Chapter 4 What to do if you can't ride a horse
Shen Junheng was afraid that he would become suspicious, so he said with a smile: "This is Princess Chenghuan's coming-of-age ceremony. If I don't go, I'm afraid she will hate me for the rest of her life."
Princess Chenghuan Xiao Jinhuan is Shen Junheng's cousin. The two have a friendship that has grown up since they were young. When Eunuch Jin heard her say this, he naturally understood. He took the reward silver handed over by Liu Xiaodie, exchanged a few words and left.
Three days later.
Shen Junheng dressed up in her best makeup. She wore a lilac-colored round-necked blouse that wrapped around her slender figure. The golden-threaded Baoxiang flower patterns on the lapels flickered with her breathing. She was truly a bright and beautiful flower in the world.
When He Pingzhi saw her, he was stunned for a long time. Zheng Caiyi behind him bit her lower lip tightly and twisted the silk handkerchief with both hands so hard that the silk was broken.
Zheng Caiyi also dressed up carefully, but He Pingzhi completely ignored her after seeing Shen Junheng. How could she not be angry!
But she couldn't get angry, so she walked to He Pingzhi's side, gently took his arm, and her behavior was so intimate that it seemed deliberate.
Over the past few days, He Pingzhi and her have been together every night, and one day they almost missed the morning court session. Zheng Caiyi thought that since He Pingzhi doted on her so much, he would definitely be willing to take her to the palace for a banquet.
Shen Junheng found it funny because the book said that the hero He Pingzhi could date either man or woman, but his true love was King Yan Xiao Linghe.
The reason why He Pingzhi married Zheng Caiyi as his concubine was, firstly, to take revenge on Shen Junheng, and secondly, because he had a conflict with King Yan and deliberately angered him.
Shen Junheng said nonchalantly, "I heard that Prince Yan will also be attending this banquet."
As expected, upon hearing the name "Prince of Yan," He Pingzhi's eyes darkened. He glanced at Zheng Caiyi, and although he didn't push her hand away, she could sense the sudden chill in his gaze.
She was confused, but when she thought about being able to enter the palace and show herself in front of the royal family, she couldn't help but feel excited and proud.
He Pingzhi and Zheng Caiyi rode in the same carriage, while Shen Junheng rode in a carriage alone.
Arriving at the palace gate, the three of them got off their carriages and happened to meet Shen Bizhu and Xiao Lingyu who also got off their carriages.
Xiao Lingyu wore a black round-necked robe with a gold-woven python pattern, a nine-ring jade belt hook hung from his waist, and his long crow-feather hair was tied up high with a rhinoceros horn hairpin.
As the male supporting role, although Xiao Lingyu does not have the same burly figure as He Pingzhi, and his facial features are not as tough, his facial features are very delicate, charming but not effeminate, with extraordinary temperament, and a pair of peach blossom eyes that can make even dogs look affectionate, but the moment he saw Shen Junheng, he remained calm.
On the contrary, it was Shen Junheng's eyes that looked at him, not quite innocent. No wonder she couldn't help but look at him a little longer. His charming and noble face was simply growing on her heart, making her feel like she had met her idol.
"Sister!" Shen Bizhu waved to Shen Junheng, then turned to Xiao Lingyu and said naturally, "Your Highness, how about coming with me to say hello?"
Xiao Lingyu's infatuation with Shen Junheng was a well-known secret. Shen Bizhu's claim that she didn't mind was a lie, but she was only a fifth-rank official, so she had no right to mind. If it weren't for her relationship with Consort Shu, she wouldn't even be qualified to accompany him to the banquet.
"No." After Xiao Lingyu finished speaking, he walked straight into the palace.
Shen Junheng couldn't help but feel quite surprised. How could this be different from what was written in the book? In the book, Xiao Lingyu was madly in love with Shen Junheng, but in the brief glance they just exchanged, she didn't see any deep affection in his eyes, even a hint of indifference.
What went wrong?
