True to her word, Little Swallow sneaked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation that very night. Little Lu Zi, who was dozing at the door, suddenly opened his eyes upon hearing the noise and saw Princess Huan Zhu peeking in from outside. He turned his head to look inside.
Xiao Luzi felt sorry for the Emperor's busy day, having to deal with the concubines in the evening. Now Xiao Yanzi has also come to join in the fun.
Despite inwardly complaining a thousand times, I still had no choice but to greet Little Swallow.
He picked up his whisk and hurried to greet her, saying, "Princess, you must watch your step so late at night."
Little Swallow walked quickly, cheerfully saying to Xiao Luzi, "Oh, don't worry about me, is Father Emperor inside?"
Xiao Luzi forced a smile, "His Majesty just sat down, perhaps..." Xiao Luzi hadn't finished speaking when he tried to politely refuse Xiao Yanzi's invitation to go in.
Little Swallow swiftly opened the door and slipped inside, leaving behind a single sentence: "I know." Little Lu was left standing outside, bewildered in the wind.
The Emperor was also surprised when he saw Xiao Yanzi arrive, wondering what she wanted to do so late at night.
No one knows what Xiao Yanzi said to the Emperor afterward, but when Xiao Yanzi came out, she had a big smile on her face and looked very pleased with herself.
*
The next morning
Anke got up early and started getting ready, rummaging through her clothes.
Seeing her princess searching for clothes, Xingxing put down the basin she was holding and went to help. "Princess, what are you looking for? Let Xingxing find it for you." She usually took care of all the princess's clothes and jewelry. No one knew where everything was better than her.
Anke looked at the stars in front of her and suddenly slapped her forehead. "Yeah, I should have called you Star." She turned her head and looked at her clothes, which she had made a mess of.
It feels like it added a lot of work to the stars.
"Wear that light yellow brocade dress with camellia embroidery," Anke said, quickly washing herself while Xingxing was looking for clothes for her.
"The princess has been found." Xingxing held up the palace dress, her eyes sparkling. "Princess, you will be the most stunning person in this dress."
Anke smiled and went over to pinch Xingxing's little cheek. "Xingxing's words are so sweet this early in the morning. I can't handle this sugar-coated bullet."
"Princess!" Xingxing blushed slightly, amused by Anke's words. "What Xingxing said is true, every word comes from the bottom of her heart." Xingxing looked at Anke with unwavering eyes.
"Good, good, good, your princess is definitely the most dazzling one in the crowd today." Anke echoed Xingxing's words.
"Then let Xingxing do a beautiful hairstyle for the princess today." Xingxing received praise and was eager to try.
Anke nodded; she still trusted Xingxing's skills. In no time, Xingxing had finished. She even put the pearl hairpin that her uncle had given her back then into her hair.
"Xingxing, you have such skillful hands," Anke exclaimed, taking Xingxing's hand in his.
Immediately afterward, the master and servant chatted for a while longer before hurrying toward the dining hall of Cining Palace.
After breakfast, I accompanied the Empress Dowager to the martial arts competition venue, which was right next to the training ground.
People gradually arrived and took their seats. The moment Saiya saw Anke, she instantly transformed into a little fangirl, her eyes fixed on the moving Anke.
After everyone was seated, An Ke looked around. She discovered that Xiao Yanzi had also come to watch the match. This wasn't unexpected; wherever there was excitement, she was there. She probably had to beg her uncle to come out again.
An Ke withdrew her gaze, no longer staring at Xiao Yanzi. At this moment, the warriors of Mongolia and the warriors of the Qing Dynasty were already on the stage, engaging in a fierce battle.
Whoever's team is the warrior, that's who we'll cheer for.
All that could be heard from the field were two phrases being chanted repeatedly: "Go, warriors of the Qing Dynasty! Go, warriors of Mongolia!"
Anke felt that this was pretty much what a noisy, bustling place looked like; she felt as if her eardrums were about to be pierced. Most importantly, Xiao Yanzi was sitting to her right and behind her.
Although there were several people in between, Xiao Yanzi's loud voice was impossible to ignore.
The Emperor watched the people competing on the stage chatting with Ziker, saying, "Your warriors are truly formidable."
"These warriors have been trained since they were young." Who doesn't like to hear compliments? When Ziker heard that even the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty praised their warriors, he felt a little proud.
"Go, go! The Mongolian warriors will win first place!" Saiya cheered them on alone.
Just then, Saiya heard something even louder than her. Turning her head, she saw a large group of palace maids waving flags and shouting.
The Empress Dowager frowned upon seeing this. These were guests, after all, yet they hadn't been treated properly; it seemed like a lack of hospitality. And upon closer inspection, it was clear that Little Swallow was behind it; most of the palace maids were exactly the same as those from the last football match.
Seeing this, Saiya couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up and shouted at them, "Go Luga! Give him a punch! Charge! Charge forward!" Mongolians are naturally carefree and don't care about those trivial etiquette details.
Therefore, neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager showed any strange expressions upon seeing this scene.
Saiya's cries also attracted the attention of Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei. Xiaoyanzi clapped less frequently and stared blankly at Saiya.
