Chapter 57 Polo: Xiao Qiyu's ears instantly turned red.

On the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the air for miles around, and the polo match was held as scheduled.

At dawn, before the dew had dried, the women of the Marquis's household had already finished dressing and grooming, adorned with pearls and jade, their dresses rustling, and one after another boarded the carriages bound for the palace.

Xiao Shu originally intended to ride in the same carriage as Qin Wan, but changed her mind at the last minute and jumped into Cui Ying's carriage instead.

As the carriage drove down the street, inside, on a vermilion-lacquered, inlaid, carved table, were a plate of rose-flavored milk pastry, a plate of water chestnut cake, and a pot of Biluochun tea, its delicate aroma perfectly refreshing and cleansing the palate.

Cui Ying sipped her tea and noticed that Xiao Shu sat quietly, neither smiling nor speaking, with a bitter and resentful expression, completely unlike her usual lively self.

"What's wrong with you today? You look so down. Who upset you?" Cui Ying asked.

It would have been better if she hadn't said anything, because Xiao Shu's expression immediately became even more aggrieved. She sighed and said, "Who would dare to upset me? I was just thinking that after watching the polo match, it would be the start of the new semester at Luming Academy. I get so annoyed just thinking about going to school."

Cui Ying couldn't help but chuckle: "If it were anything else, I might be able to help you make a decision, but I can't help you with this. You'll just have to face the challenge head-on."

Xiao Shu sighed and collapsed onto the soft cushion, looking utterly dejected from head to toe.

Cui Ying picked up a piece of sweet water chestnut cake and stuffed it into her mouth, saying, "Isn't going to school good? There are so many people of similar age in the academy, and everyone can get together and play. It's much better than staying at home. When I saw you all going to the academy, I wanted to go too, but my father was afraid that I would cause trouble there, so he resolutely refused to send me in. Now I envy you."

Xiao Shu chewed on a water chestnut cake and said angrily, "Don't talk like that. You have no idea how tight the daily schedule is at the academy. Once inside, you can't even wear your own clothes. You can only wear those ugly academy uniforms, and your hair can only be tied in a bun. You're not even allowed to bring a maid. You have to do everything yourself. This isn't going to school. It's like being in prison!"

Cui Ying paused, trying to comfort her: "Then try to think positively. Anyway, you've already made it through a year. There's only one year left. It'll be over in the blink of an eye."

Xiao Shu waved her hand: "Don't try to comfort me. The more you comfort me, the less I want to live. I wish I could get a serious illness and never be able to leave the house again."

Cui Ying was both amused and exasperated: "Pah, pah, pah, what nonsense are you talking about? Forget it, I'm not going to bother with you anymore. Figure it out yourself."

After saying that, he picked up a piece of rose-flavored milk pastry, took a bite, and turned his head to slowly admire the street scene outside the window.

Xiao Shu felt extremely uncomfortable, wriggling around like a fish out of water: "Ugh, so annoying, so annoying, so annoying! When will Your Majesty change this rule? Can't you just let them go if they want to, and not go if they don't want to? Why do you have to force women to go to school? It's so tiring, so tiring."

As Cui Ying listened to Xiao Shu's complaints, her thoughts drifted to the Empress Dowager deep within the palace.

On this matter, her thoughts were completely opposite to Xiao Shu's.

The fact that she singled out the opposition to establish the Luming Academy and forced noblewomen to enroll, thereby promoting a culture of education and understanding among women throughout the land, was enough to make her admire the Empress Dowager.

When she was a child, she studied the Four Books and Five Classics and learned a saying from Mencius: "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven." However, Cui Ying found that this saying was easy to say but extremely difficult to do.

With a father who was the Censor-in-Chief, Cui Ying had no shortage of news about which officials were sentenced for accepting bribes, or exiled thousands of miles away for embezzlement and perverting the law.

There are too many to count.

Occasionally, Cui Ying would wonder: When those corrupt officials first entered officialdom, did they also think about bringing benefits to the people and being honest and upright officials?

As Cui Ying pondered this, she fell into a daze, resting her chin on her hand, tilting her head to the window frame, and staring blankly outside.

Today she wore the fashionable "Jinghong" hairstyle, adorned with gorgeous gold and jade hairpins, her face lightly powdered, and a bright red flower between her eyebrows added to her beauty. She was truly radiant and incomparably noble.

