Shoutout to Tachibanaswife for the commission!
The courtyard gates were tightly shut, and I once again lived a life like being confined.
Only, this time it was even more unbearable than the last confinement. Not being able to go out was fine, the weather outside was hot anyway, and there wasn’t much entertainment even if I went out… but could they at least stop serving me nothing but vegetables and tofu? No matter what, I’m still the Crown Princess, aren’t I?
After only three days of eating like that, my face was practically turning green.
Even the old master said it, food and sex are human nature. With this body of mine, sex is already out of the question; must they also cut off my food?
I lay sprawled on the cooling couch, weakly muttering, “Luli, I want to eat meat…”
Luli fanned me from the side, looking at me with teary eyes. “Niang Niang, please endure a few more days.”
After thinking for a moment, I finally decided not to keep dragging things out with Qi Sheng. So I instructed Luli, “Fix my hair and find me something to wear. We’re going to see Qi Sheng.”
As the saying goes, an arm can’t twist a thigh, if you keep going against the boss, nothing good comes of it.
Qi Sheng was practicing swordsmanship in his courtyard. Under the blazing sun, his sweat-soaked clothes clung to his body, outlining the solid muscles of his arms. The sight made my eyes redden with envy, and I cursed inwardly, idiot! With the sun this strong, he doesn’t even look for shade!
After finishing a set of sword techniques, Qi Sheng lowered his stance and stood still. The palace maids who had long been waiting nearby immediately rushed forward, one took the sword, one handed water, another stood on tiptoe to carefully wipe the sweat from his forehead…
Male hormones seemed to fill the entire courtyard; even Luli beside me started blushing.
I got very annoyed, my temper almost exploded!
Qi Sheng slightly raised his hand, and the surrounding maids and attendants all lowered their heads and withdrew. Luli had no choice but to follow. Before leaving, she looked at me anxiously, silently telling me with her eyes: Niang Niang, you must endure! Otherwise tonight we’ll still be eating tofu and vegetables!
For the sake of meat! I endure!
Only then did Qi Sheng turn to look at me and ask casually, “Recovered?”
Qi Sheng, d*mn you! I cursed him in my heart before answering, “Recovered.”
Qi Sheng said flatly, “Recovered in only three days?”
I can’t slap him. I can’t slap him. I can’t slap him…
I repeated this a hundred times in my mind before swallowing my anger and nodding. “Yes. Three days.”
Qi Sheng finally nodded with satisfaction. “Then behave properly as the Crown Princess.”
Yes, I will behave properly as Crown Princess. One day I’ll become Empress, and then… one day I’ll depose you and become Empress Dowager!
After only two days of finally eating meat again, it was time for the palace polo ceremony.
Polo originally came from the military and was the best method for training horsemanship and mounted combat. After the Founding Emperor seized the throne through warfare, he established the annual polo matches in the fifth month and required all royal descendants to participate, so that in times of peace they would not forget martial training. It was also said that the Founding Emperor himself was a master of polo, skilled in riding and swift as lightning.
Unofficial histories even recorded a scene of him playing polo alongside his generals and soldiers, riding like a gale, scoring countless goals, drawing thunderous cheers. Even the commander at the time, Mai Sui, could only sigh in admiration, while only one masked bodyguard beside him could barely keep up…
When I read that passage, I thought: Mai Sui might not actually have been inferior, he just understood workplace survival. Otherwise, how could he have become commander? As for that bodyguard who didn’t even dare show his face, far too inexperienced!
After all that talk about polo, basically, it’s just horseback polo.
I had seen it before, of course, but I used to be just an ordinary civilian. I’d seen horses on television plenty of times, but if one were brought in front of me to ride, I’d feel nervous, let alone riding while chasing a ball with a crowd… If it were soccer on foot instead, I’d dare play.
Luli enthusiastically prepared my polo outfit with great care. I felt troubled and cautiously asked, “Can I… not play?”
