The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 20: To Wait or Not to Wait (2)

"Alright, you make a good point. Let's go; what are we waiting for? Your uncle won't blame you for being taken away by me. Besides, haven't you done plenty of things that could get you into trouble with him? If he were to hold you accountable for everything, you'd have died a hundred times over by now." Ye Qingran reached out and pulled Li Yun, leading her toward the two horses tied to a wooden post.

Li Yun thought for a moment and agreed; there was no need to wait. After all, with someone accompanying her back to the Yun Wangfu, she felt braver. Whether it was the noble son Jing or the Young Prince Ran, both were formidable figures, so it was all the same.

Seeing Li Yun agree so readily, Ye Qingran felt happy and quickly led her to the horses. He took a good look at her horse, which seemed to recognize its owner, turning to her with a mix of joy and grievance. He held back a laugh and said, "Indeed, it reflects Sister Yue's elegance; this horse is too..." But when he caught sight of Li Yun raising an eyebrow at him, he swallowed the word "pitiful" and changed the subject. "This horse must be truly proud to have been chosen by you."

Li Yun looked up at the sky, thinking this person had no fear of being struck by lightning for speaking nonsense.

"I've heard that Sister Yue is quite skilled at riding. How about we have a little competition?" Ye Qingran walked to his own horse, untied it, and effortlessly swung himself onto the saddle, moving gracefully as if flowing like water. Sitting atop his horse, he looked at Li Yun, full of spirit.

"Why not?" Li Yun thought it was a good thing she wasn't a pushover. During her busy days, the best way to relieve stress was through play—whether it was racing cars, horse riding, mountain climbing, diving, or skydiving, the list went on. Riding horses was naturally second nature to her.

"Then hurry up and get on!" Ye Qingran urged, his phoenix eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Li Yun nodded, untied her horse, brushed aside the clutter in front of its head, and mimicking Ye Qingran, lightly pressed her toes against the horse. In an instant, like a streak of purple mist, she was seated on the horse. Her movements were practiced; although not as bold and commanding as Ye Qingran's, they were graceful and swift, like a gentle breeze. This moment caught the attention of the crowd, causing them to momentarily pause.

Everyone wondered why they had never noticed how beautiful Miss Qianyue was! She was no less stunning than the first beauty of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty, Miss Yu Ning from the Prime Minister's residence. The way she mounted the horse was even more exquisite than Yu Ning's, and the disdainful looks from moments ago softened a bit.

"Good!" Ye Qingran generously praised. Just by observing how someone mounts a horse, one can tell their riding skills. Without a doubt, her skills were exceptional.

Li Yun raised an eyebrow in acceptance, thinking how light she felt, was this the sensation of having martial arts skills? It felt wonderful! She asked Ye Qingran, "Shall we begin?"

"Let's start!" Ye Qingran also raised an eyebrow.

The two of them spurred their horses simultaneously, and the steeds took off like arrows released from a bow. As soon as they set off, Li Yun regretted it. No matter how good her riding skills were, she didn't know the way...

Feeling frustrated, she had no choice but to slightly pull on the reins to slow down a bit and let Ye Qingran lead. Ye Qingran, in high spirits, naturally didn't notice her subtle movements. The two horses galloped out of the palace gates and onto the street.

Once they exited the street leading to the imperial palace, a left turn led them to a bustling main street. The street was filled with a throng of people, bustling and lively. Ye Qingran seemed oblivious as he galloped forward, his tall horse moving through the crowd like a gust of wind. Although the crowd gasped in surprise, they remained steady, clearly unharmed.

Li Yun followed closely behind, watching Ye Qingran's impressive form ahead and silently admiring his riding skills. She also did not hold back on the reins, dashing through the crowd, causing a flurry of startled gasps, but again, no one was harmed.

Ye Qingran caught a glimpse of Li Yun just half a horse's length behind him, feeling equally impressed. Though he had heard that this girl was a novice at everything else, she had evidently mastered lightness in movement and riding skills. He had previously thought little of women's riding abilities, believing they were merely decorative, but now he realized how wrong he was. Such horsemanship was indeed impressive and deserved respect.

The two horses dashed through the lively main street and continued for a while until they came to a broad, long street lined with grand mansions. Ye Qingran urged his horse on, bypassing the residences until they reached the gates of the Yun Wangfu. Pulling the reins, he turned to Li Yun with a bright laugh and said, "Not bad at all, little girl!"

Li Yun thought to herself that if she hadn't gotten lost, she would have definitely outperformed him. She smiled without commenting and surveyed the imposing Yun Wangfu. The estate was grand, with two heavy iron gates tightly closed. In front stood two vividly carved stone lions. The walls rose three zhang high, obscuring the interior. She tightened her grip on the reins, hoping to get through unnoticed.

"Yun Wangfu has been like this since I can remember, unchanged for a hundred years! I wonder if the people inside have changed?" Ye Qingran looked at the Yun Wangfu, his clear voice laced with a hint of nostalgia.

"How would we know if we don't go in and take a look?" Li Yun replied quietly.

"Exactly!" Ye Qingran nodded, raising his voice toward the gates, "Someone! Open the door for this prince and your young lady!" His voice was loud and clear; it could be heard not just by the Yun Wangfu but likely the entire street.

Li Yun mused that if this guy were singing in modern times, he would probably be quite impressive.

As soon as Ye Qingran finished speaking, the gates creaked open, and a man in a gray robe stepped out. The old man appeared to be in his fifties, moving with a light and steady step, clearly possessing martial arts skills. Behind him followed a group of gatekeepers.

Li Yun noticed that the old man wore a badge indicating he was the chief steward. She knew that high-status residences in ancient times typically had stewards or the like, so he must be one. It wasn't surprising for the Yun Wangfu's steward to be skilled.

The steward came out and, upon seeing Li Yun sitting unharmed on her horse, took a moment to examine her from head to toe. His expression relaxed slightly, and he showed a glimmer of joy in his eyes. He then turned his gaze to Ye Qingran, momentarily stunned, and peered beyond the two of them down the long street, searching for someone he didn't see, leaving him puzzled as he looked back at Li Yun.

"Old Qi, what are you looking for? Don't you welcome this prince?" Ye Qingran raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing this, the steward immediately dispelled his confusion, plastering a smile on his face as he stepped forward to greet Ye Qingran, "Yun Meng pays his respects to the prince. It's been seven years since the prince left for study; you've clearly grown in spirit and demeanor, even more so than before."