Chapter 636: How Stinky! (4)
Back in the emperor's luxurious tent, Eunuch Wei had returned from his journey and was now laying out dish after dish in front of the emperor.
The emperor's eyes came alight and he pointed at the food in front of him. "Were these all made by Lian'er?"
When there weren't any strangers around, the emperor had already started calling Chu Lian by a nickname instead, as if he could become closer to his daughter just by doing so.
As the emperor's trusted confidante, Eunuch Wei knew exactly why the emperor was so delighted by a few dishes.
He smiled and replied, "Yes, these were all made personally by Honoured Lady Jinyi. She even instructed this old servant about this dish. This new dish is called stinky tofu, and it has a rather peculiar smell. She said to simply take it away if Your Majesty doesn't like it."
The emperor's nose twitched. The smell of the stinky tofu was indeed strange. Although it had already been fried and the smell wasn't as strong as it might have been, that peculiar odour was still much stronger than the rest of the fragrant dishes on the table.
However, since it had been made sincerely by Chu Lian's own hands, the emperor wouldn't hesitate to eat it, even if it was poison.
"No need; We will have a taste of every dish."
Since the emperor had already said so, Eunuch Wei naturally wouldn't try to stop him.
Eunuch Wei called over the poison taster, who was also a eunuch. Once the taster had tried the dish, the emperor quickly picked up a piece of stinky tofu and put it into his mouth.
Just like how it had conquered Old Duke Zheng, the emperor's taste buds were completely taken over by the stinky tofu.
Following that, he tried all the other dishes as well. Since Chu Lian had made them for the emperor alone, there wasn't much in each dish. There was exactly a single bowl's worth for each one, so even if he finished it all, he wouldn't be overly full.
Just as the emperor was enjoying his meal in a great mood, Imperial Concubine Wei and Imperial Princess Leyao arrived.
Even before she had entered the tent, the emperor and Eunuch Wei could already hear Imperial Princess Leyao's voice from inside.
The eleven-year-old Leyao was still a child. Thus, her voice held a hint of a child's clear tones, but it wasn't very likable.
"What's that weird smell in Father's tent? Why is it so stinky? It smells terrible! What are you darn eunuchs doing? How could you let Father stay in such a smelly tent? Do you still want to keep your heads?!"
Princess Leyao's voice had been clear at first, but later on, it turned nasally, indicating that she was pinching her nose closed.
Eunuch Wei looked over at the emperor in alarm. What he saw there made him hunker down into his shoulders like a turtle in his shell and retreat back a step.
His master's face was looking extremely thunderous. This was clearly the calm before the storm!
An instant later, Imperial Concubine Wei's voice travelled over as well. "What are you standing there in a daze for? Didn't you hear what the princess said? Hurry up and bring over some flower dew!"
There was the sound of footsteps rushing away, clearly off to do Imperial Concubine Wei's bidding.
It was only now that someone outside lifted the tent flap, allowing Imperial Concubine Wei and Imperial Princess Leyao to enter.
Upon entering the tent, the smell of the stinky tofu was even stronger.
Princess Leyao was both sensitive to and disgusted by the smell of the stinky tofu. She was also used to being spoiled and pampered, which meant wearing incense-imbued clothes and carrying flower dew essence around with her. She had never before encountered such a strong odour. Her line of sight fell upon the emperor's dining table and she noticed the disgusting, black thing sitting in a white porcelain dish.
The moment she confirmed that the smell was coming from that dish, Imperial Princess Leyao immediately gagged and ended up puking her guts out…
Everything happened so suddenly that Imperial Concubine Wei couldn't stop her, even if she tried.
She could only watch as her daughter dirtied the spotlessly clean Persian rug on the floor of the imperial tent.
The emperor had just been eating his midday meal. Now thanks to Imperial Princess Leyao, he no longer had the appetite to eat even the rarest of delicacies.
Eunuch Wei was stunned speechless.
He admitted that the stinky tofu did live up to its name, but the smell wasn't so bad to that extent, surely? Princess Leyao's action was quite exaggerated…
How was His Majesty supposed to continue eating like this?
He had just been praising the stinky tofu for being delicious...
The emperor slammed his jade chopsticks onto the table and roared, "What's going on?!"
Imperial Concubine Wei's heart almost leaped out of her throat as she noticed the emperor's gloomy expression. She hurriedly instructed her attendants to take care of Princess Leyao as she tried to answer the emperor.
