Chapter 19 The Startled Horse
Two days later, the polo match of the morning assembly took place as scheduled.
Several guests arrived at Yihuai Pavilion early in the morning. Zhixiang couldn't handle them all by herself, so Liuxi was forced to greet them.
Most of the visitors were scions of wealthy families whom I had met a few times on the court. Whether they had planned it in advance or not, they all brought gifts.
Valuable gift chests filled Liuxi's courtyard, containing all sorts of trinkets, including dresses, jewelry, pearls, and glassware.
Everyone congratulated her in advance on helping the team win the polo match, praising her so much that even Liu Xi herself felt a little uneasy.
Just as Liu Xi was feeling a headache and was about to ask Zhi Xiang to leave, a little eunuch ran up to report the news.
"Princess, General Huo requests an audience."
Actually, Huo Lin hadn't planned to disturb Liu Xi's rest so early, but Xia patiently read aloud the gifts that the young masters had given him, and described how happy and playful the princess was.
Huo Lin finally couldn't listen anymore and rushed over without stopping.
Upon entering the courtyard, he first coldly surveyed the crowd with a stern face.
"His Majesty granted the princes permission to accompany their fathers in and out of the palace during the court assembly, not so that you could spend every day running to the women in the harem."
Liu Xi hid behind the crowd, sat on a chair, and nodded vigorously twice.
"General Huo, we are only here to present a congratulatory gift to the princess and have no intention of offending her."
The boldest among them was Li Heng, the son of the Minister of Revenue, who was also the one most favored by His Majesty among all the young masters.
Huo Lin subconsciously felt some hostility towards him, and his sharp, cold gaze brought the atmosphere to a standstill.
"Well, I've accepted the princess's gift. We still need to prepare for the polo match, so I'll take my leave now."
The son of the censor gently nudged Li Heng, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Li Heng would certainly not choose to have an unpleasant encounter with General Huo on a day like today, especially in front of the princess.
He turned around and bowed solemnly to Liu Xi.
"Then I will not disturb you any longer. I look forward to playing well with the princess on the field."
The crowd dispersed immediately, and the young masters walked around Huo Lin at a great distance, clearly afraid of the cold aura emanating from him.
"Why is the general so angry so early in the morning? It's terrifying!"
Huo Lin watched the young masters leave Yi Huai Pavilion. After hearing Liu Xi's voice, Huo Lin turned around and his demeanor had completely changed.
Liu Xi met his beautiful peach blossom eyes and was unexpectedly struck by the tenderness brimming in them.
This person can change their expression incredibly quickly.
Huo Lin stepped forward, followed by Xia, who had shed her eunuch attire.
"Is the princess ready to compete?"
Just then, Zhixiang brought out the altered riding clothes and placed them in front of Liuxi.
"Although time was tight, fortunately my second brother had someone alter a suitable riding outfit for me."
"There's nothing else to prepare. Putting aside others, the general should have the most confidence in me, the princess."
Huo Lin chuckled, "Of course, the princess is the most remarkable woman I have ever met."
Taking advantage of Liu Xi's inattention, Xia suddenly placed a wooden box on the table.
"Your Highness, this is what our general prepared for you."
Huo Lin turned around and glared at him, while Xia looked extremely aggrieved.
"General, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're not being very straightforward."
"If I don't present the gift, you might argue with the princess here until the afternoon."
Upon hearing this, Huo Lin's face turned red and white. He stammered for a long time before finally managing to utter half a sentence.
"Go back and get your punishment."
Liu Xi opened the wooden box, and what came into view was a dazzling fiery red, like a setting sun.
Is this traditional Chinese clothing?
She gripped the collar fabric with both hands, freeing the surging red from the wooden box.
"It's riding attire."
Huo Lin spoke casually, not at all considering it a particularly great surprise.
The tight schedule is just an excuse. For someone who really wants to put in the effort, two days is enough to pluck the stars from the sky, let alone just a riding outfit.
Liu Xi remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at the extremely beautiful riding outfit in her hand.
After hesitating several times, Liu Xi finally spoke, her voice trembling.
"It's so beautiful."
"Not even a fraction as beautiful as the princess."
Liu Xi jumped up excitedly, her every move showing a lively childlike quality.
"Today's polo match will surely be unforgettable for all spectators."
Liu Xi was no longer listening to what Huo Lin was saying. She suddenly ran to Huo Lin's side, jumped up, and hugged his neck.
"This is truly the best gift I've ever received!"
"Rin, thank you!"
Huo Lin's body suddenly froze, his hands instinctively forming a circle, but stopped abruptly just before touching Liu Xi's waist, hastily maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
But in just a moment, Liu Xi skipped and hopped into the house to change, still wearing her riding clothes.
Huo Lin looked at his empty arms and gave a bitter smile with a complicated expression.
What surprised Liu Xi even more was that the hastily made riding clothes fit her perfectly.
Perhaps he specifically asked the Imperial Clothing Bureau for his size, Liu Xi guessed.
Of course, even if she asked Huo Lin directly, she would get a similar answer.
