The Princess Royal

"Тhаt wоuld bе еven bettеr."

Реi Wеnхuan smiled and nоddеd in acknоwledgment, thеn bоth mеn hеld thеir рolo mаllets like swords behind their baсks аnd walkеd awау in орpоsitе dirесtiоns. As Рei Wenxuаn рassеd by Xie Сhunhe, he сaught a fаint, еlusivе sсеnt frоm him.

Тhe fragrаnсe mаdе Рei Wеnxuаn рause. Не cоuldn't help but glanсe back аt Хiе Chunhе, who seemеd surрrisеd by his suddеn stор аnd аskеd with a smilе, "Is thеre sоmething уou neеd, Lord Реi?"

Рei Wеnхuаn swеpt his gaze оver Xie Chunhe, lеtting it settle on his wаist. "The sаchеt уou'rе wearing today is quite distinctive, Lord Xie."

"This one?" Xie Chunhe lowered his head to look at the sachet at his waist and chuckled. "A wandering mystic gave it to me on the road today, claiming it wards off misfortune and brings peace."

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan laughed. "I see. I just thought the sachet looked rather nice. I must return to the game now; I'll chat with you more later."

With that, Pei Wenxuan cupped his hands in salute and withdrew.

After a short while, Su Rongqing and Pei Wenxuan rode out on horseback.

"Su Rongqing is on the field."

Shangguan Ya breathed a sigh of relief. Li Rong tapped her palm with a small fan, watching Su Ronghua being helped away in the distance, then glanced at Shangguan Ya beside her, who was deliberately keeping her eyes fixed on the field. After a moment's thought, Li Rong cleared her throat softly and instructed, "Go check on the eldest young master of the Su Clan."

"No."

Shangguan Ya refused outright. "At a time like this, Your Highness must not act on emotion."

"Everything is already arranged," Li Rong said slowly, watching as Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing changed clothes, mounted their horses, and returned to the field. "You're just sitting here watching polo. What harm is there in going to see him?"

Shangguan Ya sat upright without a word. Li Rong turned her head. "If you don't make things clear with him, he won't give up. Aya, he is, after all, the eldest young master of the Su Clan. No matter how dissolute he may be," Li Rong emphasized each word, "he is still the eldest young master of the Su Clan."

The Su Clan, a colossal entity that had entrenched itself in Great Xia for centuries—a true noble family of power and influence that remained unscathed even through dynastic changes—even its most wayward and unrestrained eldest young master would command Li Ming's high regard and earnest efforts to win him over.

"If you don't handle this properly," a gong sounded on the field as the two teams instantly clashed, Li Rong's voice calm, "that would be you acting on emotion by avoiding it."

Shangguan Ya pursed her lips. After a moment, she stood up and said respectfully, "Yes."

With that, Shangguan Ya rose and left. Just then, the crowd gasped in unison. Li Rong lifted her gaze lightly and saw on the field Pei Wenxuan holding the reins with one hand, his entire body hanging off the side of the horse as if about to fall. He swung across Su Rongqing's mallet and struck the ball beautifully. The polo arced into the goal, and the earlier gasps turned into cheers!

Li Chuan was just about to take a sip of tea when he heard the commotion. He looked up in surprise and exclaimed, "So fast?!"

The first half had been a stalemate for so long, yet as soon as Pei Wenxuan took the field in the second half, he scored directly.

Li Rong remained silent on the surface, watching the young man on the field ride back to the starting position. He seemed to sense her gaze and turned his head toward the crowd. From afar, his face seemed to catch the light as he raised an eyebrow and smiled at her.That smile carried a hint of provocation and boldness, as if seeking praise.

Li Rong subtly relaxed the hand she had been clenching in secret. Her expression remained steady, devoid of any emotion, as she slowly said, "When he was at the academy, he was first in everything."

The upbringing of Great Xia's aristocratic youths was not limited to mere book learning.

Literary talent could stabilize the nation, martial prowess could secure its borders.

They were instilled with the ambition to uphold the state and the elegance to appreciate incense and music.

These young men, nurtured with the finest resources of Great Xia, were burdened with countless expectations.

Even in Polo matches, they were required to strive with all their might.

The referee started the game again. The ball was tossed into the air, and before it even touched the ground, Su Rongqing swung his mallet, sending it flying toward the goal of Pei Wenxuan's team. The force he used was immense, as if the ball would immediately fly out of the field. Yet, before anyone could react, he skillfully maneuvered his horse around several defenders, caught up with the ball, and struck it again with his mallet, altering its trajectory.

