Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Fifty-Second Return

The pastries didn't make it to Lian Cheng's mouth, but the invitation to the polo match did arrive at Penglai Pavilion.

Yun Jie'er, from Eldest Brother Lian Feng's household, was ill again, so he stayed home to care for her and wouldn't be joining them; Second Brother Lian Ying, meanwhile, was focusing on studying for the exams at home. Zhang Ailian took the remaining children to attend the event, but they couldn't all fit in one carriage, so the men and women split up, with a few riding horses slowly alongside.

Lian Cheng liked riding horses. He now had his own horse, a gift from a small prairie kingdom that had given over a dozen to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As their Commissioner, he could naturally claim one, but unwilling to share, he spent his own money to buy it. He named it Dilu—"Swift as Dilu's gallop, bow like thunder's string"—and had high hopes for it.

A carriage beside him moved slowly, and a delicate hand lifted the curtain. It was Seventh Miss Lian Yi. "The sun is so scorching, Third Brother, why don't you take a sedan chair?"

Lian Cheng replied that carriages felt too stuffy.

Lian Yi asked again, "Will you play chuiwan with us later?"

Golf? Lian Cheng hated it most—with that much strength, he could roll up his trousers and plow two acres of land. He waved dismissively. "I'll watch them play polo. You go have fun on your own."

Lian Yi pouted and let the curtain fall.

After a moment, the curtain lifted again, but this time it was Fifth Miss Lian Yu, who teased, "Third Brother, if Miss Lan Xue invited you to play chuiwan, would you go?"

Lian Cheng, puzzled, said, "No."

Lian Yu wasn't surprised. She gently lowered the curtain, turned to Fu, and said, "Second Sister-in-law, Third Brother really hasn't woken up yet."

Fu saw through it clearly. "If he had woken up early, his children would probably fill Penglai Pavilion to bursting."

Lian Yu and Lian Yi were both still unmarried, their betrothals not even discussed yet. Hearing this, they both blushed slightly. Fu looked at them, her gaze finally resting on Lian Yu's face. The girl was now eighteen, tall and graceful, but her marriage prospects were still unsettled. She asked softly, "Has your mother and Third Madam discussed your marriage yet?"

Lian Yu's face turned even redder than before, and she stammered incoherently. Lian Cheng had sharp ears and knew this wasn't something he should overhear. He tugged the reins, and Dilu walked ahead of the carriage.

He put some distance between himself and the carriages behind, glanced at the wheat swaying in the wind on both sides, then turned back to see three carriages lined up, with many servants bustling around.

As Lian Cheng was daydreaming, a rider appeared on his left—it was Lian Xiusheng. He usually traveled by sedan chair, but today he, like Lian Cheng, was riding a horse.

Lian Cheng asked if he could play polo. Lian Xiusheng frowned slightly. "I'm not skilled in the techniques; I can only toss the ball."

Lian Cheng scoffed, not believing him, but the other continued, "Third Brother plays polo well. Later, you can teach me privately."

"Bah," Lian Cheng, flattered by the top scholar's compliment, immediately lost his bearings. He clasped his hands with his horsewhip and bowed to Lian Xiusheng. "Young Lord Lian, you flatter me to death."

Lian Xiusheng was amused and showed a rare, pure smile.

But the good times didn't last. As the brothers joked back and forth, a series of rapid hoofbeats came from behind, followed by a clamor of voices. Lian Cheng turned to see Li Wan galloping toward him, waving his whip and shouting at the servants to clear the way, causing startled cries but no one dared to object.

Lian Xiusheng slowly wound the reins around his wrist, then noticed his third brother's brow furrow slightly. He sighed, "The little prince sees his subjects like grass and dirt—a flaw in the jade. Yet his spirited demeanor truly outshines the flaw."

Lian Cheng was silent for a moment, then tightened his reins and continued slowly forward. "I don't like this."

At that moment, Li Wan caught up, panting, dressed in red, truly appearing spirited. He greeted Lian Cheng, "Minzi, why aren't you paying attention to me?"

"Who's ignoring you?" Lian Cheng glanced at him, internally wrestling with himself not to argue with a native, but he couldn't help saying coldly, "You just knocked into someone and hit them with your whip. You should apologize."