There are some things Huo Lin can't tell the truth about, such as how Liu Xi snuggled in his arms for warmth in the cave and how she left Huo Lin with vague physical memories.
At the polo field, Liu Xi's arrival once again amazed everyone. Even the Third Prince of the Northern School, who was also participating in the polo match as a team leader, couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.
Dressed in red, Liu Xi looked dashing and spirited. She hadn't forgotten to wear Liu Yu's gold hairpin, its dazzling gold perfectly complementing her outfit.
Li Heng finally mustered up the courage to go forward and speak, but was interrupted by Huo Lin, who rode in on horseback at that moment.
Liu Xi turned around following the sound and saw Huo Lin dressed in a smart outfit, looking very dashing. Compared to him, the princes on the field paled in comparison.
A short while later, foreign envoys and imperial concubines arrived one after another. Once His Majesty arrived, the competition officially began.
After a few days apart, the Imperial Concubine looked much more haggard, and even the thickest makeup couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes.
Her eyes stung from the sight of that red figure on the field.
"Just like her vixen mother, a disgusting little slut."
The imperial concubine gave a wink to the eunuch serving beside her, who immediately withdrew without making a sound.
Polo matches inherently involve potential dangers; horses getting spooked or players accidentally injuring each other during a scramble for the ball are not uncommon.
The blame lies with the princess for showing off her skills; she was not proficient in her craft, yet she insisted on taking the place of the fifth prince.
Thinking of this, the concubine's lips curled up, her eyes full of calculation.
The war drums thundered and the bugles sounded.
The stands on both sides were packed with people, and the cheers were deafening.
The Second Prince Liu Cheng rode a tall horse and led the cavalry into the arena. Behind him followed Liu Ji first, and then Liu Xi, dressed in red.
The Northern faction marched alongside them, led by the Third Prince, who was dressed in colorful clothes, wore a silver bell headband, and even his mount was draped in colorful satin.
Once the match officially began, Liu Cheng charged forward on his horse, vying for possession of the ball with the Third Prince, while Liu Xi stayed on the perimeter to receive the ball.
After a few rounds, Liu Xi could feel the strength of the opposing team. The two teams were locked in a fierce battle, but the score remained tied.
The other party's colorful clothes were easy to confuse, and the horse's hooves, accompanied by the crisp sound of silver bells, made Liu Xi's head ache.
Several times in a row, Liu Xi failed to find a suitable teammate to pass the ball out of the encirclement.
At halftime, the game was brought to a halt by the sound of a bugle call.
When Liu Xi dismounted, she was somewhat annoyed.
She removed the red decoration hanging from her riding outfit's belt and walked straight towards Huo Lin.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Liu Xi tiptoed and tied the long red silk to Huo Lin's hair crown. The wind blew through his hair, and the black hair and red silk danced and intertwined in the air.
Huo Lin lowered his body instinctively, and soon realized that he and Liu Xi were in an extremely ambiguous position.
"Princess...?"
"That way, I'll be able to find you."
Liu Xi looked at her work with satisfaction, completely unaware that the little eunuch behind her, who was tending to her horses, was secretly tampering with Liu Xi's stirrups.
The battle drums sounded again, and the second half of the game was even more intense than the first.
To widen the score gap as quickly as possible, Liu Xi no longer hid her true strength. She increased her horse speed, and the audience could only see a fiery red figure on the field.
Huo Lin followed closely behind her, guarding the position where she could pass the ball. They became the protagonists of the game, captivating the audience's attention.
Amid cheers, Liu Xi scored three goals and assisted Huo Lin in scoring two more, successfully widening the score gap.
But for some reason, the mount beneath Liu Xi seemed to gradually slip out of her control.
The horses were well-trained and not easily startled.
But the long needles inside the stirrups kept piercing its skin, and the intensifying pain became unbearable.
Finally, the imperial horse let out a long neigh and leaped high into the air, nearly knocking Liu Xi to the ground.
Liu Xi tightly wrapped the reins in her palm, trying to rely on her experience to steady the horse.
However, each time she stepped on the stirrup, the horse struggled more violently, and by the time Liu Xi realized this, it was too late.
The startled imperial horse charged at the other horses, causing chaos on the field.
Several people reacted slowly and were unable to escape the chaos. They fell off their horses and were nearly trampled to death.
In order not to harm innocent people, Liu Xi had no choice but to forcibly pull on the reins and stomp hard on the stirrups to provoke the horse to charge in an uninhabited direction.
The crazed imperial horse, carrying Liu Xi, crashed through the fence at the edge of the horse farm and galloped off aimlessly.
In her panic, Liu Xi's mind gave up on thinking.
All that could be heard was the whistling wind, and a chill spread from my heart to every part of my body.
Until the imperial horse rushed into a garden, with artificial hills and ponds rushing past on either side.
A crazy idea flashed through her mind. Liu Xi was decisive. After a second of reaction time, she raised her hand, pulled out the gold hairpin from her hair, and stabbed it fiercely into the neck of the imperial horse.
The next second, the horse neighed and fell forward. She was also unable to support herself and rolled off the horse's back. Her body was hit hard on the ground several times before she was thrown into the lake.
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