Chapter 101: Hello Chang’an
.png)
"IF YOU LIKE THE TRANSLATIONS, CONSIDER SUPPORTING US ON PATREON."
**Chapter 101: The Greatest Sincerity**
A rematch?
Facing the gazes of everyone, Ming Luo nodded, “I also support General Cui’s proposal.”
Even though her subconscious was reluctant to align with someone else's thoughts, given the situation had escalated to this point, she needed to conclude today’s Polo match in a dignified manner. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain to the holy emperor.
She had always been clear about the distinction between public and private matters.
She had come today under the holy emperor’s orders, and seeing her nod, Qiao Yang and the others began to discuss the details of the rematch.
As soon as the word of a rematch spread, the atmosphere instantly grew lively again.
On the field, Cui Lang and the others approached Chang Suining.
Cui Lang said, “Lady Chang, we’re going to have to compete again!”
The boy with the surname Hu scratched his head, his honest smile mixed with a hint of distress. “This time, we won’t have someone like Lady Chang to help us out…”
Chang Suining replied, “I wasn’t here to help you compete in the first place.”
“Right, right,” Cui Lang whispered to his teammates, “Lady Chang is here to help us fight!”
Chang Suining responded with an “mm” and smiled, “I’ve already helped you drive them off; as for the competition, it will depend on you all.”
“Besides, you don’t need my help.” She looked at Cui Lang and the others, “This is your match; if you win, it’s yours, and no one can take it from you—not Chang Miao, and certainly not me.”
She could have been more clever about this, disguising herself as a man was something she was good at, and it wouldn’t have been difficult to deceive them.
But this was their match from the start; she never intended to truly participate, to overshadow them or take away their victory.
Besides avenging her brother Yubai, all she wanted was to reclaim justice for them.
And in today’s competition, the unfairness had not only affected the blue team; therefore, a rematch was a necessary part of her plan.
“Chang Miao tried to snatch it; thankfully, with Lady Chang’s help, he got thrown out!” The boy with the surname Hu mimicked throwing a punch.
“Lady Chang has already helped us win a lot today.” Xi Zhiyuan cupped his hands toward Chang Suining, a smile evident in his slightly upturned phoenix eyes. “This opportunity for a fair match is thanks to Lady Chang’s efforts.”
Chang Suining passed her Polo stick to him, saying, “Then compete fairly and win back the share for Brother Yubai.”
The three boys instinctively looked at the Polo stick being handed over by the girl.
As the sun shifted westward, compared to the fiery heat of noon, the sunlight now radiated a gentle warmth that embraced everything.
That afternoon sunlight fell on the Polo stick and also on the girl’s hand.
The hand holding the Polo stick was different from that of an ordinary girl; though fair-skinned, it bore many small scars, both new and old.
Xi Zhiyuan raised his hand, instinctively reaching for the Polo stick.
But Cui Lang got to it first.
“Lady Chang, don’t worry; we’ll fight well!” He didn’t dare to say too much while looking into her eyes. “But without brother Qiao, it might be tough to win…”
Chang Suining smiled nonchalantly, “Then I wish you good luck.”
To her, fairness was, in a sense, more important than winning or losing.
In youth, everyone needs some fair competition. Fairness is like a flame that can ignite youthful passion, allowing them to move forward with sincere courage in the future.
The other students who were to participate in the rematch re-entered the field.
As Chang Suining was leaving, she casually remarked, “I also wish you good luck; have a great match.”
Her tone was casual, but it sent a shiver down the spines of the students, with a few hurriedly nodding in response.
Of course, they had to do well; with Chang Miao's example right there, they couldn't afford to slack off…
“Lady Chang, remember to watch us!” Cui Lang shouted loudly at her back.
The other participating students: “…!”
Was that a warning or a threat!?
Was there no trust left among classmates? They were not Chang Miao!
Chang Suining indeed sat down in the pavilion to watch the match.
But just as she settled in, a crowd of young girls, led by Yao Xia, quickly surrounded her.
“Sister Chang, are you hurt?”
“Lady Chang, are you hot?”
“Lady Chang, you must be thirsty!”
“Sister Chang, let me massage your hand!”
“Or maybe I’m better at this; I often massage my mother’s shoulders at home.”
“…”
In that moment, Chang Suining felt surrounded by a fragrant aura, overwhelmed by the attention.
In the eyes of those surrounding her, there was admiration, respect, and a sense of relief.
Among these young girls, some had long followed Yao Xia, sticking to Chang Suining's side, while others had heard of Chang Suining's reputation for injuring Ming Jin at Duyun Temple but had not had the opportunity to meet her until now.
