Not too foolish?
She took a deep breath, a piercing pain shooting through her right rib, a flicker of anger rising in her heart.
That petite chestnut palace horse had earlier gone mad, galloping wildly and carrying her straight into the arrow formation before throwing her off its back. That she hadn’t died on the spot was already heaven’s mercy. Even if he had saved her from under the horse’s hooves, what right did he have to be angry, and why did he speak to her like that?
Her abdomen throbbed with waves of pain, preventing her from straightening up. She could only lean against his saddle, held by him as they raced toward Precious Ford Tower.
Behind them, hoofprints faded into the yellow sand in the distance. Over there, chaos had erupted completely—the troublesome palace horse had been subdued and taken away. The military officers and palace maids were all shocked and terrified, shuddering at the thought of how Meng Tinghui had nearly lost her life moments ago.
The autumn wind rose abruptly. Perhaps because he was riding too fast, she felt chilled to the bone by the wind. Her soft cap had long since fallen off somewhere, and her long hair cascaded down, swaying gently against the horse’s side.
Amid the jolting, she felt as if every bone in her body ached, yet he showed no tenderness. His large hand clamped around her waist like an iron vise, as if intent on crushing every inch of her flesh and bones.
With great effort, she lifted her gaze forward and saw the horse pass through the Horizontal Gate beneath Precious Ford Tower. Yet he showed no sign of reining in, instead whipping the horse fiercely as they charged northward.
The trees grew denser, the forest thicker. The wide path beneath the hooves was paved with gravel, stretching endlessly into the distance with no end in sight.
Unable to bear it any longer, she finally asked, "Your Highness, where are we going?"
His hand moved upward, pressing against her ribs just below her chest. Hearing her gasp in pain, he replied coldly, "In all my life, I have never seen a woman who could fall off a horse so spectacularly."
She closed her eyes, seething inwardly.
Even a fool could detect the thick sarcasm in his words, yet she had no idea why he was so angry. She was even more annoyed at herself for letting his simple remarks ignite such fury in her heart.
After a long while, sensing the horse gradually slowing, she finally spoke with deliberate indifference, "Your Highness is no ordinary man, and the women by your side are beyond comparison to someone like me. I dare not compare myself to His Majesty, who excels in both civil and military arts, nor to the talented, beautiful, and skilled Lord Shen. It’s no surprise that Your Highness has never seen a woman as foolish as I."
He abruptly pulled on the reins, drawing her into his embrace, and said icily, "Are you ungrateful or just audacious? How dare you speak of His Majesty!"
She stiffened, her voice fading. "I did not speak of His Majesty."
Seeing her lips tremble from pain yet still stubbornly holding on, he frowned, released her, and guided the horse in a half-circle before stopping in front of a low corridor. Dismounting, he said, "From start to finish, you were too busy staring at men to ride steadily. Consider yourself lucky you weren’t killed in that fall."
She was stunned, unable to process his words immediately.
Staring at men?
When had she been staring at men from start to finish?
Even if she had been staring at men, what did that have to do with her falling off the horse?
He stood below the horse, his gaze meeting her confused one. The tall, sturdy warhorse lowered its head, snorting. Her soft form lay draped over the horse’s back, the deep crimson of her robes blending with the horse’s coarse, glossy black mane. The sight made his breathing grow heavy.But the thought of the earlier danger made him frown again.
She had recklessly spurred her horse into the willow target area where officers were competing in equestrian archery, unaware that stray arrows show no mercy. It was nothing short of divine favor that she hadn’t been struck on the spot.
Seeing her panicked expression, he had been not only alarmed but also compelled to rescue her in full view of everyone. Yet instead of showing gratitude, she wore an expression of anger and grievance—how could he not be infuriated?
She watched him standing rigidly like a sword plunged into the ground, motionless and inscrutable. Frowning, she struggled to dismount on her own, but the slightest movement made her gasp in pain.
The corner of his eye twitched. Without another word, he swiftly reached out to support her, his touch surprisingly gentle as he steadied her waist to help her down. Then he swept her into his arms and carried her toward the low-galleried corridor ahead.
She grew even more astonished, bewildered by his unpredictable temper. Yet her nostrils filled with the scent of dust and sweat from him, and when she lifted her gaze to his handsome profile, a helpless softness crumbled within her chest.
His strides were long as he rounded the corridor and entered the inner hall.
She sniffed lightly, daring to nestle closer against him. Stealing a sidelong glance and finding no reaction, she naturally pressed her cheek against the hard, cold armor covering his chest.
These arms—long and sturdy—held her securely. This man—towering and dependable—had saved her time and again.
Involuntarily, her mind drifted back to that night ten years ago, to that youth whose arms and embrace had warmed her for an entire decade.
Her eyes suddenly felt moist.
But before she could dwell on it, voices sounded from ahead—
"Your Highness, this is…"
His steps faltered briefly before he continued forward, striding past the speaker and issuing a low command: "Summon Di Nian. Have him bring me the horse that went out of control earlier in front of Precious Ford Tower."
She hurriedly turned to look back and saw Shen Zhishu, his eyes gleaming intensely, a face full of suggestive mirth. He stammered an acknowledgment, glancing back repeatedly as he walked away.
Suddenly, he looked down at her.
Caught off guard, she felt as if he had seen straight through her thoughts, and her face flushed crimson.
From behind, Shen Zhishu’s distant voice carried over: "Your Highness, I’ve figured it out… Could it be that this is a case of the hero saving the beauty?"
She noticed the distinct twitch at the corner of his eye.
Turning to look again, she found Shen Zhishu had already fled without a trace.
His arms abruptly stiffened, and he came to an abrupt halt, setting her down entirely. His lips moved slightly: "If you can walk, do it yourself."
The moment her feet touched the ground, a sharp pain shot through her left ankle, making it impossible to stand steadily. Yet she understood his meaning perfectly. Biting her lip, she remained silent for a long moment before speaking: "Although I am not skilled in riding, I am not foolish enough to be so distracted that I cannot rein in a horse. I suspect there was something wrong with that palace horse."
He raised an eyebrow, his tone cold and harsh: "You really aren’t foolish, after all." Noticing her reluctance to put weight on her left foot, his expression shifted again. "Is your foot injured too?"
Ignoring his unpleasant tone, she calmly nodded, adopting an air of utter incapability to proceed.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly crouched down and reached out to grasp her ankle.
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