Chapter 61 Yuan Yi's Love and Concubine's Heart
*
When Wang Yuying witnessed Hugu fall to the ground and the black horse pounce, her heart clenched suddenly, and her shoulders involuntarily trembled. Her legs reacted before her brain, and she rushed off the platform.
After offering his condolences, he had calmed down considerably, and hearing from Hugu that he was alright, he decided to take his leave.
Unexpectedly, the imperial physician suddenly frowned and said, "Your Majesty has abrasions on your right ear, the back of your hand, and your knee, and your calf is also swollen. As for whether there is a fracture or any other injury, it is not convenient to do so in public. Please come into the tent for a detailed examination."
Wang Yuying swallowed the farewell words that were about to come out of her throat—her friend's condition was still unclear, and it would be too impolite to leave now.
So he stood still in place.
"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor." Hugu smiled and nodded, supporting himself as he stood up, seemingly intending to go on his own.
The imperial physician hurriedly said, "Your Majesty has an injury on your leg; you absolutely cannot walk!"
They urgently summoned a palanquin or a cot.
Soon, four imperial guards came to carry the person away. Wang Yuying followed behind the palanquin, the distance between them neither too close nor too far. Jing Ye looked around for a while, suppressed his sadness, and prepared to leave quietly on his own. Just as he turned around, he heard Hu Gu call out from the palanquin: "General Jing!"
Jing Ye turned around and pointed to himself. Wang Yuying also looked at Hugu Xumi.
Hugu nodded twice with a smile: "General Jing, please come closer."
Then he nodded to Wang Yuying as well, to reassure her.
Because of his hesitation, by the time Jingye approached, Bu Yu had already left the riding arena and was climbing the steps. Hu Gu said with a smile, "The break between games was too short to explain in detail to the general. The essence of polo is the unity of man and horse as its foundation, and all the methods of warfare as its means. Playing it is exactly the same as marching and deploying troops."
"All weapons and techniques?" Jingye murmured.
After a short while, Hugu smiled and said, "If you want to become a great general, you must be proficient in the military strategies of various schools, such as the Six Secret Teachings and Sun Tzu's Art of War. You must know them by heart, delve into their mysteries, and understand their secrets. This is the foundation of being a general. If marching and fighting is like crossing a river, then military strategy is the boat. If you don't know how to use boats and oars to cross the river, very few people will not drown throughout history."
They had arrived at the tent. The guards helped Hugu down from the carriage. Hugu said to Jingye again, "A tall building rises from the ground. Studying military strategy also requires years of accumulation. I believe that if you do not lose heart, General, one day when you look at military books again, you will be able to dissect an ox as skillfully as a butcher, and you will not see the whole ox."
The palanquin stopped, and Jing Ye also paused, a chill rising from his heart and spreading to his limbs. He knew Zheng Yangzhi was still cleaning up the mess, and he wanted to turn around and look at Zheng Yangzhi, even glare at him fiercely, but he managed to hold back, not turning around, only slightly parting his lips.
Hu Gu's voice was clear and bright, and he didn't try to hide anything while speaking. Wang Yuying heard him, and the little voice in her head silently nodded in agreement with Hu Gu. She believed that Jing Ye would also take these words to heart and would take out the books he had already read, such as "Sun Tzu's Art of War," to review from time to time.
Hugu went into the shed to treat his injuries. Wang Yuying waited until the shed curtains were lowered before approaching. She saw Jingye standing blankly next to the colorful shed and couldn't help but nudge him with her elbow: "What are you thinking about?"
Jingye remained silent, not responding.
Wang Yuying thought he was just reminiscing about Hugu's suggestion, so she smiled and instructed him: "Read more military books when you get back."
Jing Ye hesitated, wanting to talk to her about Zheng Yangzhi, but in the end she decided against it, thinking it best not to speak ill of others behind their backs—except for the emperor.
He didn't know why Zheng Yangzhi would do this; perhaps it was partisan politics within the court?
I don't understand.
Once he has thoroughly studied military strategy, he should have a clearer understanding. For now, just be careful and keep your distance from such people.
