“I am but a humble student, and my words carry no weight. Without any evidence, I fear no one will believe me. Moreover… I am worried about alerting them…” Gu Nianzhi spoke earnestly, “Your Highness, please be careful! You must not attend the polo match three days from now!”
Xiao Chengyu was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand. You may leave."
Gu Nianzhi seemed to want to say something more, but seeing Xiao Chengyu's indifferent expression, she could only retreat dejectedly.
After he left, Qi Mingyue emerged from behind the artificial hill and pouted, "Sister Yu, you believe his nonsense? I think he just wanted to trick you into not going to the polo club and ruin your fun!"
Xiao Chengyu's eyes narrowed slightly: "Whether it's true or false, we'll find out soon enough."
She immediately went to the East Palace and informed Xiao Chengji of the matter.
Xiao Chengji sneered upon hearing this: "The Northern Barbarian delegation has already left the capital, so where would a spy come from? Gu Nianzhi is truly a treacherous man who has never given up!"
"Why would he fabricate such a lie?" Xiao Chengyu asked, puzzled.
Qi Mingxuan pondered, "Perhaps... he wants to create an opportunity for a hero to save the damsel in distress. First, he'll scare the princess away from the polo match. If she doesn't believe him, he can secretly arrange for an 'assassin' to step forward and win her favor."
Xiao Chengrui laughed in fury: "What a treacherous villain! I'll go and cripple him right now!"
"Second Brother, wait a minute." Xiao Chengyu stopped him, a cold glint in his eyes. "Since he has gone to such lengths to set this up, we might as well... turn the tables on him."
Three days later, the Royal Polo Club event was held as scheduled.
Colorful flags fluttered around the stadium, and guests filled the stands. Xiao Chengyu, dressed in riding attire, sat in the royal private stands, his expression as calm as ever.
Halfway through the match, a commotion suddenly erupted. Several masked men burst onto the field and charged straight at the stands!
The guests cried out in alarm and scattered. The guards rushed to protect the emperor.
In the chaos, a figure suddenly rushed out and stood in front of Xiao Chengyu—it was Gu Nianzhi!
"Your Highness, be careful!" he shouted, as if he were ready to protect the prince at all costs.
However, the anticipated battle did not occur. The "assassins" rushed to the stands, then suddenly knelt down in unison, tearing off their masks—they were actually soldiers from the Beijing Garrison!
Gu Nianzhi stood there, stunned.
Xiao Chengji slowly rose and looked at him coldly: "Young Master Gu is truly commendable for his loyalty. It's a pity that these 'assassins' were arranged by me to practice my guard duties."
Gu Nianzhi's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his back: "Your Highness...this student does not know..."
"You don't know?" Xiao Chengji's voice suddenly turned cold. "Then do you know what the punishment is for hiring someone to impersonate an assassin and disturb the Emperor's presence?!"
Gu Nianzhi's legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.
It turned out that Xiao Chengyu had already informed his brother of his plan. Xiao Chengji turned the tables on him, sending people to keep an eye on the group of thugs hired by Gu Nianzhi, while having soldiers from the capital garrison disguised as assassins, thus pulling off a switcheroo.
Now that he has been caught red-handed, Gu Nianzhi has no way to deny it.
Xiao Chengyu walked up to him, his gaze icy: "Gu Nianzhi, what else do you have to say?"
Gu Nianzhi looked up at her, despair and madness flashing in her eyes. Suddenly, she hissed, "I did all this because I love you, Yu'er! From the first moment I saw you, I..."
"Insolence!" Xiao Chengrui roared, kicking him to the ground. "How dare you call a princess by her given name?!"
Xiao Chengyu looked down at him, her tone calm and unwavering: "Is your love just scheming, deception, forging poems, and spreading rumors? I cannot bear such disgusting love."
She turned to Xiao Chengji and said, "Your Majesty, handle this according to the law."
As Gu Nianzhi was dragged away, she still screamed, "Xiao Chengyu! You'll regret this! I'm the one who truly loves you!"
The sound faded into the distance and eventually disappeared in the wind.
In the stands, Xiao Chengyu watched the game restart in the center of the field and let out a soft breath.
Qi Mingyue took her arm and whispered, "Sister Yu, don't get angry over this kind of person."
Xiao Chengyu shook her head: "I'm not angry, just... a little disappointed." She had thought there were truly noble gentlemen in the world who did not covet wealth and status, but it turned out to be nothing but a mirage.
The farce thus came to an end. Gu Nianzhi was stripped of his academic honors, exiled three thousand miles away, and never to be employed again. The Gu family's reputation was also ruined, and they gradually faded from the circles of power and wealth in the capital.
After this incident, Xiao Chengyu seemed much calmer. She would still smile, but her smile had lost some of its innocence and gained a more insightful quality.
That day, she was feeding the fish alone by the lotus pond in the palace when she suddenly heard a gentle voice behind her: "Your Highness seems to be in a bad mood?"
Xiao Chengyu turned around and saw that Qi Mingxuan had arrived at some point and was standing not far away, holding a scroll in his hand.
“Cousin Mingxuan.” She nodded slightly. “It’s nothing, I just feel…human nature is unpredictable.”
Qi Mingxuan walked to her side and gazed at the fish swimming in the pond with her: "Your Highness, have you ever heard the saying, 'If the water is too clear, there will be no fish'? Good and evil are mixed in this world, that's the norm. The important thing is..." He turned to look at her, his gaze gentle, "to keep a clear mind, and not be tainted by the turbid currents."
Xiao Chengyu seemed to be deep in thought.
Qi Mingxuan handed her the scroll in his hand: "This is a newly acquired rare collection of poems. I thought Your Highness might like it."
Xiao Chengyu took it, opened it, and saw that it was a manuscript by Xie Daoyun, a female poet from the previous dynasty. He was pleasantly surprised: "This... is too precious!"
"A fine sword is given to a hero, and rouge to a beautiful woman." Qi Mingxuan smiled. "A good book should naturally be given to someone who understands it."
Xiao Chengyu stroked the pages of the book, the gloom in her heart gradually dissipating. She looked up at Qi Mingxuan and smiled sweetly, "Thank you, cousin."
A spring breeze swept by, rippling the surface of a pond. It also stirred ripples in the heart of a young girl that she had not yet noticed.
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