Xiao Jingduo had long been hesitant about how to deal with Cheng Huizhen. The dangerous scandal of exam fraud was entirely caused by her. If Cheng Huizhen were a man, Xiao Jingduo would have already taken action to teach him a lesson. But Cheng Huizhen was, after all, a woman.
Xiao Jingduo had struggled with this for a long time, but now it seemed the matter no longer required his intervention.
Whether this maidservant named Xia Feng was sent by the Crown Princess or Rong Ke, with the scheming prowess of those two women in the palace, even ten Cheng Huizhens wouldn’t be able to hold their ground. Since that was the case, Xiao Jingduo decided to leave the battlefield to the Eastern Palace—let women deal with women.
With Dong Peng and Cheng Huizhen both handled, Xiao Jingduo finally breathed a sigh of relief. The exam cheating case could at last be put to rest.
The women of the household were enthusiastically discussing what clothes and jewelry to wear for their outing. Meanwhile, Xiao Jingduo had to rehearse polo with Bai Jiayi and others, so he left shortly after excusing himself.
After Xiao Jingduo departed, someone cast a glance in his direction before quietly stepping outside.
A maidservant from the Wu household approached Wu Junru silently, bowing her head as she whispered, “Madam, the item has been sent.”
Wu Junru nodded and replied in a low voice, “This is a serious matter. Make sure the letter reaches Father intact. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
Wu Junru glanced in the direction Xiao Jingduo had left, and after a moment, let out a cold chuckle.
Since the incident with the imperial decree, relations between the Wu family and Wu Junru had grown distant. Even though Wu Junru never failed to send festival gifts during the holidays, the Wu family continued to accept them without reciprocating.
Wu Junru had once considered inviting her stepmother or sisters to the Marquis’s residence and personally discussing matters with the Wu family. However, her stepmother refused to engage with her no matter what. Left with no choice, Wu Junru resorted to the risky move of sending letters to her father through servants. Before her marriage, Wu Junru, as a concubine-born daughter, had maintained an average relationship with her stepmother but was highly valued by her father. Since her stepmother refused to respond, Wu Junru decided not to waste her efforts on someone who gave her the cold shoulder. She went straight to her father instead.
Though the Wu family was only a mid-tier noble family, they had been well-established for many years and had members serving in the Ministry of Personnel. If Wu Junru wanted to, she could easily have her uncles and cousins from the Wu family create trouble for Xiao Jingduo, or even strip him of his qualifications to be appointed to an official position. Such actions were entirely within her grasp.
Xiao Jingduo, it may seem like you’ve been victorious these past few years, ruining her reputation and making her too ashamed to leave her house for three or four years. But in reality, she hasn’t suffered any significant losses.
In the Dingyong Marquis’ household, Wu Junru was still the untouchable Marchioness. Even Xiao Ying and the Old Madam had to give her face out of respect for the Wu family. In this era, as long as the Wu family remained standing, Wu Junru’s prestige would endure.
But how could the Wu family ever fall? It wasn’t just a century-old noble family; behind it stood the illustrious Cui clan of Qinghe, the current Empress, and even the Fourth Prince, all serving as the Wu family’s backing. Regardless of how fiercely the noble families competed with each other, the moment anyone dared to encroach upon their collective interests, they would unite to crush the intruder into oblivion. Even the Emperor dared not move against the Wu family lightly. How, then, could Xiao Jingduo, a mere new graduate, ever hope to truly defeat her, a daughter of the Wu family?
The worst-case scenario was that Wu Junru might fail to derail Xiao Jingduo’s career, but Xiao Jingduo couldn’t remove her from her position either. For years to come, he would still have to support her, respectfully address her as “Mother,” and uphold her dignity. With the Wu family backing her, Wu Junru would forever remain the prestigious Marchioness, while Zhao Xiulan would be destined to live in obscurity—a shadow, discarded and dishonored as the original wife.
Whenever Wu Junru thought of this, she felt a surge of satisfaction. Xiao Jingduo wanted to stand up for his mother? Then she would see how long he could withstand the pressure from the entire Wu family. Besides, with her own son in the picture, the Dingyong Marquis household didn’t need an overly accomplished eldest son.
Let Xiao Jingduo enjoy his moment of glory for now. Once the euphoria of being a new graduate faded, he would soon realize that succeeding in the officialdom required far more than just having passed the imperial exams.
