Princess Qinghua spotted Mudan immediately, showing no surprise. She smiled sweetly, “What a coincidence, Danzhu! It’s been a while. How have you been? I’ve been worried about you since the Lantern Festival, fearing something might have happened to you. Seeing you in such good spirits puts my mind at ease.”
Mudan guessed that Qinghua had probably seen her when riding by earlier and would have sought her out no matter how she tried to hide. Since there was no avoiding it, she decided to face it head-on and see what Qinghua was up to. She smiled faintly, “Thanks to Your Highness’s blessings, I’m doing very well.”
Qinghua’s eyes darted around as she said with feigned shyness, “A few days ago, I visited the Grand Princess. She asked about you and told me I had mistreated you and should offer some compensation at least. What would you like? Just tell me, don’t be shy.”
Mudan felt nauseous. What did she want? She wanted Qinghua and Liu Chang, these two nauseating people, to never appear before her again. “Your Highness is too kind. I should be the one thanking you both for helping me achieve my wishes and allowing me to live the quiet, carefree life I have now.”
Qinghua’s attempt at showing off had failed, and she’d been subtly rebuffed. She felt slightly uncomfortable but could find nothing in Mudan’s words to criticize. Moreover, she was indeed in a good mood, with a long-held wish about to be fulfilled, having just exacted a small revenge, and with a country bumpkin waiting for her to deal with. There would be plenty of time in the future, so she didn’t bother to argue with Mudan. She smiled, “I was just telling the ladies that we’re going to play polo at a nearby estate. We’re now short a few people as one of ours is injured and two have left. Since these ladies are all quite skilled, and I’m a gracious host, why don’t we all go play together? What do you think?”
Mudan felt alarm bells ringing in her head. She put on a troubled expression and looked towards Li Man, “I can barely ride a horse, let alone play polo…”
Polo was a dangerous activity, mostly played by men. Most women either rode donkeys or played on foot. If she went and was forced to play, wouldn’t she be risking her life for nothing?
Li Man understood the situation. She gave Mudan a reassuring look and smiled, “Thank you for your kind invitation, Your Highness. Our group has both old and young members. We can manage leisurely rides for fun, but if we were to play polo, I’m afraid we’d make fools of ourselves. It’s not just about being laughed at, but we might spoil everyone’s enjoyment.”
Qinghua laughed, “Who says so? As far as I know, there are many skilled women in the military, some even daring to challenge men. Madam, are you refusing because you look down on us? Do you think we’re not worthy?”
At this point, Li Man and Madam Dou exchanged glances, realizing they couldn’t escape today.
Although Li Man secretly regretted getting involved in saving the fallen woman, she had never been one to shy away from challenges. She laughed heartily, “Your Highness’s words make me feel ashamed. If you’re referring to military women, then count me in!” She deftly excluded Mudan from the situation.
Madam Dou also said, “Count me in too.” The others laughed, with Madam Huang cracking her knuckles, “It’s been so long since I’ve held a polo stick, my hands are itching for it.”
Qinghua didn’t dwell on whether Mudan would participate or not. She turned to Mudan and smiled, “Danzhu, if you don’t come this time, you might never get to see such a grand event again. Don’t refuse.” She meant to mock Mudan for being expelled from that circle with no hope of return. Seeing no reaction from Mudan, she inwardly cursed her as a blockhead. After a pause, she looked at Mudan provocatively, “Come to think of it, I invited you long ago to a banquet where I would apologize to Lord Jiang. Do you remember? It’s today.” She saw worry finally appear on Mudan’s face, and Mudan no longer insisted on not going.
Everyone quickly packed up their things and followed Qinghua’s group. Some in Qinghua’s party who recognized Mudan kept stealing glances at her, showing pity or sighing, but Mudan ignored them all. From the occasional chatter she overheard, Mudan learned that the person who had clashed with Qinghua was Princess Xingkang, the daughter of Prince Wu, and the fallen rider was Xingkang’s cousin, not a member of the imperial clan. Though the details of their grudge were unclear, it certainly reeked of Qinghua’s revenge and scheming.
Mudan pondered silently. The land her eldest brother wanted her to look at was in this area, and so was Qinghua’s estate. There might be many opportunities for conflict in the future. To reduce trouble, she was starting to think it might be better not to want this piece of land.
Seeing Mudan lost in thought, Li Man seized a moment to come closer and whisper, “Don’t be afraid. Since I brought you out, I’ll make sure you return safely no matter what. I’ve spoken with Madam Dou. Later, just stick close to Snow Lady and don’t wander off. As long as we’re careful enough, she won’t dare to go too far.”
Mudan nodded in agreement, “I’m a bit worried about Lord Jiang. Today’s events are likely aimed at him.” She might just be a bystander. Qinghua’s logic was probably similar to Liu Chang’s – where one falls, one must rise again. Since she had been humiliated in front of Mudan before, today she would surely want Jiang Changyang to be humiliated in front of Mudan. Of course, there was another possibility…