Chapter 96 A Victorious Start

Chapter 96: Off to a Winning Start

"If I lost my senses, I truly would have no means of resistance," Jiang Shuning said, looking at the small snake coiled around her wrist like a white jade bracelet, and smiled. "However, this little creature doesn't seem very formidable either."

"Don't worry, Sister. Xiao Bai (Little White) is more powerful than you imagine," Jiang Tianze pleaded. "See how obedient it is? Please, just accept it!"

Jiang Shuning could only give in. "Since you went to the trouble of hatching this little snake specifically for me, I naturally cannot disregard your kindness. However, I have never kept a snake before and truly lack the confidence to care for it properly."

"Don't worry, Sister. You just need to accept it. Leave feeding it to me!" Jiang Tianze quickly assured her.

"Alright then." Jiang Shuning gently stroked the little white snake's head with her fingertip and murmured, "If we ever encounter a villain, you just run for your life, little one. I don't expect you to save me!"

Jiang Tianze watched intently as she interacted with the snake, a subtle, dark flicker deep within his eyes.

This little white snake had been raised by him on a diet of rare and potent poisons. Outwardly, it appeared fragile and harmless, but in reality, its venom was potent.

A single bite, if not treated promptly, could be fatal.

Of course, the snake was loyal to its master and would not harm his elder sister without cause.

But for anyone who harbored ill intentions toward her, that was a different story.

Since he couldn't always be by his elder sister's side, he would let Xiao Bai protect her for him!

—

The Grand Princess's polo field was located on the outskirts of the capital, covering a vast area capable of accommodating hundreds of guests.

Those in attendance were none other than high-ranking court officials, aristocratic families, and distinguished royal kinsmen and nobles. Seated in elegant viewing stands, they conversed and laughed with an air of noble refinement.

Like the current Emperor, the late Emperor had many sons but only one daughter. The Grand Princess, cherished from childhood, was the apple of her father's eye.

This polo field was part of the lavish dowry bestowed upon her by the late Emperor when she married the Duke of Wei.

Having grown up surrounded by adoration, the Grand Princess developed a love of showing off. Each year, she hosted several grand polo tournaments to display her immense wealth and opulence to the entire capital.

Xiao Qiyu, reclining in a viewing seat, couldn't help but tsk in admiration. "Our esteemed aunt is truly immensely wealthy! Look at this polo field, built with such splendor—it even outshone the Emperor's summer palace in magnificence!"

Xiao Lingchuan's expression remained unimpressed. "Those who are truly wealthy have long regarded their riches as commonplace and naturally disdain such displays."

"Fourth Brother speaks wisely. Speaking of which, Fifth Brother's mother's family is the most low-key. That is true wealth that could rival the national treasury, yet we have never seen Consort Rong or Fifth Brother boast about it in the slightest."

As he spoke, Xiao Qiyu scanned the crowd for Xiao Huaijin.

He spotted Xiao Huaijin seated not far in front of them, and sitting right beside him was none other than the Third Prince, Xiao Xiuzhan.

"Why is Third Brother sitting with Fifth Brother? Is he trying to win Fifth Brother over?"

Xiao Qiyu immediately grew tense.

The Cui clan, Xiao Huaijin's maternal family, controlled the economic lifeline of the Daye Dynasty. Their wealth was unparalleled, with businesses spread across the realm, sufficient to fill half the national treasury—truly the nation's purse.

If Xiao Huaijin were to switch his support to Xiao Xiuzhan, their chances of gaining the throne would be greatly diminished.

Xiao Lingchuan remained silent, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his deep-set eyes.

He and Xiao Huaijin were rivals vying for the same lady's affection. It was unlikely that Xiao Huaijin could support him and help him ascend to the throne as unreservedly as he had in their previous life.

Until the situation became clearer, he could only bide his time and observe.

The first polo match would be played by the women.

Jiang Yaozhen, clad in a striking red riding outfit, rode a black steed onto the field, a mallet in hand.

Her heroic bearing and commanding presence captivated the attention of everyone present even before the match began.

The guests in the stands marveled at her peerless beauty and graceful figure, showering her with praise.

Seeing his betrothed shine so brilliantly and attract such admiration, Third Prince Xiao Xiuzhan couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.

He turned to Xiao Huaijin beside him and said, "Fifth Brother, I know you have always had your heart set on the Jiang family's eldest daughter, Jiang Shuning. If in the future you achieve your wish and marry Miss Jiang, then we would be not only brothers but also brothers-in-law. Wouldn't that make us even closer?"

A barely perceptible change stirred in Xiao Huaijin's eyes. He looked up at Xiao Xiuzhan and asked calmly, "Third Brother, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Xiao Xiuzhan got straight to the point. "What I mean is, if we two brothers join forces, we can surely crush Xiao Lingchuan underfoot. What right does a descendant of Nanyue have to contend with me for the throne? It simply tarnishes the noble bloodline of our Da Ye royal family!"

Xiao Huaijin remained silent, his expression inscrutable.

Growing impatient, Xiao Xiuzhan dangled another enticing condition. "As long as you agree to ally with me and help me ascend the throne, I will spare no effort to help you win your beauty. How about that?"

Despite his repeated overtures and temptations, Xiao Huaijin maintained his silence as if hearing nothing.

His gaze remained fixed intently on the polo field, his expression focused and serious, as if deeply interested in the upcoming match.

Having made no headway, Xiao Xiuzhan could only turn away in disappointment and turn his attention back to the field, awaiting the start of the match.

Among the noble maidens, few were skilled at polo. Probably only Xia Yan could rival Jiang Yaozhen.

A polo match with just two women competing wouldn't be very exciting.

