24 White Horse

Qinglan had not expected that her purpose in attending the banquet was to look after her younger sister, only for her sister to vanish the moment the party dispersed. Left alone on the training grounds, she found herself swept up by the noblewomen and ladies, eventually finding herself among the crowd of horse riders.

There were few horses and many people. Though she had entered the field, she had no real desire to ride. She stood to the side, watching, until she heard someone nearby laugh, "Quickly, move aside, mind you don't get bumped."

It was Lady Luo, struggling to control the Hu stallion that belonged to Luo Yong. Luo Yong was by her side, holding the reins, laughing as they moved along. Nearby, Lu Wenyin was chatting and laughing with the other ladies, while Yang Qiaozhen was holding court, loudly opining, "If one cannot even ride a horse, how can one be called a lady of a noble house? Such shallow foundations..." With Lady Wei’s endorsement and Lu Wenyin’s fervent agitation, the young ladies had already mounted their respective ponies, guided by young generals leading them about the training grounds in pairs—a cozy sight indeed.

"Sister Qinglan, be careful."

Hearing the voice, Qinglan turned to see Fu Yunrui. Fearing she might be ostracized, Fu had brought Yin Hongxuan along personally to lead her horse, saying, "My health is poor, and I cannot ride. Why don't you let General Yin take you around to get familiar with it? It will serve as good preparation for the Spring Hunt."

Qinglan glanced at Yin Hongxuan. She knew that, like Cui Jingyu, he had been raised under Marshal Wei and was like a fellow disciple. His expression was stiff; clearly, he shared the same stance as Lady Wei and the others regarding the events of years past.

"Many thanks," she said coolly. "But there is no need to trouble General Yin."

Fu Yunrui paused, looking at Yin Hongxuan with a scrutinizing gaze, perhaps thinking it was his attitude. Yin Hongxuan added, rather reluctantly, "It is no trouble."

Qinglan shook her head slightly. Gentle as she was, she possessed a quiet resolve. Looking past him to examine his horse, she noticed Cui Jingyu standing not far away.

He, too, seemed to have found no partner. Although many young ladies looked at him with longing, he remained focused on stroking his own horse, utterly oblivious to the charms of the scene.

A bitter ache rose in Qinglan’s heart. She lowered her eyes, about to decline the couple’s offer, when someone tugged at her from behind.

Assuming it was Yang Qiaozhen and her cohorts causing trouble again, she turned, only to be met by a horse's head. It was a little white horse named White Qilin, which Cui Jingyu had often ridden back in the capital. It was unclear who had led it out today, but the horse recognized her at once, nibbling at her sleeve and nuzzling her affectionately.

"It's you," she said, not flustered. She smiled and patted the horse’s head. Among all of Cui Jingyu’s horses, this little one was the most familiar with her. Back then, when attending the Flower Festival, she would often wear fine silks; the little white horse was gentle and clean, never dirtying her clothes.

Fu Yunrui, however, mistook the horse's behavior for a loss of control and hurriedly called for Yin Hongxuan to lead it away. The little horse was stubborn; it refused to budge, planting its hooves and pitting its strength against Yin. Qinglan quickly advised, "Don't pull it with brute force; be careful not to hurt it..."

A sharp whistle sounded from behind. Suddenly, the horse stopped its stubbornness, broke free from Yin Hongxuan’s grip, and galloped toward the sound. When the crowd turned, they saw Cui Jingyu standing behind them. The horse was far more obedient to him, arching its neck to nuzzle him repeatedly.

The bitterness in Qinglan’s heart surged in waves, though her expression remained as calm as the sea.

"White Qilin is ill-behaved; it has offended you, my lady," he said simply.

"Not at all," Fu Yunrui said, unaware of the history, smiling on Qinglan’s behalf. "We are all friends here, why be so formal, Lord Cui? White Qilin is usually quite obedient; I wonder what came over it today?"

"Horses have good memories; it happens," Cui Jingyu replied coolly.

He knew he shouldn't have said it, but he did anyway. Under the bleak winter afternoon sun, her complexion paled at his words, but she quickly returned to her composed self.

She had always been calmer than anyone.

"If horses have good memories, could they possibly have better ones than people?" a voice asked with a laugh. The crowd was startled to see Han Yueqi. She had not seen Cui Jingyu in four years and now carried the air of a young mistress of a high-ranking household, smiling as she leaned on her maid.

"Young Mistress Shen," Cui Jingyu replied, using her new title.

