Lu Meng felt that if things continued like this, she might not live to see the grand finale.
The moment she saw Ma Tiao jump over the fence, which was over six feet tall, she knew something was seriously wrong!
Amidst the crowd’s gasps, Lu Meng shoved Xin Ya aside, lifted her skirt, and took off running.
According to the novel world’s twisted love for tragic heroines, this horse was almost certainly flying out just to trample her. The most dangerous thing was for Lu Meng to drag Xin Ya along—if she left Xin Ya behind, everyone else would be safe.
Lu Meng quickly mapped out her escape route: ahead was a makeshift wooden tower in the resting area, guarded by sentries.
Though crude, the tower was built from logs as thick as an adult’s waist. Lu Meng was confident that if she climbed up there, the horse wouldn’t be able to follow her up the ladder!
Besides, even if the horse could climb ladders, there were guards stationed above who could protect her.
Lu Meng felt like she was running faster than ever in her life, but the reality was far from graceful.
She was weighed down by layers upon layers of court attire. She lifted the outer robe but couldn’t quite raise the layers beneath it. After only a few steps, she tripped on her skirt and stumbled.
The beaded headdress on her head, designed to restrict a lady’s movements, swung wildly as she moved, slapping her face painfully.
But Lu Meng dared not stop. Elegance and poise could be set aside for now—her life was what mattered most!
“Catch the horse!”
“Oh my god, that horse is charging toward the ladies!”
“Shh!”
“Get down! Clear the way!”
“Sentries, move in!”
“Prince Jian’an, isn’t that the princess consort...?”
Screams erupted all around, mixed with the pounding of hooves. Lu Meng scrambled and rolled, too afraid to look back.
The guards maintaining order in the arena rushed toward them, and the ladies were in an uproar. The emperor stood up immediately.
Yin Linxu pulled out the whistle hanging from his neck and blew a sharp, piercing note. But the horse, Treading Snow Seeking Plum, didn’t recognize him as its master. Though familiar with the whistle, it completely ignored him.
Several princes who were in the midst of their competition also turned toward the commotion. Wu Linxuan vaulted onto a horse, unable to untie the reins in time, so he snapped them off, grabbed his bow and arrow, and leaned forward as he charged in their direction.
After breaking through the crowd, everyone saw Prince Jian’an’s stern face as he drew his bow, aiming directly at the horse charging ahead—he was about to shoot it dead.
A eunuch beside Emperor Yan’an shouted sharply, “Your Highness, you must not! That is the King of Horses from the Kingdom of Fengqu!”
The Kingdom of Fengqu was a tiny nation that lived and breathed horses. The King of Horses held a status equal to the Fengqu crown prince. If it were killed here, Fengqu would rise against Wuling, refusing to supply warhorses any longer.
Emperor Yan’an opened his mouth, stepped forward, but ultimately didn’t stop Wu Linxuan.
The tension was suffocating, but all of this happened in the blink of an eye.
At this critical moment, Lu Meng—this two-legged creature dressed in a ridiculous mess of finery—was no match for the four-legged Treading Snow Seeking Plum.
“Mother!” The mother and daughter pair that Lu Meng had just passed had come to a halt. The elderly lady was so startled by the galloping horse that she sat down on the ground, while the young lady from the noble family was about to try to pull her up.
Lu Meng glanced back and saw that the horse named Treading Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms was about to charge straight toward the mother and daughter.
In a flash, Lu Meng felt like she had lost her mind.
She was just a few steps away from breaking into the women’s resting area. By now, several onlookers had gathered at the entrance, drawn by the commotion.
If she could just rush in, those two ladies and the noble young lady would serve as a buffer, and the crowd of spectators would block the way. This whole scene would definitely pass without incident.
Lu Meng had never been a saint. Everything she did in this world was for comfort and self-preservation. She didn’t even regard the people around her as real, living beings.
But—
At this critical moment, she gritted her teeth and abruptly changed direction. She even waved her sleeve at the large black horse to catch its attention, then sprinted toward an open patch of ground to her left front.
The horse was chasing her, so it should follow her. At that moment, Lu Meng felt like a hero holding a live bomb, heading straight for death.
She didn’t want it to be this way, but she had deliberately chosen to follow this particular lady, and they would never have encountered such a dangerous situation otherwise.
If the lady and the young noblewoman were trampled and injured by the horse’s hooves, Lu Meng feared she would never be able to forgive herself.
