Chapter 9 - The Twin Jades of the Great Jin
Mingyi reined in her horse and came to the edge of the crowd.
Xiao Xia glanced at the mare beneath her and laughed crisply.
“Oh, it seems you don't really know how to ride a horse.”
Behind her, Zhangsun Ling had already unwillingly mounted his horse, but the Eldest Young Master was clearly in a bad mood and did not look in this direction.
With him present, Mingyi tried her best not to make a sound, letting Xiao Xia satisfy her craving for trash talk.
Each team had five people. On the Pei family's side were Mingyi, Pei Yiyu, and a Ninth Young Master from the South Residence who had come to help. In addition, Pei Xuan had managed to invite the Eldest Miss of the Grand Secretary's Wang family, Wang Ruyu, and the Fifth Miss of the Second Grand Secretary's Cui family, Cui Xing. Pei Xuan was very clever; she had managed to turn this coordinated attack on Mingyi into a showdown between the civil and martial factions.
Both Xiao Xia and Zhangsun Ling came from the residences of military generals.
Wang Ruyu had received Pei Xuan's instructions and naturally had to defend Mingyi. Seeing Xiao Xia speak so rudely, she interrupted her.
“What are the stakes today?”
Xiao Xia raised her riding crop and pointed at Mingyi.
“If you all lose, then let this Miss Li from the countryside request a divorce.”
Wang Ruyu determined that she was just being unreasonable and provocative, and ignored her.
Pei Yiyu said angrily: “Miss Xiao, you've gone too far!”
Mingyi, however, had a calm expression: “Pick another. I can't afford that stake.”
She never put something on the table that she couldn't afford to lose.
Xiao Xia's goal was merely to humiliate Mingyi. Guessing that it would be impossible to actually make her get a divorce, she had already thought of the real stakes.
“If you lose, then you will ask Pei Yue to create a painting. How about it?”
A chord was struck in Mingyi's heart. She finally sensed that something was wrong. She shot a glance at Pei Yiyu. Pei Yiyu was instantly overcome with shame. She urged her horse to Mingyi's side and confessed in a low voice.
“Sister-in-law, I'm sorry. I never told you, but the Seventh Princess and this Xiao Xia have admired my brother for a long time. As long as it's something of my brother's, they will use any means to take it for themselves, such as his paintings, calligraphy, and even books he has read.... Later on, my brother stopped painting altogether...”
Mingyi broke out in a sweat: “So that's how it is.”
What was she to do now? If Pei Yue found out that she had gifted his painting to someone else, wouldn't he be angry with her?
Mingyi silently chanted Amitabha Buddha in her heart.
“Pick something else.”
This time, Xiao Xia's tone was firm: “There are no other options. This is the Seventh Princess's meaning as well.”
Mingyi had no choice.
Forget it. In any case, she wouldn't lose.
“Fine. Then if I win...”
Xiao Xia seemed not to believe she could win. Her gaze swept towards the leader of their team, Wang Ruyu: “If you win, what do you want?”
She completely disregarded Mingyi.
Wang Ruyu was not as perverse as her and turned her gaze to Mingyi.
Mingyi asked Pei Yiyu: “What is the going price for your brother's paintings on the outside?”
Pei Yiyu quickly shook her head.
“Anyone who gets one of my brother's paintings would never sell it. It would definitely be passed down as a family heirloom.”
Mingyi understood. She then said to Xiao Xia: “Since my husband's paintings are priceless treasures, then I will reluctantly set a number with you. If you lose, you will give me ten thousand taels.”
Xiao Xia sucked in a sharp breath and said angrily: “You really know how to ask for an exorbitant price!”
Leaning over her horse's back, Mingyi laughed at her.
“What, you don't dare to bet? If you don't dare, then let's just forget it.”
Xiao Xia was the type of person who could not stand being goaded. She gritted her teeth fiercely, her gaze hardening.
“So what if I agree to it? Let's see how much skill you have to back up such big talk!” After speaking, she turned her horse and called her team over to discuss tactics.
On this side, Wang Ruyu also summoned her teammates and began to lay out her strategy. It was clear that Wang Ruyu often played polo against Xiao Xia and knew her opponent's capabilities very well. However, as they discussed back and forth, no one mentioned Mingyi. Although Wang Ruyu had accepted the invitation to help Mingyi, she, like Cui the Fifth, also looked down on Mingyi in her heart, always feeling that Pei Yue had suffered a great humiliation by marrying her.
Only at the very end did Wang Ruyu politely ask Mingyi a question.
“Young Madam Pei, may I ask if you have any objections?”
Mingyi had listened attentively the entire time.
“I have no objections, only a request.”
“What request?”
“After the ball comes into your hands, can you pass it all to me?”
She had already promised away four of Pei Yue's paintings. If she lost another one today, she was truly afraid Pei Yue would drive her out of the house.
The four of them were all silently speechless.
Wang Ruyu finally understood why Xiao Xia had been cursing in anger. This Li-shi was truly not just ordinarily arrogant.
Ignoring Mingyi's words, they continued with the next step of their deployment.
