ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 141

Taxue is indeed very well-behaved, but Li Zhizhi absolutely does not believe that this is all due to Xiao Yan’s efforts. She suppressed her nervous emotions and feigned calmness as she said, “How can a horse understand human speech?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan only chuckled lightly. Suddenly, he whistled and called out, “Taxue.”

The horse, which had been trotting slowly, paused for a moment, and then it began to run with small steps. Li Zhizhi was startled and instinctively tightened her grip on the reins, leaning back just in time to collide into the embrace of the person behind her. Her slender shoulders pressed against the solid chest of the man, and for a moment, Li Zhizhi could even feel a heartbeat that resonated like a drum, unsure of whose it was.

Taxue ran faster and faster, with the wind blowing towards them, bringing the unique chill of autumn that cleared the mind. Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but slightly squint her eyes as she looked into the distance. The sky was a tranquil, slate blue, clean and transparent like gla.s.s, with a few birds occasionally soaring by, creating a leisurely atmosphere.

“Taxue was a gift from my eldest brother,” Li Zhizhi was taken aback and turned to look at Xiao Yan behind her. He also slightly lowered his eyes, gazing back at her, with the sunlight casting soft shadows on his profile, making him look extraordinarily handsome. A smile played on his lips as he said, “At that time, it was just a foal. I raised it myself, and it is very perceptive. Sometimes it understands what I want to do without me saying a word.”

Li Zhizhi was somewhat surprised. “The eldest prince?”

“Mm,” Xiao Yan replied, “You must have heard of him, the deposed crown prince Xiao Jin. He once had a pure white Kangju horse named Xingyun that ran like the wind. When I was younger, I was very envious and would always go to the training grounds to watch him practice riding. Every time my eldest brother saw me, he would take me up to run a lap.”

At this point, he paused briefly and continued, “Later, after our mother pa.s.sed away, I didn’t go to the training grounds for a long time. One day, he suddenly came to see me and said he wanted to give me a horse, which was Taxue.”

Xiao Yan still remembered his eldest brother’s expression at that time, tinged with a hint of regret, as he smiled and said: “I initially wanted to find you a horse just like Xingyun, but unfortunately, time was tight, and such a white horse is hard to come by. However, this black-hoofed Taxue is quite good too. You can ride this for now, and when I find a white horse later, I’ll send it to you.”

Xiao Yan tightened his arm slightly, and this action gave Li Zhizhi a fleeting illusion of being embraced by him. She keenly sensed that Xiao Yan seemed somewhat sad at this moment, so she didn’t interrupt him but quietly listened.

Xiao Yan continued, “Later, after my elder brother pa.s.sed away, Xingyun wouldn’t let anyone else get close. If someone tried to forcefully approach, it would become violent and injure them, as it was truly untamable. The Imperial Horse Garden planned to have it killed.”

Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi instinctively furrowed her brows and asked, “Why? I saw that the Imperial Horse Garden raised so many horses; even if Xingyun is disobedient, they shouldn’t kill it.”

Xiao Yan looked at her, gently brushing aside the hair that the wind had scattered. His action was almost tender as he patiently explained, “Firstly, Xingyun is getting old, and secondly, Kangju horses are large and strong, naturally becoming leaders among the herd. If the lead horse is disobedient, the other horses will follow suit, making them even more difficult to manage.”

Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but ask, “What happened next? Is Xingyun still alive?”

“Of course, it’s still alive,” Xiao Yan answered, “I spent an entire month trying to tame it. Just once, I wasn’t careful and got thrown off its back.”

Li Zhizhi let out a low sigh, and Xiao Yan looked at her, a half-smile on his face. “Are you feeling sorry for me?”

Feigning a light tone, Li Zhizhi shot him a glare, a mix of shyness and anger in her expression. It didn’t seem like she was genuinely mad; rather, it felt like she was being playful. Xiao Yan felt an unexpected sense of ease from that glare. Li Zhizhi huffed, “Is your leg the one you broke back then?”

“Not really,” Xiao Yan stubbornly denied, “I just fell a bit. At that time, I thought I was about to succeed, so I got back on the horse, and indeed, I managed to tame it afterward.”

After a brief pause, he continued, “It was only later, after I left the Royal Horse Academy, that I felt the pain in my leg. I asked the doctor to take a look, and it turned out it was broken.”

Xiao Yan’s tone was casual, but Li Zhizhi knew how difficult it had been. She glanced at the horse beneath her, unable to imagine how Xiao Yan had managed that, and couldn’t help but complain, “Just now, the Emperor told me that the horses from Kangju are very docile and good-tempered. It seems they were just trying to flatter me.”

Xiao Yan thought for a moment and explained, “That’s not entirely untrue. Although Kangju horses have gentle natures, they are very loyal to their owners. They usually don’t allow strangers to come close. But don’t worry; since Taxue is letting you ride it now, it has accepted you. If you refuse it, it might feel sad.”

As if understanding Xiao Yan’s words, Taxue neighed excitedly, its long mane fluttering in the wind, elegant and free-spirited. The little braid in its mane swayed along, making it look adorable.

Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but reach out to pat it, feeling a genuine fondness for the horse. Turning to Xiao Yan, she asked, “Since Taxue has been given to me, what will happen to my elder brother, the Crown Prince?”

Because of the wind, the girl’s eyelashes fluttered, delicate and cute, like a soft feather brushing against Xiao Yan’s heart, bringing a tickling sensation that made him want to do something, like kiss her or hold her close and embrace her.

Xiao Yan gazed at her intently. After a while, he slowly said, “No worries. We can share a ride. Taxue is quite capable and can carry both of us.”

