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On the other side of the racecourse, even as the rain poured down, the scene was completely different.
Although today's horse race was impromptu, there were quite a few military officers present. In addition, although the palace was remote, it had no shortage of fine horses from various border regions that were kept in the imperial garden. Everyone quickly agreed to race ten laps, with the one who won the most laps taking the lead.
The race is currently in full swing, and we've just reached the final lap to decide the winner.
Cao Yuan was naturally skilled in martial arts, but today he seemed to be fighting for his life, quickly protecting the Prince of Zhenshan from fierce attacks from both sides and securing first place. Even Duan Jinru, who possessed superb martial arts skills and was adept at both military campaigns and battles, could only manage third place amidst the combined attacks of Cao Yuan and the Prince of Zhenshan. However, he had only intended to participate for the sake of participation and had secretly held back some of his strength from the start. Now, seeing Cao Yuan's unusual behavior, he had already noticed something amiss and simply stayed on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the horse farm, Liao Yan squinted, staring intently at the Zhenshan King, who was resting with his arms crossed in the distance.
After several rounds of intense fighting, her jacket was almost soaked with sweat, and her forehead was covered in beads of perspiration. Liao Yan didn't seem to care; she simply tore off a sash from her clothes and tied up her loose hair.
Seeing this scene, some of the women from secluded households who were watching the battle showed some strange expressions. It was one thing for women to lead troops into battle, and it was another for them to fight against men on the battlefield, but why were their behavior so unrestrained?
Liao Yan, however, paid no heed, gripping his riding whip tightly and quietly observing the situation on the field. The horn sounded again, the short break was over, and the final game was about to begin.
As the gong sounded, the riders set off in unison, undeterred by the wind and rain. The grass, already soaked by the rain, was instantly filled with the sound of hooves flying like the wind.
The King of Zhenshan and Cao Yuan continued their strategy from the previous rounds, moving swiftly from left to right like arrows piercing the air, quickly closing in on the inner path. The grassland was vast, and the road was slippery after the rain. Cao Yuan, who had fought fiercely in the previous rounds, was gradually losing his strength. In a moment of distraction, his horse slipped and stumbled, and Cao Yuan, caught off guard, fell to the ground, his face almost touching the ground, nearly suffering a head injury!
This drew gasps from the crowd.
As a result, he quickly fell behind.
King Zhenshan, who was already at the forefront, was riding his horse with great enthusiasm when he heard the commotion and turned around. His cheeks, already slightly flushed from the alcohol, turned bright red. He let out a low groan and could only turn back and charge forward on his own.
As the third bend approached, Liao Yan, who had been lagging behind the other two, showed no sign of urgency. She simply held the reins tightly, her eyes calm and composed, a few strands of hair on her forehead torn by the wind, tracing a dashing arc in the air.
Suddenly, she raised her whip and gave a low shout. Her green horse seemed to be encouraged and immediately put its strength into the wind, carrying her out from the outermost lane!
In an instant, the wind seemed to be torn apart.
Liao Yan, without any hesitation, sped along the grass at an extremely close angle, forcibly closing in on Cao Yuan, who had just managed to remount his horse and was still adjusting his posture.
Cao Yuan's expression changed, and he subconsciously pulled back to avoid her. Liao Yan, however, had already soared through the air like a bird, riding her horse close to the ground and diagonally across the inner lane! In an instant, she overtook the other people on the field in the same way, and quickly caught up with the Zhenshan King, who had been far ahead all along!
In an instant, the atmosphere in the arena shifted dramatically. Some spectators who had initially assumed the Prince of Zhenshan would undoubtedly win were now showing expressions of astonishment. Meanwhile, He Miaoyi, who had been delayed by the banquet and had only recently arrived at the sidelines, was inquiring about Liao Yan's match with several martial arts disciples sitting nearby. She was listening incredulously as the others waved their hands and sighed, "...Princess Kunrou is indeed formidable, but she is ultimately just a woman. How could she possibly defeat the valiant Prince of Zhenshan!"
