CHAPTER 020
Noontime, under a brilliant blue sky with fluffy white clouds, the sun's rays shone brightly.
Guozijian's back mountain, Martial Arts Training Ground.
This expansive area, with clear sightlines, featured shaded trees around the perimeter and distinct zones within the training ground. The facility was well-equipped, providing all the necessary resources for martial arts lessons, including horse riding and archery training.
Originally, this martial arts training ground was a place for the city's army to train and practice. Later, the Empress, in her commitment to cultivating well-rounded talents in both civil and martial arts, commissioned the construction of this new facility specifically for students to practice.
The class had already dismissed, and most had gone to the dining hall, leaving only a few diligent female students and martial arts instructors continuing to hone their skills.
In the past, the training ground hosted student martial arts competitions, where all the students, male and female, would come to watch. Thus, Sheng Qingzi was very familiar with the layout as he entered the outer perimeter, glancing toward the eastern horse track.
A group of instructors and students galloped freely across the track, exuding a sense of carefree abandon. The horses raced at full speed, their four hooves soaring through the air like wind and lightning.
"Silver saddle on a white horse, galloping like a shooting star,"[1] Sheng Qingzi murmured to himself, his eager gaze tinged with a trace of melancholy. He knew that as a man, the freedom and abandonment of galloping on horseback was something he could never experience in his lifetime.
Just then, the sound of approaching hooves reached his ears, and a powerful white horse with strong limbs swiftly galloped past.
“Whoa—” Liu Lan effortlessly pulled on the reins, slowing the horse's pace to avoid kicking up too much dust. She then smiled leisurely and said, "Isn't this Scholar Sheng? What brings you to the martial arts training ground today?"
Sheng Qingzi turned to face her. Dressed in a well-fitted black outfit, she glowed in the spring sunlight, her posture graceful. Her hair was tied high in a ponytail, the strands dancing in the wind, showcasing her heroic demeanor.
Compared to before, today her pure and exquisite features exuded a light and ethereal aura, especially her cold and unruly eyes that carried a proud, commanding presence. However, riding on the white horse, her face radiated a dazzling smile, causing Sheng Qingzi’s heart to skip a beat as he instinctively looked away.
Noticing his flustered reaction, Liu Lan raised an eyebrow, studying him closely. His complexion was fair and delicate, his skin smooth and pale, his demeanor somewhat innocent. She couldn’t help but let a playful smile curve her lips.
In the next moment, she swiftly leaned down, scooped him up, and placed him on the horse in front of her, positioning him to face forward. Then, with a quick squeeze of her legs, she commanded, "Little one, go!"
At her command, the horse immediately picked up speed, kicking up a trail of dust as it bolted forward.
"Ah!" Sheng Qingzi, caught off guard, let out a startled cry. Though he had always wanted to ride, he had never done so before. The intense jolting of his first time on horseback terrified him, and he shouted in a mix of fear and anger, "What are you doing? Let me down! This is Guozijian!"
Riding on the same horse with her in Guozijian was likely to cause misunderstandings, not to mention the negative impact it might have on the students' perceptions.
Sensing his panic and concern, Liu Lan slightly slowed the horse's pace and laughed, "Scholar Sheng, rest assured. This young general has been riding since childhood, having fought and raced across the battlefield with my mother for many years. My horsemanship won't let you fall. Besides, what if it's Guozijian? Once we're on horseback, it's up to me to call the shots!"
Her tone became particularly carefree and unruly in the latter half, full of the reckless confidence of youth, unafraid and undaunted.
Sheng Qingzi’s long lashes quivered—this was the first time he had seen Liu Shau general like this. The world knew her as the carefree and debonair heir to the family, or in harsher terms, a libertine who left traces of affection wherever she went in the capital.
But they all overlooked her other identity—she was General Liu, one of the soldiers who defended the northern borders of Huabei, safeguarding the nation with her very flesh and blood. Today, the Great Yuan Dynasty enjoyed peace and prosperity, with the mountains and rivers intact, thanks to her contributions.
