tallest building

Chapter 245 Second Master Horse

But he decided to endure it, dusted himself off, and said, "I lost, here you go."

He handed over the handkerchief, which was given to him by Gong Chang'an.

When Gong Chang'an lost his handkerchief at lunchtime, he took this out of his sleeve and gave it to him.

Ying Tong calmed down at this point, took the handkerchief without saying a word, turned around and left.

The fourth day after King Qisi and his group arrived in the capital was the Double Ninth Festival. Every year at this time, there is a banquet in the palace, but this year's event was exceptionally large.

Naturally, it's also related to them.

The banquet on the day I arrived in the capital was more like a family banquet, mainly attended by members of the royal family.

The Double Ninth Festival banquet was different; important officials of the court and their families were all present.

The Empress has granted Wen Mingqian permission to attend this banquet today, mainly to accompany and serve her.

"Where is Princess Zhuolahan?" the Queen asked after taking her seat.

"Haha, that girl is just being willful and throwing a tantrum. Ignore her; I've spoiled her." Qi Sihe didn't hide anything. "Just leave her alone."

"Could it be that the servants have upset the princess?" the empress asked hastily.

"No, no, she misses her mother, it's alright." Qi Sihe waved his hand, "You can't force her when she's throwing a tantrum, she has to change on her own."

Although she said this, the Empress could not simply do so, and sent Yu Lu and Chun Ying away: "Go and see the princess, and try your best to make her happy. Whatever she wants to play or eat, you must give her her wish. It's pitiful, she is still a child, and this is the first time she has been so far from home, so she must be feeling lonely and anxious. It is also my fault for not being able to take good care of her, I am truly ashamed."

"Your Majesty, please don't say that. I am, in a way, her mother! I never expected this either." Princess Duanmin spoke up at this moment, "That's just how it is for those of us without children."

The atmosphere immediately turned cold after the princess finished speaking.

The Empress was naturally unhappy, but she couldn't show it right away, since she had also dragged herself into the situation.

"What kind of wine is served at today's palace banquet? It doesn't smell like usual; it has a strange fragrance and aroma," Princess Zhao quickly interjected.

“Your Highness, this is a new tribute from Huizhou, ten-year-old osmanthus wine. This is the first time it has been sent to the palace,” said Zhou Fu, Yu Lu’s apprentice.

Then everyone started commenting on the wine again, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

Qisihe said with a beaming smile, "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress. Our barbarian lands don't produce many things. Although we have brought some horses, cattle, and sheep as tribute, they are all rather ordinary. Fortunately, Your Majesty and the Empress are understanding."

"It's fine with others, but since it's my first time meeting the two princes, I naturally need to put more thought into the gifts. However, there's something that's been troubling me, and I've been hesitating for several days."

"What is it that makes Your Highness so troubled? Both children are excellent. Whether you give them to them or not, or what you give them, doesn't matter. What matters is the sentiment of an elder, and that's enough," the Emperor said with a smile.

Qi Sihe said, "Originally, we prepared two excellent horses for the two princes, but one of them died of illness on the way. Now only one is left."

Those present couldn't help but whisper among themselves. These Ershi horses came from Ershi City, deep in the desert. Emperor Wu of Han had gone to great lengths to seize them.

Even after conquering the Second Master City, the number of Pegasus horses obtained was not large.

In recent years, the two-horse race has almost disappeared, and it is extremely rare to find two of them in the field.

"Where is that horse? Why don't we bring it over so everyone can see it?" The Emperor suggested, seeing the crowd below buzzing with discussion.

Qi Sihe ordered his men to fetch the horse, and when it was brought in, everyone froze, as if they had been acupunctured.

They had seen many fine horses, and their own families kept horses year-round.

Especially for families like the King of Zhao and the King of Chu, who kept thousands of horses, they were all insignificant compared to this horse.

Needless to say, this horse was tall, handsome, and had not a single stray hair on its body.

But its coat color is hard to describe; if I had to, it would be a silver-white horse.

However, this white was quite different from ordinary silver-white; it was like brocade, shimmering with a pearly, gold-like luster.

When exposed to sunlight, its fur shimmers and glows, as if enveloped in golden light.

Therefore, its entrance brightened up the entire hall.

"It really is a celestial horse! It really is the celestial horse of Ershi City! No wonder Emperor Wu sent hundreds of thousands of troops to take it back back then." General Huang was so excited that he shed tears.

What military general doesn't love horses? He has seen countless horses in his life, and today he has finally seen a horse of the highest quality.

"Tsk tsk, if you could ride a horse like that, it would be like ascending to heaven." Almost all the men stared at the horse in a daze, their admiration evident in their expressions.

Ying Tong and Ying Bai also loved this horse from the bottom of their hearts; it was a hundred times more majestic than the horses they usually rode.

Both of them developed an obsession with the horse.

“This horse is named Zhaoyexue,” said Qisihe. “I went to great lengths to acquire two of them, intending to give them to the two princes, but alas, there is only one left.”

The Empress blinked and said, "Then let them ride together on one horse! They can take turns, and neither of them should have more than one."

She felt that her proposed method was already quite fair.

But Chess shook his head and said, "That won't do. This horse has a bad temper. It only recognizes one person to ride it, otherwise something bad will happen."

"Then..." The Empress was also at a loss.

Deep down, she was closer to the Crown Prince of Zhao and naturally wanted the horse to go to him, but she couldn't say it herself, otherwise it would be too biased and make her seem unfair.

She then turned her gaze to the Crown Prince and Princess of Chu, her meaning clear: if they simply stood up and voluntarily withdrew, wouldn't the matter be resolved?
Ke Yingbai sat upright and didn't see his own gaze at all.

Princess Chu understood immediately and winked at her son.

At this moment, Ying Bai was also in great distress. In fact, even without the Empress and his mother looking at him, he knew what they wanted him to do.

However, just like usual, he avoided Ying Tong's sharp edge at every turn.

It's not that he can't, but he just doesn't want to today.

Perhaps it's because Ying Tong has been being sarcastic and unfriendly to me lately, or perhaps it's because he hit me so hard when I fell yesterday, and even though I had already fallen, he still wanted to kick me.

Ying Tong's expression was fierce and menacing, which terrified him.

This horse was rightfully mine today, and I like it so much, so why can't I fight for it?

"That's why I came up with a plan. I'll give the two princes a riddle, and whoever answers correctly gets the horse. I think this method will work; it's a fair bet," Qisihe said with a smile. "What do Your Majesty and the Empress think?"

The Emperor and Empress exchanged glances for a moment, realizing they couldn't refuse, as it was understandable.

So he agreed to Chess's request.

Hearing this, Ying Bai became even more determined. Since it was a competition, they should each rely on their own abilities. Whoever answered correctly would win, and whoever lost would have to accept it wholeheartedly.