“I hear the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau is participating this year. Miss Duan, are you aware of this?”
Duan Mingxi’s heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at the Crown Prince. Under the sunlight, his eyes were unfathomable.
The crowd around them fell silent; evidently, the Crown Prince’s words had taken them by surprise, drawing their collective gaze to Mingxi.
Duan Wang’s expression darkened, just as he was about to speak, when Mingxi let out a soft laugh. “Crown Prince, Your Highness, you jest. How could I possibly know anything about the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau?”
“Isn’t your adoptive father involved in business with the Bureau?” the Crown Prince pressed.
This felt rather aggressive. Mingxi’s earlier response seemed meant to close the topic, but the Crown Prince pursued the matter relentlessly, as if determined to get to the bottom of it.
The atmosphere grew tense once more.
Duan Mingxi thought to herself, So, the Crown Prince and I really are at odds. In my past life, I indirectly lost my life because of him. And now, in this life, we’re clashing again.
In my past life, I was trapped in the inner courtyard, powerless to resist. But this time, I won’t let myself be so helpless.
“My adoptive father was nearly ruined after being framed and losing most of his wealth,” Mingxi sighed. “Lord Xu from the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau took pity on him and shared some business, just enough to get by. He’s been busy with his livelihood and likely has no time for such matters.”
“So, the Marquis’s boat crew—did you recruit them from Jiangcheng?”
The real purpose behind his questions became apparent—it was about this.
Just as Mingxi was about to reply, Duan Wang slightly shifted his stance, shielding her as he addressed the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, Mingxi is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis’s household. It’s only natural for her to contribute to the family.”
Standing behind him, Mingxi let out a small sigh of relief and adopted a shy demeanor, hiding as if the confrontation with the Crown Prince earlier had been someone else entirely.
Jin Wangfei took a long, thoughtful look at Mingxi. When Wan Yi had spoken of her, she hadn’t thought much of it, but seeing her today, she realized she had underestimated her.
The Crown Prince’s aggressive questioning clearly had deeper motives.
So, what was it about Duan Mingxi that the Crown Prince wanted?
Yu Wangfei’s gaze flicked briefly toward Jin Wangfei, a hint of a mocking smile flashing at the corners of her mouth.
Qi Wang looked at his fourth brother in surprise, not expecting him to protect Mingxi so fiercely.
So, love at first sight can be this powerful?
Among their brothers, Duan Wang was the most serious and reserved, rarely involving himself in their affairs. Yet for Mingxi, he had crossed the Crown Prince several times.
Interesting. Very interesting.
His gaze shifted to Mingxi. She was indeed beautiful, but the capital was full of beauties. Mingxi was just one among many.
In terms of family status, Dingyuan Marquis’s household had already fallen to the ranks of third-tier nobility. If not for the elderly Marquis, they would have been forgotten long ago.
Moreover, Duan Mingxi had been abducted as a child and raised in a merchant’s household. This alone would make it difficult for Duan Wang to compete for the position of heir unless he first divorced her.
After all, the future empress couldn’t have grown up in a merchant’s home.
If Mingxi had any advantages, it was that she had saved a few people after being reunited with her family. But such gratitude was fleeting and couldn’t be relied upon forever.
Qi Wang glanced at Duan Wang again. It was understandable for the Crown Prince to take Duan Mingxi as his side consort, but for Duan Wang to marry her as his wife? That was truly surprising.
Now, seeing him protect her so diligently—tsk, even his aloof and serious fourth brother had a day when he’d bow to beauty. Who would have thought?
Xu Nanxi’s heart raced, her palms faintly sweating. Still, she couldn’t show her nervousness and stood beside Mingxi to bolster her courage.
The drumbeats grew more intense, and with the final resounding strike, the boats from each household shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow.
The cheers and shouts of the common folk on both banks blended with the rhythm of the drums, creating a deafening and earth-shaking atmosphere.
Even those on the observation platform began to feel a bit tense. Though everyone outwardly feigned indifference, who could truly remain unconcerned?
After all, this was a golden opportunity to make a name for oneself!
And besides, there was a lot of money riding on these bets. The final winner would gain a fortune.
Duan Mingxi’s eyes were fixed intently on the boat of the Dingyuan Marquis Household, occasionally and inconspicuously glancing at the one from the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau.
The two boats were not far apart. Since neither had participated last year, their starting positions were at the edge, so from her vantage point, only faint shadows could be seen.
In the first half of the race, the teams were neck and neck. But as they reached the midpoint, the gaps started to emerge.
The boats from the Dingyuan Marquis Household and the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau had both entered the top ten. Duan Mingxi’s expression remained calm.
Duan Wang glanced sideways at her, noticing the subtle changes in her demeanor. A faint smile appeared in his eyes as he leaned down and softly asked, “What do you think?”
Out of consideration for how he had protected her earlier, Mingxi responded in a low voice, “Not bad.”
Duan Wang instantly understood. For someone as proud as his future Wangfei, a simple “not bad” meant she was confident in the outcome.
Xu Nanxi was incredibly anxious, yet her cousin still had the leisure to whisper to Mingxi as if nothing was happening. She truly admired his composure.
Unfortunately, the boat representing their Duke Wei Household was falling behind and was about to drop out of the top ten.
Fortunately, she hadn’t only bet on her own family’s boat!
Mingxi’s gaze remained fixed on the lake. By the latter half of the race, the top five boats had pulled ahead, with the Eastern Palace’s boat leading the pack.
The Crown Prince wore a faint smile, his eyes glancing at Duan Mingxi. For some reason, wherever she was, his gaze always seemed to gravitate toward her.
This feeling was hard to describe, like they were destined rivals.
But before Mingxi returned to the capital, they hadn’t had any interactions.
The boat from Yu Wang’s household had ranked sixth last year. He hadn’t cared much about the race then, but this year was different. With the stakes so high, he had secretly recruited skilled rowers to join his team.
Even so, despite his efforts, they still couldn’t break into the top three.
A sharp glint appeared in his eyes. The Eastern Palace’s boat in first place left him deeply uncomfortable. Glancing at the boat from the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau, which was hot on its heels, he silently wished for it to overtake the Crown Prince’s boat.
It didn’t matter if he won, as long as the Crown Prince didn’t take first place.
Hmm?
The Dingyuan Marquis Household’s boat had climbed into third place!
As the final stretch approached, the top three boats were locked in a fierce competition, with a noticeable gap between them and the fourth and fifth places, effectively ruling those teams out of contention.
Yu Wang looked first at the Crown Prince and then at Duan Mingxi.
The Crown Prince’s confident smile had faded somewhat, while Duan Mingxi…. Duan Mingxi’s expression seemed as composed as ever.
Jin Wang appeared relaxed, participating just for fun, while Duan Wang hadn’t even entered the race. Qi Wang and Kang Wang were in similar positions as Jin Wang.
The Crown Prince, however, seemed very invested, while Jin Wang observed the three tightly competing boats. Regardless of whether the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion or the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau claimed first place, one thing was certain—no one wanted the Crown Prince to take the lead!
Mingxi maintained a calm exterior, but inwardly, she was extremely tense.
She hadn’t expected the Eastern Palace’s boat to have such strong momentum. Last year, they’d participated just for the sake of it, but this year, they were clearly aiming for the championship.
It seemed the Crown Prince had put a lot of effort into his team, which explained his earlier sarcasm toward her.
With only 20 meters to the finish line, the top three boats remained neck and neck. Mingxi’s gaze grew sharper.
If the Crown Prince won, it would be both a financial loss and a personal blow!
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