stab in the back
Shi Jun and Qin Xi sat on either side of the old lady. The old lady gave Qin Xi a look, and Qin Xi understood what she meant. She smiled and said, "My eldest brother and younger brother love horse racing the most. They are both still on the field. They will come to see Grandmother after the race."
She was speaking to her grandmother, but her eyes were fixed on Shijun.
Qin Xi asked, "Do you still remember what my eldest brother looks like?"
When Shi Jun was young, she met Qin Gang, the elder brother, when she visited the Qin family. However, she never saw him again. She only knew some news about him from Qin Xi, especially since Qin Gang passed the imperial examination that year, and people around her often mentioned this talented young man.
Thinking of the imperial examination, Shi Jun's mood became even more depressed. She thought of Lu Chang, who left the Gao family that year because he failed the exam and had not returned for three years.
But she remembered him for three years, and she always dreamed that he had returned.
Shi Jun understood Qin Xi's meaning. Before coming to the horse race, her mother had instructed her that the Qin matriarch's invitation was to let her and Qin Gang meet, as the two families had long intended to arrange a marriage between them.
"There's no family in Pingdu as suitable as the Qin family. If you don't seize this opportunity to marry into the Qin family, you'll never be able to hold your head high in front of Gao Yun for the rest of your life!"
Shi Jun was well aware of her family's predicament in the Gao family. Despite being the legitimate daughter of the household, she not only had to live a life worse off than the merchant's daughter, but she also had to be mindful of her words and actions, fearing that a single displeasure from her might jeopardize her brother's future.
How much longer will we have to live like this?
But things would be different if she married Qin Gang.
Although Prime Minister Qin held great power in the court, he was not as powerful as the eunuchs. However, all the upright officials of the Great Wei respected Prime Minister Qin. He was a veteran of three reigns and his influence was enormous.
Qin Gang's future is immeasurable. His family is peaceful, his mother spends all her time practicing in a temple, and his younger sister is gentle and will get married in a few years. There will be no troubles between sisters-in-law. If she marries him, she will have both face and substance.
Despite thinking about it every night, Shi Jun just couldn't get over this hurdle in her heart. She had loved Lu Chang for so many years, how could she give up?
Seeing Shi Jun lost in thought, Qin Xi called her twice: "What's wrong? Are you thinking about the times we played together when we were little?"
She tried to smooth things over, and Shi Jun laughed, "Yes, I haven't seen Brother Qin for many years, and I don't even know what he looks like anymore."
Qin Xi covered her mouth and gestured with her chin toward a spot in the horse farm, indicating to Shi Jun to look: "Don't even mention you, they're all dressed the same now, I can't recognize them either."
The people preparing for the horse race at the racetrack were all dressed in black, and were tall and imposing. Only one or two were slightly thinner, and because they were gathered at the starting line, some distance from the main platform, their appearances were not clear.
As they were talking, a servant came over and asked if they wanted to place a bet. Old Madam Qin, wanting to have some fun, put in a tourmaline ring and asked the servant which horse Qin Gang of the Qin family was riding.
The servant, knowing what Old Madam Qin was thinking, pointed to the racecourse and said, "Old Madam, look over there. The third horse on the right is the one ridden by the eldest son of the Qin family, and the sixth horse is the one ridden by the second son of the Qin family."
Madam Qin said calmly, "Then we'll bet on the third horse."
Qin Xi glanced at her grandmother and put in one of her pearl rings as well: "I'll bet on the third horse too."
The servant happily carried the things away, but secretly he thought the noble family was biased. They clearly had two grandsons, so why did they only bet on the older one and not the younger one?
Qin Gang rode a black steed with a high and majestic head, large and round nostrils, and smooth body lines, exuding intelligence and nobility.
This black steed came from the Northwest, a place with abundant water and grass, and vast territory, making it an ideal place for the Great Wei to raise military horses. After Qin Gang was promoted, people often came to his home to give him gifts, which he always refused. However, he couldn't bear to part with this precious horse, so he accepted it anyway.
But riding a horse on the very edge of the circle was the young man in thin clothes who held a blue umbrella at the Dongqiao Night Market.
Back then, he was dressed in green with a handsome face, surrounded by sachets, exuding a dignified air. Now, he is dressed in black, scratching his head with a wooden hairpin, and has lost much of his youthful innocence.
Qin Ziyou rode on his horse, silently stroking its back. His horse was not as magnanimous as Qin Gang's, but it was still spirited. However, its ears and head were somewhat mismatched. Although its forehead was not wide, its ears were straighter and larger than those of ordinary horses, making it look rather comical.
Before the race even started, his cycling friends shook hands and begged him and his brother to let them off the hook.
"They say that when brothers are of one mind, their strength can break metal. This first place is definitely going to be in your hands!"
Qin Gang smiled to the side, but did not speak or even glance at his younger brother. Qin Ziyou was already used to his brother's indifference and replied, "Brother Qi is joking. My horse is the most playful and can't compete in races. I think yours is the best."
Qin Gang then turned to look at him. He could hear the flattery in his younger brother's words, but he only glanced at Qin Ziyou and did not say a word.
This official of the imperial court was always taciturn, which everyone was used to. Only Qin Ziyou kept his head down and smiled bitterly, not letting anyone see the discouragement in his eyes.
His father had instructed him never to let outsiders see any discord between the brothers, but he was always the one who was met with indifference, and his brother eventually became estranged from him.
Those born of the same mother are truly close; those born of different mothers, like him, are only distant.
As soon as the gong sounded, the horses galloped away, and the crowd cheered. Even the children couldn't help but run to the fence to shout.