As the carriage passed by, passersby occasionally whispered among themselves, all wondering whose noble lady this was, that she was so beautiful.

Xiao Qiyu sat upright on his horse, guarding the side of the caravan. Every word of the whispers, whether of amazement or envy, drifted into his ears.

Normally, he wouldn't even lift an eyelid, after all, what does it have to do with him?

But at this moment, listening to those praises of Cui Ying's appearance, he felt an inexplicable sense of irritation.

It was as if Cui Ying was being coveted.

Xiao Qiyu frowned, subtly spurring his horse's flanks with his calves, urging it to catch up with Cui Ying's carriage window. Suddenly, he reached out and ripped down the Xiangfei bamboo silk brocade curtain, blocking all prying eyes.

Cui Ying was lost in thought and didn't even notice when Xiao Qiyu arrived. It wasn't until the curtain blocked her view that she came back to her senses, lifted the curtain again, and angrily said to Xiao Qiyu, "What are you doing!"

Xiao Qiyu pointed to the corner of her mouth and said indifferently, "Touch it yourself."

Cui Ying touched the crumbs and found quite a few. She realized that Xiao Qiyu was protecting her. Just as she was about to reluctantly thank him, she suddenly realized something and stared at Xiao Qiyu with narrowed almond eyes: "No, no, we're so far apart, how could you see such crumbs? Were you secretly watching me the whole time? Hmm?"

Xiao Qiyu's ears instantly turned red, but his expression remained unchanged. He glanced at Cui Ying, scoffed, "You're just being presumptuous," and rode off on his horse.

Cui Ying wiped her mouth clean, looked at Xiao Qiyu's back, and inexplicably thought of the Empress Dowager, suddenly feeling extremely suspicious.

Judging from the Empress Dowager's actions, she should be a very enlightened elder. How could she suddenly arrange her marriage with Xiao Qiyu, binding these two mortal enemies who have disliked each other since childhood together?

Cui Ying couldn't understand it.

...

After the carriage arrived at the majestic palace gate, the women of each family disembarked in order. Depending on their status and rank, they either transferred to sedan chairs inside the palace or walked together, making their way to the Taiji Palace.

The sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.

Taiji Palace, with its upturned eaves and solemn palace architecture.

Meanwhile, the East Inner Garden, located to its east, was bustling with activity.

The young men and women gathered together, unable to contain their excitement, whispering amongst themselves and jingling their jewelry.

The grounds are surrounded by neatly trimmed, lush green lawns. Further away, there are exotic flowers and trees carefully cultivated in the Forbidden Garden, with the fragrance of osmanthus and the blooming of golden chrysanthemums. Several tall ginkgo trees have already turned golden.

Cui Ying and Xiao Shu followed their elders into the viewing platform and exchanged greetings with the women of each family.

Since it wasn't his first time watching a polo match, Cui Ying wasn't surprised. After completing the proper etiquette, he was led by a palace servant to his seat and sat down comfortably.

Xiao Wan, who had been unable to withstand wind since recovering from a serious illness, did not come along this time.

Cui Ying couldn't even gather enough people to chat with, so she and Xiao Shu idly played cat's cradle. She wanted to invite Qin Wan to join them, but Qin Wan was taken by Qin Shi to socialize with various noble ladies, so it was just the two of them left.

At the edge of the field, the teams participating in the polo match had already gathered. The horses, meticulously groomed and glossy-coated, snorted and anxiously pawed at the sand beneath their hooves.

The scions of noble families rode into the arena one after another, dressed in bright red and blue narrow-sleeved brocade robes, wearing black suede boots, and holding ball clubs with crescent-shaped tips. Everyone had something to do, either taking advantage of the last moments to check their horses and equipment, chatting and laughing with those around them, or nervously taking deep breaths.

The air was filled with the scents of grass, earth, cosmetics, and the vibrant energy of youth.

Cui Ying glanced casually at the field and said with surprise, "What a coincidence this year, all your brothers have been assigned to the team in red. It seems they can work together this time."

Polo teams are traditionally drawn by lot, and it's rare to see brothers paired up as a team when the whole family is on the same team.

Xiao Shu scoffed, her fingers deftly twirling the rope: "So what if we're all on the same team? This year, without Seventh Brother to save the day, whichever team Xiao Ye is on is bound to lose. I don't need to think about anything, I can just honestly wait to be humiliated."

Cui Ying subconsciously looked towards the venue.

