Marquis's Gate

Chapter 11 - Having Him in Her Grasp

His sleeve arrow was a gift from that person. How could anyone else know?

Zhangsun Ling stared fixedly at Li Mingyi, only to see her looking at her own left hand in astonishment, then moving her gaze to his wrist, as if she were also completely bewildered.

For a moment, Zhangsun Ling was also confused by her. Was she pretending, or was it an unintentional act?

There were many people here. Zhangsun Ling temporarily suppressed the urge to question her, dismounted, and strode with his robes lifted towards Xie Ruyun and the others. Mingyi let out a slight sigh of relief and followed behind him.

Over here, Xie Ruyun and Pei Xuan had already helped each other up. Xie Ruyun's arm had cushioned Pei Xuan's fall, and the skin was likely scraped. She let out a hiss of pain.

Everyone hurriedly asked, “Are you injured?”

On the other side, Xiao Xia, who had been thrown to the ground, ignored the pain in her own body, hurriedly scrambled up, and came over.

“Elder Sister Xie, how are you?”

Luckily, the horse had not trampled Xie Ruyun just now. Otherwise, it would have been a monstrous disaster, difficult to resolve.

Xie Ruyun endured the pain and slowly shook her head.

At this moment, they saw a luxuriously dressed young master arriving at almost a full run with a medical officer.

“Make way, make way! Xie the Second, are you hurt? Where are you hurt?”

His tone was so urgent, his expression so flustered, as if Xie Ruyun were his sweetheart.

Hearing this, Xie Ruyun immediately frowned.

From the side, Pei Xuan laughed.

“Third Young Master Liang is worried about you. You shouldn't give him such a cold shoulder.”

Xie Ruyun snorted and said scornfully to Pei Xuan: “Don't think I don't know what you're up to.”

Pei Xuan immediately shut her mouth.

It was true that both of them admired Li Linzhao, but each would persuade the other to let go.

Mingyi also noticed the atmosphere was a bit off and asked Zhangsun Ling beside her,

“Who is this Third Young Master Liang?”

Zhangsun Ling gestured with his lips in Xie Ruyun's direction.

“The son of Governor Liang from the Marquis Jingxi's residence. He admires the Second Miss Xie. Ever since Miss Xie's fiancé, Li Linzhao, died in battle, the Third Young Master Liang brought a matchmaker to their door to propose marriage. Unfortunately, he was rejected. However long Second Miss Xie has waited for Li Linzhao, Third Master Liang has waited for her.”

Speaking of this, Zhangsun Ling's gaze suddenly swept to Mingyi's face. He asked in a low voice,

“May I ask the Young Madam, do you know who Li Linzhao is?”

Mingyi met his gaze calmly: “I did not know before, but today, I have come to know.”

Zhangsun Ling's gaze rested on her for a moment, and only after a long while did he move it away.

At that moment, the host of the polo grounds, the Third Young Master Liang Heyu, had already pushed through the crowd and brought the medical officer before Xie Ruyun.

“Xie the Second, let the medical officer take a look at you. Where are you hurt?”

Xie Ruyun's gaze swept over him, full of impatience.

“It's just a small scratch. Why make such a fuss? I've suffered far worse injuries than this in the past. I'm already used to it.”

Third Master Liang was not angered by her rebuke. He said with a warm smile,

“You are a favorite of Her Highness the Princess. If you were to get injured at my polo grounds, I would worry that the princess would blame me.”

At the mention of the Seventh Princess, Xie Ruyun was reminded of this failed polo match and felt a wave of vexation. However, the feeling of annoyance vanished after a moment. She found Mingyi in the crowd.

“Young Madam has excellent skills.”

Mingyi cupped her hands towards her: “Thank you for letting me win.”

Only then did Xie Ruyun size her up properly, realizing that the woman before her had a ramrod-straight posture and a temperament as bright as the sun and moon. She was no ordinary person. A sense of closeness also arose in her heart.

“My skills were inferior. I am utterly convinced of my loss. Another day, we shall have another match.”

Mingyi laughed: “I will certainly oblige.”

Xie Ruyun then said to Zhangsun Ling, “Thank you for saving me.”

She also gave an unexpected glance towards the space under his sleeve. Everyone has a hidden move. Xie Ruyun was intelligent and did not ask further, but she was grateful that Zhangsun Ling had revealed his secret today in order to save her.

Zhangsun Ling glanced at Mingyi while replying to Xie Ruyun, “It was a small matter, not worth mentioning.”

