The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 156 - The Beginning

Translator Xiaobai: I have goosebumps translating this chapter. Our Chuyi is too amazing!

_____

The Ninth Princess quickly sensed something was amiss. Not only was Song Chuyi not as inexperienced in riding as she claimed, but her skill level far exceeded that of an ordinary girl from a military family.

She owed much of this expertise to Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao, who had provided her with opportunities since her rebirth. After the incident in Tongzhou, she had taken horseback riding very seriously. Whenever she visited Tongzhou to see An An, she made sure to practice riding at the estate. Even at home, Elder Master Song and Song Jue had taught her many tricks. Being someone who always strove for excellence, her skill had improved significantly over the years.

As she leaped over a fallen tree, Song Chuyi seemed poised to overtake the Ninth Princess. Noticing this, the Ninth Princess's eyes flashed with anger, and she sharply whipped Song Chuyi's horse from the front. The startled horse reared back, braying loudly, the sudden halt nearly throwing Song Chuyi off.

Behind them, Xiang Mingzi gasped in shock, covering her mouth to stifle a scream.

Song Chuyi managed to regain control, riding a good distance before calming the horse down. Her eyes narrowed like arrows, fixed intently on the Ninth Princess, who had sped off ahead.

But she was not one to admit defeat easily. After assessing the situation, she veered onto a narrow forest path to pursue her.

The path was rough and winding, with trees lining both sides, making it far more dangerous than the open road. Xiang Mingzi, on the verge of tears with worry, turned to the Cui sisters, who approached in confusion. Her voice, trembling with tension, exclaimed, "Xiaoyi—she's racing the Ninth Princess!"

Cui Huaying was taken aback, straining her eyes to see, her face paling slightly. "This is utterly reckless! Why are they even racing? It's only the first day at the hunting grounds!"

Cui Huayi grabbed her sister's arm, clearly worried. "Why is Xiaoyi taking the hardest path? What if she crashes into a tree... it's no joke!" She then turned to Xiang Mingzi. "Why are they even racing? And with a princess? Xiaoyi usually knows her limits."

At the mention of "knowing her limits," the air around them fell silent. Most present knew that it was the Ninth Princess who had pressured Song Chuyi into this, not something she'd willingly taken on herself.

Cui Huaying, older and more composed, took in the situation, recalling the Ninth Princess's infamous reputation. She pulled her sister aside and coldly watched the two riders racing into the distance. "Enough! Now is not the time to discuss this."

Just then, a gasp rippled through the crowd as they saw Song Chuyi emerging from a forest path, riding parallel to the Ninth Princess on the main road.

Ye Jingchuan, eyes gleaming, was the first to cheer, oblivious to the conversations of the Cui sisters and Xiang Mingzi beside him.

The race soon took a more dangerous turn. The Ninth Princess tightened her grip on the reins and forcefully steered her horse into Song Chuyi's, her stronger, Western-imported horse ramming into Song Chuyi's, causing her mount to stumble sideways.

"She's going to fall!" Shen Huiji screamed, though whether it was out of worry or schadenfreude was unclear. "Her Highness's horse is just too strong!"

Even Shen Qingrang, who had just arrived, felt his heart leap into his throat, almost crying out like Shen Huiji. There were ponds near the hunting grounds to settle dust, and if Song Chuyi fell, she would surely suffer injuries.

Yet the crowd gasped in shock as they saw that Song Chuyi hadn't fallen. She pressed close to her horse, helping it regain its balance, then did a graceful leap to sit back firmly in the saddle. She even pulled a golden pin from her hair and struck the horse's flank.

"Is Sixth Miss Song trying to get herself killed?" Han Yueheng muttered, pale-faced, instinctively glancing at the Cui sisters. "She's insane!"

After all, it was just a race; there was no shame in losing, especially to a princess. Why go to such lengths?

Cui Huaying, normally calm, was visibly shaken, her hands clutching her chest as her heart raced uncontrollably, her gaze glued to the scene ahead.

With this fierce determination, Song Chuyi quickly closed the two-horse-length gap, coming up alongside the Ninth Princess once more. This time, she didn't push to overtake but instead leaned forward on her horse, timing her move, and flicked her whip to hook around the right hind leg of the Ninth Princess's horse, yanking hard.

The horse, with one hoof lifted off the ground, couldn't maintain its balance and toppled sideways, sending the Ninth Princess into a pond with a tremendous splash.

Did she actually dare? She actually dared!

Chen Mingyu, unable to believe what she was seeing, stumbled forward before steadying herself and immediately ran toward the water's edge, following the Ninth Princess's attendants in a panic.

Song Chuyi had already crested the final hill and was returning to the finish line, dismounting with a graceful leap. Although her hair was slightly disheveled, she stood tall and composed, a slight smile playing on her lips as she watched the Ninth Princess flounder in the water. "Thank you for the match, Your Highness."

Immediately, a palace attendant rushed forward with a cloak to cover the Ninth Princess, who emerged dripping wet, her hair plastered to her forehead and face, her glare toward Song Chuyi murderous.

Song Chuyi remained unfazed, stroking her horse's head and looking at the Ninth Princess. "As for our wager, Your Highness, are you planning to follow through?"

Supporting the Ninth Princess, Chen Mingyu looked at Song Chuyi in utter disbelief. Had Song Chuyi gone mad, expecting the Ninth Princess to crawl under a horse's belly?

Song Chuyi appeared entirely oblivious to the inappropriateness of her request, standing her ground and giving the Ninth Princess an astonished look. "If Your Highness can't take a loss, then let's leave it at that."

The Ninth Princess trembled with rage, her teeth clenched so tightly they ground audibly. She felt humiliated beyond measure, her vision blurring as she was overcome with anger, and she fainted on the spot.

Xiang Mingzi wished she could faint as well, anything to escape this impossible situation. She clung to Song Chuyi's hand, her fingers ice-cold and numb from shock.

The Ninth Princess was not one to accept a loss quietly. Known for stirring up trouble even when in the wrong, she would undoubtedly retaliate, especially after the humiliation Song Chuyi had subjected her to today.