…
When Xiao Jingduo arrived at the agreed location, the polo field was already bustling with people.
Graduates from the same examination cohort addressed each other as tongnian (classmates), and during the period between the release of results and their official appointments, they were probably the most united and harmonious group imaginable. Whether parading through the streets or attending banquets, the twenty-two graduates always moved together. They would even perform a friendly polo match in front of the entire city’s residents.
This match was proving to be quite the headache.
When Xiao Jingduo appeared, several graduates resting by the polo field quickly gathered around him.
“Ah, Brother Xiao, you’ve finally arrived! Hurry and get on your horse—we still have time for one last practice!”
Yes, the polo match that so many women eagerly anticipated had been rehearsed in secret.
Xiao Jingduo could only sigh. He didn’t want it to be this way either, but as the most prominent figures of the year, the new graduates were effectively the face of the court. They couldn’t afford to embarrass themselves on the polo field. Thus, Xiao Jingduo had reluctantly choreographed the match, including its maneuvers and outcomes.
Among this cohort of graduates, Xiao Jingduo had one of the better family backgrounds. He had frequent access to polo, was skilled at horseback riding, and was no stranger to the sport. As such, he naturally took on a leading role throughout the rehearsals.
Meanwhile, Bai Jiayi, after years of relentless effort, had greatly improved his riding skills. Among their peers, he was the best player besides Xiao Jingduo. As a result, Bai Jiayi was assigned to the opposing team to complement Xiao Jingduo’s play.
After all, they were from the same examination cohort, constantly encountering one another. It wouldn’t do for only one side to win all the time.
They practiced a while longer, but many details still needed refining when a young servant came to report:
“Honorable graduates, it’s time to take the field.”
The newly minted graduates groaned in unison.
“What? Already?”
Xiao Jingduo and the others had been rehearsing at a separate polo field within Furong Garden. Hearing the servant’s announcement, they had no choice but to halt their practice. Sure enough, the sounds of laughter and excitement could already be heard outside.
Even Bai Jiayi looked panicked.
“Are you serious? So many people are here?”
Xiao Jingduo patted Bai Jiayi’s shoulder. Bai Jiayi sighed and grabbed him, pleading,
“Brother, please—watch for my signals. Don’t send any balls that are hard to catch, and don’t try to show off, okay?”
Xiao Jingduo paused for a moment.
“You think my shots are too fast?”
Bai Jiayi picked up his crescent-moon polo stick and pretended to strike him. Laughing, Xiao Jingduo pulled his horse away to dodge. But before they could finish joking, another piece of bad news arrived.
“Congratulations, honorable graduates. His Majesty has heard about today’s polo match and is delighted. He has brought the Turkic envoy along to watch.”
“Oh no…” Bai Jiayi groaned in despair.
The emperor, who loved a good spectacle more than anyone, had personally come. Worse yet, he had brought the visiting Khagan of the Turks. While this was undoubtedly a tremendous honor for Xiao Jingduo and the other new graduates, it was the kind of honor they would rather not have.
With the emperor present, Xiao Jingduo and his fellow graduates had to drop everything and immediately pay their respects. The emperor, dressed in a red ceremonial robe, sat on a high platform overlooking the polo field alongside the Khagan.
As was customary for an imperial outing, the emperor’s entourage was both grand and orderly. Several high-ranking officials from the Three Departments and Six Ministries stood by his side, while the Imperial Guards exuded a powerful aura, maintaining strict vigilance.
The Turkic Khagan was similarly surrounded by his retinue, their grassland nomadic attire strikingly different from the attire of the Central Plains. They had loose hair, rugged appearances, and bulging muscles on their arms, making them stand out starkly from the refined and polished look of the Central Plains people.
Today was originally set for the emperor to host a banquet in the palace to entertain the Turkic Khagan. However, when the emperor heard that the new graduates would be playing polo in Furong Garden, he was struck by inspiration. He wanted to see how capable these newly recruited talents were in martial skills. So, leaving the half-finished palace banquet behind, he brought the Turkic Khagan out of the palace.
The Turks are a people of the saddle, and compared to sitting politely in a garden enjoying flowers, the Khagan much preferred something more engaging. The two rulers were perfectly aligned in their thinking, though it caused trouble for everyone else in the palace. With the two main figures of the banquet leaving, how could the rest not follow? The empress stayed in the palace to maintain order, and the empress dowager, unwilling to leave the palace, delegated the task to the crown prince and other princes to accompany the emperor on his outing. Once the emperor had his fill of excitement, they would return.
