"Your older brother is mediocre; it will be a success if he can just maintain what we have!" Duke Chu said to his daughter, shaking his head helplessly. "Whether our Xisha tribe has any standing with the Marquis of Jining in the future will depend on you!"
Chu Yue was stunned. She now realized that her idea of disfiguring her face to break off her engagement with Marquis Changqing, Li Tongguang, was a bit naive! She fell silent, pacing around the room with her brows furrowed.
"Alright!" After a while, Chu Yue finally nodded and said, "You can give him the fortified manors and the horses, but the tribesmen must remain with me for now!"
Duke Chu was surprised that Chu Yue had been thinking about this. His brows furrowed as well.
"If Father sees this engagement as a certificate of allegiance, then I must have something that will make the Marquis see my value!" Chu Yue said, her brows still furrowed. "Merely relying on love and favor in the inner chambers will certainly not be enough!"
Duke Chu was stunned, then he silently nodded. His investigation into Wei Tingyu had revealed that the man was indeed fond of beauty and had many beautiful wives and concubines in his manor. If his daughter were to enter his household, her beauty alone might not be enough for her to stand out among the other women!
But if Chu Yue had a cavalry force under her command, and could fight alongside Wei Tingyu to conquer the world… then her status would naturally be different from the other women in the back courtyard!
Thinking this, Duke Chu smiled faintly and said, "You have thought this through more carefully than your father!"
"But when you meet him, you must not be so forceful!"
"Your words must be gentle! Only then will you have a peaceful and smooth life in the future!"
"Everything your father is doing is for your happiness!"
As she listened to Duke Chu's words, County Princess Chu Yue's mind drifted back to her encounter with Wei Tingyu in the jewelry shop. The memory of him placing that flower in her hair made her heart feel sweet all over again.
Duke Chu had been worried whether his headstrong daughter would listen to his instructions. It was difficult to ask her to speak gently to a man; even he felt it was unlikely. But now, seeing his daughter's shy expression as she reminisced, Duke Chu's brow relaxed. At this moment, he felt that perhaps his special instructions were unnecessary!
The next afternoon, Wei Tingyu, guided by a servant from the Duke Chu's manor, arrived at a horse ranch on the outskirts of the An capital. He was puzzled. He had received a letter in the morning from County Princess Chu Yue, inviting him to meet her at the Xisha tribe's horse ranch outside the city.
Wei Tingyu, of course, would not be late for an appointment with a beauty. He greeted Ren Ruyi and Yang Ying and left. When he arrived at the entrance of the ranch, he saw a beautiful landscape. It was a rare sight, a large grassland next to the bustling An capital. The ranch was surrounded by a wooden fence, and several wild-looking horsemen patrolled the perimeter, preventing anyone from breaking in.
The few men guarding the main gate also stopped Wei Tingyu's party. This showed that even people from the Duke Chu's manor could not enter the ranch without a token. This straightforwardness and loyalty of the Xisha people greatly surprised Wei Tingyu!
The servant leading the way said nothing, simply took out a token from his sleeve and showed it to the guards. When the guards saw it, they said no more, cupped their fists, and stepped aside, allowing them to enter the ranch.
"My apologies, Marquis!" The servant put the token away, then turned to Wei Tingyu and said, "There are Vermilion-Robed Guards everywhere in the capital right now. Asking you to visit the manor would attract too much attention."
"This horse ranch is quite peaceful. The County Princess has been waiting for you for a long time!"
"Lead the way!" Wei Tingyu nodded in response and said directly. He was quite surprised by County Princess Chu Yue's caution. He didn't expect this girl, who seemed so bold on the outside, to be so meticulous.
"Yes!" The servant nodded, then rode ahead, leading Wei Tingyu into the ranch.
…
"Huh?" Wei Tingyu opened the official deed in his hand and looked at it, immediately feeling a little stunned! He had just arrived and, after seeing County Princess Chu Yue, he didn't even have time to greet her before she presented the deed to him with both hands. He was confused at first, but when he opened it, he realized it was a deed for the Xisha tribe's property! And the contents were quite substantial, which made the ever-greedy Wei Tingyu quite tempted.
But what did this girl, Chu Yue, mean by giving him the deed? Was she showing off? Did she want him to see the financial power of the Xisha tribe? How much grassland, cattle, sheep, horses, and tribesmen and riding slaves they had?
So, Duke Chu had the intention of a marriage alliance with him and was just showing off his power? But that didn't seem right! Duke Chu was the leader of the Xisha tribe. He could have just shown him a list of his assets. Why would he take out the deed itself?