Goal!

"This Su Rongqing is quite impressive too," Li Chuan remarked, peeling an orange with interest amidst the deafening cheers across the stadium. He stuffed a segment into his mouth and mumbled, "I heard he was also first in his academy back then? Are all these top students so good at Polo?"

"And you have the nerve to say that?" Li Rong lifted her fan and pointed toward the field. "You haven't learned as much as they have. Forget excelling in the Six Arts of a gentleman—you can't even write a decent essay. When your brother-in-law returns..."

"Stop, stop, stop," Li Chuan quickly raised his hand to halt Li Rong's nagging. "Sister, watch the game. Look at the field—aren't you happy seeing two such handsome men playing Polo?"

Li Rong scoffed but didn't press him further, turning her gaze back to the field.

In stark contrast to the stalemate of the first half, where not a single goal was scored, the two players in the second half were both masters of offense on the Polo field.

The scores chased each other closely, and even Li Ming couldn't help but applaud repeatedly from his seat, turning back to Shangguan Yue with delight. "In all my life, this is the first time I've seen such a beautiful match. Truly spectacular!"

The attention of the entire audience was captivated by the two men on the field. Li Rong casually glanced at Xie Chunhe, who was sitting nearby, wholly absorbed in watching the match.

Xie Chunhe's gaze was fixed intently on the field, paying no attention to the movements of the attendants around him. Seeing that everyone's focus was diverted, Li Rong relaxed and turned back. As another goal was scored, she raised her hands and lightly applauded.

"I never thought Minister Su would take the field," Pei Wenxuan remarked, striking the ball with his mallet. Su Rongqing rode alongside him, both chasing after the ball.

"If Minister Pei is on the field, why should I hesitate?"

"Minister Su is quite confident," Pei Wenxuan said with a smile, glancing sideways at him. "I wonder if Minister Su knows what I intend to do?"

"You plan to kill Xie Chunhe." Su Rongqing struck the ball with his mallet. Goal!

The two turned their horses around and rode back. Pei Wenxuan understood clearly. "It seems His Majesty has informed you, allowing the Su Clan to let Xiao Su pass through their territory."

Su Rongqing had learned in advance of Xiao Su's entry into the capital. Xiao Su had to pass through two regions—one controlled by the Su Clan and the other by the Xie Clan. At this time, Lin Feibai's arrival in the capital was undoubtedly to seize control of the Xie Clan and cut off Xiao Su's route to the capital.

To gain control of the Xie Clan, Xie Chunhe had to die.

The ball was tossed into the air once more. This time, Pei Wenxuan struck first. "Then do you know how I plan to kill him?"Su Rongqing charged ahead of Pei Wenxuan, striking the ball far away in time, his voice calm: "Fragrant Beauty, today you will add the medicinal catalyst to the tea, causing his poison to flare up."

"So you temporarily switched Xie Chunhe's tea servant, ensuring his tea—from the leaves to the utensils—was brewed separately."

Pei Wenxuan wore a smile on his face. Su Rongqing suddenly realized something and abruptly looked up: "The water!"

As soon as the words fell, Pei Wenxuan struck the ball into the hole with his cue, then looked up with a light laugh: "Today's pastries are rather salty. Xie Chunhe has always loved snacks, so he’s bound to get thirsty. The water you brought probably won’t be enough."

"Ah!"

Right after he spoke, a cry of alarm came from the crowd. Li Rong glanced over and saw Xie Chunhe suddenly collapse.

While the competition on the field was intense, Shangguan Ya found the tent where Su Ronghua was resting. She had someone announce her arrival, then lifted the curtain and entered.

Once inside, she scanned the area and saw Su Ronghua lying on the bed, with a servant kneeling beside him, bandaging his hand.

"Is the eldest young master alright?"

Shangguan Ya smiled as she entered the room and took a seat. Su Ronghua did not speak; he glanced at her indifferently before looking away.

A servant came in and poured tea for Shangguan Ya. She picked up the cup and took a sip. After a moment, Su Ronghua spoke softly: "Why have you come?"

Then, with a mocking tone, he added: "Could it be that I’ve ruined the young lady’s plans, and you’ve come to hold me accountable?"

"Oh," Shangguan Ya looked up, "so you know you’ve ruined my plans?"

Hearing this, Su Ronghua’s gaze turned cold. He withdrew his hand from the servant’s grasp and waved, signaling the servant to silently withdraw.

