Chapter 647 Father and Daughter
Mu Qingchen arrived, and Zhong Ding immediately shut up, took his horse and golf club, and went to find Zhou Tong and the others.
Mu Qingchen stared at Zhong Ding's retreating figure and asked, "What were you talking about just now? Why did he leave as soon as he saw me?"
"It's nothing," Gu Jiao said.
She doesn't like to gossip, let alone spread it.
She paused, perhaps feeling she should answer Mu Qingchen's question, and added, "I wasn't talking about you."
Mu Qingchen did not press the matter further.
He could roughly guess that the arrival of Prince Ming had caused a stir. Although Prince Ming had not revealed his identity, most of the students here were from Shengdu, including many young masters from prominent families. It was not certain that some of them had seen Prince Ming before.
"Are you picking out a cue?" Mu Qingchen asked, noticing Gu Jiao constantly changing cues.
"Mm," Gu Jiao replied indifferently.
None of the clubs were handy.
Mu Qingchen left without saying a word, and Gu Jiao didn't pay any attention, continuing to choose golf clubs.
Before long, Mu Qingchen returned, leading a horse and carrying a golf club: "Here you go."
Gu Jiao glanced at him, took the cue stick he handed her, weighed it in her hand, and compared it to other cue sticks. It was heavier than the others, but the weight was just right for her, who was used to using a red-tasseled spear.
"Thank you," Gu Jiao said, then looked at him and asked, "What will you like?"
"This." Mu Qingchen casually grabbed a golf club from the basket, mounted his horse, and said, "I'll show you around."
Gu Jiao mounted her horse as well: "Okay."
Mu Qingchen first introduced the requirements and rules of polo to Gu Jiao. Polo originated from the royal family of Jin State. Once it entered Yan State, it was loved by the royal relatives and nobles. Later, it gradually became popular in the circle of powerful and noble people. Today, many aristocratic academies have included polo in their curriculum.
Tianqiong Academy does not have polo classes, but Master Wu often leads his students in playing polo.
Polo demands a great deal from its horses; all polo horses must undergo extremely rigorous training, which is far more difficult than that for warhorses.
Polo demands a high level of skill from its players, requiring horsemanship, agility, stamina, willpower, and adaptability.
"You win by putting the ball into the opponent's hole."
Mu Qingchen then instructed, "But remember, you must not charge head-on to intercept, you must not use your polo stick to hit your opponent or interfere with their horse, and you must not touch the ball with your body. These are the main prohibitions. Unexpected conflicts are inevitable during the game, so you must also protect yourself."
As he spoke, he pointed to the protective gear that had been carried over by the academy's servants and said, "The protective gear has arrived. Put it on and let's have a proper game."
Gu Jiao put on elbow and knee pads, and wrist guards, and went onto the field with Mu Qingchen.
She tried all four positions once, and they were all pretty good, but the most amazing thing was the shot she made when she hit the polo ball.
The ball was passed to her by Mu Qingchen, and it was actually a bit off-target due to Wu Fuzi's interference. Unexpectedly, she hooked the ball over her head with perfect accuracy, and then hit it with a shot. Despite the distance being impossible to see, she managed to put the ball into the hole.
Everyone was amazed by that shot.
That momentum, that accuracy—he's a natural polo player!
Mu Qingchen rode up to Gu Jiao's side and gave her a deep look: "Is this really your first time playing polo?"
Gu Jiao nodded.
Mu Qingchen hesitated for a moment, but finally said only, "That shot just now was very skillful."
Gu Jiao thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "Hmm, this is probably what they call talent?"
Mu Qingchen: "..."
The afternoon training session ended quickly. Gu Jiao was playing for the first time. Compared with Mu Qingchen, who had been playing polo since childhood, her skills were naturally a bit immature, but she basically met Wu Fuzi's expectations. However, there was one problem: Gu Jiao was too aggressive and would commit fouls if you weren't careful.
This makes it easy to get sent off.
Wu Fuzi said, "The competition is in seven days. Everyone should focus on training these next few days."
Wu Fuzi selected a total of twenty people, but only four actually played, with a few substitutes in addition.
In the following days, Gu Jiao would stay at the academy after school to train with Mu Qingchen and others, while Gu Xiaoshun would sit by the grass field waiting for her.
Before we knew it, it was the day before the competition.
Master Wu called everyone to the field and announced the contestants selected based on their performance in the past few days of training. As expected, the first one was Mu Qingchen.
The other three are Gu Jiao, Yuan Xiao of Mingfeng Hall, and Zhao Wei of Mingyue Hall.
Mu Chuan is a substitute.
