Unfortunately, Lu Qinghuai never got to practice with his intended sparring partner.

In the palace, Consort Shu had sent a message inviting them to attend a polo match three days later.

Polo was very popular in the Great Hui dynasty, and it was because Consort Shu was exceptionally skilled at it that she caught the Emperor’s eye and was chosen to enter the palace.

As a result of her expertise, Consort Shu enjoyed great favor, and the palace held a grand polo match every year.

Lu Qinghuai, being a skilled player himself, was well-known in the capital for his prowess in the game, often winning matches before his deployment to the border.

However, he had not fully recovered from his injuries and had originally planned to decline the invitation.

But the palace servants, speaking on behalf of Consort Shu, reassured him that he wouldn’t need to play in the match—just attending to watch the event would suffice.

Given Consort Shu’s status as the mother of Prince Jingkang, Lu Qinghuai felt it would be difficult to refuse her invitation.

He had been relatively calm these past few days. Zhou Manniang’s medical skills were exceptional, and the poison he had been afflicted with was almost entirely eliminated.

His injuries were gradually healing, and even the hand that Wen Yuesheng had severed had largely recovered by the third day.

At least now, riding a horse wouldn’t tear open the wound, nor would he need to be supported by Zhang Yulin just to leave the house.

However, Zhou Manniang remained worried, fearing that Lu Qinghuai might be unable to resist the temptation to join the polo match.

So, she decided to accompany him and his sister to the match.

Wen Yuesheng stayed behind at the estate to pray and did not join them.

Though Wen Yuesheng herself was not present, the topic of conversation among those at the event was almost entirely about her broken engagement with the Prince of Yong’an.

The public had been abuzz ever since the marriage was annulled at her birthday banquet, and recently, a new incident had emerged.

It all started with Wang Jinzh, a grand minister of the imperial cabinet.

One day, while in the palace, he accidentally glanced at the marriage annulation letter Wen Yuesheng had written, and after that, he couldn’t get the letter out of his mind.

After much contemplation, he sought out Wen Xun and asked for the letter.

Wen Xun had never expected anyone to be interested in such a thing, but Wang Jinzh was a high-ranking official who had frequent dealings with him, so Wen Xun couldn’t refuse.

The letter, which was meant to be kept by the imperial family, had not been mentioned by the Emperor, so Wen Xun took it home.

Wang Jinzh insisted on reading it, and Wen Xun lent it to him for a few days.

Unexpectedly, Wang Jinzh not only read the letter himself but also had his students—and their students—read it.

He even transcribed it, reading it aloud daily. Whenever he reached a particularly exciting part, he would call others over to discuss it.

As a result, the entire capital soon learned of the story surrounding the Prince of Yong’an, Wen Yuesheng, and her younger sister, the preferential treatment given to the younger sister, the neglect of the fiancée, and the subsequent breaking of the engagement.

The news spread far and wide, from the scholarly halls to the common people on the streets.

Even the street vendors knew about it by now.

Both the Prince of Yong’an, the Wen family, and even the royal family had lost face over this incident.

When Wen Xun found out, he went to confront Wang Jinzh.

Wang Jinzh slapped his forehead and hurried to the palace to apologize.

This morning, he had been scolded in the palace for prioritizing the eloquence of the letter over the dignity of the imperial family, acknowledging that his actions were grave and deserving of severe punishment.

The Emperor, already amused, couldn’t help but laugh.

Wang Jinzh, despite being in his seventies, was considered a respected figure in the government, and the Emperor couldn’t punish him too harshly without risking his own embarrassment.

Sighing, the Emperor gave up.

“…Don’t mention it. Everyone always said that Sining’s writing was poor, but from what I see, it was nothing but rumors. If we really believe them, it’s no different from slander. I’ll say it again, our fourth prince is too naïve!”

Sitting on the polo field, Prince Wei Yangwang, his eye still swollen, spoke with obvious enthusiasm.

“Everyone else believed the rumors, and now look—he’s the one who got rejected. The royal family’s face has been lost, the Emperor is angry, and all of this is his fault.”

Lu Qinghuai, sitting nearby, quietly commented, “It seems that Prince Wei Yangwang regrets not being at the banquet to witness the annulment of the engagement firsthand.”

Lu Hongying quickly nudged him.

The Empress had stayed behind in seclusion, and the Prince of Yong’an did not attend the polo match today either.

With fewer people present and Lu Qinghuai still recovering from his injuries, it was decided that Lu Hongying would play in the match instead.

At home, Lu Hongying had learned some martial arts, though she was certainly not as skilled as someone who had undergone proper training.

However, she was far better than the average noblewoman.

She had played polo frequently in the past, so Lu Qinghuai was not concerned and simply sat in the stands, watching her performance.

The two teams on the field were clearly divided by their uniforms: one team wore black riding attire, while the other wore red.

At the forefront of the black team was Prince Heng Guang, while Prince Wei Yangwang led the red team.

Lu Hongying was dressed in red, aligning with Prince Wei Yangwang’s team.

