Chapter 189: The Feeling of Being at the Top of the Food Chain

Xiao Li came out swinging, instantly setting Princess Jia Ruo off. Nothing Prince Yanping said could stop her as she lunged straight for Xiao Li.

But Xiao Li merely sidestepped, and a figure in purple shot forward to catch Princess Jia Ruo’s palm strike. He effortlessly stopped her and pushed her back several steps.

Princess Jia Ruo was seething. "I’m hitting *her*! What business is it of a damned eunuch like you? Get out of my way!"

Prince Yanping’s expression shifted. Just as he was about to shout for them to stop, Xiao Li stepped forward and sent Princess Jia Ruo flying with a single kick.

Looming over her, Xiao Li stared contemptuously at the fallen Princess Jia Ruo. "Who were you trying to hit?"

"That’s enough." Prince Yanping stood and helped Princess Jia Ruo up, his face grim as he glared at Xiao Li. "Don’t think you can act so lawlessly just because you have His Majesty’s favor."

Xiao Li shot back without a shred of politeness, "Princess Jia Ruo dares to strike me because she has you, Prince Yanping, to back her up. My brother is the Emperor, so am I not allowed to hit her? What, is your title as Prince Yanping more prestigious than His Majesty’s? Are you planning a rebellion?"

She had just slapped him with a massive accusation.

The guilty party snapped, "Xuanyang, what nonsense are you spouting?"

The Nanqi King stepped forward to play the peacemaker. "Xuanyang, we are all children of the same Imperial Father, brothers and sisters. Let’s not damage our family’s harmony."

Xiao Li gave him a cold look and scoffed. "Our Eldest Brother is so harmonious, always siding with Prince Yanping. Though you weren’t born of the same mother and your fiefs of Yanping and Qi are thousands of miles apart, your bond is surprisingly strong."

The smile on the Nanqi King’s face nearly cracked. "Xuanyang, your big brother just wants his siblings to get along peacefully."

Xiao Li said, "As expected of our Eldest Brother. Now that you’re older, you finally understand that siblings should get along. But when I was younger and they were bullying me, why didn’t I see you calling for harmony then? When, exactly, did you get your blindness cured?"

The Nanqi King: "..."

Prince Yanping said, "You’re being completely unreasonable."

Xiao Li replied, "I didn’t say your name. What’s with the guilty conscience?"

Princess Jia Ruo’s eyes blazed, her malice overflowing. "Xuanyang, you’re so arrogant, domineering, and cruel! Aren’t you afraid of being struck down by heavenly lightning?"

Xiao Li wasn’t the least bit intimidated. "I don’t know when the heavens will decide to strike me, but if you keep glaring at me like that, I’ll strike *you* down right now!"

Xiao Jingzhao stepped in front of Princess Jia Ruo, his face so dark it looked like it could drip ink. He grabbed her hand. "Let’s go."

The Nanqi King held his cup, remaining silent.

Xiao Li’s gaze swept over the others. All the attending officials and sons of noble families bowed their heads, trying to make themselves invisible.

’Don’t see me, don’t see me... Please, Princess Xuanyang, don’t look at me.’

Princess Xuanyang would pick a fight with heaven and earth. Destruction followed in her wake.

Only Prince Wei made a space for her, pouring her some wine. "Imperial Sister, you must be tired. Come and sit for a while."

Xiao Li walked over and sat down.

Mu Yunzhu, who had been following along silently the entire time, had a truly complicated expression on her face.

She had heard that Princess Xuanyang was vicious, but after meeting her, she just seemed cold and aloof—not at all like a villain. But just as she had accepted that Princess Xuanyang was merely a cold and eccentric person, the princess had suddenly erupted, displaying her supposed viciousness to the fullest.

’And Mu Yunzhu felt that she wasn’t just targeting her cousin; rather, she was prepared to steamroll every single one of her siblings equally.’

Her gaze swept over Xiao Jingyu, who was sitting nearby disguised as an envoy. ’Uh... suddenly, her cousin didn’t seem so pitiful anymore.’

