ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 140

Not long after, Xiao Yan arrived. He glanced at Li Zhizhi and then bowed to Emperor Jing Ming, saying, “I do not know why Father Emperor summoned me; is there something important?”

Emperor Jing Ming pointed to the horse named Taxue and said, “I wish to bestow this horse upon Princess Zhao Hua. What do you think?”

Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback but quickly replied, “I will do as Father Emperor commands.”

Emperor Jing Ming didn’t find this surprising at all; he merely nodded and said, “Princess Zhao Hua is not good at riding. You should teach her first.”

“I will obey,” Xiao Yan said, then turned to Li Zhizhi. His phoenix-like eyes held a smile as he politely said, “Princess, please.”

Li Zhizhi was somewhat bewildered. She had come today just to choose a horse and was unsure how things had turned out this way. It was one thing for the Emperor to bestow a horse, but now the Crown Prince had been ordered to teach her. Looking at Xiao Yan, she noticed that his fingertips were still stained with fresh ink, clearly indicating that he had just stepped away from official duties.

She could only respond, “Then I’ll trouble you, Crown Prince.”

The attendants helped Li Zhizhi onto the horse’s back. The position was quite high, and her field of vision instantly opened up. Through the lush tree canopies, she could even see the golden-tiled roof of the palace in the distance.

Just as the steward of the horse stable was about to take the reins, Xiao Yan stopped him, directing him to step aside. He personally took the reins and said to Li Zhizhi, “Hold steady.”

Li Zhizhi complied, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. She had ridden before in the Qianshan hunting ground, but this experience was completely different. Not to mention that Emperor Jing Ming and Concubine Rong were watching, riding and being on horseback were entirely different matters.

Noticing her anxiety, Xiao Yan looked up at her. The autumn sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight fell on his handsome features, casting a golden glow that highlighted his smooth, attractive lines. His phoenix-like eyes sparkled faintly, and he smiled gently, saying, “Don’t be afraid.”

With just that one sentence, a miracle occurred; Li Zhizhi suddenly felt calm. She let out a quiet breath. Just as Emperor Jing Ming had said, this horse was indeed very gentle, or perhaps it was because its owner was here. It walked steadily, and Li Zhizhi felt hardly any jostling at all. She thought to herself that this horse, raised by the imperial family, was truly exceptional.

Everyone watched as the Crown Prince personally led the horse toward the distant riding arena. Concubine Rong turned to Emperor Jing Ming beside her and playfully said, “I see that the Crown Prince and the Princess are quite compatible.”

“Mm,” Emperor Jing Ming replied softly, his hands clasped behind him as he watched the two figures gradually move away. After a moment, he added, “They are all right.”

Concubine Rong knew him well; the Emperor was usually reserved and spoke little, so this comment of “all right” was already a considerable compliment. She turned her beautiful eyes and smiled, asking, “Does Your Majesty intend to bring them together?”

Emperor Jing Ming did not answer directly but instead said, “The Crown Prince is about to come of age.”

The implication was that it was indeed time to discuss marriage. Concubine Rong walked beside the emperor as they strolled leisurely. She waved her silk fan and joked, “I thought Your Majesty was not anxious at all. Previously, the Ministry of Rites also discussed potential brides for the Crown Prince, and a huge pile of portraits of young ladies was collected. In the end, none were to Your Majesty’s liking, and all were sent back.”

Hearing this, Emperor Jing Ming glanced at her and said, “What is there to be dissatisfied with? It is he who is not satisfied.”

Concubine Rong let out a soft “Oh,” as she suddenly remembered the rumors outside that said there were three prohibitions regarding the Crown Prince’s marriage: the daughters of officials ranked at the third grade or above could not be considered, nor could those from the families of lords and earls, and current military officials were even more off-limits. Everyone believed it was the Emperor’s will, but hearing this now seemed to imply there was some inside information. Concubine Rong couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why is the Crown Prince dissatisfied?”

Emperor Jing Ming replied indifferently, “How would I know? The portraits sent to him weren’t to his liking; he returned them all.”

At that time, the Minister of Rites, holding a stack of scrolls, wore a difficult expression and cautiously asked indirectly, “May I inquire which young ladies the Crown Prince finds unsuitable? So I can avoid them next time.”

How could Emperor Jing Ming know what Xiao Yan was thinking? The father and son seldom communicated. Their only daily interaction was when Xiao Yan came to the palace to greet him, which he did punctually and then left, like clockwork. Emperor Jing Ming was preoccupied with state affairs and had no interest in probing into the minds of his children, so he casually brushed it off: “None of these are suitable.”

The Minister of Rites, upon hearing this, hesitated to say anything further and withdrew with the scrolls. After that, no one brought up the matter of the Crown Prince’s marriage again. Since Xiao Yan himself was indifferent, Emperor Jing Ming was even less inclined to care. With so many memorials to review, he couldn’t afford to waste time on trivial matters.

As long as no one pressed him, he could worry about one less thing. After all, in Emperor Jing Ming’s view, marrying off a son could wait; it wasn’t urgent. With Xiao Yan’s current aimless and carefree att.i.tude, he wondered how he could marry and have children when he hadn’t figured his own life out yet.

Thinking of this, Emperor Jing Ming said to Concubine Rong, “Perhaps he just didn’t have that feeling back then, and now that spring is in the air, it’s naturally come to him.”

