Towards this Jin Qinwang that has always attracted attention anytime and anywhere, Jing Wan was truly speechless. When not bringing disaster to others, he was just a walking disaster[1]. If he continues to deliberately bring disaster to others like this, don’t know how many people will fall into his hands.
Fine, the person that he deliberately wanted to tease, this time, didn’t get teased, instead stirring up a bunch that he was uninterested in. However, towards these people, Li Hong Yuan completely ignored. He pulled the reins, his two legs clamping the horse’s stomach. The horse perceptively began running along.
Li Hong Yuan had the horse reach its top speed in the shortest amount of time, and then rushed towards the flower platform. Under his control, the horse leapt into the air, borrowing the platform’s edge to leap onto the winding corridor to the side that was built on top the lake’s surface. Speaking of which, the winding corridor’s width was actually shorter than the horse’s body length. The crowd watched as he was about to fly over the winding corridor and fall into the lake on the other side, causing quite a few people to instinctively scream out in alarm.
And there were even more women that subconsciously covered their eyes. However, some people were indifferent instead, even watching in high spirits. It was clear, this wasn’t the first time Li Hong Yuan did something like this.
The horse turned its body, reversing its width, making one wonder whether or not it would break its spine. However, it didn’t. The front half of its body that had already stuck out over the lake’s surface was twisted back, and its hind legs just happened to land against the winding corridor’s protective rails at a slanted angle. ‘Kacha’, the solid stone rails split in response. Afterwards, there was even a portion that directly shattered as it fell into the water.
And the horse carried Li Hong Yuan away along the winding corridor.
In merely this short amount of time, it was already enough to make the people watching tremble in fear, their hearts racing……..
The winding corridor atop the lake wasn’t straight, but rather full of twists and turns. Every corner was practically all perpendicular. In some places, the distance between two turns were similarly not long enough for the horse’s body length, but even so, the horse was still able to smoothly passing through every time. And afterwards, you’ll finally notice that it didn’t even touch the protective rails.
(T/N: I swear to god I need to make like notes to self in the chaps because I keep forgetting to add the pictures when I post. Anyways here’s some pics of winding corridors on water, just imagine stone railings instead of wooden ones.)
“Have to say, Jin Qinwang’s riding skill truly is incredible. If not for knowing that this horse was indeed transported back to the capital from another region and into the Grand Elder Princess Manor, I would have thought that Jin Qinwang was its previous owner. With this adept level of mastery, no one would believe that this is their first time coordinating.” Jiang-fuma said with a sigh. Actually, his heart was a little sour. This horse although is said to be newly obtained, but in actuality, the time wasn’t considered short either. He’d only tried to ride it once or twice, but this brute was never cooperative, nonchalant like it didn’t want to bother with him. And now, just look at that enthusiasm it was running with, really is a ‘white-eyed horse’[2]!
The others next to him, not one wasn’t nodding in agreement.
Li Hong Yuan once again traveled across two relatively close winding corridor. They originally thought that the same trick from before was going to play out again, however, the crowd once again predicted wrong. The horse directly stepped onto the railing, its entire body soaring up into the sky. His goal was actually the little island ten feet away on the lake. The horse steadily landed, its hind legs touching a bit of the water’s surface. That strength was more than enough to splash up an ample amount of water.
Stepping on the patches of flowers, and crossing over the flowering shrubs, it leapt onto a piece of a rather low rockery stone, then leapt again onto another piece. This repeated a number of times, taking the horse and person up onto the highest point. The horse let out a long cry, raising its front legs high into the air, while the person on horseback was stern and handsome…….
In that instance, it made Jing Wan think of a very famous image from her past life, a certain western emperor riding on a divine stallion facing the wind[3], it was truly just………..
Even those that dislike Li Hong Yuan very much, in this moment, still can’t help but inwardly applaud, let alone those young masters that have only heard of Li Hong Yuan’s bad reputation, but in reality, have never really interacted with him before. Speaking of which, for them to fear Li Hong Yuan this much, despite not that many actually having been sorted out by him before, mainly was because his methods were a little too vicious. One spread to ten, and ten spread to a hundred, each and every one thus subconsciously had him treated as the god of plagues, fleeing far away. Who would have thought that Jin Qinwang’s riding skills were this exquisite and incredible.
As the saying goes, ‘it’s easy to go up, but difficult to come down.’ But for Li Hong Yuan, was it difficult? He will use his actions to tell you, not difficult at all!
Similarly, he didn’t carefully guide the horse down little by little either, but rather directly leapt down, directly towards the lake’s surface……….
What did he want to do? Even the Grand Elder Princess stood up in shock……..
