0092 Guanyin Swallow (Part 5)
When Shu Fu came out of the inner room, Li Miao was waiting for her on the veranda, feeding the birds.
Hearing the door creak open behind him, he quickly turned around and saw it was her. He threw the grain in his hand on the ground, letting a flock of fluffy, silly birds peck at it, and then walked up in a few steps and took Shufu's arm.
"Afu, you've finally arrived!" Li Miao's eyes shone brightly, her words rapid and urgent. "They've been complaining that games like pitch-pot and card games are boring, and they've been saying they want to go to the horse farm. But you haven't come yet, so I had to make up an excuse to keep them occupied. It's that Qin Mi..."
At this point, Li Miao gritted his teeth: "What an arrogant woman! Seeing that we are hesitant to fight, she practically pointed her finger at me and mocked us, the women of Chang'an, for being cowards! How hateful, so utterly hateful!"
Upon hearing this, Shu Fu was also stirred by her own competitive spirit, and she grasped Li Miao's hand in return: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go right now and let Madam Qin know that the women of Chang'an are not soft clay figures!"
...
On the other hand, Liang Zhiyan had specially dressed and washed his feet this morning before earnestly knocking on the door of the Shu residence.
But Shu Fu was already in Fanchuan, so his trip was naturally fruitless.
While feeling regretful, Liang Zhiyan suddenly remembered that the Prince of An had invited him to a banquet held by his sister, Princess Huayang, a few days earlier.
He had originally planned to travel to Qujiang with Shu Fu, so he was naturally not very enthusiastic about this trip.
But now that he hadn't been able to invite Shu Fu, it would be a pity to let all his efforts go to waste. So after much deliberation, he shamelessly asked the Prince of An for another invitation and hurried to Fanchuan with Fu'er and Liang Xing.
When he arrived at Changyi Villa, he presented the invitation from the Prince of An's heir and was respectfully welcomed inside by two attendants.
As Liang Zhiyan walked along, he noticed that the place where the banquet had been held earlier was now in disarray, with only three or five people admiring the exotic flowers and plants. He couldn't help but ask his attendant, "Has a banquet already been held here?"
"Yes, Young Master Liang is late today. The other ladies and gentlemen have already eaten and are currently at the horse field in the back, preparing to hold a polo match. Would you like to come and watch?"
Liang Zhiyan nodded and followed his entourage toward the horse farm.
At that time, the blue clouds soared high, the grass swayed in the wind, and several magnificent horses rode on them, their neighs resounding like thunder.
Beside the specially designated polo field, the attendants temporarily erected several sheds for watching the game. Several tables were placed underneath, with various drinks and cakes displayed on them. Dozens of young men and women were gathered inside, creating a lively and bustling scene.
As soon as Liang Zhiyan arrived, before he could even mingle with the crowd, he saw a young woman suddenly stand up, hands on her hips, point at a young man opposite her, and angrily shout:
"Zheng Yuanzhu, how can you be so unreasonable! There's only one polo field here, and it was already said that it was for my cousins. If you gentlemen want it, why didn't you come out and chatter when the princess was here? Now that the princess is gone, you start babbling in my ear, what kind of bullying and cowardly scheme are you plotting? Bah!"
The young man who was scolded was named Zheng Yuanzhu, a member of the Zheng family of Xingyang. He had previously made an appointment with some friends to borrow the princess's field for a polo match, but unexpectedly, Qin Mi asked for the land first.
Zheng Yuanzhu was resentful but dared not show it in front of Li Miao, so he muttered a few words at this moment, which was overheard by the girl.
Seeing the dispute, Liang Zhiyan, not wanting to get involved, slipped and fell under another shed.
As he walked, he asked his attendant, "Who was that lady just now? It was just a few casual words from someone else, and she got so angry. It really does not live up to the virtues of a lady."
