Stared at by her uncle with such an angry expression, Wei Shuwan blinked mischievously a couple of times and said in a coquettish voice, "Oh, Uncle, you're already here. Teaching one is the same as teaching two, so why get so angry about having more apprentices?"

Sun Xingjian was so angry he laughed. Who was Pan Wenjun? Her father was the military governor of the Weirong Army! How bad could her horsemanship be? It was probably no less than his.

However, Wei Shuwan is right. Since he has come all this way, how could he possibly turn back just because Pan Wenjun came along? Wouldn't that spoil the mood of the two young ladies?

Having figured this out, Sun Xingjian stopped worrying. He leaped off his horse and nodded to Pan Wenjun: "Alright, since you're here, let's go together. You two go into the tent to change into your riding clothes first, and I'll go pick out a couple of shorter horses for you. We'll meet here again later."

The uncle calmed down and accepted the matter faster than Wei Shuwan had imagined. He readily agreed and then pulled Pan Wenjun into their respective tents to change.

Because it was once used by the royal family, the tents here are particularly exquisite. They are all made of cowhide and wool felt bound together, making them sturdy and warm. Just by looking at them, you can feel their luxury and extravagance.

Inside, the same grandeur and magnificence prevail. A floor-standing screen divides the large tent into inner and outer sections, and the screen itself is painted with a scene of ten thousand horses galloping, which is quite fitting for the occasion.

In the outer room stood a table, two rosewood chairs, and a few stools. Exquisite ebony display shelves held countless trinkets, all polished to a shine.

The first thing you see in the inner room is a mahogany daybed with a dragon pattern inlaid with boxwood. Next to it is a small two-drawer cabinet and a large wardrobe. On the other side are a washbasin stand and a dressing table.

In addition, there were newly laid thin quilts and blankets, blue curtains and rugs, vases of wildflowers that seemed out of place for the season, and the fragrant scent of incense filling the tent. Of course, Ziqiao and Miaoxiang had only come to arrange all of this this morning.

Ziqiao and Miaoxiang did not come with them today. They set off an hour early, taking a carriage ahead of them to make various preparations.

Wei Shuwan went to the inner room to change into riding clothes. Miaoxiang helped her adjust the straps on her cuffs, while Ziqiao proudly presented a bronze mirror to Wei Shuwan, saying, "Look at you, Miss, you look so dashing today!"

The noble ladies of Jiangzuo rarely had the opportunity to wear riding attire. It was much better that after arriving in Shengjing, they could occasionally participate in activities such as polo and hunting. Wei Shuwan, dressed in riding attire, looked at herself in the mirror. Her smart outfit, with a pomegranate red narrow-sleeved dress and her long hair neatly tied into a ponytail, was indeed completely different from her usual self.

She became even happier, and with a smile on her face, she stepped out of the tent to meet up with her uncle and Sister Pan.

Pan Wenjun was a woman who grew up on the frontier, so riding attire was naturally not as new to her as it was to Wei Shuwan. The black riding clothes with silver trim she was wearing had been around for years, and she was very comfortable wearing them.

Upon seeing Wei Shuwan's attire, Pan Wenjun became quite intrigued and couldn't help but step forward, grab her arm, and examine her closely: "Shuwan, I never imagined you would look so good in riding clothes! You look a bit like... Liang Hongyu!"

Sun Xingjian waited nearby, knowing that Pan Wenjun's words were not just polite flattery; his niece truly looked good whether she wore heavy or light makeup. Unlike some wealthy young ladies who were only suited to being demure and couldn't pull off this bold and spirited style.

Wei Shuwan, having received praise, quickly offered a few words of flattery to Pan Wenjun, while Sun Xingjian, listening nearby, felt a headache coming on. Indeed, girls are such a hassle!

At this moment, the groom led the horses over, the two that Sun Xingjian had previously chosen: a white horse and a blue horse.

Wei Shuwan wasn't very good at riding horses, so she wasn't picky and randomly chose one to take the reins. The groom, however, didn't let go of the blue horse she had chosen, but instead smiled and said, "Since this young lady is dressed in red today, why not ride this white horse? A dashing figure in fine clothes on a spirited horse would be quite impressive!"

He then handed over the reins of the white horse, and turned to Pan Wenjun with a smile, saying, "This lady is dressed in black today, so the blue horse suits her perfectly!"

Since each horse was suitable for her, Wei Shuwan didn't think much of it and went to pick up the white horse as recommended by the groom. She gave the blue horse to Pan Wenjun.

Pan Wenjun was a skilled rider, and her movements when mounting the horse were even more agile than Sun Xingjian's. However, Wei Shuwan had some difficulty. She couldn't get any leverage from the saddle, and every time she tried to step on the stirrups, the horse would gravitate to the side, causing her to miss her footing time and time again, which made her somewhat discouraged.

Ziqiao and Miaoxiang, two girls from the south who had never even touched a horse before, couldn't offer any real help even if they tried.

Sun Xingjian couldn't stand these three fools any longer. He dismounted, lifted his niece onto the horse, and frowned as he instructed, "Hold on tight! Don't ride too fast later!"

Wei Shuwan wanted to explain that she only had some difficulty mounting the horse, but that she could actually ride normally once she was on the horse's back. However, her uncle was too lazy to listen to her explanation. He returned to his own horse and whispered a few words to Pan Wenjun. The two of them then tacitly flanked Wei Shuwan from the front and back.

Pan Wenjun ahead kept her pace slow, while her uncle behind kept a close eye on her, ready to strike at any moment. Zi Qiao and Miao Xiang also dared not slack off, accompanying her on either side as she walked forward.

It felt like I was back in my childhood, when I was learning to ride a horse. My father and mother, along with several nannies, stood on opposite sides, arms outstretched, ready to dismount me at any moment.

Wei Shuwan was a little unhappy, but she couldn't object. After all, she had been so incompetent earlier, failing to even mount a horse and scaring them. But it didn't matter; once they reached the woods, she would definitely show off her horsemanship and amaze them!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!