The Duke of Zhongyong was even more excited than when he saw Zhang Yulin score a goal.

He overheard someone ask, “When did the Princess become this skilled?”

“Yeah, she even managed to steal the ball from Tailan.”

“During the first half, Prince Wei Yangwang changed tactics, sending three or four people to guard Tailan, but they couldn’t keep him in check. Compared to that, the Princess is really something.”

Wen Yuesheng’s sudden change in temperament had been the subject of much private discussion in the capital since the broken engagement, but it had never been openly discussed in such a public setting.

Now, seeing her skill at polo, people were beginning to question it.

However, despite the curiosity, she was still the same as before, only much thinner.

Though people were curious, they did not yet question anything outright.

There were even those who speculated that her mysterious connection with Buddhism might be at play.

After all, there had been several miraculous events tied to her, such as the sutra that cured the Empress Dowager, the recovery of Zhang Yulin, and many who had their wishes granted after using her prayer well.

Upon closer inspection, all these events didn’t seem all that surprising.

People in that era believed in fate, especially members of the royal family, who were said to be chosen by heaven.

The so-called “heavenly mandate” was often used to legitimize one’s actions.

Some even used it as a tool to build their own power, claiming it as divine right to take the throne.

Nevertheless, on the polo field, everyone, including the Emperor, was elated after the ball went in.

After the goal, the polo field fell silent for a moment before an eruption of cheers.

Prince Wei Yangwang was so excited, he asked, “Si Ning, did you take your medicine?”

Wen Yuesheng rode over, casting him a cold glance.

Prince Wei Yangwang: … Fine, he would keep quiet.

In that moment, Yu Shun, who had been watching closely, smiled and spoke to Tailan, who had just retrieved his mallet. “Tailan.”

Tailan, still stunned by the move, lowered his voice and said seriously, “This Princess seems to be skilled in martial arts.”

Not just skilled—she might be extremely strong.

Yu Shun wasn’t surprised.

A smile crept across his face as he said, “Let’s switch places. I’ll personally guard her.”

Tailan nodded.

The atmosphere on the field was tense, and as the third ball was hit, many rushed forward to contest it.

But Yu Shun only kept his focus on Wen Yuesheng.

He shadowed her every move—when she slowed down, he slowed down, when she sped up, he followed suit, always maintaining a distance that allowed him to guard her alone.

Zhang Yulin stole the ball, and as he turned, Prince Wei Yangwang shouted, “Pass it to me!”

Tailan was blocked by Zhang Yulin, and Prince Wei Yangwang had an open path to the goal. If the ball was passed to him, it would surely be a goal.

But for some reason, Zhang Yulin passed the ball to Wen Yuesheng instead.

“Zhang Yulin!” Prince Wei Yangwang’s face turned blue with rage.

He couldn’t hold back anymore, raising his voice furiously, “What’s wrong with you?”

He couldn’t fathom why Zhang Yulin had made such a pass, especially when Yu Shun was so effectively blocking Wen Yuesheng.

Zhang Yulin ignored him and rode towards Wen Yuesheng.

The ball rolled to Wen Yuesheng’s side, and beside her stood Haoyu’s Crown Prince, Yu Shun.

A tense silence gripped the audience.

As the ball neared Wen Yuesheng, Yu Shun moved to intercept it.

But as soon as he made his move, Wen Yuesheng blocked him, their mallets clashing repeatedly in rapid succession.

The duel between them escalated as both riders sped up, the ball remained in close proximity, neither allowing the other to gain an advantage.

Wen Yuesheng’s horse was just an ordinary one compared to Yu Shun’s prized steed, and as the speed increased, her horse began to fall behind.

But even so, their movements were a blur to the onlookers.

As Wen Yuesheng’s horse struggled to keep up, it seemed like she would fall behind completely.

Just then, she raised her mallet, and Yu Shun moved in to block it.

However, he noticed she was pulling back slightly.

He quickly adjusted, preparing to intercept her mallet from the other side.

But her retreat was a feint.

As he tried to move in from the other side, she surged forward, striking the ball with a swift swing—

“Boom!” The ball shot off, making a loud, satisfying sound as it flew into the Haoyu goal.

“Beep! Da Hui scores! One point!”

The field fell silent for a moment before it erupted into thunderous applause.

“Princess! Princess! Princess!” The soldiers who had been playing polo were all in awe of Wen Yuesheng’s flawless technique, and soon her name was being chanted by the crowd.

The atmosphere surged like a tidal wave, echoing throughout the polo field.

Yu Shun turned to look at her, his smile widening as he spoke, “Haoyu warriors, change formation!”

“Yes!”

This match, especially the back-and-forth between Wen Yuesheng and Yu Shun, was the most exciting polo game anyone present had ever witnessed.

Every time the two faced off, it was bound to be a thrilling spectacle.

The last ball brushed past Yu Shun’s face.

With a loud bang, it fell into the goal.

The court attendant blew the whistle and loudly announced, “Da Hui wins!”

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire arena erupted in intense cheers.

Yu Shun’s gaze landed on the person who had just dismounted ahead.

The few balls after that, Wen Yuesheng’s horse could not keep up, but not only did she not fall behind, she remained in a delicate state of balance.

It was like the score of the game today.

At halftime, Da Hui had three points, while Hao Zhou had seven.

By the end of the second half, Da Hui had eleven points, and Hao Zhou had ten.

It seemed like a one-point victory overall, but in reality, Da Hui had scored eight goals in the second half, while Hao Zhou had only three.

And this outcome was only because Wen Yuesheng had joined the game.

No, or perhaps it was because she hadn’t really exerted herself much.

