If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

The hall was brightly lit and filled with the fragrance of fine clothes. A dozen noble ladies from prominent families sat at the women's table, all dressed in their finest attire.

Wang Jue didn't deliberately look at anyone, but when Xi Lingxian raised her head and looked towards the palace entrance...

He saw her first freeze, then her expression changed.

Then he saw Chen Liuwang glance in her direction.

Did Xi Lingxian know the Prince of Chenliu?

impossible.

The furthest she ever went was Guangling, while the Prince of Chenliu was thousands of miles away; the two were practically unrelated.

But her expression didn't seem like it was the first time they'd met.

"Young master."

The voice of the guard Chang'an reached my ears.

Wang Jue turned her head to the side. "What is it?"

Chang'an lowered his voice and leaned closer, "We've found out about the attack on Miss Xi outside the city a few days ago."

Wang Jue's fingers paused slightly.

"explain."

"That band of mountain bandits... are not ordinary refugees; they are being directed by someone."

"Continue." Wang Jue's voice was indifferent, devoid of any emotion.

"We've got the person under control. We've been interrogating them all day, and they've confessed quite a bit," Chang'an said quickly. "That group was arranged before the Prince of Chenliu went to the capital. Their target was Miss Xi. They figured out her travel routes and waited specifically for her to go out before making their move."

"Then the Prince of Chenliu happened to be passing by and happened to save the man."

Wang Jue put down his wine glass, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly for a moment.

"There's one more thing," Chang'an hesitated for a moment.

"explain."

"When the Prince of Chenliu rescued the person, he didn't leave his name, nor did he say a word to Miss Xi. He left as soon as he finished, cleanly and efficiently. As for Miss Xi... she didn't seem to know his identity."

"How could he possibly let her know?"

A hero rescues a damsel in distress, leaves no name, and departs without a trace after the deed is done.

The oldest method is also the most effective.

Would Xi Lingxian be so foolish as to fall for this?

He suddenly felt a slight tightness in his chest.

"Young Master?" Chang'an called out softly.

Wang Jue snapped out of her daze, her voice returning to its usual cold indifference.

"Continue the investigation. Find out all of the Prince of Chenliu's spies in Jiankang City."

"Yes."

Chang'an withdrew.

Wang Jue's gaze swept over the women's seats without making a sound.

Xi Lingxian was drinking tea with her head down. Her beautiful profile looked particularly soft in the candlelight, and her eyelashes were slightly drooping, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

She's so naive she's almost foolish.

Now that someone has staged such a "hero saves the damsel in distress" drama, will she...?

Wang Jue closed his eyes.

Whom she chooses to believe in and whom she is grateful to is entirely her own business.

However, if Xi Lingxian really falls for the Prince of Chenliu, then the marriage alliance between the two families will fall through, and the political landscape of the court will also change.

He has to consider practical interests.

A minister beside Wang Jue was talking to him. As Wang Jue looked up, he caught a glimpse of Shen Qingdai leaning over and saying something to Xi Lingxian. He then looked up again and glanced in the direction of the head of the table.

Wang Jue looked away expressionlessly.

Above the throne, Xiao Yun was chatting and laughing with the ministers around him.

Seemingly sensing something, she suddenly turned her head and glanced in Wang Jue's direction.

Their eyes met in the lamplight.

Xiao Yun smiled slightly, raised his wine glass, and gestured from afar.

His smile was gentle and refined, and his manners were impeccable.

Wang Jue returned the salute expressionlessly.

……

Xi Mansion Gallery

"Do you know the Prince of Chenliu?"

"Keep your voice down, it's not something to be proud of."

Xi Lingxian pinched Xi Rui's arm hard in anger.

Xi Rui winced in pain, dodging as she asked, "Little sister, you seem to have one peach blossom after another."

"What peach blossoms? Don't talk nonsense. I suspect this is not a coincidence at all."

Xi Rui asked in surprise, "You mean the Prince of Chenliu...?"

"Does he want to marry you too?"

Xi Lingxian's lips twitched slightly. "Be serious."

"Wanting to marry me is a small matter; I'm afraid he has a bigger scheme in mind."

Xi Rui was brave, but when it came to strategizing, his mind was a bit lacking.

"Even the emperor can't do anything about the powerful families, so what can a mere prince do?"

"Don't be alarmed. No matter how big the problem is, your father and I will take care of it."

Xi Lingxian simply couldn't reason with him.

She went to see her father again.

Xi Jian was shocked to discover that the person who saved his daughter from the bandits was actually the Prince of Chenliu. In this way, he would owe the Prince of Chenliu a favor.

Xi Lingxian was afraid that her father would think that way, "Father, you must not be swayed by this favor."

"Silly girl, how can you talk like that? Saving someone's life is a debt of gratitude greater than heaven; he saved you from the bandits, so naturally I am grateful to him." Xi Jian's face was gentle, and his voice was indulgent.

"...Whether the gratitude is genuine or not remains to be seen."

Xi Jian looked puzzled. "Who told you anything?"

"No one else, but my daughter herself felt something was wrong."

"I thought Wang Erlang had something to say to you again?"

"Wang Jue? What's his relationship with him?"

Xi Jian sighed, "When the Prince of Chenliu came to court to pay his respects, although these two did not exchange many words, anyone with eyes could see the tense atmosphere between them."

"Do they have a grudge against each other?"

"The Prince of Chenliu was a member of the royal family, so it was only natural that he would be dissatisfied with the Langya Wang clan, who held power.