"Sister, I haven't seen you for a while. You've lost some weight." Shen Biju walked up to her with joy and concern in her eyes, ignoring He Pingzhi and Zheng Caiyi beside her.
Shen Bizhu likes Xiao Lingyu, but it does not hinder the sisterhood between her and Shen Junheng.
"Have you lost weight? Then I'll have to eat more later." Shen Junheng was also happy to see her. He took her hand and walked towards the palace together, chatting and laughing.
After walking for a while, Shen Junheng saw that He Pingzhi and Zheng Caiyi had not caught up, the palace guards were far away, and only Liu Xiaodie was beside them, so she leaned over to Shen Biju's ear and whispered a few words.
Upon hearing this, Shen Bizhu opened her eyes wide, first in surprise, then showing a look of pain and embarrassment. She pondered for a long time, as if she had made some important decision, and nodded solemnly.
After that, Shen Junheng started talking to her in a sarcastic tone, and the atmosphere between the two of them became obviously discordant.
When they arrived at Concubine Shu's Jinlan Palace, Xiao Jinhuan came to greet them and warmly invited them to sit down. After chatting for a few minutes, she went to prepare for her coming-of-age ceremony.
Inside the palace, decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, tables and tables with golden threads were spread, candlelight flickering in glazed lamps. Jade steps in front of the courtyard were covered with red felt, and a brocade screen, embroidered with peony and lotus patterns, fluttered gently in the breeze.
Xiao Jinhuan was deeply favored by the emperor, so her coming-of-age banquet was naturally very grand. I will not go into details here.
Although it was a family dinner, men and women were seated separately. Even after they had eaten and drunk their fill, Shen Junheng still didn't have a chance to exchange a few words with Xiao Lingyu.
King Xiao Linghe of Yan gave Xiao Jinhuan a top-quality Dayuan horse, which Xiao Jinhuan liked very much. After the guests had eaten, he invited everyone to go to the stable to ride horses.
Today's weather is fine and the breeze is refreshing, which is really suitable for horse riding.
Everyone present was a royal relative, and all of them were proficient in horsemanship, but the most skilled were Xiao Linghe and Shen Junheng.
Xiao Linghe had spent some time at the border, riding a horse into battle with extraordinary bravery, and everyone was eager to see his heroic figure.
The original owner had a strong personality and had practiced horsemanship diligently since childhood. By the age of fourteen or fifteen, she was the best among the noble ladies in the capital. Unlike Xiao Linghe's practical and aggressive style, she excelled at performing elegant and difficult dance moves on horseback, such as the splits and aerial spins. These moves were a feast for the eyes and everyone was eagerly anticipating them.
"Ah Heng, it's been a while since I've seen you riding a horse. I'm sure your horsemanship must have improved a lot. We'll be able to feast our eyes on you again." Xiao Jinhuan walked over to Shen Junheng and gently patted her shoulder, his eyes full of admiration and expectation for her. "It's just right that you can help me train the red dress that Sixth Brother gave me."
Xiao Linghe told her that the Dayuan horse sweats like blood, so she named the horse "Hongshang".
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to Shen Junheng. Some were looking forward to her wonderful performance, while others were hoping for her to embarrass herself.
The smile on Shen Junheng's face suddenly became stiff.
The original owner was an excellent rider and was known as the "Fairy of the Wind", but she couldn't ride a horse. The only contact she had with horses in her previous life was just climbing on their backs and taking a few photos.
The horse riding plot was mainly to advance the relationship between He Pingzhi and Xiao Linghe. There were only a few descriptions of her. She became famous and was envied by Zheng Caiyi, who made things difficult for her later on.
What should she do? The person who invited her was Xiao Jinhuan, the original owner's very good cousin. She couldn't refuse without a very convincing reason, but if she didn't refuse, she would still be exposed as soon as she got on the horse.
Everyone present was a shrewd person. If she made them suspect that she was not the original owner, she would be in big trouble.
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