Li Wan blinked, his excitement at seeing his friend cooling slightly. He grinned sheepishly. "Alright, alright, whatever Minzi says. I'll go apologize right now." With that, he turned his horse and went back, but though he claimed to apologize, it caused another commotion.

Lian Xiusheng watched his third brother sigh and said calmly, "Third Brother has a heart to save the world, but others may not have the quality to be saved. Just take care of yourself, and don't bother with them anymore."

"I'm not bothering. I didn't do anything," Lian Cheng said, eyes fixed ahead. "I just said a couple of words about what happened in front of me."

When Li Wan returned, Lian Cheng had already composed himself. Why should he care about ancient people? His own family was about to be raided.

"Minzi, let's see who reaches the field first. The loser treats dinner tonight!"

Lian Cheng hung his head dejectedly and said he wouldn't compare.

Li Wan bent down to look at him. "Minzi, are you not up for it?"

"Alright." Lian Cheng lifted his head.

Lian Xiusheng knew his third brother would fall for the trap. Before he could speak, a cold breeze swept past him as Third Brother and Li Wan simultaneously spurred their horses forward. Third Brother wore a deep blue robe, linking the white clouds above and the brown earth of the wheat fields, like a line of sky pouring down.

Compared to Third Brother, Li Wan, this little prince, seemed ordinary—draped in gold and jade, even coming out to play covered head to toe in finery. Not elegant, but flashy and vulgar, unseemly. Even as a young friend, the little prince was overreaching to befriend his third brother; no wonder he always flattered him upon meeting, with a petty demeanor.

Behind them, Man Cai and Jin Cai were quarreling in low voices. Neither could ride a horse, so they rode two mules. Man Cai accused Jin Cai of hitting him earlier, and Jin Cai retorted that Man Cai had started it by grabbing for the agate bracelet. Man Cai claimed it was his own, but Jin Cai coldly said the bracelet was a gift from the young master, inscribed with his name. Man Cai then covered his eyes and wept, until Jin Cai said the bracelet didn't have his name on it.

Qiu Fang, who had been following silently behind, spoke up with a wry smile, "Have you two little brothers finished your talk? If not, I'll walk with you a bit longer. If you're done, go pass the message to your young master: the madam requests his presence."

Seeing Qiu Fang had arrived and had been following them for who knows how long, Man Cai broke out in a cold sweat. He wiped his face, slapped the mule's rump, and ran off.

Upon receiving the message, Lian Xiusheng rode slowly over to the first carriage behind and bent slightly, waiting for the woman inside to speak.

The curtain parted a crack, and Zhang Ailian looked up at the young man on horseback. "Why didn't Minzi walk with you?"

"He and the Prince Hui's little prince raced off on horseback."

Zhang Ailian paused, then asked, "Is Huqiu following them?"

"Neither of their attendants caught up."

Zhang Ailian sighed helplessly. "Let him play. Don't bother with him."

-

Her worries were unfounded. Lian Cheng and Li Wan arrived safely at the field early. It was the Duke of Cheng's estate in the capital, called Mingquan Villa, covering over a hundred acres. Nestled by mountains and water, it was filled with strange rocks and steep peaks, perfect for climbing and boating. When tired, there were small, exquisite pavilions scattered about. Lian Cheng arrived first, dismounted, and tied his horse in the stable before Li Wan arrived.

Li Wan swung off his horse, looking surprised. "Minzi, since when did you become such a good rider?"

Yes, the original him used to pretend to ride in a sheep-drawn carriage, Lian Cheng thought. He smiled at Li Wan and said frankly, "Just a natural genius." Li Wan believed him.

They walked together toward the viewing pavilion, where many people had already gathered. The pavilion itself held the women and young masters, while the side platforms were for servants and maids. The polo field in front of the pavilion was flat as a whetstone, with a hole in the distance. Due to perspective, it looked no bigger than an ant hole to Lian Cheng. Two teams were already warming up on the field, swinging their mallets and managing to score a few goals. Lian Cheng's throat went dry, and he wanted to give it a try.

But for now, as guests, they had to greet the host first.

