Everyone felt the temperature around them drop instantly. Despite the blazing sun, gusts of cold air penetrated their backs and seeped into their bodies, reaching every limb in an instant.
Chapter 154: Prince An vs. Prince Zhan
Everyone's eyes quickly swept over Dongfang Zhan and Dongfang Heng. Both of them were outstanding members of the younger generation of the royal family. The atmosphere between them was not harmonious and pleasant, but rather tense and hostile!
"So Prince An is here too!" Dongfang Zhan smiled slightly, gentle and refined, but his eyes flashed with an indescribable cold light, as if a silent provocation.
"Thank you for your care along the way, Prince Zhan. Now that Li Xue is in my possession, Prince Zhan can retire with his mission accomplished!" Dongfang Heng's handsome face was cold, and his sharp gaze was as sharp as a knife, making people feel intimidated.
"Then Prince An must take good care of Li Xue!" Dongfang Zhan smiled brightly, deliberately emphasizing the words "take good care of," making a double entendre.
Seeing Shen Lixue's fair hand gently holding Dongfang Heng's arm, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Right now, she really liked Dongfang Heng.
“Of course!” Dongfang Heng gripped Shen Lixue’s soft little hand tightly, as if declaring his ownership.
"Farewell!" Dongfang Zhan smiled, his gaze lingered for a moment, then he turned around and strode away, quickly disappearing from sight.
Shen Lixue's small hands ached from being squeezed. Looking at Dongfang Heng's gloomy and cold face, she frowned and explained softly, "Don't misunderstand, Dongfang Zhan and I are together because..."
"I understand, you don't need to explain!" Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and his sharp eyes were unusually gentle.
Dongfang Zhan is extremely intelligent, cunning, and enjoys torturing people. When dealing with Dongfang Heng, he won't kill him directly, but will try every means to slowly torture him. Shen Lixue is his fiancée and is among those whom Dongfang Zhan uses to deal with him.
Seeing that no one was around, Shen Lixue lowered her voice and asked, "Is there some kind of grudge between you and Dongfang Zhan?" If there was no enmity, the two of them wouldn't be so hostile.
"It's a long story." Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened slightly as he led Shen Lixue's soft hand into Zuixianlou: "It's noon, let's go in and have our meal!"
As always, the food at Zuixianlou was delicious and appetizing. However, Shen Lixue was preoccupied with thoughts of Dongfang Zhan and Dongfang Heng, and ate absentmindedly, barely tasting the food.
"Is the food not to your liking?" Dongfang Heng placed a few of Shen Lixue's favorite dishes into her bowl.
Holding a full bowl of food, Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Heng, pondered repeatedly, and cautiously asked, "What exactly happened between you and Dongfang Zhan?" One is a prince of the royal family, and the other is a prince of the royal family. For two people like this to have a feud, things must not be simple.
Dongfang Zhan has been operating in the capital for many years, with extensive connections and a knack for scheming. Dongfang Heng, on the other hand, has been living on the border for a long time, and his influence in the capital is not as great as Dongfang Zhan's. If the two were to clash, it would be uncertain who would win. If Shen Lixue wants to help Dongfang Heng, she must understand the ins and outs of the matter before she can find the right solution.
Dongfang Heng paused, pondered for a moment, then looked up at the azure sky outside the window, his dark eyes unfathomable: "This is a long story..."
"Cousin Heng, cousin Heng!" A rapid knocking sounded, interrupting Dongfang Heng's words.
Shen Lixue recognized the pretty female voice; it belonged to Dongfang Yu'er. Dongfang Heng, standing beside her, remained unmoved by the urgent noise. Shen Lixue frowned, put down her chopsticks, and said, "Princess Yu'er, come in!"
With a loud "bang!", the slightly closed door was kicked open, and Dongfang Yu'er, dressed in red, rushed in, her face full of anxiety. Her black dress fluttered in the wind, and the golden bells jingled.
"Brother Heng, the competition is about to begin, how can you still be sitting here slowly eating?"
"A competition? What kind of competition?" Shen Lixue looked at Dongfang Yu'er in confusion.
Dongfang Yu'er was taken aback: "It's about vying for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard, didn't my cousin Heng tell you?"
"I have no interest in that position!" Dongfang Heng took a sip of his tea, his sharp eyes as deep as a still pool.
Dongfang Yu'er blinked and her face fell. She hadn't seen Dongfang Heng in the royal training ground and thought he was delayed by something, so she rushed over to call him. She didn't expect that he wasn't interested in the position that others were so eager to get.