After she and Prince Wei Yangwang had alternated, scoring a few goals and tying the score at 8-8, she had started leisurely walking around the field again.

It was only when Hao Zhou’s patience was severely tested, and the score kept getting tied, that she finally scored the last goal in front of him, ending the polo match.

He looked at her back, his admiration and smile almost impossible to hide.

Over there, Prince Wei Yangwang, along with a group of soldiers, had shouted and cheered, but upon turning around and seeing Yu Shun smiling like that, it gave him goosebumps.

He couldn’t help but nudge Zhang Yulin and said, “Has Prince Hao Zhou gone mad? How can he be so happy after losing a game?”

Turning back, he saw Zhang Yulin grinning like a fool.

Prince Wei Yangwang: …

Well, looks like everyone’s gone crazy.

Meanwhile, Wen Yuesheng slowly walked towards the palace.

Someone was already waiting inside the hall.

Gu Yu had prepared a basin of clean water, and Gao Quan smiled, saying, “Congratulations, Princess, for winning the polo match.”

As Wen Yuesheng slowly washed her hands, he cheerfully added, “Your Majesty is requesting you inside.”

After washing her hands clean, Wen Yuesheng took the handkerchief from Gu Yu and slowly wiped her hands as she walked toward the palace.

As soon as she entered, she heard the congratulatory voices filling the hall.

It was rare to see Da Hui overwhelming Hao Zhou like this, and most of the people present were especially excited.

The Emperor smiled and said, “Si Ning, I was just talking with the Crown Prince about you. Tell me, when did you learn such great polo skills?”

Yu Shun had already arrived inside the hall a step earlier and lifted his eyes to look at Wen Yuesheng.

He saw her eyes as dark as ink, with the jade Buddhist beads on her wrist standing out.

Wen Yuesheng said, “The Empress Dowager likes polo. Whenever she has free time, she always invites people to the palace to play polo together.”

“Over time, I learned.”

Mentioning the Empress Dowager made the hall fall silent for a moment.

In recent days, who didn’t know about the troubles that had occurred in the Empress Dowager’s family?

But the Emperor, without showing any change in expression, said, “So, you could say that the Empress Dowager is your half-master?”

Wen Yuesheng raised her eyes, and a rare smile appeared on her exquisite face.

Her beauty was dazzling, and when she smiled like this, it made people’s hearts flutter.

“Not just that,” Wen Yue Sheng seemed to think for a moment before continuing, “A few days ago, the Empress Dowager summoned me to the palace, saying she wanted to talk to me about a marriage proposal.”

Upon hearing this, the lively atmosphere in the hall came to an abrupt halt.

Many people exchanged glances, and hearing her words made their hearts race.

Xiao Jin, who had just entered the hall, also darkened at the mention of this.

He suddenly looked at her.

“The Empress Dowager said that the Crown Prince and I are of a matching age, and since I was able to train a general like Zhang Yulin, if I could marry her nephew, it would certainly help the Liang family achieve great things.”

Wen Yuesheng seemed completely unaware of the atmosphere in the hall.

She spoke in an ordinary tone as if chatting casually.

“She also said that, aside from the Crown Prince, I couldn’t find a better match in the capital.”

The hall fell into complete silence.

Given Wen Yue Sheng’s current situation and the fact that she had broken off the engagement with the Prince, it wasn’t surprising that the Empress Dowager thought this way.

But… the mistake was that this should never have been spoken aloud!

And it should not have been directly reported to the Emperor in such a casual manner by Wen Yue Sheng.

No matter what, Wen Yuesheng was a royal princess!

Moreover, pulling in the military officials like this was something that would endanger anyone’s future.

Of course, in court politics, no one would speak so openly like Wen Yue Sheng.

Everyone knew the situation.

But because she said it aloud, it carried credibility.

She wasn’t just any prince; she couldn’t fight for the throne. Aside from teaching Zhang Yulin, she was also the Emperor’s niece!

That night, the Emperor visited the Empress Dowager’s palace, where she had supposedly been ill.

The Emperor had not been attending to her sickness, but when he entered, he was startled by the Empress Dowager, who was sitting up in bed, looking healthy and rosy-cheeked.

The Emperor sneered, stepped forward, and grabbed her chin. “Liang Yin, I heard you planned to marry Si Ning off to your nephew?”

Hearing these words, the Empress Dowager’s expression changed drastically.

She quickly said, “Your Majesty…”

“Si Ning is a royal princess, the daughter of my own sister. How dare you think your beast of a nephew is worthy of her?!” The Emperor’s grip tightened, making her cheeks ache.

The Empress Dowager’s face turned pale, but she dared not argue anymore. She said, “Your Majesty, I did not…”

“Si Ning ordered Zhang Yulin to kill my nephew, and that’s why…”

“Liang Can was killed by the beast you raised. This matter is already settled. How dare you bring it up?!” The Emperor roared, “Liang Yin, do you even see me as the Emperor anymore?”

“Or have you and the Liang family already harbored rebellious thoughts? That’s why you openly recruited the military officials I’ve just acquired! Are you trying to use this to threaten Si Ning? What do you want? What does the Liang family plan to do?!”

“Liang Yin, open your eyes and see clearly, I am still alive!”

With those words, the Empress Dowager no longer dared to speak.

Her face drained of color, and she trembled as she met the Emperor’s gaze.

“Slap!” The Emperor released her chin, coldly ordering, “Issue an imperial decree. From now on, all officials from the Liang family in the court will be dismissed. No one from the Liang family is allowed to enter the court for three generations.”

“Empress Dowager’s behavior is improper. Her title will be stripped, and she will be downgraded to a concubine.”