Chapter 128 Horse Racing (Part One)


    It was March 15th and flowers were blooming on this warm spring day. The State of Ning was holding a


    celebration to wee the emissaries of States of Xia and the State of Yng. Yun Shang


    apanied Emperor Ning and the Empress in their carriage to the hunting grounds. A tform was


    built on the open space outside the forest. Yun Shang walked to the stand and sat down.


    The Empress smiled at Yun Shang, "The daughters of many officials in the Imperial City havee.


    Why don''t you talk with them?"


    Yun Shang nced at the girls who were whispering to one another and shook her head. "I met them


    at Lady Shun Qing''s birthday party before. They always talk about clothes and jewelry. I rarely go out


    and am not very interested in these things, so I cannot contribute. What''s more, if I join them, they will


    fear me as I''m a princess, and thus, they won''t talk candidly. I''d better not spoil their day."


    The Empress was surprised. She patted Yun Shang''s hand and smiled. "Good girl. But you will suffer


    after you marry Prince Jing. Prince Jing doesn''t have much contact with others because he is still


    single. After you get married, you will have to develop good rtions with other people. These girls


    seem to bemon now, but they were born with silver spoons and will marry into influential families in


    the near future. You have to be friendly with them. Don''t underestimate the power of women. They can


    change many things secretly using only a few words."


    Yun Shang felt her body stiffen involuntarily. What the Empress said was reasonable, but Yun Shang


    felt it strange. By rights, the Empress would be the most satisfied if Yun Shang was ignorant and


    notorious for messing everything up in Prince Jing''s Mansion after she got married. However, the


    Empress was advising her.


    "But I really don''t know anything about fashion and jewelry." Yun Shang bowed her head, bearing a


    grievance.


    The Empress squinted and said with a smile, "I wanted you to learn from Hua Jing, but I am afraid that


    Hua Jing isn''t good at these things either. If you make a mistake, I can hardly absolve myself from the


    me. Although you are not my biological daughter, I have been fostering you. I don''t want you to


    repeat Hua Jing''s mistake and hope that you can be a good wife. I will send two madams to your


    pce to teach you some things that you need to pay attention to as Prince Jing''s wife. I won''t force


    you. If you think that they are right, you can listen to them. Equally, you can dismiss them if they talk


    nonsense."


    What the Empress said relieved Yun Shang. She was surprised that the Empress was so nice to her.


    The two madams would help her learn all the things she hadn''t learned yet. Her grandfather had taught


    her the Four Arts, military strategies, and even martial arts. However, she had no one to teach her the


    basic things that girls should learn.


    "Thank you, Your Majesty." Yun Shang grinned.


    The Empress nodded and said in a gentle voice, "I know that you are wary of me, but it is okay. You


    have grown up. I believe that you know whether what people teach you is useful or not. You will get


    married soon. By then you won''t live in the Imperial City or pose any threat to me, so I won''t take the


    past to heart."


    Yun Shang was buried in thought for some time before she raised her eyebrows. The Empress had


    really changed a lot. Since she had honestly expressed what she thought, Yun Shang had to ept it.


    Yun Shang then smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are being oversensitive. I have been separated


    from my mother since I was a child, so I know little about these things. Even if you don''t send madams


    to me, I may have to ask you about all the things I don''t know in a few days."


    The Empress looked at Yun Shang and said nothing. With a touch of irony in her eyes, she turned to


    Emperor Ning who was speaking to Prince Jing.


    Emperor Ning stepped onto the stand. After the others prostrated themselves before him, he said with


    a smile, "We gather here to wee the emissaries of the States of Xia and Yng. I have arranged a


    huntingpetition for you. Both men and women can participate in it, but we will have separate teams


    for men and women. Men will go hunting, and women will participate in the horse ridingpetition.


    The winners will be handsomely rewarded. Those who do not participate in the huntingpetition can


    cheer for your favorite contestants or give talent shows. Those who give talent shows will also be


    rewarded. Go to Prince Jing to sign up for the huntingpetition and to Princess Hua Jing for talent


    shows."


    The field became chaotic as people scrambled to sign up for their choice ofpetition. Yun Shang


    wore a faint smile. A youngdy walked forward and said with a smile, "It is said that Lady Cangyang


    from the State of Yng is excellent at horsemanship. It''s a pity that most of the youngdies in the


    State of Ning only like the Four Arts, so few of them will sign up for thepetition. It seems that Lady


    Cangyang will win the first ce."


    Yun Shang looked up and was surprised to see Jing Wenxi. She spoke like a spoiled youngdy at


    Prince Shun Qing''s Mansion. Why did she be so pedantic now?


    "Who said that? Who said the youngdies in the State of Ning only liked the Four Arts? Just because


    you are not good at it, it doesn''t mean that others are as weak as you." Someone sneered. Yun Shang


    followed the voice and saw a youngdy in red standing up from the crowd. Others seemed daunted by


    her heroic spirit and cold smile.


    Yun Shang felt that this was an interesting conversation, and said to herself, ''She can go hunting on


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    horseback?''


    The Empress seemed to have heard what Yun Shang thought. She looked at the youngdy in red and


    said, "You have never met her before? Her brother always stays with Prince Jing. I thought you knew


    her. She is Wang Jinyan, the daughter of the Minister of Defense and War."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and looked at Wang Jinyan carefully. She did resemble her


    brother Wang Jinhuan, and Yun Shang liked her. Surprisingly, Wang Jinhuan, who was dissolute, had


    such a sister.


    Jing Wenxi gritted her teeth and was unpleasant to Wang Jinyan. She snorted and said, "I heard that


    Prince Jing dotes on Princess Yun Shang. Prince Jing is invincible in the State of Ning. The girl that he


    likes must be extraordinary and good at riding and hunting. Princess Yun Shang, please impress us


    and get this reward, okay?"


    Yun Shang raised her eyebrows and realized that she was the target. However, Jing Wenxi spoke like


    Cangyang Yu''er. Jing Wenxi had something inmon with Cangyang Yu''er. Both of them liked Prince


    Jing, so they nursed jealousy against Yun Shang. Yun Shang gazed at Prince Jing who was


    surrounded by the crowd and groaned in her heart. As the saying goes, women are dangerous, but


    Prince Jing was a trouble!


    Yun Shang refused politely with a smile, "I don''t know how to ride."


    Jing Wenxi opened her mouth wide in surprise and said, "Sorry, I didn''t know that you can''t ride, but if


    Cangyang Yu''er wins and asks His Majesty to marry her to Prince Jing as a reward, His Majesty will


    have to agree in front of so many people. By then, you will be embarrassed. It''s pitiful that you can''t


    ride."