There were even those who were captivated by Qiao Yubai’s heroic demeanor on the field, feeling frustrated that such an outstanding gentleman from the Qiao family was bullied by Chang Miao. They wished they could roll up their sleeves and knock him down themselves—something they were unable to do, but Lady Chang had done it for them, actually knocking Chang Miao down!
How could they not love her?
Chang Suining was almost dizzy from the overwhelming praise coming at her from all sides.
The girls sat and stood around her, and the conversation inevitably drifted into various topics—
Yao Xia, the most well-informed among the beautiful young ladies in the capital, lightly poked a girl beside her and asked quietly, “Sun Qi, I heard your family is preparing to arrange a marriage for you with that Chang Miao?”
The girl with the surname Sun nodded, looking a bit embarrassed.
The girls immediately turned their attention to her.
“How can this be?”
“With such a character, how can he be worthy of Miss Sun Qi?”
“This is clearly a pit of fire and filth; Miss Sun Qi should explain this matter thoroughly to your family…”
“After this incident, who would even want someone like him!”
The girl nodded and said, “Don’t worry, this matter absolutely cannot go through.”
In reality, she had come here with her mother today to discreetly assess Chang Miao.
At first, when Chang Miao took the field, her mother praised him for his spirit and patiently encouraged her. But gradually, she saw her mother’s smile fade, becoming strained as if she had swallowed a fly.
In the end, she quietly asked her mother—should we keep watching?
Her mother maintained a polite smile but puzzledly replied—why hadn’t he been knocked out?
At this moment, another girl quietly spoke up, “The wife of the Chang family brought this up with my family not long ago…”
“What? So they’re casting a net here?”
“Would you dare to want such a gentleman?”
The girl who spoke shook her head vigorously.
If the others wouldn’t take him, she certainly wouldn’t!
Such a person could rot in a dung pit!
Thinking of it this way, Lady Chang could be seen as their benefactor, helping them avoid a disaster with her strength.
With this realization, the enthusiasm of the girls only grew.
On the other side, Wei Shuyi watched as the young ladies fetched water and massaged Chang Suining’s shoulders, and couldn’t help but sigh with Cui Jing, “Thank goodness Lady Chang isn’t a man; otherwise, even you and I would probably have to avoid her brilliance…”
Cui Jing silently sipped his tea. “No need to include me.”
Wei Shuyi pretended to think for a moment and said, “But today, General Cui certainly stole quite a bit of the spotlight; it’s truly rare—”
Cui Jing looked toward the field. “If Sir Wei doesn’t want to watch the Polo, you can leave at any time.”
“Watch? How could I not watch?” Wei Shuyi laughed, shaking his folding fan while looking at the competition, exclaiming, “This is what Polo should look like!”
At that moment, the two teams competing on the field were the red team and the blue team.
With the remaining time today, a full replay of the match from the beginning wasn’t possible. Though the main fault lay with Chang Miao, the other three members of the yellow team were not entirely innocent either; they had followed Chang Miao in maliciously injuring their classmates, and this behavior could not be tolerated.
As a result, the three were penalized and removed from the field, meaning the yellow team could no longer participate in the rematch.
The first match had seen them lose to Wen Zheng’s red team and subsequently to Qiao Yubai’s blue team, and since these were fair losses without any disputes, there was no need for a rematch. The students from those two teams had no objections.
Thus, the teams for the rematch were only three: the blue team, the red team, and the yellow team—these three had all faced off against the yellow team previously, with the first two having lost to Chang Miao, and the last one having been particularly memorable for losing to Wen Zheng.
However, what was surprising was that in this rematch, the standout player from the red team, Wen Zheng, did not appear; instead, other substitutes took his place.
The red team seemed determined to prove they could win without Wen Zheng, playing exceptionally hard, while the blue team was equally unwilling to waste the opportunity of the rematch.
On the field, both teams fought closely, and no unsportsmanlike conduct occurred; every ball was played with skill, breaking through layers of defense to reach the goal.
The students on the field were sweating profusely, and the spectators were equally excited, with cheers ringing out from the crowd.
In the end, the red team lost narrowly to the blue team.
As the four members of the red team left the field, someone approached them—it was Wen Zheng.
But before he could say a word, the leader of the group said, “We fought fair and square, and even if we lost, it was still refreshing!”
The youth seemed not to notice Wen Zheng, leading his teammates away without stopping.
Wen Zheng could only stand there, watching his teammates leave.
He hadn’t played in this match because his teammates didn’t allow him on the field; his brother Ziyun had coldly said the original words—who knows if his wrist hurt at the critical moment or not!