He Miaoyi's eyes widened. Before she could refute them, she saw that the situation in the room had been completely reversed in the blink of an eye as the group spoke!
The young men, seeing Liao Yan not only catch up with the Mountain-Suppressing King but also quickly accelerate and take the lead, exclaimed in surprise. He Miaoyi, however, was unsurprised and clapped her hands excitedly. She knew it!
After all, Liao Yan was a remarkable person. She was the only person her arrogant and talented brother, who had spent his life in military campaigns, could barely give a word of affirmation to. Naturally, she believed her!
Meanwhile, Wei Zhao, who already felt that today's victory and the supervisory position of the martial arts arena were already in his grasp, saw this and became even more displeased. With a gloomy face, he raised his whip and immediately gave chase. At this time, Cao Yuan, having experienced the twists and turns, had also adjusted and quickly overtook several people to return to third place. However, he was far behind and it was difficult for him to catch up.
Since today's horse race was a last-minute decision, the venue was simply a large expanse of woodland that had been cleared away. The route involved traversing grasslands, forests, and a lakeside, before finally reaching the grandstand where the spectators gathered. As Liao Yan charged headlong into the woods, the Mountain-Suppressing King narrowed his eyes, glanced back, and exchanged a nod and a smile with Cao Yuan.
This was the method Cao Yuan had devised during a brief respite. While it wasn't the act of a gentleman, his family was already teetering on the brink of collapse, and just now, someone from the Crown Princess's entourage had secretly delivered a message. These nobles, even with generations of military prowess in the Cao family, could ultimately turn the tide with a mere word from them. Given the current situation, how could he not fight with all his might…
The forest was dense, and because of the dark clouds, the spectators were far away and could not see clearly what was happening in the woods. A few lively teenagers took out viewing mirrors that they had prepared from somewhere and crowded together excitedly to watch. Even so, they could only vaguely make out that the one in the lead was Princess Kunrou, who was graceful in figure but agile in action.
In the woods, the hooves of several horses galloped across puddles, splashing water everywhere. Cao Yuan and Wei Zhao kept their eyes fixed on Liao Yan, relentlessly pursuing him, but they didn't see Duan Jinru, whose figure was also mostly obscured by a towering ancient tree, not far behind them.
The dim light and shadow outlined his strong features, but his brows were slightly furrowed. He noticed that Cao Yuan, not far from him, seemed to be riding his horse while raising his right hand, and even as the distance between them gradually increased, he could vaguely make out that what Cao Yuan held in his hand was clearly shaped like a slingshot.
The next moment, the mist in the forest dissipated, and Cao Yuan turned a corner, his slingshot ready to fire. And the target he was aiming at was none other than Liao Yan, who was now almost out of the forest!
Meanwhile, He Miaoyi, who was extremely excited, was itching to try her luck at the shouts and commotion of the boys. She immediately threw a bag of gold over and exchanged it for the viewing mirror.
She was happily preparing to admire Liao Yan's heroic figure when, in the next second, she saw a woman sitting on a horse, swaying back and forth. The horse beneath her was neighing with its neck raised and its front legs raised high, swinging wildly. It looked like Liao Yan was about to be thrown off the horse!
The others, their view obscured by the shade of the trees, could not see the horse, but they could still clearly hear its neighing, and for a moment they looked at each other in bewilderment.
At the same time, a faint sound came from the end of the forest, the sound of approaching hooves. But for some reason, it now sounded dangerous. The next moment, a person and a horse rushed out of the forest like madmen. The woman struggling on the horse, with half of her body about to fall off, was none other than Princess Kunrou, whose face was pale!
The horse was clearly startled, and in a moment it couldn't stop. It leaped straight off the race track, kicking up a cloud of dust that swept across the stands, causing chaos in the arena!