Just then, Gu Wanying also appeared, dressed in a neat riding outfit astride a chestnut steed, slowly making her way to the center of the field.

Jiang Yaozhen feigned surprise, covering her mouth with a light laugh. "Well, isn't this a surprise! I never imagined that Sister Wan Ying, usually so gentle and refined, would also know how to play polo!"

"I may not be an expert, but I am an accomplished rider. I imagine polo shouldn't be too difficult," Gu Wanying replied nonchalantly.

Then, her gaze settled directly on Jiang Shuning, who was not far away.

"Jiang Shuning, I recall you are also skilled in riding and archery. Why don't you join us? The four of us can form two teams and have a real competition!"

"Sister Wan Ying, you may not know this, but my elder sister has always only excelled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She knows nothing of riding and archery and has probably never even touched a mallet. Asking her to play polo would be deliberately putting her in a difficult position, wouldn't it?"

Jiang Yaozhen's words superficially excused Jiang Shuning but were actually meant to belittle her.

Gu Wanying, however, paid no heed. She stared at Jiang Shuning, her eyes slightly reddened. "Jiang Shuning, let us have a contest! If you can defeat me, from then on, I will no longer dwell on my brother's matter, and I will never again direct any resentment toward you."

She was not a fool. How could she not know that Gu Yiting's death was not directly caused by Jiang Shuning?

However, whether the true mastermind behind Gu Yiting's death was the Third Prince or the Fourth Prince, given her current status and position, she was in no position to pursue the truth or seek vengeance for her brother.

Therefore, she had vented all her resentment and dissatisfaction onto Jiang Shuning, seeking a sliver of psychological solace.

Now, she desperately needed a fierce competition to finally settle this grudge, to completely erase all the resentment she had unjustly placed upon Jiang Shuning, to free herself and to free her.

Jiang Shuning knew she could not refuse Gu Wanying's request.

"Miss Wan Ying, please wait a moment while I change."

A short while later, Jiang Shuning returned to the polo field, now clad in a moon-white riding outfit.

She rode a brown horse, holding a mallet, and calmly approached the other three women.

From the sidelines, Xiao Qiyu asked with concern, "Fourth Brother, does Miss Jiang know how to play polo? She won't lose badly, will she?"

"She doesn't know how to play, but she has talent," Xiao Lingchuan replied with a faint expression. "I'm sure she'll pick it up quickly."

Xiao Qiyu's eyes twitched slightly. "Fourth Brother, you have a lot of nerve!"

He's letting his sister-in-law learn as she plays!

Soon, the four young noblewomen divided into teams: Jiang Shuning and Xia Yan formed one team, competing against Jiang Yaozhen and Gu Wanying.

Although there were few participants, these four were all prominent noblewomen in the capital, so the match attracted the attention of many spectators.

Some even eagerly began placing bets on which team would ultimately win, and the atmosphere instantly became electric.

From the start, the skills of the four young women became apparent.

Although Jiang Shuning and Gu Wanying were skilled in horsemanship, their polo skills left something to be desired. They often watched helplessly as the ball slipped past their horses' hooves, their mallets rendered useless.

Fortunately, both Xia Yan and Jiang Yaozhen were highly skilled, excelling in both horsemanship and polo. They traded blows, neither giving an inch, each managing to strike the ball into the opponent's net.

The match lasted for the time it takes an incense stick to burn halfway, with both sides still evenly matched and too close to call.

Jiang Shuning's face was already covered in fine beads of sweat, but her eyes held a newfound determination and excitement.

After this period of exploration and practice, she gradually grasped the knack of playing polo.

In her previous life, Xiao Lingchuan had meticulously taught her horsemanship, laying a solid foundation. Now, she only needed to carefully observe and imitate Xia Yan and Jiang Yaozhen's ball-handling techniques.

Soon, a polo ball rolled toward her.

She seized the chance, decisively raising her mallet and, using all her strength, swung it fiercely at the ball.

The mallet struck the ball accurately, sending it flying like an arrow from a bow, straight into the opponent's net.

The crowd burst into amazed exclamations.

Consider that Jiang Shuning's position was quite far from the net. Even seasoned polo players might not have been able to accurately strike the ball into the net.

Yet, as a novice, she had done it.

Xia Yan gave her a thumbs-up, while Jiang Yaozhen snorted coldly, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes!"

It was as if Jiang Shuning had suddenly had a breakthrough. From then on, whenever she could reach the ball, she accurately struck it into the net without a single miss.

From the spectator stands, gasps of amazement rippled through the crowd.

At this moment, she was like a dark horse emerging out of nowhere, becoming the focus of the entire field.

Below the stage, Xiao Huaijin's gaze remained fixed on her figure, his heart surging with emotion.

Even Xiao Xiuzhan beside him found it difficult to look away from her.

Xiao Qiyu was thrilled. "Fourth Brother, did you see that? Sister-in-law is amazing!"

Xiao Lingchuan's expression remained calm, but his peach blossom eyes were filled with a smile.

In his previous life, he had already noticed Jiang Shuning's astonishing learning talent, which was why he deliberately pushed her to learn horsemanship and archery.

She truly did not disappoint him.

In the end, Xia Yan and Jiang Shuning's team won a decisive victory, taking the polo match.

Jiang Shuning dismounted and strode over to Gu Wanying, smiling as she said, "Miss Wan Ying, the outcome is decided. You must keep your word!"

Gu Wanying looked at her face, glistening with sweat under the sunlight, and suddenly felt a pang of regret for her brother.

If only her brother were still alive, he could have witnessed Jiang Shuning today—so radiant and brilliant.

She was far more dazzling than Jiang Yaozhen.