In addition to the emperor and the Turkic Khagan sitting high on the central platform, many royal women had also come along. The people of the Xuan Dynasty loved festivals, and the royal family was especially extravagant. During celebrations, it was not unusual for the emperor to bring his consorts and princesses out of the palace. Thus, while officials grumbled about the emperor’s spontaneous decisions, arranging such outings wasn’t particularly difficult. The polo field had long been prepared for this sort of occasion, with a central viewing area exclusively for the royal family, typically closed to the public. A separate section, shielded by curtains and screens, was designated for the emperor’s consorts and other royal women.
Xiao Jingduo and his peers lined up neatly, bowing in unison to the emperor. Seeing this, the emperor beamed with pride and, with a hint of showmanship, said to the Turkic Khagan, “These are this year’s new graduates, the finest talents in the realm.”
The Turkic Khagan glanced briefly at Xiao Jingduo and the others and offered a perfunctory congratulation.
“Congratulations to Your Majesty.”
Sensing the lukewarm atmosphere, one of the Turkic envoys quickly chimed in, “I’ve heard that your new graduates are both scholarly and skilled in martial arts—not only adept with the pen but also highly accomplished in physical prowess. It’s truly my honor to witness their polo skills today. We eagerly await their performance.”
Xiao Jingduo and the other graduates hadn’t anticipated this situation. Nonetheless, the twenty graduates responded in perfect unison, “We shall not disappoint.”
The emperor nodded with satisfaction, smiling as he said, “A large crowd has already gathered outside. Go and prepare. Don’t let the Khagan down.”
The weight of his words was evident. Xuanchao had faced continuous friction with the Turks in recent years. A few years ago, during the court’s military campaign against the Uyghurs, the Turks had lent their support, which led to the current peace talks. The Turkic Khagan’s visit to Chang’an carried a gesture of goodwill, but it was also a means of testing Xuanchao’s strength. Xiao Jingduo and his peers, as this year’s new graduates, symbolized the face of the court. They had no choice but to perform in the polo match—and perform brilliantly.
With the emperor personally attending and the Turkic Khagan present, the event drew a massive audience around the polo field.
As the graduates rode their horses onto the field, a wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.
Bai Jiayi rode over to Xiao Jingduo’s side. Taking the opportunity as they bumped fists, he leaned over and whispered, “Brother, remember what I said earlier. Watch for my signals if necessary.”
Xiao Jingduo couldn’t help but smile. “I understand.”
Bai Jiayi looked around and sighed. “I thought having my aunts and cousins come to watch me play was already miserable enough. I never imagined an even worse scenario could happen.”
Xiao Jingduo glanced at the northern high platform. There sat the emperor and crown prince, the foreign king, the most powerful ministers of the court, and the emperor’s consorts and princesses.
This kind of occasion brought both immense pressure and great honor.
Although the scholars were muttering self-deprecating remarks, as soon as the two teams separated, they straightened their backs, stood tall, and radiated determination.
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, the first ball was launched into play. Horses galloped, and the intense match began in an instant.
Perhaps due to the emperor’s presence, this batch of scholars performed at an unprecedented level, surpassing all their prior practices. Screams of excitement from young women echoed around the field. The Xiao family had managed to secure a spot on the platform, and seeing the outstanding performance, Xiao Yumang boasted proudly to a group of noblewomen, “See that? The one playing the best on the black team is my elder brother.”
All the scholars wore red, with black or white belts dividing them into the black and white teams. Xiao Jingduo was the backbone of the black team.
For the final play, someone struck the ball hard, sending it shooting under the belly of a white team’s horse and straight into the goal.
Xiao Yumang forgot to maintain her ladylike demeanor and jumped up cheering. Even the old Madam Xiao clutched Cheng Huizhen’s hand in excitement, asking repeatedly, “Did Duo’er win? Did he win?”
Cheng Huizhen, despite the pain in her hand, confirmed joyfully, “Grandmother, you didn’t see wrong. Cousin won the last goal!”
On the field, Xiao Jingduo withdrew his crescent-shaped mallet, reined in his horse, and rode toward his teammates. Many in the crowd were ecstatic over his final play, but he remained composed. Only when speaking with his teammates did a faint smile touch his lips.
