Chapter 84

“Then the young ladies may go choose their horses. Mama Wan, go with them and keep an eye on things. Do not let the horses injure any of the young ladies,” Empress Su Wanrong instructed Mama Wan, the steward matron at her side. “This servant obeys,” Mama Wan replied with a bow. “Then please follow this servant, ladies.” “Thank you for your trouble, Mama,” the young ladies from Ye Kingdom and Dayi said courteously. Mama Wan bowed to the young ladies as well, then led them to choose their horses. The group headed toward the horse stables. Suddenly, Miss Zhang, who had just written a beautiful piece in hairpin-style regular script, lost her footing and fell to the ground. The Mulan Horse Ranch was located in the wilderness, where the road was uneven and rugged. It was not unusual for someone to lose her balance. Miss Zhang fell hard, scraping the skin off her palms and knees. “Ah!” Miss Zhang cried out in pain. Mama Wan, who was walking at the front, heard her cry and turned around. She hurried to Miss Zhang’s side, helped her up, and asked with concern, “Miss Zhang, are you all right?” Miss Zhang struggled to get up. The pain in her palms and knees nearly made her burst into tears, but as befitted a young lady from an eminent family, she forcibly held them back and said weakly, “Thank you for your concern, Mama. I simply lost my footing and fell. These are only flesh wounds; they’re nothing serious.” Seeing that Miss Zhang’s eyes had reddened from the pain, Mama Wan comforted her, “Miss Zhang, you’re injured now. I’m afraid you won’t be able to participate in the horse racing. Why don’t I have someone escort you back to rest?” “That wouldn’t be very appropriate, would it?” Miss Zhang hesitated. She had promised her father that she would shine at the peach-blossom banquet. If she went back just like this and he found out, would he not be furious with her? At that moment, the young ladies standing behind Miss Zhang watched her as though they were waiting for a show, yet not one of them reached out to help. Miss Zhang felt the wounds on her body hurting even more. Just then, Ling Jiayue walked over to her. Seeing that the skin on Miss Zhang’s palm had been scraped away and blood was slowly oozing from it, she untied the handkerchief around her waist and handed it to Miss Zhang. “Miss Zhang, use this handkerchief to cover the wound first. Stop the bleeding before anything else.” When Miss Zhang saw the handkerchief Ling Jiayue held out, she felt a jumble of emotions. She had clearly regarded Ling Jiayue as an imaginary rival, yet Ling Jiayue had extended a helping hand to her at a time like this. Miss Zhang had never expected it. She accepted the handkerchief and said to Ling Jiayue, “Thank you.” “You’re welcome. I also have a bottle of poison powder here. Sprinkle some on the wound. It will help it heal, and it won’t leave a scar. In your current condition, you should listen to Mama Wan and go back to rest. Your health comes first. Everything else can wait,” Ling Jiayue said as she took out a medicine bottle and handed it to Miss Zhang. Miss Zhang accepted the bottle and said softly, “Thank you.” Mama Wan then had someone escort Miss Zhang back to rest. As Miss Zhang left, she turned back to glance at Ling Jiayue and thought, *Why did I ever resent such a wonderful girl? She is so broad-minded. It is only natural that she writes better than I do.* With that thought, Miss Zhang was supported back to rest by a maid. “Big Sister, you really are such a kind and beautiful young lady. I like you so much!” Ling Yuwan flattered Ling Jiayue as usual. “Hmph. You’re merely seeking fame and fishing for compliments.” The speaker was the daughter of the Censor’s Wife, who had previously wagered the Exquisite Box and lost it to Ling Jiayue. The Censor’s Wife’s family name was Wei, making this Miss Wei. But what kind of person was Ling Jiayue? How could a mere remark possibly affect her? With a beaming smile, Ling Jiayue retorted, “Yes, I am indeed seeking fame and fishing for compliments. How could I compare with the Censor’s Wife’s excellent family upbringing, which was enough to teach the Censor’s Wife to admit her mistakes and mend her ways? But Miss Wei doesn’t seem much like the Censor’s Wife. If anyone else saw you behaving like this, they would surely praise you for your ‘sharp tongue.’” Ling Jiayue was “praising” Miss Wei for being sharp-tongued. The words made Miss Wei so furious that she nearly toppled backward. Seeing that she was about to lose her temper, Mama Wan stepped in to smooth things over. “Please, both of you, say a little less. Let us go to the horse stables and choose our horses first. It would not do to keep Her Majesty and the others waiting.” “What are you, anyway? You’re nothing but a servant, yet you dare order me around?!” Miss Wei pointed at Mama Wan’s nose and cursed. Mama Wan was Empress Su Wanrong’s personal palace matron. She had entered the imperial palace alongside the Empress when the latter married into the imperial family. Everyone in the palace respected her to some degree. Even the Emperor had never spoken to her so harshly. Today was the first time she had encountered such an insult. Mama Wan’s expression had already turned unpleasant, but mindful of the difference in status, she still did not dare lose her temper. Ling Jiayue, however, mocked Miss Wei, “It seems Miss Wei is not only sharp-tongued, but also ‘innocent and guileless.’ Mama Wan is Her Majesty the Empress’s personal attendant. Your rudeness today has truly opened my eyes.” Only then did Miss Wei realize what Ling Jiayue meant. However, she could not bring herself to apologize to Mama Wan. She gave a cold snort and walked away. Ling Jiayue turned to Mama Wan and said, “The quarrel between Miss Wei and me has unfortunately involved you as well. I hope you won’t take offense, Mama.” “Miss Ling, what are you saying? You flatter this servant far too much. We should still hurry to the horse stables. We must not really keep Her Majesty waiting. That would be a grave fault on this servant’s part.” Seeing Ling Jiayue come over to comfort her, Mama Wan no longer minded the matter. She took note of Ling Jiayue’s kindness, smiled, and said that she did not take offense. The group then continued toward the horse stables. “Big Sister, clearly Miss Wei was the one in the wrong. Why did you still apologize?” Ling Yuwan asked. “Miss Wei was quarreling with me. Involving Mama Wan in our dispute was already inappropriate, so there was nothing wrong with apologizing,” Ling Jiayue said indifferently. In truth, Ling Jiayue had wanted to leave a favorable impression of herself in Mama Wan’s heart through this incident, so that Mama Wan might make things a little easier for her in the future. But Ling Jiayue would never tell Ling Yuwan that. After all, she no longer regarded Ling Yuwan as her true little sister. With Mama Wan leading the way, Ling Jiayue and the others soon arrived in front of the horse stables. Inside, the horses were raised in groups, each one sleek, strong, and exceptionally beautiful. At a glance, it was clear that they had been carefully tended by the imperial household. Most remarkable of all was a group of horses that were pure white from head to hoof, without a trace of any other color. They were breathtakingly beautiful. “Big Sister, look! That group of white horses is so beautiful. I want to ride one of them,” Ling Yuwan said coquettishly, clinging to Ling Jiayue’s arm. “That isn’t for me to decide. We’ll take another look in a moment,” Ling Jiayue replied.