Chapter 33: There Will Only Be One Eldest Princess Notorious and Despised by All in This World!

“Rest assured, there will only be one Eldest Princess notorious and despised by all in Da Sheng Guo Du. Please be completely at ease!”

Shen Ruhai bowed deeply as he made this promise, not even daring to look up at the master before him. After all, despite having laid such an elaborate trap, he had failed to eliminate Su Yingxue, leaving this lingering threat. He feared that in his master’s eyes, he must now appear as foolish as a pig.

Upon hearing this, the noblewoman’s beautiful, flower-like face suddenly broke into a faint smile. Her crimson lips parted slightly, but her palace shoe pressed down squarely on the hat of the kneeling Shen Ruhai.

Her voice, though gentle and pleasant, carried a tone of icy, venomous malice as she said, “Remember, Shen Ruhai, this is the last chance This Palace will give you.”

“If Su Yingxue gains admission to Juxian Elegant Lodge, then Shen Ruhai, you need not serve as This Palace’s shadow hound any longer. Instead, you will be buried right in This Palace’s rear courtyard and turned into flower fertilizer. At least that way, you will still be of some use, haha. After all, This Palace does not keep useless dogs.”

The noblewoman laughed, opening her mouth to accept a candied date offered by a palace maid, as if utterly indifferent, yet her words were a cruel threat. “Shen Ruhai, This Palace has said it before: Su Yingxue must be notorious and despised.”

Shen Ruhai, feeling the pressure on his head and hearing his master’s cold, manic warning, broke out in a cold sweat, beads of perspiration glistening on his forehead. He hurriedly kowtowed, pleading for mercy, “Master, rest assured! This time, Shen Ruhai will definitely accomplish the task entrusted by you! Please grant this lowly one another chance!”

“Since that wretched girl is so fond of that Chu what’s-his-name, have the palace maids and noble ladies gossip more, spreading rumors about the Princess’s Palace. After all, an esteemed princess having a male consort before marriage also tarnishes her virtue,” the noblewoman said coldly. “Admission to Juxian Elegant Lodge does not only consider talent and the Six Arts but places even greater emphasis on character and moral conduct. Use your brain more!”

“I shall remember your teachings, My Lady!” Shen Ruhai whispered.

“Hahaha,” the noblewoman laughed, watching as Shen Ruhai kowtowed heavily, his forehead bleeding from the impact. She trembled with amusement, like a flower swaying in the wind.

Satisfied, she lifted her palace shoe from his head and instructed with a smile, “Indeed, Shen Ruhai, you are such a dull dog. A few harsh words, and you are scared out of your wits, all bloody and looking like an ill omen. Now, get out.”

“Acknowledged,” Shen Ruhai replied, immediately ceasing his kowtows. After performing the proper salutations, he scrambled away from the palace hall in a hurry.

“This Shen Ruhai is becoming more and more useless,” the noblewoman sighed faintly. “Send someone to keep an eye on that fool. If he fails again and ends up harming himself, you will be responsible for cleaning up the mess.”

“Acknowledged,” a Shadow Guard emerged from the shadows, knelt briefly, saluted, and then withdrew.

Within the drill ground of the Dasheng Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. At the outermost area, the Cavalry General and other military officers drilled the Divine Martial Army guards.

Inside the drill ground, soldiers clad in armor, holding red-tasseled spears, and wearing helmets stood valiant and spirited. Combat drills, troop inspections, and training were all part of the daily routine at the imperial drill ground.

The area where Su Yingxue and Chu Xingchen trained was an inner section of the drill ground, specially designated for students of Juxian Elegant Lodge and members of the royal family. Here, they could practice and study basic martial skills, archery, horsemanship, and more.

However, this place was far from the military training area known as the Drill Ground, as the perimeter of the military zone was heavily guarded and patrolled, and entry required a general’s military order. Thus, although both were royal drill grounds, the differences were immense.