Cheng Huizhen stood among the noisy crowd, but for a moment, it seemed as if everyone else disappeared. Her gaze was fixed solely on Xiao Jingduo. He was like jade, exuding youthful brilliance and confidence, victorious in a match that earned him the admiration of all. It was the most dazzling dream a young girl could imagine.
Cheng Huizhen appeared lost in thought, while others had varied expressions. The Turkic Khagan, intending to dampen the Xuan Dynsasty’s prestige, deliberately remarked with disdain, “So this is your nation’s finest youth? I thought he’d be more impressive. But it seems he’s nothing special after all.”
The officials of Great Xuan glared angrily at the insult, and the Turkic entourage was quick to respond in kind. Several burly Turkic men stepped forward, flexing their muscular arms to demonstrate their strength.
Unlike the fiery young men eager to prove themselves, the Prime Minister of the Secretariat was remarkably calm. Stroking his beard with a smile, he turned to ask, “In that case, Khagan, what would you suggest?”
The Turkic Khagan replied with a challenge: “Since you claim to be a great power with a cavalry of a million, why not have your men compete against my warriors to see whose riders are truly superior?”
The Turks, renowned as a horse-riding people, were said to master riding as soon as they learned to walk. Young and old alike possessed exceptional riding skills, and polo, with its intensity, demanded both equestrian expertise and strength. Competing against these Turks would be no small feat and filled the court with apprehension.
The Prime Minister stroked his beard, calculating the chances of victory. Before he could devise a foolproof strategy, the emperor burst into laughter and declared, “Once, I led the Xuan Iron Cavalry and swept across the land, from Zhuojun in the north to Yizhou in the southwest. The cavalry of Great Xuan has never met its match. Although the empire now enjoys peace and no wars trouble our borders, I am certain that the men of Great Xuan have not lost their edge.”
As he spoke, the emperor rose from his seat. “I will personally lead our men to compete with your Turkic warriors.”
This startled everyone. The ministers, abandoning their dignified demeanor, hastily restrained the emperor. “Your Majesty, this must not happen! Your divine body is the foundation of the nation. You cannot risk injury!”
The emperor, proud of his martial skills, was not easily dissuaded. “I am not so old as to be immobile! How could these young men possibly harm me? Let me show them!”
This prompted the crown prince and several other princes to rush forward, imploring the emperor to reconsider. “Father, this is absolutely inadvisable!”
Prince Liang chimed in support. “The crown prince is right. This is merely a game of polo. There’s no need for you to act personally. Your son is willing to take up the task and compete with the Turkic warriors.”
“I am willing as well!” The other princes rose, requesting permission to participate.
While the emperor could not compete himself due to his status, seeing his sons exude the same valor he had in his youth brought him great satisfaction. He nodded approvingly.
“Very well. I shall rest for now and leave it to you.”
“Your sons accept the command.”
The ministers, however, adamantly opposed the crown prince’s participation. Though the royal family was known for their military prowess and the crown prince himself had earned a stellar reputation on the battlefield, polo was a dangerous sport. If anything were to happen to the heir, the consequences would be dire.
Thus, the crown prince regretfully handed over the lead role to Prince Liang. Supported by Prince Qi, Prince Liang organized a team to compete against the Turks. Soon, a polo team of unparalleled nobility was assembled, composed entirely of princes, marquises, and imperial relatives within three degrees of kinship to the emperor.
After finishing the polo match, Xiao Jingduo and the others prepared to report to the emperor. Everyone understood that this match was mostly a performance, so winning or losing wasn’t particularly important. However, just as they dismounted and were halfway there, they saw another group descending from the high platform.
Each member of this group was strikingly handsome, tall, and dressed in red or purple formal attire. Any one of them could easily be the centerpiece of a grand banquet. Suddenly encountering these princes and imperial sons-in-law, Xiao Jingduo and his companions quickly stopped and saluted. “Greetings to Your Highnesses and the imperial sons-in-law.”
Prince Liang and the others halted and returned their greetings with a nod. “The polo match earlier was extremely impressive. You all displayed remarkable skill.”
This was a polite compliment. Standing before this group of imperial elites, who would dare to agree that their own skills were remarkable? The scholars immediately deferred modestly. “Your Highness flatters us. It is Your Highness’ martial prowess that truly stands out, leaving us in awe.”
