"What... What?"
Madam Liu staggered back half a step in shock, the pearls and jade ornaments in her hair jingling.
But Li Wanming didn't even glance at her. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and called out in the direction of the colored pavilion, "Auntie, how is the crime of slander punished according to the law?"
"According to the laws of our dynasty, those who slander others and damage their reputation shall be flogged thirty times and exiled for one year," came the cold voice of Princess Chengping. "If the offender is a family member of an official and knowingly breaks the law, the punishment shall be doubled: flogged fifty times and exiled for three years."
"Did you hear that, Madam Liu?"
Li Wanming turned around, and her smile once again became extremely bright.
"I... Princess Consort, please forgive me!"
Madam Liu was so frightened that her whole body trembled. She knelt down with a thud.
Li Wanming's gaze swept coldly over the people behind Madam Liu. Her clear voice clearly reached everyone's ears:
"It's true that Miss Shen was once betrothed to my husband, but the engagement has long been annulled. There is no law in the Great Sheng Dynasty that says a man and a woman should remain chaste for each other after the annulment of an engagement and never marry again."
"As for my husband and me..." She smiled slightly, lowered her head to dust off her cuffs, and said, "We are deeply in love with each other. We fell in love at first sight under the imperial list. Then, in order to please me, he guarded the Pingkangfang for two years before I agreed to marry him... I thought this had already spread throughout the streets and alleys. How could you still believe a few words from others and start spreading rumors?"
Her eyebrows frowned, and a cold look appeared on her face.
"I am the Princess Consort personally appointed by the Empress Dowager! I was carried into the Ningwang Mansion's gate in a grand eight - sedan chair ceremony with all the three letters and six etiquettes! I have paid respects to the ancestors of the Xiao family, and my name has been entered into the mansion's genealogy! Even a second - rank court official would address me as Princess Consort when they see me!"
"Let me put it clearly today..." Frost seemed to cover her eyebrows, and her voice was as sharp as a blade. "If anyone dares to spread rumors and damage my reputation in the future, I will never forgive them lightly!"
Before her voice faded, she strode towards the red - silk drum in the center of the racecourse. She snatched the drumstick from the official in charge of the ceremony and struck the drum hard—
"Boom!"
The deafening drumbeat silenced everyone in the field.
"What are you all standing there for?" Li Wanming shouted sharply. "Today is a polo match, not a gossip session!"
"Play the music!"
With her fair hands and red dress, she stood proudly in front of the war drum. Her eyes shone like the sun and the moon, and no one in the whole field dared to look directly at her.
The musicians from the Taichang Temple suddenly came to their senses and quickly played the "Ball - Playing Melody".
The lively and passionate melody rose, the sounds of flutes, flageolets, strings, and percussion instruments soared into the sky. The thick drumbeats intertwined and reverberated with the clear cymbal sounds, instantly dispelling the stagnant haze on the field.
The atmosphere on the racecourse finally became lively again. The previous tense situation seemed like just an illusion.
Zhao Yanke wiped the sweat from his forehead and his gaze fell on Shen Qilan, lost in thought. White moonlight? How come he had never heard Xiao Jingnan mention this person?
But fortunately, the woman Xiao Jingnan married was tough enough. Otherwise, she would have to endure this humiliation today...
When the music stopped, the two polo teams finally rode their horses onto the field.
The two leaders of the left team were both wearing crimson brocade robes with gold - threaded cloud patterns embroidered secretly on them. Their waists were tightly bound by waistbands, highlighting their straight and tall figures. The older one was in his early forties with a short beard on his chin. He was the head of the Huo family. The younger one, about fifteen or sixteen years old, had a bold and unruly look in his eyes and a sneer on his thin lips. He was Huo Qi, the son of the Marquis of Huo and his second wife.
Both of them were wearing black leather boots with silver spurs on the tips shining coldly. They held their polo sticks diagonally against the ground, looking extremely arrogant. The red - gold bridles and the seven - treasure jade - inlaid saddles on their horses were even more dazzling in the sunlight.
The right team was all wearing dark blue narrow - sleeved riding suits. The fabric was of high quality but not overly luxurious, with only silver edging on the cuffs, making them look even more neat and tidy.
The leader was Xiao Jingbai. Holding a crescent - shaped polo stick, he sat upright on his horse. Although his figure was not as burly as that of the Huo father and son, he had a youthful spirit of his own.
There were also several young gentlemen following him. Li Wanming recognized two of them—they were the "Two Generals", the chubby one and the skinny one.
Huo Qi pulled on the reins, and his horse snorted. He squinted at Xiao Jingbai and sneered, "Xiao Jingbai, you've got some guts this year, huh? In previous years, you would pee your pants just at the thought of getting on a horse. I wonder who gave you the courage this year to play polo with me?"
Xiao Jingbai blushed, and veins popped out on his forehead. He stuck out his neck and shouted, "Just because I couldn't do it before doesn't mean I'll never be able to! You wait and see. I'll show you what it means to look at someone with new eyes after just three days!"
The "Two Generals" behind him immediately straightened their backs. One of them patted his chest and said, "Our boss has been practicing hard at the racecourse on the outskirts every day for the past six months!" The other waved his polo stick and added, "That's right! Even Mr. Pei said that our boss has made rapid progress!"
"Just you?" Huo Qi sneered. "I'll show you what real polo is later! If I don't beat you to a pulp, I'll write my name backwards!"
Before his voice faded, a clear female voice came, "Marquis of Huo, Young Master Huo."
Li Wanming walked over gracefully, her apricot - colored skirt fluttering in the wind. "His Majesty said that the Huo family is extremely brave and their polo skills are unmatched in the capital. Therefore, His Majesty has specially prepared two polo sticks today and bestowed them on you two to show his special honor."
Huo Qi's eyes lit up. He immediately dismounted and walked towards the center of the field in three quick steps. The Marquis of Huo, however, squinted his eyes and sized Li Wanming up meaningfully for a while before slowly urging his horse to follow.
Zhao Yanke had indeed prepared the polo sticks for them, and they were extremely exquisite.
The handles were made of sandalwood and decorated with gilded ornaments. The heads of the sticks were inlaid with South Sea pearls the size of pigeon eggs, surrounded by twelve rubies, just like the stars surrounding the moon. In the middle of the stick body, transparent crystal was inlaid with a coiling dragon pattern, which refracted a dazzling light in the hot sun, looking like two small suns, shining brightly.
Even more wonderful was that the middle of the stick head was hollowed out, and no one knew what kind of herbal medicine was inlaid inside. A faint fragrance seeped out, just like the orchid in a secluded valley, making people feel refreshed when they smelled it.
The Huo father and son were overjoyed. They immediately lifted their robes and knelt down, kowtowing heavily to thank the emperor for his kindness.
Indeed, since the founding of the Great Sheng Dynasty, no one had ever been bestowed such a luxurious imperial - made polo stick on the polo field. This was not just a polo stick, but a great honor and a symbol of the imperial favor!
Zhao Yanke waved his hand casually. "It's nothing. Just some playthings. As long as the Huo family is loyal to the country, what's one or two polo sticks?"
Suddenly, he turned to Li Wanming. His eyebrows lifted slightly, and there was a glint of excitement and anticipation in his eyes. "Princess Consort, can we start?"
Li Wanming understood his meaning. A cold smile slowly appeared on her lips. Because she knew that this seemingly supreme honor of the imperial - bestowed objects was actually the death sentence for the Huo father and son!