What Bad Intentions can the Yandere Crown Prince have?-Chapter 431 - 427: Dawn to Dusk—Empress Side Story (Part 6)

Chapter 431: Chapter 427: Dawn to Dusk—Empress Side Story (Part 6)

Sound the gong, withdraw the team.

Line up before the stage, shout for long life.

The first match of the confrontation ended.

Xiao Yan was indeed timely, he was very skilled in passing and receiving, making up for Li Xiao and other aristocrats’ focus on offense, turning the tide and equalizing the score.

The second match began in due course.

Before the match, Tang Xiaobai and Li Mu discussed the Tibetans’ match strategy, they also determined their lineup order, including sending the Imperial Guard Team for the spectator match.

The spectator match would certainly hold back, while the key to the first confrontation was to probe.

They believed the Tibetans would likely place their elites in the second match to gain more information and adjust.

So they also placed their elites in the second match.

Tang Ziqian, Li Xingyuan, Gu Yuan, along with Xiao Yan, with the substitute being Yang Jue, son of Princess Huaiyin.

Unexpectedly, Li Mu deployed Xiao Yan in the first match.

There is certainly a desire to win, but Tang Xiaobai still has reason to suspect that His Majesty the Emperor was eager to make a move.

Tang Xiaobai pursed her lips into a smile, suddenly leaned closer to Li Mu’s ear, and whispered two words.

Li Mu was slightly surprised.

Tang Xiaobai nodded vigorously.

Li Mu hesitated for a moment but agreed with a nod.

In the second match, Yang Jue and Li Xingyuan replaced Zheng Ye and Liu Song.

The full lineup was not in play.

Both teams came out, the Tibetans also did not deploy the rest of their lineup, only replacing two players.

Just as Tang Xiaobai had guessed.

With the score tied in one match, there are at least two more rounds to come.

In the next round, whichever side wins, the other will surely request another match.

Therefore, the third match is the must-win round.

Drumroll, the second match began.

His Majesty the Emperor remained as still as a mountain, watching the match with an indifferent expression, only the fingers on the armrest gradually became restless.

He noticed himself as well and simply held Empress’s small hand next to him, rubbing and playing with it in his palm.

Tang Xiaobai humorously glanced at him.

Given her household’s His Majesty the Emperor’s personality, he surely preferred to charge into battle, score the first goal, and win the first match.

But there was no opportunity this time.

The two new players on the field, Yang Jue was merely an ordinary polo elite, but Li Xingyuan was different.

Li Xingyuan not only possessed great martial arts skills but had been playing polo since childhood, even adept in strategizing and positioning.

Once on the field, he moved like lightning, unstoppable.

After securing the second match victory, while others were somewhat exhausted, Li Xingyuan cheerfully galloped his horse around the field, finally coming to the center stand and excitedly waving his polo stick towards Tang Jiaojiao, making Tang Xiaobai laugh.

Unexpectedly, on the side, His Majesty the Emperor cast a resentful gaze, expressing his regret of not being in the game.

As expected, the Tibetan envoy requested a third game.

"Left Guard General Tang Ziqian, Minister of the Ministry of Rites Gu Yuan, substitute for Heir of Prince Su Li Xiao, Secretary of the Secretariat Xiao Yan!"

Tang Xiaobai blinked and looked at Li Mu.

Is that it?

"How about it?" Li Mu asked her in return.

Tang Xiaobai asked quietly, "Aren’t you going for this match?"

This is the final match.

Just as she finished speaking, she saw a flicker in His Majesty the Emperor’s dark eyes.

His lips twitched slightly, his tone indifferent and casual, "Since it’s the Empress’s wish, I shall go down and play too!"

Tang Xiaobai: ...

Should she say "Thank you for your kindness" as well?

...

Li Mu replaced Yang Jue.

Tang Ziqian’s skills were on par with Li Xingyuan’s; although Gu Yuan didn’t know martial arts, he was very skilled in passing, with tricky angles and unpredictable techniques.

But these few, Tang Xiaobai had already witnessed before.

At this moment, her gaze was entirely fixed on Li Mu.

This was her first time seeing Li Mu play.

A young man hunched over on horseback like a poised leopard, agile and powerful.

His figure on the field, weaving back and forth, formed streaks of black lightning.

Lurking, then striking—

The first goal of the match!

On the field, His Majesty the Emperor, having just scored the first goal, pulled his steed to a halt, straightened up, and glanced in her direction from afar.

Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

She suddenly recalled the scene when she reunited with him in the Turkic lands. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

A fierce yet adorable young man...

...

This match was without suspense.

Tang Ziqian and Li Xingyuan moved fluently across the field; Gu Yuan’s passes were unpredictable and uncanny; the young emperor was most adept at shooting.

Whenever the ball was in hand, it was a sure hit.

His shots were swift and fierce, accompanied by a chilling wind in the air, unstoppable.

Even though the Tibetans also deployed two hidden masters, under the onslaught of Li Mu and others, they crumbled like dry branches, offering no resistance.

Sitting at the highest point, under the gaze of the emperor’s every goal, Tang Xiaobai’s blood was boiling, wishing she could rush to the field to cheer for him.

Just as she was feeling restless, she suddenly noticed a Tibetan attendant crouching and running to the Tibetan envoy’s side, whispering in his ear.

The Tibetan envoy lowered his head; from Tang Xiaobai’s angle, she couldn’t see his reaction, but it seemed he hesitated for a moment, then nodded, giving the attendant some instructions before waving him away.

Tang Xiaobai frowned.

Could they be up to some mischief?

At that moment, Li Mu scored another goal, and the cheers and screams interrupted her thoughts.

Tang Xiaobai looked up at the field, and sure enough, the emperor’s gaze sought her direction again.

"Empress!" The Tibetan envoy suddenly stood up and saluted her, "We request to substitute one player!"

Tang Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composed expression, signaling the match to pause.

The Tibetan team hadn’t substituted anyone in this match, so they could definitely substitute a player.

But the problem was, all ten Tibetans had already played, and according to Tang Xiaobai’s observation, the current lineup was already their best. Who else would they substitute?

Could they have a secret weapon?

When the match paused, Tang Ziqian and Gu Yuan stopped in place to rest, while Li Xingyuan tirelessly ran happily along the field’s edge.

Li Mu, on the other hand, spurred his horse straight toward the central stage.

Even as he ran, his gaze locked accurately on the highest point.

Tang Xiaobai finally couldn’t resist, lifted her skirt, and jogged all the way down.

When she reached the edge of the first layer of stands, Li Mu was already waiting there across the railing.

On horseback, the young man’s posture was tall and straight, like a stalk of ink bamboo, his face with a few smudges of dirt, looking both cold and wild.

Yet exceedingly handsome!

Tang Xiaobai looked up at him, her eyes smiling and curved.

A hint of a smile also appeared in his eyes, he bent down, reached past the field railing, and adjusted her crooked phoenix hairpin.

After adjusting it, he was reluctant to withdraw his hand.

His fingers slightly curled, brushing against the side of her face.

She had just run down from the highest point, and her face was flushed, tempting him to pinch it.

But in such a publicly observed setting, if he pinched her, it might make the Empress upset.

Li Mu hesitated to touch her face, unexpectedly, she caught his hand and pulled it down.

Sure enough, Ah Jiao was still shy.

As he was thinking this, she made a gesture.

"Look over there!" she whispered, "The Tibetans replaced a new player, not among those ten."

Li Mu saw it.

Unlike the previous ten with sturdy frames, the new substitute on the field was relatively petite.

The Empress suddenly "hmphed" and said, "That’s a girl!"