Meanwhile, the guards and eunuchs who were waiting on the sidelines rushed out to try to stop the frightened horse and Princess Kunrou. On the other side, Cao Yuan also got back on track and, together with the Prince of Zhenshan, emerged from the woods one after the other and crossed the finish line set before the race.
In the end, the King of the Mountain still won. Although not many people cared at this moment, the gong sounded loudly, and the flag hanging high at the finish line fluttered wildly in the wind.
Meanwhile, amidst gasps of alarm, the guards finally rescued Princess Kunrou. Her beautiful face was deathly pale, clearly still shaken. He Miaoyi, who had been anxiously watching from the sidelines, could no longer contain herself. She immediately dropped the expensive viewing mirror she had bought and ran to the sidelines to comfort Liao Yan.
When Lin Xu and Yao Su'an finally arrived from the remote palace, this was the scene they saw.
The Prince of Zhenshan, still somewhat intoxicated, was now overjoyed at finally winning after ten rounds of fierce competition. He snatched the raised flag and burst into laughter. He had finally defeated Kunrou; surely his father would never again call him useless!
Fortunately, although Liao Yan was frightened, her injuries were not serious. However, she looked extremely haggard, and her exquisite clothes were now in disarray. He Miaoyi, who was very familiar with Liao Yan, couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She immediately sent someone to fetch the imperial physician and helped Princess Kunrou to rest.
As Liao Yan and Lin Xu brushed past each other, they exchanged a knowing glance.
With just one glance, they both understood each other perfectly. Seeing Lin Xu's lowered eyelashes, besides worry, a hint of certainty appeared in his dark eyes.
Liao Yan understood that they had finally secured victory in this round.
Some military officers who had been watching the match for a long time and were on good terms with the Prince of Zhenshan also came forward and surrounded him, bowing and offering their congratulations. Wei Zhao responded casually, wiping the sweat from his face, and then realized that Yao Su'an, who had been sitting in the audience, was nowhere to be seen. He looked around and saw that Yao Su'an was nowhere to be found. She looked exhausted and had lost her usual elegance. She took the tea that the maid brought her and drank it all in one gulp.
Wei Zhao looked away, a sense of impatience rising in his heart.
Yao Su'an had been locked in that side hall for most of the day, and was now exhausted and thirsty. She drank several cups of tea before looking at the maid who had been by her side since childhood, as if she had something to say.
"What happened while I was away?"
The maidservant glanced at Yao Su'an cautiously and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, everything else is fine... It's just that not long after you left, someone from the household came and secretly inquired about your whereabouts. I couldn't find you at the time, so I told them the truth."
Yao Su'an's heart, which had just calmed down, was in high spirits again.
Why would her family send someone to look for her out of the blue? Her mother must have known that she was attending a banquet at the palace today. She was very familiar with banquets, big and small. If something hadn't happened, why would her family send someone to look for her?
"Who came to the house? Did that person say why?"
The maid shook her head blankly, trying hard to recall:
"He was an ordinary-looking person, easily lost in a crowd, dressed as a servant. He seemed to be someone from the master's side. He didn't say what he wanted, but after hearing that you were missing, he looked very anxious and left quickly..."
Upon hearing this, Yao Su'an was immediately enraged. Without realizing it, the teacup in her hand crashed to the ground and shattered.
Only then did she truly understand that everything before today was merely a minor incident. That bitch Lin Xu had only lied to her once, but she hadn't expected it to be a series of elaborate schemes. She wondered how long Lin Xu had been planning this, orchestrating such a grand scheme! Even with Yao Su'an's initial shock, she finally understood the real reason Lin Xu had sent her away and her true objective—
It wasn't about forcing myself to reveal the truth from back then, but rather...
In a flash, Yao Su'an broke out in a cold sweat. She no longer cared that she hadn't even spoken a word to Wei Zhao, and immediately turned and left in a cold voice.
"Prepare the sedan chair; let's return to the Duke's mansion!"
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