“Miss, usually you don’t care for these polo gatherings. How come you’re in such high spirits today and agreed to Miss Gao’s invitation?” Rouge stood behind Lingyun, fastening a hairpin with dangling ornaments into her coiffure.
She admired her young lady, now dressed and adorned with great care, and felt pleased and proud for quite a while.
“Miss Gao, the daughter of Minister Gao, is attending her very first polo match. She’s nervous about going alone and asked me to accompany her, so she’d have someone to rely on.”
Lingyun spoke as she glanced briefly at her reflection in the bronze mirror. There was an old saying about dressing up and applying rouge before the mirror. In her past life, she had never had the heart to enjoy such elegant pleasures. In this life, she was determined to make up for it.
“This hairpin is truly exquisite. The pearls on it appear to be purple pearls.”
She reached out and gently touched them. They felt smooth and cool to the touch, with a soft, iridescent glow undoubtedly treasures of great value.
“Miss, you have such sharp eyes! This hairpin was sent over from the Duke’s residence. It comes as a pair. I heard the Empress herself bestowed them upon the Young Duke, and he passed them on to you.”
Rouge explained, then added with a hint of confusion, “But why would the Empress give hair ornaments? Usually gifts to young men are swords or bows. What use does a young gentleman have for jewelry?”
“Perhaps when the Empress gave them to him, she already knew you two were childhood sweethearts. He was meant to keep them just for you,” Rouge said with a grin.
“You have a glib tongue. Now, fetch my outer robe quickly. Madam Zhang is kind and good-natured, but we must not be late or show disrespect.”
Madam Zhang’s polo gatherings were famous throughout the capital. Young masters and ladies from every noble household were invited. She was generous and straightforward, caring little for formalities. Even singers and performers were allowed to attend, provided they behaved properly, which was why she was so well respected.
Once seated in the carriage, Lingyun lifted the curtain and gazed out at the scenery and the bustling life of the city.
On days of rest and leisure, the capital was filled with people and activity. The streets were constantly lively, and as night fell, the city became even more vibrant and exciting. She had never been able to enjoy such things in her previous life, but in this one, she intended to experience it all.
“What is happening?”
She had been enjoying the view of the crowded streets when the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
“Miss, there are soldiers ahead inspecting everyone. But we didn’t bring our official token with us!” Rouge said, sounding worried and disappointed.
These military men always followed orders strictly. Without the token, would they be turned away? What would happen to the polo match?
And what about the Young Duke’s attendant, who was waiting for her arrival?
“Maybe I should go back and fetch it!” Bao Yan suggested, looking ahead. More than twenty carriages were lined up in a queue. It would take ages to get through!
“Forget it. By the time you return, the match will be over,” Lingyun said.
She stepped down from the carriage. Sure enough, a long line of people and vehicles stretched ahead, guarded by a dense formation of soldiers. She was prone to travel sickness, sweet-food sickness, and now, it seemed, crowd sickness too.
“These are men from the Fifth Guard Battalion! That means… the Young Duke is here!”
The Fifth Guard Battalion consisted of five thousand elite soldiers, tasked specifically with protecting the Emperor whenever he left the palace. It was commanded by none other than Zhou Hongbai.
Just then, Zhou Hongbai rode over with a group of his personal guards. He caught sight of a figure in purple standing at the very end of the queue.
A beauty beyond compare rare to find in this world.
Amidst the crowd, she stood apart, graceful and untouched. And in all that multitude, he saw no one but her.
“What is the matter?” Zhou Hongbai dismounted and walked straight to Lingyun. When he saw the hairpin in her hair, a secret delight filled his heart. He recognized it perfectly it was the very one he had given her.
She wore it when she went out, which meant she cherished the gift he gave her. Clearly, her words that day about never leaving each other had been sincere.
“There are soldiers checking everyone ahead. We didn’t bring our identification token, so I’m afraid we won’t be allowed through,” she explained.
Hearing this, Zhou Hongbai reached for his waist, only to realize his own token was missing.
“It’s here with me. Have you forgotten you gave it to me before?” Lingyun stuck out her tongue, looking playful and mischievous.
Zhou Hongbai smiled, his eyes soft with affection. “Yun’er, no more mischief. Things have been unsettled lately outside. Where are you off to?”
“Madam Zhang’s polo gathering. Miss Gao is nervous about going alone, so she asked me to come along,” she replied honestly. There was no need to hide such things.
“Unsettled? Has something happened in or around the capital?” she asked curiously.
Zhou Hongbai raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, as if he were sharing a great secret.
She was clever enough to understand. Seeing his reaction, she stopped asking.
“I will send A Zhan to fetch you before dusk. From now on, whenever you go out, you must bring more attendants with you. Do you understand?”
“Very well.”
She returned to her carriage. Before long, they passed through the inspection without trouble. Truly, standing behind a great tree gives one shelter and shade.
“Yun’er! What took you so long? I have such an amusing story to tell you!”
Before she even saw her, she heard Gao Ruo’s voice ringing out.
“What is it? You know how crowded and busy it is here. You must be careful what you say,” Lingyun said, pulling her friend aside and lowering her voice.
“What is the matter? Why are you so anxious? You are not usually so cautious,” Lingyun added.
“Have you heard? Your academy has hired a new female tutor, isn’t that right?”
At this, Lingyun’s curiosity was immediately piqued. “Yes, that’s true. Why do you ask?”
“You haven’t heard the gossip yet, have you? There’s a newly promoted scholar named Zhang Yachu. It seems he has taken a fancy to her.” Gao Ruo pulled Lingyun further away from the crowd, wanting to be sure no one overheard her, otherwise she would never hear the end of it.
“If he likes her, then he should marry her. What is so funny or strange about that?” Lingyun already had a fair idea of what was coming, but she wanted to hear the rest.
“You don’t know the half of it! I’ve heard from several scholars who are friends with my brother that Zhang Yachu has a terrible reputation and character. If that fine, noble lady were to be matched with him, it would be a disgrace to her virtue and purity!”
“Fortunately, he has been courting her and paying her attention, but she has ignored him completely. But he is persistent. If he keeps at it like water dripping on stone, what if he manages to deceive her and win her over one day?”
Lingyun had expected Lin Yudie to make her move quickly, but not this quickly. In such a short time, she had already Zhang Yachu completely infatuated.
But then again, flies only target eggs with cracks, didn’t they? Such things were always a matter of mutual willingness.
“Wait why is the Young Duke here? I thought he never cared for these gatherings or polo matches!” Gao Ruo looked up and saw Zhou Hongbai riding toward them on a tall horse, sword at his side young, handsome, heroic, and radiating integrity.
“Miss Gao, look again. Do you really not see who is standing here?” Rouge said with a knowing smile.
Gao Ruo understood instantly.
“Rouge, I heard you are excellent at playing polo! Come quickly and teach me!”
She grabbed Rouge’s arm and dragged her away, giving Lingyun no chance to refuse or protest.
By the time Lingyun looked back around, Zhou Hongbai was already standing right in front of her.