Seeing that he had not exposed her, Mingyi breathed a sigh of relief.

On the other side, the Seventh Princess's lady-in-waiting was already looking in their direction. Xie Ruyun could not stay for long. She said to Pei Xuan,

“Let's go together to report to Her Highness the Princess.”

Her gaze fell one last time on Mingyi and Xiao Xia, and she left together with Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan gave Mingyi a reassuring look, telling her to wait for a moment.

After the two were escorted away, Xiao Xia clutched her aching arm and looked at Mingyi with a complex expression, tears already welling up in her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Mingyi said with a gentle laugh, “What, I told you that you were going to cry. I didn't lie, did I?”

Xiao Xia was extremely embarrassed and angry. The other's tone was as if she were an unreasonable child. When had she ever been so humiliated? She gritted her teeth and said,

“I will not break my promise.”

In her heart, however, she was complaining endlessly, not knowing how she would explain herself when she got back. She covered her face and ran off.

Mingyi thanked Wang Ruyu, Cui Xing, and the others one by one. Everyone also looked at Mingyi in a new light, saying they should arrange another match soon. The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only the Pei family members and Zhangsun Ling.

Qinghe had already rushed over. Seeing Zhangsun Ling staring at Mingyi with an unfriendly look, she shot him a cold glance.

Zhangsun Ling received her warning, a smile curving his lips. He let his gaze wander languidly over the mistress and servant, then also swaggered away.

After he had walked far away, the Pei family members crowded around, marveling at how good Mingyi's polo skills were.

Qinghe, however, was worried that Mingyi's body could not hold up. She said to the group,

“Young misses, my Young Madam is covered in sweat. How about she comes to speak with you all again after she has changed her clothes?”

“Yes, yes, the Pei family has already arranged for people in that waterside pavilion to the east. Miss Qinghe, quickly take Sister-in-law over there.”

Qinghe supported Mingyi's arm. After walking a few steps away, she asked in a low voice,

“Miss, can you still hold on?”

Mingyi shook her elbows and said with a laugh, “It's just a polo match. Consider it loosening up my muscles and bones.”

Qinghe glared at her.

“Teacher Yuan made it very clear. You are not allowed to move about carelessly before you have finished that medicine.”

Mingyi lifted her eyes to look at the bright blue sky, where a lone wild goose was just spreading its wings to leap into the depths of the horizon. She said, “I just wanted to try...”

To try not to be a cripple.

Hearing this, Qinghe's footsteps paused slightly, and a wave of bitterness welled up in her heart.

“And what was the result?”

Mingyi continued walking on her own and did not speak.

Qinghe's heart sank, and so she did not ask again.

Turning to business, she said: “I just scouted the surrounding area. This place is close to the Sanshan River. Teacher Yuan's junior apprentice's pharmacy is right on the opposite side. It can be reached by a raft.”

Of course, she did not need a raft; the one who needed a raft was Mingyi.

Mingyi nodded: “In the future when we go out, we can use the polo grounds as cover.”

Playing this match today, she had made a name for herself. In the future, there would be more excuses for leaving the house.

Arriving at the waterside pavilion, the female servants had already prepared warm water. Qinghe helped Mingyi wipe down her body and emerge in a change of clean clothes.

From the waterside pavilion, a stone path followed the riverbank straight to the carriage park outside the polo grounds, where all the Pei family's carriages were stopped. Wary of the Seventh Princess summoning her, Mingyi avoided the polo grounds and took a shortcut straight to the carriage park. After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she reached a fenced-off area. A person suddenly flashed out from under a tree ahead, blocking her path.

She saw Zhangsun Ling with his arms crossed, barring the stone path ahead. He scanned her with cold eyes.

“Li Mingyi, you've got some nerve, daring to touch this young master's sleeve arrow!”

Behind him was the carriage park. She was only a single step away from passing through.

Mingyi hurriedly explained,

“Young Master Zhangsun, just now I was merely acting in a moment of desperation. I wanted to save them but didn't know how. I subconsciously grabbed out, and who knew I would happen to knock into your wrist...”

“Besides....” Mingyi glanced at his wrist.

“I also didn't expect you to have an arrow hidden under your sleeve. And anyway, if you hadn't raised your hand, Young Master, I wouldn't have been able to touch it.”

Hearing this, Zhangsun Ling was rendered speechless. At the time, seeing the critical situation, he had also intended to use his sleeve arrow to save them. His hand was already raised, but he hadn't expected the Mingyi beside him to be even faster.

But he had never been an easy person to fool. A cold sneer playing on his lips, he scrutinized Mingyi.

