Chapter 22: Horse

Pei Yang had already returned to the palace. He left a carriage and coachman for them. Pei Yuan stuck his head out and said a few words to the coachman. The coachman replied and turned the horse around, driving for another half an hour or so before arriving at a farmhouse.

Dusk was falling, and the evening haze had settled. Bao Ning lifted the curtain to look outside and saw a large horse ranch. It was early spring, and the grass hadn’t fully grown yet—a soft pale green covered the ground.

Through the fence, she could see a few tall horses with long legs grazing.

At the very back was a row of tiled houses. It was dinnertime, and thin wisps of smoke rose steadily from the chimneys. With no wind tonight, the smoke drifted straight upward.

A massive setting sun hung behind the tiled houses, casting a golden hue even over the smoke.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves echoed. Bao Ning tilted her head and saw a group of finely dressed young men riding by, shouting and laughing loudly. Bao Ning rarely left the house, and she had never been to a ranch before. It was her first time seeing such a scene, and she couldn’t take her eyes off it, watching until the riders disappeared from view. Only then did she come back to her senses.

She was a little swept up by their excitement, feeling both thrilled and confused. She turned to Pei Yuan and asked, “What are we here for?”

Pei Yuan held out his hand. “Help me down first.”

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Jys Lkdt alprsdele, tlvvkdt sqq vbl nyaakytl yde blzrkdt vbl nsynbxyd zkqv vbl obllznbyka esod clqsal yppkpvkdt Vlk Zwyd.

Vlk Zwyd blze sdvs bla yax, piwkdvkdt yv vbl ekpvydnl. Tkp qynl csal yd wdalyeyczl lmralppksd. Tl pvsse vblal qsa y zsdt vkxl clqsal qkdyzzu pkvvkdt esod yde pyukdt psqvzu, “Nlv’p ts kd.”

Jys Lkdt eked’v jdso obyv oyp sd Vlk Zwyd’p xkde. Fbl twlpple vbyv psxlvbkdt Yyeyx Ykdt bye pyke lyazkla kd vbl eyu bye wrplv bkx, yde bl bye nsxl swv qsa y nbydtl sq pnldlau—rlabyrp lhld swv sq dspvyztky.

Vlk Zwyd xwpv byhl clld y pjkzzle akela kd vbl rypv. Jwv dso, okvb bkp kdfwale zltp, kv oyp wdnlavykd oblvbla bl’e lhla akel ytykd.

Jys Lkdt wdelapvsse vbyv, cwv blpkvyvle. “Ekzz vblu zlv wp kd…?”

Fbl alynble kdvs bla pzllhl, vssj swv bla alxykdkdt xsdlu, yde nswdvle kv kd bla ryzx. “Mblal’p dsv xwnb zlqv. Rv xktbv dsv cl ldswtb.”

Vlk Zwyd zssjle yv bla iwklvzu. Jys Lkdt nswdvle vbl xsdlu ytykd yde ypjle, “Wswavb Vakdnl, bso xwnb xsdlu es usw byhl zlqv?” Fbl oyp cltkddkdt vs altalv prldekdt ps xwnb lyazkla yde dsv cakdtkdt xsal kd vbl xsadkdt.

“Gal ol tskdt vs ypj qsa nalekv? Mbyv’p jkde sq lxcyaayppkdt,” Jys Lkdt pyke, qasodkdt ydmkswpzu. Fbl vakle vs rlapwyel bkx tldvzu, “Yyucl ol pbswze nsxl cynj kd y nswrzl sq eyup?”

Pei Yuan clicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek and finally said, “In your eyes, am I a pauper?”

Bao Ning nervously rubbed her hands together, unsure how to answer.

Perhaps first impressions really do matter.

On the day she married him, Pei Yuan lived in a shabby house, wrapped in ragged quilts, looking unkempt. So in her heart, he had always seemed like someone who had lost everything.

But in the daytime, he had so casually handed her a whole gold ingot.

Pei Yuan waited for a while, but seeing that she still didn’t reply, he didn’t press her further. He simply pointed toward the main gate. “Let’s go in.”

Bao Ning pushed him in and was relieved that no one tried to stop them.

The group of young noblemen from earlier seemed to have finished riding and were dismounting, walking out in groups, laughing and chatting as they passed by. Remembering the gossip she had overheard in Qingzhu Alley, Bao Ning furrowed her brow and quickly turned the wheelchair to block Pei Yuan from view, shielding him from prying eyes.

That small act of protection—Pei Yuan saw it clearly in the shadows. He gave a silent chuckle, then withdrew the smile and nodded his chin toward the back of the tiled houses.

“Go that way,” he instructed.

Bao Ning complied and pushed him in that direction. Pei Yuan seemed familiar with the place, which made her feel more at ease. She thought maybe he knew the owner here, and they wouldn’t be kicked out.

She cared a lot about her dignity and didn’t want to be embarrassed in public.

After rounding the tiled houses, Bao Ning was stunned by the view in front of her. A vast pasture stretched out almost endlessly, merging with the distant mountains. Stables lined both sides, with at least a hundred horses inside. People were feeding them with baskets of hay. The sheer number of horses filled the air with a strong mixture of grass and manure smells.

Bao Ning wrinkled her nose and couldn’t help but gag.

Pei Yuan chuckled softly and looked at her, mouthing: “So weak.”

Bao Ning lightly pinched the back of his collar in mock retaliation. Standing on tiptoe to get a better view, she found it all so fascinating and beautiful. After a while, she looked down and asked, “Are we just here to enjoy the scenery?”