Today’s afternoon lessons were archery with Left General Mr. Liu and horsemanship with Right General Mr. Zheng at the Imperial Palace Drill Ground. It must be said that for a noble of Su Yingxue’s status, even something as basic as riding and archery—teaching her such elementary skills—the martial instructors assigned to her were ranked officials among the generals of the Da Sheng Kingdom.

Moreover, having experts highly skilled in these specific arts teach the Eldest Princess was a starting point unattainable for many in the world, even for scions of noble families.

Therefore, although Su Yingxue’s aptitude for riding and archery was exceedingly mediocre, and after two months of training she had yet to display any remarkable skill, this arrangement remained the best possible for her.

When Chu Xingchen accompanied her to the drill ground today, he realized that the brocade robes Su Yingxue had previously arranged for him did not include riding attire. In previous years, given Chu Xingchen’s awkward status, the Bureau of Imperial Attire had not even provided him with ordinary new clothes for several years, let alone specialized riding gear.

It was only during today’s lunch that Su Yingxue suddenly remembered this issue. She promptly asked Qiushuang to take his measurements and borrow a set of winter riding attire from Second Prince Su Yanqing, using his old robes as reference.

Second Prince Su Yanqing had always been a leisurely prince, most fond of riding, archery, poetry, and songs. Thus, the Bureau of Imperial Attire made three sets of riding attire for him annually.

Qiushuang swiftly and efficiently borrowed the riding gear. Although the Second Prince was of a younger generation and addressed her as “Aunt,” he was actually a few years older than her. Therefore, Qiushuang borrowed riding attire from the Second Prince’s youth that matched Chu Xingchen’s current build.

After lunch, Su Yingxue waited in the Eldest Princess’s carriage while Chu Xingchen changed into the riding attire. The Princess’s carriage was extravagantly luxurious, equipped even for brewing tea, burning incense, and taking short rests.

The Dasheng Imperial Palace Drill Ground was located in a designated enclosed area outside Donghua Gate, requiring an incense stick’s time for the carriage to travel there and back. Su Yingxue had hastily instructed him to change, and Chu Xingchen complied.

Seated inside the carriage, Su Yingxue boiled water to prepare tea, while Qiushuang attentively served the tea and refreshments. Su Yingxue sat upright in the main seat. Having changed into riding attire today, she looked particularly dashing, her long hair tied up and secured with a jade crown and hairpins. The riding attire was elegant and unrestrained, lending her a heroic and spirited air.

Unlike Chu Xingchen’s borrowed riding gear, Su Yingxue received five sets of riding attire each year. His Majesty especially enjoyed bestowing gifts upon her during festivals, so both the quantity and quality of garments supplied to her by the Bureau of Imperial Attire were made from the finest fabrics and embroidery in the Da Sheng Kingdom.

The Bureau of Imperial Attire took her measurements annually to create seasonal styles. Thus, not only was the Princess’s Palace the largest and most luxurious in the entire Dasheng imperial city aside from the Emperor’s palace, but even the Eldest Princess’s vast collection of brocade garments, exquisite jewelry, and rare treasures was beyond the imagination of other empresses, consorts, princes, and princesses.

Today, Su Yingxue wore a water-blue and white riding outfit. As winter had set in, riding attire prioritized lightweight materials for ease of movement. Her riding gear was lined with high-quality silk-cotton embroidery and outerlayered with Floating Light Brocade, making it both breathtakingly beautiful and soft and comfortable, ideal for riding and archery.

Su Yingxue possessed a naturally elegant figure and refined features, so even with minimal makeup and dressed in riding attire, she exuded an air of noble grace. The faint cloud patterns on the Floating Light Brocade shimmered subtly in the sunlight, further enhancing her charm.

Qiushuang brewed tea for Su Yingxue. The fragrant steam rose gently, and after taking a sip, she found it quite pleasant. At twenty years old, Zhang Susu had never paid much attention to the intricacies of tea ceremony or tea arts.

However, during her time in the Otherworld, living in the Princess’s Palace and observing Qiushuang and others daily refining such elegant pursuits—tea ceremony, incense arts, illustration, and flower arrangement, all beloved by noble ladies—she had gradually begun to grasp some of the subtleties.