Chapter 84: Did Xiao Jingyuan Take the Wrong Medicine?

Jingyu certainly doesn't know what she's saying; if she did, she'd have already run away blushing.

Those were the words of the imperial physician, or rather she heard them from her imperial older brother, so she remembers.

What's wrong?

Xiao Jingyuan had a dark expression.

Seeing this, Jingyu's heart gave a thump—had she said something wrong? She was just simply concerned about the teacher's health!

But Xiao Jingyuan didn't look at her; instead, he fixed his gaze on Shen Shuangning.

"You know quite a lot."

Upon hearing that, Shen Shuangning realized—being a lady who hasn't left the inner chambers, she probably shouldn't know these things...

Shen Shuangning withdrew the hand she had placed on Jingyu's mouth, feeling a bit embarrassed: "I've just read a miscellany of books."

I thought Xiao Jingyuan would seize the chance to mock her a bit, but he merely turned his head to look into the distance and said lightly: "After resting a few days, today we won't learn new skills; we'll review what we've learned before—let's start with horseback riding."

Upon hearing that, the two women put their bows back, and by the time they returned to the riding ground, the palace attendants had already led the horses over.

Jingyu's mount was still the familiar little reddish-brown horse, while Shen Shuangning's had been changed.

Before them was a divine black horse, noticeably taller and more imposing than the previous one, its jet-black mane shimmering with specks of gold in the sunlight, exuding a stern heroic aura.

Like a warhorse.

Apparently seeing Shen Shuangning's doubt, Xiao Jingyuan explained beside her: "The emperor has high expectations for a companion-reader; since your riding skills are now proficient, you should discard that previous gentle nag and mount this spirited steed, so you can display what you've learned—and I can also take this chance to see just how much you've improved lately."

Xiao Jingyuan's words always had to be parsed into several layers by her; right away she discerned two meanings.

One, Emperor Xuan Wendi has already decided she must face the Jurchen princess; two, if she fails to tame this horse before her, Xiao Jingyuan would surely mock her as mere window dressing.

Shen Shuangning was unwilling to show weakness before him, and a bright smile lifted the corner of her lips.

"Then, Your Highness, you'd better watch closely."

Xiao Jingyuan stood with his hands behind his back, silently gazing at her, as if trapped in an inescapable memory, remaining silent for a long time.

The Shen Shuangning before him was ultimately different from the one in his dream.

In the dream, she resembled a dodder vine clinging to life, her brows and eyes full of softness and fragility—as if a gust could snap her, a drizzle could knock her down.

But the one before him was utterly different—her spine ramrod straight, her eyes holding a clear light; even facing an unfamiliar spirited horse, she showed no trace of fear, instead exuding a tenacity that made it impossible to look away.

Xiao Jingyuan gazed at Shen Shuangning, and for a moment his expression flickered with dazed confusion.

Even he himself didn't understand which version of her he truly liked.

It was as if an invisible hand had torn his heart in two.

One half drowned in the dream's fragile softness, the other half was firmly drawn to the sharp-edged light before him; the two feelings tugged and clashed in his chest, as if invisible chains wrapped around his viscera, making even his breath carry a fine ache.

Shen Shuangning was unaware that Xiao Jingyuan's heart was waging an internal battle.

Following her past experience, she first approached the black horse at a slow pace, softly soothing it to confirm its condition was still fairly stable, then gently pulled the reins to walk it in two circles, letting them become slightly acquainted.

Having probed enough, she prepared to mount.

Shen Shuangning glanced back toward where Xiao Jingyuan stood, seeing him motionless a few steps behind, posture straight as a pine, his gaze sinking heavily upon her without shifting.

She withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath to steady her mind, lifted her hand and lightly tapped the horse's back twice, her right hand firmly gripping the reins while her left foot sought the stirrup—

However, perhaps due to the palace attendants' oversight, the stirrup hadn't been adjusted properly, leaving her suspended in midair with neither foot able to truly reach the load-bearing point.

