Seeing the magistrate about to fall off his horse, his followers were horrified. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Sir, be careful!", while others shouted, "Hurry up and save the lady!" There was a lot of chattering and the scene was noisy and chaotic.
"ah--"
The horse was suddenly startled, raised its front hooves high, and stood half-human. Jiang Yushu was caught off guard and screamed. Then her whole body fell backward, slid sideways, and fell down. Panic surged in her heart, and she was so scared that her mind went blank. She clenched her teeth and could not make a sound.
"Which, whimper!" The horse was whipped, with a cracked ear and bleeding profusely. It neighed in pain, kicking its two front hooves high in the air, and almost fell to the ground.
Oh no! Was I going to fall off my horse today? Amidst the violent turbulence, Jiang Yushu hurriedly leaned over, pressed herself against the horse's back, and gripped the reins tightly. However, due to her weak waist and legs, she couldn't hold the horse's belly. Her right foot slipped off the stirrup, and she was thrown out of the saddle and fell sideways. Fortunately, just before she was about to fall, the horse lowered its front hooves!
In a split second, Jiang Yushu threw everything aside, grabbed the reins, and exerted all her strength, using her waist and legs to flip up with difficulty, and sat back in the saddle again. It was a dangerous situation, and she hurriedly squeezed the horse's belly, "Whoa!"
Although the frightened horse no longer raised its front hooves, it did not calm down. Instead, it turned around in place and shook its ears frequently.
"Whoa!" she shouted, trying to stay calm, pulling the reins hard, trying to steady the horse.
"grown ups--"
When the followers saw this, the timid ones looked at each other in confusion, while the brave ones took the risk of approaching and helping to calm the frightened horse.
"Don't panic, I'll rescue you right away!" Li Qigong, the leader of the yamen runners, bravely went into battle. Just as he cracked his whip, he was stopped by the magistrate's trusted guards: "Sir, no! The horse is frightened. If you whip it, it will be even harder to calm down."
In an instant, the sounds of people, horses, and curses were mixed together.
As a result of this commotion, the government horses were affected and scattered in all directions, blocking the road and intercepting several soldiers who were guarding the rear of the Tuning Palace.
Among them, seven or eight people who had already run far away heard the commotion and hurried back. They were responsible for clearing the way, so they didn't know what was happening behind them and watched curiously. A captain approached and asked in confusion, "Brother Tong, what's going on?"
Tong Jing was promoted to deputy commander of the guards, which was what he wanted and he was very proud of it. But there was one flaw: his strong rival, Guo Honglei, was also promoted!
In fact, he had recognized Jiang Yushu from afar. Female officials were rare, and the beautiful county magistrate was unforgettable. Moreover, because such a striking woman was the wife of his rival, he felt jealous and derisive.
Before riding past, he happened to meet the lady's eyes as he looked around. Suddenly, he thought to himself, "She's adapted to the local customs, coming to the frontier and learning to ride. I wonder how good she is at riding? Let me give her a scare and test her skills!"
So, he narrowed his eyes frivolously, and with a playful heart, he deliberately shouted, spurred his horse, and cracked his whip - originally intending only to frighten her, to see the lady official's face turn pale. However, the warhorse took two steps sideways, and he accidentally hit the other horse's ear with the tip of his whip, which not only frightened her but also her horse, putting the county magistrate in danger of falling off his horse.
Tong Jing regretted it.
I regret not knowing how to use the whip properly when I was whipping him.
But in front of everyone, Tong Jing was most afraid of losing face and was unwilling to admit his mistake and apologize. He shook his head nonchalantly and criticized: "The woman is not a good rider and is timid. When she saw a group of soldiers coming, she lost her composure and shook the reins in a daze, and ran into them. I happened to whip the horse and accidentally hit its ear with the whip. Alas, the horse was frightened." After speaking, he ordered:
"What are you all standing there for? Help her stabilize herself! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"
"yes!"
Several soldiers took action as ordered and carefully surrounded the frightened horse. Among them were outsiders who believed that "women are not good at riding", and some were guards who saw through it but did not expose it.
After a while, under the orders and suppression of the crowd, the frightened horse gradually calmed down.