"His Majesty has issued an order that all young people with the surname Dongfang and around twenty years old must participate. If you don't go, you will be disobeying the imperial decree!"
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened. Last time, in order to suppress Lei Hong, Dongfang Heng suggested to the Emperor that the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard should be held by someone from the Dongfang royal family. At that time, the Emperor clearly handed over the Imperial Guard to the Crown Prince. Why did he suddenly think of choosing someone else?
The Imperial Guards protect the safety of the entire palace. Becoming their commander is tantamount to controlling most of the palace. Young talents will not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Shen Lixue tugged at Dongfang Heng's sleeve under the table: "Prince Zhan didn't even have lunch before rushing to the training ground to prepare for the competition. Even if you're not interested in this position, you should still follow the Emperor's wishes and show off your archery and swordsmanship. Consider it as practicing your martial arts at the training ground!"
With hundreds of thousands of troops in Subei under his command, the Emperor was wary of him, and he could no longer serve as the commander of the Imperial Guard.
However, Dongfang Zhan is ambitious and will definitely participate in this competition. If he gets the position of commander, his power will increase and it will be easier for him to do things, which will put Dongfang Heng in a very passive position.
"Yes, Brother Heng, just think of it as a stroll around the training ground, a few archery shots, a sword dance, and just to appease the Emperor!" Dongfang Yu'er quickly echoed Shen Lixue's words and tried to persuade him when she saw that Dongfang Heng's expression had softened.
"You want me to participate in the competition?" Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue with burning eyes.
“Yes!” Shen Lixue nodded solemnly. If Dongfang Heng did not seize the position of commander, it might benefit Dongfang Zhan. At that time, Dongfang Zhan would have three thousand Imperial Guards under his command, which would be very difficult to deal with.
Dongfang Heng smiled, squeezed Shen Lixue's small hand, and instructed the doorway, "Zimo, prepare the carriage!"
The emperor selected the commander of the Imperial Guard from among the princes, heirs, and dukes, thus preventing outsiders from observing. Apart from the emperor, his concubines, dozens of important officials, and the princes who came to participate in the competition, there were no other people in the training ground.
When Dongfang Heng, Shen Lixue, and Dongfang Yu'er arrived at the training ground, the competition had already begun. Crown Prince Dongfang Hong rode a fine horse, looking dashing and heroic. Holding a bow and arrow, he fired two arrows in quick succession, each hitting the bullseye. His movements were beautiful, swift, and decisive!
Shen Lixue looked on with admiration. Horseback archery is quite difficult, requiring not only superb archery and horsemanship, but also maintaining balance between the body and the arrow. It is truly not easy. Dongfang Hong shot two arrows at once and hit the bullseye both times, which is really impressive.
After shooting the arrow, Dongfang Hong dismounted. Guards immediately stepped forward to lead away the horse, and palace maids quickly handed him a warm, damp cotton handkerchief. He took it and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Excellent, excellent!" The emperor exclaimed repeatedly as he looked at the arrow in the bullseye of the target. The crown prince, despite being busy with state affairs, had not neglected his martial arts skills and possessed superb archery abilities.
"Why are you so late?" Nangong Xiao greeted them lazily, fanning himself with a folding fan. His light blue brocade robe with cloud patterns accentuated his tall and slender figure, and his devilishly handsome face was so striking that it was impossible to look away.
"Something came up and I was held up!" Shen Lixue replied casually, glancing at the royal princes in the training ground: "How long has the competition been going on?"
"It's nearing its end. The princes ahead are also quite skilled with their arrows, almost all of them hitting the bullseye. However, they are firing single arrows in rapid succession, which is a bit worse than Dongfang Hong's archery skills!"
Nangong Xiao waved his folding fan, his mocking gaze sweeping over Dongfang Zhan and Dongfang Heng. With the two of them around, the Crown Prince probably wouldn't be able to become the commander of the Imperial Guard.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened: "Dongfang Zhan hasn't shot an arrow yet?"
Nangong Xiao nodded, his eyes filled with even more mockery: "He should be next!"
"The next one is Prince Zhan!" The chief examiner's loud voice echoed across most of the training ground, echoing Nangong Xiao's words.
Dongfang Zhan put down his teacup, smiled, stood up, and walked slowly to Huang Jima. He reached out and took the reins. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dongfang Heng standing against the wind, and his smile deepened.