"Please calm down, Your Majesty. Yao'er didn't do it on purpose! She is sensitive to smells and she's just a child, so her stomach is weaker. She couldn't help her reaction when she breathed in that terrible smell in the tent."
"Take her away!" Two eunuchs went up to either side of Princess Leyao, prepared to send her out of the tent.
Imperial Concubine Wei had no choice but to comply. She carefully walked over to the emperor's side and said, "Your Majesty, it was Yao'er's fault. Please forgive her as she's still just a child."
She then cast a glance over the meal laid out on the emperor's dining table. When she saw the black stinky tofu, she immediately began to complain. "Furthermore, this dish is just too smelly! What are the imperial cooks doing? They should be punished!"
The emperor had lost all of his earlier good mood; he didn't want to listen to Imperial Concubine Wei's explanations.
He waved her away impatiently and said, "You're dismissed. We're tired and We want to rest."
Imperial Concubine Wei hadn't thought that the emperor would be this angry over the incident. Even if she didn't want to resign herself, she had no choice but to bob and leave the imperial tent.
Once Imperial Concubine Wei left, she investigated the incident and found out why the emperor had been so unhappy.
So it was Chu Lian who had made that dish!
Imperial Princess Leyao gritted her teeth and was instantly overcome with anger towards Chu Lian.
Concubine Wei lightly patted her daughter's back, then lovingly asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Princess Leyao had puked until her face had turned deathly pale, only managing to stop with great difficulty. Around this time, a palace maid delivered a cup of tea. Princess Leyao took a sip from it and felt a little bit better.
"Mother, does Father hate me now?"
Now calm, Princess Leyao's eyes reddened. After a few more blinks, her tears began to fall.
The emperor had very few daughters, and Imperial Princess Leyao was the youngest of them all. Previously, she had been the most pampered princess, and the emperor had never spoke to her harshly. However, now he had suddenly turned his temper on her, all because of a disgusting dish!
How could the headstrong Princess Leyao accept this?!
Imperial Concubine Wei saw how red her daughter's eyes were and quickly rubbed her head to console her. "Yao'er, how could you think that? Your father has always loved you the most. He's just in a bad mood today, and you got caught up in it."
Princess Leyao sniffled, then buried her face in her mother's soft bosom.
Imperial Concubine Wei gently caressed her daughter's smooth hair, but her mind was incredibly tense as well.
It was apparent that she had underestimated the place that that slut Ye Xun held in the emperor's heart. That girl was merely a lost cause that had crawled out of Ye Xun's belly, yet the emperor valued her so much.
While Imperial Concubine Wei doted on her daughter, she couldn't spend all day with her as there was still the afternoon hunt.
The emperor would lead his officials to the forest to hunt, so she needed to act as the host for the female guests.
A short while later, Imperial Concubine Wei hastily left. She bumped into Feudal Princess Anmin at the entrance of the tent.
"Anmin, take good care of Leyao. That child is in a bad mood today," Imperial Concubine Wei said, assigning this task to her before leaving.
Feudal Princess Anmin respectfully complied.
When Imperial Concubine Wei left, Anmin entered the tent to console Imperial Princess Leyao.
Princess Leyao suddenly made a cry of alarm. Her eyes were blown wide with rage and disbelief. "Cousin, what did you just say?! Chu Lian cooked all the food at Father's table just now?"
Feudal Princess Anmin, who was two years older than Leyao, wore a grave expression as she nodded.
"That's right."
With that information in mind, Princess Leyao clenched her teeth. She wished she could put Chu Lian to death right now.
Having been pampered by everyone in the palace, she was used to being arrogant and domineering. The two times when she had had to suffer the emperor's criticism had both been caused by Chu Lian. Adding on to that her hidden feelings for He Changdi, she truly hated Chu Lian now.
Luckily, she didn't know of Chu Lian's true relationship with the emperor, or she would probably go mad otherwise.
"Ahh! How can that Chu Lian be so vile!" Princess Leyao was angry and frustrated.
Feudal Princess Anmin softly sneered and rolled her eyes. "Cousin, why waste your time in hatred? Since you dislike her, just make life difficult for her. We're ladies of the imperial family; what's there to fear? Remember Chu Lian's identity. At best, she might be called Marchioness Anyuan, but at worst, she's just a child from a third-rate family."
