Song Mingzhi was startled by Mu Yanzhou’s movement. However, with the adaptation gained along the journey, he did not make too violent a reaction. In the blink of an eye, he calmed down.
Song Mingzhi blinked gently. His eyelashes were like petals, softly sweeping past Mu Yanzhou’s fingertips. He raised his hand, resting it on Mu Yanzhou’s wrist, and asked directly, “Who is it, Your Highness?”
Mu Yanzhou said unwillingly, “That boss from the Zuiying Pavilion.”
Song Mingzhi thought for a moment, “Is it Jialuo?”
He instantly understood Mu Yanzhou’s meaning. His Highness intended to pretend to be jealous in front of everyone!
So that was it.
Although the main hall of Lianyun Palace was not large and there were not many people, Song Mingzhi could feel that everyone around was looking this way, either openly or covertly. He patted Mu Yanzhou’s arm lightly and played along with his act, “Your Highness, do not be foolish.”
The midday banquet had only just begun, so Mu Yanzhou naturally could not keep Song Mingzhi’s eyes covered forever. But at this moment, he did not let go, instead saying somewhat unwillingly, “You call him Jialuo, yet call me Your Highness?”
By this time, Jialuo was already bowing to the Emperor. The music continued, but the surrounding officials could not help but secretly prick up their ears to listen to what the two were saying. Seeing that the banquet was about to begin, Song Mingzhi had no choice but to lower his voice, turn his head slightly, and whisper into Mu Yanzhou’s ear, “Hengyu.”
His tone was gentle, yet carried a hint of youthful bashfulness.
A smile rose at the corners of Mu Yanzhou’s mouth, “The music is too loud; I do not seem to have heard clearly.”
Song Mingzhi remained silent. He pushed away Mu Yanzhou’s hand, sat up straight, and ignored him. Mu Yanzhou, conversely, leaned forward, “Are you angry?” As he spoke, he raised his hand to poke Song Mingzhi’s shoulder.
Mu Yanzhou was seated at the Emperor’s left hand. Therefore, even though their voices were not loud, they still faintly reached the ears of those seated nearby. Even the eunuch, Tao, could not help but cast an extra glance at the pair. Tsk, tsk, His Highness is truly the same as always.
At this moment, the midday banquet officially began, and the screens were slowly pulled back.
Song Mingzhi saw from the corner of his eye that the man on the throne was dressed in bright yellow and wearing a gold crown. His face, though exceptionally haggard due to the long-term consumption of various pills, still showed remnants of the handsome features he had in his youth. His mood seemed exceptionally good.
Eunuch Tao stepped forward, took the congratulatory gift from Jialuo, and delivered it to the Emperor’s side. Although Jialuo had been summoned to the palace on short notice, as a merchant traveling to the Western Regions, he was not lacking in gifts. “Reporting to Your Highness, this is the Zengyuan Pill that this commoner brought from the Western Regions. It can strengthen the body and consolidate the foundation.”
The Zengyuan Pill was very famous. It could instantly boost a person’s vitality, but it was not easy to obtain. Previously, the King of Shulan had presented it to the Central Plains once, and the dim-witted Emperor had not been able to stop thinking about it since. Hearing that the item Jialuo had brought was the Zengyuan Pill, the man on the dragon chair immediately perked up. He took a look and immediately remarked, “You have a thoughtful heart.”
Seeing this, Eunuch Tao hurriedly led Jialuo to a side seat.
The main hall of Lianyun Palace was only so large. Jialuo, having been summoned here, felt the needles of Mu Yanzhou’s gaze while sitting in his seat.
The midday banquet finally began. Dancers dressed in treasure-blue and scarlet skirts danced to the music. Song Mingzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he coughed twice. Having been rained on all morning yesterday, he had taken medicine after returning to the Prince’s residence, but he still coughed from time to time. However, everyone around them had assumed that he was coughing because he had caught a cold in the hot spring last night.
Mu Yanzhou raised his eyes and looked coldly at the First Prince.