"Speaking of good memories, when General Cui left the capital four years ago, you still owed me a banquet," Han Yueqi teased, hinting at something deeper. "Now that you are a Marquis, I wonder when you plan to repay that debt?"

"Young Mistress Shen is right to remind me," Cui Jingyu said. "I shall order a banquet to be delivered to your residence tomorrow."

Han Yueqi was not satisfied.

"Why would I want you to order a banquet? As if we haven't eaten our fill of feasts before. I want General Cui to host a banquet at the villa, invite us to admire the purple paulownia flowers, watch the moon over the mountains, and hunt a white fox to make us cloaks," Han Yueqi said with a faint smile.

In the middle of the crowded training field, she was speaking in riddles that only Cui Jingyu and Ye Qinglan could understand. The Paulownia Banquet had been the very one where they had pledged their love. He had once accompanied Ye Qinglan to admire those purple flowers, watched the moonlight as it descended behind the hills, and had scoured the entire hunting grounds to catch a white fox to keep her company throughout the winter.

What she was demanding of Cui Jingyu was a matchmaker’s banquet, for four years ago, she had acted as the go-between for the two of them, witnessing their union with her own eyes.

"That won't be necessary," Qinglan spoke before he could. She had long since mastered the art of concealing her emotions; even if she felt distressed, she merely lowered her lashes, her voice as steady as ever. "The Marquis is busy with many affairs lately; I fear he has no time."

She was always like this—making decisions for both of them.

Cui Jingyu’s lips tightened. When he compressed his lips, he always appeared cold, his entire being radiating a chilling aura like an unsheathed sword; one could feel the frost before even touching him.

"Then it shall not be," he said coldly as well.

Qinglan felt as if she had been pricked, yet she felt a sense of desolate relief.

Han Yueqi, however, would not allow her that relief.

"Who said it wouldn't be? The one who is owed hasn't said a word, yet the one who owes is the one refusing? Does Lord Cui intend to renege on his debt?" Disregarding the undercurrents between the two, she declared, "There is no time like the present. Why not hold the banquet at the Marquis's estate after the Daphne Banquet? I know the Marquis's residence lacks a hostess; I will naturally bring Qinglan along to help manage it. The Marquis only needs to provide the venue—is that not good? It is settled; no one is permitted to be absent. It is decided."

***

In truth, Ye Lingbo had left for no other reason than to ask Pei Zhao about Cui Jingyu.

The Zhenbei Army’s living quarters were not much to look at, but the horses were kept well—one to a stall. Pei Zhao was feeding his pitifully thin old horse; the manger contained only a shallow layer of wilted green grass, and there were few beans to be seen.

Upon meeting, Lingbo did not rush to ask about Cui Jingyu, but instead expressed her disdain: "Pei Zhao, how are you feeding this horse? It’s nothing but skin and bones. If you’re short on money, just tell me; it looks pathetic. I even had Liu Ji find a recipe just a few days ago specifically for fattening up horses."

Pei Zhao only laughed: "Green Lion has its reasons for being thin."

"Green Lion? I’ve never heard of a famous horse with such a name. There is a 'Lion Steed,' but that was from which dynasty again?" Lingbo was quite casual in his presence.

"The Tang Dynasty." Pei Zhao stroked the horse's head. Though Green Lion was an old horse, its eyes remained bright. Its coat was a shade between green and black, though the top layer of hair had turned white and faded, looking like the worn guard hairs of a fox fur long kept in a chest.

Lingbo watched, feeling a sudden urge to touch it, but hesitated. Sensing her intention, Pei Zhao smiled and guided Green Lion’s head to the left, placing it right into her hand.

"How about it? Isn't it nice to touch?" Pei Zhao asked with a smile.

Lingbo, naturally, had to feign disdain.

"It’s average." She pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her hand. Seeing Green Lion looking at her with such humanity, and fearing it might feel hurt, she immediately announced, "I’ll have a bridle made for you later, forged from gold, how about that?"

"Gold is no good," Pei Zhao said, mimicking her tone as he spoke to the horse. "We don't want that."

Lingbo glared at him in annoyance.

"You have no ambition yourself, and you’re dragging your horse down with you." After wiping her hands, she asked, "Did you find out anything? How did Cui Jingyu spend these past four years? He didn't leave any loose ends at the border, did he?"

She did not stand on the ceremony of an unmarried lady, and such direct questions were typical of her. Pei Zhao found it amusing and handed her a document.

Lingbo took it. As a lady accustomed to managing a household, she read quickly. After scanning it, she seemed satisfied. "This is Cui Jingyu’s service record? Enlisted at fifteen, made a Marquis at twenty-four—that’s quite fast. Where is yours?"

