Chapter 19

Chapter 19

All the guests who had come to congratulate had gathered, and one by one, they presented their gifts for the young county princess's full moon celebration.

As the banquet neared its end, the young county princess was taken away by her wet nurse for care. The weather being perfect, someone suggested playing polo.

Fortunately, the Xian Guogong Mansion had a polo field within its grounds, accessible through a side gate on the west corner of the mansion. It was just a short walk away.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess readily agreed.

Most of the guests were young men and women, and polo was indeed an excellent pastime, far more interesting than dozing off during an afternoon opera.

Crown Princess Helan Mingyue, having just given birth and finished her confinement, did not participate. Consequently, the other noble ladies also refrained from joining in. The young men present drew lots to form two teams.

Pei Jing and the Crown Prince ended up on different teams.

While everyone else was selecting horses and preparing for the game, the Crown Prince walked over to Pei Jing, gesturing for him to step aside.

"Brother Jing, this time, I won't let you win again," the Crown Prince said, raising his chin. He still preferred to call Pei Jing by this familial term in private.

Pei Jing gave a faint smile, asking casually, "What is it, Your Highness?"

There were few people around the polo field, allowing the Crown Prince a rare opportunity to chat with Pei Jing about ordinary matters.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Brother Jing, do you and your wife also behave very formally with each other in private?"

Caught off guard by the question about Yu Qizhi, Pei Jing paused before responding, "Why do you ask?"

A hint of confusion appeared on the Crown Prince's handsome face:

"Sometimes, I feel that Jiaojiao treats me too politely. I wonder if she still sees me as a child."

Helan Mingyue was five years older than the Crown Prince. She was personally chosen by Empress Meng as the Crown Prince's consort shortly after his birth.

"Ever since our daughter Sui was born, I always feel that she pays more attention to the child than to me."

Pei Jing had known Helan Mingyue since childhood, and the Crown Prince inadvertently shared more with him.

"Sometimes, I can't tell whether the Crown Princess truly likes me or if she simply enjoys taking care of others."

"I don't know what the Crown Princess thinks," Pei Jing replied emotionlessly after listening to the Crown Prince's concerns:

"But I believe Your Highness shouldn't think like that about her."

"You're right." The Crown Prince realized his mistake and felt embarrassed for doubting his wife: "I was wrong to think that way."

"Speaking of which, Brother Jing, it's almost been a year since your marriage," the Crown Prince changed the subject, teasing Pei Jing: "When will we get to celebrate the full moon of your child? It should be soon, right?"

Thinking of Yu Qizhi's delicate physique, Pei Jing found it hard to imagine her pregnant. He smiled slightly: "No rush."

If Yu Qizhi were really pregnant...

He imagined her gently placing her hand on her slightly swollen belly, smiling warmly at him. Pei Jing's expression softened involuntarily.

Their child?

Perhaps having a child wouldn't be such a bad idea?

...

On the spectator stands, the noble ladies frequently glanced at Yu Qizhi, their gazes filled with scrutiny and anticipation.

Feeling uncomfortable but unsure why, Yu Qizhi tried to ignore them.

The polo match began quickly, and Crown Princess Helan Mingyue invited Yu Qizhi to sit beside her.

On the field, the Crown Prince played fiercely to win, much like a peacock showing off its feathers, constantly looking towards the stands where the Crown Princess sat.

"The Crown Prince might find it hard to win this match."

Noticing Yu Qizhi's unease and distraction, Helan Mingyue tried to reassure her. She started a conversation, recalling a memory:

"When we were younger, Commander Pei was already a cold-hearted young man. Once, Pei Jing defeated the Fourth Prince so badly that he cried when he returned to the palace, according to the Crown Prince."

Despite saying this, Helan Mingyue's gaze remained fixed on the Crown Prince.

It was clear that the Crown Princess held deep affection for the Crown Prince. When he scored a goal, breaking the tie, Helan Mingyue couldn't help but quietly cheer for him.

Seeing the Crown Princess applaud, the noble ladies nearby joined in, clapping for the Crown Prince's team.

The Crown Prince, noticing Helan Mingyue's reaction, smiled broadly, revealing a touch of youthful exuberance.

Everyone understood that the Crown Prince's efforts on the field were clearly aimed at pleasing the Crown Princess.

Yu Qizhi watched the interaction between Helan Mingyue and the young Crown Prince, finding it amusing. She smiled and joined in the applause.

When Yu Qizhi smiled, dimples formed at the corners of her lips. During a break in the game, Pei Jing reined in his horse, his gaze fixed on one spot in the stands—

Under the warm spring sunlight, Yu Qizhi was smiling gently, turning her head to look at Helan Mingyue and the Crown Prince on the field.

For a moment, Pei Jing felt a twinge of displeasure.

The sunlight illuminated Yu Qizhi's fair and beautiful profile, reflecting the warmth in her eyes, which quickly dispelled his fleeting annoyance.

Indeed, Yu Qizhi looked most beautiful when she smiled.

At the end of the match, the scores of both teams remained neck and neck.