She ran a few more steps, then fell hard onto the open ground, not far from the lady and young noblewoman. The horse’s front hooves were nearly upon them.
Lu Meng couldn’t get up. She stared wide-eyed as the horse’s snow-white front hoof hovered just inches away from the mother and daughter. But the horse’s control was impeccable. With its long, powerful front leg, it kicked fiercely forward, leaving two deep holes in the sandy ground.
“Ahhhh—” The young lady’s scream, clutching the lady, rang out.
*Whoosh—*
An arrow shot from a fully drawn longbow sliced through the air, headed straight for Treading Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms’ neck.
But the horse abruptly stopped and turned its head, charging toward Lu Meng’s direction instead, narrowly dodging the deadly arrow!
“Yinyin! Get down!”
Wu Linxuan’s voice came from nearby, raw with desperation. He didn’t have time to shoot another arrow—because the official hunt hadn’t started yet, they weren’t carrying quivers on their backs.
Wu Linxuan only had one arrow in his hand.
His expression was one of panic unlike any Lu Meng had ever seen. Had she looked back, she would have reconsidered their relationship.
But unfortunately, Lu Meng had no time to look at him. She didn’t even hear Wu Linxuan’s voice, because besides the horse’s neighing, everything else faded away.
She didn’t duck. She was numb.
Lying flat on her back, she stared up at the horse’s hooves, which, though having just stopped and turned, still carried momentum from the gallop that couldn’t be fully released. The horse’s hoof raised high above her head.
*Neigh—*
The great black horse almost reared up on its hind legs. Its powerful body and four strong hooves loomed over Lu Meng like a dark cloud.
Lu Meng closed her eyes, completely still. The overwhelming dominance of a powerful beast over a fragile creature triggered a primal sense of oppression, leaving her mind utterly blank.
If those hooves came down, it wouldn’t just injure her—it would crush her to death. Shouts of alarm echoed through the arena.
At this moment, because the movements of the horse Treading Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms were too wild, Cen Xishi, who was hanging onto the horse, finally lost his grip and crashed to the ground—right in front of Lu Meng.
With a loud “thud,” dust billowed into the air. His hands were gripping the reins so tightly they were raw and bleeding, and his legs, having just twisted around the horse’s neck in a desperate sprint, no longer obeyed him.
Lu Meng, who had been like a helpless little turtle waiting to be crushed underfoot, felt completely disconnected from reality.
But Cen Xishi’s fall landed one of his arms heavily on Lu Meng’s leg, making her shudder.
Snapped back to awareness by the impact, Lu Meng saw the horse’s hoof descending. In that instant, fueled by some unknown surge of strength, she kicked Cen Xishi hard in the waist—
Cen Xishi was sent tumbling sideways. Lu Meng grabbed the blood-stained reins hanging from the big black horse’s neck and, using them as leverage, swung her body to the side.
The horse’s head was forcibly twisted away, and Lu Meng’s robe dragged along the ground as she summoned every ounce of the energy she had from her previous life’s adventures on a popular suspension bridge, channeling it into a desperate, water-skimming leap.
“Thud! Thud!” The horse’s hooves finally hit the ground, sending up a cloud of dust that blew into Lu Meng’s face. One of her eyes was filled with sand, instantly stinging shut.
“Don’t move, big brother!” Lu Meng felt the reins in her hands being yanked. Afraid the black horse might go wild again and cause a second injury, she gripped the reins tightly and shouted sharply, “Hush!”
With one eye closed, she didn’t notice any pain on her body. She quickly glanced at the jade-like gentleman—Cen Xishi—who was lying under the horse’s belly, looking up at her with wide, stunned eyes.
Lu Meng’s eye that was closed from the dust wouldn’t open, and she didn’t dare let go of the reins to rub it. Tears streamed down her face.
She wasn’t standing or sitting but was in a strange half-hanging position: knees slightly bent, toes barely touching the ground, dragging herself forward. All her strength was focused on the reins above the horse’s neck.
“Snort, snort~” Lu Meng suddenly felt a horse’s snot sprayed all over her face.
Her heart pounded as if it would leap out of her chest.
But this time, she wasn’t afraid—not because her courage had suddenly grown, but because she’d reached a point of reckless, fearless desperation.
All she hoped was that no one would be crushed into a pulp in front of her. Her mind was too blank to think clearly.
