Chapter 450: Chapter 448: Why Does the Empress Insist on Emphasizing That She Is No Different from Men?
In the next few rounds, Lu Ying deliberately controlled his score, ultimately losing to Huo Mingxu by a single point.
"How could this happen?!" Shen Yunxi slammed the table in disbelief. "His Majesty is so skilled—how could he possibly lose?! I demand a rematch!"
The surrounding noise drowned out her unreasonable request.
Shen Yinning accepted the twenty silver notes she had won, her smile brimming with cheerfulness. "I suppose among these silver notes is the five thousand from my dear sister. Thank you so much!"
"You—"
Shen Yunxi was filled with anger, but since she had lost openly and fairly, there was no reason to go back on the result. She could only let out a cold snort. "It’s just five thousand silvers. As a dignified Imperial Concubine, I have plenty of money. What are you so smug about? Lianxin, let’s go!"
She swept her sleeve and stormed off.
Shen Yinning let out a faint mockery of a laugh and exchanged a meaningful glance with Liao Lili.
Five thousand silvers—this was merely the beginning.
Sooner or later, she would ruin Shen Yunxi completely.
"Princess Zhaoning! Princess Zhaoning!"
A shout echoed in the distance.
Shen Yinning turned to look and saw Huo Mingxu galloping toward her on horseback.
When he reached her, he slid off his horse and presented a brocade box. "Thank you, Commandery Princess, for believing in my victory. This is the prize I won today, and I would like to gift it to you. I hope you won’t disdain it."
The young man was at the age when feelings first began to stir.
Faced with a rare beauty, he blushed after saying just two sentences. He lowered his eyes, unable to look directly at Shen Yinning.
Shen Yinning raised her eyebrows.
After sizing up Huo Mingxu for a moment, she seemed to realize something and couldn’t help but stifle a light laugh.
Born beautiful, her laugh only made her more dazzling—a radiant spring sun that outshone the hundreds of flowers at the spring banquet.
Huo Mingxu’s cheeks burned as if his skin and blood would explode with heat.
He stammered shyly, "Wh-what are you laughing at?"
"I really like your gift."
Shen Yinning accepted the brocade box and pulled out the exquisite dagger inside, carefully examining it.
She pledged sincerely, "I will use it well."
The dagger gleamed sharply and brightly, reflecting her features like frost-covered blossoms—delicate yet resilient and cold.
Huo Mingxu thought of the wildflowers blooming freely in the depths of the desert.
His elder sister always said Shen Yinning was no good.
He used to believe that too, especially since she had stolen his brother-in-law’s love.
But facing Shen Yinning today, he suddenly recalled that his cousin had never actually confessed to liking his elder sister. His sister’s position as Empress had been forced upon his cousin by their grandmother and father.
The Commandery Princess Zhaoning and his cousin had been promised in marriage, but a series of unfortunate incidents had separated them forever. Because of Cui Ji, she was confined to the palace as the cousin’s sister-in-law, raising Cui Ji’s children alone—forever forbidden to love his cousin due to the moral standards of the Central Plains.
Clearly, Commandery Princess Zhaoning was the true pitiable soul!
As he contemplated this, Huo Mingyan’s cold voice interrupted: "I’ve been your sister for so many years, yet I’ve never seen you gift me anything so valuable. What’s this? In your eyes, I’m worth less than the Commandery Princess Zhaoning you’ve just met?"
"S-sister!"
Huo Mingxu grew nervous.
Huo Mingyan’s expression was stone-cold as she swept her sleeve. If not for the crowd around them, she might have slapped Huo Mingxu twice right then and there.
She cast a malicious glance at Shen Yinning. "As a widow, the Commandery Princess should rest peacefully in the palace. Why would she come here? People might misunderstand and think she’s attracting attention everywhere. I only have one younger brother, and he’s still young. I hope to find him a pure and dignified noblewoman for a wife someday. If his reputation is stained because of the Commandery Princess and his marriage is compromised, I wonder if the Commandery Princess could compensate the Huo Family for the losses?"
Her words were undeniably sharp.
They trampled Shen Yinning’s dignity underfoot.
Huo Mingxu glanced worriedly at Shen Yinning before beseeching Huo Mingyan, "Sister, don’t speak to the Commandery Princess like that! She hasn’t done anything, let alone tried to seduce me. She’s innocent!"
"Be quiet!" Huo Mingyan shouted furiously.
Huo Mingxu furrowed his brows. Although he often quarreled with Huo Mingyan, that was before she became Empress.
Now, he had grown fearful of this elder sister.
Huo Mingyan turned back to Shen Yinning and pronounced with righteous indignation, "Commandery Princess, I hope that if you encounter my younger brother in the future, you will keep your distance and avoid improper actions that might invite rumors. As for this dagger, I request you return it immediately—"
"Sister!"
"Your Majesty!"
Two voices called out simultaneously.
Lu Ying walked over in civilian clothes instead of his riding outfit, his hands behind his back.
Huo Mingyan’s face turned pale, and she hurried to bow alongside the others. "Your servant greets His Majesty."
Lu Ying’s eyes swept over the crown of Shen Yinning’s head.
Back when he was still Crown Prince, he had allowed her to be bullied by Shen Yunxi.
Now, he did not want her to suffer anymore.
Even if her heart held no room for him, he accepted it.
He declared, "Cui Ji died for the nation, and you would use your selfish motives to torment his widow? Must she endure humiliation in such a public setting?"
Huo Mingyan trembled slightly, biting her lips firmly.
Her husband and her sister-in-law’s supposed affair...
Even now, he would make her suffer for it!
Huo Mingyan suppressed the pain surging through her heart and spoke sorrowfully, "Your servant... Your servant didn’t mean that... Cousin knows I’m straightforward and speak bluntly—practically man-like in conduct—it’s because the Commandery Princess committed an error that I intended to discipline her!"
"Women have virtues that men lack, just as men have flaws women don’t," Lu Ying responded coldly. "Why must the Empress emphasize her likeness to men? I married a woman, not a man! Moreover, as the mistress of the harem, being blunt is hardly a virtue worthy of pride."