Chapter 137: Hello Chang’an
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Chapter 137: The Sky Might Fall, but He'll Protect It with His Mouth
March 15, 2023, Author: Fei 10
In the early morning, after Chang Suining finished her martial arts practice, changed her clothes, and fixed her hair, she, as usual, went with Qiao Yumianan to the outer study to read.
At this hour, Qiao Yan usually went to attend to matters at the Imperial Academy, so Chang Suining and Qiao Yumianan would go ahead and wait in the study. During this time, Chang Suining would read or practice calligraphy, while Qiao Yumianan would practice the guqin nearby. Sometimes, they would read historical texts together, or occasionally, they would have Xi’er read some storybooks to pass the time.
Cui Lang, always adhering to etiquette, couldn’t enter the inner courtyard, so he waited outside the study.
He hadn’t come alone; besides a kettle of tea, he had Hu Yi and Xi Zhiyuan with him.
The reason he invited these two friends along was because, as he put it: “I’m just going to scout the way. If Miss Chang really intends to take on disciples, you two can benefit by following me. If she’s in a good mood, she might take all three of us in!”
But his true thoughts were: If Miss Chang ends up knocking him out and leaving him unable to get up, at least he’d have someone to carry him back.
However, the dangerous scenarios he had imagined didn’t happen.
After cautiously expressing his desire to become her disciple, he was surprised when the young woman, holding a book, quickly nodded.
“Sure.”
Cui Lang: "?"—Wait, what?!
"Miss Chang… aren’t you going to test my abilities first with a match?"
After all, that was how his eldest brother had been tested by General Chang years ago!
Chang Suining laughed at his suggestion, “It’s just polo, there’s nothing to test.”
Confucius himself advocated that everyone could be taught; she was simply letting someone play a game, there was no need for any testing.
Besides, someone wanting to be her disciple was a good thing—especially a famous Cui family son.
But when she mentioned the Cui family, she couldn’t help but add, “I don’t need to test you. As long as your father doesn’t hit you, that’s enough.”
....
This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com
....
Cui Lang wasn’t scared.
When it came to punishment, compared to Miss Chang’s infamous method, his father was really weak. The reason his eldest brother had been beaten often was because of his stubbornness and giving face to their father—if he had just run away, their father would never have caught him.
Cui Lang had been good at dodging punishment since he was a child.
As the saying goes: when you can avoid it, keep your eyes open; when you can run, use your legs; and when you can’t run, scream loudly, making it sound like you might die with the next blow, to make your father feel like he’s sending his gray-haired son to bury his young son.
With such a father at home, he could afford to stir up trouble outside. That was his survival tactic.
But at this moment, he still had to say, “If I can become Miss Chang’s disciple, I’d even take a few beatings! It’ll be worth it!”
Chang Suining nodded, “Alright, it’s settled then.”
“Thank you, Master!” Cui Lang grinned, showing a row of white teeth, and bowed to Chang Suining.
“Polo is more fun with more people,” Chang Suining said casually, glancing at Xi Zhiyuan and Hu Yi. “Would you like to join in?”
Hu Yi quickly nodded, “Yes!”
Having also been bullied by Chang Miao that day, his admiration for Miss Chang was no less than Cui Lang’s. Not to mention, her fame had spread far and wide—his father had even asked him several times about what happened at Dengtai Tower.
Xi Zhiyuan smiled and nodded as well, looking at the young woman in the morning light.
Hu Yi immediately tried to follow Cui Lang’s example and perform a formal bow to show respect, but Chang Suining stopped him with a smile, “There’s no need for that. Just play polo together from now on.”
Cui Lang hurriedly interjected, “Master, I’ve already done the bowing ceremony!”
Whether Miss Chang took Hu Yi and Xi Zhiyuan as disciples didn’t matter—he had to be accepted as her disciple! He had sworn an oath to his mother!
Chang Suining didn’t refuse, nodding, “Alright, I’ll give it a try and be the teacher of Cui Lang.”
Cui Lang’s eyes lit up, and he sweetly said, “Then I must be your first and closest disciple!”
Hu Yi: “...?”
Why Close the Door?
