Jiu Yue was rendered speechless by Wu Ya.
After a long silence, she finally spoke with a solemn expression, "Perhaps it's a matter of differing levels of trust between people."
Wu Ya enthusiastically grabbed her hand and nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Sister Zhaoning, people as sincere as you are rare these days!"
Lianqiao: "..."
Lianqiao chose to remain silent, not daring to interrupt the heartfelt exchange between her sincere masters.
The weather was splendid that day. The afternoon sun warmed them so comfortably it felt as though every bone in their bodies had relaxed.
Upon arriving at the horse track, Jiu Yue changed into her riding attire.
Wu Ya and Lianqiao didn’t join her, as their mouths had been too busy eating. Being overly full made vigorous activities like horseback riding inadvisable.
The two waited for Jiu Yue in front of Abao’s stable.
When Jiu Yue emerged fully equipped, she ran into a familiar horse trainer.
The trainer beamed with delight. "I thought Your Highness wouldn’t come today."
Jiu Yue smiled. "Why? Did you encounter a wild horse?"
"Not at all." The trainer pointed toward a group of people in the distance. "Your match with the Grand Prince yesterday was so thrilling that some of the lads missed it. They were hoping to see you show off your skills again today!"
Jiu Yue followed his gaze, glanced briefly, then looked away with a casual smile.
"Not today. The Grand Prince has other matters, and I need to work on my rapport with Abao," she replied.
"Of course." The trainer had merely wanted to express his admiration in person. Hearing her response, he respectfully stepped back. "Then I won’t disturb Your Highness further."
Jiu Yue had the trainer summon the official in charge of the horse track, gave a few instructions, and then leisurely made her way to the stables.
"Wow! Sister Zhaoning! You look as dashing in riding gear as my elder brother!" Wu Ya was thoroughly impressed.
Lianqiao couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
Though Her Highness’s almond-shaped eyes gave her a delicate, refined appearance, the contours of her face carried a striking boldness. In riding attire, she was a whole different kind of beautiful!
Jiu Yue grinned and confidently placed her hands on her hips. "Just wait till you see me on horseback—I’ll look even more dashing!"
The two cheered her on enthusiastically.
She then directed them to a safer spot to wait for her.
Today, Qi Liang was secretly following to protect Wu Ya, so Jiu Yue wasn’t worried about their safety. Now, leading Abao into the field, she passed by the group the trainer had pointed out earlier.
Among them were two familiar faces—men she had high-fived during her riding drills the day before.
Seeing Jiu Yue up close again, the two grew excited. "Your Highness! Your Highness!!"
Jiu Yue waved cheerfully at them but accidentally flung her riding whip from her hand.
"Ah, careful—"
She gasped, reaching out to grab it, but her reflexes were a beat too slow. The whip barely grazed her fingertips before flying toward the group, completely slipping her grasp.
However, the men beside the guards dodged with startling speed, then belatedly pulled the guards out of the way.
The whip landed on the ground.
Jiu Yue exhaled in relief as one of the guards picked it up and handed it back.
"Thank you. I’m glad no one was hurt." Riding whips had strong recoil, and if it had struck someone’s face, the pain would have been sharp.
The guard grinned and shook his head to indicate it was nothing.
Jiu Yue nodded at them, tugged the reins, and Abao ambled forward.
The two guards still wore looks of admiration, but one of the men beside them spoke coolly, "This is the horse-racing expert you were raving about? She can’t even hold onto a whip properly."
The guards shot him disapproving looks. "You missed it yesterday—you didn’t see how many rounds Her Highness went against the Grand Prince… That kind of endurance is beyond ordinary people."
"Exactly! Her Highness can send a polo ball flying halfway across the field. Could you do that?" another guard chimed in.
The others exchanged skeptical glances.
The two guards waved it off. "Well, there’s no chance today. Let’s get back to work."
"You go ahead. We’ll stay and watch Her Highness tame the horse."
The guards left first.
The remaining men huddled together, their eyes fixed intently on Jiu Yue.
From the moment she walked away, Jiu Yue could feel their gazes trailing her. A subtle glance over her shoulder confirmed it was indeed them.
Her lips curled faintly. She almost regretted her showy performance the day before.
Now she had drawn unnecessary attention.
Their lightning-fast reflexes when she "accidentally" flung the whip told her these men were trouble.
But it also dawned on her—she had always moved stealthily in the palace, never revealing her skills. Even during the incident on the grasslands, she had returned safely under Wu Liang’s protection.
Which meant… Lv Jinge and Consort Ning might not know about her past as an assassin.
Jiu Yue stroked her chin thoughtfully.
Snapping back to the present, she patted Abao’s head gently. "Good Abao, I won’t whip you today. Go as wild as you like."
Abao ignored her.
Jiu Yue flicked the whip in her hand—the crisp snap cutting through the air.
Abao’s nostrils flared, and the horse reluctantly began to prance.
From afar, the group watched as the legendary horse-racing prodigy, Yan Zhaoning, wobbled precariously on the black stallion’s back, nearly thrown off multiple times by its violent bucking.
One of the men twitched. "She doesn’t look like a horse-racing expert at all."
Another agreed. "The boss is overreacting… If she beat the Grand Prince of Dongyue, he must’ve gone easy on her."
A more cautious one added, "Let’s keep watching. She might be feigning weakness—acting incompetent on purpose."
So they continued observing.
Meanwhile, Wu Ya and Lianqiao were also watching Jiu Yue’s struggle with the black stallion from a distance.
They had expected to see her gallop with effortless grace, but now they’d lost their appetites for snacks.
"I’ve heard my brother talk about that horse—it’s notoriously wild. Even Dongyue’s best trainers can’t control it. It only cooperates when it feels like it…" Wu Ya stepped closer to the railing, worry creasing her brow. "Sister Zhaoning doesn’t seem to be doing too well."
Lianqiao had initially been skeptical.
After all, Wu Ya didn’t know Jiu Yue’s true capabilities, but Lianqiao was aware of her mistress’s elusive skills. Taming a horse should’ve been child’s play, right?
But hearing Wu Ya’s words and recalling how Jiu Yue had returned injured and disheveled recently, Lianqiao grew anxious.
"What… what do we do? Her Highness can’t seem to stop—"
Before she could finish, the black stallion below suddenly charged wildly—spinning, rearing, and kicking before bolting downhill straight toward the group of onlookers.
The men: "..."
What the hell.
Why does it feel like this horse is deliberately charging straight at them???
It’s even sticking out its tongue!
The two familiar-looking guards had already left, so when Abao rushed forward, Jiu Yue had no reservations. Not only did she not try to stop it, but she also launched into her own immersive performance.
"Quick, quick—get out of the way! Help! This horse seems to have gone mad!"
Jiu Yue wailed at the top of her lungs, her hands barely holding onto the reins.
The group’s eyelids twitched, and without another moment’s hesitation, they scattered in all directions to avoid the out-of-control black horse.
Jiu Yue took the opportunity to assess their agility, forming a rough estimate in her mind. Seeing the fence just inches away, she subtly tugged the reins, signaling to Abao that it was time for a break.
Abao understood—and not a second later, it refused to exert itself any further, coming to an abrupt halt.
Jiu Yue had already loosened her grip on the reins, but she hadn’t expected the stop to be so sudden.
The moment Abao screeched to a stop, the unprepared Jiu Yue was flung uncontrollably forward from the saddle… and landed face-first in a pile of hay.
Jiu Yue: "…"
This was revenge! Abao’s blatant, shameless revenge!!!