Prince Liang laughed heartily and waved dismissively, clearly unconcerned with such formalities. They had other matters to attend to, and Prince Liang had paused only to show respect to the scholars—or, more accurately, to show respect on behalf of the emperor. Now that the pleasantries were exchanged, he prepared to take his leave.
But after taking just a couple of steps, he suddenly noticed Xiao Jingduo in the crowd and let out a curious exclamation. “It’s you!”
Xiao Jingduo was confused but stepped forward and asked, “Your Highness, I am Xiao Jingduo. May I know what instructions you have?”
Prince Liang turned to consult the other princes and imperial sons-in-law. “We’re still short two people. Originally, the Prime Minister suggested transferring two experts from the military, but the delay might give those barbarians the impression we fear them. That would be unacceptable. In my opinion, we should just pick two from this group.”
Prince Qi and the other princes exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. “That works. Among those who played in the match earlier, two of them showed decent skills. Let’s go with them.”
With just a few words, the matter was settled. Before Xiao Jingduo and Bai Jiayi could fully understand what was happening, they were swept away by the imperial family members.
Bai Jiayi lowered his voice to speak to Xiao Jingduo. “So, now we’re going to compete against the Turks, and these princes brought us along to fill the numbers?”
“Exactly.”
Bai Jiayi seemed to have mixed feelings. After a long silence, he muttered, “I thought that for matters of national prestige and honor, they would call upon professionals from the military. But these princes are actually stepping in themselves.”
Xiao Jingduo didn’t know how to respond. After a moment, he simply said, “Get used to it. The Rong family has always valued martial prowess.”
Xiao Jingduo secretly thought to himself that with the imperial family’s proud, impatient nature and their love of showing off their beauty and martial prowess, asking them to sit quietly and watch others fight would surely suffocate them.
Unintentionally, Xiao Jingduo had guessed the emperor’s thoughts exactly.
As the scholars left the field, the spectators, though still eager for more, understood that there was likely nothing else to see today. However, the emperor remained seated, unmoving, and the crowd, curious about both the emperor and the Turks, lingered instead of dispersing. Only a handful of people began to leave.
In the seating area reserved for the Dingyong Marquis’ household, Xiao Yuli tilted her head and asked those around her, “The match is over—why hasn’t His Majesty left yet?”
“Who knows?” another noblewoman pouted. “Why wait so long? If nothing else is happening, I’m leaving.”
Suddenly, there was a burst of screaming from nearby. Xiao Yuli frowned and turned, displeased. “Third Sister, what are you doing? Don’t you have any sense of propriety?”
Xiao Yumang, however, was staring intently at the field, visibly excited. Even Cheng Huizhen, curious now, approached and widened her eyes in surprise. “Cousin, look! Cousin Jingduo and the others are back! Wait—isn’t that Prince Liang?”
“Prince Liang and Prince Qi! Oh my, even the Imperial Son-in-Law is there!”
The noblewomen were growing increasingly excited. “What are they doing? Look, the princes and Brother are mounting their horses. Are those Turks opposite them? Are the princes going to compete against the Turks?”
Many shared similar speculations, and as the princes rode onto the field, the cheers outside the polo arena grew louder and louder.
The imperial family personally competing against the Turks, with two newly-appointed scholars on their team—this explosive news quickly spread throughout Furong Garden. Before long, more and more people gathered around the arena.
On the high platform, Princess Xin’an chuckled. “Third Prince and Foruth Prince are so competitive. If they wanted to intimidate the Turks, they could have just summoned others to do it. Why go down themselves?”
“You don’t understand, Elder Sister,” one of the younger princes’ wives replied with a laugh. “If it weren’t for everyone stopping him earlier, Father would have gone down himself.”
The women erupted into bell-like laughter. A few of the princesses laughed so hard that tears welled up in their eyes. Rong Ke, seated beside Princess Xin’an, teasingly added, “Auntie, just now you were criticizing Third and Fourth Uncles, but look—even your husband is down there now.”
The Imperial Son-in-Law seemed to sense something and turned his horse around, waving his crescent-moon polo stick toward the veiled pavilion.
Noticing his gesture, the others on the field also paused, glancing toward the high pavilion where the princesses were seated.
Xiao Jingduo followed their gaze. On the lofty pavilion, screens embroidered with large clusters of peonies obscured the view, but faint shadows could still be seen behind them.
Xiao Jingduo knew that behind those screens sat the brightest jewels of Great Xuan, the most dazzling peonies. That was where the princesses resided.
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