Chapter 11
De Quan broke out in a cold sweat: As a high-ranking official in the court, to dare to discuss colleagues in such a manner. Even dragging the Emperor and two princes into the conversation… It was simply vulgar and reckless!
However, he saw Li Wuting with his eyelashes lowered, his lips sharp. Standing still for two seconds, he then turned and walked back, saying nothing.
Just as he took two steps, he heard a voice, “Can you identify them?”
De Quan was startled, then realized the question was addressed to the commander of the Jinyiwei, who was gathering intelligence.
Yin Zhao replied calmly, “Hanlin Academy lecturer Lu Zhang, editor Gong Huelin, and Tan Feng.”
Li Wuting walked back across the grass to the main tent, “Hmm.”
The guards were setting up fields for horse racing and arrow throwing.
Ning Rushen slipped to the fence to join the excitement with Geng Yan. Behind him was the idle young Prince Li Jingyu.
“You—he—” Geng Yan, fuming, turned around and almost choked! He hurriedly bowed, “Your Highness Prince Jing.”
Li Jingyu waved his hand, “Official Geng, no need for formalities.”
Geng Yan: .
Ning Rushen whispered, “Your Highness, this is Lord Geng.”
Li Jingyu pondered: To call him Geng Dog.
With many people around and the noise, Ning Rushen leaned in and advised, “Little Highness, let’s not bring up the topic of ‘tying up’ again.”
“Why?” Li Jingyu blinked.
Ning Rushen tricked, “It involves His Majesty’s private matters.”
Li Jingyu nodded, “Okay.”
The two leaned on the fence, and soon Li Yingtang also found them, “Jingyu, you’re here. And Lord Ning, what are you talking about?”
Li Jingyu acted as if it was a deep secret, “Talking about the Emperor’s private matters.”
Li Yingtang: ? ? ?
“…” Ning Rushen skipped that topic, “Prince Xuan.”
Li Yingtang looked at him, opened his mouth, then closed it, and finally took out a fan to fan himself, no longer speaking.
All three leaned against the fence.
Ning Rushen, in a bright red riding outfit, stood tall and straight, his waist slim and his legs long. Bright and eye-catching, he naturally attracted attention.
Now, with two influential figures by his side, he drew even more eyes.
However, the center of attention was oblivious.
Ning Rushen still hung on the fence, pondering how he should blend in later.
Geng Yan couldn’t stand it any longer and nudged him, “Tone it down, don’t draw too much attention.”
Ning Rushen was pulled from his thoughts, “Me? Where??”
He had done nothing, just a salted fish hanging on the fence!
Seeing his lack of awareness, Geng Yan lamented like one lamenting the incurability of iron into steel, “The spring hunt is a time for all officials to show their skills before His Majesty. If someone can outperform you, the favorite at court, in the upcoming horse racing and arrow throwing…”
Ning Rushen couldn’t help but retort, “Does he even have the shame to suggest that?”
Geng Yan was left speechless.
Not far away, Li Yingtang couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
·
The field was quickly set up.
By the time it was ready, the sun was slanting but had not yet set.
The imperial procession made its way from the main tent to the stands, where Li Wuting, in his riding attire, sat in the seat of honor, looking every bit the dashing figure, his imperial aura mingled with the sharpness and solemnity of a drawn sword.
From afar, Ning Rushen suddenly remembered the calluses on Li Wuting’s hands and knuckles, remnants of handling swords.
The time he had tried to turn Li Wuting’s face in the Imperial Study, it brushed against him, causing a ticklish sensation. Rough and dry, like the result of years of martial practice.
As his thoughts drifted, the ceremony in the arena concluded.
The officials were divided into civil and military for the competition.
Ning Rushen snapped back to reality, watching people surge forward like carp competing for food, and he relaxed, thinking it wouldn’t come to him.
Before his heart could settle, he suddenly heard someone loudly say, “It is said that Scholar Ning excels in all six arts of a gentleman. Please, grace us with a demonstration!”
Ning Rushen was taken aback.
He slightly widened his eyes: Someone really had the gall!
All eyes instantly turned to him.
