Chapter 14

At that moment, a servant from the Pei family carried over a few items on a tray and said to the two, “Lord Zheng, Miss Yu, Fourth Master said these are the lucky gifts for later. He wanted you to have a look; all are treasures kept by Fourth Master.”

Yu Ying waved her hand. “Bring them here so I can see.”

The servant brought one tray over. Yu Ying glanced at it. On top was a piece of floral Qingluo silk, light and thin, suitable for summer garments, but she already owned two like it and didn’t want another. There was also a pair of bracelets, a hairpin, and a comb—all items she wasn’t particularly fond of.

Her eyes then flicked to the other tray. At the top was a gilded, carved polo mallet, beneath it a saddle, followed by a whip and a dagger—clearly men’s items. The saddle was quite exquisite, decorated with blue-green lacquer in exotic patterns and studded with gold and silver pieces, making it dazzlingly eye-catching.

Yu Ying felt that Fourth Uncle Pei had clearly put thought into selecting the men’s group gifts, but for the women’s group, perhaps he didn’t care much or simply didn’t understand, so he just gathered a few items of appropriate value.

She found it rather dull and lazily leaned back in her chair without comment.

Zheng Poru showed little interest in the gifts and didn’t inspect them closely.

Soon, the women’s polo match began. Most of the participants were Pei family members and their friends; none of the skilled women polo players from the capital had shown up, except for Yu Ying.

Riding her white horse and dressed in a pomegranate-red dress, she was like a fiery little dragon soaring across the polo field. Her outfit and horse attracted attention, and combined with her superb skills and agile figure, no one could match her. She took the lead by scoring the first goal and followed with two more, achieving a three-goal winning streak effortlessly, becoming the center of attention.

Zheng Poru quietly watched from beneath the gallery, feeling a strange stirring in his heart once again.

He had practiced polo since childhood and was naturally skilled, but his upbringing taught him humility and restraint, so he would never be so reckless or flamboyant in any setting. He would show mastery effortlessly but without drawing attention.

Yu Ying was different. He could imagine her saying: “Can’t be too flashy? Then I won’t come. I play polo to be seen!”

Even imagining this made him smile lightly.

Marrying such a woman would be both a risk and a challenge. He was already at an age where it was inappropriate, but precisely because of that age—with passion and fervor long faded—he found himself stirred by a flash of brilliant red.

He was certain he wanted to win her heart and marry her, to feel young once more in the latter half of his life.

The polo match rules required the first to reach five goals to win. Thanks to Yu Ying’s overwhelming skill, her team quickly triumphed, reaching five goals in less than an hour. Yu Ying rightfully took first place and received the floral Qingluo silk.

Back at the gallery, Yu Xuan and Pei Xingcang finally returned, each with a child. Yu Ying pinched her little niece’s cheek and placed the Qingluo silk before her. “Here, have your mother make you a dress.”

The silk shimmered brightly, subtly radiating rainbow hues under the sunlight, clearly valuable. Yu Xuan immediately stopped her. “This silk isn’t cheap. You won it yourself; you should keep it.”

Yu Ying said, “But Li’er likes it, and I already have one.”

Li’er was Yu Xuan’s youngest daughter, over five years old and already fond of beauty, clutching the silk tightly.

Yu Xuan could only accept it reluctantly.

The emperor was trying to suppress the great families, so the Peis were worried. They had donated large sums during the locust plague two years ago and the floods last year to appease the court. The household consumed less food, with smaller rations, and Pei Xingcang’s salary was modest. They had two children to support, so life was not as comfortable as Yu Ying’s as a young lady at home.

After chatting briefly in the gallery, the men’s polo match was about to begin—the real highlight of the day.

Zheng Poru was about to take the field. Yu Ying said to him, “Former top scorer Lord Zhu is aiming to win again. I’ll tell you a secret: the Pei family’s best polo player is Pei Xingyu, but he’s ambitious and competitive. Don’t give him a chance. If he gets flustered, he’ll lose his composure. You just go and play confidently.”

Pei Xingcang nearby said, “Hey, Ying, I’m still here.”

Yu Ying smiled. “Then keep Wulang in check. Don’t let him hog the spotlight.”

Yu Xuan overheard and couldn’t help but laugh. She thought, “She knows about hogging the spotlight? Isn’t she the one who’s been stealing it all along?”

From now on, the Pei sisters probably wouldn’t want to play with her anymore.

Zheng Poru and Pei Xingcang both took the field, but the teams were formed by drawing ribbons. Unexpectedly, Zheng Poru was teamed with Pei Xingyu, marked by a yellow ribbon, while Pei Xingcang ended up on the opposing red team.

Yu Ying’s expression stiffened.

Surprisingly, Zheng Poru’s humility before had masked his skill. Together with Pei Xingyu, they were the twin stars of the yellow team, cooperating flawlessly. Though the red team fought bravely, they were somewhat inferior in this round.