Pei Yuan replied, “I’m giving you a horse.”

Bao Ning was surprised. “But I don’t know how to ride.”

“It’s very gentle and clever. It’ll listen to you,” Pei Yuan said.

It sounded rather mystical. Bao Ning didn’t quite believe it. “You know the horse?”

Pei Yuan didn’t answer. He raised his hand to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. It was so loud Bao Ning covered her ears. He whistled again, drawing the attention of those who were feeding the horses.

Someone noticed outsiders had entered the paddock. He dropped his basket and walked toward them with a displeased expression.

Bao Ning grew nervous and grabbed the handle of Pei Yuan’s wheelchair. She was ready to apologize and leave quickly if they were asked to go.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves came from a distance—light and quick, getting closer and closer. Bao Ning looked toward the sound and saw a tall, magnificent black horse galloping toward them at great speed, its silhouette glowing in the fading sunlight.

The stable hand who had been walking over tried to dodge, but the horse came too fast, knocking him over.

In just a few breaths, the horse had arrived and was standing in front of Pei Yuan. Bao Ning stared with her mouth agape, looking up at its eyes.

They were large and dark, like polished copper bells. The black horse snorted heavily, all its breath blowing into Bao Ning’s face, lifting her bangs. It was damp and a little smelly.

That finally startled her, and she yelped, ducking to the other side of Pei Yuan. But the horse ignored her and lowered its head to nuzzle Pei Yuan’s face.

Pei Yuan scratched its nose. The black horse snorted again and rubbed against his hand.

Such a tall and powerful horse, yet when it was with Pei Yuan, it behaved like a gentle, obedient child. Bao Ning found it both strange and touching. She was easily moved, and seeing this scene made her eyes redden. She held back tears and softly asked, “Is this your horse?”

Pei Yuan said, “His name is Saifeng.”

He reached for Bao Ning’s wrist, his palm covering hers, guiding her hand to touch the horse. “Don’t be afraid. He’s fierce with outsiders but gentle with family.”

Bao Ning wanted to pull away, but curiosity got the better of her. Pei Yuan’s hand was dry and warm, making her feel safe. Bao Ning gave in to her curiosity, relaxed, and stroked the horse.

The short bristly hair was a little rough. The black horse stared at her without showing aggression.
Bao Ning smiled, no longer afraid, and sweetly called its name, “Saifeng?”

Pei Yuan said, “He used to be my everything. I treated him better than I would my own son.”

“That’s a strange thing to say. How can a horse be compared to a child?” Bao Ning’s eyes curved with her smile, and she casually asked, “If you loved him so much, why didn’t you take him with you?”

Pei Yuan replied, “I thought I wasn’t worthy of him anymore.”

Bao Ning realized she had said something wrong and felt regret. She opened her mouth to speak, but Pei Yuan continued: “Now he’s yours.”

His voice was carried to her ears on the breeze. Bao Ning felt there was something deeper behind his words—a flicker of emotion that came and went too quickly to grasp.

She blinked. “That doesn’t seem right…”

Before she could finish her sentence, an elderly voice called from behind them, cautiously probing, “Fourth Prince?”

Bao Ning turned Pei Yuan around. An old man dressed in a brown work outfit, about fifty or sixty years old and weathered in appearance, had tears streaming down his face once he confirmed it was Pei Yuan.

Without warning, the man dropped to his knees and sobbed. Bao Ning was startled. The man cried out, “Your Highness, you’ve finally come. I thought you…”

“Uncle Xiang, please rise,” said Pei Yuan, reaching to help him, but unable to from his wheelchair. Bao Ning helped the man up instead.

The old man looked at her and asked, “And this is…?”

Pei Yuan glanced at Bao Ning and calmly said, “My wife.”

He called her “wife,” and Bao Ning blushed with embarrassment, giving a shy smile.

Feng Xiang exclaimed, “The Fourth Prince’s consort is so beautiful, with such a kind face.”

Pei Yuan said, “I’ve come to take Saifeng home. Thank you for taking care of him all this time. Now that he’s here, we’ll be leaving.”

“Won’t you stay for a meal? Dinner’s just been prepared,” Feng Xiang said nervously. “Fourth Prince, this stable was entrusted to me by you. Now that you’ve returned safe and sound, it should go back to its rightful owner…”

Pei Yuan interrupted him, “No need.” He patted Bao Ning’s hand, signaling that it was time to go.

Saifeng clopped his hooves and followed behind.

Bao Ning didn’t quite understand what was going on—it all felt mysterious—but since Pei Yuan wanted to leave, she pushed him along.

Feng Xiang chased after them. “Fourth Prince, wait a moment. I’ll have my son take you back.”

Pei Yuan frowned and was about to refuse, but Feng Xiang waved his hand, “It’s no trouble. It’s a long road and it’s getting dark. My son’s free anyway—let him escort you.”

He ran toward the row of tiled houses, shouting, “Yongjia! Yongjia! We have important guests—come help escort them!”

In the innermost room, Liu Yongjia nervously tugged at his sleeves. He was standing before a burly man with a full beard and looked visibly intimidated. When he heard his father calling, he craned his neck to answer, but glancing back at the man before him, he flinched and dared not speak.

“Why’s that useless old father of yours calling you again?” the bearded man, Xu Guang, grumbled as he took a swig of liquor. He rested a foot on a bench and spat, shouting harshly, “I’m giving you three more days. Either sell the stable and pay your debt—or I’ll slaughter your whole family.”

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