The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 61 - 0 Expose (First Update)
Chapter 61: 061 Expose (First Update)
Chapter 61: 061 Expose (First Update)
Li Xianyun looked at Rong Ge and said coldly, “If you have anything to say, you could have spoken privately to mother and myself. Why did you have to pay respects in front of so many people? After paying respects, you didn’t seem to have anything to say. Wasn’t it just to show everyone the slap mark on your face, to make everyone think I’m unkind? And you still say you aren’t harboring ill intentions?”
“I realized just now that this is clearly you intentionally slapping yourself to frame me. What a malicious scheme.”
All schemes and tricks are utterly indefensible once they are laid out in the open.
“It’s not like that, how could this servant dare to have such thoughts…” Rong Ge cried.
She had always been the one to slander others, and she hadn’t expected that today she would be trapped by Li Xianyun’s few words. She could only look helplessly towards Guli.
Guli frowned slightly and said indifferently, “Withdraw. I will deal with you when I am free.”
Rong Ge had no choice but to wipe away her tears and withdraw.
In the stands, there were quite a few women who had been looked down upon by Rong Ge. The enemy of an enemy is a friend, and seeing Li Xianyun squeezing Rong Ge like this, they felt particularly pleased and began to hold Li Xianyun in a favorable light.
After this incident, Li Xianyun gained quite a few fans.
At that moment, a Palace Servant stepped forward and reported, “Informing the Grand Imperial Consort, informing the Consort, can the horse race commence now?”
Guli nodded slightly.
Soon, the dull sound of cow horns started to rise.
A Palace Servant read out the procedure for the competition. First came the guard’s horse-riding performance to warm up the audience, followed by the drawing of lots by the officials’ families. Whoever drew a lot would take part in the race.
The prize was a set of pricey gold and silver jewelry.
After the procedure was read out, the brilliant horse-riding performance began.
One saw more than ten guards riding tall horses, galloping freely in the arena, waving their whips, shouting rhythmically, full of power and wildness.
Then five or six people performed mounting and dismounting while the horses were sprinting.
In the midst of the galloping horses, several towering Khitan men leaped onto the horses’ backs, traveled a few meters, grabbed the saddle, leaped off, then flipped back on, holding the saddle, jumped off the other side, and so on, repetitively. Their movements were uniform and every performance drew continuous praise from the officials’ families in the stands.
The finale was a solo performance. A young man on horseback was sitting, lying, jumping, and rolling, or riding sideways, hugging the horse.
The steed galloped at high speed, and the man’s every movement was executed cleanly and daringly, occasionally drawing gasps from the women.
During this time, Li Xianyun looked towards Zhuo Ma.
Zhuo Ma immediately came over with great respect and leaned in close to Li Xianyun.
Li Xianyun whispered, “Is everything prepared?”
Zhuo Ma replied softly, “Informing Your Highness, all preparations have been made.”
Li Xianyun hummed lightly in response.
Zhuo Ma then respectfully withdrew.
Guli glanced indifferently at Li Xianyun, thinking to herself that as the old saying goes, one is at the mercy of another, but today, the fish on the chopping board was destined to be Li Xianyun, and she, Guli, was the one wielding the knife.
She intended to make Li Xianyun suffer, to let her learn the hard way what it means to fall hard from a high place.
However, that was only one of her objectives.
Her main purpose lay in the events of the previous dynasty.
Guli glanced at the two Palace Servants at the entrance of the horse arena. Understanding her cue, they quickly retreated.
Li Xianyun watched this scene without a word, continuing to watch the performance without showing any reaction.
After the impressive performances had ended, a maid carried over a solid wooden case and went around letting the officials’ families draw lots.
Li Xianyun noticed that the women who drew lots were thrilled, eager to try their luck.
The ladies who failed to draw a lot looked disinterested.
It seemed that everyone was fond of horse racing and wanted to show off their skills in front of the crowd.
The last to draw lots were Ji Chuchu and Li Xianyun.
When Ji Chuchu drew her lot, many officials’ families gazed at her, holding their breath in concentration.
Ji Chuchu was known to have the best horse-riding skills among the Khitan women. If she were to draw a lot, she would undoubtedly win, and the enticing gold and silver jewelry would be unattainable.
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Ji Chuchu reached into the wooden box and pulled out a lot—a red-tipped one.
The crowd of officials’ families looked at the red mark at the top of the bamboo stick and were greatly disappointed.
“There goes our chance.”
“Yes, now that the Commandery Princess has drawn a lot, she’s sure to be the winner.”
“I don’t even want to compete anymore.”
“The outcome is predetermined, what’s the point of competing?”
“We might as well admit defeat and just give her the prize directly.”
While everyone was whispering among themselves, Li Xianyun also drew a lot.
This was all within Li Xianyun’s expectations.
While everyone else was drawing lots, Li Xianyun had carefully observed the wooden box and noticed that the maid would intentionally or unintentionally touch the bottom of the box, which led her to believe there was something fishy going on.
Li Xianyun had a deep understanding of mechanical devices. After only a brief observation, she had figured out the trickery inside.
All the mechanisms inside the wooden box were leftovers from Li Xianyun’s own play.
The wooden box had two layers, with a switch at the bottom. By flipping the switch, the upper and lower layers would exchange, and all one needed to do was place different lots in each layer; with the movement of the switch, the lots would change accordingly.
Thus, controlling the results of the draw couldn’t be easier.
Li Xianyun, holding her lot, seemingly casually touched the maid’s arm. The maid instantly felt her touched arm go numb, instantly losing strength, and consequently, the wooden box fell heavily to the ground.
The box cracked open, and one could clearly see that there was a secret compartment inside, comprised of two layers, one containing red-tipped lots and the other green-tipped ones.
The crowd watched the scene in shock.
Guli hastily said to the maid, “What a clutz you are, quickly pick up the wooden box!”
As the maid bent down, Li Xianyun had already picked up the box, pretending to have touched something and turned the box upside down.
The officials’ families close by couldn’t help but say, “What’s this? There’s a switch?”
Guli hurriedly made a gesture to the maid, and the maid quickly said, “Thank you, Your Highness, I’ll take it.”
But her right arm, which had been touched by Li Xianyun, had no strength at all and was utterly powerless.
Li Xianyun had intentionally touched the pressure point on her arm; that arm wouldn’t regain strength for the duration of an incense stick.
Of course, Li Xianyun wouldn’t hand the box over. One could hear Li Xianyun say, “I have heard that there is a carpenter in Nanyang skilled in making mechanical devices. He is adept at making a kind of box with an upper and lower level that changes when a switch is toggled, and the contents inside the box would change accordingly.”
Guli looked at Li Xianyun and said calmly, “This palace has no knowledge of any Nanyang carpenter. Hand over the things to the maid now; don’t disrupt the competition.”
The maid wanted to reach out and take it, but she was intimidated by Li Xianyun’s stern gaze and withdrew her hand.
“Mother, I also heard that the Nanyang master likes to make a mark of a willow leaf next to the switch,” Li Xianyun mentioned.
Everyone could clearly see that there was indeed a willow leaf imprint next to the switch.
It appeared that what Li Xianyun had said was true.