Today's host was Madam Jin of the Ma family. She presided over the event, with her daughters seated on both guest sides. Lian Cheng and Li Wan stepped around the bamboo curtain one after another and bowed to the woman. Madam Jin seemed disinclined to play polo herself, dressed in dignified attire, sitting elegantly and serenely on the mat. She offered them a plate of fruit, which a maid handed to them. Watching Li Wan grab two pieces and stuff them into his mouth, she looked at Lian Cheng. "Why didn't your mother come? I wanted to have a word with her."

Lian Cheng said his mother was coming later—he and Li Wan had raced to see who could arrive first. Several of Madam Jin's daughters giggled behind their hands. Madam Jin introduced her daughters to the two young men. Lian Cheng, eager to play, said a few perfunctory greetings and was about to leave. Li Wan, as always, followed Lian Cheng's lead, but Madam Jin called them back. "There's a whole fine day ahead—why are you two like quails just out of their cages? Stay a while. I have another daughter who needs to meet you both."

Lian Cheng was confused, but Li Wan, more experienced in such tedious matters, looked around and seemed to spot someone. He nudged Lian Cheng's shoulder, signaling him to look.

To their left, on the distant grass, a young lady in a white silk front-opening jacket and soft yellow pleated skirt was hurrying over, holding up her hem and clutching a fan. Her maids struggled to keep up. When she reached the two young men, she curtsied to each, finally turning to Lian Cheng. "Why did you come so fast?"

Lian Cheng recognized Lan Xue and returned the greeting, saying he had ridden, so he was quick.

After saying this, he and Li Wan took their leave of the young lady and went to chat with the group warming up.

Lan Xue wanted to follow but hesitated, stepping back. She looked back at Madam Jin, bit her lip, and returned to her seat. "Mother, he seems to have no interest in me."

Madam Jin sat upright. "Marriage matters are for parents to decide. Whether he's interested or not, you don't need to worry. Just wait until I've discussed it with his mother. Besides, didn't you tell me you made him pastries, and he accepted them? If he accepted them, how could he have no interest?"

"I sent the maid to deliver them earlier, but it was not the right time. The one who accepted the pastries was Sixth Lang of the

Lian Cheng walked briskly over there; he went to the stable to fetch the horse that the host had specially prepared for playing polo, glanced toward the viewing shed, and Li Wan, seeing his furtive look, laughed and said, “What are you rushing off for?”

Lian Cheng stroked the horse's head and said, “Don’t you know that my family held a flower-viewing banquet the other day? The Ma family’s daughter attended. If I don’t run faster, what if she sets her sights on me?”

“Minzi, even though you and I are the closest of friends, I have to say this,” Li Wan suppressed a smile and leaned on Lian Cheng’s shoulder, “This Ma Lanxue is a renowned talented woman in the capital—let alone the likes of you and me, the carefree playboys, even if your Sixth Lang volunteered himself, he might not catch her eye. If you’re worried she fancies you, I can tell you right now—rest assured!”

Lian Cheng let out a sigh of relief and actually relaxed.

-

The two teams warming up were old rivals. Lian Cheng followed slowly behind Li Wan, wanting Li Wan to greet these people first so he could size them up.

But Li Wan, not only did he not call out names one by one up ahead, he even let out a “Hey” and suddenly swung his club and hit a young lord on the back—not too hard, but very rude.

The man turned around in pain, his face initially fierce, but when he saw it was Li Wan, he forced a smile and said, “Oh, it’s the little heir—who else would it be?”

Li Wan shouldered his polo club, kicked the horse’s belly, and rode forward, “If it’s not the heir, who else could it be?”

The man then looked past Li Wan and saw Lian Cheng, and said obsequiously, “Well, well, isn’t this our Commissioner?”

Lian Cheng could sense the man was mocking him. He figured this group must all come from prominent families; a few looked familiar, but he didn’t know their names—probably met at some social function before.

He said nothing, just glanced at Li Wan. Li Wan couldn't bear Lian Cheng’s beautiful stare—it roused his anger—and struck the man’s back again with his club, “Watch your mouth. My polo club doesn't have eyes.”