Mu Sian remained silent.
On the dragon chair, the dim-witted Emperor slowly picked up his wine cup and said to Mu Sian, “Careless. Deal with this matter properly after returning to Chongjing.”
Although the current Emperor “doted” on the Prince of Qi, Mu Yanzhou, he had never shown it so clearly in serious matters before this. Recently, the issue of establishing a crown prince had indeed changed his attitude toward Mu Sian. He seemed to trust Mu Yanzhou more.
Mu Sian had always viewed Mu Yanzhou as a thorn in his side; he was the last person in the world who would “go easy” on Mu Yanzhou. He had led the Imperial Guards to ransack the Prince of Qi’s residence yesterday, but found nothing. This increasingly proved that Mu Yanzhou was exactly as he appeared, having no interest in anything other than “eating, drinking, and having fun.”
Mu Sian, who had caused the trouble, gritted his teeth, “Yes, Father.”
Lianyun Palace was built by the dim-witted Emperor for fun and alchemy. Although the main hall was not large, the palace was full of places for him to play and have fun. For instance, the main hall was built on a high platform with doors and windows on all sides. It was past noon, the warmest moment of the day in late spring; it was neither too hot nor too cold.
Behind the main hall was a large polo field. In the early years of the Chu Dynasty, polo was all the rage in Chongjing. After the singing and dancing, the dim-witted Emperor still did not feel satisfied. He immediately ordered the eunuchs to find horses and polo mallets, wanting to watch a polo match.
Before long, Eunuch Tao led people carrying mallets into the main hall, “Gentlemen, would you like to try?”
The current Emperor loved playing polo when he was young. Now that he was older, he no longer played himself, but his love for the activity had not decreased in the slightest; he organized matches for people to play before him every few days. Even Yan Yuanbo’s rise to prominence back then was related to this.
The officials around the dim-witted Emperor naturally did not want to miss this good opportunity to show their faces before the Emperor. As soon as Eunuch Tao finished speaking, everyone eagerly signed up. Even Mu Sian, who had just offended the Emperor, took a mallet from Eunuch Tao’s hand.
As the mastermind behind the Zuiying Pavilion, Jialuo had always had the ability to say what people wanted to hear. After presenting the Zengyuan Pill, Jialuo introduced the songs and dances to the dim-witted Emperor. Before long, he had gained the Emperor’s “appreciation.”
The Emperor set his gaze on Jialuo and remarked casually, “Have you ever played polo while in the Western Regions?”
Jialuo thought for a moment and replied, “Replying to His Majesty, Shulan has no tradition of polo, but this commoner has tried it once or twice in the Central Plains.”
“As long as you know how to play.” The dim-witted Emperor smiled, waved for Eunuch Tao to bring a mallet, and said to him, “In that case, go and give it a try.”
Jialuo hurriedly took the mallet, obeying the decree, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
At the same time, Song Mingzhi saw Mu Yanzhou’s brows furrow slightly again. The overall decor of Lianyun Palace leaned toward ancient styles. There were no chairs in the hall, and everyone sat on the floor; in normal times, this would have been fine. But now, Mu Yanzhou had a lingering injury on his leg and could not sit or stand for long.
Seeing this, Song Mingzhi leaned forward and called out softly, “Your Highness.”
Mu Yanzhou turned to the side, “What is it?”
The two had been sitting very close to begin with. When Mu Yanzhou turned, his lips brushed against the tip of Song Mingzhi’s ear without warning.
Song Mingzhi: “!”
He finally could not hold back, and his breathing became erratic.
Mu Yanzhou smiled, “Tell me.”
Song Mingzhi knew that countless pairs of eyes were looking at him and Mu Yanzhou, so he immediately adjusted his breathing, tilted his head, pressed his lips against Mu Yanzhou’s ear, and whispered, “Your Highness, why not try playing a game of polo?”
Riding a horse relied on the strength of the whole body; although the legs were needed, the waist and abdomen were even more important. According to Song Mingzhi’s experience, Mu Yanzhou’s leg injury was not so severe that he could not ride a horse.