"Ma'am," the guard said anxiously, "are you okay?"
Li Qigong took advantage of the chaos to move closer, "Is the lord injured?"
Jiang Yushu's heart was beating like a drum. She shook her head and replied, "I'm fine." She had just recovered from the shock, and she was panting and pale as she said, "Thank you very much, thank you all for your generosity."
The rescue soldiers all said, "It's just a small favor." They looked at each other, and one of them asked confidently, "Are you Mrs. Guo?"
Jiang Yushu forced herself to remain calm, suppressing her pounding heart. She nodded and replied, "My husband, Honglei, is serving under General Song, just like all of you."
"Hey, it's Mrs. Guo!"
These soldiers were not Tong Jing's subordinates, but just happened to be on the same mission. They kindly advised: "If Madam is not yet experienced, don't ride a horse. Take a carriage or sedan chair instead. Although it is slower, it is safer."
"Yes, if you fall off the horse, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Practice more often on weekdays. Once you are familiar with it, it won't be too late to go out on horseback."
…
Jiang Yushu slowly breathed a sigh of relief, her heartbeat and breathing gradually calming. She began to grow suspicious, then smiled wryly and said, "Thank you all for your advice. Actually, I've ridden this horse for over five years, and it's very docile. It was only because its ear was injured that it got frightened." As she spoke, she dismounted and examined her beloved horse's injuries with a distressed look. "Poor thing, its ear is so cracked! No wonder it got frightened."
All the followers dismounted. Li Qigong, before his companions, quickly took out the medicine for wounds and volunteered, "I'll apply some medicine to it. It will probably heal soon. Your Excellency, don't worry too much."
Jiang Yushu nodded, "Okay, stop the bleeding quickly!"
The next moment, a voice suddenly rang out from behind her: "Mrs. Guo, are you not hurt?"
Due to the occasion and the other party's identity, Tong Jing did not leave. He got off his horse and slowly approached.
Jiang Yushu turned around and looked over. Suddenly, she realized something and frowned slightly. She asked in a distant and polite tone, knowing the answer: "Who are you...?"
Tong Jing was a little embarrassed and smiled insincerely, "Haha, the magistrate is really a forgetful man."
Without being told, the guards announced loudly, "This is the deputy commander of our Tuning Guard, Lord Tong!"
After not seeing him for many years, this person was still sarcastic and surly. It was like they were enemies on a narrow road. Jiang Yushu looked at him, her face full of "unrecognizable" expression, and said politely, "Oh, it turns out to be Master Tong."
"Thinking back to those days," Tong Jing said, his head held high and chest puffed out, never mentioning the incident of the whip startling the horse. With his hands behind his back, he sighed, "County Magistrate Sun Jie and you both met with General Song to discuss digging a canal to divert the Run River. And then, in the blink of an eye, the canal was dug, Sun Jie was transferred, and you became county magistrate. Oh, it's really moving!"
Jiang Yushu narrowly escaped a fall from her horse. Frightened, she listened carefully, observing the other person's demeanor. She quickly determined the sudden "gig" was his voice, and instinctively sensed he was interrupting her. She thought: Between the two groups, there are nearly a hundred riders. He didn't yell or whip me, and yet he happened to injure my horse? Could it be... intentional?
Thinking of this, her fear turned to anger. She nodded suddenly, "Oh, I remember now! That day, at the training ground, didn't Master Tong invite Hong Lei to a duel?"
That day, Tong Jing, having underestimated his opponent, lost three matches in a row, a disgrace he considered a profound humiliation. His smile froze, and he suddenly felt annoyed, but he couldn't show it. He forced himself to hold it in and nodded hastily.
He is hostile to me. Jiang Yushu could distinguish between hostility and friendliness. She watched Tong Jing intently, catching the flash of displeasure and hostility in his eyes. She immediately became unhappy and was about to make another sarcastic remark when she heard the sound of horse hooves from the side.
Everyone turned their heads, and the guards of the Guo Mansion looked intently. One with a sharp eye raised his finger and pointed: "Look, it's our Second Master!"
"Really?" Jiang Yushu took a closer look and smiled happily, "What a coincidence, it's really him!"