Instantly, a dizzy sensation of imbalance surged upward.

Moreover, the black horse beneath her grew restless, pawing the ground and swaying side to side, making it harder for her to keep her balance, nearly causing her to slip off the saddle.

At that critical moment, her left foot suddenly struck a solid support, which firmly bore her weight.

Shen Shuangning, relying on that force, barely managed to sit upright, then looked down in lingering shock—it was a hand.

That hand was long-fingered with distinct joints, now firmly supporting the sole of her boot, its palm exerting a steady, strong force.

Even through the thick boot leather, she could faintly feel a hint of warmth.

Shen Shuangning's brow twitched sharply.

Men and women should not be intimate in contact, let alone touching the foot.

Such skin-to-skin contact, if not between spouses or close kin, is a grave overstep, unacceptable by ritual law.

Shen Shuangning instinctively wanted to pull her foot back, but the hand supporting it remained unmoving, its grip tightening instead.

"Thank you, Your Highness; I'm already seated securely," Shen Shuangning hinted.

She only hoped he would notice the onlookers and let go quickly, for if anyone saw this posture, who knows how much gossip it would spark.

But when she lifted her eyes, she met Xiao Jingyuan's unfathomable gaze—those deep eyes seemed to hold a thousand words.

Shen Shuangning felt as if his gaze had scorched her, hastily averting her eyes, thinking to herself, "Did Xiao Jingyuan take the wrong medicine today?"

"Your Highness, please let go quickly," she said with a hint of urgency and embarrassment.

Even though they had been husband and wife and he had often touched her before, now they needed to avoid suspicion.

Just then, Jingyu's footsteps approached from afar.

Xiao Jingyuan seemed to have sensed it earlier, and the moment before her figure appeared, he quietly released his hand, his expression returning to normal.

Jingyu indeed saw nothing, her concerned gaze falling on Shen Shuangning's face: "Ningning, are you all right?"

Just moments ago Jingyu had already mounted, but upon glancing back and seeing Shen Shuangning's situation was off, she immediately dismounted again.

"I'm fine," Shen Shuangning said, glancing at Xiao Jingyuan once more.

Seeing the blatantly ill-fitting stirrup, Jingyu's face darkened as she summoned the attending palace servants: "You dare let Ningning use the tack when it hasn't been adjusted? If Ningning meets with an accident due to your negligence, this princess will not spare you!"

"Your Highness, please calm down! Your Highness, please calm down! We'll pay attention next time!" The palace attendants hurriedly knelt and kowtowed, their voices trembling.

Having spoken, they hastily rose to adjust the tack, then retreated nervously.

Jingyu still wasn't entirely reassured, so she told Xiao Jingyuan: "I have palace attendants watching over my side; Your Highness, please stay here to protect Ningning."

Xiao Jingyuan nodded, then lifted his head to Shen Shuangning and said: "Continue."

Seeing Xiao Jingyuan's expression return to indifference, Shen Shuangning could only temporarily suppress her doubts, steadied herself, and then urged the horse forward.

This black horse called Chasing Wind was originally a warhorse that had galloped across battlefields, but after being wounded in battle a few years ago, it was placed here to rest.

Although it had been kept for years, lacking the tempering of blades and swords, it had grown a bit more easygoing, yet its fierce nature remained undiminished.

Everyone says horses are most perceptive of human nature; this Chasing Wind, likely never ridden by such a frail girl before, obviously resented it and refused to cooperate.

Shen Shuangning felt the reins tighten and loosen in her hands, and the horse's body would occasionally lurch, as if deliberately trying to throw her off.

In just a moment, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her temples and sticking to a few strands of hair, even her breathing grew a little ragged.

Only now did she realize how gentle and lovable the estate's Treading Cloud was, the finest horse in the world.

When she previously learned riding from Xie Lin, that little horse had a gentle temperament; even if she occasionally misapplied her strength, it would simply obey the reins and move slowly, and Xie Lin praised her for learning quickly, having talent.

