Chapter 16: Gifted Horse
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The wind lifted the white veil on He Yan’s face, and she kept her head down low. She heard the astonished voice of He Yunsheng beside her, muttering softly, “Commander Xiao!”
It seemed like he had seen his hero, and his exclamation was filled with admiration and longing.
“Commander Xiao… What brings you here?” Young Master Zhao, who had been arrogant and condescending in front of He Sui and the others, now looked like a beggar in front of Xiao Jue. It sent shivers down people’s spines.
“How much did you spend to buy this horse?” The young man on the horse asked calmly.
“Eh?” Young Master Zhao was a bit confused, but he still answered honestly, “Thirty taels of silver.”
Xiao Jue curled his lips, and in the next moment, he took out two silver ingots from the dark blue sachet in his hand and dropped them on the grass. Everyone finally saw clearly that the object that had knocked Young Master Zhao’s hand just now was actually a silver nugget.
“Your horse, I’m buying it.” he said.
Young Master Zhao’s lips trembled, and he couldn’t say a word.
He wanted to save face and kill this troublesome horse, but now Xiao Huaijin spoke. He was the second young master of the Xiao family! He couldn’t afford to provoke him, so Young Master Zhao had no choice but to suppress the anger in his heart and smile, “Commander Xiao, how can you say that? If you want this horse, it’s yours as a gift.”
“No need,” Xiao Jue said, “I don’t accept gifts without reason.”
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. Xiao Jue was also a military general like her, and naturally, he couldn’t bear to see someone killing a horse in public. This horse had escaped a disaster by encountering Xiao Jue.
Just as she was thinking about this, she suddenly saw He Yunsheng step forward, looking admiringly at Xiao Jue, and saying, “Thank you, Commander Xiao, for saving the horse’s life. It’s truly impressive!”
He Yan was speechless.
Even if He Yunsheng wanted to strike up a conversation with his hero, he shouldn’t have said such an awkward remark. It would be better if he had studied more, as this was the result of not reading enough books. Xiao Jue was probably sneering at him right now.
However, Xiao Jue didn’t retort with sarcasm at this moment. He just looked at He Yunsheng and said calmly, “Do you like this horse?”
He Yunsheng took a look at the horse and honestly replied, “Yes, I like it.”
“I’ll give it to you,” He said.
“Thank you… Wait!” He Yunsheng was shocked and about to say something, but Xiao Jue and the young man in the yellow robe were already urging their horses forward, not intending to stay any longer. He could only chase after them for a few steps before stopping and looking disappointed at their receding figures.
He Yan walked up to him and waved her hand in front of him, “Back to reality?”
He Yunsheng regained his focus and turned around with a surprised “Huh?” He asked, “Where’s the one with the surname Zhao?”
“He left a long time ago,” He Sui rolled his eyes, seemingly disapproving of He Yunsheng’s foolishness, “while you were looking at Second Young Master Xiao.”
Despite his unwillingness, Young Master Zhao didn’t dare to make trouble for Xiao Jue, so he could only leave with the silver tael in frustration.
He Yunsheng walked up to the horse that was abandoned by its owner and touched its head as if he was caressing a memento left by a lover. He said, “This is a gift from General Fengyun…”
“Why don’t you bring it back and offer it up as a sacrifice? Set up a memorial tablet?” He Yan asked.
He Yunsheng glared at her, “What do you know? If Commander Xiao hadn’t passed by just now, that horse would have been killed by that guy surnamed Zhao! Commander Xiao is truly a young hero, drawing his sword to help others in times of crisis…”
“Stop, stop, stop,” He Yan interrupted him, “Let’s talk about something else.” She thought He Yunsheng really was like a child who didn’t understand the dangers of the world. Xiao Huaijin was not a righteous hero who would intervene in every injustice. He was someone quite cold and ruthless.
“Yan Yan, why are you wearing a veil?” He Sui, who hadn’t spoken much, finally found a chance to speak, “And how did you learn to ride a horse? You scared your father just now. You can’t be so reckless in the future. If something happens to you, how can I explain it to your mother?”
