Chapter 104
“Well? What do you think?” Ming Yu nudged Xie Yixiu lightly with his elbow and asked with a grin.
Xie Yixiu remained silent. When Ming Yu turned back to look at him, he found that his expression was dark and unreadable, lost in thought. Was he thinking about military affairs again? Even in a setting like this, how could he be so utterly oblivious to romance?
This wouldn’t do! Ming Yu frowned. Without any interaction, how could one get to know the other person? And without knowing them, how could they tell if they were a good match? Dating was called dating for a reason—it required actual effort!
Ming Yu had never experienced romance himself, so he wasn’t exactly an expert, but he had seen plenty of it. That was more than enough to guide the completely clueless Xie Yixiu.
With this thought in mind, Ming Yu quickly made up his mind. He smiled and said to the Eldest Princess, “If you’re busy, you don’t have to accompany us all the time. Why don’t we walk around on our own? It’ll give us a chance to meet and befriend more people.”
The Eldest Princess seemed to see right through him. From the way he had been evaluating the young ladies she introduced, it was clear that he wasn’t uninterested. Judging by his attitude, it seemed he thought she was getting in the way. Well, that was fine. Letting him interact with them on his own wasn’t a bad idea either.
With an amused expression, the Eldest Princess teased, “Alright, alright, are you trying to get rid of me?”
“How could I?” Ming Yu grinned. “I was just worried about holding you up.”
Here’s the full translation with natural language while staying true to the original meaning:
The Eldest Princess extended a slender, jade-like finger and playfully tapped Ming Yu’s forehead with a smile. “Go on then. I need to check on the garden tour preparations. There’s an important event coming up. If you need anything, just send someone to find me.”
She genuinely hoped that Ming Yu could integrate into their social circles. Only through frequent interactions could young men and women have the chance to meet someone they liked. He was her younger brother, a favored son of heaven. No matter who he took a liking to, it would be a blessing for that person. All she had to do was request an imperial decree for marriage.
Thinking this through, she found the idea even more appealing. Without further delay, she waved her hand and left in a whirlwind, taking her attendants with her.
With his sister gone, Ming Yu felt completely at ease. He immediately grabbed Xie Yixiu and headed toward the pitch-pot game. The girl the Eldest Princess had mentioned—the bold and gallant one—was participating in the game with a lively group.
They had to join in and get familiar with everyone before they could strike up a conversation. The players, engrossed in the game, noticed Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu approaching and instinctively prepared to bow. Though scholars might look down on the so-called “foolish prince” in their hearts, they still had to show proper respect. After all, he was a titled prince, and his status demanded it.
Ming Yu waved them off with a gentle smile. “No need for formalities. Keep playing. We’re just here to watch. If it looks fun, maybe we’ll join in too?”
No one dared to refuse, and they all responded with agreement. The atmosphere remained lively. As the game continued, those waiting their turn explained the rules to Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu.
At the front, several vases of varying sizes were arranged, with the smallest vase in the center—its mouth barely the size of a copper coin. Naturally, it was the hardest to land an arrow in. The other vases were arranged in increasing size, making them progressively easier targets. Everyone knew that the larger the vase, the easier it was to hit, so most players aimed for the biggest one, including the person currently taking their turn.
Seeing Ming Yu’s curiosity, one of the spectators explained, “Each player gets eight arrows. Points are awarded based on how many arrows land inside the vases. Your Highness, as you can see, the smaller the vase’s opening, the higher the score. The player with the highest score at the end wins.”
Ming Yu found the rules quite interesting. He nodded, feeling eager to try. Just then, cheers erupted from the crowd—the current player had successfully landed their final arrow.
Someone began tallying the scores. The player, a man named Li Tonghe, looked rather pleased with himself. Judging by his expression, he must have achieved a high score. Sure enough, when the final results were announced, he ranked among the top three.