Wei Tingyu, growing more and more confused, looked up at County Princess Chu Yue, who was standing in front of him. This girl was wearing a beautiful light-yellow dress today, looking youthful and radiant! Her attire was like that of a Han girl from a noble family, unlike the heroic riding outfit she wore when they last met! The change in her appearance was one thing, but what was most important was that Chu Yue was now standing in front of him, her lips slightly pursed, quietly watching him with a strange mix of emotions in her eyes. It was a look of shyness… and also… apprehension?
What did she mean? Was she afraid he would steal the deed and not give it back? Wei Tingyu grew more and more confused!
"As expected of the Duke Chu's manor, you are truly wealthy!" Wei Tingyu smiled, then closed the deed and said. He wasn't just saying it to be polite; he genuinely meant it. A thousand miles of grassland! Tens of thousands of fine horses! This wealth was something not just an ordinary person but even an Emperor would covet!
"Is the Marquis satisfied?" Hearing Wei Tingyu's words, Chu Yue smiled faintly, and two beautiful dimples appeared on her face.
"Huh?" Wei Tingyu was momentarily taken aback. What did his satisfaction have to do with this?
"There are over a thousand tribesmen!" But County Princess Chu Yue seemed not to notice Wei Tingyu's surprised expression and continued with a smile, "Giving them all to the Marquis at once might attract attention and cause rumors to spread!"
"So, I will keep them for now! I'll manage them for you!" When County Princess Chu Yue said this, she even shyly reached up and gently played with her two braids. "The Emperor knows that I've been training riding slaves!" But despite her shyness, she still looked at Wei Tingyu with determination and continued, "Just tell me how you want them trained, and I'll do it!"
"I've learned everything, from tactics and archery to forming a battle array for siege warfare!"
After hearing Chu Yue's words, Wei Tingyu's eyes widened even more. What did this girl mean by her words?
"Is this your… dowry?" Wei Tingyu thought of this and no longer hesitated, asking with a look of confusion.
"…Mm!" Chu Yue's face turned completely red when she heard the word "dowry," but she still nodded, letting out a barely audible hum through her nose, which was her confirmation.
Good heavens! After getting confirmation, Wei Tingyu was inwardly stunned! This old man, Duke Chu, is truly generous! And most importantly, his goal had only been to win over this girl, County Princess Chu Yue, but he never expected his future father-in-law to be won over first! He was not only willing to break off the Imperial betrothal to Marquis Changqing but also to hand his daughter and half of the Xisha tribe directly into his hands?! Was this old man getting senile?
Of course, this thought only flashed through Wei Tingyu's mind for a moment before he dismissed it. Rather than believing Duke Chu was losing his mind, Wei Tingyu was more inclined to believe he was too clever! Perhaps among the entire An Kingdom's court, only Duke Chu had truly seen through him?! If so, Wei Tingyu couldn't help but applaud the old man in his heart! He was certain that the old man's gamble on him was absolutely the right one!
Looking at the girl in front of him, with her adorable blush, Wei Tingyu smiled and asked again, "You are a County Princess, with all the riches and honors that come with it. Why did you learn things like tactics and archery?"
"What?" But as soon as Chu Yue heard this question, her shy expression instantly changed to one of defiance. She looked at Wei Tingyu and said, "Are you the only one… Marquis, are you the only one who can have grand ambitions?"
She had instinctively wanted to snap back at Wei Tingyu, but halfway through her sentence, she remembered her father's special instruction to be gentle and respectful with Wei Tingyu, so she quickly changed her address to "Marquis." Of course, this respectful address could not hide the defiance in her tone! It was understandable. A girl like her was most afraid of being looked down upon by a man, especially her future husband!
"At the very least, I am not one to be looked down on!" Thinking this, County Princess Chu Yue turned and paced, pouting as she complained. "The first Duke Chu of our Xisha tribe was a female general!" "But Father and Grandfather always think that the position of tribal leader can only be inherited by my Big Brother!" "I've been learning these things since I was a child to prove that I am no worse than my Big Brother!"
Wei Tingyu listened to County Princess Chu Yue's complaints and looked at the deed in his hand, smiling helplessly.
"I heard that your Big Brother is quite ordinary and can only maintain the status quo," he said as he saw Chu Yue turn to look at him. "You are so smart; you must be much stronger than him!"
"Is the Marquis praising me?" Chu Yue was surprised, and she blinked at Wei Tingyu and asked, "Are you in a good mood again today?"
