The commotion at the polo field soon attracted the attention of the two princes.
The two met on the viewing platform. Prince Chen pretended to be serious and said, "I have always heard that Princess Qin is skilled in polo and is very heroic. I never expected that Xuanci and Zhenrong would be so arrogant as to ask her for advice. It is also because they are young and I have spoiled them."
Xue Shen scoffed, not even bothering to maintain a semblance of peace: "Since it's a competition, there should be some kind of prize."
Prince Chen appeared quite generous: "Of course, there must be a prize." Just as he was about to remove the black jade thumb ring from his thumb, Xue Shen took out his princely seal and placed it on the tray: "A princess, a queen, and a concubine—the prize can't be small. Let's use this princely seal as the prize. What does Prince Chen think?"
King Chen didn't think so.
The prince's seal represents the prince's status; how could it be used as a wager?
But the King of Qin seemed completely unconcerned. If he refused, the polo match would lose momentum before it even began.
Xue Shen used a few words to put him in a difficult position, leaving him no choice but to agree.
"Since my second brother has said so, wouldn't it seem cowardly of me to disagree?" Prince Chen held his breath and smiled as he removed his princely seal and placed it on the tray.
Xue Shen glanced at him with a half-smile, then looked toward the east side of the viewing platform and suddenly said, "The person has come out."
Prince Chen turned around as instructed and saw that Xuan Ci and the others had changed into Hu clothing suitable for riding horses. Xuan Ci, Zhou Zhenrong, and the Third Miss Wang walked together, clearly separated from Shen Youying and her two companions on the other side.
The six women who came down were all beauties, each with her own unique charm, but when everyone looked at them, the first one they noticed was Shen Youying.
She wasn't the tallest of the six, but her slender waist and long legs made her appear exceptionally tall. Her silver-red Hu-style robe, tailored to her figure, perfectly showcased her graceful and well-proportioned physique. To facilitate riding, she had removed her hairpins and jewelry; her previously loosely styled hair was now secured with a silver crown, her long, glossy black hair cascading down to her waist, swaying gently with her movements. Despite the lack of adornment, she possessed a striking and captivating beauty unlike anything she wore before.
Chen Wang's gaze was fixed on Shen Youying, his eyes flashing with resentment and greed.
If things had gone smoothly that day, Shen Youying would already be his; how could he let Xue Shen, that good-for-nothing, get the benefit?
Xue Shen noticed the change in his expression, his face darkening for a moment, and then beckoned to Shen Youying: "Zhaozhao."
Shen Youying was surprised to see Xue Shen there as well, and stepped forward with a look of astonishment: "Your Highness."
Xue Shen looked her up and down, and didn't hold back his praise: "Your Highness, this outfit suits you very well today."
Shen Youying gave him a strange look, wondering what kind of act he was putting on now, so she lowered her eyes and remained silent.
At this moment, Xuan Ci and Zhou Zhenrong also came over. Prince Chen smiled and pointed to the prince's seal on the tray, saying, "I heard that you want to have a competition with Princess Qin. Prince Qin and I have even brought out the prince's seal as a prize."
Shen Youying noticed the two small seals placed side by side on the tray, frowned, and looked at Xue Shen.
She agreed to the match, but her unwillingness to tolerate Zhou Zhenrong's constant targeting was somewhat impulsive, though she had no intention of involving Xue Shen.
After all, it was just a minor squabble between women.
But no one expected Xue Shen to use the prince's seal as the wager. Since the prince's seal was involved, it couldn't be a small-scale bet anymore; what if they lost...?
Shen Youying looked at Xue Shen with a hesitant expression. She wasn't afraid of losing face, but she was afraid that the King of Qin would lose his temper if he lost the seal.
Her worry was written all over her face. Xue Shen took her hand and squeezed it, gesturing for her to lean down.
Shen Youying bent down as instructed, her eyes filled with doubt. At this moment, Xue Shen leaned closer, his lips close to her ear, and whispered, "Losing is losing, it doesn't matter. It's just a small seal. If you lose, you can just carve another one."
Warm breaths and a deep voice entered Shen Youying's ears, like feathers gently brushing against her, bringing a ticklish sensation.
Shen Youying suddenly straightened up and took a step back, resisting the urge to touch her ear, and said calmly, "I know, I won't lose."
Xuan Ci glanced at her and said with a forced smile, "It's not over yet, Sister-in-law Wang, don't be too sure."
Shen Youying glanced at her, ignored her, and led Xie Qinglan and Shen Muyu down to choose horses.
Polo is divided into two types: big polo and small polo. Big polo is played with horses from Hequ or Lichuan, which are often used as military horses. These horses are strong, fast, and dangerous, and are equally exciting to watch on the polo field. Small polo is played with specially purchased ponies, and sometimes donkeys or mules are used instead. This type of polo is less intense and therefore less dangerous.
Princess Xuanci was proud and determined to teach Shen Youying a lesson, so she naturally decided to play ball.
Shen Youying carefully selected horses in the stable, while Shen Muyu followed beside her, somewhat anxiously saying, "The Prince of Qin has even brought out his seal of office. What if we lose?"
Xie Qinglan couldn't stand her cowardly behavior after causing trouble: "You haven't even started playing yet, and you're already thinking about what to do if you lose. How can you possibly win?"
Seeing her like this, Shen Youying frowned and looked at her: "Father said that on the battlefield, whoever is less afraid of death will win. Once you have the will to retreat on the battlefield, you have already lost. The polo field is not much different from war. If you are so afraid of losing, you might as well leave the field now and let someone else take your place."
Shen Muyu bit her lip slightly, her face burning.
She was afraid of losing, and also afraid of losing face by changing players at the last minute. She was torn between two options and finally gritted her teeth and said after a long time, "Let's fight!"
*
The six men each chose their horses and rode into the arena.
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