Stepping back, Li Tonghe clasped his hands in a polite gesture toward Ming Yu before heading straight toward Shangguan Ling. She was none other than the Deputy Minister of War’s niece—the very person the Eldest Princess had introduced to Ming Yu earlier.
Ming Yu had been keeping an eye on Shangguan Ling. Since he had picked her as a potential match for Xie Yixiu, he naturally wanted to observe her more closely. Seeing Li Tonghe approach her, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are they close?”
“That’s hard to say,” someone beside him replied with a knowing smile, sensing Ming Yu’s interest. In a hushed, gossiping tone, he continued, “To be honest, Li Tonghe has feelings for Miss Shangguan, but she doesn’t seem to reciprocate. Wherever she goes, he follows like a shadow.”
Ming Yu nodded thoughtfully and looked toward them. Li Tonghe was animatedly speaking to Shangguan Ling, clearly boasting about his performance. Meanwhile, she looked utterly impatient, as if she’d swat him away like a fly if she could.
Then, as if he had said something particularly irritating, Shangguan Ling suddenly stepped forward, grabbed eight arrows at random, and—without even aiming—began throwing them one by one into the vases.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Two of her arrows even landed in the second-smallest vase, an impressive feat given the difficulty.
Ming Yu clapped along with the others, smiling. “Miss Shangguan is truly impressive. That skill alone outshines almost everyone here. She has quite the personality—I rather like it.”
The person beside him nodded in agreement. “That’s right. Miss Shangguan is undoubtedly the best.”
Some people were even eager to stir up trouble, loudly jeering, “Miss Shangguan truly proves that women are no less than men! Brother Li, even if you tried your hardest, you wouldn’t be able to catch up to her! Hahaha!”
“Exactly! Exactly! Brother Li, perhaps after practicing for another ten years, you might be worthy of Miss Shangguan’s attention.”
Everyone knew that Li Tonghe admired Miss Shangguan, but unfortunately, she had a fiery temper and had long dismissed his affections as mere delusions. She had no interest in him, yet the more she rejected him, the more persistent he became, clinging to her like a stubborn stray dog that refused to be driven away.
Li Tonghe’s expression darkened. Shangguan Ling was deliberately humiliating him in public. His father was at least the Vice Minister of War, yet this insolent girl refused to give him even the slightest bit of respect. Outrageous! If it weren’t for her uncle being the Minister of War, who would even bother to look at her twice?
As soon as Shangguan Ling stepped down, Li Tonghe stormed over with a grim face and grabbed her arm. He had to ask her what she meant by this! Shangguan Ling’s face turned cold. She shook off his hand and glared at him angrily, and the two immediately started arguing on the spot.
No, this wouldn’t do. That girl was being harassed—if he brought Xie Yixiu over to rescue her, perhaps he could earn some favor in her eyes. That would give him a chance!
Just as he was about to step forward, Xie Yixiu grabbed his wrist. Ming Yu looked over in confusion, only to see Xie Yixiu’s face devoid of expression. “Wang Ye, do you care to play a round of pitch-pot?”
What?! I don’t care about pitch-pot—I just want to help you win over your future wife! Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. Ming Yu decided to probe indirectly. “General Xie, what do you think of that Miss Shangguan? Is she—” He quickly shut his mouth, nearly blurting out, “Is she to your liking?”
Xie Yixiu cast a glance in that direction and replied indifferently, “Nothing special. Behaving so inappropriately in public—utterly disgraceful.”
His words were laced with jealousy, though he himself hadn’t expected to feel such bitterness over Ming Yu’s affairs.
He had been observing Ming Yu closely and caught every change in his expression. It was obvious—Ming Yu was interested in that Miss Shangguan. Just moments ago, he had been asking about her, and now he was eager to approach her. Clearly, she had caught his eye. Yet to Xie Yixiu, she was nothing but an ordinary woman. How could someone so unremarkable be worthy of Ming Yu?
The thought unsettled him. Before he knew it, words of criticism had left his lips—words even he hadn’t expected to say. In an instant, he felt a sense of self-disgust.
