The crowd buzzed with discussion, their gazes turning towards Zhao Xueqi with icy stares. They knew that if the polo match was rigged, it would be a grave injustice to them all.
"You dare to cheat? You're truly tarnishing the Zhao family's name!"
Zhao Xueqi's body surged forward, her palm striking towards Tie Tou, imbued with a powerful internal force. With the matter exposed, she could only act first and report later, hoping to resolve the situation after dealing with Tie Tou.
"Miss Zhao, I don't think that's quite appropriate!"
Lu Fan smiled faintly, stepping in front of Zhao Xueqi. He seemed to see through her intentions.
"Insolent fool, do you think you can stop me?"
Zhao Xueqi's voice was icy, a cold glint in her eyes. Spiritual energy surged in her palm, and in that instant, she struck towards Lu Fan without any reservation.
At the same time, Lu Fan's brow furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected things to escalate this way, catching him off guard.
However, Lu Fan wasn't one to back down. In that very moment, spiritual energy surged from his palm, striking towards Zhao Xueqi. Lu Fan wouldn't allow her to silence the truth.
Boom...
With a buzzing sound, Zhao Xueqi was sent flying back, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. Many onlookers were startled, clearly surprised that Lu Fan dared to lay a hand on the Zhao family's daughter.
"How dare you lay hands on our young lady!"
Several figures stepped forward, preparing to attack Lu Fan, their eyes filled with cold fury. This was the Zhao family's daughter, and the Zhao family held significant influence throughout the royal city. They wouldn't tolerate such insolence.
Facing the few individuals before him, Lu Fan remained unfazed, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Miss Zhao wanted to silence him, and I don't think I did anything wrong by stopping her, do I?"
"That's right, you did absolutely nothing wrong!" Princess Bei'an stepped forward. "This is a polo competition, and now that someone has cheated, the matter must be clarified. Zhao Xueqi, do you have something to hide, or did you instruct him to cheat? Otherwise, why would you try to silence him?"
"Princess Bei'an, please don't make baseless accusations. How could I possibly let him cheat!" Zhao Xueqi shook her head, her gaze turning to Tie Tou. "Tell me, what exactly is going on here!"
"I..."
Tie Tou stood frozen, unsure of what to do. He was exposed now, and any further words would likely be futile.
"I'll ask you one more time, did my Zhao family instruct you to do this!" Zhao Xueqi's voice was cold, her eyes fixed on Tie Tou.
Tie Tou's expression changed drastically. Simultaneously, his spiritual energy surged, and in that instant, he met his end, his death appearing incredibly tragic.
At the same time, Zhao Xueqi showed a look of satisfaction. Princess Bei'an, however, looked displeased. She had thought she had caught the Zhao family red-handed, only to miss this opportunity.
Lu Fan also felt a sense of helplessness. Tie Tou had intended to take his own life, and even if Lu Fan had tried to intervene, he likely wouldn't have been able to stop him.
"Princess Bei'an, the occurrence of such an incident in the polo competition is indeed a dereliction of duty on the Zhao family's part!"
Zhao Xueqi smiled. "Since that is the case, the first place in the polo competition will go to the Royal Mansion!"
"It should have been the Royal Mansion's all along!"
Princess Bei'an's voice was cold. "And for all these years, I have been watching everything your Zhao family has been doing!"
With these words, Princess Bei'an's expression grew colder, a sense of displeasure lingering in her heart.
However, Zhao Xueqi paid no mind to all of this. She turned and left with her entourage. With the matter exposed, there was no point in staying any longer.
"Young lady, what should we do next?" an elder with white hair asked.
"Seal all information. If we can't win first place in the polo competition this year, let the Royal Mansion have it!" Zhao Xueqi sneered. "Blame everything on Tie Tou. This matter has nothing to do with my Zhao family!"
The white-haired elder nodded slightly. "And what about that person?"
"Kill him. How dare he lay a hand on me!"
Zhao Xueqi narrowed her eyes. "He won't see the light of day tomorrow!"
"But he is, after all, someone from the Royal Mansion. If we act against him, and the Royal Mansion investigates, it might implicate the Zhao family!" the white-haired elder frowned.
"No one can stop what my Zhao family intends to do!" Zhao Xueqi said coldly. "Just do as I say. If you fail, my Zhao family will ensure your safety!"
The white-haired elder nodded, not daring to delay. Zhao Xueqi had given her orders, and he could no longer question them.
On the polo field, the crowd cheered with joy, especially Princess Bei'an. She had made great efforts to win first place in the polo competition, and now that she had finally achieved it, she felt extremely satisfied.
"Tell me, what are your conditions? I can satisfy them all!" Princess Bei'an declared. "I always keep my word and will never go back on it, as long as your requests are not excessive!"
"I wish to see the Ninth Prince!"
Lu Fan clasped his hands tightly, his gaze earnest. He needed to explain the actions of the Northwest Prefecture.
"You want to see my father!" Princess Bei'an was slightly surprised. "What is it that makes you so serious? To the point of coming to the polo field like this?" Su Dan Novel Network
"I have important matters to report. I ask for the Princess's assistance!"
Lu Fan bowed his clasped hands, his gaze appearing very serious, as if in his eyes, all of this was already decided.
"Alright, since I've promised you, I won't go back on my word!" Princess Bei'an nodded, a hint of surprise in her heart, wondering what Lu Fan was thinking.
Ling'er also showed a look of joy. If they could explain the situation to the Ninth Prince, they wouldn't have to go through so much trouble. They were exhausted from being pursued by the Northwest Prefecture.
"You've likely gotten yourself into big trouble today, kid. You must proceed with caution!"
Liu Ruyan said to Lu Fan, her gaze filled with vigilance. Although he was a Martial Emperor level expert, she was well aware of the strength of the Zhao family in the royal city. Offending the Zhao family would undoubtedly lead to a dire outcome.
"It's alright, I still have a master like you by my side!" Lu Fan smiled faintly, his gaze appearing very calm.
Liu Ruyan remained silent, finding Lu Fan's arrogance somewhat exasperating.
Meanwhile, the Situ family head and Steward Zhao wore grim expressions. Princess Bei'an had now agreed to Lu Fan's request, which was certainly not good news for them and could potentially lead to serious trouble.
"If they truly get to see the Prince, won't we be in trouble!" the Situ family head frowned. "What should we do now?"
"This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with General Wen!" Steward Zhao said, his brow furrowed.