A startled horse saves the emperor
As the flower-viewing in the Imperial Garden drew to a close, a eunuch's high-pitched voice announced that everyone should move to the Guanyun Hall to prepare for the imperial competition. The noble ladies straightened their clothes and walked in twos and threes toward the main hall.
Su Qingyue deliberately walked at the back of the crowd, observing her surroundings discreetly. Her brief conversation with Pei Jin had made her wary—the Grand Preceptor's eyes were too insightful, as if he could see right through people. And the sharp gaze that had been following her from the distant pavilion made her feel like she had a thorn in her side.
"Miss, look over there," Qingdai suddenly whispered a reminder.
In the pavilion not far away, the emperor was chatting and laughing with several important officials. Lady Yongchang was among them, and upon seeing Su Qingyue, she gave her a slight nod. This subtle gesture immediately attracted the attention of the others.
"That's the third young lady of the Prime Minister's residence?" An elderly general with graying hair and beard sized up Su Qingyue. "I've heard she's quite skilled in medicine?"
Lady Yongchang laughed and said, "It's more than remarkable; just now outside the palace gates, we were fortunate to have her help."
The conversation wasn't loud, but it was enough for the nearby noble ladies to hear clearly. Su Qingxue walked ahead, her nails digging deeply into her palms, oblivious to the pain.
Just then, something unexpected happened!
A rapid clatter of hooves approached from afar, accompanied by the guards' cries of alarm: "Stop it! Stop the runaway horse!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pure white horse charging wildly toward the pavilion where the emperor was. There was no one on the horse's back; the reins were dragging on the ground, the horse's eyes were bloodshot, and it was foaming at the mouth, clearly terrified.
"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!" The eunuch's shrill voice pierced the sky.
The guards rushed forward to stop it, but the horse was extremely fast and powerful, knocking over several guards in succession and charging straight towards the pavilion!
Inside the pavilion, the emperor's expression changed slightly, and he instinctively stepped back. Several elderly ministers, unable to react in time, were thrown into chaos. Lady Yongchang, terrified, stood frozen in place.
"Mother!" The heir of the Marquis of Yongchang cried out and tried to rush forward, but was forced to retreat by the raging horses.
In the blink of an eye, a moon-white figure suddenly rushed out from the side!
Just as the horse was about to charge into the pavilion, Su Qingyue precisely grabbed the reins that were dragging on the ground. But instead of pulling back like the others, she ran a few steps in the direction the horse was charging, and at the same time, with a clever flick of her wrist, the reins wrapped half a circle around the horse's neck.
"Has she gone mad?" someone exclaimed in shock.
Su Qingxue covered her mouth in fright, but a hint of anticipation flashed in her eyes—this ignorant illegitimate daughter deserves to be trampled into mincemeat by horses!
However, what happened next stunned everyone.
Instead of being pulled down, Su Qingyue used the reins to leap into the air and land lightly on the side and back of the horse. She gripped the horse's belly tightly with her legs, held the reins with one hand, and had somehow produced several silver needles with the other.
"What is she doing?" The old general stood up in shock.
Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, Su Qingyue leaned close to the horse's neck, precisely inserting silver needles into several acupoints. Her movements were fluid and graceful, as if she had rehearsed them a thousand times.
Actually, this is an emergency treatment she learned at a modern equestrian club, combined with traditional Chinese acupuncture techniques. Most startled horses are startled because certain acupoints are stimulated; as long as these are unblocked in time, they can calm down.
Strangely enough, the previously frenzied white horse noticeably slowed down after the silver needles were inserted, and the crimson in its eyes gradually faded. After running another dozen or so feet, it finally came to a docile stop by the lake.
The entire Imperial Garden was completely silent.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the girl who gracefully landed from her horse. Her moon-white dress fluttered in the wind, her hair was slightly disheveled, but her expression remained calm, as if the breathtaking scene just now was nothing more than casually brushing away a fallen leaf.
Su Qingyue gently stroked the white horse's neck, checking its condition. Only then did she notice a delicately carved character "Xiao" on the saddle.
