Recovering, Ning Wanwan smiled back. However, Shao Yin frowned at Yuan Zhu and shouted, “Who are you?” Yuan Zhu replied, “I’m just someone who admires Princess Yunxiang’s elegance and has come to help her in this battle.” Shao Yin scoffed, “A nobody like you has no right to compete with me, the princess.” Yuan Zhu retorted, “The right to compete is proven by ability, not words. Are you afraid of me?”
Shao Yin, provoked, raised her polo stick and pointed it at Yuan Zhu, “Hmph! Who’s afraid of whom? Let’s fight!” The Marquess leaned toward the Empress and asked, “Sister, do you know who that yellow team player is?” The Empress looked at Yuan Zhu and frowned, “She seems to be a maid around the Fifteenth Prince, called Yuan Zhu.”
The Marquess, rarely exposed to gossip, was unaware of Yuan Zhu’s background. She mistook her for a simple maid admiring Ning Wanwan and assumed she lacked skill, thus ignoring her.
As the fourth round commenced, the red team focused solely on surrounding Ning Wanwan, neglecting Yuan Zhu. Watching from the sidelines, Yuan Zhu seized a ball that flew from under the horses’ hooves, skillfully controlling it and riding into the red team’s territory.
Suddenly, the sound of a drum echoed, catching the red team’s attention. They turned to find Yuan Zhu near their goal, stick on her shoulder, smiling broadly. They hadn’t noticed the ball being taken, and the yellow team scored, leaving Shao Yin furious. Ning Wanwan expressed her gratitude with a knowing smile, which Yuan Zhu returned.
The score stood at two-all. Before the fifth round began, Shao Yin instructed teammates to focus on Yuan Zhu, planning a double-team on Ning Wanwan. With the strategy outlined, the fifth round commenced.
In the final ball, Shao Yin and Ning Wanwan fought for control, but the ball soon rolled out of reach. Shao Yin and her teammate flanked Ning Wanwan to prevent her from getting it, hoping their other teammates would recover the ball.
When Shao Yin looked again, she noticed the two teammates surrounding Yuan Zhu had fallen from their horses, and Yuan Zhu was ready to grab the ball. Panicking, Shao Yin signaled her remaining teammate, who turned to block Yuan Zhu.