During this time, Di people's attendants carried fur coats and boots in and out, while Wang Yuying and Jing Ye kept their backs to each other. When the curtain was lifted again, Hugu was dressed neatly, his braids had been recombed, his Di robe had a high collar, and he wore wrist guards. Only his face and the skin of his ten fingers were exposed.
Wang Yuying and Jing Ye were concerned about the injury. The imperial physician smiled and said, "Please rest assured, everyone. Thanks to His Majesty's divine grace, the King has not suffered any serious injuries. It is just a slight bruise. Now that we have applied good medicine, the swelling will subside in less than seven days, and he will be able to move freely before the Winter Solstice Ceremony."
"Thank you, doctor," Wang Yuying said.
Jingye also thanked him; he genuinely hoped that Hugu would be well.
The imperial physician bowed and took his leave, and everyone returned the bow. When Jing Ye looked at Hu Gu again, Hu Gu smiled warmly at him and said, "I also thank General Jing."
Jing Ye scratched the back of his head. He looked at Wang Yuying, then at Hugu, then back at Wang Yuying, and stammered, "I... I just remembered I still have to talk to them—" He pointed outside the shed, "I have some things to discuss with the Imperial Guards, I'll go out for a bit!"
After saying this, he hurriedly left, leaving Wang Yuying and Hugu facing each other, one outside the shed and the other inside.
The curtains had been drawn back up, and sunlight streamed into the shed.
"Come in and have a seat." Hu Gu nodded with his chin at the chair by the door, which was quite far from his own chair, separated by a table.
Wang Yuying entered the shed and sat down, and the two talked in the sunlight.
Hugu asked softly, "When you entered Beiyuan just now, you seemed a little disappointed?"
Wang Yuying's eyebrows twitched: Really?
When she came in, she was thinking about Ju Sai... and even earlier, about the martial arts examination.
"What's wrong?" Hugu asked slowly and gently, and Wang Yuying felt as if he had plucked three strings on her heartstrings, making her tremble with each sound.
What was she disappointed about? In fact, Wang Yuying knew in her heart that she had worked hard and taken the martial arts exam seriously, thinking that she had done her best, but in the end, Xu Heng still had to cover for her.
She didn't want to accept his favor, but she did anyway.
She felt lost and powerless, as if she was always trying to climb upwards, but there was always a net covering her from above.
"I feel like a cricket in a jar, flapping its wings as if it's fighting, but in reality it's just being played by others for their amusement."
Hugu frowned, his lips pressed down, the sharpness in his eyes disappeared, and his whole demeanor became gentler: "Why are you saying such sad things?"
Wang Yuying looked up at the sky, and she really thought, "If only I could be smarter and more composed."
Leaving aside outstanding women like Lü Zhi and Wu Zetian, any woman with even a little intelligence would not have fallen into the predicament of Yuqing Temple, nor would she have been helpless after Xu Heng discovered their scheme.
She was the only one who was stupid, clumsy, utterly useless, and mediocre.
Wang Yuying looked down and saw a line of ants moving house on the ground. She slightly shifted her toes to make way for them.
Hugu pursed his lips and looked at her for a while before speaking: "People often talk about 'achieving great things' and 'doing nothing,' judging success or failure by fame and fortune. They believe that only by making great achievements can one be considered successful and have lived a worthwhile life. They always look down on ordinary people who do nothing, judging them and feeling that such people have no career of their own."
Hearing this, Wang Yuying lowered her head even further, her face ashen—wasn't she herself a mediocre person who accomplished nothing?
Hugu Xumi stretched his neck, frowned, and pressed his lips together: "But among millions of people, how many can truly be called dragons and phoenixes among men?"
He lowered his body slightly, insisting on looking into Wang Yuying's eyes: "General Wei was defeated and died. Do you think he succeeded or failed?"
It was rare to see Hugu so excited. Wang Yuying paused for a moment, then calmed down and thought seriously. After a long while, she tentatively asked, "Is it...?"
Hugu pursed his lips slightly, then raised them to reveal a smile.
Sunlight shone on the dancing dust motes, and a ray of sunlight fell on his face, revealing fine downy hairs. In that instant, Wang Yuying suddenly had a revelation—Wei Yucheng had refused to surrender until his death, thus preserving his dignity!
