Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 541 - 539

Chapter 541: Chapter 539

After more than half a month passed, the long-awaited Dragon Boat Festival finally arrived.

On that day, the weather was good and the sunshine was warm, and people stood along the banks.

Since the Fifth Princess and Princess Wanru were also participating in the race, the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress all came to the Huai River Bridge to watch the competition.

This was the only princess of the Emperor, his beloved treasure!

Moreover, the Fifth Princess boasted that she would win a top ranking, saying their paddling skills were excellent, no worse than the men. This even piqued the interest of the Empress Dowager, who, with her advanced age, wasn’t as inclined to move around.

A platform was set up in the center of the Huai River Bridge, topped with a shade tent, where the three most respected individuals in the world sat.

Behind each of them stood a maid, fanning them with a round fan.

The Fifth Princess sat at the very forefront of the dragon boat, turning back to wave towards the direction of the Emperor on the bridge.

The Empress Dowager enthusiastically waved back, "The Fifth Princess looks very spirited in her outfit today, so energetic!"

"Androgynous, what’s good about that!" Although the Emperor verbally complained, he couldn’t help but find his own daughter beautiful.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the proud Emperor and chose not to expose his true feelings.

The bugle sounded, signifying the start of the dragon boat race.

At the sound of the bugle, Uncle Cai, standing at the bow of the boat, was the first to start pounding the drum.

The Fifth Princess quickly sat up straight, instinctively starting to paddle.

Xiao’er and her companions moved in unison, paddling rhythmically to the drumbeat. Their demeanor was in no way inferior to that of the men.

Although many of the dragon boats manned by men quickly outstripped them, they only followed the rhythm of Uncle Cai’s drum, paddling calmly and steadily.

The Women’s Detachment was the most noticeable amidst the green, a striking red spot.

The Empress Dowager, watching their dragon boat, expressed her delight, "I never thought that these gentle young ladies could paddle a dragon boat so well. They’re just as good as the men!"

The Emperor nodded in response, "True, their movements are uniform, but they lack the speed of men. They are, after all, ladies. They lack the strength."

"What’s wrong with being a lady!" The Empress Dowager straightened up, "Their speed is not slow at all! I believe they can definitely get a ranking!"

The Emperor didn’t respond. In this kind of boat race, people would become more exhausted in the latter part, and they have already used up most of their strength. If they could hold on and paddle to the finish line, it would already be pretty good.

The Empress Dowager also stopped talking and concentrated on watching the Women’s Detachment, silently cheering for them to get a ranking.

Shangguan Xuanyi, Shangguan Xuanjun, and Di Shaowei led three dragon boats, progressing side by side with a marginal difference discernible only to the naked eye.

The cheers, shouts, and drumbeats resounded, making the scene lively.

Liu Zhiwen, Liu Zhiwu, and Mrs. Tan were shouting encouragement from the shore, not caring about their image. After all, there were only a few people in the Imperial City who recognized them. They were going back to Shengping County soon, and didn’t care about losing face.

Halfway through the race, Xiao’er and her team were steadily at the last place.

They lagged behind the other dragon boats by more than half a boat’s length.

"We’re halfway through the race now, it’s doubtful whether the princesses can rank," the Emperor said, stroking his beard.

"Why are you dampening our spirits! We’ve only been racing for half the course; how do you know they can’t rank!" The Empress Dowager retorted angrily.

Wasn’t this obvious? The further along the race, the more exhausted people would become, and their energy would be nearly depleted. Now that they were lagging so far behind, how could they rank? Well, being last was also a sort of ranking! However, the Emperor did not dare to say this to the Empress Dowager, who seemed to have taken the race as her personal competition.

The Emperor stroked his beard, thinking that only women and villains were difficult to support. Emphatically, old women were harder to maintain—so unreasonable.

Halfway through the competition, Uncle Cai began to pick up the rhythm of his drumming.

Xiao’er’s and her companions’ actions quickened their pace and their dragon boat began to speed up. Gradually, slowly, the dragon head began to outstrip some boats.

When the dragon boat of the son from the Enbo Mansion was surpassed, he almost forgot his movement, exclaiming, it’s unbelievable!

How did they get faster when everyone else was getting slower!

They quickly went from being the last to being second-to-last, third-last, and so on...

The Empress Dowager was so excited that she stood up!

"Your Majesty, my eyes aren’t very good, can you tell if they’ve surpassed? Are they not last anymore?"

The Emperor was startled by the Empress Dowager’s actions, "Mother, they have surpassed, they aren’t last anymore. Please sit down!"

This is a platform set up on the bridge. What would happen if the Empress Dowager got too excited and fell into the river!

"No, I can’t see clearly sitting down." The Empress Dowager stood up, gripping the guardrail, practically leaning her whole body over it.

The maid carefully supported her from behind.

"Your servant will tell you later what places the princess and county hosts have gotten, Mother should sit down!" The Emperor got nervous too.

"No need, I want to see for myself." She specifically came to watch her granddaughters and daughters-in-law row the dragon boat. If she sat there and waited for others to tell her, why would she come at all? If she wanted someone to tell her, she could have stayed at Cining Palace.

Your Majesty, the Empress is powerless, this bridge is high! Are you not afraid of falling into the river in your excitement, Empress Dowager?

If your old ladyship isn’t afraid, they are!

The Empress could only signal to the maid behind her to carefully watch the Empress Dowager.

The officials on the bridge, citizens on both banks all rubbed their eyes.

"It seems like the Detachment of Women isn’t last anymore?"

"Is it not the last? Then it must be second to last!" Someone opened their mouth with indifference.

What’s so interesting about women joining the dragon boat race, they have no strength at all. Are we supposed to watch their desperate struggles?

He only focused on the front where the three dragon boats were competing for supremacy. It’s too exciting!

"No, they’re not the second to last! They’re third to last now!"

"Why are you so excited about them being third last? Isn’t it still the worst places?"

"I feel like they’re getting faster and faster."

"You’ve got to be kidding!" The man heard this, it sounded like some tall tale.

Only then did he reluctantly move his gaze from the heroes competing in the front to the desperate struggles at the rear.

"Huh, they seem to really be getting faster! How could that be." He couldn’t help but rub his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

"They’re really getting faster, did they get a shot of adrenaline or what?"

Xiao’er and the others began to row with all their might, a thin layer of sweat appearing on each person’s forehead. They grit their teeth and row to the rhythm of the drum, just keep rowing!

Everyone was silently chanting in their hearts, "Fifth place! Fifth place!..."

There were a total of ten dragon boats competing. They only needed to overtake four dragon boats to secure a place. They had already passed the third boat. They only needed to surpass one more and they would reach their goal!

The dragon boat that the Detachment of Women surpassed was so shocked they exerted all their strength!

They frantically chased after, they had no choice but to catch up!

All the citizens of the Imperial City were watching!

All the civil and military officials in the government were watching!

The Emperor, Empress, and the Empress Dowager were all watching!

If they were to lose to a bunch of frail women, they would have to cover their faces like women when they go out in the future!

It would be too embarrassing to face others!

The competition was getting more and more exciting.

The people on the shore couldn’t help but cheer for the Detachment of Women, "Go, Princess!"

"Go, County Mistress!"

"Go, Lady of Rui’an County!"