Everyone opened their eyes wide, unable to believe what had just happened in an instant. Prime Minister He and his wife had already stood up anxiously from their seats.
He Yimeng rolled twice on the grass and then stopped. It took her quite a while to prop herself up on her elbows and slowly move her body.
Seeing this, the noble ladies who were running behind her also dismounted one after another and stepped forward to check on her condition.
This time, He Yimeng was not only extremely frightened and her face turned pale. Even her palm had two bloody marks rubbed out because she tightened the reins and tried to control the horse. The skin of her whole palm was turned out.
Seeing this, several noble ladies immediately shouted, "Imperial physician! Imperial physician!"
The imperial guards also stepped forward to lead the frightened horse and checked it.
Prime Minister He and Mrs. He could no longer stay on the viewing stand. They ran down one after another to check on their daughter's injury.
The ladies and young ladies still sitting on the viewing stand were all craning their necks to watch, not knowing how the situation was developing.
Concubine Chen frowned and looked at the increasing number of people gathering in the middle of the riding ground. "What's going on up there?"
Emperor Dongling's face didn't look good at this moment. It was the first time that a noble lady had fallen off a horse during a horse - racing competition. "Eunuch Li, go up there and find out what's going on."
He Yimeng wasn't hurt very badly. After taking a short rest, she recovered. Looking at the concerned looks of everyone, she still didn't forget to comfort them, "Thank you all for your concern. I'm much better now!"
Mrs. He lovingly opened her palm and took a look. Then she couldn't bear to look anymore and turned her face away, shedding tears involuntarily. "My daughter! Is this not a serious injury? This hand... Alas!"
"Mother, it's just a skin injury!" He Yimeng looked at Mrs. He with tears in her eyes and forced a smile to comfort her.
Although Prime Minister He also cared about and cherished his daughter, as a high - ranking court official, he was calmer than Mrs. He. "It's good that you're okay!"
At this time, Eunuch Li also walked over and asked the imperial physician to diagnose He Yimeng. It was found that she had only injured her skin and flesh. Except for spraining her ankle, she hadn't broken any bones.
"Miss He, what's going on? Why did the horse go crazy?" Eunuch Li looked at the horse that had been led by the guards and had returned to a stable state, and asked puzzledly.
He Yimeng also looked at the horse and shook her head equally puzzled.
At this time, there were already many official ladies standing around. They came to visit He Yimeng half out of concern and half out of curiosity. Seeing her weak appearance, they all felt pity in their hearts.
Shen Li was sitting on the viewing stand which was very close to the place where He Yimeng fell off the horse. She had also seen the whole process of what had just happened clearly.
Since Shen Li had a good impression of He Yimeng, she also walked down the viewing stand. Shen Miao and Shen Zhen also came with her.
There was half pity and half fear in Shen Zhen's eyes. She stood beside Shen Li and whispered to her, "This Miss He is so brave. She dared to control such a strong horse by herself. If it were me, I would have been scared to death!"
Before Shen Li could answer her, Shen Miao, who was just standing beside them, mocked Shen Zhen, "It's because you're useless!"
Shen Zhen bit her lips aggrievedly and lowered her head, not daring to say anything more.
Some people had already noticed the long scar on the face of the horse that He Yimeng had just ridden.
"Hey? What's that on the horse's face?"
A girl standing on the outer periphery looked at the horse curiously.
The horse had already calmed down. It was being led and stood obediently in place. It was breathing heavily through its nostrils and hanging its tail low. Obviously, it was tired after that wild run.
On its raised face, there was a red diagonal scar that ran across its entire face. It still looked a bit swollen. The scar passed by one of its eyes, making its eyelid too painful to open. There were even some shiny tears in its eyes as if it were aggrieved.
Hearing this, the people beside her also looked over. For a moment, several more people looked. "Such a long scar. It looks like it was whipped!"
As soon as these words were said, everyone understood. What else could that red scar on the horse's face be if not whipped by a riding crop?
And the person who could whip such a scar on the horse's face obviously couldn't be He Yimeng who was sitting on the horseback. It could only be someone close to her.
So, everyone looked at Wu Qihuan standing in the middle of the crowd with suspicious looks.
Wu Qihuan ignored the looks around her. She still stood there straight and fearlessly, looking quite innocent.
Seeing her like this, everyone felt a bit unsure and didn't dare to look anymore.
But Eunuch Li obviously didn't think so. He walked up to the horse, looked at the scar, and then turned around and asked He Yimeng, "Miss He, did you whip this scar on the horse's face?"
He Yimeng looked at the horse and shook her head. "Reply to the eunuch. I was always on the horse and didn't whip its face."
Eunuch Li understood in his heart. He quietly glanced at Wu Qihuan and then withdrew from the crowd to report to Emperor Dongling.
"Your Majesty, just now the imperial physician has checked Miss He's injury. Miss He sprained her ankle when she fell off the horse, and her palm was also badly injured. But the imperial physician said that no bones were broken. It's just a skin injury. She can recover after a period of rest!"
Emperor Dongling nodded slightly and then asked, "Have you found out why the horse was frightened and went crazy?"
"Your servant just checked Miss He's horse and found that there was a heavy whip scar on the horse's face. Apart from this, there were no other wounds or abnormalities on the horse."
Prince Xiao Yujin, the Second Prince, repeated doubtfully on the side, "There's a scar on the horse's face?"
Eunuch Li immediately replied, "Yes, Second Prince. The horse's face was injured! And just now your servant asked Miss He, and she said that she didn't whip the horse's face."
Xiao Yujin showed an interested smile. "Miss He was sitting on the horseback. It would be difficult for her to whip the horse's face even if she wanted to. So it seems that someone else wanted to harm Miss He when her horse was frightened!"
Hearing this, Eunuch Li didn't say anything.
Emperor Dongling also had a cold face and didn't express any opinion.
Then Xiao Yujin stood up from in front of his own table, bowed to Emperor Dongling and said, "Father, today's horse - racing competition is a royal feast, but there are people who dare to openly harm the daughter of a noble official on such an occasion. Your son requests that Father investigate this matter strictly and don't let the real culprit escape!"
At this time, Prime Minister He also walked over, knelt in front of Emperor Dongling and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the horse my daughter was riding today suddenly went crazy after being frightened, and my daughter fell off the horse and got injured. Your subject thinks there's something fishy about this. I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly and give my daughter justice!"
"And also give this old subject justice!"
After Prime Minister He finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed without getting up.