The Nanqi King beckoned for Mu Yunzhu to sit down in the very seats that Prince Yanping and Princess Jia Ruo had just occupied.

Mu Yunzhu glanced at Xiao Li and saw her staring intently at the horse taming in the arena below. Her expression was so focused, it was as if she weren’t the same vicious and arrogant person from just moments before.

She then looked at the prince beside her, the only one who hadn’t been on the receiving end of a tirade, who was now attentively pouring her more wine.

’She’s supposed to be a princess, but she gives off the vibe of being at the top of the food chain.’

Meanwhile, her cousin stared straight ahead the entire time, not making a sound.

Just as she was about to look away, she saw a disguised Liu Xueyin glaring at Xiao Li with a look of pure hatred. The venom in her eyes was practically overflowing.

Mu Yunzhu’s heart skipped a beat. ’Is she afraid Xiao Li *won’t* see her?’

In reality, Xiao Li didn’t spare her a single glance.

Mu Yunzhu: ’Hm? Something seems off.’

The horse trainer was highly skilled. After a period of testing the horse and wearing down its stamina, he suddenly saw an opening and leaped onto its back.

The horse immediately began to buck and run wildly, but he clung tightly to its neck.

The prized steed galloped frantically around the arena, bucking and leaping, and the stalemate continued for the better part of an hour.

Finally, the horse submitted, carrying the man over at a steady, even pace.

The horse trainer led the horse to the viewing platform and dismounted. "Princes, Princesses, I have not failed you."

Xiao Li sized up the horse trainer. His features were dark and resolute, and while he didn’t look very old, his body was corded with muscle that radiated strength.

"What’s your name?"

The horse trainer bowed. "In response to the Princess, this humble one is named Duan Ji."

"Your horse-taming skills are impressive. Where are you from?"

Duan Ji replied, "I am from Yin Mountain. My family has raised horses for generations, and taming them is how we put food on the table."

Xiao Li raised her hand, and someone immediately presented her with a solid gold medallion. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it to him. "Your reward."

Duan Ji caught it. "Thank you, Princess."

Xiao Li rose and walked to the edge of the platform. It was about four feet high, allowing her to look down at the horse.

Duan Ji saw her intention and hastily tried to stop her. "Princess, this horse hasn’t fully submitted yet! There are no reins or a saddle—it can’t be ridden."

Xiao Li ignored him, simply staring at the horse with a look of admiration and praise. At the same time, she unleashed the full, overwhelming force of her own wild and intimidating aura.

The horse sensed the danger and shifted uneasily, trying to back away. But Xiao Li suddenly grabbed its head with both hands, her gaze locked firmly on its eyes.

"I like you very much," she said. "You’re truly beautiful. Your coat shines as red as a flame. How about I call you Chi Yan?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she made a clean leap and landed directly on the horse’s bare back.

She grabbed a handful of its mane. "YAH!"

The horse reared high with a piercing neigh, and in the next instant, it shot off like a bolt of lightning.

Her actions stunned everyone on the platform.

"Quickly, save her!"

Mu Yunzhu set down her cup and said firmly, "She doesn’t need saving."

Her gaze followed the lightning-fast figure, her expression complex but unable to hide her admiration. "That horse has accepted her."

To tame a prized steed, one needs both stamina and courage—neither can be lacking.

But prized steeds have their own spirit. There is a difference between being broken and acknowledging a master.

Before, the horse trainer had merely exhausted its stamina, forcing a temporary submission. This was different.

The Chi Rong people grow up around horses, and Mu Yunzhu herself had tamed a steed that acknowledged her as its master. She could read a horse’s emotions just from the way it ran and the sound of its neighs.

The two steeds they had specially chosen to send as tribute were top-quality, fiery animals. They were fine horses, but exceptionally difficult to tame.

Mu Yunzhu had tamed her own horse; she knew just how difficult it was to make a prized steed truly acknowledge a master.

The Chi Rong people admire strength, and it was becoming very difficult for Mu Yunzhu not to admire Princess Xuanyang.