Chapter 49 Cremation He saw her walking step by step towards another man. ...
The others didn't understand what the signature meant, but three of them knew it very well.
Shen Changfeng's grip on Lin Meizhu tightened, causing her to subconsciously struggle against his restraints. He grabbed her waist and threatened her, as if asserting his sovereignty: "Do you have the life to get it?"
Lin Meiju could feel his muscles tensing instantly, his anger making him frighteningly hot. He seemed to have grown bigger and lunged forward like a beast ready to pounce. The people around him were horrified by his fierce look and almost simultaneously shrank back two steps.
Chu Qi's mouth moved. Although Lin Meizhu had her back to him, she sensed his movements and shouted, "Chu Qi!"
The Crown Prince's Consort, who had been speaking softly and gently, suddenly became harsh and stern, while the third place winner, who was called by his name, did not look angry or offended, but actually became quiet. This puzzled many people: why did it not sound like a scolding, but more like a subtle defense of one's shortcomings?
Lin Meizhu knew that anything Chuqi said would only add fuel to the fire. If she hadn't held onto Shen Changfeng tightly, and Zhou Er hadn't been holding onto Chuqi, the two men would have been tussling long ago. She knew this competition was unlikely to win for Chuqi, and even suspected it was a trap. Shen Changfeng had no good intentions, and how could Chuqi not have guessed what she could understand? But even if there was only a one in ten thousand chance, he was willing to try.
Lin Meiju knew what he was thinking, and because of that, she could not forgive herself.
Seeing their tacit understanding, Shen Changfeng was filled with anger, mixed with other emotions. Jealousy and resentment lingered in his heart, but his entire body was dominated by a sense of powerlessness, as if drowning. His eyes were swollen and dry from congestion. He slowly relaxed his grip on her forehead, "It will be over soon. After it's over, we'll go back together."
He spoke so confidently, as if the only reason there were so many conflicts and problems between him and her was because of the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
Seeing the situation was settled, Lin Meizhu stopped trying to persuade him. She looked at Shen Changfeng, her eyes returning to their usual coldness, and said resolutely, "I didn't kill Boren. Boren died because of me. But Chuqi wasn't Zhou Xi, who accepted his death, and I won't be Wang Dao, who regretted it later."
Shen Changfeng instantly understood the implication of her words. His face was as gloomy as water, and he ordered his attendants: "Keep a good eye on the Crown Prince's Consort! Stay close to her until I return!"
The Eagle Drying Terrace was packed with people, and pairs of eyes were darting around the three men, unable to conceal the excitement on their faces. When the people from the Guanglu Temple led out the horses for the competition, another round of cheers that reached the sky was set off in the arena.
During the winter hunt, each rider had a different mount. For example, the royal family and nobles rode tribute horses from the Western Regions. These horses were tall, swift, and rare, precious steeds. Next in line were the military commanders' warhorses. While not as prestigious as the Ferghana horses, they were also prized for their endurance and galloping prowess. Civil officials and scholars rode middling horses temporarily allocated by the palace. Within the imperial palace, there were distinctions of superiority and inferiority, and not just in the mounts.
In order to ensure fairness, this impromptu competition only used horses from the Guanglu Temple.
Shen Changfeng picked a black horse at random, and the other disciples also took the horses chosen by the servants for them.
Chuqi met the eyes of a black horse in the chaotic crowd. The horse had long eyelashes covering its eyes, and its breathing was even and long. In the winter, its exhaled breath condensed into pillars of frost. Most importantly, the pair of warm and human-like pupils made Chuqi feel like he was hearing the call of a fellow horse.
Chuqi was about to reach for the reins the eunuch offered him when the horses in the stable suddenly hunched their heads back, stamping their hooves. The gilded bells hanging from the troughs shook frantically. The wind grew thicker, and the biting cold air seemed to carry a hint of rust. Then the horses in the stable began to shake their heads and salivate. Some even convulsed, standing on their feet, neighing loudly, trying to break free from the reins.
There was a faint tremor from the ground, the sound of horse hooves gradually became like thunder, the sound of iron whistles ripped through the clouds, and a pair of birds of prey came swiftly on the wind and circled above everyone's heads.
Someone shouted, "It's Tian Liao and Xue E!"
Wild sand rolled over the ground, a red flaming flag rolled like waves, and several jade-crowned cranes with tortoise-backs and blue veins broke through the sand and fog like divine soldiers descending from the sky. The gilded phoenix holding the sun emblem on their mounts gradually became clear.
More and more people said, "It's Fenglingwei!"
"It's the eldest princess!"
Everyone couldn't help but speculate: I heard that the princess had been away from the capital for a few months, and it looked like she had just returned. Was she here to watch the game with such a large crowd? To cheer on Shen Changfeng?
The two Saker Falcons circled twice in the sky, and suddenly dived down in a certain direction without any warning. The stable was in chaos. Chuqi looked at the ferocious birds of prey that came in an instant, with nowhere to hide, so he just raised his arms hurriedly to block them.