Luli turned and stared at me wide-eyed. “How can that be? Niang Niang is the head of the Eastern Palace, how could you not play? Besides, our old master is the famed ‘Desperate Zhang’ of the Jiangbei army, an excellent rider who struck fear into the Tatars with a single horse and blade! Everyone knows this! Niang Niang is a general’s daughter, you must not disgrace the Zhang family name!”
Must not disgrace the Zhang family name!
Sigh, the pressure is enormous. Seeing how serious Luli looked, I couldn’t bear to tell her that her mistress now didn’t even know how to ride a horse anymore…
I hesitated, should I report this situation to the “boss”?
If he knew, what expression would he make?
Suddenly, I felt a bit curious.
***
On the night before the match, I specifically went to Qi Sheng’s palace to find him. After carefully choosing my words, I tactfully informed him of the situation.
Qi Sheng was still holding memorial documents he was reviewing on behalf of the emperor. He looked up at me calmly, without any visible reaction.
I couldn’t help admiring his composure.
But suddenly Qi Sheng slammed the memorial onto the desk, stood up, walked around the desk, grabbed my hand, and dragged me outside without a word.
I hate this kind of pulling between grown men. Being dragged so abruptly, I stumbled and shouted, “Hey! Let go! What are you doing?”
Without turning back, Qi Sheng snapped impatiently, “Shut up!”
Then he called to the attendants in the courtyard, “Prepare horses!”
Seeing his expression was bad, the attendant dared not delay and ran off immediately.
Because Qi Sheng loved martial arts, a training ground had been specially built within the Eastern Palace. By the time he dragged me there, two fine horses were already waiting.
All attendants were dismissed. The training ground was empty.
I immediately understood, this guy was planning night training!
In the middle of the night, with tired horses, this was far too dangerous!
I looked at Qi Sheng and suggested, “Can we learn tomorrow morning instead?”
Qi Sheng said coldly only one word: “Mount.”
Helpless, I took the reins and was about to mount like they do on television, but Qi Sheng stopped me.
I turned back.
Qi Sheng said coldly, “Take off your outer skirt.”
I froze. Take off my skirt? Are you asking me to mount the horse, or mount me?
Perhaps my expression gave away my thoughts, because Qi Sheng’s face darkened. “Dressed like that, how do you expect to ride?”
I suddenly understood and hurried to the side, quickly stripping off the inconvenient outer garments and tossing them aside, leaving only my inner clothing. Then I ran back, grabbed the reins, held the saddle, and climbed up…
Though not very graceful, I managed to get onto the horse. I straightened my back and proudly looked at Qi Sheng.
Qi Sheng stared at me blankly, his expression extremely complicated, hard to describe.
I figured he probably hadn’t seen someone this… straightforward before.
I shook the reins slightly and asked, “Shall we… begin?”
***
After a night of grueling training, did I become a master rider?
In my dreams! No one learns riding to mastery in one night. Even with good physical ability, it’s impossible.
Still, I could at least gallop a bit. But galloping while bending to strike the ball, each action separately I could do, but combined, I didn’t dare.
Last-minute practice produces only flashy but useless skills.
Though Qi Sheng was anxious, he didn’t say anything, after all, my progress in one night was already remarkable.
Just before dawn, he finally said, “Leave it at this. Tomorrow find an excuse not to play.”
I had no ability to argue, so I obediently agreed. But when I dismounted, I realized not only were my waist and hips numb, my thighs were also painfully raw. When I touched them, my hand came away bloody.
D*mn, it had rubbed the skin raw!
I sucked in cold air repeatedly, walking awkwardly toward the side to put on my clothes. After only a few steps, my body suddenly felt light, I had been lifted from behind.
Before I could react, Qi Sheng swung me up onto his shoulder.
I panicked. What the h*ll is this now?
I shouted, “You…”
“Shut up,” Qi Sheng said coldly.
Following the principle that a wise man doesn’t suffer immediate losses, I shut up.
Qi Sheng hooked my outer skirt from the ground with his foot, threw it over me, and strode off.
