In previous dragon boat races, it was almost always the Yun Family and Su Family competing for second place, while the Lei Family had always been relatively low-key. Unexpectedly, this year, they eliminated both the Yun and Su Families. Although it wasn’t entirely shocking, the result was still surprising. Fortunately, everyone’s attention was quickly drawn to the final showdown between the imperial court and the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion, so no one dwelled on this matter for long.
After a break of two quarters of an hour, the gong sounded again amidst the clamor. The three remaining dragon boats on the river shot forward like arrows. At first, the Golden Dragon and Azure Dragon were slightly ahead, with the Lei Family closely trailing behind. However, after one round, during the final sprint, the Lei Family’s Red Dragon repeatedly overtook both the Golden Dragon and the Azure Dragon.
This scene astonished the spectators on the shore. After all, in previous years, when the imperial court’s boat did not participate, the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion always took first place, and neither the Yun Family nor the Su Family had ever defeated the Prince’s Mansion’s dragon boat. So, what was happening with the Lei Family this time?
At first, many thought the young men on the Lei Family’s dragon boat had simply gotten carried away in the heat of the moment and accidentally surged ahead. But as the boats neared the finish line, the crowd grew increasingly amazed—the Red Dragon genuinely seemed intent on competing with the Golden Dragon and Azure Dragon for victory.
The noise along the riverbank gradually subsided, and an unprecedented silence fell over the scene. Everyone’s eyes were fixed intently on the three dragon boats on the river. Of course, some also stole glances at Lei Ting, the head of the Lei Family, who was seated on the high platform, trying to discern what he was really up to.
Lei Ting remained seated with a composed expression. Although his gaze was fixed on the three dragon boats, he seemed unaffected by the peculiar atmosphere around him.
At that moment, the Prince of Yanbei, seated at the head of the platform, turned and spoke a few words to Lei Ting. Lei Ting respectfully replied, though no one could hear what he said. Whatever it was, it made the Prince burst into laughter. His laughter broke the silence, and the atmosphere grew lively again. Amidst the Prince’s laughter, the three dragon boats crossed the finish line one after another.
When the results were announced, the scene erupted into unprecedented excitement.
The Red Boat took first place, the Azure Boat second, and the Golden Boat third. This meant that the Lei Family had not only defeated the Yanbei Prince’s Mansion but also the imperial court. The Golden Dragon, representing the formidable momentum of the court, had lost not only to the Prince’s Mansion but also to a prominent family from Yanbei.
This outcome left everyone stunned. After the initial shock, many began to lament. Numerous betting pools had been set up along the shore, with almost everyone placing their bets on the Azure Dragon or Golden Dragon. No one had expected the Lei Family to emerge as the dark horse.
The two imperial officials present looked displeased, but the Prince of Yanbei showed no sign of dissatisfaction. Instead, he even patted Lei Ting on the shoulder, appearing like a benevolent elder who held great expectations for a promising junior.
Lady Xu shook her head with a smile. "I lost again this year."
Xu Wanli comforted her, "There’s no need to feel disheartened, my lady. I didn’t win either."
The couple exchanged a knowing smile.Lady Xu glanced at Xiao Jingxi and sighed with a smile, "I never expected this outcome." She unfolded the rice paper before her, on which were written Azure Dragon, Golden Dragon, and White Dragon in order. Xu Wanli's paper, meanwhile, had Azure Dragon, Golden Dragon, and Red Dragon written on it.
Lady Xu then looked at Pei Zhiyan and Ren Yaoqi, "And what about you two?"
Pei Zhiyan smiled faintly and spread out the paper before him, which was completely blank, with nothing written on it.
Lady Xu was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head with a smile, saying nothing more. Although Pei Zhiyan had written nothing, his meaning was clear: he believed the Golden Dragon would not win. However, given his position, he could not bet on any dragon boat other than the Golden Dragon, lest someone with ill intentions find out and use it against him.
Even someone as carefree as Pei Zhiyan could not disregard certain rules.
Xiao Jingxi turned to Ren Yaoqi and asked softly, "What did you write?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and handed her paper to Xiao Jingxi.
Xiao Jingxi took it, unfolded it, and raised an eyebrow in surprise before looking at Ren Yaoqi with a smile.
Lady Xu chuckled, "What kind of riddle is this?"
Pei Zhiyan glanced at Ren Yaoqi, "Did Miss Ren guess correctly?"
Xiao Jingxi unfolded the paper and showed it to Pei Zhiyan, who was sitting beside him. Pei Zhiyan glanced at it, also showing surprise, and then praised, "Excellent handwriting! And she guessed correctly."
On Ren Yaoqi's paper were clearly written Red Dragon, Azure Dragon, and Golden Dragon.
Lady Xu exclaimed in astonishment, "She really guessed correctly."
Pei Zhiyan teased with a smile, "No wonder they say teaching a student too well starves the teacher. It seems one must choose students of mediocre talent, or else the teacher loses face."
Everyone laughed at this remark.
Ren Yaoqi: "..."
Ren Yaoqi thought gloomily, so when Pei Zhiyan punished her every other day back then, was it actually because he thought her talent was too exceptional?
Xiao Jingxi leaned closer and whispered to Ren Yaoqi, "How did you guess?"