Xi Lingxian curled her lips, "Then why doesn't he say that the Xiao family broke their promise? Back when they crossed the Yangtze River to the south, if it weren't for the support of several powerful families, their Xiao imperial power would have been wiped out by the iron hooves of the barbarians long ago."

"When governing the country, he makes powerful families serve him faithfully, but once the country is stable, he wants to discard them like a used tool after the fact. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Xi Jian studied Confucianism from a young age. Although he could not be said to be loyal to the emperor and love the country, he believed that he had at least the most respect for the emperor compared to other aristocratic families.

"Little girl, don't talk nonsense. The ways of emperors have always been the same."

"Father, don't trust the emperor too much. He can turn against the Langya Wang clan, who knows if he won't do the same to us one day?"

"Why are you suddenly talking about politics, and so knowledgeably at that?"

"Because of the deposed crown prince?"

Xi Lingxian remained noncommittal. "Back then, Empress Yu and the deposed crown prince dared to do such things at the Prince of Huainan's residence. It was clear they didn't take our Xi family seriously, or perhaps they were taking advantage of Father's gentle and humble nature, thinking he wouldn't make things too difficult for them. Father, do you think they would dare to use that to manipulate Grand Commandant Wang?"

Xi Jian remained silent.

Xi Lingxian said all this because she didn't want her father to still have any hope for the emperor;

Confucianism demands that subjects be loyal to their ruler, but this kind of thinking is not suitable for the current world.

In chaotic times, everyone relies on their own abilities.

……

When the invitation from the Chengnan Polo Club was delivered to the Xi residence, Xi Lingxian was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.

In her past life, in order to blend in with the noble ladies of Jiankang, she suppressed her true nature and pretended to be dignified and elegant. She forced herself to learn tea tasting, poetry writing, and calligraphy, which she did not like, and almost forgot that her father had personally taught her these specialties.

"Miss, this was sent by Miss Shen." Taozhi handed over a piece of gold-flecked paper with Shen Qingdai's arrogant handwriting on it:

"Lingxian, I've already registered you for the Chengnan Polo Club. You're not allowed to back out. Xie Sanlang and Gu Wulang are both excellent players. We absolutely have to beat the Wang family this year!"

"I'll go as she says." Xi Lingxian handed the invitation to Taozhi and added, "Tell her not to go with a high-profile partner; it's not a fight."

Taozhi smiled and agreed.

On the 19th, the weather was fine, and colorful flags fluttered at the polo field in the south of the city.

The polo match in Kening City is one of the most exciting events of the year.

Young men from prominent families, noble ladies, and socialites—anyone with decent riding skills—wanted to show off their abilities.

The stadium was surrounded by viewing tents, and the curtains of each household were different colors, which could be used to distinguish the status of each household.

Xi Lingxian wore a moon-white, narrow-sleeved Hu-style dress, with a leather belt around her waist and deerskin boots on her feet. Her black hair was tied up high and secured with a white jade hairpin.

Shen Qingdai was waiting for her by the court, and exclaimed "Wow!" as soon as she saw her.

"It's so beautiful!"

Xi Lingxian glanced at her.

Shen Qingdai was dressed in a bright red riding outfit, with a glittering golden crown on her head. She was obviously stunningly beautiful herself, yet she had the nerve to criticize others.

Where is the person you're looking for?

"Third Brother Xie is warming up, Fifth Brother Gu—" Shen Qingdai looked around, "Where is Fifth Brother Gu?"

The servant rushed over to report: "Miss Shen, Young Master Gu just sent word that he couldn't get out of bed this morning and can't come."

"Can't get out of bed?" Shen Qingdai's voice rose eight octaves. "Did he go steal a cow last night?"

The servant shrank back: "I heard it's because... he drank too much."

Shen Qingdai's face turned red with anger, and she turned to look at Xi Lingxian: "What should we do? We're one short, we can't play."

Polo is played by four players per team, and you can't play if one player is missing.

"How about..." she was about to speak when she heard a clear voice behind her—

"Are you two ladies short of staff?"

Xi Lingxian turned around.

Xiao Yun stood three steps away, dressed in black riding attire, with handsome features and an imposing presence.

His gaze swept over Shen Qingdai and landed on Xi Lingxian's face, where he smiled slightly.

"I just happened to be passing by and heard that they were looking for someone to play polo, so I came uninvited. I wonder if you two ladies would do me the honor?"

Shen Qingdai, her eyes already shining, leaned closer: "Your Highness plays polo?"

Xiao Yun smiled modestly: "I know a little bit, but I didn't play well, so please don't be offended, ladies."

"That's wonderful! That's wonderful!" Shen Qingdai, completely oblivious to Xi Lingxian's expression, grabbed her sleeve. "Lingxian, His Highness said he's capable! We don't need any more people!"

Xi Lingxian took a deep breath.

"Then I will trouble Your Highness."

"It was nothing," Xiao Yun said gently. "Miss Xi, you're too kind."

Shen Qingdai skipped and hopped to get the horse, calling back as she ran, "Fanfan, come quick! Let's practice a couple of laps!"

Xi Lingxian responded and walked towards the stable.

She took a few steps and suddenly felt a gaze coming from the direction of the viewing platform, like a thorn in her back.

She instinctively turned around—

Behind the curtains on the second floor of the viewing platform, a tall, slender figure was standing there.

Wang Jue.

He arrived at some unknown time, dressed in indigo riding attire, clearly also ready to go on stage.

He stood in the shadow of the curtain, his face not clearly visible.

Xi Lingxian met his gaze for a moment, then turned her face away and strode towards the stable.

He's like a ghost all the time, he's sick!