Competition
Having not seen Wei Tingya for so long, those long-buried memories of her past life gradually came back to life. Lin Xu sighed softly, her gaze gently falling upon the delicate, flower-like face before her:
"Fourth Miss, you are of noble birth, how could I trouble you with such care and consideration? It would be an insult to me."
Seeing her gentle smile, Wei Tingya glanced at Lin Xu's upright posture, her evenly painted red lips curving up slightly, yet seemingly carrying a hint of undisguised pity and contempt.
"What, Lady Zhao'en, are you afraid I'll poison this cup because I'm sitting so formally? Don't worry... I wouldn't stoop to such a despicable trick."
After saying that, she took the teapot from the maid and poured herself a full cup, then gestured to Lin Xu to invite her to join in.
A gentle breeze wafted by, carrying the delicate fragrance of Wei Tingya's hair, making Lin Xu's nose itch slightly.
"...I thought you wouldn't attend such a lively banquet, given your current reclusive lifestyle." Wei Tingya took a sip of tea, his dark eyes scrutinizing Lin Xu from head to toe.
Lin Xu smiled gently upon hearing this, "I am truly flattered to receive such favor from the Fourth Miss. However, staying indoors for so long can be quite boring, so I should find some warm days to go out and relax. Otherwise, I will never have the chance to witness the current prosperity of the Prince Gong's Mansion."
Ever since the Prince Gong's heir took two concubines at the same time, the household has been in turmoil due to Song Xiyan's arrogant and domineering behavior. Although Dou Zhen is gentle by nature, she was also pampered by Madam Bai since childhood, so she naturally wouldn't let Song Xiyan bully her. Thus, the two fought endlessly, one gaining the upper hand and the other losing the upper hand, causing unrest throughout the entire Prince Gong's mansion.
Furthermore, it is said that Prince Gong was recently criticized by Emperor Su for his poor performance in court.
Princess Gong felt extremely embarrassed and became increasingly dissatisfied with the two marriages she had previously agreed to.
Lin Xu's words naturally displeased Wei Tingya, who always valued the reputation of his family.
Her cat-like, half-round eyes unconsciously narrowed slightly as she quickly concealed her impatience.
"...In retrospect, it was truly my fault for being so bothered by your ring last time, and I'll take this as an apology. However, at the time, I was merely amazed that the princess would so easily give you such a precious heirloom... We, the noble ladies of the royal family, grew up hearing tales of Princess Zhaocheng, and naturally, we've long coveted her possessions..."
"But you know, Liao Yan used to be so stingy that she wouldn't even let me touch her, let alone the Crown Princess who was like a sister to her... As the only daughter of the eldest princess, it was one thing for her to keep it, but I never expected her to be so generous as to give it to you... How can we not be envious..."
Lin Xu was surprised that Wei Tingya, who was usually quite impolite to her, was unusually direct in her words today. The Fourth Miss, who was always as proud as a peacock, was actually willing to apologize to her today?
While still pondering, Wei Tingya smiled again, "I know that you are not a petty person, so our grudge can be considered resolved... Look, there are quite a few people gathered over there reciting poems, it's really lively, shall we go and take a look?"
Mentioning poetry inevitably brings to mind the banquet in his past life where he suffered so much humiliation, and the various difficulties caused by those noble ladies. It seems that no matter what, Wei Tingya's interest in winning the prize for composing poems has only increased in both of his lives.
However, I am no longer the foolish and humiliated person I was in my previous life.
Seeing Lin Xu's serene smile and gentle shake of her head in refusal, Wei Tingya was not annoyed. She simply finished the tea in her cup quickly, her voice laced with slyness, "It's alright, since you don't want to, sister, then forget it. Let me go look around some more, and I'll find you to have tea together soon!"
After saying that, she quickly got up and walked into the crowd, her body exuding a rich fragrance.
The tea in the teacup before him gradually settled, and Lin Xu merely smiled faintly. Beneath the table, his wide sleeves seemed to have grown somewhat heavy.
She picked up her teacup, drank the still-warm tea in one gulp, and then quietly watched Wei Tingya's departing figure.
.
After several rounds of drinks, dusk was deepening. Many elderly ministers took their leave one after another, citing illness, but the generals' enthusiasm was only just beginning to rise at the makeshift racetrack nearby. Waves of cheers rose and fell, as swift horses galloped past, stirring up gusts of wind.
Since his marriage, Prince Zhenshan had long neglected martial arts practice and was itching to get back into it. Now, after drinking, he was even more delighted and had already chosen the finest red-brown steed, a tribute from the Western Regions, which he strutted around the arena a few times with an air of superiority. Duan Jinru, Cao Yuan, and the others, who were also skilled in martial arts, had naturally changed into their riding gear and were ready to go.
Liao Yan did not change her clothes; instead, she leaped onto her horse in her magnificent attire. Her thick, cloud-like hair was bound back with a black gold band, revealing only her bright, white eyes. She lightly patted the horse's back, her face displaying an arrogance that rivaled that of any man.
"It's settled today, whoever loses first will have to punish themselves with three cups of wine in front of the Emperor Uncle!"
The King of Zhenshan never respected his cold-faced cousin Liao Yan. He was not particularly interested in reading and writing, but no matter how outstanding Kun Rou was in riding, archery and martial arts, she was still just a woman and could not possibly compare to him.
Thinking of this, the Prince of Zhenshan couldn't help but crack his whip and laugh heartily, "What the princess said is quite right. Let's add another condition: whoever wins shall temporarily take charge of the training grounds—what do you say?"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the military officers and sons of noble families who had been chatting and laughing just moments before all changed.