Ren Yaoqi glanced at him and replied softly, "When you said, 'Victory and defeat are common in warfare. Besides, this is just a dragon boat race—there is joy in winning, and there is also joy in losing.'"
It must be said that Ren Yaoqi understood Xiao Jingxi quite well. Based on such an ambiguous statement, she had deduced this outcome. Of course, luck had also played a significant part.
Xiao Jingxi was momentarily stunned, and then a pleased smile appeared in his eyes.
Although Xiao Jingxi looked very handsome when he smiled, with so many elders present, Ren Yaoqi dared not look at him too much, lest the elders think her frivolous. She could only turn her head to look at the high platform on the shore.
With Yanbei pulling off such a move, the imperial court and the Empress Dowager's faction were naturally displeased. A eunuch sent by the Empress Dowager, standing behind the officials, muttered discontentedly, "What kind of behavior is this!"
Although his voice was not loud, the Prince of Yanbei's gaze still swept toward him. The eunuch suddenly felt a palpable pressure, as if a tangible force instilled fear deep within him, making it momentarily difficult to breathe.
The Prince of Yanbei casually comforted the frowning imperial officials beside him, "It's just a dragon boat race. What does winning or losing matter? The most important thing is for everyone to have fun. Look, even though I lost, I'm still just as happy."What are you unhappy about? The Lei Family is still part of Yanbei, isn't it? In the end, isn't it the court's face that's being tarnished? Everyone will only laugh at the court's expense—how could they possibly laugh at you, the Prince of Yanbei?
Moreover, the Lei Family not only defeated the court's boat but also the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's boat. Losing to one's own subordinates on home turf, the Prince of Yanbei has shown great magnanimity and made it clear that "losing is fine—the Lei Family did well!" With such a tolerant attitude, if the court were to pursue the Lei Family's "crime," it would only appear narrow-minded. Even if the Empress Dowager and the emperor were present, they could only grit their teeth and accept defeat.
So, although the two officials were quite troubled about how to write their reports to their superiors upon returning, they forced a smile and said, "Your Highness is right, quite right. Winning or losing isn't important, not important at all."
Afterward, the Prince of Yanbei personally rewarded Lei Ting and the young men of the Lei Family who participated in today's boat race. The scene was lively and harmonious, while the court officials stood by with stiff smiles from start to finish, looking utterly out of place.
Finally, the Prince of Yanbei declared, "The dragon boat race is meant to pray for blessings and ensure favorable weather in the coming year. It's also a joyous occasion to share with the people—winning or losing isn't important. This year, the Lei Family won, but those who lost shouldn't be discouraged. Just win it back next year!"
The Prince's words were met with cheers from everyone. After years of watching the Yanbei Prince's Mansion win, people had grown weary of it. Now that the Prince had spoken, it was clear next year's dragon boat race would be even more exciting.
After saying a few more words, the Prince of Yanbei left with his guards.
This year's dragon boat race had ended, and the people on the shore were gradually arranged to leave.
The group on the painted boat wasn't in a hurry to leave while the crowd was still thick. Lady Xu said, "It's been a long time since I've been on a boat. Since we're not in a rush to go ashore, why not let this painted boat take us on a tour of the Liyang River?"
With Lady Xu's suggestion, Xu Wanli naturally had no objections, and Pei Zhiyan also agreed. Ren Yaoqi certainly didn't want to spoil the mood, so Xiao Jingxi ordered the painted boat to sail to the center of the river and then downstream along the Liyang River.
"I'll send someone to inform your mother and have her escorted back first?" Xiao Jingxi said to Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi nodded.
At that moment, a maid entered and reported, "Young Master, several young ladies from the capital are on the shore and wish to admire the scenery of our Yanbei's rivers and mountains."
Everyone's gaze turned to Xiao Jingxi.
The intentions of these young ladies from the capital were clear—they wanted to board the painted boat. Everyone in Yanbei knew that this painted boat belonged to Second Young Master Xiao. Whether the young ladies from the capital were here for the so-called scenery or for someone in particular was hard to say.
Xiao Jingxi remained calm and composed, instructing, "Let them board the Commandery Princess's painted boat. Send more people to accompany them and ensure nothing goes wrong."
The maid accepted the order and left.
Pei Zhiyan glanced at Xiao Jingxi, sipped his tea, and leisurely remarked, "This painted boat is quite spacious. Why didn't you let them come aboard, Young Master Xiao?"
Lady Xu smiled silently beside them.
Xiao Jingxi glanced at Ren Yaoqi and replied calmly, "I thought Mr. Pei preferred peace and quiet."
Pei Zhiyan pondered for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "Then it's better to keep things quiet."Yun Qiuchen, Yan Ningshuang, and Zhao Yingqiu stood on the riverbank, watching the painted pleasure boat preparing to depart in the distance, each with different feelings.
Yan Ningshuang smiled and asked, "This pleasure boat is quite large. Why bother with the Commandery Princess's boat? We only wish to see the scenery along the Liyang River."
The maid who replied was respectful in her manner: "The young master is entertaining distinguished guests on the pleasure boat and fears he might neglect you ladies. Our Commandery Princess's boat is moored not far away and will arrive shortly. Please wait a moment, ladies."
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