Shangguan Ya glanced over, her expression indifferent: "I’ve long heard that the Su Clan, a prestigious family for centuries, has strict rules. Even the servants are so well-mannered."

Then, she looked up at Su Ronghua: "I just wonder why the eldest young master of the Su Clan is so ill-mannered? We’ve been friends for so long, and you go and ruin my marriage plans." Shangguan Ya picked up her tea, her smile carrying a hint of warning. "Isn’t that rather unfaithful?"

"Friends?"

Su Ronghua chuckled softly at these words.

"Shangguan Ya," Su Ronghua sighed, pushing aside the blanket and rising from the bed. Barefoot, he stepped onto the carpet and walked over to her.

Shangguan Ya’s expression remained unchanged. He leaned down, placing his injured hands on either side of the chair’s armrests, staring at her face with a smile: "Do you take me for a fool?"

"After all this time together, do you really think of me as a friend? And do you truly believe I think of you as one?"

Shangguan Ya said nothing. He leaned in slightly, close to her ear, and whispered: "I’ve never thought of you as a friend, and neither have you."

Shangguan Ya tightened her grip on the armrests. Su Ronghua stepped back, putting distance between them, a playful glint in his eyes: "At first, you just wanted to use me. But later? Can you still claim you only wanted to use me?"

"Why wouldn’t I dare?"

"If you were just using me, why did you apologize to me in prison? If you were just using me, why did you come to the palace to meet me when you learned I was taking the blame for Rongqing? If you were just using me, why did you take me to watch the sunrise, drink with me, and walk through half of Huajing to go home when you found out Rongqing and I had a conflict?"

"I simply enjoy having fun," Shangguan Ya’s voice was faint. "The eldest young master takes things too seriously.""Just fooling around?" Su Ronghua sneered. "If you truly saw me only as a playmate, I would never pester you. But Shangguan Ya," he stared at her, "look at me and say those words again."

"Why not?" Shangguan Ya chuckled, lifting her head. She met Su Ronghua's gaze and opened her mouth to deliver a harsh retort. "I only see you as—"

"The power you want, I can give it to you."

Su Ronghua suddenly spoke, startling Shangguan Ya. He looked at her, unusually serious. "I know you want the Shangguan Clan, you want freedom, you want to remain the ruler of the Shangguan Clan forever. I can request to be expelled from the Su Clan and marry into your family."

Shangguan Ya's eyes widened in shock. Seeing her reaction, Su Ronghua couldn't help but smile.

"After I marry into your family, you can remain the young mistress of the Shangguan Clan forever. I have my own businesses, which have been well managed over the years and can supply provisions. I have Lan County as my fief, granted by the late emperor years ago. You can build an army there. If you and your brother compete for control of the Shangguan Clan and need court support, I can enter official service. If you don't want me to serve, I can stay in the Shangguan Clan and assist you."

"Shangguan Ya," Su Ronghua slowly sobered, looking at her earnestly. "Whatever you want, I can give it to you, and even more."

"I didn't propose earlier because the timing wasn't right. His Majesty is currently watching your Shangguan Clan closely. To divide the noble families, he appointed me as Prince Su's tutor. The Su Clan is His Majesty's pawn to balance the Shangguan Clan. If I proposed now, His Majesty wouldn't allow it. And you've only recently gained control of the Shangguan Clan. If I married into your family, I could withstand the pressure from the Su Clan, but you might not withstand the pressure from the Shangguan Clan. So I didn't speak up—not because I didn't care, but because I thought you should know the timing still isn't right."

"When will the timing be right?" Shangguan Ya asked mockingly.

Hearing this, Su Ronghua leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear. "After the Crown Prince ascends the throne."

"After the Crown Prince ascends the throne?" Shangguan Ya scoffed. "If the Crown Prince ascends, will your Su Clan even survive? Don't you know what Su Rongqing is doing?"

"I know what Rongqing is doing, but," Su Ronghua looked up at her, "has my father intervened?"

Shangguan Ya was taken aback. Su Ronghua straightened up, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "Aya, no matter who ascends the throne, the Su Clan will be safe. The Su family never involves itself in succession disputes. When His Majesty tried to win over the Su Clan to support Prince Su, the family pushed me to become his tutor—using someone like me, who has never sought an official career, to placate His Majesty."

"Rongqing is merely a pawn for His Majesty now. With the family's restraint, he'll know when to stop. The Crown Prince has the support of noble families. The Shangguan Clan only needs to lie low now. Wait for His Majesty to pass away and the Crown Prince to ascend. Then we can marry. If you're willing, I'll carry you in a grand procession as the principal wife of the Su Clan. If you're unwilling, I'll request expulsion from the Su Clan and marry into your family."