Following the voice, he saw three young officials standing in the arena, the leader seemingly sneering at him, harboring ill intentions.
Lu Zhang courteously offered, “Horse racing or arrow throwing, it’s Scholar Ning’s choice.”
Under everyone’s gaze.
Ning Rushen’s lips moved slightly, revealing a hint of perplexity amidst his confusion…
Lu Zhang waited with smug anticipation.
After several seconds of silence, Ning Rushen awkwardly turned to Geng Yan for help, “Who is he?”
Lu Zhang was dumbfounded.
The crowd was speechless.
Geng Yan couldn’t bear to look, “Your colleague from the Hanlin Academy, Lecturer Lu.”
On the stands.
De Quan said to Li Wuting with a smile, “It seems Lord Ning hasn’t fully recovered his wits yet.”
Li Wuting looked down at the farce unfolding below, chuckling softly.
In the arena, Ning Rushen apologized to Lu Zhang.
Assessing the situation and the stature of Lu Zhang and his companions, he smiled briefly after a moment, “Then let’s go with horse racing.”
The arena fell silent.
Lu Zhang and his companions were visibly shocked.
Ning Rushen had already turned to select a horse, choosing the most docile one with a chuckle in his heart:
Did they think he would definitely choose arrow throwing?
All of them frail scholars, might as well drag them down together.
…
Several people quickly picked their horses.
In Dacheng, horses not used for military purposes were not equipped with saddles.
Ning Rushen sat on the horse’s back, not only with his feet dangling but also feeling quite uncomfortable. He felt a bit uneasy in his heart, clutching the reins and straightening his waist, his long legs tightly clamping the horse’s back.
His tied-up long hair swung past his lower back, brushing against the hollows.
With his black hair and red attire, he was particularly eye-catching.
Not far away, Lu Zhang and Tan Feng frequently cast their glances towards Ning Rushen’s slender waist and tightly clamped legs.
They exchanged a vague and ambiguous look.
Then, Lu Zhang, pretending to be serious, withdrew his gaze and said, “Please.”
·
The stands were high, offering a clear view of everything in the arena.
De Quan, with sharp eyes, caught the glances of those people and inwardly scorned: Vulgar creatures, you are not worthy!
His scorn was genuine, and he even leaned forward a bit.
Li Wuting noticed and his forehead twitched, “…De Quan.”
De Quan sobered up and covered his face, “This servant has lost his composure!”
“What are you fussing over now?”
“Ah, this servant is just worried about Lord Ning~”
De Quan, pondering the Emperor’s intentions, shifted the topic to the figure in black hair and crimson clothes in the arena, “The race requires each participant to circle the arena three times, and the first to return to the finish line wins. How can Lord Ning’s body endure such tossing?”
A snort of laughter followed, “Worried about him? When have you ever seen him let himself suffer the slightest?”
De Quan was stunned.
Boom! At that moment, the sound of drums echoed in the arena.
Li Wuting shifted his gaze, “Just watch.”
…
In the arena, three figures had already dashed out.
Ning Rushen sat high on the horse’s back, watching the figures disappearing into the distance, and walked leisurely around the edge of the arena:
Let them be tossed around; he would take his time strolling.
His casual demeanor made it seem as if he was inspecting the lands on behalf of the Emperor rather than participating in a race.
This made the three who were exerting all their energy and rushing fiercely seem somewhat comical.
The arena was large, and completing a lap took quite some time.
Lu Zhang, holding his breath, finished a lap and was almost thrown off balance.
Lu Zhang, upon looking up, found Ning Rushen leisurely walking his horse and immediately felt a surge of irritation. In the few moments it took to close the distance between them, he had an idea, kicked his horse’s belly, and abruptly drew near Ning Rushen’s horse, pretending to swerve past him!
Ning Rushen had been peacefully walking his horse when suddenly he heard the sound of approaching hoofbeats from behind.
Turning his head, he saw Lu Zhang riding straight towards him.
Ning Rushen’s heart skipped a beat, and he pulled on the reins to dodge.
