Xu Ge nodded, and the four of them simultaneously mounted the horses brought over by the attendants.
As everyone expected, the match was already under Xu Ge’s control.
Scoring goal after goal, the two siblings from the Duke’s estate couldn’t withstand a single move under his command.
But… the situation on the field was exceptionally bizarre.
The invincible Lord Xu never passed the ball to his teammate, the eldest daughter of the Lin family. He even intercepted the ball she had snatched from under Le Ying’s mallet.
This was no teamwork at all—it was Xu Ge’s one-man show.
One could even say that Xu Ge, along with the two siblings from the Duke’s estate, was bullying the eldest daughter of the Lin family.
By the later stages of the match, Lin Yuwan’s horse had barely moved. She spent the entire time watching the other three gallop across the field.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she nearly broke down crying on horseback out of frustration. But for the sake of her pride, she held back, refusing to let a single tear fall.
“Scoundrel!!”
Seeing Xu Ge’s behavior, Emperor Wei slammed his palm on the table in fury, seething with anger.
Well, now there was no hope for a marriage alliance, and even the relationship with the Lin family had been strained.
He closed his eyes, unwilling to look at this troublemaker Xu Ge any longer.
“Clang!!”
The moment the incense burned out, the head referee waved his hand and struck the gong.
Looking at the scores on both sides of the field, he loudly announced the results.
Xu Ge had won with an overwhelming score!
“Hahahaha!!!” The first thing Le Ying did after dismounting was not to feel disappointed about losing the match but to walk toward Lin Yuwan’s position, laughing heartily.
“I thought you had truly caught Lord Xu’s eye. Turns out you were just pulled out by him to serve as an example to others.”
Le Ying threw her mallet to her younger brother, crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and looked mockingly at Lin Yuwan.
Among the two great young ladies of the imperial city, she, Le Ying, was a princess personally bestowed by the emperor. Yet, she had always been overshadowed by Lin Yuwan and constantly compared to her.
She had long disliked her, and after today’s events, the resentment that had built up in her heart over the years instantly dissipated.
The sound of hooves mixed with neighing came from nearby. The group looked over and saw Xu Ge gracefully dismounting from his horse.
Le Ying smiled, curtsied to Xu Ge, and said, “Thank you, Lord Xu. My brother and I accept our defeat wholeheartedly. Congratulations on winning the prize.”
With that, seeing Xu Ge nod, Le Ying felt completely at ease. She took her brother’s hand and left the Horse Racing Field, returning to her family’s shaded viewing platform.
Lin Yuwan, however, refused to leave. With teary eyes, she gazed pitifully at Xu Ge.
Just as Xu Ge was about to pass by her, she finally called out to him in defeat, “Lord Xu!”
Xu Ge stopped, turned around expressionlessly, and looked down at her with a questioning gaze.
Seeing that he showed no sign of remorse, Lin Yuwan’s anger and resentment grew even stronger.
When she spoke again, her voice trembled with tears, “Why didn’t you pass the ball to me? You even snatched the ball from under my mallet!”
Xu Ge paused for a moment. Instead of bending down to comfort the weeping beauty, he simply gave a calm answer, “On the field, only skill matters.”
With that, he paid no further attention to Lin Yuwan and walked toward the high platform where Emperor Wei was seated.
He wanted that seven-colored glazed cup. He felt that Tang Zhiwu would surely like it.
“Wah wah wah wah.” Lin Yuwan could no longer hold back, completely forgetting all the noble etiquette taught by her governess. Covering her eyes with her hands, she ran out of the Horse Racing Field.
Everyone who witnessed the entire scene from the shaded viewing platform erupted into another uproar.
Chirping and whispering, their gazes toward Xu Ge were now tinged with a layer of contempt.
As for the protagonist Xu Ge, seeing this, he merely smiled lightly, utterly at ease.
From today onward, the entire imperial city would once again be filled with rumors that Xu Ge, Commander of the Imperial Guards, bullied a weak woman and showed no chivalry.
This was exactly what he wanted.
He had no interest in any of these noble ladies. What he didn’t know was that his own empty heart had already unconsciously made room for a certain young girl.
With a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, Xu Ge quickly strode up to Emperor Wei, bowed, and then reached out to take the Seven-Colored Glazed Cup from the tray.
“You… you!!”
Emperor Wei couldn’t even form a complete sentence, raising his arm to point directly at Xu Ge.
Frustrated at his lack of improvement!
“If Minister Lin gives you trouble in the future, I won’t protect you anymore!” Emperor Wei angrily turned his head away, not wanting to look at Xu Ge for another moment.
Despite Emperor Wei’s words, Xu Ge remained expressionless and bowed again. “There won’t be such an opportunity.”
He wouldn’t give Minister Lin any chance to cause him trouble.
After saying this, he pointed to the lonely string of coral-red jade bracelets on the tray and instructed the eunuch, “Take these and deliver them to Minister Lin’s daughter.”
According to the rules, as his teammate, she also counted as having won the competition.
The eunuch hesitated uneasily, looking up at Emperor Wei as if awaiting his decree.
Only after seeing Emperor Wei support himself on the table with one hand and wave dismissively did the eunuch bow and carry the tray to Minister Lin’s residence.
It was getting late, and the originally planned banquet was canceled due to this commotion.
Everyone returned to their own homes, each to their own mothers.
This suited Xu Ge perfectly, as he was most annoyed by these old foxes gathering together to flatter each other at such hypocritical banquets.
After bowing to Emperor Wei, he took Ashu and galloped away on horseback, heading straight for Xu Manor.
“Go ahead. No one needs to guard Frost Chill Pavilion tonight.” Xu Ge, holding the brocade box containing the Seven-Colored Glazed Cup, turned to Ashu the moment he stepped into Xu Manor.
“Yes!”
Seeing his response, Xu Ge nodded in satisfaction, quickened his pace, and soon arrived inside Frost Chill Pavilion.
He closed the door, set down the brocade box in his hand, and only then reached out to open the small jeweled box that had been waiting quietly and obediently for him in the manor.
Sure enough, several more letters had appeared atop the jade pendant.
Unconsciously, the moment he saw these letters, a faint smile spread uncontrollably across his lips.
His entire cold, stern features softened in an instant.
As if clashing with his usual demeanor, this layer of soft light seemed photoshopped onto him, forcibly imposed upon his straight-backed posture.
Xu Ge’s fingertips were gentle as he eagerly unfolded the letter in his hand.
Tie Jun Sister: 【Jin Zhi!!! You’re amazing! From today on, you’re my idol!!】
Xu Ge lowered his gaze, pondering for a moment but still not understanding what “idol” meant.
But he didn’t want to be any idol of hers; he only wanted to meet her.
He took out the second letter.
Tie Jun Sister: “I have a full schedule of classes tomorrow, so I’ll rush to finish the PPT tonight. I’m absolutely confident I’ll take first place in the day-after-tomorrow’s project presentation!!”
Once again, it was vocabulary he didn’t understand. Xu Ge’s gaze steadily skipped over the preceding “PPT” and landed precisely on “take first place.”