Meeting Cen Xishi’s shocked gaze, she stammered, “Get up! Big brother!”
Was she supposed to just lie there under the horse’s belly and wait to be trampled to death?
Though she didn’t feel scared, she was so flustered she couldn’t even distinguish between people and horses and called them all “big brother.”
“Snort, snort~~” Lu Meng felt her collar being tugged.
She ignored it, keeping one eye on the gentleman as he finally recovered and crawled out from under the horse’s belly. Only then did Lu Meng’s knees weaken.
But she didn’t fall to her knees because the horse’s mouth was still tugging at her collar.
The surrounding screams and shouts had stopped at some unknown moment, leaving the entire arena in an eerie silence.
Everyone was staring at a once-raging stallion, now effortlessly held by the reins by a seemingly fragile young woman who looked like she couldn’t withstand even a single kick. Not only did the horse not struggle, but it affectionately nudged her with its head as if playing.
If it weren’t for the man who had just been thrown off the horse crawling out from underneath its belly, or the lady and young miss nearby who had nearly been trampled but hadn’t yet risen—
If it weren’t for this delicate woman, her hair disheveled and tears streaming down her face—
This scene would have been nothing short of heartwarming.
Lu Meng still hadn’t realized that her instinctive, desperate survival moves had effortlessly tamed the legendary horse known as “Treading Snow to Seek Plum.”
The horse was biting her collar, and she didn’t care that it was dirty. She blinked repeatedly, struggling to wash away the grit in her eyes with tears. When her vision cleared enough, she saw a crowd gathering nearby, but no one came close.
The arena guards, her mercenary team, and… Wu Linxuan descending from another horse.
Including Yin Linxu, the Prince of Fengqu.
They were all afraid that if they rushed forward, the horse would panic again.
Yin Linxu’s honey-colored upper body was bare today, wild tattoo-like lines roaming across his skin, giving him an untamed, primal aura.
Up close, his deep green eyes practically radiated raw hormones.
Wait, up close!
He was walking toward her.
Lu Meng stood frozen, watching him approach. He stopped beside the horse but didn’t reach out to take the reins.
Instead, looking down at Lu Meng from above, he suddenly dropped to one knee and said, “To the brave soul who tamed the King of Horses, allow me, on behalf of Fengqu, to offer you my sincerest vow.”
“Ah?”
One of Lu Meng’s eyes was still raw and red from the grit irritation.
She was just about to hand over the reins to this handsome man when he suddenly knelt, startling her.
After a brief silence in the arena, a wave of uproar broke out.
“How is this possible?”
“No way!”
“What’s impossible? The prince just knelt down.”
“Isn’t she the Princess Consort of Jian’an…? How could a woman possibly ride a horse?”
“She just saved several people—what’s wrong with a woman?”
“Well, I don’t accept it. What she did isn’t taming; at best, she just held the reins…”
Voices in the crowd were mixed. Lu Meng glanced around with her still-sore eyes. Her heartbeat was racing wildly, but her legs gradually stopped trembling.
She looked down at the reins in her hands, pushed away the horse’s head that was biting her collar, and only then, amid the pounding in her chest, realized something.
The horse had indeed come at her—but not to trample her. It was asking her for food.
The big black horse chewed on her collar for a while, then moved to nibble on another part of her clothing. The chewing sounds were soft but clear to Lu Meng—crunch, crunch.
This dumb beast thought she was edible. No wonder she had previously overestimated its intelligence.
But… does this count as taming “Treading Snow to Seek Plum”?
Lu Meng looked at the kneeling handsome man. A buzzing sound filled her mind before she instinctively glanced toward Wu Linxuan in the crowd. Her eyes reddened again—this time with excitement!
One hundred thousand gold!
Ahhhh!
Taming “Treading Snow to Seek Plum” was worth one hundred thousand gold!
That money!
It was hers!
Ha-ya!
Yayhoo!
Lu Meng felt like running around the arena in wild excitement, but the murmurs and debates among the noble sons of the great families only grew louder.
The emperor stood on a high platform not far away, wanting to come down but restrained by his status and pride, so he just listened to the sharp-eared eunuchs relay the news.
“The Princess Consort of Jian’an has tamed Tàxuě Xúnméi.”
“What… nonsense!” Emperor Yan’an instinctively retorted.