Soon, Guo Honglei led another team and quickly approached. He saw his wife from a distance, pulled the reins, dismounted quickly, strode over, and asked in surprise, "What happened? What are you doing here?"
Jiang Yushu could have endured it, but the moment she saw her husband, she felt the pain instantly. Unable to control herself, she unthinkingly spread out her right palm and showed it to him. Glancing at Tong Jing, she briefly explained, "Just now, we were giving way to the soldiers, and someone whipped my horse and injured its ear. The horse got scared, and I almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, I managed to stay steady."
Guo Honglei was stunned, frowning in surprise. He quickly handed the whip to his personal guard and held up his wife's right hand. He examined the broken and bleeding palm without paying attention to anything else and asked with concern, "Besides your hand, where else are you injured?"
Under the gaze of more than two hundred pairs of eyes, Jiang Yushu came back to her senses, immediately tightened her face, and answered seriously: "It's gone, just my right hand, the reins rubbed the skin, it's a minor injury, nothing serious!"
"Sir, can you give me some medicine?" Li Qigong brought the medicine in time.
Guo Honglei remained calm, glanced at Fengliu Dianshi, and ordered, "The hemostatic medicine in the army is better. Bring it here."
"Yes!" The guard quickly handed over the medicine.
Guo Honglei personally applied medicine to her and bandaged her carefully. After confirming that her muscles and bones were not injured, he glanced at Tong Jing and his group and asked in confusion, "The road is quite wide. She voluntarily gave way. Who was so careless as to whip a passerby's horse?"
"Ahem, it's me." With so many people witnessing it, Tong Jing couldn't deny it and had to apologize. He said in frustration, "Alas, just now when I was passing by, your wife's horse suddenly got startled and came up to us. I happened to whip her and didn't have time to retract the force. I'm really sorry. I'll definitely compensate you with a good horse someday!"
Nonsense! It was you who suddenly yelled and whipped my horse, injuring its ear and scaring it. Jiang Yushu knew it well, but couldn't get angry in public. She smiled and retorted, "No, my horse was injured first, and then it was frightened."
Guo Honglei raised his eyebrows, "Oh?" He walked towards the docile mare he had trained himself, checked her injuries, and touched her neck soothingly.
"No?" Tong Jing gritted his teeth and denied it flatly. "It was obviously frightened by the unfamiliar herd of horses and ran around in panic. Madam Guo, you should get a different horse, a braver one, and practice riding more diligently so you can control it more steadily."
The others had different thoughts and watched silently.
Guo Honglei remained expressionless. He paced a few steps, then stopped his wife and said calmly, "I taught my wife horseback riding. She's been learning for five or six years, and today was the first time she got injured."
Tong Jing's smile froze again. He opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer for a moment. Finally, he said in a hard tone, "I told you, I will definitely find a good horse to compensate the magistrate!"
In front of everyone, they had to at least maintain a semblance of harmony. Otherwise, word would spread back to the camp, and there would be talk. Jiang Yushu gathered herself, walked out, and waved her hand magnanimously, "Forget it! My horse only had an ear injury; it will heal. There's no need to ask Lord Tong for compensation. As for riding skills, it varies from person to person. Not only can we not prevent all kinds of accidents, but there's also the saying 'people make mistakes, horses stumble'—" She paused, her eyes meaningful, and smiled, "In short, fortunately, there was no danger. This matter is over and there's no need to mention it again."
Did she find out I did it on purpose? Tong Jing hesitated and said with a dry laugh: "I will never compensate you for what you owe me——"
Jiang Yushu waved her hand to interrupt, "Really! I see that Master Tong is in a hurry. He must have something urgent to do. Go and do it quickly. It's just a trivial matter. It's not worth wasting time on it."
Having said this, Tong Jing kept laughing dryly. No matter what he said, it would be inappropriate. He could only nod and said, "I do have military duties to attend to. In that case, you guys chat, we'll be leaving first."
Guo Honglei was full of doubts, but he calmed down at his wife's signal and said, "Slow down."
Tsk, trouble! Tong Jing got on his horse awkwardly, "Gee!" He led his men and rode away, the sound of horse hooves fading into the distance.