Just as the two horses were about to brush against each other, a small stone suddenly shot out from the side, striking the rear leg of Lu Zhang’s horse: snap!
The horse, in pain, turned direction and bolted away from Ning Rushen’s horse.
At the same time, Ning Rushen’s horse was also suddenly startled, rearing up on its front hooves and neighing.
Ning Rushen was lifted high, frightened, he hugged the horse’s neck tightly, his legs clamping firmly around the horse’s body, his crimson robe fluttering in the wind.
From outside the arena, several exclamations were heard: “Lord Ning!”
While he was suspended in the air, a figure suddenly descended.
Yin Zhao, a commander of the Imperial Guard directly under the Emperor, grabbed the reins, and the startled horse landed safely, stamping its hooves a few times.
Ning Rushen barely steadied himself, “Thank you, Commander Yin.”
Yin Zhao simply said, “No need to thank me.”
Huh? Ning Rushen hadn’t recovered yet when he heard panicked calls from ahead. Looking forward, he saw Lu Zhang being carried off by his horse like a deflated balloon bouncing away.
“…”
The horses in the arena were frightened, and the competition was forced to halt.
Lu Zhang and the others stood before Li Wuting to apologize, with Ning Rushen standing beside them, still pondering over the sound of that “snap.”
Had there been a traitor among them?
While he pondered, he heard Li Wuting speak, “The incident was unforeseen, you are not to blame.”
Lu Zhang and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
The next moment, they heard from above, “I see your horsemanship is excellent and can serve as a model. You are specially permitted to compete again. The winner will be decided after twenty laps, so your colleagues may learn and enjoy watching.”
“Twen…” Lu Zhang’s legs went weak, nearly causing him to kneel.
Li Wuting said, “Ning Chen’s horse was startled and injured, disqualifying him.”
Ning Rushen looked up from his reverie: Huh?
Li Wuting spoke sternly, “Return to your duties at the imperial court.”
“…” Ning Rushen opened his mouth, “Yes.”
Lu Zhang and two others, feeling like they had lost their mothers, went off to ride horses as if mourning. Ning Rushen ascended the viewing platform, stopping beside and slightly in front of Li Wuting to offer his respects, saying, “This servant thanks His Majesty for his consideration.”
Fortunately, he was not “specially permitted” to join them.
Otherwise, after twenty laps, his thighs would have lost three layers of skin.
Li Wuting glanced over and uttered, “Hmm.”
With no further instructions from him, Ning Rushen remained at his side.
Standing there, the places where his thighs had rubbed felt somewhat prickly, and the area below his lower back was jostled until it was sore and soft. Ning Rushen moved his legs and rubbed his waist, seemingly trying to ease his discomfort by fidgeting and scratching.
Li Wuting, annoyed by the movement in his peripheral vision, rapped his knuckles on the table and said, “Be seated.”
There was a low stool beside the table, generally reserved for the king’s subjects or concubines when they served him. Li Wuting had yet to take any concubines, so Ning Rushen sat down on the stool.
This placed him very close to Li Wuting.
He could even touch Li Wuting’s knee by merely turning his head.
As the competition continued in the arena, Li Wuting watched intently, sitting upright in his seat.
After sitting beside him for a while, Ning Rushen remembered the “clack” sound from earlier. He pondered for a few moments, preparing to casually suggest someone’s merit.
“Speaking of which… the horse was nearly hit just now, saved by a pebble from who knows where,” he said.
Li Wuting looked over at him.
Not wanting to make it too obvious, Ning Rushen turned to watch the arena and muttered, “It doesn’t seem like something Commander Yin would do, I wonder who intervened to save us?”
Silence followed.
Suddenly, a large hand clamped his cheek, turning his head back.
“Uh…” Ning Rushen raised his eyes to meet Li Wuting’s, feeling the sharp, star-like brilliance in his deep gaze.
Li Wuting scrutinized him closely, “Since when has Ning Qing started, liking to claim credit for those around him?”
Even when it had nothing to do with his own interests.
For the Geng family, for Shiyi.
In the closeness between them, the atmosphere became even more imposing.
After a moment, Ning Rushen moved his compressed lips, “Since… they began to show some spirit.”