"Su Ronghua," Shangguan Ya slowly smiled upon hearing this, "you truly don't understand Su Rongqing at all."

Su Ronghua was stunned. Just then, a wave of exclamations erupted from the competition grounds, as if some commotion had broken out.

Su Ronghua's expression changed abruptly. He slipped on his shoes and rushed out.

The competition was nearing its end, with less than a quarter of an hour remaining. The two sides were still tied, but by now, everyone's attention had long shifted away from the match.Everyone cautiously observed Xie Chunhe, who had suddenly collapsed. Li Chuan quickly stood up and hurried over to handle the situation.

Li Rong quietly followed behind Li Chuan and arrived before Xie Chunhe.

Xie Chunhe’s face had turned ashen, but it wasn’t the appearance of directly vomiting blood when Fragrant Beauty took effect.

Li Rong furrowed her brows. As she drew closer, she caught a faint, yet extremely familiar scent.

This fragrance left too deep an impression on her. The last time she saw Pei Wenxuan in her previous life, he had carried that very scent when he entered the room.

Pei Wenxuan had said that the sachet was given to him by Su Rongqing, and everyone around her wore one. However, the sachet Pei Wenxuan carried had a particularly strong fragrance, which she had noticed.

She wasn’t someone particularly sensitive to scents. Unlike Pei Wenxuan, who was an expert in blending fragrances, she almost forgot scents as soon as she smelled them.

But this fragrance was the last clue she had before her death, the most important clue from her final meeting with Pei Wenxuan. Even after being reborn, she still remembered it vividly.

The Fragrant Beauty Pei Wenxuan used to assassinate Xie Chunhe should be this very scent.

Li Rong subtly took a step back, watching as the people nearby hurriedly carried Xie Chunhe away.

The match continued. Everyone on the field was exhausted, but Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing remained locked in a stalemate.

“Second Young Master, if you don’t score another goal,” Pei Wenxuan and Su Rongqing chased after the polo ball, his voice soft, “you’ll lose this round.”

“Why do you think I’ll score again?”

Su Rongqing used his mallet to block Pei Wenxuan’s. Pei Wenxuan steered his horse away from Su Rongqing, circling around the ball. The two struck the ball back and forth, repeatedly crossing paths on the field.

“Xie Chunhe isn’t dead yet.”

If he had been poisoned by Fragrant Beauty, he couldn’t have survived this long.

As Pei Wenxuan spoke, Xie Chunhe was carried into a tent. Li Rong watched as the physicians gathered around him. She crossed her arms, leaning against the side, secretly observing Xie Chunhe.

Why wasn’t he dead yet?

“After all, it’s a poison my elder brother obtained from a wandering mystic. If you can administer it, I can cure it.”

Su Rongqing snatched the polo ball from Pei Wenxuan and struck it into the goal with a single swing.

Inside the tent, Li Rong watched as Xie Chunhe trembled slightly. His attendant swiftly tore the sachet from his waist, hurriedly fetched tea from the side, poured the contents of the sachet into the water, and rushed to bring it to Xie Chunhe.

Seeing this, Li Rong swiftly stepped forward, grabbing the attendant’s hand and shouting, “What are you doing!”

At her reprimand, everyone turned to look at the attendant.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Chunhe spat out a mouthful of blood. Li Rong glanced at the sachet in the attendant’s hand, then looked back at Xie Chunhe, whose condition was rapidly deteriorating. Instantly, she realized the purpose of the sachet!

It wasn’t poison—it was the antidote, the antidote to Fragrant Beauty!

Her mind suddenly felt chaotic. She didn’t dare to think too deeply at this moment, only gripping the attendant’s hand tightly. The attendant pleaded desperately, “Your Highness, on the way here today, a wandering mystic said my young master would face a great calamity and gave him this sachet. He said that if anything happened, we should put the sachet into tea, soak it, and give it to the young master to drink. Your Highness, something has already happened. Please step aside—this is a matter of life and death!”

“Let me see,” the physician, hearing this, quickly stepped forward. He took out the medicinal herbs from the teacup, examined them, and nodded. “None of these are harmful ingredients. Let’s try it first.”As he spoke, the physician snatched the teacup and brought it directly before Xie Chunhe. He had someone support Xie Chunhe and fed him the tea from the cup.

