Is he... thinking of... something again?
The man simply approached without speaking, causing Meng Wan's heart to pound wildly. However, he didn't kiss her. When he was almost within reach, he suddenly raised his hand, picked a leaf from her clothes, and held it to her face. Looking at her flustered expression, he smiled ambiguously: "It's just a leaf. What are you thinking? You're so lecherous!"
Thinking back, he seemed to have teased her in such an ambiguous and ambiguous tone before. Her cheeks turned even redder. Why did this man love to play tricks on her like this?
How annoying!
---
The annual horse racing event takes place on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month. Because it coincides with the Double Ten Festival, it is held with great solemnity.
The morning was dedicated to a horse racing event at the Nanyuan Horse Ranch, while the evening was filled with a banquet at the palace, making for a very busy day.
Early in the morning, Huangfu Mi went to the racetrack ahead of everyone else. According to the rules of Lanling, all the princes and nobles had to participate in the races on this day, including horseback riding and archery. They also had to take written tests to determine who would be ranked first, second, or third.
So Huangfu Mi started preparing early in the morning. He was naturally competitive and determined to win this horse racing competition.
After tidying up, Meng Wan realized it was getting late. Just then, two pairs of palace maids, two pairs of eunuchs, and Mu Ci, a group of ten people, went to the racetrack in a grand procession.
Normally, Meng Wan's entourage wasn't this grand and elaborate, but today, being a double festival, she needed to be respectable in terms of etiquette.
Moreover, now that she is the Princess Consort of Heng, her presence is not just for herself, but also represents the Heng Prince's Mansion and even Huangfu Mi's reputation. She cannot allow him to lose face.
Upon arriving at the racetrack, the Emperor, Empress, and princes were already there. The group chatted and laughed together. The Emperor, of course, made a grand entrance today. His dragon robe was obviously newly made, and his crown was adorned with nine tassels, all strung with perfectly round pearls.
Dressed in a golden robe and jade crown, he sat among a group of princes, looking radiant and not at all old. On the contrary, his imperial aura, honed by the passage of time, only became more overwhelming among them.
Meng Wan couldn't understand why such an emperor had died so young in his previous life, or was it due to tuberculosis?
Thinking this, a palace maid arranged for her to sit in the women's section, alongside the Empress, other concubines, and princes' wives.
Consort Shu was heartbroken earlier, so she certainly wouldn't attend. Meng Wan sat there quietly, watching everyone surround the Empress. She sat gracefully with a gentle smile, dignified and elegant.
About half an hour later, the diviner began to announce: "The auspicious time has arrived. Please, Your Majesty, give your address."
The emperor strode to his feet, stepped forward from the high platform, said a few words, glanced at Eunuch Li, and then returned to his seat.
Eunuch Li understood the emperor's meaning and sang in a high-pitched voice: "The horse pen is open, and the horses gallop and dance."
All eyes were now on the horse stable behind the Grand Diviner, where dozens of pure white horses stood. Window frames were erected on the horses' backs, with openwork carvings and painted in gold. A bright red ribbon was tied to each of the openwork horizontal edges.
With a wave of his long arm, he ordered his men to remove the horse pen. As soon as the horses broke free of the pen, they galloped away, and the silk ribbons fluttered in the wind.
White, gold, and red intertwine, creating a scene of unparalleled magnificence and beauty.
On the track, ten well-trained horses rode side by side, resembling fine Hangzhou silk brocade. The gold-framed windows on their backs looked like golden wings attached to the brocade, and the red ribbons resembled clouds pasted onto the wings, creating a scene of ethereal beauty that was breathtaking.
Meng Wan had only come because she had no other choice, but now she found it magnificent and breathtaking, which made her jump for joy.
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Meng Wan had only come because she had no other choice, but now she found it magnificent and breathtaking, which made her jump for joy.
That's really interesting!
As she watched with delight, Huangfu Mi appeared beside her without her noticing. Seeing her sparkling eyes, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I'm going to the horse race now. You must remember our promise: if I win, you must quickly give me a baby."
One sentence made Meng Wan blush instantly, but before she could say anything, Huangfu Mi had already left. He quickly walked to the other end of the racecourse to meet with the princes and nobles. When the horse racing dance ended and the horse race officially began, he flicked his whip and galloped off like a wild horse.
Huangfu Mi's riding and archery skills were excellent, without a doubt. Several people were chasing closely behind, but they couldn't catch up at all amidst the flying dust. Huangfu Mi seemed to have become one with the horse. It ran fast, and he stayed close by. So perfectly in sync, with the whip flying, he and the horse ran far ahead.
After one lap, there was no suspense; the championship was undoubtedly his.
Meng Wan was so nervous that she forgot to feel shy. She just stared intently as the horse carrying Huangfu Mi slowed down and finally stopped. Her little face was smiling the whole time.
At this moment, the emperor had already stood up from the dragon throne and personally went forward to help Huangfu Mi, who had dismounted and was preparing to kowtow, to his feet. Looking at his son, he laughed loudly: "My son has the same style as I did back then, truly magnificent."
Everyone stood up and echoed his sentiments, and for a moment, words of praise poured out.
Huangfu Mi maintained a slight smile throughout, listening to the emperor's praise and the compliments of the crowd, but his gaze kept drifting to Meng Wan, his eyes still smiling.
It was a teasing tone, which made Meng Wan glare at him playfully, but her smile just wouldn't fade.
Her husband, Huangfu Mi, was truly an unparalleled man.
Thinking this, his expression softened, completely unaware that not far away, the Empress's eyes were filled with hatred, lingering on Huangfu Mi and Meng Wan, their gazes gleaming with an unusual light.
Wen Qinglian, you are truly a lingering ghost. Even though you are dead, the Emperor still thinks of you. And your son is also loved and cherished by the Emperor because of your love for Wen Qinglian. How can I be content with this?
Turning her head to look at Consort Rong sitting beside her, her face darkened. Looking at that face that was exactly the same as Consort Wen's, she felt a deep sense of disgust, but she had no choice but to look at her, since this was the only way she could think of to bewitch the emperor.
She narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "I will arrange for you to serve the Emperor tonight. Remember, you must win his heart. I brought you into the palace not so you could enjoy a life of luxury."
Consort Rong was clearly taken aback for a moment, then lowered her head and bowed, saying, "Jinxiu understands."
--
Night fell, the moon shone brightly, and its pure light spilled down upon the vast earth, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
Meanwhile, inside the Jade Sheng Tower, a lively scene unfolded in stark contrast to the outside. To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, a banquet was held there. Overjoyed by his beloved son's outstanding performance, the emperor chatted animatedly with his trusted ministers during the banquet.
They chatted about trivial matters and interesting stories, about all aspects of life, and eventually even brought up the selection of the crown prince.
In fact, everyone knew that the emperor favored the seventh prince, Huangfu Mi, not only because he was the son of Consort Wen, but also because Prince Heng was truly a talented person, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and his previous victory over the Hua Chao was indeed a great achievement. Therefore, everyone expressed their opinion that the seventh prince should be made the crown prince.
Huangfu Mi wasn't particularly interested in this. While they talked to the Emperor, he sat there with Meng Wan, enjoying tea and reciting poetry, until the Emperor called him. He then went over and said, "Father—"
He never considered himself a candidate for the crown prince. Even though he stayed in the capital now, it was only because he wanted to settle down with Wan'er and didn't want her to travel around with him.