As the competition was about to begin, Xiao Ye, dressed in a red brocade robe, neither warmed up nor looked at his horse, but instead stared at the cricket cage in his hand and grinned foolishly.

Cui Ying laughed and said, "You know what, if there were a cricket fighting competition, Sixth Brother might just win first place."

Xiao Shu: "More than just first place, at least we'll be remembered in history."

Inside the venue.

Xiao Ye sneezed several times, muttering, "Who insulted me again?" He caught sight of Xiao Qiyu out of the corner of his eye and quickly shouted to the table, "Seventh Brother! I'll give you this cage. You keep an eye on my Great General! I'm afraid if I bring it on the field, it might fall off and get crushed into a cricket pancake!"

Xiao Qiyu merely nodded slightly toward the seats in the Duke of Wei's residence, indicating that he needed to pay his respects to his parents-in-law first, and then left without offering any assistance.

Xiao Ye was so anxious that he jumped up and down. He had no choice but to look at the people around him. He scratched his head and looked around. His eyes darted around in the crowd for a moment, and finally, they were fixed on Cui Ying, who was playing cat's cradle with Xiao Shu.

Over here, Cui Ying and Xiao Shu were having a great time playing cat's cradle when suddenly a small golden cage appeared in their hands. Inside the cage was a plump cricket, its antennae twitching.

Xiao Ye, who had somehow run up to the viewing platform, wiped his sweat and said, "The palace rules are strict. I can't bring my personal servant in, and I don't trust the palace servants with me. So I'll trouble my seventh sister-in-law to keep it for me for a while. I'll come back to get it after I finish playing ball. I'll definitely treat you to something delicious tomorrow."

Cui Ying, who was looking for something fun to do to relieve his boredom, readily agreed.

Xiao Ye added, "You must remember to check into the cage from time to time. This little thing is smarter than a person and can even pry open the cage door by itself."

"Stop yelling and get out of here!" Xiao Shu cursed. "This is the women's section! You just barged in like that, have you no shame?"

Xiao Ye turned and rushed into the field, but said defiantly, "What do you mean by men and women? Fine, you can just start calling me Sixth Sister! Is that alright now?"

"Shut up! Aren't you embarrassed enough already!" Xiao Shu was furious and grabbed a piece of pastry from the plate to throw at him.

At this moment, three whips cracked, and the clamor of voices gradually subsided. Everyone adjusted their posture and turned their gaze toward the Imperial Viewing Platform.

The Imperial Viewing Platform is built on a foundation of bluestone and a floor of white marble. It is surrounded by an exquisitely carved stone railing with coiled dragons, and a huge bright yellow brocade canopy with gold-embroidered dragon patterns supports the platform, like auspicious clouds obscuring the sun.

Beneath the canopy, in the very center, stood a large throne inlaid with jade and made of sandalwood, covered with thick, bright yellow brocade cushions and a backrest, with dragon carvings on the armrests—this was the emperor's throne.

At that moment, the eunuch's high-pitched, drawn-out voice soared to the heavens: "The Empress Dowager has arrived—The Imperial Concubine has arrived—"

Everyone immediately rose from their seats, prostrated themselves, and bowed their heads in respect to welcome the imperial carriage.

In the procession, first came two rows of palace maids dressed in crimson-purple palace attire, holding peacock feather fans, their heads bowed and their steps light and orderly as they filed out and lined up on either side of the throne. Immediately afterward, eight tall eunuchs dressed in silver armor with unicorn patterns and ceremonial swords at their waists walked solemnly forward and stood on either side of the platform.

Consort Guo, dressed in her finest attire, personally helped the Empress Dowager as she slowly walked into the Imperial Viewing Platform.

The entire audience held their breath in suspense.

When the Empress Dowager sat down on the phoenix chair next to the throne, she said gently, "The autumn light is just right today, there is no need to be too formal. Rise, all of you, and let me and you all appreciate the vigorous and heroic spirit of our dynasty's young men."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager!" A chorus of shouts broke the silence, instantly enlivening the atmosphere, yet maintaining perfect order.

As Cui Ying rose with the others, she couldn't help but quietly raise her eyes to look at the highest point of the Imperial Viewing Platform.