"That's... the mount of Prince Rui's mansion?" someone whispered.
"No wonder it's so magnificent..."
Su Qingyue's heart stirred slightly, and she subconsciously looked up at the Guanyun Pavilion in the distance. Sure enough, that sharp gaze became even more pronounced.
"Good! Good! Good!"
The silence was broken by three consecutive "Good!"s. The emperor strode out of the pavilion, his face filled with undisguised admiration: "What a remarkable woman who remained calm in the face of danger! Whose daughter are you?"
Su Qingyue calmly bowed: "Your subject is Su Qingyue, and my father is Prime Minister Su."
"Prime Minister Su?" The Emperor looked at Prime Minister Su in surprise. "My dear minister, you have such an outstanding daughter? How come you've never mentioned her before?"
Prime Minister Su's face turned pale and then flushed, and he forced a smile, saying, "My daughter is unruly and dares not disturb Your Majesty's ears."
"Naughty?" The emperor laughed heartily. "If such courage and medical skills are considered naughty, then wouldn't all the young ladies of noble families in the capital be wooden beauties?"
These words caused all the noble ladies present to look embarrassed. Su Qingxue wished she could disappear into the ground.
Lady Yongchang stepped forward at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, if it weren't for Miss Su San just now, I'm afraid..."
"I saw it all." The emperor waved his hand to interrupt, his gaze fixed intently on Su Qingyue. "What method did you use just now? I have never seen such skill in taming horses."
Su Qingyue lowered her eyes and replied, "Your Majesty, I have some knowledge of medicine. Just now, I noticed that the horse's eyes were unfocused and it was foaming at the mouth. It seems that some acupoints have been stimulated, causing it to become agitated. Acupuncture at the relevant acupoints can help calm it down."
"Taming a runaway horse with just a few silver needles?" the old general exclaimed incredulously. "That's simply divine skill!"
"General, you flatter me," Su Qingyue said calmly. "It's merely a matter of understanding the principles and addressing the symptoms."
This composed and confident reply impressed the emperor even more. He noticed that this young woman was different from ordinary noble ladies; she was neither pretentious nor deliberately showing off, and every word she spoke revealed rare sincerity and wisdom.
"It seems I'll have to look forward to your performance in today's imperial contest," the emperor said meaningfully.
At this moment, a figure in black appeared silently on the outskirts of the crowd. Prince Rui, Xiao Jue, had a sharp gaze that first swept over the now docile white horse, and then fixed on Su Qingyue.
"My steed, thank you for saving me, Miss San." His voice was cold and emotionless.
Su Qingyue curtsied in return, saying, "Your Highness is too kind; it was nothing at all."
Xiao Jue took a few steps closer, then suddenly lowered his voice: "How did you know those acupoints?"
This is an extremely tricky question. If you don't answer it well, you could easily be accused of "peeping into the secrets of the Prince's residence."
Su Qingyue met his gaze calmly: "All living things are interconnected. Humans are like this, and so are horses. If Your Highness doesn't believe me, you can try it with other horses."
This answer not only explained the principle but also cleared the suspect of suspicion, and it also carried a hint of academic discussion.
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Jue's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Interesting."
He said no more, turned and bowed to the emperor before leaving. But everyone could see that this cold-faced prince had developed an interest in Su Qingyue.
After this commotion, the atmosphere of the imperial competition became delicate. The previously prominent Su Qingxue and her group were now relegated to supporting roles. All eyes were now fixed on that moon-white figure.
Su Qingyue felt the gazes coming from all directions—some envious, some jealous, and some deeply wary. She knew that from this moment on, she could no longer keep a low profile.
"Miss, you were too reckless!" Qingdai said in a low voice, still shaken.
Su Qingyue gently straightened her sleeves, her gaze resolute: "Sometimes, risk and opportunity coexist."
She looked towards the direction of the Guanyun Palace, where the upcoming competition would be another battlefield.
This time, however, she was no longer passively responding.
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