Everyone in the water pavilion was getting restless.
In fact, many people had heard that the Queen Mother would come today, but that was just a rumor. No one expected that the Queen Mother would really come.
Judging from the Queen Mother's attire today, it is obvious that she is traveling incognito.
The fact that she and Princess Jing came in in a low-key manner meant that she did not want to interrupt the polo match, so the people present did not stand up to salute for the time being and just pretended not to know.
But their eyes all involuntarily drifted towards the Queen Mother, and they thought: It is rumored that the Queen Mother came to the palace to choose a concubine for Prince Kang, and it seems that this is likely to be the case.
The current empress dowager’s surname is Yuan. She is the successor to the late emperor and is born into the Yuan family of Yangzhou.
Since the previous dynasty, the Yuan family has been a well-known aristocratic family and is extremely prominent in Yangzhou.
The Yuan family has existed for more than three hundred years, and many of them have become prominent officials. The family not only has a seat in the court, but also enjoys a high reputation among the people.
Empress Dowager Yuan was fifteen years younger than the late emperor. She was favored by the late emperor as soon as she entered the palace and gave birth to his youngest son, Prince Kang. In his later years, the late emperor once planned to depose the crown prince, which shows his partiality to Prince Kang.
Under the scorching gazes of the crowd, Empress Dowager Yuan sat down on a rosewood carved armchair. Her every move was as graceful and dignified as if measured with a ruler.
On the polo field, young figures were riding their horses at lightning speed, rushing around, and both sides were chasing the only ball and refusing to give in.
Princess Jing sat beside the Queen Mother and whispered softly:
"Your Highness, the girl in red riding a red horse is Miss Hong from the Dragon and Tiger General's Mansion."
"The girl in pink is the second daughter of Lord He, the general of Jizhou."
“…”
Princess Jing casually introduced several noble ladies present, all of whom were from prominent families.
Mrs. Yuan then picked up a cloisonné enamel teacup with plum, orchid and bamboo patterns and slowly skimmed off the tea residue with the tea lid, seeming to be listening or pondering.
“Bang!”
Prince Kang on the field quickly grabbed the ball, then swung the stick vigorously and hit the ball towards Gu Yunmeng. Gu Yunmeng turned around tacitly and hit the ball accurately into the goal.
The scores between the two teams were tied again.
Everyone cheered and applauded, but the smile on Empress Dowager Yuan's lips was a little stiff.
Seeing this, an old maid in a rust-colored jacket leaned over and whispered in her ear, "This is the second Miss Gu from Dingyuan Marquis's Mansion, Gu Yunyan."
Empress Dowager Yuan paused in moving the tea lid, put the teacup down casually, and glanced back and forth at Prince Kang and Gu Yunmeng with an expressionless face.
This was the first time she met Gu Yunyan. She couldn't say whether she liked or disliked this girl, but Prince Kang liked her.
Empress Dowager Yuan frowned slightly, and her ears rang with the words her son had said to her two months ago: "Mother, my son wants to marry the second young lady of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion as his principal wife. Please grant my son's wish."
Empress Dowager Yuan immediately ordered an investigation into Gu Yunmeng, only to find out that Gu Yunmeng had been engaged to the Prince of England since birth.
She was not very happy about it, but no one knows a son better than his mother. Her son had a stubborn temper and had been like this since he was young. He would get what he wanted even if it meant getting hurt.
She didn't want to create any rift between mother and son, so she reluctantly didn't object, thinking of delaying it for a while before making any plans.
but--
What she never expected was that the eldest prince Chu Yi actually came back alive.
Chu Yi had just returned to the court and had not yet established a firm foothold. Both the noble court officials and the royal family were watching the prince who had been held hostage for many years. The emperor having an heir was very disadvantageous to them and their son.
Prince Kang needs help, but the Dingyuan Marquisate has been in decline since Gu Ce's death, and now has no real power in the court...
Suddenly, a series of low calls came from the bamboo shed, calling Empress Dowager Yuan's attention back.
On the polo field, the white ball shot rapidly towards Gu Yunyan on the white horse, as fast as a meteor, getting closer and closer...
Gu Yun'er's expression changed slightly, and the next moment, a purple figure rushed to her side like lightning, using his back as a shield to block the ball.
“Boom!”
The ball was suddenly bounced out and cut through the blue sky.
Empress Dowager Yuan: “!!!”
The injury was to her son, and the mother was heartbroken. Empress Dowager Yuan felt as if the ball had hit herself, and she almost stood up out of control.
She wanted someone to call a timeout, but she saw Prince Kang ignore his injuries and immediately go to greet Gu Yunmeng.
"..." Empress Dowager Yuan forgot what to say for a moment, and her neatly trimmed fingertips pinched into her palm.
He is really possessed! Empress Dowager Yuan's eyes were filled with dark tides. The scene just now replayed in front of her eyes repeatedly, and she was absent-minded in watching the following game.
"clang!"
A shrill gong sound woke her up from her thoughts. She looked carefully and found that the second half of the game was over.
The score between the red and blue teams stopped at ten to ten, resulting in a tie.
This result surprised the audience, and left them feeling a little unsatisfied.
Most of the people in the field did not care about winning or losing. A draw was the best result. They all left the field in high spirits, chatting and laughing, a change from the tit-for-tat attitude during the game.
After leaving the polo field, Gu Yunmeng jumped off the horse swiftly. King Kang followed closely behind and also jumped off the horse, staring at Gu Yunmeng closely.
The half-match polo game consumed a lot of Gu Yun'er's energy. She hadn't recovered yet, her breathing was a little rapid, and her fair and delicate face was faintly blushed, making her look charming and attractive.
"Mian'er." Prince Kang called in a low voice, wanting to pull her hand and take her to see the Queen Mother, but Gu Yunmeng turned her body to the side and quickly moved his hand away, her half-closed eyelashes trembling.
Prince Kang narrowed his slender eagle eyes and moved faster. This time he firmly grasped Gu Yunyan's wrist and pulled her towards Empress Dowager Yuan with her head held high.
This scene was naturally seen by the other people around. Everyone held their breath and watched this scene with different expressions.
The surrounding sounds seemed to be sucked away in an instant, and there was silence.
Empress Dowager Yuan looked at the perfect couple walking towards her, and the distance between them was getting closer and closer.
Her girlishly fair hands suddenly clenched the armrests of the armchair. She vaguely guessed what her son was going to say, and her brows furrowed even more tightly.
Under the piercing gazes of the crowd, Prince Kang calmly held Gu Yunmeng's hand and walked to the front of Empress Dowager Yuan. His expression showed three parts of arrogance as if he looked down on the world, and three parts of solemnity as if he was treating her as a treasure.
"Mother," he bowed to Empress Dowager Yuan and said in a resounding voice, "I want to marry Gu Yunyan as my princess. I hope you will grant my wish!"
Gu Yun'er was standing beside him, her eyes slightly widened, looking up at his sculpture-like profile.
He has always been cold, arrogant and conceited, but he is gentle, considerate and sincere to her.
She was particularly moved by him.
(End of this chapter)
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