The Empress Dowager remained as kind and loving as ever, not wearing overly elaborate and heavy court robes, but rather a crimson embroidered gold phoenix and cloud patterned everyday dress. Her silver hair was neatly combed into a high bun, and in the center she wore a set of red gold and kingfisher feather auspicious cloud and phoenix headdress, with three strings of bright pearls held in the phoenix's beak, swaying gently with her expression.

On the left and right sides of the imperial viewing platform, there are several rows of rosewood armchairs covered with brocade cushions. These seats are prepared for princes, dukes, princesses, and high-ranking officials.

Cui Ying's grandmother was among them.

After the Empress Dowager took her seat, she began talking with the Grand Princess. They laughed from time to time, and then looked in the direction where Cui Ying was.

Cui Ying hurriedly turned her face away, not daring to look at him again.

After three deep chimes, the red and blue teams officially mounted their horses and waited in suspense. The only sounds were the occasional neighing of the horses and the fluttering of the banners in the wind.

As the appointed time approached, the eunuch consulted with the Empress Dowager and, upon receiving her permission, picked up a mallet wrapped in red silk and gently struck the gong. The sharp, resounding sound echoed throughout the arena—the polo match had officially begun!

Cui Ying was initially uninterested, but as the competition progressed, her interest grew involuntarily, and she pulled Xiao Shu to watch attentively.

At the north and south ends of the stadium, there is an exquisite goal painted with gold, shaped like a full moon, with a net hanging high above.

For either the red or blue team, one point is awarded if the ball is put into the opponent's goal.

Less than 15 minutes into the game, Xiao Lin of the Red Team seized an opening and scored a beautiful shot into the net, taking the lead.

The scene immediately erupted in cheers, and Cui Ying also stood up to cheer: "Fifth Brother! Well done!"

In the men's section on the east side, Xiao Qiyu was talking to Cui Yan when he heard Cui Ying's voice and couldn't help but look at her.

The weather was fine and the sun was warm, the morning light was bright. The girl's originally snow-white face was flushed with excitement, and her pair of watery almond eyes were shining with excitement. At this moment, she was staring intently at Xiao Lin in the arena.

Xiao Qiyu was not one to show off in trivial matters. To him, no matter how well he played polo, it was ultimately not as valuable as practical achievements.

But now, he inexplicably began to regret it.

I should have played.

At least she won't have to look at others with that kind of gaze.

Looking at Cui Ying's bright smile, Xiao Qiyu's eyes grew increasingly dark, as if a place in his heart was gradually becoming damp and cold.

Among the women, there was also a discreet gaze that lingered silently on Xiao Qiyu.

As Madam Qin was chatting and laughing with the noblewoman beside her, she noticed Qin Wan standing there in a daze and couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Pay attention to yourself, don't be like a gourd with its mouth sawed off. This lady is gentle and kind, her husband is the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and her second son is the same age as you. Be sweet-talking and leave a good impression on her."

Qin Wan lowered her eyes, comparing the grandeur of the Marquis's mansion to the difference in status, and felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. Her voice was barely audible: "The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review... is only a fourth-rank official position."

He is the second son, and if he is of mediocre talent, he will probably only be able to make a living by relying on his family for support.

Madam Qin immediately frowned and scolded in a low voice, "You look down on even a fourth-rank official? Do you want to marry into the imperial family and become one of the emperor's concubines?"

Qin Wan's mind flashed with Xiao Qiyu's aloof and handsome figure, and her heart was filled with bitterness and resentment. She thought: I would rather be his concubine, but I'm afraid my aunt will not agree.

She dared not show it on her face, and shook her head, saying, "I wouldn't dare."

After saying that, she put on a sweet and gentle face and went to chat with the woman.

Time flies, and the competition on the field is fierce and in full swing.

After the Red Team scored, the Blue Team rallied and the two sides fought fiercely, neither willing to give an inch.

Perhaps recognizing Xiao Lin's skill level, the Blue Team specifically assigned two players to contain him after he intercepted the ball.

Xiao Lin shook off two defenders and accurately passed the ball to Xiao Ye, who was unmarked. With just a light touch, Xiao Ye could create a one-on-one opportunity.

"Sixth Brother! Break down the door!" Xiao Lin shouted urgently.

Xiao Ye frantically swung his club to catch the ball, but his movements were completely distorted. Instead of catching the ball, he hit his own horse's rump with a "thud"!

The horse neighed in pain and suddenly reared up. Xiao Ye was so frightened that he let out a howl and clung tightly to the horse's neck to avoid being thrown off.