In the final moments, someone passed the painted ball to Pei Jing. Everyone held their breath, anticipating the outcome, guessing that the Crown Prince was likely going to lose today.

In the next instant, the lacquered ball spun swiftly under Pei Jing's mallet, grazing the goalpost and missing its mark.

The Crown Prince emerged victorious.

The Crown Prince left the field, collected his prize, and walked straight toward Helan Mingyue in the stands, surrounded by guests who cheered him on good-naturedly.

More people gradually gathered around, congratulating the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. Yu Qizhi tactfully stepped back.

On the other side of the stands, seeing Pei Jing leading his horse off the field, Princess Xiangle quickly gave Jiang Luoyi a meaningful look.

...

Pei Jing was invited to a private room by someone sent by Princess Xiangle.

Pei Jing glanced at the door closing behind him, then unsurprisingly saw Jiang Luoyi inside, her expression flickering.

His own expression remained unchanged. Perfect, he had something to ask her alone.

Seeing the door close, Jiang Luoyi guessed that Princess Xiangle's people were guarding outside. She felt reassured.

Knowing now that Pei Jing still harbored feelings for her, she approached with more confidence and familiarity, taking his hand, her eyes welling with tears:

"A Jing, after returning to Chang'an these past few days, I've still been afraid..."

Before Jiang Luoyi could finish, her hand was pulled away.

"Scared."

Pei Jing withdrew his hand without showing any emotion, as if pondering those words, they rolled slowly off his lips.

"Madam Jiang, you should be scared." He smiled slightly.

"A Jing, what do you mean by that?" Jiang Luoyi was momentarily stunned.

"Jiang Luoyi, did General Jin really die in battle at the border?"

Pei Jing took a step closer, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing, exuding an oppressive presence typical of someone in authority.

Jiang Luoyi almost forgot that Pei Jing had risen from the Emperor's personal guard to the commander of North Yard not just because of his family background but also due to his ruthless methods.

When Pei Jing deliberately questioned someone, Jiang Luoyi instinctively averted her gaze and took half a step back.

Her reaction was exactly what Pei Jing expected.

She clearly knew something, but she couldn't or dared not speak.

"A Jing, when you were younger... you used to call me Sister Jiang," Jiang Luoyi tried to hide her unease and changed the subject.

Their Jiang family had once been glorious. They had produced a queen, and Jiang Luoyi's great-grandfather was a respected minister of the previous dynasty.

During the reign of the late emperor, her great-grandfather was highly valued, but after the new emperor ascended, their opinions often clashed, displeasing the throne.

The current emperor, out of respect for the late emperor, allowed Jiang Luoyi's great-grandfather to retire honorably, but the younger generation of the Jiang family never received the emperor's favor, and the family lost its former glory.

Years ago, the emperor personally arranged the marriage between Jiang Luoyi and the eldest son of the Jin family, who was rising in the military, partly to appease them.

For Jiang Luoyi, it was an opportunity to revive her family's status.

A bitter taste rose in Jiang Luoyi's heart.

If not for her family, she wouldn't have been drawn into this hidden struggle.

Facing Pei Jing's cold gaze, Jiang Luoyi understood that reminiscing about the past would be futile.

So she had another idea. Looking at Pei Jing, she decided to speak:

"Yes, regarding General Jin, I do... know something."

...

Today, the Xiangguo Duke's residence hosted a grand banquet, filled with distinguished guests. The polo field beside the residence and within the compound bustled with guests and servants.

After the polo match, some familiar guests gathered to chat, while others continued practicing their skills on the field, driven by lingering dissatisfaction.

There were also young couples exchanging glances amidst the crowd.

Yu Qizhi avoided the guests conversing with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, enjoying the gentle breeze as she walked along the lakeside path.

Despite the bustling crowd, everything was orderly and well-managed.

However, for some reason, a maid dressed woman walked directly toward her. If Yu Qizhi hadn't moved aside, the maid would have bumped into her.

This path was wide enough, yet Yu Qizhi felt puzzled as something was suddenly pressed into her hand.

Instinctively looking down, she saw a thin slip of paper.

Unfolding it—

Yu Qizhi's breath caught, and her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

As if unable to believe her eyes, she stared at the note repeatedly.

The note contained a simple sketch, a pattern she could never forget.

Back then, Feng Qingling had taught her how to write, and the first thing she learned was how to write her name and his.

Feng Qingling wrote Yu Qizhi's name alongside his own, as if the moment she closed her eyes, Brother Ling's warm voice would ring in her ears.

Ying, water on the left, Ling, ice on the bottom.

He said that the two of them would be together forever.

Yu Qizhi hurriedly took two steps forward; she had never felt such urgency to immediately find the person who had just handed her the note.

But today, the Xian Duke's residence was bustling with carriages and horses, and there were many guests and attendants celebrating. The person from before vanished into the crowd in an instant.

"Mrs. Yu, shall we chat?"

Amidst Yu Qizhi's turmoil, a gentle female voice spoke to her from beside.

"Mrs. Yu?"

Seeing that Yu Qizhi did not respond, Jiang Luoyi thought she hadn't heard and slightly raised her voice to call again.