As they wanted to show their faces in front of the Northern Tribes people, this year's dragon boat race was really intense. After the dragon boat, there were flower boats. People jumped, swung, and danced on the water. Each movement was more difficult than the last, and it was really dazzling.
The cheers on both sides of the river were endless. It was supposed to be a really lively place, but Mu Mingtang could not get into it.
It was not that the water show was not exciting enough. On the contrary, Mu Mingtang felt that these acrobatics had reached the peak. What made her feel really complicated were the people in power on the viewing platform.
It was not wrong for the people to indulge in entertainment, but for the people in power to do the same, it was hard for people to praise them.
Jinming Lake was originally a place where the navy was trained. Now, the emperor was leading the people to watch the water show at Jinming Lake. He even opened the lake and encouraged people to have fun.
These performances were really dazzling and used up a lot of manpower and resources. At the same time, West Xia was really ambitious, the Northern Tribes were expanding, and the Nuzhen Race in the northeast was getting more and more active. Only the Ye Dynasty had been reducing their military and suppressing their generals. The letter to take over the Sixteen Prefectures was also kept indefinitely.
Mu Mingtang could not help but sigh in her heart.
She hoped that the Northern Tribes were serious about peace. At the very least, the Ye Dynasty could have a few more years of peace.
She had experienced when people's lives were like grass. She knew how precious it was to have a safe roof and not have to worry about tomorrow before going to bed. She really did not want the Ye Dynasty to go to war again.
After the dragon boat race and water show ended, the emperor wanted to continue, so he changed the venue to continue. The Northern Tribes had many grasslands, so it was rare to see the endless water shows of the Ye Dynasty. The Yelv Yan was also interested and suggested that they play polo.
When he heard the Yelv Yan's words, the emperor was stunned. It was not difficult to play polo. There was a special polo field in the palace, but it was difficult for the people who played polo.
Since the Yelv Yan suggested playing polo, the Ye Dynasty had to send someone to play with the Yelv Yan. The Ye Dynasty was the host, so they had to control the ratio of wins and losses. They could not let their guests play and lose, which was a loss to the big country. However, they could not give in too much, so they were very particular about who to send.
The Emperor even felt that his worries were completely groundless. He was afraid that he would not be able to win at all.
Polo was a sport played on horseback, which was the strength of the Northern Tribes. Now that the peace talks had entered a stalemate, if the Ye Dynasty were to be exposed as weaker than the Northern Tribes, it would be detrimental to the peace talks.
The Emperor pondered for a moment and said with a smile, "It's rare for the Eighth Prince to have such a refined interest. Since the Eighth Prince likes it, I, as the host, will naturally accept. However … How does the eighth prince plan to play? "
After the Emperor finished speaking, Mu Mingtang felt that the Yelv Yan looked in their direction and suddenly said, "I've heard a lot about Prince Qiyang in the Northern Tribes. Today, I'd like to fight with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at Hsieh Hyun-chen.
Unlike the others, Hsieh Hyun-chen was not surprised to hear his own name. However, his expression was still very calm. He casually glanced at the Yelv Yan and said lightly, "I'm not going."
Hsieh Hyun-chen's attitude angered the Yelv Yan. The Yelv Yan's face darkened and he asked, "Why?"
The Emperor frowned slightly and glanced at Hsieh Hyun-chen. Since Hsieh Hyun-chen refused, the Emperor immediately said, "Unfortunately, since Prince An is not willing, then forget it. The Eighth Prince might as well find someone else. "
The Yelv Yan knew the Han language and was exposed to the Han culture. However, he was still a Khitan. The Yelv Yan was also a prince in the Northern Tribes. Although he was not the most powerful among his brothers, there was no reason for him to be slapped in the face again and again. After Hsieh Hyun-chen's repeated provocations, the Yelv Yan was also angered. He asked, "If Prince An is not willing, then I have no reason to force him. However, why is Prince An avoiding the battle? Is he afraid, or is he afraid of losing? "
"Lose?" Hsieh Hyun-chen did not plan to respond. However, when he heard the Yelv Yan say that he was afraid of losing, he smiled faintly. When he turned to the Yelv Yan, his eyes were full of disdain. "I, Hsieh Hyun-chen, am not afraid. You are too weak, you are not worthy of being my opponent. "
Mu Mingtang gasped when she heard this. She maintained her cold and calm image, but under her wide sleeves, she was desperately tugging at Hsieh Hyun-chen's sleeves.
'That's enough, don't go overboard.'