Hearing Feudal Princess Anmin's words, Princess Leyao's eyes shone. "Cousin, do you have an idea that can help me relieve my anger?"
In the afternoon, everyone gathered in the plaza after resting.
The plaza was covered in flattened grass and surrounded by a fence of banners. It was clear that the stewards in charge of the hunting grounds had made proper preparations.
There was an open air stable, an exquisite viewing arena, an archery range, a beautifully maintained polo field, and various other facilities.
The emperor walked at the very front, and personally called out the names of people who were to enter the forest to hunt with him.
Most of them were military officials. He Changdi, Royal Prince Lu Tai, Heir Zheng, and some others were named.
Even Sima Hui, the lady who had never been given a chance to prove herself an equal match to men, was named!
Prince Jin, who had been standing behind the the emperor, suddenly glanced in Sima Hui's direction. He may have looked at her in a low-key manner, but his gaze carried a subtle warmth and smile.
Sima Hui had been raised like a son. When she heard her name, she stepped out and saluted with a smile. Her actions were natural and open, and there wasn't any hint of shyness or embarrassment in her gestures, unlike most ladies.
Her cool action immediately won the eyes and admiration of many young military officials.
The emperor announced the names very quickly. It was already mid-day; they still had to hurry back before it got dark.
Thus, everyone mounted their horses, and they galloped away into the forest.
Right as the emperor left, Princess Leyao disregarded the protests of her servants and guards and jumped onto a horse. She pulled on the reins and followed them into the forest.
Feudal Princess Anmin hid in an inconspicuous spot, watching with disdain flashing across her eyes. Her lips suddenly widened into a smile.
She turned towards an unfamiliar palace maid and said, "Did you see that? Tell Sixth Brother that it's been done."
He Changdi, He Lin, Captain Guo, and several others had been personally ordered by the emperor to stay by his side.
Currently, practically everyone had already hunted down an animal or two. He Sanlang in particular was doing very well. He showed mastery in archery, and never missed. He had only shot five arrows, but every single one had hit a target.
Due to this, the emperor seemed to look upon him with favour.
In the forest, an agile doe was moving about. The emperor raised his bow and took aim. Right as he was about to shoot, he heard the voice of a guard beside him.
"Your Highness, something happened!"
The moment of distraction was enough for the doe to escape into the distance.
In a deep voice, the emperor angrily asked, "What is it?"
The guard trembled, but remained determined to make the report. "Your Highness, Princess Leyao has followed us. She's right behind."
"What?! This is preposterous!" The emperor's face instantly transformed from its tranquil state to anger.
As Princess Leyao had been heavily favoured by the emperor during her childhood, the horse-loving emperor had often brought her to the ranch to relax. Therefore, Princess Leyao wasn't the typical sheltered princess. She had learned to ride at a very young age, and having been trained by the emperor, she was in fact pretty skilled, and was in a different league from a newbie like Chu Lian.
However, even if she possessed exceptional riding ability, that wasn't enough to gloss over the fact that her body was still that of a child.
When she rode horses, she had always been given a very tame and gentle mare, but now she had gotten on a horse meant for hunting, an unruly stallion. Due to her frame, she couldn't control such a spirited adult stallion no matter how skillful she was, so it only made sense that the emperor would worry.
The emperor's brows furrowed. "Yuanzhou, take two men with you and find Leyao. Send her back to be confined to Imperial Concubine Wei's side!"
Yuanzhou was the name of the guard who reported this matter. After accepting the order, he was about to turn around, but he suddenly heard Princess Leyao's young voice.
"Yaaaa!"
The emperor lifted one hand to stop the guard who was about to leave. He waited on the spot with everyone for Princess Leyao's arrival, a thunderous expression on his face. Sure enough, Princess Leyao appeared moments later.
The way she rode the hunting stallion made everyone sweat buckets with worry.
Princess Leyao had obviously noticed them as well. She smiled and waved at the emperor. "Father!"
The emperor now had a headache.
Princess Leyao was still some distance away, but the emperor couldn't help but begin to reprimand her. "Preposterous! Who let you come? You look nothing like a lady!"
Princess Leyao seemed to have predicted such words from the emperor, so she raised her chin at Sima Hui's direction and said, "Father, General Sima is a lady as well, yet she's allowed to be here. You're being sexist!"
The emperor hadn't expected Princess Leyao to refute him like this, and it made his rage swell even more.
