Tong Aning glanced toward Tong Fengye.
No, I can't let Fourth Sister realize I can hear her thoughts. Tong Fengye gritted his teeth and mounted his horse anyway.
Feng Chu drew closer to Tong Fengye and lowered his voice. "Fengye, don't worry. My sister and I will definitely keep you safe."
The Feng siblings were both expert polo players and had brought their own horses. The Heir of Duke Anguo had no way to tamper with them, so he could only wait until the match began to play dirty.
Feng Chu's words reassured Tong Fengye considerably. He raised his mallet. "I'm no pushover either."
Tong Aning also came up beside him. The young girl had rolled up her sleeves and undone her bun, tying her hair into a simpler ponytail. Astride her horse, with her hair ribbon fluttering in the wind, she cut a valiant figure.
Tong Fengye was deeply touched. "My dear Aning."
Tong Aning tilted her head, looking at Tong Fengye in puzzlement. "Third Brother, what's wrong?"
Tong Fengye paused. "Fourth Sister, don't you have anything to say?"
Tong Aning clenched her fist, and Tong Fengye copied her, raising his own. "Third Brother, you can do it! I've got faith in you," she said.
Tong Fengye: "...?"
Wasn't she supposed to say something like, "Be careful," "Watch out," or "Third Brother, I'll protect you"?
Oh, Tong Fengye understood now. It must be because his polo skills were so masterful that Tong Aning wasn't worried about him at all.
At that thought, Tong Fengye swelled with pride, puffing out his chest and raising his head.
[If the sweetheart of the Heir of Duke Anguo would even fancy my third brother, that just shows how awful the heir himself must be.]
Tong Fengye: "..."
Tong Siyan covered her mouth and chuckled.
The match began.
"Be careful," Tong Siyan said.
Tong Fengye had already scored a goal. He waved his mallet. "Don't worry, Second Sister."
The Heir of Duke Anguo's gaze darkened. He glanced to either side, and the two men nodded before charging toward Tong Fengye.
Although Tong Aning had considered that they might use the inevitable collisions on the polo field to knock her third brother off his horse, she hadn't expected them to be a hundred times more vicious than she had imagined.
Feng Chu and Feng Jingruo also exchanged a glance, and all three hurried toward Tong Fengye.
Over on his side.
Tong Fengye pulled on the reins and changed direction, leaving the two charging men rushing into empty space. His horse paced in place as he said with a smile, "Gentlemen, it's only a polo match. Surely there's no need for such murderous intent?"
Both men's expressions looked rather ugly. Tong Fengye had already gone to join Tong Aning and the others, and the sight of the four together could not have been more galling.
Tong Fengye breathed a sigh of relief and grew smug. "I do have some skills."
He kept looking at Tong Aning as he spoke, waiting for praise.
Tong Aning said, "You're amazing, Third Brother."
Tong Fengye grew even smugger.
[Xixi, are they planning to give up?]
[Host, they still have a second move.]
[A second move?]
Before Tong Aning could ask what that second move was, Tong Fengye's horse suddenly went berserk.
"Third Brother!!!" Tong Aning cried anxiously.
Tong Siyan stood up in the distance as well. She quickly turned to find more people to bring the situation under control.
The maddened horse carried Tong Fengye galloping all over the field, while the Heir of Duke Anguo watched with satisfaction.
The man beside him said, "Young Lord, we'd better leave first."
The Heir of Duke Anguo raised a hand. "No hurry."
He hadn't seen Tong Fengye fall from his horse yet. Wouldn't leaving now be too much of a loss?
"Third Brother!!!"
Feng Chu went after Tong Fengye. Tong Aning and Feng Jingruo were less skilled riders than he was, so both watched from a distance.
Tong Aning was nearly frantic.
[Xixi, is there anything we can do?]
[Don't panic, Host. Let me think, let me think...]
Tong Fengye nearly lost his strength and was thrown off. Tong Aning's heart leaped into her throat, but he caught the reins and flipped himself back onto the horse.
Whoa, I'd never managed to pull that move off before, but today I actually did it!
