Princess Yongjia sat at the lower end, dressed in a magnificent rose-red palace gown, dazzlingly beautiful. She glared coldly at Xin Jiuwei, letting out a clear, cold snort, before turning her head to chat intimately with the Fifth Princess Xiao Yufu beside her. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around to hear: "...Some people, a pheasant is a pheasant. Even if you stick a few feathers on it, it won't turn into a phoenix. It just sullies the pure fragrance of the chrysanthemums in this garden."
Fifth Princess Xiao Yufu covered her mouth and chuckled, her gaze sweeping lightly over Xin Jiuwei with undisguised contempt: "Sister Yongjia is right. Only flowers with pure roots and noble lineage are worthy of the soil of the Imperial Garden."
The surrounding noble ladies let out a suppressed sneer, their disdain in their eyes almost tangible. Liu Yiyi leaned close to Yongjia's ear and whispered something, eliciting another deliberate giggle from Yongjia.
Xin Jiuwei seemed oblivious to the stares. Guided by a palace maid, she walked to a spot arranged for her, almost in a corner, and sat down quietly. Her eyelashes were slightly lowered, her posture respectful and submissive, like a lifeless, exquisite doll. But no one saw that beneath her flowing sleeves, her fingertips dug deeply into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped marks of blood.
She was enduring. Enduring this overwhelming humiliation, remembering every face etched with malice, remembering the names and powers behind them. Xiao Xun needed her to play a docile shield, so she would play it for him. But this play had only just begun.
Soon, an autumn hunting event at the Royal Horse Ranch became the stage that Yongjia had meticulously designed.
The riding arena was spacious, with banners fluttering in the breeze. Princes, princesses, members of the imperial family, and young men and women of noble families, dressed in their finest clothes and riding spirited horses, created a lively scene. Xin Jiuwei, dressed in a simple Hu-style outfit suitable for riding, stood out with her upright posture and a particularly neat and refreshing appearance among the other people in their finery. Xin Kui, as a maid, could only watch from afar on the sidelines, her eyes wary.
"Oh, isn't this the future Sixth Prince's consort?" Princess Yongjia rode up, her fiery red riding attire making her appear even more radiant. She reined in her horse and stopped in front of Xin Jiuwei, looking down at her with a malicious smile. "Why are you alone? Where is your Sixth Brother? Oh, he must be busy with official duties and can't keep you company, right? Well, given his noble status, how could he always be there to look after you?"
Her voice was quite loud, attracting the attention of many people around her.
Xin Jiuwei raised her eyes and looked at her calmly: "Your Highness has important matters to attend to. If the Princess has any instructions, please speak freely." She did not want to get entangled with Yongjia at this time and place.
"Give orders?" Yongjia chuckled, a calculating glint in her eyes. "How dare I, a princess, give orders to the future princess consort? But looking at Miss Xin's horse... it seems more docile than spirited. Why not try my 'Wind Chaser'? A true Western Region steed is quite fierce, but with Miss Xin's 'skills,' taming it should be a piece of cake." Her words were loaded with meaning, implying Xin Jiuwei's ability to "bewitch the emperor."
The snickers around them grew louder.
Xin Jiuwei looked at the tall, snorting horse that Yongjia's men had led over, clearly agitated, and sneered inwardly. In her past life, Qi Huaiyu had also used a frightened horse to scare her for amusement, so she had practiced riding diligently for it. Although she wasn't top-notch, she was good enough to protect herself.
"I appreciate your kindness, Princess. However, this horse is too precious; what if something were to happen to it..."
“It’s alright!” Yongjia interrupted her, her tone arrogant and brooking no argument. “It’s just a horse, I can afford to give it to you! Miss Xin, are you afraid? If you’re not brave enough to ride it, say so now, lest you… hehe.” Her unfinished words were full of threat.
Xin Jiuwei knew that if she didn't ride today, she would be seen as weak and incompetent, and would be ridiculed for being "unworthy" of the position of a prince's consort. She took a deep breath, and her face showed just the right amount of timidity and helplessness: "In that case, Jiuwei will make a fool of herself."
She stepped forward and gestured for Yongjia's guards to loosen the reins. The horse, as expected, was spirited; the moment the guards released their grip, it reared up and neighed restlessly! Xin Jiuwei, however, was prepared and did not panic as Yongjia had anticipated. Her eyes narrowed, and her movements were swift and decisive. She gripped the horse's mane with her left hand, pressed her right hand against the saddle, and with a light touch of her toes in the stirrups, she leaped gracefully and landed steadily on the horse's back!
His movements were fluid and seamless, displaying a heroic spirit that was completely different from his usual gentle demeanor.
Yongjia's smug expression froze instantly.
As soon as Xin Jiuwei settled down, "Chasing the Wind" seemed to be enraged, suddenly standing on its back! Then it charged forward like a madman! Its target was the crowd of onlookers not far away!
"Ah—!" Screams erupted.
It was Yongjia! She tampered with the reins! Xin Jiuwei instantly understood Yongjia's wicked scheme—either she would be made to fall off her horse in public and be embarrassed or even injured, or the runaway horse would be made to crash into the crowd and cause a disaster. Either way, she would be held responsible!
In this critical moment, Xin Jiuwei surprisingly remained calm. She squeezed her legs tightly against the horse's belly, lowered her body, gripped the horse's mane firmly with one hand, and with the other, yanked the white jade hairpin from her hair! The tip of the hairpin flashed coldly, and without hesitation, she thrust it with all her might into the horse's rump!
"Hiss—!" The excruciating pain caused "Chasing the Wind" to let out a long, mournful neigh, its galloping momentum abruptly halting as the immense inertia caused its forelegs to rear up high! Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xin Jiuwei, with the agility of a swallow, decisively released the reins, rolled in the direction of the horse's rearing hoof, dissipating the force, and landed steadily on the grass beside her! Although somewhat disheveled, she was unharmed.
The horse "Chasing the Wind," due to the excruciating pain in its rump and the loss of control over the reins, turned around and charged straight towards the location where Princess Yongjia was!
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