Jiang Yushu glanced at him and then looked away, asking with concern, "What about you? If you're busy, leave quickly and don't delay your official duties."
The couple stood face to face, only a few feet apart. The others tactfully avoided them. Guo Honglei didn't answer, but whispered, "What happened just now?"
"It's a long story, but my guess is that he didn't intend to murder the court official. It's not convenient to talk about it now. We can talk about it in detail another day when we have time." Jiang Yushu was completely calm, with a smile on her face.
"What are you doing out of town?"
"It's been raining heavily lately, and I'm worried the newly built embankment of the Run River will be washed away. I have to see it with my own eyes to be assured. Then, I'll take a look at the growth of the mulberry trees along the way."
Jiang Yushu asked, "What about you? What are you doing outside the camp?"
"Confidential military information, I can't tell you." Guo Honglei gazed at the northern horizon, his eyes solemn, and warned: "There's nothing wrong with the Run River area, but don't get close to the northern border."
Jiang Yushu followed his gaze and looked towards the north, feeling uneasy. "What's going on? Is there going to be another war?"
Guo Honglei replied in a low voice, "Don't worry, things are relatively peaceful at the moment. However, the two countries share a long border, making it difficult to defend. It's better to be safe than sorry."
"Yes, I understand." Jiang Yushu said softly, "I'll take a look at the embankment and the mulberry trees and then go back to the city."
"That's good."
After a brief conversation, the two men, both of whom had official business to attend to, parted ways.
"Come on, get on! It's a long way to go, so it's best to take a car to avoid the wind, sun, and rain." Guo Honglei held her waist like he did when they first taught her, and helped her onto the horse. "Does your hand hurt?"
Jiang Yushu shook her head. "It doesn't hurt. I'd like to take a car, but it rained heavily the day before yesterday. The roads are muddy and bumpy. The wheels will be covered with mud in no time, making it impossible to drive." After she finished speaking, she raised her hand and beckoned, "Hurry up and get on the horse. You go ahead."
Guo Honglei got on his horse and sat firmly, and habitually asked her, "You go first."
"You first!" Jiang Yushu insisted, "You must go first."
Guo Honglei was puzzled, "Why?"
Jiang Yushu smiled and answered seriously, "First, your rank is higher than mine, so I should give way to you. Secondly, a wife should respect her husband. I don't want you to be laughed at for marrying a tigress."
"Hahaha~" The watching soldiers burst into laughter.
The wound on her right hand, gripping the reins, stung. She endured the pain and smiled, urging, "Please."
Guo Honglei smiled, his brows sharp and his eyes sparkling, and nodded handsomely, "Okay, as you say." After saying that, he did not insist on giving way, but went ahead as he was told. As he rode his horse, he turned his head and reminded, "Get back to the city as soon as possible. It's getting dark and the roads will be difficult to travel!"
"good!"
At this point, Jiang Yushu forgot about Tong Jing and continued on her way. She arrived at Run River at noon. After eating some dry food, she walked north along the embankment. As they walked, they observed and checked whether the newly built embankment had been destroyed by the heavy rain.
Mulberry trees are planted on the mountains on both sides of the Run River.
"Let's go up the mountain and take a look!"
The clerk who managed Sangshan had been waiting for a long time. He led his men and led the way, saying, "Your Excellency, please, the road is slippery. Please go slowly."
Jiang Yushu was sweating profusely as she climbed the mountain on the soft soil after the rain, stopping from time to time to observe the mulberry trees that had already grown.
After running around for most of the day, everyone was tired. Some minor officials complained secretly, but on the surface they rushed to follow and enthusiastically discussed the prospects of Sangshan in a harmonious and happy manner.
Meanwhile, the Northern Frontier
The grassland in May is lush with green grass, and colorful wild flowers are blooming as far as the eye can see.
Cross the rocky gully and head north, and you will reach the territory of Beijiao.
In the afternoon, a group of Beijiao people emerged from the depths of the grassland, each carrying a knife and an arrow. They quietly headed south, entered a rocky ravine with strange rocks from a hidden place, and sneaked into the big dry land.
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