Right as Princess Leyao's horse was about to reach the emperor's side, her horse suddenly reared up. It then started to flail around randomly like it had gone mad…
The emperor's eyes widened. "Protect the princess!"
Amongst the people that were in the vicinity, the closest ones were He Changdi and Royal Prince Lu Tai.
They couldn't see what had happened, but it was obvious that Princess Leyao had lost control of her horse.
Due to this abrupt development, Princess Leyao herself started screaming in fright.
She had only ever ridden gentle mares, so she had never encountered a situation where she completely lost control of her horse. In the end, she showed that she was still a child when her face paled and she unconsciously screamed.
Even He Changdi, a reincarnated person, didn't have the time to decide whether to save her or not.
At a crucial time like this, there was simply no time for them to weigh their gains and losses.
He Changdi and Lu Tai both urged their horses towards Princess Leyao.
Everyone watched the dangerous scene nervously, and there was so much tension in the air that their hearts skipped a beat.
The emperor's eyes remained wide. He held his breath.
Unfortunately, He Changdi, Lu Tai, and the other guards were still too slow…
After all, they were too far away, and distant waters couldn't put out a nearby fire.
Before He Changdi and Lu Tai could get to her, Princess Leyao had already been flung off the horse.
The stallion was strong and spirited, while Princess Leyao was merely an eleven-year-old child. Getting flung off a horse like that, even if she survived, she would probably be crippled…
A high-pitched neigh came from the stallion right before it fell to the ground, stirring up a small cloud of dust.
The horse had been slaughtered by He Changdi with a single stroke. It had already gone mad. If he hadn't beheaded it, it might have ended up trampling on Princess Leyao, who had fallen to the side.
Everyone hastily rushed over.
Lu Tai carefully held Princess Leyao up. He didn't make any sudden moves, for fear that it might worsen any injury that she had sustained.
The emperor anxiously rushed to Lu Tai's side. "Yao'er!"
Even if Princess Leyao's character had become displeasing to him, she was still the daughter he doted on most. Right now, his daughter had gotten hurt before his very eyes, so there was no way he could keep his cool.
Hearing the emperor's shout, Princess Leyao seemed to have returned to her senses from her shock of getting thrown off the horse. She looked towards the emperor's direction and began to loudly cry, "Father, Father! I'm scared! It hurts!"
The emperor felt a heart-wrenching pain. The smart, wise ruler was at a loss for what to do when faced with the cries of his youngest daughter.
He could only come up with an awkward attempt at consoling her. "Don't be afraid, Yao'er, I'm here with you!"
After saying that, he roared at the top of his lungs for the imperial physicians.
The imperial physicians were always brought along for the spring hunt, as minor injuries were commonplace. However, they never followed them out into the forest, and they were currently still at the campsite.
He Lin noticed the emperor's grave expression and quickly walked up to him. "Your Majesty, the imperial physicians will take some time to arrive. However, this humble official has some knowledge of medicine. Please allow this humble official to examine the princess!"
The emperor glanced at He Lin, which he took as permission. He Lin quickly went up to Princess Leyao's side and took her pulse.
Princess Leyao stayed still, and He Lin examined her as quickly as he could.
A few moments later, He Lin turned around, his brows tightly pressed together.
"What's the result?!" The emperor was very familiar with He Lin, who was the commander of the Yulin Army. Seeing the expression on his face, he was very much aware that the situation was dire.
Right as He Lin was about to speak, the emperor raised his hand to stop him, then took a few steps to the side, signalling to He Lin to speak softly.
He Lin put his thoughts in order and his expression became even more sombre.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being blunt, but I'm afraid Princess Leyao's left leg might be crippled… Even if we find a highly skilled doctor who can save the leg, Princess Leyao will have trouble walking in the future, and that's the best case scenario..."
The emperor sucked a cold breath through his teeth.
What?
His daughter's leg was crippled?
He Lin was an incredibly conservative and competent person and he always spoke appropriately. He would never say something that he wasn't sure of. Since he said that Princess Leyao's leg was truly crippled, the reality might even be worse than his statement.
The emperor shut his eyes, and calmed down soon after.
He walked back to Princess Leyao's side. At this point of time, he had already regained his rationality. Right now, he wasn't just a father. In front of everyone, he was a monarch who wouldn't tolerate any failure.
"Yuanzhou, bring some men with you to take the princess back. At the camp, get Physician Zhou to treat Yao'er immediately."
