Chapter 640: Falling Off Her Horse (4)
Chu Lian and the other ladies were seated under a cool shelter, drinking tea and appreciating the scenery. At this moment, she was seated right beside Princess Wei and Royal Princess Duanjia.
The one in the highest seat was Imperial Concubine Wei, which was to be expected, then there were the various wives of the princes and imperial ladies.
There seemed to be quite a number of people here, and the three viewing shelters were all completely filled.
Royal Princess Duanjia tossed a walnut that Jinxiu had already opened into her mouth, and rolled her eyes in the direction of Feudal Princess Anmin.
Princess Wei noticed her action and glared at her, “Duanjia, don’t be rude.”
Chu Lian was seated by Royal Princess Duanjia’s side, so she turned to look towards Feudal Princess Duanjia after hearing Princess Wei’s comment.
At this time, Feudal Princess Duanjia and the other princesses were deeply engrossed in conversation.
Royal Princesses, Feudal Princesses, Honoured Ladies, and other titled ladies who were related to the imperial family didn’t possess any territory in the Great Wu Dynasty. It wasn’t like in the Tang Dynasty where ladies could be granted territory. It was possible for small amounts of land to be granted, but the disparity in treatment between men and women was like that of heaven and earth.
Even the closest female members to the emperor didn’t hold much power.
Feudal Princess Anmin’s mother, Princess Ande, was one such person.
Princess Ande was the eighth daughter of the previous emperor. Her mother had been of lowly birth, and was a palace maid who had been taken by the previous emperor when he had gotten drunk once. After a difficult birth with Princess Ande, she had soon passed away.
Rumours in the palace spread that Princess Ande was an unlucky star to her mother, so there was no concubine who was willing to foster her.
She spent her younger years amongst the palace maids, and sometimes, she hadn’t even gotten to eat her fill. Later on, when the current emperor had taken the throne, Princess Ande was finally bestowed a title.
However, due to the time that she had languished in the palace, the peak of Princess Ande’s life had already passed before she got married. She only managed to give birth to a daughter, Feudal Princess Anmin, when she was almost thirty. Since Princess Ande didn’t hold enough power, her prince consort had taken in two more concubines, and they had each given birth to an illegitimate son.
Due to the existence of the illegitimate sons, Feudal Princess Anmin didn’t have a harmonious family.
Chu Lian moved her gaze away, and softly asked Royal Princess Duanjia, “What’s wrong?”
Royal Princess Duanjia snorted, “I just don’t like her face. Chu Liu, remember to stay away from people like her.”
Chu Lian recalled the the events stated in the book. Feudal Princess Anmin had merely been mentioned in a couple of lines, and there weren’t any more details regarding her.
Before Royal Princess Duanjia could explain to Chu Lian why she didn’t like Feudal Princess Anmin, they were disturbed by the loud noises coming from Feudal Princess Anmin’s table.
The noises were then followed up with laughter from the young ladies.
Everyone could hear a delicate and tender voice giggling, “Imperial Concubine Wei, don’t you think that it’s really boring for us to just sit here? His Majesty and the others will only return from their hunt later at night!”
“The one speaking is Royal Princess Nanzhang,” Royal Princess Duanjia whispered into Chu Lian’s ear.
Royal Princess Nanzhang was Prince Lewen’s youngest daughter. Although she was of royal blood, her status was very average. Prince Lewen was the second son of the previous emperor’s brother, Prince Zhao.
In actuality, when it came to Royal Princess Nanzhang’s generation, she was already considered a distant relative.
However, Royal Princess Nanzhang was a talented speaker. She would often appear at upper-class gatherings, and she left a deep impression on many noble ladies in the capital. Even Imperial Concubine Wei liked her glib tongue.
Royal Princess Nanzhang had earned her royal title from the power of her speaking alone, so from that angle, she was truly talented.
Royal Princess Nanzhang’s identity was similar to that of a mere socialite, and she wasn’t even worth mentioning in the eyes of those who held real power.
Imperial Concubine Wei, who sat on the upper seat, gave off an elegant smile, “You silly girl, it’s only been a short while and you’re already bored? Well then, do you have any bright ideas? Come and tell me about it.”
“You’re truly wise, Your Grace! You’ve managed to see through me so easily. Since you don’t mind, I’ll voice my bold suggestion,” As she spoke, Royal Princess Nanzhang swept her phoenix eyes around the shelter. She had a smile on her face, which made her seem amiable and approachable to others.
“Although we are of the fairer sex, it’s not like we actually lack any strength. We may not be as strong as General Sima, but I believe that practically everyone here can ride a horse! How about we play a game of polo?”
In the Great Wu Dynasty, both football and polo were extremely popular.
As horses were expensive, football became more popular to the masses than polo. Sometimes, young children could be seen playing football on the streets.
Polo, on the other hand, was an activity solely for the rich and noble.
Practically all noble ladies knew how to play it.
Women’s polo was a little more gentle than men’s polo, and the sticks and balls that they used were different. They also played with fewer players than men, and they played using the most carefully selected tame mares.
Generally, there was no danger involved at all.
This game was also an activity whereby ladies could showcase their physical talents.
Imperial Concubine Wei seemed to be swayed by Royal Princess Nanzhang’s words. She smiled and said, “Nanzhang has made a good suggestion. Since we’re already out, we might as well have some fun. Everybody came here in riding attire, so it would be a waste for us ladies if we don’t make use of this opportunity to play.”