“Ah? Is that so?” Ming Yu was troubled. First impressions were crucial—if they were ruined, it would be hard to recover from them in the future.
So Xie Yixiu really wasn’t interested in this girl? If that were the case, then there was no need for him to waste any effort on her. There were plenty of good women out there—he could just find another. Thinking this, he grinned brightly and returned to the original topic. “Pitch-pot? I’ve never played before. I don’t know how!”
Seeing that Ming Yu’s attention had finally shifted away from another woman, Xie Yixiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll teach you.”
Ming Yu was surprised. “You know how? When did you learn? I’ve never seen you play before!” In all the time he had known Xie Yixiu, he had never seen him partake in these types of leisure activities. Pitch-pot required precision and control—those who excelled at it had surely practiced extensively.
Xie Yixiu shook his head. “I’ve never played before, but after watching the rules just now, I understand the game.”
Ming Yu was intrigued. Pitch-pot did seem like an interesting game, but he knew if he tried, he would definitely embarrass himself. He had already given up on the idea, but now that Xie Yixiu had brought it up, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.
“Alright!” Ming Yu’s clear, peach blossom eyes sparkled with excitement as he eagerly pulled Xie Yixiu forward. Moments ago, everyone had been marveling at Shangguan Ling’s impressive display, and no one dared to step forward and risk embarrassing themselves.
Seeing Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu enter the game, the crowd began whispering among themselves. The main reason was that Ming Yu was still considered a newcomer in their circle. He had spent his life inside the imperial palace, and all they knew about him were the rumors of him being a foolish and arrogant prince.
This was the first time the Eldest Princess had brought Ming Yu to an outing, and it was also his first public appearance. Contrary to the rumors, he was neither domineering nor unreasonable. Instead, he carried himself with grace, leaving an impression of warmth and courtesy.
“I’ve never heard of Duan Wang’s skill in pitch-pot. I wonder if he can compare to the others here?” someone murmured with curiosity.
“Hard to say. As far as I know, the Third Prince is quite skilled at pitch-pot. In past years, he almost always took first place.”
“This Duan Wang is nothing like the Third Prince. Who could compare to the Third Prince? Back then, the Third Prince set up a wager for that man surnamed Song, and his record remains unbroken to this day.”
Someone’s expression changed. “Why bring up that man surnamed Song out of nowhere?”
The one who had spoken unintentionally looked regretful and immediately put on an act, slapping himself twice on the face. “Ah, my mistake, brothers! I shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”
Seeing his sincere attitude in admitting fault, the others chose not to argue with him. Instead, they swiftly changed the subject, avoiding any further mention of the matter.
Ming Yu had caught every word. Who was this person surnamed Song they were talking about? Someone connected to the Third Prince, surnamed Song… Could it be Song Lian?
That very same Song Lian—Ming Yu had once carelessly fallen into his trap and even crossed swords with him multiple times. There was no denying it—this man was meticulous, always a step ahead in anticipating his opponent’s moves, and truly a formidable adversary. Now that he had defected, all his intelligence and strategic brilliance were being used for another’s benefit, making him a serious threat to the Great Yan.
Ming Yu had originally planned to inquire about this man’s past upon his return to the capital. This might be another lead. A few years ago, Song Lian had been considered a remarkably talented scholar in the capital. The Eldest Princess had a knack for befriending such people, so asking her might yield some useful information.
Ming Yu only knew that back then, due to a scandal involving corruption in the imperial examinations, Song Lian had been implicated. Whether he was truly innocent or not, his decision to defect was an unforgivable mistake. As the saying goes—know thy enemy. The more Ming Yu understood Song Lian’s methods and way of thinking, the better prepared he would be to deal with him in the future.
Even though he wasn’t certain if the person they had just mentioned was indeed Song Lian, Ming Yu still made a mental note of it.
However, before he could dwell on it further, Xie Yixiu had already pulled him toward the center of the field.
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