Because Gu Xiaoshun often waited for Gu Jiao at the grassland, he became the logistics team leader and went to participate in the competition with them.
Master Wu laughed and said, "There will be no training today. Everyone should go back and rest early to conserve their energy. We will head to Lingbo Academy early tomorrow morning."
...
After returning home, Gu Jiao told her family about the competition in the inner city the next morning.
Gu Yan suddenly spoke up: "I also want to watch your match."
Gu Jiao looked at Gu Yan and nodded, "Okay."
Before going to bed, Gu Jiao checked Gu Yan's body again, a routine that had become ingrained in her mind.
Gu Yan lay on the bed and obediently lifted his shirt so that Gu Jiao could place the stethoscope on it.
His condition has not deteriorated significantly yet; going to watch a game shouldn't be a problem.
After returning to her room, Gu Jiao put the stethoscope back in her medicine box, lay down on the bed, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
To Gu Jiao's surprise, she had another dream that night.
The reason I say "again" is because this wasn't the first time she had a dream since coming to Shengdu, but she couldn't remember what she dreamed about each time she woke up.
The sky in my dream was gray, and I couldn't tell the time of day.
She found herself outside a quiet courtyard, before which stood a vermilion gate, its surface marked with scratches from some mischievous child who had used a knife.
It's strange that she subconsciously thought it was caused by a naughty little one. What if it was just a servant bumping into something while moving things?
She pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped into the courtyard.
In the corner on the left, a cluster of green bamboo was planted, while rows of bellflowers were planted along the walls on both sides. When the breeze blew, the bellflowers rustled.
This is a courtyard that is both strange and familiar.
It felt unfamiliar because Gu Jiao had never been here before, yet familiar because although she had never been before, she vaguely knew what each room was used for.
Starting from the east end of the corridor, the first room is a side room, the second is the main room, the third is a study, and around the corner is the storeroom.
Gu Jiao looked at the row of houses in front of her with a strange expression.
A sound came from behind the half-open study door.
"Yinyin, it's time to practice your calligraphy, come here quickly."
"No slacking off. Oh dear, you're hiding again, aren't you?"
"How many times have I told you? You have to practice writing 100 characters every day."
The owner of that voice is—
Just as Gu Jiao was trying to figure it out, the study door opened, and a man in a blue robe stepped out.
Gu Jiao recognized him at a glance.
It is the Duke.
At this time, the Duke was still very young and handsome, a stark contrast to the middle-aged man lying on the sickbed, looking withered and frail.
So she herself didn't know why she recognized him at first glance.
In short, the moment this man appeared, his identity was already in her mind.
"Yinyin."
The man began searching in every room.
"Yinyin, stop hiding, it's time to practice your calligraphy."
"Okay, I won't force you to practice calligraphy anymore. Let's go out and play. Come on out."
"Yinyin."
"Yinyin!"
"Yinyin, where did you go!"
The young Duke's voice became tense.
"Yinyin, don't scare me! Come out quickly!"
"Where did you go, Yinyin?"
"Daddy misses you so much, Yinyin, come out quickly!"
His eyes reddened, tears welled up, and his voice trembled and choked with sobs: "Yinyin... Yinyin... Dad misses you, Yinyin..."
He stumbled and fell on the steps.
Gu Jiao subconsciously reached out her hand, as if she wanted to help him up.
Gu Jiao was at the door, and he was on the steps, with an entire courtyard separating them.
She lowered her hand again.
Just then, he suddenly looked up and gazed towards the doorway: "Yinyin!"
Gu Jiao's heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly opened her eyes, waking up from her dream.
The dream in her mind receded like the tide, and she soon forgot what happened in the dream, only remembering a handsome face filled with panic.
"He looks a bit like the Duke."
Gu Jiao raised an eyebrow.
Has she seen the Duke so many times that she dreams about him?
As dawn broke, Gu Jiao, Gu Xiaoshun, and Gu Yan got ready to set off.
Gu Yan was physically weak and had difficulty walking, but fortunately Master Lu made him a wheelchair.
Master Lu drove the three of them to Tianqiong Academy.
Master Wu led everyone out of the academy. Mu Qingchen and Mu Chuan had returned to the inner city the night before, and they went to Lingbo Academy on their own.
Gu Jiao wanted to bring Gu Yan along, and Dean Cen and Master Wu had no objections.
The group entered the inner city by carriage.
On the other side, Master Jing also pushed his eldest brother out of the courtyard in a wheelchair.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the second wife stopped him and asked.
Master Jing looked at his eldest brother in the wheelchair and said to his second wife, "There's a polo match today. I'll take my eldest brother to watch."