Meanwhile, the crowd in the arena was already in heated dispute. The prince of Fengqu Kingdom even knelt on the ground, asking Lu Meng, “Brave one, what would you have Fengqu Kingdom do for you?”
Lu Meng pressed her lips tightly, her excitement shifting as she glanced toward Wu Dagou.
Wu Dagou tried to step forward, but whenever someone approached, Tàxuě Xúnméi grew restless, stamping its hooves anxiously.
Its earlier frenzy had been terrifying enough that even Wu Linxuan dared not approach rashly.
He could only stretch out his hand to Lu Meng and say, “Come here.”
Lu Meng pushed aside the horse’s head and moved toward Wu Linxuan. Her mind was racing with thoughts of the one hundred thousand gold coins promised as reward. But after only a couple of steps, the horse bit her.
“Let go!”
“Snort, snort~~”
As Lu Meng struggled, a eunuch beside the emperor approached Yin Linxu and said, “Your Highness, there’s something suspicious about this matter. We ask everyone to step back and let His Majesty make the final judgment.”
Lu Meng wanted to curse. Suspicious, my foot! This is my taming! A bunch of sourpusses trying to steal my glory!
But in this world, imperial authority was absolute. There was nothing she could do.
Tàxuě Xúnméi was surprisingly obedient. Besides Lu Meng, even Mi Ge wasn’t allowed near it. Anyone who came close got kicked — one guard was even sent flying.
Lu Meng wanted to leave, but the horse followed her, biting at her.
In the end, Lu Meng led the big black horse down from the platform. She tidied her hair and clothes slightly, then bowed respectfully to Emperor Yan’an from below.
The noble sons of the great families took turns stepping forward, expressing their discontent.
One hundred thousand gold coins, a promise from the emperor, a promise from Fengqu Kingdom — who wouldn’t go mad over such a reward? Just by taming Tàxuě Xúnméi, plus the one hundred thousand warhorses supplied free to Wuling Kingdom, she had become a national hero.
The princes would fight tooth and nail over an opportunity like this, even if it meant beating each other senseless. And yet, it had fallen into the hands of a woman. How could these men accept that?
“What exactly is going on?” Emperor Yan’an stood with hands behind his back on the high platform, his brows stern and commanding, radiating imperial authority.
The noble sons dared not shout anymore. One orderly stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I believe it’s too hasty to make a decision like this.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The Princess Consort of Jian’an just happened to hold onto Tàxuě Xúnméi. How can that be called taming?” another noble son spoke up.
Voices of agreement rippled through the crowd. Emperor Yan’an’s brow furrowed tightly.
Before he could say anything, Cen Xishi, who had been the first to attempt training the horse, stepped forward to counter, “These two brothers make a good point. If it was just a coincidence that she held onto it, why didn’t you all just ‘coincidentally’ grab it earlier?”
Some bystanders chuckled at the drama. The two young men who had spoken flushed with embarrassment.
But soon, another voice rose, “Your Majesty, this really shouldn’t be decided so lightly. The Princess Consort of Jian’an is a woman who can’t even ride a horse. If she’s said to have tamed it, I think the horse simply likes women.”
Yin Linxu, who had been silent all along, frowned and said, "Prince Ma grew up in the wilderness and had no contact with anyone else before coming here."
"Then, after arriving here, wasn’t it Your Highness, the Prince, who took care of him?" the man replied. "Besides, Mr. Cen Xishi doesn’t need to be so sharp-tongued. Everyone knows that the Princess Consort of Jian'an is the daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, and also the cousin of Cen Xishi’s generation."
The implication was clear: Cen Xishi was protecting his own.
Cen Xishi immediately wanted to retort. The Cen family had long severed ties with the Vice Minister of Revenue, and this was no secret in court. But how could he possibly bring such matters before the emperor?
A cold, ruthless look flashed across Cen Xishi’s handsome face as he fixed a heavy gaze on the man speaking.
The man, in turn, felt a bit intimidated. The Cen family controlled the Ministry of Justice, and the Second Prince’s second son was not someone to be trifled with. But since he was loyal to the Second Prince, he had to stand his ground.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense. Yin Linxu spoke up again, "If you think Prince Ma was tamed by a woman’s closeness, you’re welcome to have your mother come and try!"
Lu Meng listened to the bickering, cursing them all in her heart, but she couldn’t show it. She just stood there quietly.
She hadn’t sought the spotlight—it was Ma who made the first move.