The attendant glanced in that direction and then whispered, “It seems to be Qin You’an, the youngest daughter of the Duke of Yongxing County. Her father and General Qin of Liangzhou share the same surname and became sworn siblings in their early years. That’s why she calls General Qin ‘aunt’ and Qin the eldest daughter ‘cousin’. Young Master Zheng’s words just now offended her cousin, and I suppose that’s why he’s upset.”
Qin Youan, dressed in a six-panel crimson skirt, stood still like a whirlwind.
Her skin was fair, and her features were as delicate as if two strokes of ink had been carelessly applied to a piece of paper. She wore her hair in a high, half-updo, adorned with a lush, weeping crabapple blossom, which made her appear even more top-heavy and less delicate than her face at first glance.
However, her words fell like drops of pearls, each one striking Zheng Yuanzhu heavily, and even his plain features suddenly shone with infinite brilliance.
Zheng Yuanzhu, taking advantage of Li Miao's absence and the fact that only these few frail young women remained, casually grumbled a few words, trying to regain the face he had lost by having the venue taken up by these women.
But to his utter surprise, among all the women present, Qin Youan, who appeared to be the weakest, turned out to be the most difficult to deal with, showing him no respect whatsoever and launching a direct attack on him.
Zheng Yuanzhu was somewhat at a loss. His handsome, fair face froze, and he stammered for a while without saying a word.
A quick glance around made him feel like everyone was laughing at him, so he instinctively replied, "So what if your cousin wanted the polo field first? The princess set up a canopy around the field; isn't that exactly what she wanted us to watch?"
"Since we're here to watch a game, we're naturally looking for a spirit that's 'rushing forward with the force of wind and lightning, unstoppable.' You young ladies play so weakly and without much strength, how could you possibly produce such momentum? If you don't have that kind of spirit, why bother taking up the court?"
As Zheng Yuanzhu spoke, he became more and more fluent, and by the end, all his previous embarrassment and stiffness had faded away, and he transformed back into a gentle and well-mannered young man, calmly crossing his arms and waiting for Qin Youan's reply.
Qin Youan was provoked by his words, her chest heaving uncontrollably, and her pale face gradually flushed red.
Upon seeing her reaction, someone nearby tugged at Zheng Yuanzhu: "Brother Zheng, we are grown men, let's give way to these young ladies. She is the youngest daughter of the Duke of Yongxing County, and she has been in poor health since childhood. The Duke and his wife dote on her like the apple of their eye. If you upset her here and cause her any harm, who knows what the Duke will think?"
He said, "You should know that the county magistrate also holds the position of Secretary-General."
He didn't lower his voice much when he said this, both to Zheng Yuanzhu and to imply that Qin Youan should consider her parents' reputation and not go too far.
Qin Youan naturally understood the implication in the other party's words, but she was not prepared to swallow her anger. She immediately glared at the man and said, "How dare you interrupt?" Then she turned her gaze to Zheng Yuanzhu and said, "My cousin went to the battlefield to fight when she was twelve years old. How could a pampered playboy like you compare? I heard about your bad reputation when I was recuperating at home. Not to mention my cousin, I heard that you are not even as good as the second daughter of the Shu family in horsemanship. What makes you so arrogant here?"
Zheng Yuanzhu was a refined gentleman who had always associated with men and women of all kinds. He had never been insulted like this before.
His face turned pale instantly, and he said, "Even if I am a man, and no matter how powerful your cousin is, she is still a young woman. How can she compare herself to us..."
Qin Youan scoffed coldly: "Shortsighted and ignorant of the world."
She raised her head and said, "Since you guys want to play polo, why don't you form a team and compete with my cousin and her friends? Do you dare?"
Qin Youan appeared fearless, but Zheng Yuanzhu was caught in a dilemma. He stubbornly maintained his composure and said, "Let them compete then. Just tell them not to be afraid of the battle."
Qin Youan glanced at them, then picked up her skirt and ran off to find Qin Mi.
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