The men’s match followed the same rule: first to five goals wins. After two rounds, the yellow team had already scored three goals, almost clinching victory. If they maintained momentum in the next two rounds, they could win within four rounds.

The red team was struggling to come back as their morale weakened.

During the break, Zheng Poru didn’t come over. He and Pei Xingyu, along with other yellow team members, went to the other side of the gallery to discuss strategy.

Yu Ying took the opportunity to glance at Cheng Xianzhang. Earlier, he had sat with Fourth Master Pei, but now she only saw Fourth Master Pei, with no sign of Cheng.

Had he left? If so, so be it—he made her uncomfortable here.

Unexpectedly, when the next round started, she saw Cheng Xianzhang on the red team.

Yu Ying thought she must be mistaken. He actually played polo!

Apparently, he had gone to change clothes. Earlier, he wore a loose-sleeved garment; now he was in a slim, dark outfit. Though low-key and restrained, he was unmistakable—just like when he wore rough cloth among students years ago.

Yu Ying snorted disdainfully.

Yu Xuan asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Ying replied, “This polo match is really exciting today.”

She hadn’t said it was exciting before, and the match hadn’t even started, so Yu Xuan was puzzled and looked at her. “Looks like a different person. Isn’t that…”

She glanced at Yu Ying, who knew she meant Cheng Xianzhang and scoffed, “This is the real show. I’m just waiting to see how he manages not to fall off his horse!”

Raising horses was expensive; playing polo even more so—this was a game for the nobility.

Cheng Xianzhang had scraped together money for his education, borrowing books and using cheap ink. He didn’t really start to improve until he passed the provincial exam. He’d never even touched a polo mallet before. How could he play?

After their marriage, Yu Ying had a horse in her dowry. She wanted to teach him polo, but he refused.

Now, she was the one playing.

Thinking of this made Yu Ying feel both bitter and upset. He was unwilling to do anything with her, but after leaving, he could do everything.

Yu Xuan, unaware of Yu Ying’s thoughts, smiled. “Do you know how he and my youngest uncle met? Playing polo. They often played together.”

This was news to Yu Ying.

She fell silent. Yu Xuan deliberately asked, “Do you think he’s better than Lord Zheng?”

“Of course Lord Zheng is better. He’s practiced since childhood,” Yu Ying said.

Indeed, noble sons usually trained from a young age. Anyone with ambition would have decent horsemanship. Zheng Poru’s skills were natural.

Yu Xuan asked again, “So what do you think of him? I think he’s here today just for you. He beat Cheng Zijun; maybe that’ll calm you down.”

“Only if he throws him off his horse and dirties him up,” Yu Ying replied, though in her heart she thought that would embarrass Cheng Xianzhang terribly—he dreaded making mistakes.

When they arranged their engagement, Cheng had gotten a prestigious position through Yu family connections, but he wasn’t happy, feeling it was an unfair advantage.

Later, the day before assuming office, he went early to scout the place and even ordered a fine carriage to avoid being late—the man strove for perfection in everything.

On the polo field, the two teams were about to face off again.

She saw Cheng Xianzhang mount his horse with practiced ease, then enter the field, charging left and right with a semblance of skill, not at all clumsy.

Their team had changed tactics, heavily guarding Pei Xingyu so he rarely touched the ball.

Pei Xingyu was frustrated, pacing back and forth.

Then, at one point, Pei Xingyu broke through and reached the ball but failed to score, allowing the red team their first goal.

After three rounds, the red team had scored two goals, nearly leveling the match.

In the third round, the red team scored two goals, the yellow team one; both teams were just one goal shy.

In the fourth round, neither team scored, the match increasingly tense as neither wished to lose.

By the fifth round, after two turns, and with the third just starting, still no winner emerged.

Though intense, two hours had passed since the start, and the sun was nearing the horizon. Both men and horses were exhausted, unfit for a sixth round.

Ordinarily, the match would be limited by time, with the team holding the most goals declared the winner. But both teams were tied, making a draw—the least satisfying outcome.

Yu Xuan’s two children, tired from watching, had fallen asleep in the gallery and just awakened.

Yu Ying, having risen early and skipped a nap, was yawning.

She noticed the Fourth Master Pei’s group discussing what to do next, likely about how to divide the gifts if it ended in a tie.

The wind had picked up, shortening the incense’s burn time, the third stick nearly burned out.

On the polo field, it was still a stalemate—neither side yielding. The men’s clothes were soaked with sweat, almost wringable.

She recalled a summer long ago when his sweat would drip onto her. She hated it and would scold him to bathe after the match. Next time, he delayed removing his clothes; when she asked why, he said that way he wouldn’t sweat.

She wasn’t pleased, so she stripped him down herself, telling him no, she wanted to watch him.

He smiled softly, bending down to kiss her.

He rarely smiled during the day; only a few times at night... No, she rarely saw him at all—always busy with this or that, even at night only occasionally.

No, she was watching the polo match, waiting for it to end. Why was she thinking about all this nonsense now?