The man yelped and loudly accused the Heir of Prince Hui of throwing his weight around. Another man nearby reined his horse forward, speaking up, “Enough. What’s all this clamor for on a fine day? Heir, it’s been a few days, and you’re still the same as ever.”

“Not at all, not at all—at least not as fake as someone who’s been cutting nettles to feed a donkey for ten years,” Li Wan said with a forced smile.

“Lian Cheng, Commissioner Lian, a day apart feels like three autumns.”

Lian Cheng knew it was his turn now. What a pain—who the hell was this guy? So he said nothing, just gave a cold smile. The other’s face darkened, and Lian Cheng knew he’d hit the mark.

“Isn’t it just three autumns?” A man’s long-drawn voice came from behind—Zhang Xian and Lu Zhen had arrived. Zhang Xian was riding, dragging his club. “Ruozhu, if I weren’t at the yamen every day hearing ‘Commissioner Lian’ left and right, I wouldn’t know that a day can be three autumns just from seeing a few of you.”

Then came a war of words. Lian Cheng was inexplicably squeezed into the middle by his own side. Both sides hurled insults, spitting saliva, and it was utterly foul—things like “Your father's a kept man who leeches off your mother,” “Your mom's on her fourth wedding; you think she'll try for a fifth next year?” “Your family secretly sent a concubine to the Inner Chancellor, claiming she was a courtesan but actually sent your own sister,” “Your father became Minister of Works by bootlicking,” “The streets say your brother is clever, but he only gossips in court,” “Your second brother failed the spring examination four times; the fifth time will probably be the same old story…”

Lian Cheng had been calmly extracting key information from their filth-laced insults, but when he heard someone mocking his second brother, he joined in, “Fuck your whole family, and his too!”

Exhausted from arguing without a winner, they decided to settle it with a polo match. Everyone re-equipped—changing wide sleeves for narrow ones, caps for simple hairnets and small caps, and holding crescent-shaped polo clubs.

Lian Cheng: “…” He was a novice; he should have a grace period.

But heaven clearly wasn’t giving him that chance. With him, they only had four: Li Wan, Zhang Xian, and Lu Zhen. Zhang Xian even said, “I'm not very good, so don't blame me.”

But the opposing side had five men. Li Wan looked back at the crowd and loudly asked if anyone would join them—the four of them, two from the Imperial Guard Office (an unpopular and lowly unit), the other two were even more despised. Naturally, no one was willing to side with them.

Lian Cheng saw the smugness on the faces of the others and thought, he’d never been so ostracized before.

“We’ll play on our own,” Lian Cheng said, pursing his lips, his heart sinking as he looked at the hole that looked no bigger than the eye of a needle.

As for polo, he’d never played it. From memory, he’d only seen a few abstract drawings and played a couple of casual games with classmates in school. The conditions were better than ancient times, but the difficulty wasn’t as high as in ancient times. So Lian Cheng’s heart pounded like crazy—he wasn’t someone who played just to lose; he played to win.

The club in his hand quickly became slick with sweat. He had taken countless exams and competitions, always with confidence and ease, but since transmigrating into this book, he faced nothing but the unknown. He would rather have actually become a true good-for-nothing than a “good-for-nothing” who was inept at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting but excelled at eating, drinking, and having fun.

“Hey wait—first we need to set the stakes!” The man in green shouted loudly.

Li Wan said impatiently, “What stakes do you want? I, the heir, have everything you could want.”

That smiling hypocrite spoke again, "Do you think we're greedy for wealth or lust? Using those vulgar things as stakes would only dirty our eyes. How about this: the loser kowtows three times to the winner—deal?"

Lian Cheng knew when to back down. He played to win, but in fact, he could have chosen not to play at all from the very start—if he didn't play, there would naturally be no winning or losing.

He was about to butt in and break up this ridiculous match when Li Wan bellowed, "Ha! Kowtow? I'm afraid that head of yours isn't a block of iron—you'll bash your brains out right here at my feet!"

Lian Cheng looked up at the blue sky and white clouds overhead, knowing he was going to make a spectacle of himself anyway.

But then the drumstick struck the drum three times, and Lian Cheng roared, "Go!" shooting out like an arrow from a bowstring.

A lousy ball—if I don't smash this ball to pieces, I'll change my name.