The Khitans revered martial arts. Even Mu Mingtang could not bear to listen, let alone the Northern Tribes. The Yelv Yan exploded when he heard this. He stood up with a bang and said loudly, "The Han people have a saying, all talk and no action. Prince An, don't keep boasting. If you are really capable, then we will meet immediately. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright. Since you want to humiliate yourselves, then I will accompany you to the end. "
As Hsieh Hyun-chen and the Yelv Yan stood up, the atmosphere in the arena changed. It was as if there were small electric sparks in the air. The Northern Tribes people were stirred up by the atmosphere and stood up one by one. "Eighth Prince, I will go up."
"I will go too!"
The Northern Tribes people were all eager to go. The Emperor frowned slightly.
Actually, he did not want Hsieh Hyun-chen to have too much of a presence, especially in such a diplomatic situation. Recently, Hsieh Hyun-chen had been appearing too frequently.
It was all because of Hsieh Hyun-chen's reputation. Even though he had been hidden for two years, there were still people outside the borders who could not forget him. He had already said that he would not go, but they still persisted in challenging him.
The Emperor sighed in his heart. However, the bigger picture was more important. Seeing that the Northern Tribes people were all tough and strong, if Hsieh Hyun-chen lost, the Emperor's reputation would be tarnished. For the bigger picture, the Emperor could only temporarily put aside the differences between him and Hsieh Hyun-chen. At least, he had to get through this hurdle first.
The Emperor said, "Prince An and Eighth Prince are young and hot-blooded. Learning from each other will improve the understanding between our two countries. I love to see you young people in high spirits and full of youthfulness. I will be the referee for the two of you. The Eighth Prince's five people are all here. Prince An, who do you want to go up with you? "
Everyone present understood that there was no personal matter in front of the bigger picture. The upcoming polo match was related to the country's reputation. No matter what personal grudges they had before, they had to be pushed aside. No matter who Hsieh Hyun-chen chose, the person he chose would have to do his best to help him.
There was no need to worry that his teammates would not do their best. In comparison, he was afraid that he would not be able to choose a teammate.
Everyone present more or less knew themselves. They looked at the Khitans who were all strong and muscular. Their arms were so big that they could run horses. Then, they looked at the Ye Dynasty's officials and scholars. They were all embarrassed.
Hsieh Hyun-chen did not even bother to look at them. He said, "Whatever. Whoever wants to go up can go up. There is no difference anyway. "
The people of Ye Dynasty felt sad when they heard this. The Emperor looked around and also felt that there was no one to choose. For the first time, he regretted that there were no generals in the central government. Otherwise, they would not be unable to gather five people.
Xie Xuanji had been silent. At this moment, he stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Father, I am willing to help Second Brother."
Xie Xuanji volunteered. Many people looked at Xie Xuanji with admiration. Jiang Mingwei stood beside Xie Xuanji. He also felt honored.
Although Jiang Mingwei did not remember the original plot of playing polo with the Northern Tribes, Xie Xuanji was the male lead. How could the male lead not be in the limelight?
Jiang Mingwei seemed to understand something. The plot of saving the fire during the Lantern Festival had mysteriously disappeared. So Xie Xuanji would win glory for the country and then naturally participate in the negotiation of the peace treaty?
The more Jiang Mingwei thought about it, the more he felt that this made sense. After she found out that this was the plot, she immediately felt relieved. At this moment, facing everyone's gazes, Jiang Mingwei felt very proud.
This was her husband, the one and only male lead. In the future, there would be many times when they would be envious of her.
After Xie Xuanji took the initiative to step forward, a few more people responded. They could not be blamed for not being proactive. This kind of thing was too risky. If they won, everything would be fine. But if they lost, what would they do?
After all, there were many civil officials present. Even if they were nobles, they had been pampered for a long time and were gradually gaining weight. It was fine if they usually played with the officials who did not exercise diligently. But if they played with the burly Northern Tribes who grew up on horseback, wouldn't they be asking for humiliation?
The Emperor also felt that it was difficult. Hsieh Hyun-chen said that they could choose, but they could not really choose casually. The Emperor and a few ministers chose and finally gathered what they thought were the most balanced five people.
The Northern Tribes were already prepared. When they saw that the Han people were taking so long to form a team, they began to hiss. In the end, Prime Minister Song cautiously gathered the people. Hsieh Hyun-chen did not even look at them and turned to leave.
The two sides went to the field to prepare. The Emperor was afraid that they would lose too badly, so he deliberately said in advance, "It is a good thing for you young people to learn from each other. But the game is just for entertainment. Don't hurt the harmony between our two countries because of a game."
So, winning was glory. Losing was for the harmony between the two countries. It was the magnanimity of a great country.
The men went to the field to prepare. The eunuchs had already prepared the imperial canopy and throne. They waited on the Emperor to go to the stage outside to watch the game.