"Third Brother, don't get distracted!!!"
"Fourth Sister, don't worry..."
This time, the horse swept past the Heir of Duke Anguo, only to veer toward him for no apparent reason.
The Heir of Duke Anguo couldn't get out of the way in time and was knocked to the ground.
Tong Fengye clearly heard bones snapping. His teeth ached at the sound.
The polo field was in utter chaos.
Tong Fengye was unharmed, but the Heir of Duke Anguo had broken his legs.
Tong Aning raced over and threw her arms around Tong Fengye. "Third Brother, are you all right?"
Tong Fengye cocked an eyebrow at his sister. "What could possibly happen to me?"
Tong Siyan also came over. "Thank goodness, thank goodness."
Only after saying "thank goodness" twice did Tong Siyan's heart settle.
"Second Sister, don't worry. I'm fine. And..." Tong Fengye held the hairpin out to her. "I got the hairpin too."
Looking at the hairpin, Tong Siyan felt her eyes inexplicably grow hot.
[Xixi, do you think Duke Anguo will make trouble for our marquis's household after this?]
[Definitely. Duke Anguo only has this one heir left.]
Tong Fengye scratched his head. "Second Sister, have I caused trouble again?"
Tong Siyan looked at the wailing Heir of Duke Anguo, her expression rather cold. "Don't worry. Father and Mother won't blame you."
Tong Aning nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Third Brother, you were protecting yourself. The Heir of Duke Anguo got his just deserts."
Feng Chu ran over. "That's right. If Duke Anguo makes trouble for you, my sister and I will testify for you too."
That afternoon, both Tong Aobai and Tong Fengye were summoned to the palace.
When Su Zhouyue heard what had happened that morning, she paced anxiously in circles. Standing in the courtyard, she spat. "That old scoundrel, Duke Anguo, actually took his complaint straight to His Majesty! He's a muddleheaded fool himself—does he think His Majesty is one too?"
"Mother, why don't Second Sister and I go to the palace? We were both there. It was the Heir of Duke Anguo who tried to hurt Third Brother."
Tong Aning also spoke up against the injustice done to her third brother.
Su Zhouyue took Tong Aning's hand. "All right. I'll take you both to the palace."
The three met the Feng siblings at the palace gates and went together to the throne hall. Before long, Eunuch Wang told them all to enter.
When they went inside, Duke Anguo was still draped over his unconscious son, wailing to heaven and earth.
"Your Majesty," Duke Anguo choked out, "you heard what the imperial physician just said. My son's legs—both his legs—are ruined! This is all because of Tong Fengye. Your Majesty must give my son justice!"
His shouting gave the emperor a headache. "If your son hadn't harbored malicious intentions first, how would he have ended up like this?"
Duke Anguo looked incredulous. "Your Majesty, are you saying you intend to shield the marquis's household?"
"I'm not shielding..."
"Your Majesty, I know the marquis's household is riding high these days, but does my son's life not count as a life? Does Your Majesty mean to chill my heart?"
The emperor: "..."
So now he's turning this into a matter of principle?
The emperor asked, "Then how do you want this handled?"
Duke Anguo glared viciously at Tong Fengye, who stood behind Tong Aobai. "Naturally, whatever happens to my son must happen to Tong Fengye."
"You want my son crippled too? Dream on," Tong Aobai said coldly.
"You dare be so insolent before His Majesty?"
"If Duke Anguo can be insolent for his son, why can't I?"
The two looked about to start arguing again.
The emperor turned to Su Zhouyue and the others. "What have you come to the palace for?"
"We came to testify for my third brother," Tong Aning said.
After hearing Tong Aning out, the emperor's gaze settled on Duke Anguo, all but saying that he had no room left to argue now.
But Duke Anguo refused to let the matter rest.
This was his son, the sole remaining heir of the Duke of Anguo's Residence! He absolutely could not swallow this anger!
"No, Your Majesty! Tong Fengye started all this. He must pay the price!"
[If Duke Anguo knew he was the one who started it all, would he faint from anger?]
Author's note: