Having said that, she slowly walked towards Li Wanming, her eyes sincere. "Princess Consort, in these past few years, I've heard the wonderful story of how you and the Crown Prince were engaged after he passed the imperial examination. Qilan is truly happy that the Crown Prince has found a good match."
"However..." Her tone shifted. "Recently, the Crown Prince has been promoted to the high - ranking official of Guanglu Daifu, and the Ning Palace is at the height of its glory. Who would have thought that rumors have resurfaced in the capital, digging out old matters. I'm afraid that the events of that year might give small - minded people something to talk about and affect the Crown Prince's reputation, so I've come here specifically to clarify things today."
She took Li Wanming's hand and, facing the crowd with various expressions, declared loudly, "Prince Qilan and I were originally strangers with no affection for each other. It was just an arranged marriage of well - matched families by our parents."
"We broke off the engagement long ago, and we haven't seen each other since. There's no connection between us."
"All those claims of deep affection and unforgetable old love are pure nonsense!"
"Back then, it was the Crown Prince's kindness that he endured the rumors for so many years to protect my reputation. I, Shen Qilan, am extremely grateful for that."
After saying that, she gently shook her sleeve robe and solemnly bowed to Xiao Jingnan and Li Wanming. "In this lifetime, Qilan only wishes that the Crown Prince and the Princess Consort will live in harmony and grow old together!"
These words caused an uproar among the guests.
Madam Kang stood there with her mouth agape, looking like a toad struck by lightning.
Who would have thought that the "rival - lovers drama" she had carefully planned would end in such an unexpected way.
Li Wanming quickly helped Shen Qilan up. "Get up quickly! I... I just now..." Thinking of her "domineering" actions just now, she was so ashamed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you..."
"Princess Consort, don't say that." Shen Qilan smiled. "If it were me in that situation just now, I might have been even more at a loss..."
She lowered her voice. "Actually, it's all my fault. I should have made my intentions clear from the start. But recently, I've heard a lot of rumors in the capital. I was afraid that speaking out rashly would cause more trouble for the Princess Consort. I didn't expect that my hesitation would lead to this..."
"It's okay," Li Wanming chuckled. "Others have gone to great lengths to set up this stage. You simply couldn't avoid this drama."
Heard from whom?
Of course, from their kind second aunt!
Madam Kang must have laid this trap as soon as they returned to the capital, waiting for the polo match to make Li Wanming lose face in front of all the noble ladies in the city.
Rumors spread like the wind, but it's hard to clarify them.
Even if Xiao Jingnan had no feelings for Shen Qilan, if his attitude had been a bit ambiguous just now, Li Wanming would have been labeled as a "substitute for the white moonlight" for the rest of her life.
It's a pity that no matter how carefully Madam Kang had planned, she didn't expect that her "hero" and "heroine" would be so uncooperative!
One said, "Thank you for getting seriously ill back then, which allowed me to marry the woman I love," and the other said, "We never had any affection for each other. It was just an arrangement by our parents."
A well - choreographed play died in its infancy before it even started.
Shen Qilan frowned slightly. "Princess Consort means..."
"Nothing." Li Wanming casually glanced at Madam Kang and gently waved her bamboo fan. "A woman as excellent and beautiful as me is bound to attract the jealousy of some rats in the gutter... But I'm upright and not afraid of any slander. All evil spirits, be gone!"
Madam Kang's face turned extremely ugly, but she had to force a smile and said, "It's really rare for Miss Shen to be so magnanimous. She doesn't mind at all..."
"Madam Xiao has misunderstood." Shen Qilan said seriously. "It's not that I'm magnanimous. There's truly no affection between the Crown Prince and me. I've made that very clear just now. I'm genuinely happy that the Crown Prince has found a good wife. I believe that if I meet a good man one day, the Crown Prince will be happy for me too."
"Yes, yes..." Madam Kang's face turned as red as a monkey's buttocks. She forced a smile and said, "I misunderstood..."
Li Wanming snapped her bamboo fan shut and said with a smile, "Exactly. You and Jingnan are as noble and upright as the bright moon. You naturally can't imagine that there are people who like to spread rumors in the dark and act like villains! Second aunt, am I right?"
Her words were light - hearted, but they were like a slap in the face, making it hard for Madam Kang to maintain her fake smile.
Just then, there was a sudden commotion on the polo field.
In the middle of the field, two dazzling golden lights were entangled and tearing at each other like out - of - control meteors. The blinding light reflected from the polo sticks and horse harnesses made the whole polo field shimmer with golden light.
The Ferghana horses reared up, their front hooves kicking wildly in the air, causing the people in the stands to exclaim in surprise.
"Report—"
A young eunuch scrambled up to the grandstand. "Your Majesty, Lord Huo's horse got spooked and charged straight at Master Huo's horse. The two horses collided, throwing both Lord Huo and his son off their horses..."
Zhao Yanke suddenly stood up, with just the right amount of anxiety and shock on his face. "Are they injured?"
The young eunuch was so scared that his face turned ashen, and beads of sweat dripped from his chin.
"Th - the imperial doctor said... Master Huo hurt his leg bone, but as long as he recuperates carefully, he'll recover in a few months. But, but Lord Huo... Lord Huo was stepped on the right shoulder by the horse, and his shoulder bone is completely shattered!"
"Ah!"
Madam Huo in the tent let out a scream and fainted on the spot.
"Call the imperial doctor!"
Zhao Yanke's worry was even more evident, perfectly timed.
On the grandstand, there was chaos.
Amid the chaos, Li Wanming looked up. Through the busy crowd, she met the gaze of Princess Chengping from afar.
From a distance, she saw the noble and stubborn princess. There seemed to be a glimmer of light in her eyes. After a moment, the princess placed her hands on her left waist and slowly bowed to her.
Li Wanming was greatly shocked and quickly returned the salute.
"My lady, your methods are a bit too extreme..." Xiao Jingnan also saluted his aunt from afar and whispered in Li Wanming's ear with a smile. "I just wanted to break their legs, but my lady's actions are aiming for their lives!"
"Tsk!" Li Wanming glared at him. "Do you think I'm a god? Can I really just break their legs? I have to leave some leeway! Besides, those two scumbags made General Huo's childhood miserable and made aunt suffer for half her life. They deserve to die! Of course, I have to teach them a lesson and vent aunt's anger!"
"Yes, my lady is right." A glint of amusement flashed in Xiao Jingnan's eyes. "Well, such a big thing has happened to the Huo family. I should go and visit them both emotionally and rationally... I'll go and visit the injured now!"
"Go quickly!" Li Wanming gently pushed him. "In case they're not as seriously injured as they seem, you can add a few more blows. Leave the matters here to me!"
A smile played on Xiao Jingnan's lips, but when he turned around, his concerned expression was extremely sincere. When he reached the Huo family's tent, he looked heart - broken. "What? His whole arm is really broken?!"