A clear whistle was heard from the horse trail, and Tian Liu Xue E immediately stopped its momentum, flapped its wings twice, turned a corner, and flew back to the formation, gently landing on the silver-white wristband.
The leading female general was dressed in a dark blue and black outfit, her hair tied high, and she looked handsome. Although she looked dusty and exhausted, her heroic demeanor could not be concealed. Her face looked tired, but her eyes were dark and bright. At this moment, she was solemnly scolding the bird of prey that had almost caught the third place winner in the imperial examination.
Shen Changfeng's brows knitted together, and just as he was about to step forward to greet her, Li Jieyi raised her left hand and put down the whip with her right hand. Her black cloak drew a beautiful arc in the air, and she said, "Guards, step aside. Don't scare anyone."
The captain of the guards agreed, and Li Jieyi ignored the people kneeling on the ground and walked straight to the stable.
Chuqi heard footsteps approaching from afar, and then a pair of black leather boots stopped in front of him. A clear female voice said to him: "Get up."
Chuqi's first reaction was that Li Jieyi knew about his provocation. He was not afraid of Shen Changfeng at all, but when Li Jieyi glanced at him, he felt sweat on his back, not knowing if it was an illusion.
There was a moment of silence on the other side, and then he slowed down his voice: "Look up."
He raised his head as instructed, his eyes still downcast, but out of the corner of his eye he could sense she was looking at him intently. Chu Qi gradually began to wonder what such a look meant. He could clearly smell the scent of sand and dust, the smell of sunshine and strong wind. She didn't look like a pampered princess in the deep palace, but rather like an eagle soaring freely in the desert, like a gyrfalcon, swift, powerful, and unstoppable.
Chuqi couldn't stand being stared at in the first place, let alone being stared at for a long time by a graceful and noble woman like Li Jieyi. He unconsciously wanted to step back.
Li Jieyi suddenly said, "Your earlobes are really beautiful." After a pause, she smiled and said, "You too."
He had a very strange feeling, inexplicably feeling that when she said this just now, she wanted to reach out and pinch his earlobe and touch his head.
This feeling is familiar… It was just like this when Da Huang was first brought home. The soft, adorable puppy carefully hid behind the doorpost, curiously peeking out. It sneaked around thinking it was unnoticed, but it didn't realize its tail was even hidden properly. Chu Qi instinctively glanced behind him. Tail, my tail is hidden… No, I don't have a tail, huh? No, that metaphor is wrong.
The eldest princess was just praising the pretty ear beads and giving them a compliment as a courtesy. What was she thinking about?
Chu Qi felt embarrassed by her own thoughts, and her face couldn't help but heat up: "Princess, you are too kind."
The people around exchanged tacit glances. Although they didn't say it openly, everyone knew that the most common type of man who entered Li Jieyi's bed in her early years was this type of talented and handsome scholar.
Zhou Er finally found Lu Qingyan, who had arrived late, in the crowd and whispered, "Hiss...Huh~? Wow! This way, Chu Qi can save at least ten years of detours."
Lu Qingyan had just delivered the message and had barely caught his breath. When he heard Zhou Er say this, he couldn't catch his breath and choked several times.
Most of Shen Changfeng's supporters are royal relatives. Li Jieyi is also their elder. Those young men couldn't help showing surprise and embarrassment. They didn't dare to look at Shen Changfeng's face and lowered their heads.
Shen Changfeng endured the throbbing veins on his forehead, his back teeth nearly gnashing. No one had dared to mention Li Jieyi's affairs to him, but that didn't mean he didn't know or didn't care. He awkwardly and stiffly called out, "Mother!"
The meaning of this was very clear: please do not look for a lover in front of your son, especially if that person is almost the same age as your son. He could not accept that his wife still had feelings for Chuqi, and he could not accept that one day she would have to call Chuqi her father.
Li Jieyi slowly shifted her gaze away, then noticed Shen Changfeng. She looked him up and down, and hummed in her throat.
Before Shen Changfeng could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Li Jieyi ask, "Is this a horseback archery competition?"
Shen Changfeng was about to answer, but found that Li Jieyi had already turned her face away. This was to ask Chuqi.
The veins on Shen Changfeng's forehead tightened again.
After receiving the response, Li Jieyi nodded and smiled cheerfully, "Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've had a good horse race like this."
The attendant immediately led her mount forward. The horse's body was as black as ink, its hooves were pure white like fresh snow, and its amber-gold pupils were dotted with black circles. It was a full head taller than the horses raised by wealthy families. It had a back with dragon tendons and a copper cauldron and iron ribs. It showed majesty in its movements and was obviously an extraordinary and brave warhorse.
When the horses in the stable saw the dark clouds stepping on the snow, they all lowered their tails and manes and circled around to avoid them, and everyone was amazed.