He was no longer trusted.
But this was what he deserved.
Wen Zheng's expression was melancholic, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a pleasant voice beside him: “Is Young Master Wen facing some difficulties?”
He turned to see a slender, frail-looking young man, and he couldn't help but feel puzzled—who was this person?
The young man's attendant reminded him, “My master is the heir to the Prince Rong.”
Wen Zheng was taken aback and quickly raised his hand in greeting, “I greet the Prince Rong’s heir.”
At this moment, most people were gathered around the competition, leaving this area relatively empty.
Prince Rong looked at him with admiration in his eyes. “Young Master Wen’s Polo skills are impressive.”
Wen Zheng forced a smile. “It's nothing worth mentioning…”
Prince Rong spoke in a casual tone, “If I remember correctly, your father serves as an assistant director in the Ministry of Works, and your superior is the esteemed Chang Daqing.”
Wen Zheng was momentarily stunned before nodding, “That’s right.”
It was precisely for this reason that he had not dared to refuse Chang Miao's blackmail a few days prior.
“Your actions today, Young Master Wen, are understandable,” Prince Rong said, not elaborating further. Instead, he smiled and invited, “Why don’t you stay and watch the match with us? It’s the last one, and it should be quite exciting.”
Wen Zheng felt a pang of shame, realizing that the match’s excitement came from fairness—something his actions had strayed far from, making it extremely shameful.
Unsure how to decline Prince Rong's invitation, he could only nod in agreement.
Soon, the final match began.
As the event progressed, the attendant by Prince Rong smiled and said, “It seems my master guessed wrong; perhaps the blue team will actually win.”
Prince Rong chuckled. “Indeed, I misjudged.”
Earlier, he had stated that Qiao Yubai’s character was too upright to defeat Chang Miao and his team.
But he hadn’t expected that someone would turn the situation around with such a seemingly crude yet comprehensive strategy—
Prince Rong looked toward the ladies' pavilion in the distance.
Wen Zheng instinctively followed his gaze.
“Boom—!”
As the crimson evening glow filled the sky, a drumbeat sounded, marking the end of today’s thrilling Polo match.
Ultimately, the blue team emerged victorious.
At the moment the results were announced, even though Cui Lang was already exhausted, he leaped up in excitement.
“Lady Chang, Lady Chang! We won!” he shouted in the direction of Chang Suining.
This match was also due to Lady Chang’s efforts!
Looking at the cheering youths on the field, Chang Suining smiled.
“Let’s go.” She stood up and said to Xi’er, “It’s time to change and head back.”
Xi’er nodded, her face beaming with pride.
Seeing Chang Suining’s figure leave the lively scene with grace, combined with the overwhelming joy of this hard-won victory, Cui Lang felt a rush of emotion, nearly tearing up.
He took the long box that contained the former prince's Polo staff and ran to Cui Jing.
“Elder brother…” he said, excitement and nervousness mixing in his voice, struggling to find words for a moment before finally managing, “I won this!”
For the first time, he had earned something respectable with his own abilities!
Cui Lang held the long box out in front of Cui Jing. “I know you have always respected and admired His Former Highness… please accept this as a gift.”
Cui Jing looked at the long box. “You didn’t earn this all on your own—”
Cui Lang waved dismissively. “It’s fine; they wouldn’t dare not listen to me!”
Cui Jing raised an eyebrow at him.
Realizing he had shown his spoiled side again, Cui Lang quickly shrank back, awkwardly chuckling, “…Then I’ll go discuss it with them.”
“No need; there’s no lack of His Former Highness’s possessions at Xuanzhe Manor,” Cui Jing replied. “You can keep this as a memento of today’s hard work.”
Cui Lang reluctantly took the box back.
Cui Yuanxiang quietly observed this Sixth Young Master and inexplicably thought of the cat that the General kept at Xuanzhe Manor, recalling a day when the cat brought a big rat to the General, only to be thrown out along with the rat.
At this moment, Cui Jing said, “You played well in today’s Polo match.”
Cui Lang was momentarily stunned before bursting with joy.
This was the first time he had received praise from his elder brother since they met!
The faint disappointment of not being able to offer a gift disappeared entirely, and emboldened by this encouragement, he said, “Make sure to attend the celebration banquet at Tai Tower in three days if you’re free!”
He lowered his voice, adding, “Don’t worry, I swear I won’t invite our father!”
Cui Jing: “…”
It had to be said; there was no greater sincerity than this!
Good night, everyone~
(End of this chapter)
►►CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE CHAPTERS◄◄
Comments
Post a Comment