Concubine Rong: …

The Emperor’s words were casual, yet those beneath him racked their brains to interpret them, eager to extract three meanings from a single word. Concubine Rong recalled the numerous rumors outside and felt as though Emperor Jing Ming was carrying a heavy burden, oblivious to it all.

Forget it, Concubine Rong thought, deciding it was better not to remind him. Instead, she smiled and said, “Now that the Crown Prince’s heart is stirred, it seems a good thing is on the horizon.”

“He can do his thing,” Emperor Jing Ming replied nonchalantly, “Whether she agrees is still uncertain. If it were someone else, he might rely on his status to pressure them, but this Li Zhizhi is his cousin. If he dares to have any improper thoughts, he might suffer for it.”

At this point, Emperor Jing Ming paused and continued, “Well, it’s his business; let him handle it.”

His words hinted at a nonchalant att.i.tude. Concubine Rong didn’t believe it, so she deliberately chuckled and said, “What if the Crown Prince can’t find a Crown Princess? Does Your Majesty not care?”

“I don’t care,” Emperor Jing Ming replied in a calm tone, “I’ve had my fill of ginseng and bird’s nest soup to bother with his trivial matters.”

—

Meanwhile, Li Zhizhi and Xiao Yan went to the horse ranch. The place was quite s.p.a.cious, about dozens of zhang in size. Now, deep into autumn, the gra.s.s had turned yellow and shone golden under the sunlight, resembling a layer of velvet carpet, tempting one to roll around on it.

After walking for a while, Li Zhizhi became somewhat familiar with the horse and completely relaxed. She noticed the horse’s long mane blowing in the wind and couldn’t help but reach out to play with it, even taking the initiative to braid it into a little braid.

Just as she was enjoying herself, she suddenly felt a gaze upon her; it was Xiao Yan, who had been watching her for who knows how long. Li Zhizhi felt a little guilty. It was one thing for the Crown Prince to personally lead her horse, but she hadn’t been paying full attention, which was quite inappropriate.

She fiddled with her little braid, hiding it in the horse’s mane, and smiled sweetly at Xiao Yan, asking, “Are you tired, Prince Brother?”

The girl’s smile was bright, her eyes crescent-shaped, with golden specks shimmering on her long lashes. Her gaze was clear like water, painting a beautiful picture. Perhaps she didn’t realize it herself, but her smile radiated an innocent and charming allure.

Xiao Yan looked at her for a while before asking, “Do you want to ride a horse?”

At this, Li Zhizhi’s heart stirred, but she felt a bit scared. “I can’t.”

“I will naturally teach you.”

Li Zhizhi was somewhat eager to try, and she watched as Xiao Yan walked over to the horse, gently patting its mane and whispering something to it. The horse raised its head and let out a loud snort as if responding.

Xiao Yan’s tall and slender figure seemed somewhat insignificant next to the horse, but he effortlessly swung himself onto the saddle with a smooth and graceful motion, making it look quite pleasing to the eye.

He sat behind Li Zhizhi, leaning slightly forward, which brought their bodies closer together. Li Zhizhi instinctively lowered her head and saw Xiao Yan’s hand slip around her waist to grasp the reins. His hands were exceptionally beautiful—long and fair, with distinct knuckles, and faint blue veins visible on the back, with a hint of ink stains on the fingertips, giving them a scholarly elegance.

For some reason, Li Zhizhi’s heart began to race unexpectedly. She instinctively averted her gaze, directing it towards the gra.s.s in the horse arena, trying to calm her fluttering emotions.

Just then, a slightly husky voice whispered in her ear, “Are you scared?”

The warm breath brushed against her ear, causing her body to tremble involuntarily. That familiar shiver surged through her again, leaving her nearly paralyzed, accompanied by a faint scent of sandalwood that enveloped her in the warm autumn sunlight, making it feel almost all-encompa.s.sing.

The sun seemed a bit too bright, making her feel dizzy and her face flush with heat, all the way to her ears.

Unbeknownst to her, Xiao Yan sat behind her, his gaze fixed intently on her earlobe, which was as white as jade, gradually tinged with a blush under the bright sunlight, appearing almost translucent—like summer cherries or pomegranate seeds.

It made one want to press it between their lips, to lick, savor, or gently nibble on it, appreciating the sweet flavor.

The Prince’s phoenix-like eyes deepened, and he tightened his grip on the reins. Inevitably, his long fingers brushed against hers—delicate and soft, like they were made of nothing. When their fingertips accidentally touched, both of them shivered, a tingling sensation spreading rapidly, making their souls quiver.

Li Zhizhi was startled by this feeling and instinctively wanted to withdraw, but those hands held her tightly, the rough reins fitting snugly in her palm. Xiao Yan’s slightly hoa.r.s.e voice came to her ears, “Letting go of the reins is a grave mistake in riding.”

Li Zhizhi bit her lower lip gently, straining to pull her thoughts away from those hands and attempted to shift her attention. Suddenly recalling what Xiao Yan had whispered to the horse earlier, she curiously asked, “What did you say to the horse, Prince Brother?”

Xiao Yan was silent for a moment. Just when Li Zhizhi began to wonder, he replied in a lazy tone tinged with amus.e.m.e.nt, “Oh, I told Taxue that the person on its back is my beloved, so it should behave and not scare you.”

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