Li Rong stared blankly at this scene, while on the polo field, the final three gong strikes signaling the end of the match began, the first one resounding.

"Indeed," Pei Wenxuan laughed, competing with Su Rongqing for the last ball, "you can neutralize the Fragrant Beauty. So the poison I used today is not the Fragrant Beauty."

Upon hearing this, Su Rongqing knew something was wrong.

If Pei Wenxuan wasn’t using the Fragrant Beauty, where else could he have struck?

All food had to be tested for poison first, using live subjects for trials, except for...

Su Rongqing’s eyes widened suddenly—

Except for medicine! Life-saving medicine!

No one would ever think to test life-saving medicine for poison at a critical moment.

The second gong strike sounded.

Li Rong watched as Xie Chunhe drank the antidote from the cup sip by sip, her fists involuntarily clenching.

She suddenly realized she needed an answer, a truth!

Pei Wenxuan’s horse drew close to Su Rongqing’s. He stared at Su Rongqing and said, "So I have a question for you, Minister Su."

Su Rongqing did not turn his head. The hand holding the reins trembled slightly.

Pei Wenxuan swung his polo mallet, striking the ball. It traced a beautiful arc through the air. Pei Wenxuan looked up at the ball and asked, "Back then, the sachet you gave me—was it poison," as the third gong strike rang out, Pei Wenxuan turned to look at Su Rongqing, "or an antidote?"

Su Rongqing remained silent. He looked up as the ball slowly passed through the glow of the setting sun and soared past the goal.

Meanwhile, inside the tent, Xie Chunhe spewed a mouthful of black blood.

The physician urgently pressed down on Xie Chunhe and shouted, "Bring the ginseng! Silver needles, give me the silver needles!"

The crowd panicked, losing all sense of order. A long sword thrust toward Li Chuan from within the crowd. In that instant, a sharp scream erupted from the tent. Li Chuan dodged the first strike, swiftly retreating to Li Rong’s front. With his sword held before him, he and the guards surrounded Li Rong, pulling her along as they fled wildly outside.

They fought their way out of the tent. Li Chuan realized these attackers were targeting him. He pushed Li Rong aside and urgently shouted, "Protect the princess and get her out first!"

With that, he led his men to escape in another direction.

Following his orders, the guards immediately shielded Li Rong and moved her in the opposite direction.

Li Rong followed the guards as they hurried away. She glanced up at the assassins who had long been lying in wait among the crowd and gave them a slight nod.

Receiving the signal, the assassins quickly detached from the crowd. In no time, arrows rained down like a downpour toward Li Cheng, who was standing on the corridor watching the polo match!

"Assassins!"

A loud cry exploded across the field. In an instant, the nobles screamed and scattered in all directions. Guards surrounded Li Ming for protection, but before Li Cheng could react, he was struck down by arrows, pierced through.

Pei Wenxuan suddenly realized the assassination had begun ahead of schedule—something must have happened with Li Chuan and Li Rong.

He turned his horse around and urgently rode toward Xie Chunhe’s tent.

Separated from Li Chuan, Li Rong’s pressure eased significantly. These people were after Li Chuan. With only so many on the field now, as long as she hurried back to Li Ming’s side and returned to the palace with him, she would be completely safe.

But after taking just a few steps forward with her guards, she felt arrows raining down from all sides. A guard urgently cried out, "Your Highness!"Before Li Rong could react, she was knocked to the ground. As soon as she fell, a long blade came slashing down urgently!

She rolled on the spot, her hair coming loose, and then felt someone grab her, pulling her onto a horse. The newcomer urgently said, "Your Highness, I'll take you to safety first!"

Once on the horse, Li Rong looked up in panic and realized that assassins were charging toward her from all sides!

Where did so many people come from, so many people, why didn't they go to Li Chuan's side?

Before Li Rong could even react, she saw her own people scattered by these intruders. The guards protecting her were chased all the way, rushing straight into the dense forest!

Li Rong suddenly realized the danger and urgently shouted, "No! Don't go in there!"

Inside were Six Armies soldiers, a full six hundred of them, and among those six hundred, it was impossible to know how many were assassins.

"Your Highness, we can't retreat!"

The guard urgently replied, urging his horse to leap forward into the woods. At the same time, he pressed Li Rong down with his hand. Li Rong lay flat against the horse's back, hearing only the sound of arrows whizzing past all around her.

She covered her head, feeling branches scrape against her body as the wind howled past. Behind her were pursuers everywhere. Faintly, she heard Li Chuan's furious shout from behind: "Sister!!"