Li Jieyi waved her hand and said, "Since we want to compete, we have to use the same horse as them. She's been running in the snow for days, so let her go down and rest."
For some reason, Shen Changfeng's heart suddenly tightened. At this moment, Li Jieyi suddenly turned her gaze to him. When their eyes met, the smile on Li Jieyi's lips was unclear. "I think the black horse next to you is very good." She didn't seem to be asking for opinions, but stating facts.
Shen Changfeng was like an old monk in meditation. He watched her slowly turn around and reach out to grab the reins of the horse. Suddenly, his eyelids twitched.
Li Jieyi's outstretched hand was thrust into a rein. Shen Changfeng stood in front of her and said, "Mine is a Hequ horse. Mother is used to riding it. It will run more freely."
Li Jieyi didn't say anything, she seemed to be thinking. Being looked at by her calm eyes, Shen Changfeng felt that all his thoughts had nowhere to hide, and his face suddenly felt like being pricked by a needle.
Without waiting for her response, Shen Changfeng took the black horse away on his own initiative.
In front of the Chi-ray, all the sons of nobles were eager to try, but Shen Changfeng seemed unusually quiet in comparison.
After three drum beats, more than ten horses galloped out, arrows shooting like meteors. After one circle, the gap on the field gradually became clear. Li Jieyi's horse Wuzhui was in the lead, with Shen Changfeng and Chuqi on her left and right, keeping pace with each other. However, no matter how stalemate the two were, they could never surpass Li Jieyi's momentum.
The weight of the quiver on his back gradually lightened, but Shen Changfeng's heart sank deeper and deeper. He could sense his mount was at its limit. He should have slowed down, found the perfect moment to disengage before the horse ran out of steam—but he and Chu Qi were neck and neck, and he didn't want to lose. Only half a lap remained, just half a lap. He pressed his hot, wet palm against the horse's neck, hoping it would hold on a little longer. He was actually hoping the drug wasn't enough.
The horse seemed to sense his earnest expectation, and let out a painful neigh from its throat. It gathered strength in its four hooves and ran forward with all its might.
Shen Changfeng looked at the willow branch that came into his sight, clamped his legs against the horse's belly, picked up the last arrow swiftly, held his breath and took aim, but his heart was uncontrollably beating faster and faster - bang! bang!
Just before he let go, a sharp and powerful whip sound suddenly came from the front. Hei Li was like a frightened bird. Frightened by the whip, he let out a long, terrified neigh. The last bit of strength in his body was drained, and then he fell down with a bang.
With Shen Changfeng's ability, it would not be difficult for him to escape from the horse's back at this time, but he did not retreat. Instead, he stepped on the horse's back and used the momentum to complete the last arrow in mid-air.
Instantly, he made his decision. He could twist and land on the path Li Jieyi had cleared, then quickly exit the path before the other mounts arrived. However, just before he fell, he noticed that the black horse, which was supposed to be running ahead, had slowed down and fallen behind him! Instinctively, Shen Changfeng rolled on the ground, avoiding the powerful iron hooves. The next moment, his eyes widened—several mounts were galloping behind him, right in front of him!
The horse's charge was so powerful, and everything happened in an instant, so many people didn't even notice there was an extra person on the trail, and it was too late to avoid them.
The yellow sand gradually settled, and the sound of horse hooves gradually faded, but with it came a cacophony of screams, discussions, and shouts. Shen Changfeng saw many faces, some surprised, some horrified, some terrified, some reluctant...
He also saw Li Jieyi's face, which showed "you deserve it" written all over it.
Shen Changfeng collapsed in a pool of blood, his internal organs aching like they were being torn apart. He had only one thought: his current state would probably scare Lin Meizhu. After all, even the medical officer at the enclosure was trembling with fear. Would she feel that he had let her down? He struggled to move his eyes, through the blood clinging to his eyelids, and finally found the moon-white figure behind the crowd of people, some running and some stopping.
To be more precise, it was her back. He saw her walking towards another man step by step.
It was really strange that with so many people talking and in such a noisy environment, he could still hear Lin Meiju's voice clearly.
She said, "Let's go."
She didn't even look at him, like a passerby who didn't care about the farce that had nothing to do with her, and staying for a moment would be unnecessary.
But how did he and she become strangers?
The pain in Shen Changfeng's body was suddenly magnified a thousand times, and at the same time, a fishy and sweet taste rushed into his throat. He coughed violently, and blood spurted out. His face was covered with blood foam, which was mottled and horrible.
The screams in his ears suddenly became shrill, and then became dull and blurred as if speaking through water-soaked cotton. The figure was hazy and the scene in front of him became fragmented, but Shen Changfeng's eyes still followed the figure closely, watching her walk farther and farther away, getting smaller and smaller, and turning into a hazy soft light.
The light in Shen Changfeng's pupils gradually shrank into a point, and then disappeared, and then his mouth, eyes, ears and nose were flooded with darkness like a tide.
His light is gone.
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