Caught up in the atmosphere, Jingwan couldn't help but tighten her skirt and crane her neck to look. The long-eared horse was neither leading nor lagging behind, but standing in the middle. She clenched her fists tightly; if she hadn't wanted to avoid attracting attention, she would have stood up to cheer and shout.
The archery skills were always integrated. In front of several horses, there was a rider who dragged a red embroidered ball with a red ribbon. The people behind drew their bows and shot arrows. Each arrow that hit the red ball was worth one point.
This rider was a member of Li Daochun's riding team. He was skilled in horsemanship and could control his horse freely without a saddle. In order to make the event more exciting, he followed Li Daochun's instructions, making sure that the good-for-nothings behind him could not be hit easily, but also ensuring that none of them could hit the target, thus damaging the face of the powerful.
The riders on horseback struck all sorts of strange poses, causing the red embroidered ball to flutter around them. Since the arrowheads were made of wax, there was no need to worry about being accidentally injured. However, it was tough on the riders behind them, as the arrows kept missing their mark.
Qin Gang originally had no intention of participating in this competition, but his father persuaded him that it would be very bad if officials of the Great Wei Dynasty were too focused on politics.
At present, the Qin family is powerful. Although they cannot rival Yang Fujin, they are still feared by him. Those who achieve great things must be able to remain calm. He is an official from the Ministry of Rites, which is not the core of the political system. Before entering the Hall of State Affairs, he must not "become too prominent." Therefore, he agreed to this competition. It doesn't matter if people think he is just a privileged son who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun.
This time, however, he failed to hit the red ball after shooting three arrows, and finally became somewhat annoyed. Although he had devoted most of his energy to poetry and books, he had also worked hard on archery and horsemanship, having grown up with the idea that "a man should carry a sword." Yet, compared to that brute who made a living on horseback, he was not even half as good as the man in front of him.
The repeated failures fueled Qin Gang's fighting spirit, and he followed closely behind, determined to hit the red ball.
Qin Ziyou didn't share his brother's thoughts. He simply stood in the middle at a leisurely pace. Although he shot a few arrows, they all hit the yellow earth in front of his own horse. As soon as he took his hands off the reins, he swayed back and forth on his horse. His helpless appearance made the audience burst into laughter.
Jingwan's gaze remained fixed on the long-eared horses. As the herd of horses passed by, she murmured in admiration, "What spirited horses they are!"
The competition grew increasingly intense, especially as the arrows from the riders at the back grazed the red ball several times, making the audience watch with bated breath.
Gao Yun couldn't help but stand up and shout for the white horse she had chosen, completely disregarding her status as a girl from the Gao family. This bold and unrestrained behavior caught the attention of the Qin family's grandfather and granddaughter, who exchanged a glance without saying a word.
Shi Jun wasn't stupid. Seeing her cousin acting so erratically, besides feeling ashamed of sharing the same surname, she also thought her behavior was excellent.
Go crazy, go crazy! Let outsiders see what kind of people the children of the second branch of the Gao family are.
On the racecourse, Qin Gang's mind was entirely on the red ball. After running another lap, he roughly figured out the rider's ball-handling techniques and focused on drawing his bow. However, he couldn't see that someone behind him was drawing their bow and aiming it at the black horse's hooves.
Right now, both his hands are on the bow and arrow, and his hips are tightly gripping the horse's belly. If the horse's hoof is injured, he will inevitably fall off. Because he is riding at the head of the herd, if he falls, he will definitely be trampled by the hooves of the horses following behind...
Qin Gang hadn't expected to be framed, but Qin Ziyou, who was falling behind, sensed something was wrong. The rider beside him wasn't as excited as the others; instead, his gaze was calm. He was mixed in with the herd of horses, and as dust rose, he simply drew his bow and aimed an arrow at Qin Gang's horse's hooves...
The arrow was fired steadily, without missing its target, and was about to hit the horse's hoof in the blink of an eye. But then, an arrow came from the side, knocking the first arrow off course. Both arrows fell to the ground and were trampled by the horses behind them.
The archer looked in the direction the arrow came from and saw only Qin Ziyou holding a bow and arrow, shouting unsteadily, clearly about to be thrown off his horse.
Enraged that a fool had missed his chance, the murderer cracked his whip to move forward, when suddenly the audience stood up and cheered. It turned out that Qin Gang had hit the red ball.
The match was truly intense. After scoring a goal, everyone left the field to rest. The servants at home were already waiting on the sidelines, some leading the horses, others handing out handkerchiefs. Qin Ziyou simply covered his head with the handkerchief and walked back, saying he wanted to find a place to cool off.
Qin Gang ignored him, threw the handkerchief into the basin, and was led by the servants to the main platform to rest. His brother was always indifferent, and Ziyou was already used to it. He shook his head and walked to the side.
There was a big willow tree by the racecourse. He leaped up and, when no one was around, took out an arrow from his sleeve. When his brother shot the red ball, everyone's eyes were on him. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he picked up the arrow and hid it in his sleeve.
All the bows and arrows used in this competition were provided by the horse farm itself, and they were all the same. This arrow looked the same, but when you held it in your hand, you could feel the difference. The wax arrowhead was not this heavy!
He sensed something was wrong when he retrieved the arrow, and now, holding the arrowhead, he was certain it was made of iron. However, the iron had been coated with a color, making it indistinguishable from a wax arrowhead—deliberately mixed in to kill his brother on the battlefield!
The rider wasn't a prince or nobleman from any family, but rather someone kept by Li Daochun. Just after the event ended, he saw Li Daochun's men leading him away.
Qin Ziyou hid the long arrow in his sleeve, jumped down from the tree, and returned the arrow to avoid arousing suspicion.
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