With a crack, a mallet came out of nowhere and whacked the ball in midair, as if a gust of strong wind swept past overhead. Before Lian Cheng could react, a long yell went up: "Green team takes the lead—two points!"

In the distance, two green flags had already been raised, but none of this belonged to Lian Cheng. He received only a sneer from that smiling hypocrite as he rode past, "Worthy of the Imperial Ancestral Temple? Princess Jifu? Top scholar at sixteen? Big deal."

Lian Cheng felt the scorn hitting him like a wave, not directed at him personally, but at his Lian family. He gritted his teeth, knowing this was no time for verbal sparring. So he simply yanked the reins, expressionless, and waited for the ball to be thrown out again.

By the time the Lian family carriage arrived, the viewing sheds and surrounding stands were already bustling with noise. The match on the field was in full swing. Zhang Ailian let out a surprised sound as she descended from the carriage, "It's already started?"

Qing Zhu supported her as she walked a short distance, with their kids tagging along, making small talk with a few women passing by. Jin Cai, who had been sent ahead to scout, hurried back, bowed, and reported, "On the field, Third Brother is playing against the young master of the Minister of Works household."

"Third Brother has always been good at horse polo. How many flags is he leading?"

Jin Cai said this was the first round, and their side had only scored one goal.

Lian Yi couldn't believe it, "Third Brother plays polo so well, how could he have only scored one goal?"

Zhang Ailian glanced at her, and she immediately stepped back. Then Zhang Ailian smiled lightly, "There are always wins and losses in a match. Minzi isn't a sore loser. As long as he enjoys himself, that's fine. Let's go in and watch the excitement."

"Mother," Lian Xiusheng said to Zhang Ailian, "I'd like to go over and take a look."

"Go ahead."

Lian Xiusheng quickly headed toward the field with Jin Cai and Man Cai, asking if Third Brother was in poor form. Jin Cai said it seemed so, "Maybe it's because he hasn't played in a long time—I can see his skills are rusty." Lian Xiusheng then asked if there was a stake. Jin Cai nodded, his expression complex, "I didn't dare bring it up in front of Madam earlier, but there is one. The loser's team has to kowtow three times to the winner's team."

"Go fetch my clothes from the carriage," Lian Xiusheng said, walking quickly. "I'll sub in for Third Brother next round."

But when he got closer to the field, the scene was completely different. The ball was right under Lian Cheng's mallet. He controlled his horse with one hand while striking the ball with the other, not only fast but also extremely steady. The other side swarmed him over and over but couldn't steal the ball. At this point, the red flags were only one fewer than the green flags.

Only then did Lian Xiusheng realize he'd been worrying for nothing, but his heart didn't slow—it raced even faster because of Third Brother. He squinted, his eyes fixed solely on that figure in pale blue—gallant and dashing in his fine clothes and spirited horse.

When the first round's timer ended, Lian Cheng's team lost to the opposing team by a deficit of three points. In this round, he had single-handedly turned the tide—Li Wan and the others played terribly. How could someone from ancient times play even worse than a modern guy like him?

He was bent over, gasping for air, until he saw Lian Xiusheng walking toward him. Then he straightened up, delighted, "You're here?"

Lian Xiusheng saw Third Brother smile and couldn't help smiling too, "Is Third Brother that happy to see me?"

Lian Cheng pulled him close, "Happy, happy! Of course I'm happy. Go suit up quickly—you'll join us in the next round. We're short one person."

Lian Xiusheng declined, saying he wasn't good at playing.

"You can't be any worse than Du Heng and the rest..."

"It's worse than them."

Lian Cheng let go of Lian Xiusheng, "In that case, go to the viewing shed, have some tea, and watch us play."

Lian Xiusheng actually left. As he left the field, he brushed past Ma Lanxue and caught a glimpse of the tea bowl carried by the maid behind her. His steps faltered slightly, then without hesitation, he turned around. His strides were bigger than a young lady's, so he naturally reached Third Brother first.

He pulled Third Brother over and said flatly, "Third Brother is tired. Let me take Third Brother to the viewing shed to rest for a while." With that, ignoring Lian Cheng's reaction, he dragged him off in another direction.