The Emperor was first, followed by the Empress. After the two of them left, the other womenfolk walked out one after another. Mu Mingtang's seat was the highest. When they walked out, they were also the furthest away.
When she walked over, the stands were already full of people. The places where the view was slightly better were all filled with madams and young ladies, as well as their servants. The most spacious place, the place closest to the horse field, had already been occupied.
Xiao Siyi, whom she had met once before, was standing there. She ignored the gazes of the people around her and loudly shouted at the Yelv Yan. Because Xie Xuanji was also on the field, Jiang Mingwei endured the awkwardness and also stood there.
With Jiang Mingwei there, the other people from Prince Jin's residence also surrounded them. Among them was the popular person from a few days ago, the beautiful and bold Princess Wanyan Duo.
Wanyan Duo was still dressed like a different race, but her hair was already tied up. This was the same outside of the Central Plains. Young girls' hair hung down. Only married women could tie up long braids and make some complicated and gorgeous hair buns.
When the people outside noticed Mu Mingtang's arrival, they all stepped aside, "An Wangfei."
Everyone slightly bowed their heads and saluted her. Not long ago, Hsieh Hyun-chen's words were still vivid in their ears. Now, no one wanted to be blind enough to bump into her and purposely provoke that fiend.
The signal was like a wave that spread wider and wider. The people inside felt movement behind them. When they turned around and saw Mu Mingtang, they immediately understood and stepped aside. Mu Mingtang smoothly walked to the innermost area. Jiang Mingwei and Xiao Siyi stood side by side in front of the railing. The noise in the front field was loud, and Xiao Siyi was constantly making noise, so Jiang Mingwei didn't hear the movement behind him.
Mu Mingtang smiled and reminded, "Prince Jin's Wangfei."
Jiang Mingwei heard the voice and turned around. When he saw Mu Mingtang, he was stunned. She didn't seem to understand why. When she saw Mu Mingtang's familiar and annoying smile, Jiang Mingwei finally realized that Mu Mingtang wanted her to give up her position.
Jiang Mingwei's heart was suddenly set ablaze. Did Mu Mingtang have to be so ruthless? It was said that people should leave some leeway, not only for others, but also for oneself. However, Mu Mingtang didn't. He must be ruthless and disgusting to the extreme.
Jiang Mingwei kept cursing in his heart. However, in front of everyone, the Emperor and Empress were not far away. Jiang Mingwei really couldn't "disrespect his brother and sister-in-law" in front of everyone. He could only endure his grievances and take a step back, saying, "It's my negligence. I didn't notice that sister-in-law had come. Second brother is about to go on stage. Sister-in-law, please stand in front. "
Mu Mingtang was very satisfied. He smiled and said, "Prince Jin is also on stage. Prince Jin is already standing. Now you're giving your position to me. Isn't that not very good?"
If you know it's not good, then why did you ask? Jiang Mingwei was very angry. However, she couldn't destroy her image. She could only continue to speak submissively, "It's fine. I can see it. Seniority is seniority. I should give my position to sister-in-law. "
"I'm really sorry." Mu Mingtang said as he walked forward. After walking in front of Jiang Mingwei, she slightly raised her chin. She was arrogant and noble. It was natural.
Even Xiao Siyi looked at Mu Mingtang. She recognized who she was at a glance. She was the wife of the God of Slaughter Hsieh Hyun-chen, the Princess of An Wang's Residence. When Hsieh Hyun-chen and Ye Chao's Empress Dowager were in conflict, Yelv Yan and the others were paying attention to the meaning behind it. However, Xiao Siyi's attention was on some small details.
Xiao Siyi clearly remembered that many people wanted to stop the fight but didn't dare. So many people were helpless against Hsieh Hyun-chen. Only Mu Mingtang could openly hold Hsieh Hyun-chen's hand and signal him to stop talking.
And Hsieh Hyun-chen really did stop talking.
Men all cared about their face. The more some people tried to persuade them, the more they wanted to show off. If his wife tried to persuade him, he would feel that his wife made him lose face. In any case, all the men Xiao Siyi knew, including the elders in her family, were like this.
But Hsieh Hyun-chen endured Mu Mingtang's words in public. He didn't care about his own face and didn't take his anger out on Mu Mingtang. To Xiao Siyi's knowledge, this was an extremely rare occurrence.
Xiao Siyi's aunt was the Empress Dowager. In a different place, Xiao Siyi couldn't imagine how someone dared to contradict the Empress Dowager. Moreover, this person wasn't punished. Instead, the Empress Dowager avoided him. What was even more shocking was that this person was obedient to his wife.