Li Wuting fell silent…
The first match had ended not long after it had begun.
Li Wuting stood up and left the stands, followed by the palace attendants and guards.
As the emperor left, the officials surrounding the field also dispersed one after another.
Ning Rushen descended from the stands and looked around. The sky was growing dark, and the setting sun stretched long shadows across the ground, while three figures on horseback were still bumping over the broken terrain.
Yin Zhao held a spring sword at the side, tasked with supervising.
Ning Rushen approached, “How many laps now?”
Yin Zhao replied, “Twelve.”
Ning Rushen was surprised, “It’s been so long, and only twelve laps?”
Yin Zhao said, “I got distracted by a game of touhu in the middle, so I lost count.”
Ning Rushen was speechless… That was very dedicated of you, my friend.
After parting ways with Yin Zhao, he returned to his tent.
After a long afternoon of turmoil, Ning Rushen took a bath, changed his clothes, and by the time he finished, it had already become dark outside.
Fires were lit all around, and guards patrolled in pairs or threes.
Ning Rushen thought it over and decided to go to a quiet, less crowded spot, calling out tentatively into the night, “Xiaoshi Zi?”
There was no response in the twilight.
Ning Rushen then bent down to pick up a pebble, tossing it with a plop.
Two seconds later, Shiyi appeared silently before him, “Is there something you need?”
…He really had followed.
Ning Rushen sighed inwardly, “Thanks to you for the incident with the startled horse. How did you get into the spring hunt enclosure? Are personal guards allowed?”
Shiyi answered, “No, but the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) all recognize me, and no one stopped me when I entered.”
Ning Rushen pondered: Oh, no one knows you’ve been sent away yet…
Shiyi added, “Moreover, the leader said to follow you.”
“…That probably wasn’t what he meant by ‘follow’.”
Ning Rushen felt a headache coming on from his honesty, “Alright, you should go back first, don’t let people…”
He trailed off, suddenly noticing Shiyi’s pupils quiver, as if wanting to slip away but, out of instinct, remaining rooted to the spot.
Ning Rushen had a premonition, his heart skipping a beat.
The next second, Li Wuting’s voice came from behind, “Who is Ning Qing speaking with?”
Standing at the boundary where light and shadow met beside the tent, Ning Rushen turned to see Li Wuting, accompanied by De Quan and a squad of guards, standing before him.
Struggling for words, Ning Rushen slightly moved his lips, while Li Wuting’s gaze shifted and caught sight of Shiyi, who had been inadvertently revealed behind Ning Rushen.
The three of them were caught off guard and faced each other unexpectedly.
The atmosphere turned somewhat silent instantly.
Ning Rushen, standing in the middle, felt this moment was exceptionally awkward in his life—
His former boss, his current boss, and the “dismissed” flip-flopper all gathered together at once.
The most awkward part was whether they should address the elephant in the room.
But once it was addressed, the matter of Li Wuting having the Imperial Guard toss pebbles at him every day…
Shiyi’s duplicity in dealing with both sides…
His own humiliating performance in the imperial study…
All would be shamelessly exposed and criticized openly.
It was evident that the other two had thought of this as well. In the exchange of glances, no one broke the ice.
Li Wuting looked at him intently, remaining silent.
Shiyi resorted to playing dumb, using the “fool’s escape” tactic by hanging his head low.
Ning Rushen took a breath and decided to leave some dignity for everyone, maintaining this unspoken agreement,
“Replying to His Majesty, he is my guard, Xiaoshi Zi.”
Li Wuting was silent for two seconds, then simply acknowledged, “Hmm.”
He didn’t ask further, seemingly agreeing with Ning Rushen’s decision.
Ning Rushen, going along with it to the end, said, “Alright Xiaoshi Zi, you can go back now.”
Shiyi gave a bow and turned to leave.
At this moment, Yin Zhao, who had finished counting the laps, came to report to Li Wuting, “Your Majesty.” His eyes then fell on Shiyi, giving him a once-over with the spring sword in hand.
“Oh, Shiyi, are you also here to report to His Majesty?”