At this moment, a commotion came from the transverse hall to the north. Looking towards the sound, they saw the Seventh Princess flooding into the hall with her full ceremonial escort. All the young madams and noble ladies knelt to pay their respects.
Seeing this, Wang Ruyu, Xiao Xia, and the others also dismounted one by one to welcome her.
Only Pei Yiyu held Mingyi back: “Sister-in-law, we don't need to go over.”
She was afraid that if the Seventh Princess saw Mingyi, she would make things difficult for her.
Mingyi slowly held her horse's reins, staring blankly in the Seventh Princess's direction.
Her eyesight was excellent. She could clearly see a richly dressed young woman with a high topknot, surrounded by palace attendants, walking gracefully to the red sandalwood couch in the center. Amidst the crowd's loud cheers and deep bows, she sat down languidly and proudly.
Mingyi's gaze swept past the Seventh Princess and instead moved to a woman by the princess's side. That woman was dressed in a wide-sleeved, sky-blue robe with white trim, her posture extremely elegant. She said something to the princess that made everyone in the hall laugh.
Mingyi asked Pei Yiyu: “Who is that person, to be able to receive such favor from the princess?”
“Her? That's the Second Miss of the Xie family, Xie Ruyun. There's a reason the princess treats her differently....”
Pei Yiyu glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, she moved closer to Mingyi's ear and said in a low voice,
“Sister-in-law, Third Brother is already the most exceptional man in this world, but did you know there is another person who is his equal in fame? This person's name is Li Linzhao. At a young age, he led troops into battle and achieved illustrious military merits on the border. He is a rare genius, the kind not seen in a generation. The world often says, ‘To have a son, he should be like Li Linzhao; to marry a husband, one should marry Pei Dongting.’ This Young General Li and my brother, one martial and one civil, are known together as the Twin Jades of our Great Jin.”
“And this Young Master Li is none other than the Seventh Princess's maternal cousin, the Empress's own full-blooded nephew. Four years ago, His Majesty decreed a marriage for Li Linzhao and betrothed the Second Miss of the Xie family, Xie Ruyun, to him. Unfortunately, Li Linzhao left and never returned. In the great battle of Suzhou three years ago, he held off the thirty-thousand-strong allied forces of Yan and Qi with only six thousand troops, routing the enemy so completely that not a single piece of armor was left. General Li himself fought until the very last moment, his blood dyeing the battlefield. He never returned to the capital to marry his bride.”
Speaking of this, Pei Yiyu looked at Xie Ruyun with admiration in her eyes.
“In these three years, Miss Xie has regarded herself as the widow of the Li family and has refused to remarry. There is no one among the nobles of the court who does not respect and admire her for it.”
Mingyi closed her eyes tightly and did not make a sound for a long while.
“By the way, doesn't the Xie family try to persuade her? Do they just let her wither away during the best years of her life?”
Pei Yiyu laughed.
“She cannot be persuaded. Even His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress have advised her to remarry. His Majesty even let it be known that she could choose from any of the noble scions in the entire court. As long as she took a fancy to someone, His Majesty would make the match for her. Unfortunately, Miss Xie said that the only one she looks up to is the indomitable and invincible Li Linzhao who swept across the battlefields, and that she is willing to guard Li Linzhao's ancestral tablet for the rest of her life.”
The wind picked up. The sun, having climbed past the treetops to hang in mid-air, had shed its layer of warmth and was now shining with boundless radiance.
The horses on the field began to run. The players all hurried back and took their positions.
With a blow of the referee's whistle, the polo match officially began.
Zhangsun Ling had been slacking off the entire time. He had never liked to get involved in these games of young ladies. It was just that Xiao Xia's elder brother had been injured by accident while accompanying him on a hunt the day before yesterday, and so under the circumstances, he had no choice but to take his place on the field.
But he discovered that there was another person also slacking off. He saw her posture was languid, as if she couldn't summon any energy. She would only occasionally go up and swing her mallet a couple of times, appearing even more idle than him.
This wasn't right. He was slacking off because he was related to the Pei family and couldn't help Xiao Xia bully them. But how was it that the main person on the other side was also slacking off? Didn't she know that once his Cousin-Uncle Pei found out that his wife was using his painting as a bet, he would fly into a thunderous rage?
Wait, that wasn't right. Zhangsun Ling looked more closely and discovered that Li Mingyi's every move and posture had a distinct method to it.
Although the swings of her mallet seemed listless, they were genuinely checking the opponent's offense.
With a sudden urge of her horse forward to block, she would force the opponent's forward player to retreat to the side.
Mingyi was also very helpless. No one on her own team believed in her. They all rushed forward following Wang Ruyu, as if they had completely forgotten she was there.
She couldn't very well snatch the ball from her own teammates, so she could only play a supporting role.
Seeing that the opposing team had already scored two goals, Mingyi spurred her horse to ride alongside Wang Ruyu. While providing cover for her, she commanded:
“Pass the ball to me.”
Wang Ruyu turned a deaf ear, driving the ball towards the goal.
Who was guarding the goal?
Zhangsun Ling.
How could Wang Ruyu possibly be a match for this capital city bully?
