As Jiang Changyang was escorted upstairs by the crowd and seated beside the Prince of Fen, who enthusiastically poured him wine while showering him with praise, Princess Qinghua’s face darkened. She had hoped to humiliate Jiang Changyang in front of the nobility, but instead, he was given a chance to shine. Grinding her teeth, she frowned, thinking she needed to devise another plan.
Nearby, Pan Rong’s laughter rang out as she demanded that people fulfill their earlier promises: “Didn’t you say Jiang Dalang couldn’t do it? You lost! Give me what you owe. I told you he was impressive.”
Princess Qinghua silently seethed, finding Pan Rong utterly detestable. She glared fiercely, only to meet Liu Chang’s gaze. Before she could react, Liu Chang smiled faintly and beckoned her over.
With a hint of excitement, Princess Qinghua approached slowly, chin raised haughtily. “What do you want?”
Liu Chang suppressed his disgust and said coolly, “Nothing much. I just wanted to remind you that since you’ve invited the Prince of Fen, it would be unwise to spoil his enjoyment. If you find my words superfluous, feel free to ignore them.”
Princess Qinghua snorted but knew he spoke sense. Recalling yesterday’s events and determined to make him uncomfortable, she pointed across the room. “See over there? I’ve invited a special guest today.”
Liu Chang’s heart skipped a beat as he looked up to see Mudan sitting gracefully opposite them. Forcing himself to remain calm, he coldly replied, “Why did you bring her here? Haven’t I been disgusted enough? Do you want everyone here to despise and mock me again?”
Princess Qinghua stared intently at him, trying to discern his true feelings. However, Liu Chang’s face showed only contempt and disdain. She smiled slightly, “Who knows who’ll be laughing in the end? A sparrow daring to become a phoenix—this is the result.”
“How tedious,” Liu Chang drawled lazily, leaning on the table. “Do as you please, just don’t cause trouble. Otherwise, public opinion will turn against us both. She’s irrelevant—why keep parading her in front of me?”
Hearing this, Princess Qinghua’s mood finally improved. She tugged Liu Chang’s sleeve playfully, “I recently acquired an exquisite wine vessel. Come to my chambers tonight?”
Liu Chang replied cheerfully, “Hmm, alright. But I don’t want to see anyone else there.”
Princess Qinghua understood his implication and thought to herself that he was already jealous before even arriving. She smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of that. Will you join the polo match later? I’ve prepared a horse and mallet for you.”
Liu Chang raised an eyebrow, finally showing a hint of a smile. “Of course, I’ll play. Will Jiang Dalang participate? Or will it be the usual arrangement—your cousins on one team, and the rest of us on another?”
Princess Qinghua replied, “I’ll go check.” She returned shortly with a pout, “After Jiang Dalang’s display earlier, it’s clear he’s a polo expert. Who would dare challenge him now? My brothers were just trying to convince him not to play. My great-uncle also wants to keep him for conversation, so he probably won’t participate.” She lowered her voice, smiling, “This is your chance to shine.”
Liu Chang raised an eyebrow, saying disdainfully, “He may be skilled at striking coins while riding, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to aerial ball control. Your brothers are being petty. Go keep your great-uncle company.”
Princess Qinghua laughed, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to attend to him properly.” They exchanged knowing smiles, finally regaining their former rapport.
The people on the western balcony were clearly of lower status than those on the eastern side and knew less about the situation. Some recognized Jiang Changyang and could call out his name but couldn’t explain his background. Mudan listened intently for a while but, unable to glean any useful information, returned her attention to the food before her.
Suddenly, Madam Dou asked, “Danniang, where’s Xueniang?” Only then did Mudan notice that Xueniang, who had been sitting beside her, was gone. Madam Dou grew anxious, “That girl is so thoughtless. Where could she have run off to? What if she offends someone important?”
Just then, Xueniang returned, her face flushed with excitement. She placed a copper coin on the table with a clatter, grinning, “Look! This is the coin that flew through the goal earlier. I just paid a groom one qian to retrieve it for me.”
Madam Dou pinched her cheek, unable to bring herself to scold the girl.
Li Manniang picked up the coin to examine it closely. Noticing that the edge had been deformed, she sighed, “I haven’t seen this skill since my time at the Anbei Protectorate many years ago. After that person died, I thought I’d never see it again. Who would have thought I’d witness it once more today?” She turned to Mudan and asked, “Since you’re acquainted with him, do you know which family he’s from?”
Mudan shook her head, “I don’t know. But I assume he’s not from a common background.”
Li Manniang sighed a bit longer before dropping the subject. Soon after, someone brought polo uniforms, announcing that the men would play first, followed by the women, and asked Li Manniang and the others to prepare. Mudan worried that Li Manniang might unwittingly save someone Princess Qinghua wanted to harm, but Li Manniang laughed, “There’s no need to worry. She’s no match for me.”