They didn’t believe she could tame him; in the end, it would be the big black dog who would do it.
The hundred thousand gold coins were still theirs!
Although spending someone else’s money wasn’t the same as spending your own, the big black dog was generous with her, so Lu Meng remained unflustered.
The crowd erupted into argument again. Naturally, the princes wouldn’t just hand over such a great achievement for free. Their own men came forward, hurling insults, and some even accused the Princess Consort of Jian'an of leaving early, hinting at a possible conspiracy.
But such claims were clearly baseless and were soon met with a torrent of scolding.
After all the shouting, Emperor Yan’an finally lost face and spoke up: "Since all of you ministers find this matter unsatisfactory—"
He cast a cold, condescending glance at Lu Meng. Even from his lofty position, Lu Meng saw the disdain in his eyes.
Pah!
Lu Meng retorted silently in her heart.
Then Emperor Yan’an said, "Then whoever objects, may step forward to train the horse themselves. Princess Consort of Jian'an, you may return and watch."
It was obvious he didn’t recognize her success in taming the horse.
Lu Meng was not surprised. In this world of despicable men, to protect a woman’s honor, they would do anything—even watch someone burn alive and deny any credit to a mere woman in the inner chambers. What was new?
But Lu Meng cursed inwardly: "You old dog, if you dare snatch my money, I wish you an early downfall."
After struggling for a long time, she finally tore the big black horse away from her side. The horse was returned to the training ground, and while Lu Meng went to change and wash up, the fence around the training area was raised to over two meters.
This time, without wings, the horse couldn’t jump out.
While Lu Meng changed, Xin Ya was so frightened she kept crying. It was the first time Lu Meng had ever seen the usually composed Xin Ya in tears.
"What are you doing? I’m fine, aren’t I?" Lu Meng said, feeling as if this ridiculous drama had been scripted by some devious villain.
This time, she couldn’t even say Xin Ya was scared.
Xin Ya tidied Lu Meng’s clothes and, in front of all the servants, knelt down.
"Your servant thanks the Princess Consort for saving my life."
Lu Meng: "……Huh?"
“Princess Consort pushed me away in a moment of danger,” Xin Ya choked up, “From now on, I will surely devote my life and loyalty to the Princess Consort.”
Lu Meng: “...You’d better get up.” She had indeed intended to keep Xin Ya out of harm’s way, but she hadn’t expected to earn such heartfelt gratitude from her.
It was an unexpected bonus.
She asked Xin Ya, “The Cen family... that’s my maternal clan, right? Was that young master just now my cousin?”
Lu Meng sighed, “It’s been so many years since I last saw him, I don’t even recognize him anymore.”
Wow, a cousin!
She always said that such a handsome man must be a secondary male lead. In the original story, the heroine did have a cousin who secretly helped her several times.
But Lu Meng had long forgotten how the story portrayed him—did he count as a secondary male lead?
Lu Meng decided he did, simply because her cousin was good-looking.
“Let’s go. I want to see who can tame Treading Snow and Seeking Plum.”
Lu Meng changed into a light purple robe. As she walked back to her seat, Consort Duan Su’s gaze burned into her so fiercely it felt like it could bore a hole through her.
Lu Meng held her head high and sat back down, thinking, Today, even if I don’t succeed in taming the horse, I’m still going to steal the spotlight.
Consort Duan Su probably wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her now.
The emperor glanced at Lu Meng, then propped his arm on the table and pressed his temple.
He was already regretting letting Prince Jian'an marry this princess consort.
Originally, her maternal family was weak. The Vice Minister of Revenue was incompetent and couldn’t possibly provide any support to Prince Jian'an.
This Vice Minister’s legitimate second daughter had no ties with her maternal family, at best she was on good terms with Zhangsun Xianyun—but Zhangsun Xianyun and Feng Beiyi were stationed in the southern border.
Moreover, Feng Beiyi had no interest in getting involved with Prince Jian'an.
But now things were different. This Princess Consort had stepped in to save three members of the Cen family. The Cen family had controlled the Ministry of Justice for years, deeply rooted and powerful, always loyal to the crown, sometimes even disrespecting Emperor Yan’an.
After this, the Cen family would be grateful to Prince Jian'an—could they still remain purely loyal?
The emperor’s regret was so deep it felt like his intestines were twisting, though Lu Meng had no idea.