The guard, Yuanzhou, immediately complied.
Earlier, the emperor and He Lin had intentionally stepped away to speak in privacy, but He Changdi had still been able to hear their conversation with his sharp ears.
He was rather surprised at the condition of Princess Leyao's leg… In his previous life, this hadn't happened at all. Even up till his death, all he knew was that Princess Leyao was living happily and well.
Yuanzhou was about to pick up Princess Leyao from Royal Prince Lu Tai's arms when Imperial Princess Leyao unexpectedly cried out.
With tears streaming down her face and a heart-rending wail, she pointed at He Changdi and demanded, "Father, I want Big Brother Changdi to take me back, wuwu..."
The emperor was stunned. He stared over at He Changdi, who was still holding the longsword he had used to behead the horse in hand. The sword was still dripping blood, and he had an aura of slaughter about him.
Actually, Princess Leyao's demands were very sudden, and even more unreasonable.
Although their rules weren't as conservative as to forbid seven-year-old boys and girls from sitting at the same table, that didn't mean that men and women could freely mix around in the Great Wu.
He Changdi was a married man. While Princess Leyao was eleven, she was already in the process of becoming a lady. In the Great Wu Dynasty, ladies could marry once they came of age. There were even families who began the search for suitors as early as age twelve. So at eleven, it was already necessary for Princess Leyao to keep her distance from men.
Furthermore, Princess Leyao had hit puberty earlier than average. Perhaps due to the good environment she had been raised in, she looked more mature than her age group. Although she was only eleven, she didn't look much different from girls who were thirteen or fourteen.
Once Princess Leyao spoke, many people in the surroundings covertly placed their eyes on He Changdi.
There were some with thoughtful looks, some with jealousy, some with contempt, and some with malicious intent…
He Changdi hadn't expected Princess Leyao to make such an excessive demand at this juncture.
Speaking of his interactions with Princess Leyao, the only one worth mentioning was saving her once in order to grab the emperor's attention. After that, Princess Leyao had somehow gotten the opportunity to meet him several times. At that time, Princess Leyao was only ten, so He Changdi hadn't thought much of it at all.
After that, he had gone to the northern border to fight for merit, and had finally returned with a great victory after New Year's. The last time he had met Princess Leyao was at a palace banquet, and they had only nodded to acknowledge each other's presence.
Although He Changdi disapproved of Princess Leyao's demands in his heart, he didn't think too much of it. In his eyes, Princess Leyao was just a child who had yet to become a woman.
He stood there, motionless, with his frosty countenance and calm disposition as usual.
It was obvious that the emperor couldn't make out what was on his daughter's mind, but he recalled the fact that He Changdi had saved his daughter last year. Thinking about it, perhaps his daughter wanted He Changdi to send her back because she wanted to rely on her savior. He Changdi had saved her before, so he could give her a sense of security.
He glanced at He Sanlang and said, "Marquis Anyuan, send the princess back."
Since the emperor had spoken, He Changdi had no choice but to comply. He took Princess Leyao from Royal Prince Lu Tai's arms, then led Yuanzhou and the other guards as they returned to the campsite on their horses.
The treatment for Princess Leyao's leg couldn't be delayed.
The emperor watched motionlessly as He Changdi left with Princess Leyao for a long moment. No one could tell what was on his mind. Finally, he got back onto his horse and led his many officials deep into the mountains.
Since he had watched his daughter get hurt, he had no mood to continue the spring hunt.
However, he had already brought so many officials and nobles out, so it wouldn't be right to just return like this. He had to keep his spirits up and at least make a round around the hunting grounds today.
Chu Lian and the other ladies were seated under a cool shelter, drinking tea and appreciating the scenery. At this moment, she was seated right beside Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia.
The one in the highest seat was Imperial Concubine Wei, which was to be expected, and then there were the various wives of the princes and imperial ladies after her.
There seemed to be quite a number of people here, and the three viewing shelters were all completely filled.
Royal Princess Duanjia tossed a walnut that Jinxiu had already opened into her mouth, and rolled her eyes in the direction of Feudal Princess Anmin.
Princess Wei noticed her action and glared at her. "Duanjia, don't be rude."
Chu Lian was seated by Royal Princess Duanjia's side, so she turned to look towards Feudal Princess Anmin after hearing Princess Wei's comment.
At this time, Feudal Princess Anmin and the other princesses were deeply engrossed in conversation.
