Too high to reach

Chapter 293 The Returning Youth
First there was a "thump," followed by a series of gurgling sounds.

Finally, there was the female scream.

"What's wrong?" someone asked in a low voice, and everyone turned to look for him.

what happened?
Princess Yu'an must have fallen! She first missed a step and then tumbled down seven or eight steps.

Finally, it fell onto the muddy ground.

During the process, he tried to support himself with his hands and elbows, but he couldn't, and in the end, his face choked on the ground.

Her skirt was also torn to shreds, revealing her red harem pants underneath.

This was only because we were in the western suburbs, in the open fields, and we were dressed very conservatively. Our socks and trouser legs were tied to our calves with straps. Otherwise, our long, white legs might have been exposed…

However, people wear light clothing in this season, and the wooden plank steps are not straight, with stones and dirt underneath.

He was instantly covered in dirt.

I was stunned by the fall and didn't even feel any pain. All I could think was: How could I be so unlucky?

What a shame...

It's Dongfang back! How did I end up falling in front of him?
Before anyone could give the order, a sharp-eyed female guard rushed over.

Then, pain spread throughout my body. My elbow was burning, so the skin must have been broken. I wondered if the bone was broken.
But none of that compares to the pain in my heart. I truly wish I were dead...

Through teary eyes, she searched for that person, hoping he would come to help her.
But the white shadow remained motionless in the same spot.

Li Jing leaned forward, putting her hands around her nose and mouth to prevent herself from laughing out loud.

Li Chang was also laughing; this was much more exciting than he had planned!
It just kept falling!
Sister Yu'an really knows how to bring surprises. How can Seventh Brother praise himself? Dongfang might even have to have a couple of drinks with him! Life is wonderful.

But as the landlord, he had a responsibility, so he quickly signaled to the palace maid, "Go and fetch Physician Xu!"

These things, though spoken slowly, actually happen in the blink of an eye. The Empress, whose attention had been on the man in white, squinted and stared at him intently, lost in thought.

In the ensuing chaos, she turned to look but saw nothing. Then, a maid beside her delivered devastating news: "The princess has fallen."

The Queen was incredulous. What did she mean by "fell down"?

In front of so many people?

As the Emperor was about to conclude this grand event held every four years and was about to award prizes to the Crown Prince…

How could a princess like that fall down like that?
What a spineless coward! He just wants to rush eastward?

She felt an urge to kill.

The Empress, usually gentle and dignified, glared fiercely at the Crown Prince, her face contorted with malice and her eyes filled with malice.
Just as the mission was about to be perfectly completed, a white horse suddenly appeared, returning from the east. This disrupted the rhythm, and the Crown Prince was quickly calculating how to handle the situation more advantageously.

Therefore, he was the slowest to react, and only after being glared at by his mother did he hurriedly run over to see his younger sister.

Princess Yu'an had been helped up, but she was still in a dazed state.

"Are you alright?" The Crown Prince asked with concern, but his voice was cold. Inwardly, he cursed: "What a spineless coward!"

The Emperor, however, remained remarkably calm. Only now did he shift his gaze from the man in white. Leaning against the railing, he glanced at Yu'an, his brow furrowing slightly.

I was very unhappy: This girl is really useless!

So many years have passed, how come he still acts like this every time I see him?
In such a setting, how could a princess make such a fool of herself!

How does it compare to Ming'an?
Thinking of Ming'an, I went to look at the East again.

The princess fell with such a loud noise that it startled Dongfang, but he only turned his head slightly before looking back at the emperor.

"Help her back first and let the doctor take a look!" the Crown Prince instructed the palace maids and female guards.

But Princess Yu'an was determined to stay, and she was unwilling to leave.
"I……"

The man in white finally dismounted and walked towards Princess Yu'an.

Yu'an's words remained unspoken as she looked at him, a gaze that seemed to stretch back a lifetime...

The man in white walked right past her, one step or two, without stopping or even glancing at her.

This was the person she had her heart set on the moment she saw him.

He's still her husband!

She had missed him for just as many years as she hadn't seen him.

It was through her great difficulty that she managed to become her husband.

Unable to hold back any longer, she reached out to him, "Dongfang..." trying to grab him.

"Alright! You two hurry up." The Crown Prince grabbed Princess Yu'an's hand, his expression unusually serious, with a hint of warning.

He had originally thought that Dongfang, that bastard, had recognized Yu'an and was coming over to say hello.

As a result, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and Dongfang had already reached the platform.

What are you thinking about?

The Crown Prince was furious: "I will remember this humiliation. When the day comes, I'll make sure you, you dog, become a eunuch and serve as a dog to us siblings!"

The man in white stepped onto the platform, his figure swaying slightly. He knelt directly at the Emperor's feet, clutching his dragon robe, and looked up at him: "Your Majesty..."