She was still excitedly watching those young masters who had been boasting moments ago enter one by one to try taming the horse, only to come out crying and wailing like babies.
Lu Meng couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t liked the big black horse at first because it had eaten all her food and looked too fierce.
But now she decided to like it—it had really saved her face and gotten back at her rivals.
She was almost clapping with glee. If it weren’t for maintaining the image of the Princess Consort of Jian'an, Lu Meng would have been laughing under the table by now.
All the noble sons had been thoroughly defeated, but since those carried out were still intact—though some looked pale—they hadn’t been trampled to death.
This only made the young masters more fired up, each eager to try, with the later riders having an advantage since even a fine horse like Treading Snow and Seeking Plum had limited stamina and would tire.
So more and more people went in to try.
Treading Snow and Seeking Plum was indeed starting to pant, its nostrils flared wide, snorting loudly.
Every now and then, it would trot over to the fence and look around.
The horse trainers came and went in a steady stream, erupting in bursts of astonished exclamations that even caused the archery competition to be temporarily postponed.
Yin Linxu stood outside, arms crossed and face stern, watching with a somewhat mischievous expression.
It was one of disdain.
These noble sons of prominent families had no idea what a Horse King truly was, nor did they understand what the Kingdom of Fengqu relied on to select its Horse King.
The Horse King was not just any horse; it was unmatched in speed and endurance. More importantly, once the Horse King accepted its master, obeying their commands meant far more than merely running a thousand miles a day.
It could run tirelessly until death, fight until its last breath—even if it was gutted and torn open on the battlefield, it would still carry its master back to safety before finally succumbing.
Expecting to wear it out through sheer exertion was futile. Even if every noble son in the arena took turns, none could wear down Treading Snow Seeking Plum.
Although Yin Linxu himself didn’t understand why Treading Snow Seeking Plum had accepted that particular woman as its master.
Taming the Horse King was no easy feat. Within their tribe, those who could tame a Horse King were unparalleled warriors, enduring long, grueling trials with the horse—sometimes lasting one or two months—before the Horse King willingly submitted.
In all these years, Treading Snow Seeking Plum was the only Horse King that no warrior from their tribe could tame, which was why it was sent to this Wuling Kingdom.
Even Yin Linxu, who had raised and trained horses since childhood, was powerless to make Treading Snow Seeking Plum submit.
Now that it had accepted a master, any futile struggle from these people was pointless.
But the challengers began a war of attrition, taking turns in rapid succession, and Treading Snow Seeking Plum grew increasingly agitated. They thought the horse was simply tired, on the verge of being tamed.
Yet soon, someone was trampled and sent out with their intestines torn apart.
Still, some refused to accept defeat and went back in, only to come out with broken limbs, having been flung against the fence by the horse’s biting jaws until all their limbs were shattered.
The cheers from the crowd gradually died down, replaced by tense silence as everyone watched the fence intently.
This time, the one who entered was the Sixth Prince—the same one who had competed in horseback archery against Wu Linxuan just last night.
The Sixth Prince lasted comparatively longer, circling several times and managing to stay mounted despite Treading Snow Seeking Plum’s stubbornness.
But before he could celebrate, the horse suddenly lay down and began rolling on the ground.
Many horses roll like this—when basking in the sun, during hot weather, or when their backs are covered with fireflies—it’s their way of scratching an itch and making themselves comfortable.
But to Treading Snow Seeking Plum, the Sixth Prince was nothing more than a fly on its back, and he was thrown violently to the ground and crushed under the horse’s massive body.
This horse’s shoulder height was even taller than Lu Meng, and while its length had never been measured, a rough estimate put it at three or four meters. Considering its muscular build, its weight was truly…
Enough to crush a man to death.
Sure enough, after just one roll, the Sixth Prince let out a miserable scream.
The guards rushed forward in a frenzy and quickly pulled him out.
Treading Snow Seeking Plum lazily rose from the ground, shook off the dirt from its coat, and then trotted over to the edge of the fence to peer outside.
The horse couldn’t fully stretch its large head out, but it kept “whinnying” fiercely in the direction of the high platform.
The scene grew increasingly silent, and the expressions on the faces of these noble sons became darker and darker. Those who had managed to sneak inside and take a lap without injury were now completely subdued.
After the Sixth Prince came out, the princes exchanged glances with one another, yet no one dared to rashly enter.
The standoff continued, and the emperor once again stood up uneasily from the table.