Royal Princesses, Feudal Princesses, Honoured Ladies, and other titled ladies who were related to the imperial family didn't possess any territory in the Great Wu Dynasty. It wasn't like in the Tang Dynasty where ladies could be granted territory. It was possible for small amounts of land to be granted, but the disparity in treatment between men and women was like that of heaven and earth.
Even the closest female members to the emperor didn't hold much power.
Feudal Princess Anmin's mother, Princess Ande, was one such person.
Princess Ande was the eighth daughter of the previous emperor. Her mother had been of lowly birth, and was a palace maid who had been taken by the previous emperor when he had gotten drunk once. After a difficult birth, she had soon passed away.
Rumours in the palace spread that Princess Ande was an unlucky star to her mother, so there was no concubine who was willing to foster her.
She spent her younger years amongst the palace maids, and sometimes, she hadn't even gotten to eat her fill. Later on, when the current emperor had taken the throne, Princess Ande was finally bestowed a title.
However, due to the time that she had languished in the palace, the peak of Princess Ande's life had already passed before she got married. She only managed to give birth to a daughter, Feudal Princess Anmin, when she was almost thirty. Since Princess Ande didn't hold enough power, her prince consort had taken in two more concubines, and they had each given birth to an illegitimate son.
Due to the existence of the illegitimate sons, Feudal Princess Anmin didn't have a harmonious family.
Chu Lian moved her gaze away, and softly asked Royal Princess Duanjia, "What's wrong?"
Royal Princess Duanjia snorted. "I just don't like her face. Chu Liu, remember to stay away from people like her."
Chu Lian recalled the the events stated in the book. Feudal Princess Anmin had merely been mentioned in a couple of lines, and there weren't any more details regarding her.
Before Royal Princess Duanjia could explain to Chu Lian why she didn't like Feudal Princess Anmin, they were disturbed by the loud noises coming from Feudal Princess Anmin's table.
The noises were then followed up with laughter from the young ladies.
Everyone could hear a delicate and tender voice giggling, "Imperial Concubine Wei, don't you think that it's really boring for us to just sit here? His Majesty and the others will only return from their hunt later tonight!"
"The one speaking is Royal Princess Nanzhang," Royal Princess Duanjia whispered into Chu Lian's ear.
Royal Princess Nanzhang was Prince Lewen's youngest daughter. Although she was of royal blood, her status was very average. Prince Lewen was the second son of the previous emperor's brother, Prince Zhao.
In actuality, when it came to Royal Princess Nanzhang's generation, she was already considered a distant relative.
However, Royal Princess Nanzhang was a talented speaker. She would often appear at upper-class gatherings, and she left a deep impression on many noble ladies in the capital. Even Imperial Concubine Wei liked her glib tongue.
Royal Princess Nanzhang had earned her royal title from the power of her speaking alone, so from that angle, she was truly talented.
Royal Princess Nanzhang's identity was similar to that of a mere socialite, and she wasn't even worth mentioning in the eyes of those who held real power.
Imperial Concubine Wei, who sat on the upper seat, gave off an elegant smile. "You silly girl, it's only been a short while and you're already bored? Well then, do you have any bright ideas? Come and tell me about it."
"You're truly wise, Your Grace! You've managed to see through me so easily. Since you don't mind, I'll voice my bold suggestion." As she spoke, Royal Princess Nanzhang swept her phoenix eyes around the shelter. She had a smile on her face, which made her seem amiable and approachable to others.
"Although we are of the fairer sex, it's not like we actually lack any strength. We may not be as strong as General Sima, but I believe that practically everyone here can ride a horse! How about we play a game of polo?"
In the Great Wu Dynasty, both football and polo were extremely popular.
As horses were expensive, football became more popular to the masses than polo. Sometimes, young children could be seen playing football on the streets.
Polo, on the other hand, was an activity solely for the rich and noble.
Practically all noble ladies knew how to play it.
Women's polo was a little more gentle than men's polo, and the sticks and balls that they used were different. Their teams used fewer players than men, and they played using only the most carefully selected tame mares.
Generally, there was no danger involved at all.
This game was also an activity whereby ladies could showcase their physical talents.
Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to be swayed by Royal Princess Nanzhang's words. She smiled and said, "Nanzhang has made a good suggestion. Since we're already out, we might as well have some fun. Everybody came here in riding attire, so it would be a waste for us ladies if we don't make use of this opportunity to play."