunlight, resembling a flowing piece of black silk—truly beautiful.

Only its four hooves were pure white, without a single blemish, forming a striking contrast with the color of its fur.

It was tall and spirited, towering over the other horses in the nearby stable by a head, with a long neck and a sturdy body. Its tail was thick and wiry, whipping around with a flourish.

It had no superfluous decorations, yet it appeared exceptionally majestic and noble.

"What a fine steed!" Yuan Yan's eyes lit up. She was a connoisseur of horses, and upon seeing this black steed, she couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

"This is the Snow-Hoofed Black Steed that I had the Shen family's caravan search for a thousand miles." Seeing that Yuan Yan liked it, Shen Lianzhou felt a sense of satisfaction.

"I originally asked someone to look for it some time ago, thinking that I would give it as a birthday gift to His Highness after I found it."

"Unexpectedly, the good news of Your Highness's appointment as General of the Ruijian Camp arrived today. Having nothing to offer in celebration, I have presented this snow-hoofed black steed as a gift in advance. I wonder if Your Highness will find it acceptable?"

Shen Lianzhou smiled and spoke casually.

But Yuan Yan knew that such a precious horse was extremely rare and mostly grew in places like Liang Kingdom, so Shen Lianzhou must have gone to great lengths to find it.

[Oh right, it is indeed the host's birthday in a few days. I didn't expect Shen Lianzhou to even remember this.] The system said with some emotion.

In its view, Shen Lianzhou might remember Yuan Yan's birthday even better than Yuan Yan himself.

Yuan Yan stepped forward and admired it carefully.

"Zhou'er, you've gone to great lengths. I truly appreciate this generous gift."

What woman doesn't love a magnificent steed?

Yuan Yan's eyes were full of affection. It's likely that if Lu Lingyue and the others weren't still present, she would have immediately gone up to try out the horse.

“The horse that Shen Shuqing found is truly rare.”

Seeing Yuan Yan's unwavering gaze, Yang Lingyi knew that the gift was exactly what Yuan Yan wanted. Rarely seeing Yuan Yan so enamored with the gift, he couldn't help but offer a compliment.

"I simply believe that a fine horse deserves a beautiful woman; only the most magnificent horse in the world is worthy of Your Highness."

As expected of a merchant, Shen Lianzhou's speaking skills were impeccable.

He saw through Yuan Yan's thoughts and asked at the opportune moment, "Would Your Highness like to try out the horse?"

These words struck a chord with Yuan Yan.

Yuan Yan felt that the back garden was not spacious enough, so he ordered his men to bring the snow-hoofed black horse to the horse farm.

The horse had already been trained by the horseman hired by Shen Lianzhou. In addition, Yuan Yan was also skilled in riding, and soon after mounting the horse, he had Wuzhui completely under his control.

She rode her black horse, galloping around the horse farm, the whistling wind and the clatter of hooves filling her ears.

The speed was much faster than when riding an ordinary horse, and Wuzhui seemed not to have exerted its full strength yet, still having the ability to sprint and accelerate.

Yuan Yan ran several laps in a row, but Wu Zhui showed no signs of fatigue. Its bright black eyes were full of spirit, and it neighed excitedly.

"You beast."

Yuan Yan stopped his horse, chuckled softly, stroked its mane, and said to Wuzhui, "From now on, you shall be called Jingxue."

As if it could understand, Wuzhui nuzzled Yuan Yan's palm with its head and let out a neigh.

"Lianzhou, I am delighted that you have presented me with the Snow-Surprising Divine Steed. Would you like any reward?"

Yuan Yan played with Jing Xue for a while before remembering the others beside him and turning to ask Chen Lianzhou.

Shen Lianzhou smiled, "Lianzhou only hopes that Your Highness will be happy, and does not need any reward."

"...However, I have not seen Your Highness for several days and I miss you dearly. If Your Highness insists on bestowing a reward, then I shall accompany Your Highness tonight."

Upon hearing this, Yang Lingyi immediately looked at Yuan Yan and pursed her lips slightly.