Chapter 18 A Wonderful Person

Liu Yan's confinement means that the princes' teams will be one player short for the polo match a few days later.

Since it was an unexpected event, Liu Xi didn't plan to let Liu Yu play polo, and naturally didn't let Huo Lin teach him polo skills.

Liu Xi went to the horse farm to watch the practice several times. The Second Prince selected a few top sons from the ministers who came to the palace to attend the court assembly and brought them to the field one by one to try to coordinate with each other, but the results were not satisfactory.

That day, after a practice match, the Second Prince Liu Cheng called out to Liu Xi, who was about to leave.

Fourth Sister.

Liu Xi turned around in response; this was the first time her second brother had taken the initiative to speak to her.

"Second Imperial Brother."

"I wonder how much Fourth Sister knows about Seventh Brother?"

Liu Xi shook her head. "Why is Your Majesty asking this?"

"I have neglected to care for my seventh brother in the past, and as his elder brother, I want to make up for it as much as possible."

That was a dishonest remark, but Liu Xi didn't want to call him out on it.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty ask Seventh Brother yourself? It would be far better than him asking around here."

Liu Xi shrugged. "However, if my brother wants him to play polo, it probably won't work."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ji's bright eyes suddenly dimmed.

He sighed, and when he spoke again, his tone was even more dejected.

"Although my fifth brother isn't exactly a polo expert, he's practiced for a long time and has some teamwork with us."

You should be glad Liu Yan can't play, Liu Xi thought to herself.

Otherwise, what you think is cooperation will turn into a hilarious farce.

"I've heard that General Huo also plays polo. Why don't you consider it, Your Majesty?"

"You mean General Huo Lin? He's supposed to be playing, but he's busy with his duties and can't always come to practice with us."

Judging from Liu Cheng's words, Huo Lin is quite a master.

Come to think of it, during the time I spent at the Huo family mansion as a child, polo was the game we children played most often.

"Or, how about I cooperate with you and give it a try?"

Liu Ji almost thought he had misheard. He looked Liu Xi up and down and asked in surprise.

"Fourth Sister can play polo?"

What he really wanted to ask was, "How could the Fourth Princess ride a horse?"

"However, I don't have suitable riding clothes. Could you find me one?"

Soon, Liu Xi changed into a riding outfit that fit her fairly well and led Liu Yan's horse into the riding arena.

Her long hair was pulled up high, revealing her slender, fair neck, and the wisps of hair at her temples made her small, delicate face look even more petite and exquisite.

Even the most ordinary riding clothes seemed to become much more precious on her.

The others on the field were clearly surprised that the helper the Second Prince had found was a woman.

Liu Xi gripped the reins, mounted the horse, and galloped away in the stirrups. Her movements were fluid and graceful, leaving everyone in awe.

Everyone, including the Third Prince Liu Ji, was so surprised that they were speechless.

Liu Xi ran two laps around the horse track as a warm-up. She took the polo mallet from the eunuch on the sidelines and twirled the long end of the mallet three times in a fancy fashion.

"bring it on."

On the horse racing track, the men were a little hesitant, after all, there was a girl on the track.

However, as the score gradually widened, Liu Xi's image in everyone's eyes gradually transformed from a girl who needed to be carefully protected into a scoring god who dominated the polo field.

The sound of horses' hooves, shouts, and the whistling wind.

Liu Xi laughed heartily on horseback, her long hair, styled in a ponytail, fluttering in the air with her movements, exuding a captivating charm.

Her figure stunned many of the young noblemen present. They had never had the opportunity to come into contact with the Fourth Princess before, let alone imagined that she would be such a wonderful person.

Similarly, Huo Lin was stunned by the spectacle on the field.

He had just finished discussing matters with His Majesty and was on his way out of the palace when he heard the lively sounds from the horse farm from a great distance.

Huo Lin stood beside the horse farm, listening to Liu Xi's silvery laughter, his gaze following her figure intently.

At halftime, the score had widened considerably, and victory was no longer in doubt.

Liu Xi jumped off his horse and casually tossed the ball stick to the accompanying eunuch.

"I never expected Fourth Sister to be so talented."

Liu Cheng quickly caught up with Liu Xi and praised her ball skills enthusiastically.

"Fourth Sister's playing style is similar to General Huo's."

Liu Ji handed Liu Xi a fox fur coat that didn't belong to her from behind. "It's getting cold. After you sweat, avoid the wind and be careful not to catch a cold."

Liu Xi felt incredibly pleased with the two men's attentiveness from both sides.

"Looks like I'll have a chance to perform alongside my brothers?"

"Of course, this position belongs to Fourth Sister!"

Seeing that the group was chatting enthusiastically, Huo Lin quietly walked away. When Liu Xi noticed him, she only saw Huo Lin's back.

After her stunning performance at the horse farm, news of Liu Xi's skill in polo quickly spread throughout the palace.

Even the Empress Dowager couldn't help but inquire further after hearing about this.

If we were to name the most unhappy person, the one in Jinle Palace would be the first to be blamed.

The Imperial Concubine was originally troubled about how to get Liu Yan out of the Censorate, but now, the only reason she could use was refuted by Liu Xi with her strength.

