After Prince Chen and Princess Xuanci left, the banquet was almost over.
Shen Youying walked out with Xue Shen. When they passed the peony garden, Xue Shen looked at the peonies in full bloom and suddenly stopped and said, "The princess has won the competition, but I haven't given her a reward yet."
Shen Youying subconsciously felt that his "reward" was not something good, and shook her head to politely decline, saying, "It's already a blessing that I didn't embarrass Your Highness, I dare not ask for a reward."
Xue Shen, however, became interested. He didn't ask the guards to push him, but instead wheeled himself into the peony garden. He picked and chose among the flowers, and finally picked a hibiscus in full bloom.
"Your Highness, come closer." He held the flower and gazed at Shen Youying with a smile.
Shen Youying roughly guessed his "reward," and her heart, which had been pounding, calmed down. She obediently stepped forward and bent down.
Xue Shen gently cupped her face and placed a peony in her hair.
Tired from playing polo and pressed for time, Shen Youying really didn't want to waste any more time changing, so she simply changed her clothes and loosely tied her long hair into a single bun without using any hairpins or ornaments.
But her outstanding appearance was such that even in simple clothes and plain hairpins, her beauty was overshadowed, and she appeared even more elegant and charming.
Now Xue Shen is adorning her with flowers, and the fresh brocade curtains and hibiscus make her even more beautiful and pure, like a lotus emerging from clear water.
Xue Shen examined the work for a moment, quite satisfied with it. He nodded and said, "When we get back, I'll have Wang Deshun give you the key to the storeroom. There are quite a few pieces of jewelry stored there. If you like any of them, you can pick them out. If you don't find anything you like, you can go to Dianjinlou to find the latest styles."
Shen Youying was about to refuse, but when she met his unquestionable gaze, she could only softly thank him and say, "I understand."
Xue Shen then signaled to the guards to push him forward.
Shen Youying followed beside him, somewhat puzzled by his unusual tenderness. Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard him ask, "Didn't you complain that polo was too noisy? I thought the princess didn't know how to play polo."
Shen Youying: "..."
This wasn't something I made up because I was afraid he'd be reminded of the pain of seeing others play polo.
Unexpectedly, he still remembered this. Shen Youying stammered, "Yes, it was a bit noisy, but my older brother used to take me to play polo, so I learned how..."
Xue Shen glanced at her with a half-smile: "Your Highness, it's not just that you're good at fighting; many men may not be as good as you at horseback riding and ball games."
After Emperor Cheng'an ascended the throne, he feared military generals and promoted many scholars. Now, the Wei Dynasty has a strong culture of valuing literature and suppressing military power. Many aristocratic families have long neglected the teaching of the Six Arts of a gentleman and regard weakness as beauty.
Shen Youying lowered her eyes and couldn't reply. She was somewhat annoyed that since he knew she was making things up, he still insisted on digging deeper.
Seeing that she subtly pursed her lips, looking somewhat displeased, Xue Shen curled up his lips and said, "Fine, little liar, I'll settle the score with you next time."
*
Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Xue Shen went to the front courtyard, while Shen Youying returned to Tingmei Pavilion by herself.
Once inside her own territory, she couldn't keep up the act anymore. She collapsed onto the couch, urging Danzhu and Bailuo, "Quickly give me a massage, my whole body aches."
Bai Luo and Dan Zhu massaged her shoulders and arms, while Dan Zhu massaged her legs.
Shen Youying felt a little better then, complaining, "I haven't played polo in so long, and suddenly moving around like this feels like my body is falling apart."
Danzhu said, "Miss, you're pushing yourself too hard. The way you turned the horse around scared me to death." As she spoke, she looked at Shen Youying's hands and saw that there were still obvious marks on her hands. She said with heartache, "The reins are rough and they've worn through from all that force. You can't get them wet when you take a bath later. You'll need to apply some ointment."
Shen Youying snorted, "I'm not that delicate." After a moment, she said shyly, "The inside of my thighs seems to be chafed too, and it hurts a little."
Bai Luo quickly closed the door and checked her over. She found that there were indeed large friction marks on the side of her thigh that had been pressed against the horse's belly, and it was quite red.
Shen Youying's skin was delicate, and in some places it was even broken.
Danzhu was shocked by the sight. If Shen Youying hadn't stopped her, she would have cried and gone to fetch a doctor.
“Even the doctor can’t treat this injury.” Shen Youying rested her chin on the soft pillow and said softly, “It’s not the first time. The ointment will be fine after two days.”
Danzhu thought about it and agreed. The location of the injury was too embarrassing to talk about, so he had no choice but to go find the medicine himself.
The young lady had been injured when she was learning to ride horses and play polo. The eldest son personally prepared an ointment for her injuries. It was effective and didn't have a pungent medicinal smell; instead, it had a light, pleasant fragrance. However, in recent years, the young lady's skills have improved so much that she rarely gets injured, and the ointment has been stored away at the bottom of a box.
Danzhu searched for a long time before finally finding the ointment, but when she opened the small jar, there was only the bottom left.
She then remembered that this small jar of ointment was sent back last time along with a letter from the eldest son. After the eldest son's accident, no new ones were ever added.
There's only this little bit of ointment left, not even enough for one use. And if the young lady sees it, she'll surely be overcome with grief, thinking of the eldest young master whose fate is unknown.
Danzhu bit her lip and put the medicine jar back in. She was about to go to the inner room to tell the young lady that she couldn't find the ointment when Fucui knocked on the door and came in, holding two small white porcelain bottles in her hands.
"Is the Princess Consort resting?" Fu Cui asked.
Danzhu shook her head and said in a low voice, "No, I just got some scrapes from playing polo too intensely earlier. I'm looking for ointment right now."
“Isn’t this just the right time?” Fu Cui smiled slightly and handed her two small porcelain bottles. “These were just delivered by Chief Secretary Wang. He said that the Prince instructed that the Princess should rest well these two days and recover from her injuries.”
Danzhu was somewhat surprised: "How did Your Highness know...?"
Fu Cui waved her hand and said with a teasing smile, "Who knows? But when I served the prince before, I never saw him treat any woman with such tenderness."
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