The second wife hurriedly said, "You still want to take your elder brother out when he's like this?"
Master Jing said solemnly, "Big Brother is much better. I saw him open his eyes last night!"
The second wife glared at him: "Is that opening your eyes?"
After opening his eyes, he just stared blankly, not knowing how to close them. He didn't respond when I spoke to him. It must be that his eyelids were twitching.
The second wife chuckled and said, "I think you just want to go see polo yourself! What excuse are you using for your elder brother!"
Master Jing cleared his throat: "Ahem! I'm just worried about leaving my elder brother alone in the manor. Assassins keep coming to kill him, so I need to keep an eye on him myself. Besides, the imperial physician also told us to take him out for some sunshine more often!"
The second wife said coldly, "Are you going to watch polo or to see those little beauties from Canglan Academy?"
Master Jing declared domineeringly, "Of course I'm going to watch polo!"
While we're at it, let's take a look at the pretty girls...
The second wife frowned and muttered, "But I have something to do at the manor today and can't leave."
It's good that you can't leave.
How am I supposed to see the pretty girl if you go?
Master Jing laughed and said, "You go ahead with your work, come over when you're done, I'll save you a seat!"
The second wife glared coldly at Master Jing.
Master Jing swaggered away, pushing his elder brother along.
The second madam summoned a servant: "Go and serve the second master. Remember to keep a close eye on him and don't let him... do anything reckless outside!"
The servant replied, "Yes, Madam!"
...
Lingbo Academy, which served as the competition venue, gave its students a day off today. Although Canglan Girls' Academy did not officially announce a day off, it also arranged for students to study on their own. Most of the students went to Lingbo Academy to watch the competition.
Lingbo Academy boasts the largest polo field in the inner city, with stands built on both sides offering the best views.
"I want to go watch polo!"
In the Linglong Pavilion bedroom, Xiao Jingkong protested against his bad brother-in-law who was forcing him to study.
“I’m not going,” Xiao Heng said.
Xiao Jingkong immediately bristled: "You're such a bad brother-in-law! You didn't even let me watch the polo match!"
Xiao Heng said calmly, "There are so many people, and you're so small, you wouldn't even know if someone stepped on you."
"I've grown taller! I'm not little anymore! I...I'm this tall!" Xiao Jingkong stood on tiptoe, trying to reach up to his head.
Xiao Heng glanced at him and continued flipping through the book in his hands.
Xiao Jingkong was furious.
He's running away from home for the second time!
Knock knock knock!
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Xiao Jingkong asked.
Because the bad brother-in-law can't speak in a female voice, he always pretends to be mute.
The girl outside smiled and said, "Oh, it's Jingkong. Is your sister here? We've come to invite her to watch the polo match next door."
Xiao Jingkong looked at Xiao Heng as if he had seen a ghost: "Someone actually invited you to watch the game?"
My brother-in-law is so bad he has no friends!
Xiao Heng didn't move.
Xiao Jingkong is going crazy!
You're lucky to have anyone as a friend, and you're complaining!
Little Jingkong snorted, "If you won't go, I will!"
Xiao Heng didn't even lift his eyelids: "Heh."
Little Jingkong decisively abandoned his wicked brother-in-law, trotted to the door, and looked at the three young ladies outside with a cute expression, saying, "My sister isn't going with you, but I'm going with you!"
The three of them were taken aback.
The girl who had spoken earlier said, "Ah, no, that won't do... How could we dare take you out without your sister's permission?"
They didn't genuinely consider this Chinese woman a friend when they invited her; they only invited her so they could get good seats.
Those young masters from prestigious families had already booked the best venues, vying to reserve them for the academy's number one beauty!
Undeterred, the three thought of something, and one of them, gazing at the beautiful woman with a scholarly air inside, said, "I heard that Tianqiong Academy is also participating, and Young Master Qingchen will be performing. Aren't you going to go and see?"
Xiao Heng paused in his reading.
...
A quarter of an hour later, the most beautiful woman in Canglan Women's Academy, wearing a veil and leading a small black child, appeared at the polo field of Lingbo Academy.
A large group of noble guards swarmed forward!
"Miss Gu! My young master has already set up the stands. Please come in!"
"Miss Gu! My young master has also set up the stands! Please come with me!"
"Miss Gu!"
"Miss Gu!"
Xiao Heng showed a piece of paper: "Where is the grandstand of Tianqiong Academy?"
A well-dressed guard raised his hand: "Here! Here! The viewing platform my young master reserved is right next to the Sky Dome Academy!"
Duke: Who is this guy next to me? I don't quite like him.
(End of this chapter)
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