She smashed the stewed bird's nest that Xiangying handed over onto the ground.

"Get out! Useless things, all of you get out of here!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Even if you don't care about your own health, you should think about the baby in your womb."

Xiangying knelt on the ground and picked up the broken pieces of porcelain with her bare hands.

"This servant will have the kitchen prepare another bowl. Physician Zhu said that this nourishing and calming soup is a secret recipe specially prepared for Your Majesty. As long as you take it on time every day, you will surely give birth to a healthy and intelligent little prince."

The Imperial Concubine's mood improved slightly only after Xiangying mentioned the prince.

She placed her hand on her lower abdomen, revealing a loving expression.

“There’s something that Xu Jieyu is absolutely right about.”

"As long as I can give birth to a prince, even if the fifth prince is useless, this harem will still be my domain in the future."

Xiang Ying left the room expressionlessly. Where no one could see her, she opened her palm, where a shard of porcelain was embedded in her flesh.

But she just numbly pinched the porcelain shard with her fingertips and pulled it out in one go, like a puppet without any sense of pain.

As evening approached, Liu Xi was having her dinner when a eunuch came running to announce that the Seventh Prince had arrived.

Liu Yu carried a food box and jogged into Liu Xi's house.

“I just came back from my grandmother’s house.”

Before Liu Xi could react, Liu Yu spoke first.

"Grandmother said that my elder sister plays polo very well, and told me to make time to learn from you properly."

Liu Xi looked in surprise at the exquisite pastries that Liu Yu had taken out of the food box one by one on the table.

"The Empress Dowager has agreed to see you alone?"

"Hmm." Liu Yu's tone was a little proud. "Big sister forgot, I have a very likable face."

Although Liu Xi appeared to be joking and playing along with Liu Yu, she was secretly having second thoughts.

Based on Liu Xi's understanding of the Empress Dowager, she would need to put in more effort to make Liu Yu take root in her heart.

The current smooth progress inevitably makes Liu Xi begin to have doubts about Liu Yu's background.

At the dinner table, Liu Yu chatted about other interesting things, and seeing his increasingly cheerful personality, Liu Xi was also happy.

"Ayu, don't neglect your archery skills. Your sister is looking forward to seeing you amaze everyone in a few days."

"Don't worry, sister." Liu Yu assumed a bow-drawing stance. "It will definitely hit the target on the first try."

The commotion continued into the evening, and Liu Yu lingered, reluctant to leave. After hesitating for a while, she finally took out a small box from her sleeve.

"Actually, I came here today for another reason."

"Sister, this is a long hairpin that I made for you myself. I was worried that I wouldn't have a chance to put it on you in person. Now, as a congratulatory gift for your victory in the polo match, it's the perfect gift."

As she spoke, Liu Yu opened the small box, inside which lay a simple and elegant gold hairpin.

Liu Yu didn't say that he had melted down his own gold locket and personally hammered it into shape.

As he grew older, those fragmented childhood memories became increasingly blurred, and he had long forgotten that the gold locket was the only thing his mother had left him.

All Liu Yu knew was that Liu Xi was the only one in the world who was good to him, and he was willing to give everything to repay her.

"Of course, A Yu's heartfelt gift should be given to her sister by A Yu himself."

Liu Yu carefully took out the gold hairpin and put it on Liu Xi's hair.

"Thank you, sister."

When he said this, Liu Yu's voice was very soft, so soft that he himself could not hear it.

Liu Xi adjusted the hairpin and excitedly ran to the bronze mirror to examine it closely.

Behind him, Liu Yu's gaze was intense, and the complex emotions hidden deep in his eyes were something even he himself couldn't understand.

Perhaps it was his own greed, but he actually hoped that Liu Xi would only be his older sister from now on.

That wasn't enough; he also wanted to be the only one in Liu Xi's eyes, to make himself the only one in Liu Xi's world.

Unfortunately, the palace was too big and there were too many people, and she had too many things on her mind that she couldn't let go of.

Liu Yu pursed her lips, her fingertips brushing through Liu Xi's hair.

"Then, I'll head back now. Sister, get some rest."

Liu Xi had never seen Liu Yu in such a hurry before. Before she could even speak, the figure had already moved far away.

She didn't notice the subtle change. So many things had happened that day that made her happy, and her lingering excitement made her less aware of the unusual situation.

As night fell, Liu Xi slept soundly again, and even had a sweet dream.

While some sleep soundly, others are unable to sleep all night.

With Huo Lin's "bribes," Liu Yan suffered greatly in the Shenxing Division.

Within the Shenxing Division, all criminals are treated equally, so Liu Yan's food and lodging were the same as those of other criminals imprisoned there.

Liu Yan eagerly awaited the Imperial Concubine to take him back to Jinle Palace, but all he received were leftovers and cold meals.

He could only lie on the hard wooden bed, shivering from the cold, and mentally curse everyone he could think of.

And yet, he still foolishly dreams that when the court polo match begins, he can show off his skills in front of His Majesty and redeem himself.

Unfortunately, he couldn't fall asleep and couldn't have such a beautiful dream.

As she turned over, Liu Xi murmured a word in her sleep.

"Retribution, yes, this is the retribution I'm bestowing upon you."