A faint smile on Lu Meng’s face softened slightly. No matter how much she enjoyed watching a commotion, she didn’t like seeing anyone get trampled to death in the process.
Was this horse really that fierce?
It had indeed kicked someone before when it sneaked into her tent to steal food and was caught.
But today, it hadn’t injured anyone while running—it seemed completely enraged now.
Lu Meng watched as the emperor reached the edge of the high platform, and at that moment, Wu Linxuan stepped forward.
Her heart relaxed a little.
If anyone could tame this horse, it would only be Wu Linxuan.
After all, he was the classic literary male lead; everything before this moment had been setting the stage for him.
Lu Meng took a sip of water and then settled in, waiting for the outcome with ease.
Once Wu Linxuan entered the arena, he easily mounted the horse, and “Treading Snow, Seeking Plum” began its antics again.
In terms of riding skill, Wu Linxuan was indeed not as skilled as the Sixth Prince, but he was far superior in archery.
He gripped the reins tightly, leaning close to the horse’s back, managing to stay on for quite some time without being thrown off.
“Treading Snow, Seeking Plum” even slowed its pace as it ran. Among the crowd, some of Wu Linxuan’s men began cheering at the right moments.
Lu Meng could tell from the sounds that he had it under control.
A faint smile appeared on her face, but before it could fully spread, a sudden cry broke out.
Then the guards rushed into the enclosure, but “Treading Snow, Seeking Plum” seemed to have gone completely mad.
It had grown tired of playing this foolish game with humans.
The horse repeated its old trick—rolling on the ground, it threw Wu Linxuan off and then circled him, refusing to let him leave or anyone else come close.
Two guards who tried to approach were kicked hard against the fence. The horse’s powerful hind legs, unleashed, could easily shatter a person’s ribcage.
It kept “whinnying” as it ran circles around Wu Linxuan. When Wu Linxuan sat up and tried to escape, he realized he couldn’t tame the horse and prepared to give up.
Despite his martial skills, he was unarmed and helpless against this fierce beast.
Even as he tried to flee, he was repeatedly knocked down by the horse’s head. Though his injuries weren’t fatal, his leg had been stomped on.
Wu Linxuan had never been so disheveled before. At one point, he even grew murderous intent, but with no weapons on him, he was utterly powerless against such a terrifying creature.
Soon, a eunuch hurried over to the emperor and explained the situation.
The noble sons all turned their gazes in this direction.
Yin Linxu followed closely beside the eunuch and bowed deeply to the emperor: “The King of Horses is merely calling for its master.”
After he spoke, he looked toward Lu Meng, and all eyes fell on her face.
Lu Meng wasn’t really used to being the center of attention like this. How could Tàxuě Xúnméi really recognize her as its master?
Wu Dagou was clearly the true hero conquering the world.
Emperor Yan’an was obviously very reluctant.
But Prince Jian'an was trapped by a horse and in constant danger. Lu Meng exchanged a glance with Emperor Yan’an.
The emperor sighed subtly and said, “Princess Consort of Jian'an, why don’t you try again?”
Lu Meng casually grabbed a few pieces of snacks from the table.
She had already exerted herself quite a bit earlier and was being gently supported by her maid as she walked over, looking delicate and weak. This made the noble young men’s faces darken considerably.
Today, having the Princess Consort of Jian'an steal the spotlight from them was truly humiliating.
Especially since they had been unwilling before, demanding that His Majesty order them to train the horses again.
It was like slapping themselves in the face.
But since they couldn’t kill the horse king and no one could get close to Tàxuě Xúnméi, they had no choice but to send the woman they refused to acknowledge to try once more. Lu Meng was supported to the edge of the enclosure, and when the gate opened, she felt a bit uncertain inside.
The guards cleared a path for her, and all eyes were fixed on Lu Meng.
Pressure mounted as she stood a short distance from the guards, in a position where she could either advance or retreat.
The small mercenary team assigned to protect her silently closed in.
If things went wrong, she would turn and run immediately.
Lu Meng took a small step forward alone, raising a hand to beckon to the restless, frantic Tàxuě Xúnméi.
“Hey!” Lu Meng didn’t really know how to call a horse; she certainly couldn’t whistle like a rogue.
So she just called out, “Come here!”
The noble sons’ faces turned utterly miserable, some even covering their eyes.
Tàxuě Xúnméi actually stopped, its ears swiveling toward her.