Xiao Siyi couldn't understand. And the two things that she couldn't understand were both related to this woman in front of her. Xiao Siyi quickly sized up Mu Mingtang again and moved to the left. This way, the middle seat belonged to Mu Mingtang.
In the eyes of the people behind, it looked like Mu Mingtang had walked over and softly called out. Then, Jin Wangfei respectfully moved to the side. And the Empress Dowager's niece, who was out of control and out of control, also moved to the side for Mu Mingtang.
Everyone couldn't help but click their tongues in their hearts. They watched as Mu Mingtang walked past the crowd all the way to the front. The sunlight shone on her body. Her silver-purple dress became even more vibrant and dazzling. And Mu Mingtang stood at the front with her hands crossed. Her shoulders were flat and her neck was long and slender. Everyone formed a semicircle behind her. It was as if everyone in the world should move to the side for her. In any competition, she should stand at the front.
At this moment, the men had already tied up their sleeves. They each picked their horses and prepared to go on stage.
Hsieh Hyun-chen casually weighed the crescent moon pole and walked to the side of the horse. He flipped over and mounted it.
Hsieh Hyun-chen's legs were long and straight. Coupled with his broad shoulders and slender waist, the way he mounted the horse was beautiful even to the men. He attracted a lot of attention.
Someone tried to discuss with Hsieh Hyun-chen, "Your Highness Prince An, later, how should we cooperate?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen sat on the horse and suddenly looked up. It was a movement that he used to be familiar with. But now, he felt a sense of nostalgia.
He couldn't help but touch the horse's mane. He felt a rush of blood that he hadn't felt in a long time.
It had been a long time.
He was back.
Hsieh Hyun-chen was familiarizing himself with the horse's speed and strength. He vaguely heard someone talking beside his ear. He didn't even bother to see who it was and said without turning his head, "No need."
That person was rejected and his tone immediately became weak. He obviously wanted to help, but now his tone was very humble, "… What I mean is, how do you plan to fight? We can help from the side."
"I already said that there's no need." Hsieh Hyun-chen was annoyed by the questions and finally glanced at his teammates, "I alone am enough. You guys can do whatever you want. It's fine as long as you stay alive."
Although the others understood that Hsieh Hyun-chen was just saying it casually, they still couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts. It was fine as long as they stayed alive … Were they not just going to play polo?
What were they planning to do with this killing machine?
After Hsieh Hyun-chen finished speaking, he took the lead and walked to the center of the field. The Yelv Yan team was originally discussing their strategy. When they noticed Hsieh Hyun-chen's movement, the Yelv Yan team immediately mounted their horses and rushed forward.
Following the movements of the two sides, the people in the stands also began to perk up. The large field was crowded but quiet. Even Xiao Siyi stopped talking and held her hands tightly as she waited for the game to begin.
Soon, the eunuch by the emperor's side came out and said a few words before announcing the start of the game.
The moment the start of the game was announced, the Yelv Yan's horse began to move. At this time, the eunuch's voice had not even finished.
Xiao Siyi suddenly screamed and shouted the Yelv Yan's name in Khitan. The Yelv Yan was fast, but Hsieh Hyun-chen was faster. He just gently pulled the crescent pole, and the other side's palm was numb, and he couldn't hold the club anymore. Before the person who passed the ball could react, the ball was already in Xie Xuanchen's hands.
The Yelv Yan saw that the situation was not good. He knew that he had underestimated Hsieh Hyun-chen's strength. They had been riding horses since they were young. Riding a horse was almost second nature to them. Soon, the Northern Tribes team formed a row and blocked Hsieh Hyun-chen's path of passing the ball.
At this time, the other four members of Ye Chao, Hsieh Hyun-chen's "teammates", did not even rush over on their horses.
Hsieh Hyun-chen did not care that no one was helping him. He pulled on the reins and the horse's hooves moved back and forth as if he was looking for an angle. The Yelv Yan looked at the others, indicating that they had to keep an eye on Hsieh Hyun-chen and not let him break through.
Unfortunately, Hsieh Hyun-chen had never thought of breaking through from the start.
Without warning, he suddenly swung the club, and the polo ball suddenly shot out like a meteor, passing through the messy horse legs on the field, crossing half of the field, and smashing directly into the hole.
After the ball was thrown into the net, it caused the wooden board to vibrate. Hsieh Hyun-chen straightened up and looked at the shocked faces of the people who could not keep up with the game. He turned the club half a circle in his hand and asked seriously, "Do you really want to play? This involves the diplomatic relations between two countries. In the end, you will get a zero. How embarrassing. "
Author Has Something to Say: Yelu Yan: I feel offended.
Mu Mingtang: Speak properly. Don't act pretentious.
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