Li Zhizhi: ……

……

Learning to ride isn’t something that can be accomplished in a day, so after that, Xiao Yan took Li Zhizhi to the Royal Horse Academy from time to time. Their relationship inevitably grew closer. The Grand Princess remained unaware of everything and asked Li Zhizhi if she had found a horse that she liked.

For some reason, Li Zhizhi felt inexplicably guilty and simply replied, “I found one.”

It was indeed true, but it wasn’t one of the horses that the Grand Princess had picked.

As more days pa.s.sed and the autumn hunt drew near, the weather became colder. In the early morning, the cold dew turned into frost, crystalline and translucent, as white as snow. Stepping on it made a crunching sound, a pleasant rustle.

Li Zhizhi put on a warm coat. Not long ago, Xiao Yan had gifted her a small hand warmer, beautifully designed with gold bird and flower patterns that shone under the daylight.

One morning, the palace unexpectedly sent someone to the Grand Princess’s residence to convey a message, inviting Li Zhizhi to the palace because the Seventh Princess missed her. Li Zhizhi realized she hadn’t seen Xiao Rulei for quite some time and was happy to go, bringing along many small treats and snacks she had collected specifically for Xiao Rulei in recent days.

Upon entering the palace, a court attendant in green led Li Zhizhi through the long palace corridors. Suddenly, a group of people approached, crowding around a woman dressed in a water-colored palace outfit. She had a jade-like complexion, snow-white skin, and brows like distant mountains, with a cold and graceful aura. It was Chun Fei.

Li Zhizhi immediately stopped, bowed, and greeted, “Greetings, Your Highness Chun Fei. May you be well.”

Li Zhizhi occasionally entered the palace, but she and Chun Fei had rarely interacted, let alone built any kind of relationship. She thought it would just be a pa.s.sing encounter, a simple exchange of greetings, but unexpectedly, Chun Fei stopped and asked, “So early, is the Princess Zhao Hua going to Cui Nong Palace?”

Li Zhizhi replied softly, “In response to the Consort, it is Her Highness the Seventh Princess who summoned me to the palace.”

Chun Fei studied her for a few moments and said, “Indeed, you are a beauty. When the Emperor took a special interest in you, I thought you would also enter the harem.”

Her tone was neither warm nor cold, and Li Zhizhi frowned slightly. It was likely due to her close relationship with Rong Fei that the other woman viewed her unfavorably. She recalled hearing Rong Fei mention that Chun Fei had previously spoken ill of her in front of Emperor Jing Ming, and considering the incident at the spring banquet, her opinion of this woman had plummeted. Therefore, she responded neither servilely nor arrogantly, “Your Highness is joking. I have now recognized the Grand Princess as my adoptive mother. Although we have no blood ties, we share a bond, and the Emperor treats me with a familial affection. How could Your Highness make such a.s.sumptions about His Majesty?”

After saying this, she raised her head to meet Chun Fei’s gaze, still smiling, and added, “That would be quite disrespectful.”

Chun Fei’s expression darkened, and she retorted coldly, “You have quite a sharp tongue; it seems I misjudged you.”

Her demeanor shifted from the earlier coldness to an unwarranted bitterness. Li Zhizhi, unfazed, smiled back, “Your Highness overestimates my relationship with you; we have no prior connection, so how could I have been misjudged?”

Chun Fei seemed angered and ignored her, leading her entourage away. Li Zhizhi glanced back but saw that Chun Fei had inexplicably stopped again, leaning on a palace maid and slightly bending over, though she was unsure what was happening.

Li Zhizhi didn’t dwell on this minor incident and followed the maid to meet Xiao Rulei. Upon seeing her, Xiao Rulei rushed over excitedly and jumped into her arms, causing Li Zhizhi to stumble back a few steps. She quickly hugged her, and they both laughed and played.

Li Zhizhi asked, “Is it fun in the palace?”

Xiao Rulei nodded but then shook her head. Li Zhizhi found it amusing and asked, “So is it fun or not?”

Xiao Rulei held onto her waist, cautiously gauging her expression, pouting and hesitating, “It’s fun, but I really miss my royal brother and sister. When can you take A’yang out?”

Li Zhizhi was unsure how to respond. Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Rulei began her usual antics, pouting and playfully insisting, “A’yang wants to live with her royal brother and sister. When are you two going to get married?”

A few nearby palace maids couldn’t help but chuckle, and Li Zhizhi instantly blushed, whispering, “Who said we are getting married? Stop making wild claims.”

“My royal brother said it!” Xiao Rulei raised her voice, sounding justified. “He said only you wouldn’t dislike A’yang. If you two get married, A’yang can live with you—”

Li Zhizhi couldn’t stand it any longer and picked up a piece of cake to block her mouth, saying, “He’s just talking nonsense. Don’t listen to him.”

Xiao Rulei munched on the pastry, gazing at her with wide, clear eyes. She had beautiful phoenix eyes, much like Xiao Yan’s, but with gentler lines, exuding a sense of innocence. In contrast, Xiao Yan’s eyes were sharper, though when he smiled, that sharpness softened into warmth.

Realizing she was once again reminded of him, Li Zhizhi felt a bit embarra.s.sed. After Xiao Rulei finished her pastry, she snuggled closer, still unconvinced, and asked, “Are you really not getting married?”

Li Zhizhi shot her a glance, and seeing her anxiousness, Xiao Rulei quickly stood up, moved to her side, and urged, “My royal brother is really nice, except for having a bit of a bad temper and a sharp tongue, and he often scolds me… he’s really quite good.”

After saying this, Xiao Rulei couldn’t help but clutch her chest, feeling a pang of conscience.

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