Madam Dou nudged her, “You’re being rude again.”
Li Manniang smiled, unconcerned, “We all know each other well. Why put on airs?”
Before long, the men changed into red and green polo uniforms and mounted their horses. The red team consisted of imperial clan members, while the green team comprised nobles. As the two teams lined up on opposite sides of the field, Princess Qinghua stood on the balcony and announced loudly, “Today’s prize is twenty bolts of colored silk and twenty thousand coins.” She paused, adding with pride, “The victor will receive an additional reward from His Highness, the Prince of Fen.”
A man in white quickly stepped forward and placed a ball no larger than a fist in the center of the field. At the sound of a drum, both teams charged forward with determination, swinging their mallets toward the small ball. The spectators, both men and women, cheered enthusiastically, bringing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.
On the polo field, status meant nothing. Liu Chang and Pan Rong emerged as the leaders of the noble team, guiding their teammates in swift, lightning-like maneuvers. However, the imperial clan members were no pushovers, and in the flurry of swinging mallets, players on both sides suffered minor injuries. Mudan watched with clenched fists, remembering how she had heard about a duke’s son losing an eye to a mallet hook when she first arrived, and shortly after, a general falling to his death. Though the sport was exciting to watch, she couldn’t help but see it as a bloody affair.
Cheers erupted one after another as the teams battled fiercely. Through their combined efforts, Liu Chang finally managed to strike the ball, sending it like a shooting star through the goal. Princess Qinghua cheered proudly. Liu Chang smirked confidently, unable to resist glancing at Mudan to see if she had witnessed his heroic moment. Before he could get a clear look, one of Princess Qinghua’s cousins, face grim, swung his mallet at Liu Chang, forcing him to quickly duck to avoid the blow. Pan Rong, greatly displeased, shouted, “Focus on the game! Do you have a death wish?” Liu Chang regained his composure and concentrated on following the action.
As the polo match reached its peak of excitement, another commotion arose outside the field. Princess Xingkang, the cousin whom Princess Qinghua had caused to fall from her horse, arrived with five or six noble ladies of the imperial clan. With a gloomy expression and an imposing aura, they ascended the stairs. Upon seeing the Prince of Fen, Princess Xingkang first approached with a smile to pay her respects, then turned to Princess Qinghua with a cold smile. “I’m glad we made it in time. We haven’t missed the opportunity to test our skills against you, Eighth Sister.”
Sensing the hostility, Princess Qinghua felt a pang of fear at the sight of Princess Xingkang’s return with a group of troublesome nobles she didn’t get along with. Still, she maintained a smile and said, “Eleventh Sister, you’re not upset with me anymore? How is Sister Liu Yun’s injury? I’ve been so worried about her.”
Princess Xingkang replied with a casual smile, “Her leg is broken, one arm is fractured, and her body is covered in injuries. She hasn’t regained consciousness yet. I’d say she’s barely clinging to life. Sigh, her luck is truly terrible. On her first outing with me, such a disaster occurred. My royal mother won’t forgive me easily; I dare not even return home.”
Seeing the frightening smile on Princess Xingkang’s face, Princess Qinghua felt a chill run through her. She instinctively knew she couldn’t play polo against Xingkang today. Hurriedly, she said, “I don’t know what went wrong that day, causing such an unfortunate accident. As soon as we’re done here, I’ll bring some people to visit her. We have an excellent doctor for external injuries in our household, along with some effective medicines. I—”
Princess Xingkang coldly cut her off, “Thank you for your concern, Eighth Sister. But that’s a matter for later. The polo match is more pressing now. My sisters have specifically canceled other engagements to join in the excitement. Surely you won’t send us away like this? Eighth Sister, it’s been a long time since we’ve competed. I’ve been dreaming of this moment. Will you join us?”
Princess Qinghua glanced at the group of women eyeing her like tigers stalking their prey and couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “Of course, I’ll play. It’s been a while since I’ve played with you all.” She knew they weren’t the only ones who could form alliances, and she had her companions. Moreover, she was confident in her horsemanship and polo skills. She was determined to win this match at all costs. Her gaze shifted to Li Manniang on the opposite balcony, realizing she needed to secure Li Manniang and her group on her side first. Li Manniang’s exceptional horsemanship was one reason, and in case something unfortunate were to happen, she would need someone to take the blame.
Meanwhile, Mudan and the others had noticed the unusual commotion. Both Li Manniang and Madam Dou, being worldly-wise, immediately sensed that they could no longer stay, and even if they did, they absolutely couldn’t get involved in the feuds among these noble ladies of the imperial clan. The question was, how could they gracefully exit? Before Li Manniang and Madam Dou could come up with a solution, Mudan was already holding her forehead, saying, “Aunt, I’m feeling dizzy. I’m afraid my illness is acting up again.”