Lu Meng took another small step closer, waving her sleeve, “Come here, I’ve got something tasty for you!”
Everyone was stunned, watching as the fierce warhorse — who had kicked and trampled countless people, leaving them gutted and broken-limbed, and had abandoned the siege of Wu Linxuan — turned around and trotted over like a loyal dog.
It stopped near the Princess Consort of Jian'an and snorted at her.
Lu Meng was prepared, raising her sleeve to block the spray of snot each time — it was disgustingly dirty.
The big black horse stepped forward again, trying to bite the edge of Lu Meng’s clothes.
She held out the snacks she had taken from the table in her palm, offering them to the horse’s mouth.
It lowered its head and used its big lips to snatch the treats, then took a step closer, resting its massive head on Lu Meng’s shoulder as it munched.
Sparse applause broke out, and not far off, the onlookers cheered.
This horse had truly recognized its master; now no one could deny it.
But since this was a classic tragic romance, with the female lead who should have suffered instead stealing the spotlight, naturally some people weren’t satisfied.
Someone in the crowd said, “It’s just feeding a horse. You can’t really call that taming it. She hasn’t even ridden it…”
As soon as that was said, others who had been dissatisfied immediately chimed in.
Yin Linxu followed closely behind Lu Meng, his eyes widening as he watched her feed treats to Tàxuě Xúnméi.
A horse king... could it be that just because of food, this horse recognizes this woman as its master?
“Yeah, it’s just feeding the horse. I heard that on the day this horse caught fire, it ran straight into the Princess Consort of Jian'an’s camp. When the servants arrived, the Princess Consort was feeding the horse!”
A voice of dissent rang out again.
Lu Meng handed over the last two pieces of the treat in her hand toward the direction of the voice: “Whoever said that, step forward and feed it yourself.”
After a moment, the crowd pushed and jostled, and sure enough, a young nobleman stepped forward.
Lu Meng sized him up at a glance and immediately knew he was a cannon fodder—his looks could hardly be called a disaster, but more like a fleeting dream.
The man took one piece of treat from Lu Meng, then took a few steps forward and called to the horse.
“Come, come eat!”
Tàxuě Xúnméi turned its big head over.
It actually moved closer.
The crowd began to stir again.
Lu Meng thought, “Come on, brother, don’t mess this up!”
Then came a “clack” sound.
Followed by screams of pain— the big black horse didn’t eat the treat in his hand; instead, it bit down on his wrist!
This time, the crowd booed. The last piece of treat in Lu Meng’s hand was snatched away by the big black horse.
Wu Linxuan was helped up by the guards, looking utterly disheveled and with a complicated expression as he glanced toward Lu Meng’s direction.
Lu Meng smiled at him, and Wu Linxuan instinctively tried to curl his lips into a smile, but quickly suppressed it.
At this moment, someone in the crowd still refused to accept it. It was one of the Second Prince’s men—the same person who had twisted his mouth before, claiming Cen Xishi was the Princess Consort’s cousin just to defend her.
Lu Meng quickly located him in the crowd; he was another cannon fodder.
Though his appearance was decent, he was utterly forgettable.
Behind him, two others echoed his words, their voices thin and shaky, but they still said, “You have to ride without being thrown off to truly tame it.”
Wu Linxuan’s expression darkened instantly.
He moved his lips to say to Lu Meng, “Yin Yin…”
He wanted to warn her not to try, saying that if she really got thrown off, she’d get hurt—the horse was too fierce.
Yin Linxu scoffed quietly upon hearing this.
Lu Meng felt a bit troubled. The horse was really too tall for her to mount.
Besides, there was no saddle on the horse’s back, and Lu Meng didn’t know how to ride at all. Most likely, if she got on and Tàxuě Xúnméi stayed still, she’d still fall off.
If she got trampled afterward, it wouldn’t be worth it.
All these people chattering were really annoying!
Lu Meng felt a bit vexed. She patted Tàxuě Xúnméi’s neck, thinking to herself: Ten thousand gold couldn’t compare to her life; she’d risk it if she had to.
Just as she was about to soothe the horse and leave, the horse she had just patted suddenly bent its forelegs and knelt down toward Lu Meng.
It didn’t lie completely on the ground, just knelt on its front legs and slightly bent its hind legs.
Its big head bumped against Lu Meng.
At this height, even a child could climb up.