Looking around, I realized, he was heading toward… my sleeping palace?
Luli was still awake, keeping the lamp lit. When she saw Qi Sheng carrying me in, she stammered in shock, “Your, Your, Highness!”
Without a word, Qi Sheng threw me onto the bed and left.
Only after he left did Luli come back to her senses. She rushed to the bedside and saw the blood on my skirt, tears immediately streamed down her face.
“His Highness… he… he…”
She couldn’t finish.
I guessed, “Too good?”
Luli shook her head vigorously.
“Handsome?”
Still shaking.
I tried again, “S…”
I stopped. She probably wouldn’t use that word.
So I corrected myself: “Beast?”
Luli burst into tears, hugging me and sobbing, “Niang Niang, I’ll prepare bathwater, you’ll feel better after washing…”
Seems that’s the word.
***
Luli got up from the bedside crying, wiped the tears off her face haphazardly with her hands, and hurriedly went to prepare hot water for me. I also felt uncomfortable because I was covered in sweat, so I let Luli do as she pleased.
A short while later, Luli had someone carry the bath tub in and place it outside the tent, then she came in herself to help me up.
I waved my hand: “No need to help me. Go find me some medicine for my wounds, I’ll apply it in a bit.”
Soaking in the hot bathtub like this, hey, it feels so good! I even started to feel drowsy while soaking, and all I wanted to do was sleep.
Luli kept wiping away her tears. I tried to comfort her several times, but seeing how cute the little girl looked with her red eyes, and knowing that I was really tired, I didn’t have the energy to comfort her anymore.
After taking a bath and applying the medicine, I went to bed and slept for a short while before dawn. Luli leaned over the bed and gently asked me, “Your Majesty, shall we not go today? Just say you caught a cold last night.”
I immediately woke up fully and shouted, “Go! Of course we go!”
Otherwise how could I justify a whole night of suffering?
***
The polo field was set before Baojin Tower, a vast green field with tall wooden goalposts on both sides, carved with golden dragons and supported by stone lotus bases. Very grand.
The Empress accompanied the Empress Dowager on the tower, along with the consorts. Ministers and soldiers surrounded the field.
The teams were divided into two groups of sixteen, one in yellow, one in green, consisting of princes, nobles, rising officials, and young military elites.
Looking at my yellow uniform and then at the green uniforms of Lord Toilet and Lord Tree-Climber across from me, I felt quite satisfied.
Naturally, the emperor opened the match.
Drums and cymbals sounded as the emperor rode onto the field. Everyone took their positions.
Lord Tree-Climber rode over and grinned at me. “Show us your skills, Niang Niang!”
I silently nodded.
Lord Toilet passed by me and said gently, “Be careful.”
I nodded again.
Qi Sheng passed me and said coldly, “Run one lap, then leave.”
I nodded again.
Zhao Wang rode past with Lady Jiang beside him. Before they even reacted, I had already nodded out of habit.
Zhao Wang looked startled.
Lady Jiang smiled lightly.
I focused only on waiting for the emperor to strike the ball, then I’d ride after it for a bit… and then find an excuse to leave.
Just as I was concentrating, Luli suddenly shouted from the side of the field, “Niang Niang must win!”
I was speechless.
When I turned back, the emperor had already hit the ball.
Because of that distraction, I lost sight of it entirely. Fine, wherever there were many people, I’d ride there.
Finally reaching the ball area, Qi Sheng struck it far away. As he passed me, he said angrily, “Leave the field!”
I nodded and moved aside, just in time to collide with a rider rushing past. He tried to pull the reins, but it was too late.
As I rolled off the horse, I thought:
Good! Now I can finally leave legitimately.
The rider hurriedly dismounted and shielded me to the side. His sharply defined handsome face had turned pale as he urgently called:
“Niang Niang! Niang Niang!”
I clenched my teeth through the pain and looked carefully at him.
Left Guard General He Bingze.
That’s right, the one I crashed into was you!