What people seek in life is not fame and fortune, but dignity!
Although the deeds of an ant are insignificant, they are still the ant's dignity. From the beginning of the Yuanjia era, her dignity was crushed time and time again. She tried to pick them up again, but always failed.
Dignity is the last breath a person has to keep alive.
Wang Yuying's body and mind suddenly softened, as if the valley was a vast, boundless, thick, and warm meadow that gently supported her as she fell.
After a long while, Wang Yuying murmured softly, "Mi."
Hugu Sumi's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly, and his eyes flickered.
She looked up at him again: "And what about you?"
Since he admired and approved of Wei Yucheng, then his lifelong pursuit was also dignity. She nervously tried to determine what kind of dignity it was.
Hugu Xumi and she gazed into each other's eyes for a long time, until the ripples in his eyes completely stilled, before he answered: "As a ruler, there is no personal honor, only the honor of the state."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yuying's heart sank slightly.
As their eyes met, she blinked involuntarily, while Hugu turned to look outside the shed. The sky was still clear, and the bright sunlight shone on the grass. He joked, "If nothing unexpected happens today, I'm hoping to have a polo match with you after the game."
Wang Yuying glanced over as well, and said with regret, "It's over."
Jing Ye was still standing at the sidelines talking to the guards when he looked up and glanced in this direction. Wang Yuying saw it, and Hugu also saw it.
Hugu laughed and said, "Your lover is still waiting for you down there. Perhaps it's a rare opportunity to meet, and I think he wants to spend more time with you."
Even though he was the lover she had mentioned herself, when he suddenly called her by name, Wang Yuying's reaction was not one of embarrassment—her cheeks didn't flush, but instead her face turned as white as paper, a chill ran through her body, and her hands trembled slightly.
Wang Yuying subconsciously glanced at Hugu's face, wanting to know the expression on his face when he said those words, but just as she was about to see it, she suddenly turned her head away, not daring to look.
She felt a pang of guilt, as if she had been caught in adultery. She hastily got up, her mind frantically trying to come up with a way to say goodbye.
Before Wang Yuying could even get out of her seat, she heard Hugu sigh, "A man should be self-disciplined and respectful of propriety. If he cannot win a woman's heart, he should reflect on his own actions instead of competing with other men."
These were the words he had once spoken in the luminous cup at Hu's shop. She heard them for the second time, but didn't take them seriously. She stood up, clenched her fist, turned to Hu Gu, bowed, and was about to speak when she suddenly heard Hu Gu continue quietly, "I always thought so before, but today on the racetrack, I couldn't help but compete."
Wang Yuying's eyes widened suddenly, she straightened up and raised her head, and then saw in Hu Gu's eyes a bright, undisguised, intense admiration and longing.
She suddenly opened her mouth and took a deep breath, her heart pounding.
Hugu also stood up from his chair, still staring intently at her, as if trying to see right through her soul. He tilted his head slightly, his laughter low and deep: "So, your lover, is he also the one you're looking for?"
If others had heard this, they would have found it strange. A lover is naturally someone you're interested in, but Wang Yuying instantly understood Hugu's deeper meaning. A hint of panic flashed through her, and her heart pounded wildly, as if it might leap out of her chest at any moment.
After a moment, Wang Yuying turned her head away to avoid eye contact, blinked frequently, and took a half step back: "You treat me well and deeply, but even with all my efforts, I may not get the desired result."
“The strong love others as spring nurtures all things, expecting nothing in return; rivers and seas flow naturally, forming a powerful force.” As he spoke, Hugu Xumi walked around the table and approached Wang Yuying, their toes almost touching in a few steps. “True love is without demands, and forcibly taking is not benevolent. If someone gives you kindness and then demands something in return, or even resorts to forceful taking if no one reciprocates, then he is definitely a weak person.” He curled his lips into a smile. “What he gave was not love, but merely a transaction.”
Merchants in the market are meticulous and persistent in their pursuit of results.
He smiled and put his hands behind his back, without touching her at all, but leaned forward, his nose and heterochromatic eyes just millimeters in front of her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