Perhaps he should reconsider his view of her?
Liu Lan tightened her grip on the reins, pulling him closer into her embrace, and teasingly whispered into his ear, "Afraid? Don’t worry, I’m right behind you!"
Sheng Qingzi snapped out of his thoughts, his ears turning red as he realized how close she had come. He couldn’t dismount now, so he leaned forward, trying to put some distance between them, embarrassed and flustered.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Lan grinned wickedly. She hadn’t expected him to be so sensitive! Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she urged the horse on, “Hyah—”
The galloping horse picked up speed once more, the wind howling in Sheng Qingzi’s ears. His body, shaken by the jolting, instinctively recoiled backward, only to land securely in Liu Lan’s arms. She chuckled, “How do you like riding?”
“You…” Sheng Qingzi was too stunned to speak, realizing that she had done this on purpose. Frustrated, he suddenly remembered the reason for his visit and urgently said, “Stop! I need to talk to you, General Liu!”
Hearing that he had something important to say, Liu Lan slowed the horse down again but didn’t plan to let him dismount. She leaned in close to his ear and asked in an intentionally suggestive tone, “What is it?”
She swallowed deeply, her eyes growing darker as her intense gaze lingered on the now-flushed tips of his ears. She was tempted to lightly nibble them.
The breathy voice in his ear sent a warm sensation down his neck. Sheng Qingzi instinctively turned away, his face flushing as he continued, “Scholar Lu was taken to the Punishment Hall by Supervisor.”
“Ah, so you came to find me because of Scholar Lu,” Liu Lan’s eyes narrowed slightly, her tone laced with an unclear emotion, drawing out the words.
Sheng Qingzi felt a sudden pang of guilt, hesitantly responding, “General Liu, as a close friend of Scholar Lu, surely you would help her.”
Liu Lan raised an eyebrow slightly, lowering her voice as she replied, “So concerned about Scholar Lu? You came all the way here to ask me to help her?” Seeing him fall silent and blush, she added deliberately, “But do you know why she was taken to the Punishment Hall?”
Sheng Qingzi’s long eyelashes trembled slightly; in truth, he didn’t know why she was taken there. Seeing Scholar Lu being escorted to the Punishment Hall had prompted him to immediately seek her out.
“It’s because of the Young Prince Su,” Liu Lan’s lips curved upward in a meaningful smile.
The mention of the Young Prince Su seemed to touch on something deep within Sheng Qingzi, making him freeze.
Noticing his reaction, Liu Lan nonchalantly withdrew her gaze and continued, “She was carrying the Young Prince Su through the academy. With so many male and female students coming and going, who else would the Supervisor take issue with if not her? Besides, Scholar Sheng, you should be more familiar with Guozijian’s rules than I am, especially as a teacher. I don’t need to tell you how this might affect others, do I?”
She had indeed witnessed this firsthand. Upon leaving the Martial Hall earlier, she had seen Scholar Lu rushing to the medical center with the Young Prince Su in her arms.
But what puzzled her was that the two of them had been fine last night, so how had the Young Prince Su fallen ill today? Moreover, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something unusual had occurred between them the night before. She had been planning to ask her dear sister about it anyway.
Liu Lan said, “You don’t understand her. Knowing Scholar Lu as I do, if she had really made a mistake, she would willingly accept punishment. So even if I were to go, it wouldn’t make a difference.”
Sheng Qingzi lowered his lashes, no longer engaging with her. Guozijian, though it had separate male and female academies, enforced strict regulations, especially regarding interactions between men and women. Such boundaries were meticulously upheld, especially between students and teachers.
So, what exactly was the relationship between Scholar Lu and the Young Prince Su? Teacher and student? Or perhaps…
***
Author’s Note:
[1] "Silver saddle on a white horse, galloping like a shooting star" is a quote from Li Bai’s poem "The Song of the Knight" from the Tang Dynasty.
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