The untouched polo ball was intercepted by the opposing team, who coordinated perfectly, combining defense and attack, and stormed into the red team's goal.

One to one, a draw.

The audience erupted in commotion, followed by suppressed chuckles.

Cui Ying was so angry that she almost crushed the cricket cage. A lump of anger stuck in her chest, and she couldn't speak.

Xiao Shu didn't care about anything else, stood up and shouted at Xiao Ye, "Xiao Lao Liu, are you sleepwalking?! You could catch that ball with your face! Why are you hitting the horse's butt?"

Xiao Ye finally managed to calm the frightened horse, his face flushing red and then pale, but he still stubbornly insisted, "What are you yelling for! Can't you just slip? This broken club is no good at all!"

Xiao Shu: "I'll put a pig up there! A pig knows how to score goals better than you!"

"Yes, yes, yes! If you're so capable, then you should go and do it!"

The brother and sister argued fiercely across the fence, and in the end, Xiao Sheng pulled Xiao Ye away.

After that last play, the Blue Team seemed to have discovered a huge loophole and immediately clarified their tactics. They focused their attacks on Xiao Ye's defense, or simply passed the ball to him and then took advantage of his mistakes to score.

Xiao Ye went up to meet the ball every time, but he either swung his bat and hit nothing, or hit the ball in the wrong direction, passing it to the opponent instead of his teammate.

With great difficulty, he swung his mallet and scored, "Bang!" the polo ball went into the net.

He shouted excitedly, then looked at his pale-faced teammates and yelled, "Why aren't you guys excited! I scored!"

Xiao Sheng said expressionlessly, "Because you scored into your own goal."

On stage, Xiao Shu was furious, and finally blamed herself: "Why did I come here today! I shouldn't have come! Why am I suffering this torment!"

Cui Ying took a deep breath, lifted her skirt and stood up, saying, "I can't go on either, I'm going out to rest for a bit."

Carrying a cricket cage, Cui Ying walked out of the viewing platform.

Because she often accompanied her grandmother to the palace when she was young, she was favored by the Empress Dowager and was granted the privilege of "walking in the forbidden palace". Therefore, in this huge Taiji Palace, as long as she did not go to the truly forbidden areas of the palace, she could go to any ordinary palace garden, and the palace servants and eunuchs dared not stop her.

Cui Ying strolled around, stopping occasionally to admire the scenery and exchange a few words with familiar palace servants before finally entering the exterior of a magnificent main hall.

She didn't know where she was, but it was unusually quiet. Just as she was about to turn back, a sudden thought struck her. She looked down at the cricket cage—it was empty, and the door was open.

"No way! They really know how to pry open cage doors!" Cui Ying's eyes widened as she carefully searched the inside, confirming that not a single hair was left.

If Xiao Ye found out, he'd be crying his eyes out.

Cui Ying quickly looked down and searched around. Sure enough, under the dragon pillar outside the main hall, he found the shiny, slippery "general" who was trying to play dead to get away with it.

Cui Ying immediately held her breath and tiptoed closer, focusing all her attention on the little creature. She slowly bent down and carefully stretched her arm out as far as it could go.

Just as she was poised to pounce and capture it like a hungry tiger, the cricket seemed to have eyes in the back of its head. With a powerful kick of its thick hind legs, it leaped forward a great distance, leaving her far behind.

Anyone who has ever caught grasshoppers or crickets knows that at this point, one is absolutely unwilling to straighten up. One can only maintain a comical half-squatting posture, hopping and skipping forward to chase after them, with both hands uncontrollably flapping in front, hoping to slap them down in the palm of one's hand.

Cui Ying transformed into a rabbit. For every cricket that hopped once, she would hop twice. She didn't even know when she hopped into the main hall. Her mind and eyes were only on that "Great General".

The man and the insect fought for a long time.

With great difficulty, Cui Ying pressed the cricket under his palm, chuckled, and put it into the cage, locking the cage door tightly: "Hehehe, I finally caught it, didn't I? Run, keep running, why aren't you running anymore!"

Cui Ying stood up, subconsciously raised her hand to tidy her slightly disheveled hair, and casually looked up to survey her surroundings.

At a glance, her gaze landed precisely behind the imperial desk adorned with nine dragons coiled among clouds—

The middle-aged man wearing a bright yellow dragon robe was wielding a pen to revise a memorial.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Mei Bao: I've behaved myself.