Looking back, she probably just benefited from Treading Cloud's good nature.

If it were this spirited Chasing Wind, let alone galloping, she might not even manage to mount it successfully.

Shen Shuangning gripped the reins tightly, her knuckles trembling, yet an inexplicable spirit of not yielding rose within her.

She resolved to tame the spirited horse beneath her.

Fortunately, Xiao Jingyuan had previously taught her how to control a horse, and she hadn't learned in vain.

She then lowered her wrist slightly, skillfully guiding with the reins' tension, and at last prevented Chasing Wind from fully unleashing its nature.

Xiao Jingyuan's gaze never left her; seeing her gradually steady, a smile spread at the corner of his lips, as if it were no surprise.

Though Shen Shuangning was a daughter of a prominent clan, she also possessed a rare willingness to endure hardship and was quite clever; with a bit more courage, there was nothing she could not accomplish.

Even Xiao Jingyuan himself had not realized the pride he felt.

About half an hour passed.

Shen Shuangning, exhausted, reined in the horse and stopped to rest.

Chasing Wind, however, still refused to behave, occasionally tossing its jet-black mane and showing a hint of defiance, though it seemed wary of something and reluctantly stayed still.

Shen Shuangning instead found the horse rather interesting, as it even seemed to know how to size up a person.

Just now, when a palace servant came to lead it, it snorted and stamped, kicking up dust, refusing to obey anyone.

But earlier, when Xiao Jingyuan stood nearby, he had only been at a distance, not yet approaching.

This spirited horse then seemed to have had all its temper drawn out, becoming obedient from head to toe, even showing a faint, hard‑to‑detect eagerness to please.

Yet when it was her turn, Shen Shuangning clearly caught a fleeting look of contempt in those dark, gleaming horse eyes.

At that moment Shen Shuangning was still seated on the horse's back when A Heng hurried over and extended a waterskin to her.

"Miss, please dismount and rest a bit; you've sweated so much, be careful of catching a chill," A Heng advised.

Shen Shuangning shook her head and patted the horse's back: "Breaking in a horse worst of all is to do it intermittently; it has just begun to relax a little, and if we rest now, all our earlier effort would be wasted."

Moreover, she was eager to know what praise Xiao Jingyuan's sharp tongue might utter if she truly managed to tame this horse.

At this very moment, nobody noticed two richly dressed youths slipping in not far away.

The two of them were actually holding firecrackers.

Shen Shuangning had just unscrewed the wooden stopper and taken two sips when the dry heat in her throat eased slightly; suddenly a sharp crackling burst rang in her ears—it was the sound of firecrackers.

Before she could identify the source of the noise, the Chasing Wind beneath her tensed all over, then reared up violently, mane bristling, letting out a terrified whinny.

Shen Shuangning's heart clenched, and she instinctively gripped the reins tighter to soothe it.

The waterskin in her hand, however, clanged to the ground, spilling water that instantly soaked a patch of dirt.

Everyone was startled!

The mishap happened too fast; before anyone could react, the Chasing Wind's forehooves were already off the ground, about to break free and gallop wildly.

A figure darted forward like a gust of wind.

Shen Shuangning felt a weight behind her as someone swung up and seated themselves firmly, then a pair of long arms reached from either side and firmly grasped the reins before her.

The force in those palms was astonishingly steady.

"Leave it to me."

Xiao Jingyuan's voice came close to her ear, carrying an unquestionable certainty.

Warm air brushed past her ears, inexplicably calming her a little.

The suddenly tightened reins choked the Chasing Wind, making it ever more agitated; it lifted its forehooves high and neighed fiercely, its whole body nearly standing upright.

Shen Shuangning, taken off guard, was thrust backward into a solid chest; through the thin fabric she could clearly feel his steady heartbeat.

She gasped, instinctively closing her eyes, her fingertips turning cold.

The next instant, the Chasing Wind seemed to break free of all restraints, its four hooves kicking out as it shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.