He Sui had a lot more to say to He Yan than to He Yunsheng.
“This is the latest trend in makeup. It’s fashionable in the capital to wear veils and look mysterious and beautiful,” He Yan made up a serious explanation, “Does Father think it looks bad?”
He Sui: “No, no, no! It looks extremely beautiful!”
He Yunsheng rolled his eyes. He Sui actually believed this poor excuse.
He Sui naturally believed it because he didn’t understand these girls’ fashion stuff. He only knew that He Yan always loved dressing up and following the latest trends, so it was only natural for her to do this. Moreover, he would never think that his usually spoiled and delicate daughter would go to a gambling den and get into a fight. It must have been a misunderstanding!
“As for riding a horse, I learned it with friends. I only know a few basic moves. I’ll practice more in the future,” He Yan replied vaguely.
…
On the other side, Xiao Jue and the young man in the yellow robe were riding their horses outside the drill ground.
“That was really interesting just now,” the young man in the yellow robe said with a mischievous smile, “Uncle, did you see it? That girl who was riding the horse secretly did something. That guy named Zhao stumbled and fell. It was fun, fun!”
Xiao Jue’s expression remained indifferent.
He did see it. After all, they happened to pass by when they were running to the outskirts. The girl was agile in her movements. Even if he hadn’t spoken, she would have taken action when Zhao was about to kill the horse. She had already reached for the iron-headed stick at her waist.
“It’s a pity she kept her head down all the time, and I couldn’t see her face clearly,” the young man in the yellow robe touched his chin, “Shall we turn back now and ask her name? Maybe we can see her face?”
“You can go on your own,” Xiao Jue remained unmoved.
“That won’t do! She looked at you and lowered her head, obviously shy because of your presence. I feel like there are quite a few interesting girls in the capital recently. A few days ago, I saw a girl at Drunken Jade Pavilion who fought against ten people alone, and today I saw a girl riding a horse at the drill ground. With so many good girls in the world, why isn’t there one for me?” The young man in the yellow robe pounded his chest and stomped his feet, sighing.
Xiao Jue calmly looked at him, “Cheng Lisu, if you don’t shut up, I’ll send you back to the Cheng family.”
“No! Please don’t!” Cheng Lisu quickly sat up straight, “You’re my real uncle, you can’t stand by and do nothing. I’m relying on you now!”
As they were talking, they suddenly saw a few people standing not far from the weapons rack, with a blue-clad young man as the leader. He looked slim and ethereal, like an immortal in exile. He smiled at them, and they couldn’t tell how long he had been standing there, but it seemed that he witnessed everything that happened at the drill ground earlier.
“Isn’t that the Fourth Young Master of the Shi Jinbo Mansion?” Cheng Lisu whispered, “What is he doing here?”
Xiao Jue didn’t answer, and the horse stopped. Cheng Lisu flashed his usual enthusiastic smile again, “Isn’t this Brother Zilan? Why are you here at the drill ground, Brother Zilan?”
The person in question was Chu Zhao, the fourth son of the current Shi Jinbo.
“Just taking a leisurely walk and happened to come here. I didn’t expect to run into Commander Xiao and Young Master Cheng,” Chu Zhao smiled slightly, “Are you also here for an outing?”
“Of course, these days the spring scenery is too beautiful. It would be a waste not to come out and enjoy it,” Cheng Lisu laughed heartily. Laughing, he muttered again, “But it would be even better if I were with a beautiful girl.”
Chu Zhao pretended not to hear, and his smile remained unchanged.
Throughout the encounter, Xiao Jue didn’t say a word to Chu Zhao. When they passed by each other on their horses, Xiao Jue just nodded slightly.
After they had passed, the servant complained indignantly, “This General Fengyun is really too rude!”
Chu Zhao didn’t mind and just smiled while shaking his head, “That’s because he is Xiao Huaijin.” After saying that, he looked again at the empty racetrack and seemed to have thought of something very amusing, chuckling softly.
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