The emotion in the voice, and the tugging at the hem of his robe, made the emperor's body tremble.

Looking down into those eyes, bright, clear, and innocent, like the starry sky after the rain, years have passed, yet he remains unchanged...

“Father, this is Dongfang…” His beloved daughter pointed to Dongfang, who looked like a fairy boy beside her, and said in a clear voice, “Isn’t he handsome? In the future, I want him to be my husband! You say so too… hurry up.” Then, the fairy boy looked at him with those moist eyes, blushed, and said shyly, “Your Majesty, would it be alright if Dongfang were to be Mingming’s husband?”

A loud cry interrupted the emperor's recollection of the past.

A man came over and hugged Dongfang Dexiang, who was kneeling on the ground. "Xiang'er..." he cried.

The man was extremely handsome and looked young, but he seemed somewhat simple-minded...

The emperor got annoyed and, without saying a word, kicked the father and son once each. He felt a mix of bitterness and hatred, but he didn't kick them hard.

"Get down on your knees!"

He still has important business to attend to.

The Crown Prince had already sent Yu'an away and returned to the Emperor's side, completely ignoring the Dongfang father and son.

The next step was for the Emperor to present the awards.

The team leaders came forward, and the Crown Prince introduced them to the Emperor one by one.

The team that won first place this time was the Liang family army of Marquis Jing'an.

This team, like Liang You, doesn't have any particularly outstanding talents, but it's not at the bottom either.

Everyone involved was a versatile player, and their skill levels were roughly the same. While few individuals won first place in any of the individual competitions, their combined total scores made the team the winner.

Although she didn't score much higher than Zhao Jiajun, who came in second, Mrs. Liang was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes.

The Emperor was quite pleased with Liang You and spent a long time talking to him...

Xu Ke stood in the corner.

When the man in white appeared, he was stunned; the amazement in his eyes was genuine.

At first, he didn't know who this person was, and he squeezed to the railing with the crowd to see. When the man stopped his horse and looked up at the emperor from below, the sight was so beautiful that he felt his heart skip a beat.

There are still such people in the world!

Until someone next to me called out, "Dongfang?"

"This is Oriental Fragrance!" someone exclaimed.

"My God! How come he doesn't age?"

"Is this the legendary Oriental Fragrance? She's really beautiful..."

"Hey, still so smug, tsk tsk!"

Dongfang? Xu Ke understood; this was Princess Yu'an's husband.

A mix of emotions welled up inside me, along with a deep sense of shame and inferiority. Was I just his substitute?

Hehe... Princess, you really flatter yourself.

Just as I was thinking this, Princess Yu'an fell down.

Xu Ke felt a surge of turmoil in her heart. She desperately held it in, turned around, rushed back, broke through the crowd, and then vomited.

Many people at the scene kept glancing at Dongfang.

Many people knew him, and some had even hung out with him before.

However, everyone got married and entered officialdom. They grew short beards. Their limbs became weak, and some even developed bellies. They all walked with a steady, measured gait.

But him?
Why does he return still looking like a young man?
So, is it true that the cruel butcher's knife of time only slays us?
No wonder the princess lost all decorum the moment she saw him...tsk tsk.

Everyone exchanged knowing glances and knowing smiles.

Li Jing remained calm and collected; having nothing else to do, he looked around. Then, he saw his queen and her sister. Their heads were close together, all staring straight east, whispering to each other.

Hmph, what a pair of lovesick fools!
This process took quite a while. Dongfang's father remained silent, kneeling beside his son and staring intently at him, oblivious to everyone else. He scrutinized every single strand of his son's hair.

Finally, the Emperor affirmed the collaboration between the Crown Prince and Li Chang, and then took his leave.

"Your Majesty..." Dongfang called out to the emperor who was about to leave, pointing to his knees, indicating that he was still kneeling there.

"Come with me," the Emperor said coldly.

Dongfang suddenly said, "Your Majesty, Xiang'er would like to introduce a few more people to you..."

"What?" The sound of "Xiang'er" sent shivers down the Emperor's spine, and he stopped in his tracks.

The Empress stood behind the Emperor, her heart filled with malice towards Dongfang. This man must be eliminated!

But then Dongfang put his finger in his mouth and whistled.

Then, four ponies appeared on the field.

Four children were sitting on top.

The oldest boy was about seven years old, and the youngest girl was only two or three years old; they all sat steadily on their horses.

OK?
"Your Majesty knows, these are my grandson and granddaughter whom I gave you..." Dongfang said shamelessly, but his pronunciation was so touching.

"What did you say?" the queen screamed.

Yesterday's writing didn't go very smoothly, and this morning was the same...

Everyone suspected that the princess was drugged and fell, but they were wronging her.