Perhaps some might think that this time, he will certainly fall into the water, but would Li Hong Yuan let people see valiant figure in one moment, and then in the next, see his sorry figure fall into the water? Definitely not. The horse landed on the water’s surface, and immediately after, leapt up again, and like this, rising and falling, over and over again, he once again returned onto the winding corridor.
What happened here? The horse could even run on water?
Turns out, below the water, there were quite a few round stones, either tall or short, and there were even some that exposed itself above the water a tiny bit, just the people on the shores couldn’t see, that’s all. If he really was able to let the horse run on water, then that really would be too bizarre.
In Jing Wan’s eyes, this was definitely even more marvelous and exciting than the highest level of riding competitions, as well as the most intense horse races, of her past life by tenfold. But, this Jin Qinwang was practically just playing with one’s heartbeat, even playing with one’s life. With even the spectators all like this, then as the person on horseback, what kind of feelings did he have? If by chance, he momentarily made a mistake, or if by chance, he didn’t coordinate well enough, then he might…………was he not the least bit scared inside? Seeing him this brazen, not the least bit stiff in controlling the horse, what gave him such confidence to fear nothing?
Returning along the winding corridor, Li Hong Yuan climbed ashore, settling on the male guest side. He slid down from the horse, while the horse ran a few steps before finally stopping. Compared to Li Hong Yuan’s refreshed and energetic spirit, the horse was somewhat out of breath. Jiang-fuma’s heart ached unbearably, hurriedly calling for someone to have the horse led back and tended to.
Li Hong Yuan’s riding skills naturally didn’t need to be doubted, but with him messing around like this, there weren’t many horses that were capable of letting him play around for a long time.
Was this performance considered passing? Not just passing, perhaps all won’t be able to witness a second time in this lifetime. Those who believed their riding skills to be impressive, afraid, will no longer dare to boast about it in the future anymore. But, was Li Hong Yuan going to be rewarded? The Grand Elder Princess gritted her teeth and expressed, don’t even think about it. Not asking him for compensation for the damages on her property was already considered pretty good. And this reward, Jing Wan will not want, though Ruan Fang Fei inwardly rather wanted. She didn’t care what the thing inside was, but rather cared about its connection with Li Hong Yuan. Unfortunately, she couldn’t say it out loud.
However, after going through such an event, Ruan Fang Fei’s poem, what’s that, who still remembers. Have to say, if it was in the past, it would have long spread throughout the entire capital. Even certain elderly officials would perhaps all praise a few words.
If it was someone else that stole her limelight, she perhaps would’ve long had the other party eaten alive in her mind, and perhaps might even think of a way to retaliate against them afterwards, but it just had to be Li Hong Yuan. Not only did she not resent, her entire heart was floating. In any case, he will all be hers anyways, this bit was nothing, it doesn’t matter.
Before there were eight prizes left, and now there were still eight.
Continuing to the next one……
“Master, it’s time to start the banquet.”
Turns out they got too high from playing, even forgetting the time.
The Grand Elder Princess slapped the table and decided to continue after noon. As for listening to plays and whatnot after the banquet feast, all cancelled.
The Grand Elder Princess was the birthday star today. She was also a ‘boss’ in her own right to begin with, so Jiang-fuma had no choice either.
The Grand Elder Princess already put down her word, if in the first round no one is able to have all eight prizes taken away, then they’ll start a second round. And if by the third round still unable to, hehe………
(T/N: Round as in round of names, so if everyone’s name gets drawn once, they’ll put all the names back again and start a second round.)
A bunch of young masters, not one wasn’t depressed inside. If they were allowed to pick something they were good at like Jin Qinwang, never mind eight, even if it’s eighty, they would all clean out in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, when they actually come before the Grand Elder Princess, they still obediently followed the rules. Jin Qinwang’s example, they had no way of imitating.
Before taking her seat again, Jing Wan went before Luo Old Madam, “Grandmother, where’s fourth sister?”
“Already found her, right now over at the Grand Elder Princess Manor’s guest courtyard. I let someone watch over her.”
[1] Think along the lines of ‘beauty is disaster’; basically she’s saying that his good-looks is a danger to society.
[2] A pun of the common saying ‘white-eyed wolf’, meaning ingrate or ungrateful.
[3] There’s two images I think this might be referencing to, either the Napoleon on horseback painting, or the statue of Alexander the Great on horseback. These are the only two I can think of that are famous enough to be more likely known throughout China.
T/N: Since this week leads into October, starting from this week, it’ll be 6 chapter parts per week for all of October. Thank you to all my lovely patrons for making it possible for me to invest more time into this novel and still be able to feed myself, and also for the continuous support from readers as well. Tbh I’m quite impatient with the releases too because I always want to share the parts I like as fast as possible, ahhh if only I could clone myself like 5 times or grow few more arms ;;;v;;;)