As soon as the girl said this, Wei Tingyu was reminded of his conversation with County Princess Chu Yue on the street a few days ago. At that time, she had asked why he had helped her, and he had fobbed her off with the excuse of being "in a good mood." He never expected that after all this time, the girl still remembered that line?!
"Today, I have received such a great gift, especially the jewel of the Xisha tribe, County Princess Chu Yue!" Wei Tingyu smiled and walked behind Chu Yue, then leaned his head close to her ear and whispered, "Of course, I'm in a good mood!"
Chu Yue hadn't expected him to try that trick again! The last time, on the street, when he had leaned in so close and whispered, her heart had pounded like a frightened deer! But even though she had mentally prepared herself, when Wei Tingyu's warm breath touched her fair neck, Chu Yue's heart couldn't help but pound even more violently! She could clearly feel her face, all the way to the back of her ears, start to heat up. Without a doubt, her face must be very, very red right now!
At this moment, Chu Yue secretly scolded herself for being so weak and losing face in front of the Marquis. At the same time, her eyes darted to her steed in the stable in front of her, which was leisurely wagging its tail and eating grass. She instinctively blurted out, "Ta… Taxue!" After shouting, she felt a little embarrassed. After all, when the tension between them had reached that level, she had suddenly called out the name of her beloved horse. It was a very awkward turn.
Fortunately, her horse, named Taxue, was very intelligent. When it heard its owner's call, it whinnied loudly and stomped its hooves a few times. If it hadn't responded, Chu Yue would have been even more embarrassed!
"A black horse… why is it called 'Taxue'?" Wei Tingyu, of course, saw her awkwardness and didn't want to make things harder for her. He simply followed her lead and asked.
"What? Is something wrong with that?" But Chu Yue, who was nervously picking at her fingers, instinctively shot back at Wei Tingyu. The next second, she realized she had been too blunt and quickly added, "Marquis, what is your red horse called? It looks quite magnificent!"
"That one…" Wei Tingyu smiled and said, "Is called Xunmei!"
"Xunmei?!" Chu Yue was stunned, and her little mouth immediately pouted. My horse is called Taxue, and yours is called Xunmei? Taxue Xunmei (Riding the Snow to Find the Plum Blossoms) — was that really a coincidence? He was clearly still trying to tease her and take advantage of her with his words!
But when Wei Tingyu saw Chu Yue's expression, he could only cry out in his heart that he had been wronged! His horse was of a noble breed. As a Marquis of the Central Plains, he had good horses! But this horse was entirely red. Although it couldn't compare to the legendary Red Hare, it looked quite impressive, so he had named it Xunmei. Of course, because Xunmei was a homophone for "seeking beauty," this name had earned him a lot of teasing from his wives and concubines, such as Dou Zhao, in his manor!
"I wonder which of these two horses is more impressive?" Wei Tingyu turned to look at the pensive Chu Yue and said with a smile, "Want to have a competition?"
"A competition for what?" Chu Yue was startled, then quickly shook her head. "I've seen the Marquis's skills; I'm not competing with you…"
Are you kidding me? Chu Yue might have a wild personality, but she wasn't an idiot! The way Wei Tingyu had used his pressure point technique from a distance in the jewelry shop was enough to make Chu Yue bow down and admit defeat! And now he wanted to compete with her? Chu Yue, though bold and uninhibited, didn't have a habit of seeking abuse!
"Just a horse race!" Wei Tingyu smiled and said, "No martial arts!"
"Alright, let's compete! Let's go!" When Chu Yue heard that it would only be a horse race and not a martial arts duel, her eyes lit up, and she nodded immediately. "Today, we'll have a fair and square race!"
…
"I won! I won!" In the evening, under the setting sun, County Princess Chu Yue shouted excitedly, waving the red ribbon in her hand with a joyful expression.
Wei Tingyu slowly rode his horse closer and couldn't help but smile when he saw her excited and happy face. There was no one else in the horse ranch except for the two of them and their horses, so he wondered who she was showing off to.
Wei Tingyu couldn't help but admire County Princess Chu Yue's equestrian and archery skills! The race had begun with her shooting an arrow that pinned a red ribbon to a target three hundred paces away! This arrow-piercing-the-willow-leaf archery skill alone had greatly shocked Wei Tingyu! And this young girl didn't even know how to use internal energy! If she were to learn advanced martial arts from him in the future, she would be able to draw a powerful bow and, with her sharpshooting skills, she would be like a super sniper of this era!
Just imagine the scene before a battle, where this girl would first draw her bow and shoot an arrow that pierced the head of the enemy general, pinning his body to the battle flag. What a sight that would be!