Despite the swelling around Prince Wei Yang’s eye, which made him look somewhat unreliable, he surprised everyone once he took to the field, playing remarkably well.

As soon as the whistle blew, he spurred his horse into action, swiftly grabbing the ball.

He rode across most of the field, passing the ball to a guard alongside him, who raised his mallet high.

Thud!

The ball soared through the air, flying straight into the goal.

The imperial servants immediately struck the gongs, announcing, “Prince Wei Yangwang’s team scores one point!”

Cheers erupted across the field, with the spectators in the stands also caught up in the excitement.

“Prince Wei Yangwang is actually quite good at polo,” someone commented.

“That guard playing with him is even more impressive. He was able to receive the ball from Prince Wei Yangwang without missing a beat.”

“You know, King Wei Yangwang might not take too kindly to that comment.”

Among the Emperor’s four sons, Prince Wei Yangwang was the most affable, and because of this, many were able to joke with him.

As the game progressed, Prince Wei Yangwang’s team continued to perform well, with his exceptional guard proving to be a key player.

No matter how tricky the angle, the guard would always manage to catch the ball and expertly strike it into the goal.

Lu Hongying also played well, forming an unspoken understanding with the guard, so much so that, for a portion of the match, Prince Heng Guang’s team couldn’t score a single goal.

Prince Heng Guang, who valued his reputation, would not take such a humiliating defeat lying down.

The match was paused multiple times and even saw three substitutes, but no one could match Prince Wei Yangwang’s team.

The guard Princr Wei Yangwang had brought was undoubtedly a skilled polo player.

By the second half of the game, Prince Hengguang’s frustration was palpable, and his playing grew more aggressive.

Lu Qinghuai, who had been watching, noticed this and ordered one of his servants to remind Lu Hongying to be careful and avoid being knocked over by Prince Hengguang’s team.

Lu Hongying understood that, given the match’s one-sided nature, her performance would likely be seen as a liability.

So, she deliberately eased off, not chasing after the ball as aggressively as before.

However, the team had developed such a strong sense of coordination that whenever Prince Wei Yangwang or his guard obtained the ball, it would instinctively be passed to Lu Hongying.

After several exchanges, Lu Hongying found herself running with the ball once again.

Lu Qinghuai frowned slightly and was about to call for a pause and remove Lu Hongying from the game when he overheard someone nearby comment, “It seems like Big Brother is angry.”

Lu Qinghuai paused for a moment, turned, and saw it was Prince Jingkang.

The polo match was hosted by Imperial Consort Shu, so Prince Jingkang’s presence wasn’t entirely surprising.

What was unusual, however, was that Prince Jingkang had always been frail and rarely participated in palace events, let alone something like this.

Lu Qinghuai knew that Consort Shu only had one son, and he was indulged by her.

But Prince Jingkang’s appearance today still caught him off guard.

Lu Qinghuai glanced at him briefly before turning back to the servant next to him. “It’s been quite a while, and the score gap is too wide. Have her exit the match.”

It was reasonable for a female player like Lu Hongying to want to leave if she became fatigued midway through the game.

The servant nodded quietly and began heading toward the field to relay the message.

However, at that moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Just as Lu Qinghuai had instructed, the ball was once again passed to Lu Hongying.

She urged her horse forward, carrying the ball toward the opponent’s goal.

Halfway there, she was intercepted by several players from Prince Hengguang’s team.

With multiple mallets aimed at the ball, a collision was inevitable.

Amidst the chaos, someone was tripped, and both horse and rider fell to the ground, blocking the view of most of the players.

All the audience saw was Lu Hongying swinging her mallet.

With a loud crack, the ball flew off, but not toward the goal.

Instead, it hurtled straight at King Hengguang’s horse.

Prince Hengguang was not far off, and the force of the strike hit the horse directly in the eye.

The horse was a rare and valuable steed, known for its fiery temperament.

After much training, it had become more obedient, but at its core, it was still a wild creature.

Struck in the eye, the horse immediately became frantic.

It reared, throwing its rider off and galloping wildly.

In the chaos, the horse’s hooves struck King Hengguang’s left leg.

“Aah!” Prince Hengguang’s agonized scream echoed across the field.

The sudden accident happened so quickly that by the time most people realized what had happened, Prince Hengguang had already collapsed, unconscious from the pain.

The palace erupted into chaos. Lu Qinghuai’s face changed drastically, and he heard Consort Shu shout, “Where’s the imperial physician? Hurry and fetch the imperial physician!”

“Someone, stop that mad horse immediately!”

“Everyone who was on the field just now, detain them! No one is allowed to leave!”

Lu Qinghuai quickly raised his eyes and, from a distance, saw Lu Hongying looking startled and confused by the sudden turn of events.

She looked up toward him in confusion.

His expression darkened immediately.

Nearby, Zhou Manniang quickly turned to her servant and whispered urgently, “Go and find the Princess, now!”

Everyone’s attention was on the field, leaving no one to notice the servant who nodded and hurried off.