Chapter 16

Polo Field.

The princess rode her horse, whip in hand, shining brightly under the scorching sun, while Shen Yunian maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The princess scored a goal, and cheers erupted from the crowd. In the next moment, the mallet slipped from her hand, and she swayed on the horse’s back.

Shen Yunian leapt off his horse, catching her steadily as she fell.

Shen Yunian was still shaken, thinking the princess had merely experienced a common dizziness. He breathed a sigh of relief after landing.

Until the princess suddenly vomited blood, he froze in shock.

“Your Highness!”

Shen Yunian slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the chaotic crowd, directly towards me. It was too far to see his expression clearly, but I imagined he wanted to kill me.

Qi Yu was the first to shout, “Guards! Protect the princess!”

How could I leave any evidence against myself? I looked up at the sunlight, silently counting the time in my mind, one, two, three…

First, Miss Li beside me suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain:

“…Ah… my stomach hurts…”

“Help me…”

It was like a stone thrown into a lake; people around the field began collapsing one after another, vomiting and clutching their stomachs, groans rising.

I furrowed my brow, spat out a mouthful of blood, and slid to the ground accordingly.

The field descended into chaos, cries of poison and assassins, all sorts of noises filled the air.

Interestingly, all those poisoned had drunk the wine brought by Prince Jing, while Prince Jing and his household guards stood perfectly fine, starkly contrasting the wailing crowd.

Qi Yu shouted sharply, “Prince Jing dares to harm the princess!”

In this situation, Shen Yunian couldn’t care whether I used poison or a sedative.

His sword flashed out of its sheath, cold light glinting as it rested against Prince Jing’s neck, “My lord, forgive me.”

The emperor on the high platform rose, knocking over the tea cup on the table, his dragon eyes filled with fury.

During the luncheon, the princess had invited the emperor. Had he attended, he might have been the one vomiting blood and fainting on the field now.

He would think, perhaps, the target was him.

The emperor immediately ordered the palace and field to be sealed off. Until the truth was uncovered, no one was allowed to leave.

“I want to see who dares to harm me!”

I curled up on the ground, cold sweat pouring from the pain, hiding a cold smile beneath the cover of my sleeve.