And the warrior named Luga, cheered on by the princess, won directly. "Go Luga, go, go!"
Little Swallow could no longer hold back. She felt that they were of equal status, and besides, she couldn't lose face in front of this Mongolian princess who had bullied Benjamin.
Unable to contain herself, she stood up abruptly and shouted at the Qing warriors on the stage, "Saiwei, you're a master of the Imperial Guard, show them what's what!" As she spoke, Xiaoyanzi made various little faces at Saiya.
The two then resumed their shouting contest.
"Ruga wins! Ruga wins!"
"Go Saiwei! Go Saiwei!"
But Saiya alone couldn't compare to Xiao Yanzi and her cheerleading squad. Her voice gradually lost its loudness.
The Empress Dowager was also disturbed by the two girls' shouting. She frowned and looked at Xiao Yanzi's side. "This Xiao Yanzi is chattering away. I don't know why the Emperor let her out," the Empress Dowager said irritably.
Qing'er was the most understanding. She persuaded the Empress Dowager from her side, which calmed her down.
However, a concubine muttered something under her breath, and it was her words that made the Empress Dowager ponder for a moment. "This Princess Huanzhu and the Mongolian princess do look quite alike."
The Empress Dowager had already disapproved of Xiao Yanzi coming out to watch the competition, not to mention that she knew Xiao Yanzi had secretly gone there yesterday and even argued with Princess Saiya in front of the civil and military officials. The Empress Dowager felt a headache coming on.
If it weren't for Qing'er and Anke intervening, the Empress Dowager would have stormed into Shufangzhai that very night.
Qing'er was simply being kind, while An Ke said that they would all do something stupid anyway, and when the Emperor lost face, he would realize what a huge mistake it was to let Xiao Yanzi out.
"Your Majesty, when you have a martial arts competition here, are there always people cheering and waving flags on the sidelines?" Ziker asked the Emperor indirectly, watching his beloved daughter shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Oh, this is called 'Qi'er Liding,' a custom that the painter Ban brought from abroad, which we have learned," the Emperor patiently explained to Ziker.
Ziker said "Oh," indicating he understood. Saiya, not to be outdone, jumped up. "Then I'll give it my all too!"
Ziker said he couldn't do that either. It was obvious that they had already chosen the people and rehearsed beforehand. Where was he supposed to find people who could recite the slogans? "Where am I supposed to get the air support for you? Go and do the air support yourself."
Saiya was not discouraged and continued to shout loudly on the stage, as if telling Xiaoyanzi that she would not admit defeat.
Whether it was Saiya's shouts that had an effect or not, Ruga won immediately. Saiya cheered.
When the emperor saw this scene, his expression was not good, and his eyes flickered slightly.
Next up was Gao Yuan, who swiftly executed an over-the-shoulder throw on the Mongol warrior, securing a victory. The Emperor's expression softened slightly, no longer as ashen.
Seeing that she had won, Xiao Yanzi became a little carried away and immediately told Saiya that they had lost.
Saiya couldn't stand this insult, so she immediately picked one of the Mongolian warriors and said, "Langka, you come here."
And this Langka, with his muscular physique, flipped onto the ring and started fighting with Sai Guang.
The two exchanged punches, with Saigang attempting to kick Langka in the ankle. However, Langka didn't even bend his leg. Being Mongolians skilled in wrestling, Langka seized the opportunity, grabbed Saigang's clothes, lifted him up, and slammed him off the ring.
Just then, Little Swallow shouted loudly, "Where are our imperial guards?"
Then, a figure in dark blue suddenly darted out from among the guards.
When he arrived on the stage, everyone realized who he was. It turned out to be Fu Erkang, who had recently been demoted and given 50 lashes by the Censorate.
Little Swallow looked at Fu Erkang flying onto the stage and placed high hopes on him, shouting loudly for him to do his best.
Upon seeing Fu Erkang, Ziwei's eyes immediately lit up. Her gaze was fixed intently on him, following his every move.
The Emperor's expression was grim. He had clearly warned Fu Lun, yet Fu Erkang had still sneaked in. The thought of his words being ignored made the Emperor's face grow even colder. Unless Fu Erkang won later, he would be punished along with Fu Lun.
However, at this point, everyone still hoped that Fu Erkang could win this round. After all, no one wants to lose face in front of others.
Just then, the group from Shufangzhai cheered even louder, shouting, "Uncle Fu is invincible, he's won first place with his swagger!"
Langka was celebrating with his hands raised, but when he saw the somewhat frail-looking person climbing on top of him, a hint of contempt flashed in Langka's eyes.
Does such a person deserve to be called a warrior of the Qing Dynasty?
Without hesitation, Fu Erkang threw a punch with great force and speed, creating a whooshing sound. But it landed on Langka like a pretty pillow.
Langka smiled provocatively at Fu Erkang, who had thought he could easily turn the tide. However, he hadn't expected that a one-on-one fight with Langka would be so difficult.
When I punched him, it was as if there wasn't even a splash of water. In fact, when I punched him, I had to take a few steps back due to the recoil.