“Is that so? I think you're lying...”

Just as Mingyi was struggling to deal with him, a piercingly cold voice came from behind Zhangsun Ling.

“Who do you think you're talking to?”

That familiar, steady tone, like ice and snow, instantly extinguished the flames of anger in Zhangsun Ling's heart.

He immediately turned around. Standing five paces away was a person dressed in a first-rank scarlet robe, covered by a black cloak. His features, tinged by the biting winter wind, had the air of ice and snow. Looking at the tall and graceful Pei Yue, Mingyi suddenly understood why so many young ladies were fond of him.

That refined and elegant appearance of his, just standing there, was a scenic view in itself.

Meeting Pei Yue's cold and indifferent expression, Zhangsun Ling shuddered and immediately switched to a meek tone.

“Cousin-Uncle, you can't blame me, it was her....”

“Who is ‘her’? Who permitted you to address her directly by name?” Pei Yue cut him off, his tone expressing displeasure.

Mingyi had never expected that when Zhangsun Ling saw Pei Yue, it would be just like a mouse seeing a cat. She instantly felt confident, leisurely slipped past Zhangsun Ling, and went around to hide behind Pei Yue.

Pei Yue silently took in his wife's actions and said nothing to her. He only stared at Zhangsun Ling, his deep expression revealing neither pleasure nor anger.

“Apologize to your cousin-aunt, and this matter will be over.”

A surge of frustrated anger shot through Zhangsun Ling's chest, but he dared not voice it.

Who could he blame? His mother was Pei Yue's older cousin, and his father and mother usually followed Pei Yue's lead in all things. Pei Yue's words in their Zhangsun family were practically an imperial edict. If he did not apologize to Mingyi today, it was guaranteed that he would be kneeling on a washboard when he returned tonight.

Zhangsun Ling gritted his teeth, his gaze sweeping past Pei Yue's shoulder. Mingyi was completely hidden by Pei Yue's tall body. Without even thinking, he knew she was probably feeling extremely delighted in her heart right now.

Swallowing his anger, Zhangsun Ling shifted his feet and made a deep bow in Mingyi's direction.

“Just now, your cousin-nephew was offensive in his speech. I hope Cousin-Aunt will not take it to mind.”

Mingyi was such a magnanimous person; how could she possibly hold a grudge against him? With great kindness, she leaned out halfway from behind Pei Yue to accept his bow.

“It's no matter.”

Meeting her teasing gaze, Zhangsun Ling gritted his teeth in anger.

Pei Yue still had official business to attend to and had no time to get involved in their exchange of glances. He turned, ready to leave with Mingyi.

Who would have thought that from the other end of the arch bridge, a lady-in-waiting was already walking swiftly over.

“Young Madam Pei, Her Highness the Princess requests your presence.”

Seeing Pei Yue was also present, she was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly corrected herself.

“Lord Pei, Her Highness wishes to see the Young Madam. May I trouble Lord Pei to lead the Young Madam to pay respects to Her Highness.”

Mingyi glanced worriedly at Pei Yue beside her, but the man's expression showed not the slightest change. Instead, he took her by the wrist and led the hesitating her into the carriage with him.

The moment they sat down, he ordered the guard, “Return to the residence.”

The guard immediately cracked the whip, and the carriage turned and galloped towards the intersection.

Mingyi was stunned by this series of actions. She couldn't help but peek out the window.

“Her Highness summoned us, and we just leave like this? Isn't that considered great disrespect?”

Pei Yue picked up the memorial in the carriage that he hadn't finished reading and said in a faint voice,

“His Majesty gave a verbal edict long ago, permitting me not to answer the princess's summons.”

The Seventh Princess was shrewish and tyrannical. If Mingyi fell into her hands, she would surely come to a bad end. This was the reason Pei Yue had come to get her.

Hearing this, Mingyi was finally relieved. She sized up her surroundings. This was her first time riding in Pei Yue's carriage. The exterior of the carriage was low-key, but the inside held a whole world of its own. Every object was of the highest quality. In the main seat was a wide couch, with long benches on the left and right. On the wide couch was a small square table, on which were displayed a gold-inlaid incense burner, a set of sky-blue Ru ware tea set, a brush and ink, and a stack of memorials.

Looking at its owner, his features were clear, his face handsome, and he was concentrating on reading the memorial. The man himself, and the objects beside him, had a kind of natural, seamless beauty.

Pei Yue did not ask, but Mingyi could not fail to give him an explanation for today's events.