Mingyi was about to intercept Zhangsun Ling, but who would have thought that the Fifth Miss Cui would rush up from behind and block her path. The ball was snatched from Wang Ruyu by Zhangsun Ling. Zhangsun Ling swung his mallet and sent the ball flying far away. On the other end, Xiao Xia was already waiting by the Pei family's goal. Without a doubt, another goal was scored.
Now three goals behind, the morale of the Pei family's team was greatly affected.
Wang Ruyu was extremely frustrated.
Cui the Fifth was also covered in sweat, glaring unwillingly at Zhangsun Ling.
“It's too hateful! If Xiao Xia hadn't gotten Zhangsun Ling to play, we wouldn't be in such a passive position.”
Seeing everyone was a bit dejected, Mingyi consoled them.
“Actually, we've been playing very well. Whether it's coordination or passing, our skills are excellent. It's just that compared to the opposing team, our defense hasn't been handled very well.”
This was the truth.
This time, no one refuted her. On the contrary, if they lost today's match, it was of no consequence to them. The one who would pay the price was Mingyi alone.
The whistle blew again. Wang Ruyu made a last-minute adjustment to their deployment.
“Cui the Fifth, Pei the Ninth, you two watch Zhangsun Ling. The rest of you, charge with me.”
The result of this was that their offense was short-staffed. The opposing team used one person to hold back two of the Pei family's players, while the remaining four surrounded Wang Ruyu. Wang Ruyu could not hold out. As Xiao Xia was about to snatch the ball, she immediately passed it to Pei Yiyu. Xiao Xia seemed to have anticipated this and had already sent people to mark Pei Yiyu.
Pei Yiyu drove the ball towards the opposing team's goal. Xiao Xia swung her mallet at Wang Ruyu's horse, forcing Wang Ruyu to swerve away, and then directed the others to encircle Pei Yiyu. Seeing Xiao Xia's horse getting closer and closer, Pei Yiyu's heart pounded with anxiety. Just then, a person slowly followed not far from her and advised in a gentle voice,
“Yiyu, pass the ball to me.”
Pei Yiyu was covered in sweat. She turned her head to look towards Mingyi. Sweat slid into her eyes, blurring her vision. Several mallets closed in. Flustered, and with no time to think, she used all her strength to flick the ball to the side.
On its way, it was blocked by an opponent's mallet, and the ball veered off course.
No matter, at least it had been passed out.
Urging her horse, Mingyi leaped forward. At the same moment that Xiao Xia was about to receive the ball, she reached out sideways and passed Xiao Xia with an extremely elegant posture. Xiao Xia only felt a wisp of flowing smoke flash before her eyes, and the ball that had just reached her mallet was intercepted. She was left stunned on the spot.
Mingyi drove the ball unstoppably towards the opponent's goal.
Zhangsun Ling had already shaken off Cui the Fifth and Pei the Ninth and was waiting up ahead.
The way Mingyi had just snatched the ball was so fluid and elegant that it had already let Zhangsun Ling see she was no ordinary person. He roused his spirits and gripped his mallet, preparing to block her. Mingyi, however, spurred her horse to circle around him. Zhangsun Ling had no choice but to turn and give chase. When he came after her, Mingyi changed direction again. After this happened back and forth several times, Zhangsun Ling was worn out and exasperated.
Mingyi was too familiar with Zhangsun Ling's temperament; he had no patience at all.
Sure enough, Zhangsun Ling grew annoyed and impatient and leaned over to snatch the ball.
The moment the ball is in one's possession is when one's vigilance is at its lowest.
Just as the ball was lifted in a slight arc by Zhangsun Ling's mallet, Mingyi seized the opportunity. Without any warning, she raised her mallet and swung it at the head of his. Using the force of Zhangsun Ling's own swing, the ball in his mallet was sent by Mingyi straight into the goal.
The entire field fell silent.
What incredibly precise judgment one must have to dare to make such a risky move.
Of course, Mingyi had calculated the direction perfectly. Otherwise, why would she have been toying with him just now?
Zhangsun Ling belatedly realized he had fallen into Mingyi's trap. He felt the humiliation of having his brain trampled on the ground. He stared grimly at Mingyi.
“You just wait.”
With just that one goal, the confidence of Xiao Xia and Zhangsun Ling was shattered.
What followed was without question. The Pei family's team gave the position of lead attacker to Mingyi. Mingyi easily directed everyone to score another three goals. The first half ended, four to three, with Mingyi's team in the lead.
Halftime.
A ten-thousand-tael bet.
Xiao Xia felt the pressure rushing at her. Cold sweat couldn't help but drip down her back. She dropped her mallet and hurried towards the Seventh Princess's curtained canopy in the transverse hall. She first cupped her hands to the Seventh Princess.
“Your Highness, could I ask Elder Sister Xie to help me? I don't want to lose.”
Xie Ruyun was, after all, the top player in the capital's polo matches.
Whether Xiao Xia lost or not was not important. What was important was that a victory would yield a painting by Pei Yue. The beautiful young woman, leaning against a brocade blanket, languidly stroked a cat's back. She lifted her eyelids and glanced at Xie Ruyun.
“Ruyun, how about you win the prize for this princess?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”