Fu Erkang's face immediately turned ashen, as if he'd eaten excrement. After seeing Langka's provocative smile, he gradually lost his composure, his punches becoming increasingly rapid and utterly chaotic.
Upon seeing this scene, An Ke knew that Fu Er Kang was destined to lose.
But Ziwei thought differently. She watched Fu'erkang's match, sweating profusely on the ring, her admiration and adoration almost overflowing. She couldn't see at all that Fu'erkang was no match for Langka.
It wasn't until Langka lifted Fu Erkang as easily as he had lifted Sai Guang that Ziwei realized something was wrong. But unfortunately, it was too late. Fu Erkang was thrown out like a chick, and the entire arena fell silent.
Fu Erkang lay on the ground, his face filled with disbelief. He couldn't believe he had lost so easily. But the aches and pains all over his body told him it was true.
He had originally hoped that after winning this match, he could regain the emperor's favor. Even if he didn't become an imperial bodyguard again, it would be good if he could return to the Qianqing Palace as a bodyguard.
Now, all his efforts had been in vain. He was thrown off the stage, and Fu Erkang felt that everyone around him was mocking him. They were all laughing at his overestimation of his abilities and his arrogance. Fu Erkang, his eyes bloodshot, supported himself with one hand on the ground and the other on his waist, and left the spot in a disheveled state.
Fu Erkang silently returned to the ranks of the guards, trying to minimize his presence; he didn't want others to pay too much attention to him.
If he were still the same old Uncle Fu, he would crave everyone's attention, but now that he was defeated, Fu Erkang naturally didn't want too much focus on him. Furthermore, he felt that the person who had just insisted on calling him Uncle Fu was mocking him, as if he had been slapped in the face in public.
As he pondered, Fu Erkang rubbed his aching back. Even in this state, Fu Erkang was still making excuses for himself, secretly thinking that it must be because his injuries hadn't fully healed and he was too eager to succeed that he lost.
If he were in his normal state, he would definitely have won the match. That Langka was just a brute; he was no match for him. Thinking this, Fu Erkang felt much better, living under his own pUA (powerful manipulation).
Just then, an unknown young man from the Eight Banners suddenly leaped onto the stage. In less than ten moves, he knocked Langka off the stage.
Saiya was initially proud of Langka's victory, but she never expected to be knocked off the ring so quickly.
Just then, Ziker said to the Emperor, "Your Qing warriors are truly first-rate. Your warriors won, and we lost."
Even if the emperor was secretly pleased, he could only suppress it, wave his hand, and say humbly, "Your warriors are quite good too!"
Saiya then stepped forward, "Who said that? We have other experts too!"
Ziker was somewhat bewildered, but before he knew it, Saiya had flipped onto the ring and pulled out her whip.
When Xiao Yanzi saw that Saiya had already stepped onto the stage, she wanted to follow suit.
This time, no one stopped her, and she successfully flipped herself onto the ring.
"Didn't the Mongolian princess want to have a whip-fighting contest?" Little Swallow also pulled out her own whip. "Let's have a contest." Little Swallow always had an inexplicable confidence in her whip-fighting skills.
"Alright," Saiya didn't necessarily want to teach the man who beat Langka a lesson; in competitions, winning and losing are common. It's just that Saiya had acted impulsively in the heat of the moment, and besides, she didn't want anyone to say that their Mongolian warriors were incompetent.
He then climbed onto the stage, wanting to prove himself. Since this "Princess Huanzhu" had come looking for trouble, why not give her a proper showdown instead of letting her keep challenging him?
After receiving the Emperor's signal, the man who had just left the arena stepped down and disappeared into the seats of the Eight Banners disciples.
The two men raised their hands and brandished their whips.
Anke felt there was no need to watch; with Xiao Yanzi's mediocre skills, she would definitely be defeated by Saiya's whip.
As expected, their whips lashed out and became entangled. Little Swallow had even tried to snatch Saiya's whip away as well.
Would Saiya let Little Swallow win so easily? With a sudden flick of her wrist, she swiftly lashed the whip back.
Little Swallow was still reeling from the impact of the whip flying back and took two steps back when Saiya lashed out with the whip, striking her directly in the waist.
Xiao Yanzi cried out in pain. Before she could react, Saiya lashed her right hand with another whip.
Suddenly, Little Swallow lost her grip on the whip, which fell off the stage.
Then, like a cat chasing a mouse, Saiya chased Little Swallow all over the arena.
The Emperor frowned deeply, and Ziker stood up and reprimanded Saiya, for she was, after all, the Emperor's daughter. What if she were seriously injured? "Saiya, stop! Stop it now!"
Saiya was in the heat of the moment and couldn't hear Ziker's reprimands at all.
Little Swallow ran and shouted, "You bully me because I don't have a whip, what kind of hero are you? Ah... ah..."
Ziwei stood on the stage, her hands tightly clutching her handkerchief. She watched with deep concern as Xiaoyanzi fled in panic on the ring. She glanced at Anke, who sat quietly watching beside her.
Ziwei made up her mind and walked towards Anke.
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