Chapter 132
Meanwhile, the sixth prince, Yan Jingxu, walked to Ying Ning's side.
He no longer held a sword. Although his deep purple robe was now somewhat wrinkled, it only added to the playful and arrogant air about him.
His eyelashes fluttered slightly, his eyes sparkling with intelligence.
“Princess Zhaoning’s martial arts skills are truly remarkable,” he said.
Upon hearing the sound, Yingning turned around and slowly withdrew the thin whip from her hand:
"His Highness the Sixth Prince is also a skilled swordsman."
Only then did Yan Jingxu notice her phoenix eyes and eyelashes, which resembled butterflies about to take flight.
Just now, although he and Ying Ning were sitting face to face, the slight distance between them meant that Yan Jingxu could only get a general view of them, unlike now when he could see them in such detail.
Princess Zhaoning had prominent brow bones and deep, dark eyebrows; anyone could tell at a glance that she was not from the Central Plains.
At this moment, a few beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, yet she exuded a dashing and elegant charm.
Yan Jingxu was immediately curious. This Princess Zhaoning was born to the Empress of the Western Regions. Although she and the Emperor of the Western Regions at that time did not share the same mother, she was still a princess.
Even ordinary noblewomen would find it difficult to find someone with such martial prowess.
The eldest daughter of the Zhao family was the daughter of the Duke of Zhao, who was skilled in warfare. She was used to being exposed to swords and spears, so it was not surprising that she was good at martial arts.
But Bai Yingning is a member of the royal family, which is quite interesting.
"Princess Zhaoning, what kind of weapon is that silver whip at your waist?" Yan Jingxu asked directly.
He noticed the thin whip that Yingning had been holding earlier, which seemed unusual for a weapon, and asked her about it directly.
Yingning didn't hide anything: "This item was forged from a rare mineral from my Western Regions. Because of the scarcity of the material, only a thin whip was made."
"However, the thin whip is very weak and has no practical use, so it was used as a decoration."
Yingning's words were true. Although the thin whip was made of rare and incredibly tough material, this type of weapon had great limitations and was not easy for her to handle.
Upon hearing this, Yan Jingxu glanced at the thin whip that Ying Ning had once again wrapped around his waist.
It was then discovered that the glass stones on the thin whip were strung on randomly and were not integrated with the object.
Even the fight just now caused several glass stones to detach, leaving a gap on one side of her waist, which now looked rather abrupt.
"What other weapons is Princess Zhaoning skilled with?"
"Swords, spears, and the like."
Yingning prefers weapons with high lethality, so she likes to use this type of weapon when traveling between worlds.
The sixth prince of the Min Dynasty smiled slightly, and only then, under the bright palace lanterns, did he catch a glimpse of ink appear at the edge of his pupils.
Therefore, when he chuckled, his appearance seemed like that of a fairy.
"If Princess Zhaoning has time in the future, how about exchanging a few sparring matches with me?"
Yan Jingxu admired the other person, so he spoke up directly.
"Since the Sixth Prince has extended an invitation, it is certainly possible."
After Yingning bowed, she looked up and noticed the Fourth Prince Yan Qizhen standing in front of the hall.
He was dressed in a dark court robe with intricate cloud patterns. He was in the main hall, and although he was talking to the imperial physician beside him with a smile and a gentle voice, his eyes were constantly on Ying Ning and Yan Jingxu.
Yan Qizhen endured the intense pain in his arm, but his mind kept wandering.
The fact that Bai Yingning was invited to the Empress's birthday banquet today suggests that she may be trying to establish a connection with the Western Regions.
No wonder...
At this moment, Yan Qizhen realized the mystery surrounding the seating arrangement between his sixth brother and Bai Yingning.
The Empress was actually considering this idea...
"Thank you, Physician Wen," Yan Qizhen said. He was always a person who treated others with kindness and gentleness.
Imperial Physician Wen immediately spoke tactfully: "Your Highness, Fourth Prince, you should be more careful lately and avoid spicy foods and raw water."
"I understand."
A sense of unease arose in Yan Qizhen's heart. When he looked at the front of the hall again, he could only catch a glimpse of Yan Jingxu's departing figure.
But where has she gone?
...
After Yingning left the palace, it was still quite early.
Today's assassination attempt brought the Queen's birthday banquet to an abrupt end.
The palace was in chaos at the time, so she left the palace first.
Seeing his master step down from the sedan chair, 0067 asked with some curiosity:
"Master, aren't we going back to the manor?"
This was one side of the imperial city's moat. After alighting from the sedan chair, Yingning walked along the stone path for a while, then suddenly said:
"Little Seven, what do you think of the throne?"
0067 scratched his head: "Master, although I haven't experienced the power struggles of the imperial court, I have looked up some data."
"The throne of the emperor is supreme and honorable. It is said that people in the world are easily enslaved by power. I suppose the throne of the emperor is the greatest temptation."
Yingning turned sideways and stood on a railing of the moat.
A gentle breeze stirred, and the water in the moat shimmered, reflecting a curved blade as if the river were the celestial river of moonlight.
But who knows what lies hidden beneath this moat?
However, it was also bloody, skeletal, and dark, with countless corpses.
The throne of the emperor is coveted by everyone.
"yes."
"These members of the royal family are even more willing to be the bones of those in power."
"However, once one ascends to that position, one can regard all people in the world as slaves."
Yingning lowered her head and smiled, gazing at the shimmering water of the moat. She gently smoothed the few strands of black hair that had been scattered by the night wind, and the glass stone at her waist glowed in the moonlight.
"However, the royal family is too ruthless."
"With a thousand dynasties and ten thousand years of reign, desires arise in abundance."
"Unfortunately, those involved in the game will eventually have to struggle with power struggles."
The last sentence, carried by the night breeze, slowly entered one person's ears.
As Yan Chaoji looked up in response to the sound, he saw a figure in crimson standing by the moat.
----------------------
To put it simply, the meaning behind each character's name is:
The Regent Prince—Yan Chaoji, meaning "hoping the rain will stop," subtly implies a hidden agenda between him and the Emperor of the Min Dynasty. The bloody and cruel struggle for the throne years ago has left him with only the desire to maintain integrity and uprightness in matters of state. (Note: It's still raining, hence the hope that "ji"—the rain—will stop.)
The Fourth Prince—Yan Qizhen. The character "Zhen" itself represents character and success. This implies that this Fourth Prince pursues the throne and power. (It also sounds like "enlightenment," which can be remembered as "enlightenment brings intelligence," since the Fourth Prince is very cunning.)
Crown Prince – Yan Dingjun. "Ding" itself represents a national treasure, making it a fitting name for a crown prince, right? (Haha, but since he doesn't have much screen time later, we don't need to worry too much about his name; he'll be referred to as His Highness the Crown Prince from now on.)
The Sixth Prince – Yan Jingxu. "Jing" means sunlight. "Xu" means upright and kind. (Later, he will also be referred to by the name of the Sixth Prince. He has more screen time than the Crown Prince, and you will be reminded when he appears.)
Yan Jingxu is a noble prince as bright as the blazing sun. Key elements to remember him for: "Jing" (景) – "Ri" (日) – "Sixth Prince".
[Actually, you only need to remember the names of the Regent and the Fourth Prince. I'll remind you of the others later, haha.]
[Girls, does this make a good impression?]
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