It is now a fact that Princess Kunrou is personally supervising the training at the martial arts arena. Although a few veteran officials in the court are still dissatisfied, Emperor Su has simply turned a blind eye. While the Prince of Zhenshan's words were a joke, was he perhaps trying to use today's martial arts competition to force Princess Kunrou to relinquish her supervisory authority?
Others might be one thing, but those of them who had grown up in the mud naturally knew that while the military training grounds were nominally under the Ministry of War, in reality, the real power lay with those in charge of deploying troops, training officers, and recording merits. In fact, eight or nine out of ten military officers in the current court had been selected and trained step by step from the military training grounds in the capital. In other words, whoever controlled the military training grounds controlled the military power and connections throughout the Great Yu Dynasty and even the capital!
Although the King of Zhenshan was clearly drunk, it was obvious that he had long coveted the position.
As everyone was astonished, a hint of sarcasm slowly crept onto Liao Yan's lips, but he merely nodded slightly. Then, his riding whip cracked through the air, making a clear sound.
“The suggestion from the Prince of Zhenshan is not unreasonable. However, since that’s the case, I’ll add another clause. If all of you brave and skilled men win today, that’s fine. But if, by chance, I, a woman, narrowly win, then I will definitely go and observe the martial arts competition six months from now, thanks to the Prince of Zhenshan’s influence.”
Before the death of Consort Huo, the birth mother of Prince Zhenshan, the Huo family was very prestigious. They not only produced several renowned scholars, but were also ordered to supervise the military examinations. Now, with the Fifth Prince being enfeoffed as a prince, the power to select military candidates has returned to the Huo family. Liao Yan's words indicate that he also wants a share of the selection process for military officers!
The King of Zhenshan was already slightly drunk, and his expression immediately changed upon hearing this.
Seeing the two chatting and laughing freely, yet their words were sharp and witty, the other noble family disciples naturally dared not utter a sound. Only a few ordinary military officers who were on good terms with the Prince of Zhenshan grinned, waiting to see Princess Kunrou make a fool of herself.
It's important to understand that although Princess Kunrou now possesses military merits, the day she led the army to attack Yunji, the Dayu army was weakened, and several generals were ill. That's why Liao Yan was lucky enough to be assigned as a deputy general. How could she possibly compare to the most skilled warrior, the Prince of Zhenshan! The group exchanged glances with their arms crossed, not saying a word, but already beginning to chuckle softly.
Liao Yan raised her eyebrows slightly, but kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, completely ignoring the commotion on the field and the stares of those waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
In a short while, three brass horns sounded in the distance, and the dust and sand in the horse farm instantly began to rise.
Before everyone could react, a figure flashed through the clouds like lightning. It was neither the determined Zhenshan King nor Liao Yan, but Cao Yuan, who had been watching silently from the sidelines!
Cao Yuan comes from a family of military generals and was once the tutor of the Prince of Zhenshan when he was still in school. Now that the Prince of Zhenshan has taken the stage, he will naturally lend a hand. However, it is somewhat surprising that the usually low-key Cao Yuan is now taking the lead.
Upon seeing this, the Prince of Zhenshan burst into laughter. He immediately understood, cracked his whip, squinted his eyes, and raised his head to give chase. He and Cao Yuan had a great understanding back when they were still in Zhiqiong Hall. Whenever the Prince of Zhenshan was punished, Cao Yuan, as his companion, would take the punishment for him.
The two of them galloped away on their horses, exchanging only a glance with each other before meeting up at the bend in the sandstorm!
The two riders moved with the speed of the wind, like two dragons breaking through an enemy formation, sweeping diagonally forward one after the other, kicking up clumps of grass. Cao Yuan, agile as ever, spurred his horse and bent his body, blocking the path of the other horses from the outside, while the King of Zhenshan followed closely behind, his whip cracking through the air, effectively blocking the entire track!
It was clear that the two were determined to completely block any opening Liao Yan might have to escape!
For a moment, the onlookers couldn't help but show various expressions.
Princess Kunrou, though she had set off early on following the orders, was unable to break through the encirclement due to the combined efforts of the two. Liao Yan remained calm, but the sarcasm on his lips deepened. He then gave a low shout and cracked his whip on his horse.
"drive--"
His cold expression remained as calm as ever, as if he were completely unaffected by Cao Yuan's scheme.
Meanwhile, as Duan Jinru and several other generals caught up, the situation on the field became even more tense, drawing gasps from the spectators.
Duan Jinru was a young and promising general, and also came from a prestigious family, so his strength was not to be underestimated. In a short while, the sound of hooves thundered, and the King of Zhenshan and Duan Jinru rode side by side, already forming a three-legged balance.
Amidst the neighing of warhorses, the battlefield was filled with a palpable sense of impending doom.
The makeshift stands were already packed with people, all holding their breath in tension, their whispers drowned out by the evenly matched contest.
Yao Su'an also sat in the first row, her expression serene, but she tightly clutched a handkerchief in her sleeve. Her makeup today was extremely elaborate, with a pearl and gold flower adorning her temple, and her light blue dress made her skin appear even whiter and brighter, making her look like a still pool of water, shimmering with light.
Amidst the applause, a palace maid suddenly approached from behind and whispered in her ear:
"...Your Highness, the fourth daughter of Prince Gong requests your presence."
Yao Su'an's gaze remained unmoved, as if she hadn't heard a thing.
The maidservant couldn't help but bow slightly again and said in a low voice, "...The Fourth Miss said that she has not seen you for a long time and misses you very much. Now she has important matters to discuss and asks you to come and have a chat."
Yao Su'an finally turned her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her voice was as gentle as ever, yet it was clearly full of disdain.
"She wants to invite me?"
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