Chapter 14: Taming the Horse
"I'm just a horse tamer."
The girl stood with her hands behind her back, playfully swaying an iron-headed staff. Her tone was light and carefree.
"Yan Yan?" He Sui was taken aback before softly scolding, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
But He Yan paid him no mind, her gaze fixed on Young Master Zhao as she asked, "Would the young master be willing?"
Young Master Zhao was a man who cherished beauty. Though the girl's face was veiled, her eyes hinted at loveliness. Moreover, one doesn't strike a smiling face—her voice was clear and melodious, surely belonging to a beauty. When such a delicate maiden made a request, he saw no reason to refuse.
"Young lady, this horse is fierce. If you were to get hurt, I would be utterly remorseful," he kindly reminded, convinced of his own gallantry.
Yet the moment he finished speaking, the girl laughed softly. In the next instant, a blur of crimson swept past like a blooming hibiscus, carrying a faint floral breeze. When he looked again, He Yan was seated properly on the horse's back, reins in hand.
The horse had originally been held by He Sui, who hadn't expected He Yan to suddenly mount it. Startled, he loosened his grip, and the rope slipped away. The wild horse reared with a piercing whinny.
"Yan Yan—!" He Sui cried out in alarm, while He Yun Sheng was equally stunned.
Unfazed, He Yan tossed aside the reins and instead gripped the horse's mane firmly. No matter how the beast struggled, she held fast, pressing her body low and whispering strange, guttural sounds into its ear.
Strangely, the horse gradually calmed, its thrashing ceasing as it settled back onto all fours.
The onlookers were astounded.
"Yan Yan, come down—" He Sui finally exhaled in relief, urgently reaching out to her. "Don't fall!"
He Yun Sheng, too, snapped out of his daze. The young man bit his lip, his face pale and voice trembling. "You... get down now! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Hahahaha!" Young Master Zhao, who had been frozen in shock, suddenly burst into laughter. "To think the young lady is truly skilled! In that case," he mounted his own horse with flair, "why not accompany you for a ride?"
He cut quite the dashing figure.
He Yan smiled faintly. "Then the young master should be careful. I did say—I tame horses." With that, she slapped the horse's hindquarters, and it bolted forward in a cloud of dust!
"She didn't even use a whip?" Young Master Zhao muttered before cracking his own. "Let's go!"
The two horses kicked up billowing dust along the track, leaving the crowd gaping in their wake.
He Sui slowly turned to He Yun Sheng, who hastily defended himself, "Don't ask me—I don't know when she learned to ride either!"
He Sui felt as though he were dreaming.
He knew his own daughter best. She had a passing familiarity with the refined arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—and was unmatched in matters of dress and adornment. But when it came to horseback riding or swordplay, she couldn't even bear to hear their names without rolling her eyes. He Yan adored elegant, scholarly young men, savoring tea and poetry under the moonlight. Such rough pursuits were beneath her—she kept her distance, lest they ruin her delicate skin.Yet her movements as she mounted the horse were so practiced, as if she had done it a thousand times before, even surpassing him, her own father. That spirited horse, too, was as docile as a kitten under her control—she didn’t even need a whip? How did she manage that?
He Sui turned his gaze toward the figure on the track.
The untamed steed that had defied He Sui now moved with the swiftness of the wind beneath He Yan. Her posture was graceful, and though she wore an inconveniently long skirt, she simply swept it aside, revealing the trousers underneath—yet far from appearing crude, there was an indescribable elegance to her bearing.
Young Master Zhao couldn’t catch up to her.
Young Master Zhao was growing frustrated.
He had come to the training grounds to show off, not to be humiliated. He Sui had amused him earlier, but what was this girl’s deal? He couldn’t possibly lose to a woman, especially one riding an untamed horse. Was he really going to be made a laughingstock?
Absolutely not!
Suddenly, a competitive fire ignited in Young Master Zhao’s heart. He whipped his horse harder, driving it forward in pain. The horse surged ahead, and it seemed he was about to overtake He Yan.
Yes, just like this. Watching He Yan’s figure draw nearer, Young Master Zhao couldn’t help but feel smug. He had been riding since he was seven—how could he possibly lose to a woman now?
His horse finally pulled ahead of He Yan’s.
Young Master Zhao laughed triumphantly. "Miss, you’ll have to try harder!"
"Young Master is quite impressive," He Yan’s voice carried a hint of surprise. "This is the first time someone’s caught up to me."
As she spoke, her fingers brushed against the iron-headed rod swaying at her waist. Young Master Zhao’s horse was ahead, hers behind—just enough for the tip of the rod to poke the horse’s hindquarters.
No one noticed this subtle act—except for the horse beneath Young Master Zhao.
Startled, the horse suddenly stumbled. Caught off guard, Young Master Zhao’s grip loosened, and his whip fell to the ground. The next moment, his horse bolted wildly, ignoring all commands. Panicked, he yanked the reins, but it was useless.
"St—stop! Stop!" he wailed, jostled dizzy on the horse’s back.
Behind him came the urgent voice of the woman. "Young Master Zhao? Are you alright?"
"H—help me!" Young Master Zhao’s voice cracked with fear. "Make it stop!"
In the distance, He Yunsheng frowned. "What’s going on? I think I heard that Zhao fellow screaming for help."
He Sui startled, turning to see two horses racing back toward them from the end of the track. Young Master Zhao’s horse led the way, but he had no whip—instead, he clung to the reins, wailing in terror. Behind him, He Yan called out anxiously, yet sat perfectly steady in the saddle.
"Young Master Zhao’s horse seems to have spooked," He Sui said hurriedly, rushing to fetch another horse from the stable. "I’ll go help!"
"Young Master… oh, Young Master!" The servant’s face paled. "You mustn’t come to harm!"
Young Master Zhao howled miserably on the horse’s back, his cries piercing. He Yan freed one hand to rub her ear—so noisy.
Such an arrogant brat. If she didn’t scare him half to death, she wouldn’t be He Yan. Back in the army, there had been no shortage of recruits who thought themselves superior, only to be humbled by reality. In this world, there was always someone better. It was best to stay humble.After admiring her fill, He Yan spotted He Sui leading the horse from afar. With another pat on the horse's rump, the steed halted, and she leaped down with lightning grace. In one swift motion, she thrust the iron-headed staff across the neck of Young Master Zhao's horse, abruptly stopping it in its tracks. The horse reared up momentarily before settling. He Yan tugged the reins and commanded, "Whoa—"
The horse quieted down.
A breeze stirred, lifting the white veil on her face for a fleeting glimpse of the woman's features—only for an instant before the misty white fabric settled back into place.
"All done," she said to the tearful man cowering atop the horse. "You can dismount now, Young Master Zhao."
"Waaah—waaah—"
Young Master Zhao burst into pitiful sobs.
Yan Yan, what a badass woman [facepalm]. Next chapter, the uncle makes his official debut~
(End of Chapter)
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