"Lost."

Lingbo knew the man rarely spoke the truth, so she ignored him and continued: "Did you find out anything else? How did he spend these years? What did he do after returning to the capital? I heard that Lu Wenyin hosted a banquet for all the commanders of the Shan Battalion in the Chen family’s name. How many times did he attend? Did anything happen at those banquets?"

She asked a long string of questions, but Pei Zhao only smiled: "I wouldn't know. I’ve never been."

Lingbo felt like hitting him with the service record.

"Well, you must know about the incident at the Mingsha River. What happened in these four years? I only feel that his personality has become much colder." She frowned, a sheltered lady left only to her imagination: "Was that battle truly so brutal?"

"Winning is all that matters; what does it matter if it was brutal or not?" Pei Zhao replied.

"Nonsense, didn't your five thousand men all perish there? How could it not be brutal?" Lingbo looked at him warningly: "Don't think you can brush me off. Tell me in detail, how exactly did Cui Jingyu become a Marquis?"

Pei Zhao reached out to stroke Green Lion’s head again. Just when Lingbo thought he wouldn't answer, he said unhurriedly: "It was nothing more than the Northern Rong setting an ambush on the upper reaches of the Mingsha River, knowing the Zhenbei Army would pass through the lower reaches, intending to drown the three armies. I discovered it, but we fought for a long time without success. Cui Jingyu arrived, recaptured the Dragon-Severing Sluice, and that led to the subsequent great victory at the Yumen Pass and the recovery of the Northwest. That is why two men from the Shan Battalion were made Marquises."

Listening, Lingbo felt he was still downplaying the severity of the situation, but she finally understood the sequence of events and, knowing there was nothing untoward, felt relieved.

"I see." She tucked away the service record and handed it to Xiao Liu'er, saying, "Liu Ji."

Liu Ji immediately stepped forward and handed a silk pouch to Pei Zhao. Pei Zhao weighed it and, seeing it was silver, smiled instantly.

"Many thanks for the reward, Second Miss Ye."

"Don't play the fool." Lingbo looked at him sternly: "The money isn't for you to squander; it’s for you to buy two sets of fine clothes and attend the Flower Festival for me. If anyone approaches Cui Jingyu, or if any young lady shows him favor, you are to tell me."

She scanned him from head to toe, saying with disdain: "In the capital, people respect your clothes before they respect you. You look like this, and even if you are handsome, it’s useless. Everyone at the Flower Festival is preparing for betrothal; you spend every day playing with horses—what kind of future is that? For the next banquet, the Daphne Banquet, you will dress properly and attend, do you hear me?"

Pei Zhao only smiled: "Understood."

Ye Lingbo said that even if he were handsome it would be useless, but that was a lie. With his appearance, even without fine silks, just appearing at the Flower Festival would be enough to stir the hearts of the noble ladies. Although most marriages in the capital were for alliance, there were plenty of pampered daughters who sought only a talented and handsome husband, regardless of family background. Even if they set their sights on a top-ranking scholar, they would capture him right after the results were posted. Pei Zhao was even more striking than a top scholar; there was no fear that no young lady would fancy him.

Although Lu Wanyang had a clear goal and would not fall for a beauty trap, it would be good to muddy the waters of the Flower Festival.

***

When Lingbo returned and learned of Han Yueqi’s arrangement, she was surprised but also felt a twinge of concern.

"I fear it’s not that simple," she said. "Sister Han, you know how they are—both of them are stubborn. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. Putting them together won't help unless their hearts are gradually unburdened."

"When it’s a matter of mutual affection, what burden could there be?" Han Yueqi thought straightforwardly: "These are the best of times; he is unmarried and she is unwed. To become a pair early and not waste one’s youth is the only proper way."

Lingbo could not persuade her otherwise and felt a vague sense that something was wrong, so she decided to let it be for now. Looking at the training grounds, Wei Yushan stood to the side like a harbinger of doom. Lu Wenyin had tried several times to strike up a conversation, urging him to accompany Lu Wanyang on a ride, but he ignored her.

"The boy has some sense, at least," Lingbo remarked.

"What sense? He’s just a stubborn ox," Atuo added with disdain.

Lingbo laughed.

"You’re still holding a grudge because he stopped you and Yan’er last time," she said, completely oblivious and still in the dark. "Very well, your body is weak; don’t go riding. Mind you don't catch a chill. When Biwei arrives, we shall have her demonstrate archery for us."