Mu Yanzhou murmured, “Play polo?”
As he spoke, he took the opportunity to peck at Song Mingzhi’s hair. Seeing this, those who were secretly observing the pair immediately looked away. At this moment, Eunuch Tao was distributing mallets in the hall; not far away, horses were neighing. In the chaos, only they remained glued together. From a distance, they looked like an ordinary, loving couple whispering to each other.
Song Mingzhi whispered to him, “Your Highness, why not take this opportunity to pretend to be injured. For the next few days, you can take a legitimate leave to recover.”
The injury on Mu Yanzhou’s leg was like a sword hanging over his head. The Longevity Festival had not officially begun. If his internal injury was not properly recuperated during the next few days of sitting for long periods, it would surely become more serious, and the possibility of being discovered would be even greater.
The safest course of action now was to find a reason as early as possible to recover openly.
Mu Yanzhou instantly understood Song Mingzhi’s meaning.
The two immediately reached a consensus: “Good.”
Mu Yanzhou smiled. He stood up from his seat and said toward the other end of the hall, “Eunuch Tao.”
The main hall of Lianyun Palace fell silent for a moment. Eunuch Tao, who was distributing mallets, was stunned for a moment before realizing who was calling him. He hurriedly turned around and said to Mu Yanzhou, “Please, Your Highness, give your orders!”
Others in the hall also turned their gazes toward them.
Mu Yanzhou stood up, walked to Eunuch Tao’s side, picked up a polo mallet casually, and smiled, “This King would like to try it today as well.”
Hearing this, Song Mingzhi, who was sitting behind him, hurriedly stood up and deliberately obstructed him, “Prince of Qi—”
Mu Yanzhou looked back at him, “It is fine, Ah Zhi, just watch.”
As he spoke, he winked at him.
Although Mu Yanzhou was a famous playboy in Chongjing, spending his days fighting cocks and walking dogs, he had never had much interest in polo before today. Playing polo was about competing for first or last, and Mu Yanzhou had never had the desire for that.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Eunuch Tao was stunned for a moment, hurriedly agreeing, then ordered his junior eunuchs to take Mu Yanzhou out of the hall to choose a suitable horse.
Polo matches were divided into two teams, competing against each other. They distinguished themselves with colored cloth ribbons on their sleeves.
The spring breeze blew in from outside the hall. Although it was late spring, a sudden chilliness entered the wind. Jialuo, who was also walking toward the outside of the hall, paused. He had an inexplicably bad premonition.
Jialuo was about to turn back to look when he heard a voice from behind: “Later, I ask Boss Jialuo for your advice.”
Mu Yanzhou smiled at him, and after the words fell, he walked down the main hall clutching the mallet, surrounded by the crowd. At the same time, he took a colored cloth ribbon that was a completely different color from the one on Jialuo’s arm.
Jialuo: “I am truly unlucky.”
The polo field was a hundred steps long. Outside the low wall surrounding the field, dozens of horses stood pacing, kicking up dirt and stones in the wind; from a distance, it was a spectacular sight.
Those who came to Lianyun Palace today were all low-ranking officials by the Emperor’s side. Everyone was good at reading the room. As soon as Mu Yanzhou mounted his horse, people swarmed around him, talking over each other, “Prince of Qi, please do not worry! In a moment, we will follow you to surround that Western Regions man! We will surely let him, in front of the Princess Consort—”
Mu Yanzhou pulled the reins casually, “How would he be in front of Ah Zhi?”
The man laughed, whispering, “Lose face!”
The group of playboys around the Prince of Qi had not invited him to play polo before, but they had all been rejected. But today, as soon as that man from the Western Regions entered the field, the Prince could not wait to whisper to the Princess Consort, and before long, he was riding his horse onto the field. This was clearly as obvious as it could be. The Prince must be jealous! He wanted to outdo that man from the Western Regions in front of the Princess Consort!
