"Yiyi, so it was you all along!"
Kang Naixin and Wu Xirong came over to Daohua and her companions with smiles.
Daohua stood up and introduced Zhou Jingwan and Su Shiyu to them. Since Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai were present, it wasn’t convenient for the two to stay long. After exchanging some pleasantries, they left.
Before leaving, Kang Naixin whispered to Daohua, "I just saw your maid heading over to the horse troughs—well done!"
Daohua, watching Kang Naixin wink at her, just smiled and said nothing.
The little episode with the Princess from Xiliao didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits; they continued their boat ride on the river after lunch and didn’t head back to the residence until mid-afternoon.
Not long after they returned, Xiao Yeyang came over.
"Did you have fun today?"
Daohua took Xiao Yeyang to the pavilion in the garden. Responding to his question, she pursed her lips, "The scenery was fine, but some people were a bit of an eyesore."
Xiao Yeyang smiled silently, leaned in close to Daohua, "Seeing Wentao and the others paired up, did you miss me?"
Daohua glanced at him, "Don’t flatter yourself, I had plenty of fun on my own."
Xiao Yeyang took the round fan from Daohua’s hand and began to fan her while explaining, "I was actually planning to join you today, but I suddenly received an order from Imperial Uncle to visit the royal hunting grounds, which caused the delay."
Daohua took a chilled watermelon that Wang Manman brought over, skewered a piece with a bamboo stick, and offered it to Xiao Yeyang’s mouth. After he ate it, she took a piece for herself, "What did you go to the hunting grounds for?"
Xiao Yeyang said, "The Xiliao delegation brought over some excellent horses this time. In a few days, there will be a horse race at the royal hunting grounds in the Beijing Suburbs." He smiled and added, "At that time, I’ll accompany you to have a good horse ride there."
Daohua shook her head, "Forget it, it’s too hot these days, I don’t feel like riding."
Xiao Yeyang laughed, "There’s a forest over there. Riding in the woods won’t be too hot."
Daohua was still uninterested, but she asked, "Can we go and watch the horse race?"
Xiao Yeyang said, "Of course, officials and their families can go to watch."
Daohua inquired, "I heard the Xiliao people are very good at horse-riding. Do you think we can win against them?"
Xiao Yeyang replied, "Xiliao people are indeed skilled in archery and riding, but the men of Daxia are no less formidable."
Daohua looked at him, "You’re not going to compete, are you?"
Xiao Yeyang smiled, "You don’t want me to compete?"
Daohua stayed silent for a moment, "If the emperor disagrees with the political marriage and the Xiliao people can’t marry a princess, might they try another method, like sending a princess to marry into Daxia? That way, they could still cement an alliance."
Xiao Yeyang suddenly laughed, "Are you afraid that the Princess from Xiliao has her eyes on me?" Shaking his head with a smile, he added, "She surely wouldn’t look twice at me. The one she’s interested in, you see, are the princes."
Daohua’s interest was piqued, "How do you know?"
Xiao Yeyang snorted with laughter, "These past few days, whenever possible, that Princess from Xiliao has had ’coincidental’ encounters with the princes. It’s clear what she’s aiming for to anyone with eyes."
Daohua clicked her tongue twice before eagerly asking, "Will the emperor agree to it?"
Xiao Yeyang smiled faintly, "Sending away a princess and receiving one are not the same thing. Since they’re offering, how could we refuse? The only question is, which prince will this good fortune fall upon?"
Daohua commented, "It’s not necessarily a good thing."
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