“Master of the house, yesterday that Xiao Xia came to our door personally to deliver a challenge. I had no choice but to accept her challenge....”

She first gave him a rough account of today's polo match. Halfway through, Pei Yue interrupted her.

“Madam seems to be very fond of playing polo?”

It was Mingyi's first time leaving the residence; how could she not have secret guards accompanying her? When Pei Yue arrived at the polo grounds just now, the secret guards had already told him the detailed course of events. Therefore, Pei Yue was well aware of the situation during the match.

Mingyi smiled.

“Indeed. My mother passed away when I was born, and my father was busy, so in my youth, I was raised like a boy by my grandfather. He threw me into the woods, and I would mix with the village children. All day we would either be playing ball or catching fish in the water. To put it bluntly, how could these sheltered noble ladies possibly be my match?”

After Mingyi finished speaking, she moved closer to Pei Yue, her pair of clear eyes staring fixedly at him.

“Master of the house, in the future, I would still like to bring my maid out to play polo. Is that alright?”

Pei Yue stared at her, finding himself in a difficult position.

Logically and reasonably, the matriarch of the Pei clan should live in seclusion, rarely go out, and slowly take over the management of the household and preside over clan affairs.

How could she spend all her days competing to win against those young ladies?

Seeing Pei Yue's blank expression and no sign of yielding, Mingyi leaned back against the carriage wall and sighed.

“Sigh, I told you so. This is an unequal match. I am a bird of the forest; how can I endure the constraints of the deep boudoir? Back then, I told my grandfather to break off this engagement, but the old man just wouldn't agree. He said that the Young Master of the Pei house was a man not seen in a generation, that for me to marry him was a fortune of three lifetimes, a virtue accumulated by my ancestors, that it was...”

“Enough!” Seeing her words become more and more outrageous, Pei Yue said helplessly,

“If you wish to leave the residence, then leave. Just be sure to act with propriety.”

She had lived a happy and unrestrained life in Tanzhou; he couldn't let her suffer grievances here with him.

The young ladies of the Pei family were all pampered as well. It was not unjustifiable for her to want to go out and play. As for managing the household, that could be taken slowly.

Pei Yue pressed his brow and continued to read the memorial.

The burden on his shoulders was too heavy. On one hand, the envoys were driving cattle and sheep into Jin, nominally for tribute and trade, but in reality, they were just taking advantage of the Great Jin.

The imperial court still had to bestow rewards per head. On the other hand, there was a drought in the southwest that required disaster relief. Pei Yue, for his part, still had to think of a way to conjure up some silver to fill these holes.

He heard Mingyi's words and then put them aside. He did not have the time to keep a woman's affairs in his heart.

However, after the carriage had traveled about half a li (250 meters), a swift rider suddenly chased after them. The person was none other than Zhangsun Ling's personal bodyguard. He called out to Pei Yue through the carriage curtain,

“Lord Pei, my Young Master was thinking that he was offensive in his speech to the Young Madam just now. He has sent this subordinate to deliver a pot of wine on his behalf, saying it is to apologize to the Young Madam.”

Hearing this, Mingyi silently sighed in her heart.

This Zhangsun Ling still hasn't given up. He's testing me.

Hearing this, Pei Yue was finally willing to put down his memorial. He glared at Mingyi with a piercingly cold gaze and said in a low, reprimanding voice,

“Did you ask him for wine to drink just now?”

Otherwise, how would Zhangsun Ling know that Mingyi liked to drink and specifically chase after them to deliver a pot of wine?

Mingyi was like a mute person eating bitter herbs, unable to speak of her suffering. Of course, she could not deny it; otherwise, she would be unable to explain Zhangsun Ling's abrupt action.

She hung her head, resting her forehead against the corner without a word of defense. The person who, just a moment ago, had been dominating the field was now like a child who had been caught making a mistake.

Pei Yue laughed out of anger. Without even lifting the carriage curtain, he raised his voice and ordered the guard.

“Take his wine and deliver it to Master Zhangsun's desk.”

This was making sure Zhangsun Ling suffered the consequences.

A mounted guard went to deal with the matter, while the rest continued to escort the couple back to the residence.

As they neared the residence, Pei Yue, suppressing his temper, ordered the guard, “Drive the carriage to the side gate. Go to the wine cellar.”

If he didn't give her wine to drink, she would really go behind his back and ask other men for it.

Pei Yue was afraid he would be angered to death by her.

Hearing this, the corners of Mingyi's lips shot upwards.

Was this a blessing in disguise?