Mu Yanzhou patted the horse’s neck casually and turned his head with a smile, “Do not misunderstand.”
The crowd: “Ah?”
Mu Yanzhou, while urging his horse forward, said casually, “I have no other meaning; Boss Jialuo is Ah Zhi’s friend, and I treat him as a friend as well.”
He emphasized the word “friend” with particular force.
The crowd paused, nodding repeatedly, “Yes, yes, yes! The Princess Consort’s friends are His Highness’s friends!”
Mu Yanzhou smiled, “The reason this King entered the field is entirely because the Princess Consort has never watched a polo match, so I am just showing him.” As he spoke, he rode off without looking back.
“?”
The crowd looked at each other silently. All of them saw the same thought on each other’s faces: Do you believe him?
The east half of the main hall of Lianyun Palace had all its doors and windows opened. As long as everyone turned around, they could see the scene below.
Song Mingzhi could not help but clench his palms.
Although Mu Yanzhou did not say it directly, Song Mingzhi could guess that he must know martial arts. It was just that history books only recorded how Mu Yanzhou purged the imperial court, and did not mention his martial arts skills. The reason polo was all the rage in Great Chu was because of its excellent spectacle; it was exceptionally fierce when played. Furthermore, riding and whipping a horse was not simple, let alone hitting a ball while riding.
In his previous life, Song Mingzhi had even seen someone severely injured and die because of a polo match.
Pretending to be injured was a risky move. Song Mingzhi called for Eunuch Tao, “Is there anyone responsible for watching the field today?” He confirmed with him, “If an accident happens, is there any way to respond?”
Everyone knew that the Prince of Qi’s consort had been connected to the Prince since childhood. Just these past few days, the two had completely opened their hearts and begun spending time together. It was completely normal for him to be concerned about the Prince’s safety at this moment.
Eunuch Tao hurriedly said, “Princess Consort, rest assured! His Majesty has already arranged for people to watch the field at all times. Moreover, the Prince of Qi is a Prince, rest assured, everyone has their measures—”
Before his voice fell, the polo match had already begun. Someone raised their hand and threw out a solid-colored ball. The sound of hoofbeats and neighing rang out across the polo field.
Those around Mu Yanzhou did indeed try to yield to him, but this could not stop Mu Yanzhou from waving his whip and ordering his horse to rush forward at top speed. Within the blink of an eye, he raised his mallet high and rushed straight toward the opponent’s side.
Horseshoe prints kicked up dirt and dust.
Mu Yanzhou raised his hand high, hit the colored ball with his mallet with a “bang,” and then chased it all the way toward the goal. Everyone on the field was stunned in their saddles.
Eunuch Tao: “!!!”
The Prince is truly acting out of rage for a beautiful face.
What Jialuo just said was a fact. He had almost never played polo, so after entering the field, he had stayed at the very end of the team. Jialuo saw from a distance: Mu Yanzhou was riding a pitch-black horse, heading in his direction. Jialuo widened his eyes, subconsciously pulling the reins, wanting to retreat. However, before he, who was not good at riding, could retreat, he saw from a distance Mu Yanzhou raising his mallet high and hitting the colored ball in front of him into the goal.
Clear and unobstructed all the way.
Until this moment, no one had thought to stop him. A burst of cheers erupted in the main hall.
Song Mingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, across several zhang, he saw Mu Yanzhou waving at him, shouting loudly, “How was it, Ah Zhi?”
The gazes of everyone also followed Mu Yanzhou and fell on Song Mingzhi. Song Mingzhi, who was used to being a shadow guard, was never used to being watched. But today, he absolutely could not hide.
Song Mingzhi gritted his teeth silently, slowly stood up, and said, “Your Highness, be careful!”
Hearing this, everyone showed an expression of “as expected.”
On the other side of the polo field—
Mu Sian, who was also Mu Yanzhou’s “opponent,” clenched his palms. For Mu Sian, whose riding skills were average, polo was too dangerous, and he did not like participating. The reason Mu Sian had personally played today was to please the Emperor. But he had not expected that he would lose the limelight to Mu Yanzhou all of a sudden.
