At that moment, Xiao Yunting, who had been exchanging pleasantries with Zhou Wang up on the platform, noticed someone entering the field. When he saw clearly who it was, he nearly crushed the teacup in his hand.
So all his countless warnings and reminders were for nothing!
The girl had gone down into the field anyway!
What the h*ll was she thinking?
Killing someone could rely on brute strength or a vicious streak—but polo wasn’t something you could pull off like that.
One wrong move and you’d fall—potentially to your death!
Every year in the capital, polo matches claimed lives.
Zhou Wang chuckled in surprise and called over a young eunuch: “What’s going on? The opening dance hasn’t even started yet, and someone’s already bringing a horse onto the field?”
The little eunuch quickly rushed out, and after a short while returned and whispered the situation to the prince.
Zhou Wang clicked his tongue in astonishment. “Oh-ho, someone actually dared to challenge Miss Liu to a one-on-one polo match?”
…
Xiao Yunting scowled silently.
Dared?
What wouldn’t Qi Yuan dare to do?
Zhou Wang perked up. “Alright, now this Wangye really wants to watch carefully. If she truly manages to beat Miss Liu, then awarding her the Ferghana horse that Luochuan mentioned might not be out of the question.”
Zhou Wangfei still looked cheerful, but Madam Liu’s face had turned ashen.
She hadn’t expected this—she had arranged for Qi Yuan to face off against Commandery Princess Luochuan, but somehow Qi Yuan had slipped around that with just a few words.
Now it was her daughter going up against Qi Yuan instead.
How could someone of her daughter’s status be compared with someone like that?
It was completely beneath her!
But she wasn’t the only one with an ugly expression. Second Madam Qi looked like her eyes were about to pop out when she saw Qi Yuan enter the field.
Her instinct was to stand up, but sensing the noblewomen around her, she forced herself to remain seated, heart in her throat.
Dear heavens! Qi Yuan had only gone to the back garden for a moment, and now she was suddenly competing against the daughter of Duke Chu’s household?
A polo match?!
Even Qi Jin was only a substitute, never the main player!
And the Old Madam had instructed her to take good care of Qi Yuan…
Outside the arena, the crowd buzzed.
Liu Mingzhu wrapped her wrists, then flipped onto her horse with practiced ease, leaning down to smile at Qi Yuan. “You know the rules?”
Qi Yuan glanced around. The vast field had two goals.
Since it was a one-on-one match, it meant the first to score in the opponent’s goal would win.
She gave a soft acknowledgment and mounted her horse.
Madam Liu wasn’t the least bit worried about her daughter—she knew her skills well.
Liu Jinghong had always had excellent riding ability and had trained Liu Mingzhu with great patience from a young age, even hiring military men to help her practice.
There was no way she would lose to a nobody like Qi Yuan.
She frowned slightly and whispered to Zhou Wangfei, “That eldest miss of the Yongping Marquis’ household is truly improper in both appearance and behavior.”
Zhou Wangfei, of course, agreed. “You’re the one who asked me to send her an invitation. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have thought of her.”
Just then, the drums and gongs resounded across the field, sharp and invigorating.
Everyone was still somewhat lazy and indifferent.
A match between young ladies might be enjoyable and pleasing to the eye—but a solo duel between opponents of clearly unequal strength? What was there to see?
But when Liu Mingzhu swiftly took the ball and swung her mallet with force toward Qi Yuan, someone in the crowd couldn’t help but exclaim, “Miss Liu’s arm strength has only grown. That strike—any man couldn’t have done better!”
Zhou Wang chuckled and turned to Xiao Yunting. “Looks like that Ferghana horse is Miss Liu’s already.”
Xiao Yunting, who had previously been frowning, suddenly smiled. “Granduncle, the victor is not so easily decided.”
Zhou Wang turned back—and saw Qi Yuan charging forward, cutting off Liu Mingzhu’s path, and intercepting the ball with a quick reverse swing.
She actually stole the ball!
“Excellent!” Zhou Wang exclaimed in delight, clearly surprised. “Who is that girl?”
Xiao Yunting pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile.
Madam Liu slowly straightened in her seat, eyes wide in disbelief.
She had watched her daughter train for years—she knew her daughter’s capabilities better than anyone.
So for Qi Yuan to have snatched the ball like that while galloping full speed—it was utterly shocking.
Impossible!
That country bumpkin—how could she have such skill?!
At this moment, the crowd’s cheers were just noise to Liu Mingzhu.
After that first ball was stolen, she instantly realized: Qi Yuan was not an easy opponent.
She stopped trying to taunt and instead turned her horse to pursue Qi Yuan. The two horses galloped side by side at full speed.
The sight alone stirred the crowd from their earlier indifference.
They had thought a duel between two young girls would be boring.
But now, even just two girls could produce such a fierce and thrilling match!
The horses galloped shoulder to shoulder. Qi Yuan leaned low on her horse. Seeing that the distance was right, she reached out with her mallet first.
Liu Mingzhu, just a step behind, also raised her mallet and brought it down hard.
But if she swung now, her mallet would strike Qi Yuan’s arm, bent low to seize the ball.
Outside the field, Second Madam Qi’s vision darkened.
Wang Chan was so nervous her lips had turned pale.
Someone had joked earlier that the loser should suffer a broken arm or leg.
But this strike from Liu Mingzhu—she wasn’t joking. She meant to break Qi Yuan’s arm!
Wang Chan cried out, “Cousin, watch out!”
Zhou Wang’s smile vanished. He watched the two girls in the arena, lost in thought.
Xiao Yunting had already stood up.
But just then—Qi Yuan suddenly withdrew her mallet and yanked hard on her reins, dropping to the side.
From afar, it looked like she had fallen from her horse.
Cries of alarm rang out across the field: “Someone’s fallen! Someone’s fallen!”
Seeing Xiao Yunting stand up, Zhou Wang hurriedly stood as well. “What’s going on?!”
Xiao Yunting’s fingertips had gone cold. He rushed forward a few steps, then forced his voice into calm: “It’s nothing.”
Nothing? Zhou Wang had clearly seen Qi Yuan fall. How could this be “nothing”?
He stepped forward—but what he saw stunned him.
He had thought she had fallen. But Qi Yuan had actually wrapped herself around the horse’s belly, clinging to the underside with a firm grip on the reins.
At this speed, any ordinary person would have been thrown off—but she hadn’t.
Instead, she had used the momentum to swing around, and climbed back up from the other side, landing once again on the saddle.
Incredible riding skill!
Zhou Wang praised loudly, “Excellent! Absolutely brilliant!”
Liu Mingzhu’s hands and feet had gone cold. She stared at Qi Yuan in disbelief—she had been right in front of her, and yet she hadn’t even seen what happened.
How did she do that?!
Qi Yuan’s hands had already been rubbed raw by the reins, but she ignored the pain.
She raised her mallet and struck—the ball shot straight into the goal.
The crowd erupted in gasps and cheers.
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 10+ chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
