Xie Qinglan saw the King of Qin and the King of Chu approaching from afar. She quickly composed herself, stood up, tidied her appearance, and said hastily, "I'm leaving now."
Shen Youying knew that she must not want to see the King of Chu at this moment, so she said, "I will come to see you after things are settled here."
Xie Qinglan nodded, then hurriedly ran away, lifting her skirt.
Xue Shen and the King of Chu had just arrived when they only caught a glimpse of Xie Qinglan's retreating figure.
The King of Chu had some recollection of Xie Qinglan and said, "Was that the eldest daughter of the Xie family just now?"
"Did I scare her away?" Xue Shen examined himself for a moment, then looked at Shen Youying: "Am I that scary?"
Shen Youying naturally couldn't respond to this. She smiled slightly and said, "Qinglan suddenly remembered that she lost her handkerchief and is in a hurry to look for it." After saying that, she curtsied to the Prince of Chu and naturally changed the subject: "Greetings, Your Highness."
The King of Chu subtly observed her. This second daughter of the Shen family lived up to her reputation; her appearance was exceptionally beautiful. Moreover, her words and actions showed no sign of resentment or fear, unlike other women who seemed to be terrified of Xue Shen.
Although Xue Shen's personality has changed drastically in recent years due to his disability in both legs, in his eyes, Xue Shen is still essentially the same somewhat arrogant young man he once was. He may be willful and aloof, but he is by no means the ruthless killer he is rumored to be.
Before their passing, the late Emperor and Empress were most worried about their son. He had grown up by the Empress's side since childhood, and before he could repay her for raising him, she had already passed away. He only hoped that Xue Shen could live a good life, so that the late Emperor and Empress could rest in peace in the afterlife.
Previously, Xue Shen had never married, and the noble ladies he had introduced to him had all been rejected by Xue Shen. He had been worried that Xue Shen was surrounded by ambitious people and had no one to care for him. But now that he saw Shen Youying, he felt somewhat relieved.
This Miss Shen is quite nice. She and Xue Shen look very well-matched.
The King of Chu was increasingly pleased with what he saw. He nodded slightly and said gently, "Sister-in-law, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me elder brother like Yuan Jin does. I wasn't in Tokyo when you and my second brother got married, so I couldn't attend your wedding banquet. After I returned to the capital, your sister-in-law and I prepared a gift for you, but she wasn't feeling well and couldn't go out. Now that she's recovered, I'll have her deliver the gift to you in a couple of days. It'll be a good opportunity for you two sisters-in-law to get to know each other, and you can always ask your sister-in-law for help if you have any questions or difficulties in the future."
Unexpectedly, the King of Chu was so open and honest on their first meeting. Shen Youying was a little surprised, but still said politely, "As the eldest sister-in-law, it should be me who comes to visit."
The King of Chu waved his hand and laughed, “I don’t follow these formalities with Yuan Jin. He has always been unrestrained and has never talked to me, his elder brother, about the proper etiquette of seniority.”
Since he had said so, Shen Youying had no choice but to agree.
The King of Chu stayed and chatted with them for a while. During their conversation, he inevitably revealed many interesting stories about Xue Shen from his early years. As Shen Youying listened, she glanced at Xue Shen with a hint of surprise.
Seeing Shen Youying glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, her little face full of curiosity and hesitant expression, Xue Shen impatiently tapped the table, giving her the order to leave: "If you have nothing to do, brother, you should go back and keep your sister-in-law company. Don't waste her precious time here."
"I'm leaving now, I'm leaving now." Seeing that he had a proud look in his eyes and vaguely resembled the man from years past, the King of Chu laughed heartily twice, then got up and left decisively.
Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Shen Youying couldn't help but say, "I never expected the King of Chu to be like this." It seems somewhat different from the refined and aloof style of scholars that is admired today.
"What do you think the King of Chu should be like?" Xue Shen raised an eyebrow.
Shen Youying couldn't quite put her finger on it. Judging from Xie Qinglan's description, he must be a refined and elegant immortal, otherwise how could Xie Qinglan have been so captivated at first glance?
But now it seems that this description is not quite accurate.
Xue Shen scoffed lightly, then said meaningfully, "Does the Princess like this?"
Shen Youying shook her head, giving him a strange look: "I was just curious about the Prince of Chu when I first met him. What kind of question is that, Your Highness?"
Xue Shen smiled and didn't say anything more.
I figured she probably liked someone like her cousin.
Unfortunately, Lu Minghe was like a baby who hadn't been weaned and couldn't protect her at all.
*
Around noon, someone suggested playing polo.
Polo, a tradition inherited from the previous dynasty, remained a popular pastime for many young men in the current dynasty. Coupled with the emperor's fondness for polo, it became incredibly popular in Tokyo, with some even establishing their own polo clubs.
The suggestion to play polo was met with immediate enthusiasm, and many young men joined in with great interest.
With so many noble ladies present today, if I can show off my skills, I might just win their hearts.
So the group went to the polo field at the lakeside park.
The owner of the lakeside garden is clearly a polo enthusiast. The polo field is quite spacious and impressive, with viewing platforms with colorful canopies on three sides, allowing spectators to overlook the field. In the middle is an extremely wide flat area, currently covered with lush green grass, perfect for a game of polo.
Seeing the lively atmosphere, Princess Shouning pressed her advantage by taking off the jade bracelet from her wrist and saying, "This jade bracelet is made of Kunchi jade, which is extremely rare. I'll use it as the prize for the first round."
Kunchi jade is a type of jade introduced from overseas. Because of its translucent beauty and scarcity, it is extremely valuable and hard to find.
Seeing this, the young men were even more eager to try, and they all took out their armbands, put them on, and prepared to go on stage; the ladies, on the other hand, found seats in groups of three or five on the viewing platform, and whispered about the young men going on stage.
Shen Youying and Xue Shen also came to the viewing platform. Seeing him looking at the polo field with a detached expression, and remembering that he had injured his legs after falling from his horse, she was afraid that the scene would upset him, so she carefully said, "Polo is boring, Your Highness. Would you like to go and see something else?"
Xue Shen saw through her worry hidden behind her concern and chuckled, "Do I look that narrow-minded to you?"
Shen Youying: "..."
It's not that he seems narrow-minded; he truly is.
Who in the capital city of Tokyo doesn't know that the King of Qin is vengeful and vindictive?
Shen Youying thought this to herself, but dared not say it on her face. She just shook her head in surprise and said, "What does this have to do with the prince? I just don't like such noisy occasions."
Actually, she likes it; not only does she like it, she's also very good at polo.
The Shen family was, after all, a family of military generals. Although she did not learn martial arts from her father and brothers, she was quite good at horsemanship and could be said to be proficient in polo.
However, there's no need to tell the King of Qin about these things.
Xue Shen glanced at her with a half-smile, not exposing her lie, and said, "I'll watch for a while. If the princess finds it noisy, she can go play somewhere else. There's no need to be so reserved."
Shen Youying carefully observed him and, seeing that his expression was calm and he didn't seem to be being sarcastic, she curtsied and took her leave, going to find Xie Qinglan on her own.
They had only gone halfway when they unexpectedly ran into Princess Xuanci and Zhou Zhenrong.
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