It was unbearable.
Mu Sian immediately turned around, exchanged a look with the few people who were following closely behind him—in the next match, they must block Mu Yanzhou and not let him continue to be so glorious.
They looked at each other and whispered, “Your Highness, rest assured!”
The second match began immediately. The colored ball drew a long arc in the air and fell toward the ground. Mu Yanzhou immediately rode his horse toward it. This time, the attendants around Mu Sian were prepared; they immediately raised their mallets and surrounded Mu Yanzhou. At the same time, they deliberately rode their horses to kick up a cloud of sand.
Yellow sand instantly filled the entire polo field. From the upper floor, it was almost impossible to see what was happening below.
Song Mingzhi’s brows tightened. Seeing this, Eunuch Tao, who was standing beside him, immediately said, “Princess Consort, do not worry, His Highness—”
“I will go down and see.”
Song Mingzhi interrupted what Eunuch Tao had not finished saying. At the same time, he stood up and headed down the main hall. Eunuch Tao was startled, “Eh, Princess Consort—” then hurriedly turned around, ordering the people around him, “Hurry, hurry! Hurry up and follow the Princess Consort!”
“Yes!”
Today’s competition was more exciting than ever. On the dragon chair, the man dressed in bright yellow slowly picked up his teacup, narrowing his eyes as he looked downstairs.
Mu Yanzhou was, after all, a prince of this dynasty. Although the people around the First Prince intended to surround him, they did not dare to ride their horses too close.
Mu Yanzhou did not even spare them a glance. He rode directly through the group and came to Mu Sian, “Prince Liang.”
Mu Yanzhou discovered Mu Sian’s targeting, but he had no intention of avoiding him; instead, he said directly to him, “We haven’t settled our previous account. Why are you adding another one today?”
Mu Sian was never good at riding; seeing Mu Yanzhou suddenly appear in front of him, he subconsciously wanted to retreat. However, the overly sudden movement startled the brown horse he was riding. It suddenly neighed and kicked in place.
Mu Sian was startled, immediately saying to the people around him, “Quick, come and protect me!”
It is now!
Mu Yanzhou, under the cover of sand and stones, raised his hand slightly. A pebble instantly flew from Mu Yanzhou’s fingertips and hit the knee of the horse he was riding hard. It let out a loud neigh and raised its front hooves high.
Mu Sian’s men had deliberately created sand here. Thanks to them, everyone in the main hall of Lianyun Palace could not see clearly what was happening underneath. They only saw that the people around Prince Liang surrounded the Prince of Qi. Before the sand fell, Mu Yanzhou, following a neigh, fell heavily from his horse.
Prince Liang is truly excessive!
The Emperor stood up immediately, shouting sternly, “Bring Mu Sian up here!”
At the same time, he sent imperial physicians to go take a look.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The yellow sand on the polo field gradually fell.
Mu Yanzhou, accompanied by a muffled sound, fell hard to the ground. In the dust, he saw Song Mingzhi crossing the low wall, running toward him as if he hadn’t seen the frightened horses all over the field. Within the blink of an eye, he was already half-kneeling on the ground.
He gently held his hand in his palm, “Your Highness, are you seriously injured?”
Song Mingzhi’s fingers were trembling slightly. He knew clearly that he had fallen from his horse on purpose. But his face was full of anxiety and deep worry.
Mu Yanzhou slowly gripped Song Mingzhi’s fingers, which were trembling from nervousness. Then, he rested gently on Song Mingzhi’s knee and whispered with a laugh, “Do not be afraid.”
The surrounding horses were driven away by the guards, and the imperial physicians finally braved the sand and rushed not far away. It was chaotic for a time.
Through the yellow sand, Mu Yanzhou looked at Song Mingzhi, who had run over regardless of the danger. At this moment, he was suddenly curious whether Song Mingzhi was worried that their plan had failed and been discovered by the Emperor, or whether he was worried about his safety?