It seemed that Cui Lang had entered the door with his own two feet, and the moment he turned around, he shut the door on them!
Not just them, either—now that the title of "closed-door disciple" was established, Miss Chang could no longer accept any other disciples in the future!
What greedy intentions, what sinister motives!
Seeing the look in his friends' eyes, Cui Lang faintly realized that his action of locking them out was not very honorable. So, with a change of heart, he suggested, “Master mentioned that polo is best enjoyed with many people, so why don’t we form a Cijue (polo) Society? What do you think?”
Hu Yi quickly nodded, “That’s a good idea!”
At least Cui Lang still had a bit of conscience. Although he had closed the door on them, he was willing to leave them in the yard and give them the title of society members.
Xi Zhiyuan, always with a good temperament, smiled at the suggestion and looked toward Chang Suining. “Is Miss Chang interested in starting a society?”
He had arrived in Da Sheng Dynasty for his studies at the age of twelve, and was well-versed in the local customs and language. He knew that forming societies had become quite popular, with dozens of them existing within the Imperial Academy alone.
A society could be distinguished by activities such as a book society, poetry society, or Polo Society. Sometimes, people formed societies based on similar temperaments, not limited to a single activity.
Although there was no official restriction on the number of members, societies typically kept their numbers small for tight-knit cohesion, often capping at around twenty people. The most famous society within the Imperial Academy, the Xunmei Poetry Society, had only nine members, and they were known to be very selective about accepting new members. Its rules were strict, and the society’s founder, Song Xian, was a renowned scholar.
Being accepted into the Xunmei Poetry Society was a great honor within the academy and even the capital.
Seeing the eager glances from Cui Lang and Hu Yi, Chang Suining nodded, “Alright.”
“Master, you should be the president of the society!” Cui Lang exclaimed with joy. “Now our society has four members… no, wait, including brother Qiao, that makes five!”
The thought of joining Miss Chang’s polo society made Hu Yi so excited his face turned red. When he returned home and shared the news, his father would definitely be thrilled and might even eat three more bowls of rice!
“Should we recruit more new members?” Xi Zhiyuan asked.
Cui Lang lifted his chin proudly. “No need to recruit. With my master’s fame, once the news of our society spreads, I’m sure many people will rush to join us!”
His words were exaggerated, but Xi Zhiyuan didn’t think he was boasting. Recently, within the Imperial Academy, the praises of Miss Chang had been widespread. Even though there were a few dissenting voices, with the painting from Dengtai Tower as evidence, those voices would never have any lasting impact.
So, Xi Zhiyuan smiled and nodded, “That’s true.”
“Master, I’ll take charge of this matter!” Cui Lang eagerly volunteered.
Chang Suining agreed with a smile.
Having disciples was indeed nice.
At this point, Qiao Yumianan lightly tugged on her sleeve and softly reminded her, “Ning Ning…”
She had no objections to forming the society, but taking in someone as unreliable as Cui Lang as a disciple—was that really a good idea? What if he turned out to be a bad influence?
Chang Suining gently patted Qiao Yumianan’s hand to reassure her.
After all, she wasn’t any more reliable than Cui Lang. The two of them were probably a perfect pair—an unreliable teacher and an equally unreliable disciple, neither losing out. If anything, she might even benefit from it.
Cui Lang glanced at Qiao Yumianan, who was clutching Chang Suining’s sleeve, afraid she might whisper something into her ear afterward. He quickly decided to act first—he raised one foot and winced, “That night at Dengtai Tower, Miss Qiao stepped on me. My leg still hurts!”
Qiao Yumianan’s face instantly turned pale.
What?! Wasn’t he drunk that night? How did he know it was her who stepped on him?
“That day, I accidentally stepped on Young Master Cui,” Qiao Yumianan quickly explained, nervously clutching Chang Suining’s arm. “I’m really sorry, but I didn’t step hard, and it’s been almost a month…”
She was uneasy and tense, fearing Cui Lang might try to extort her.
Sure enough, the next moment, Cui Lang added, “It still hurts. If my leg doesn’t get better, Miss Qiao, you’ll have to take full responsibility!”
Qiao Yumianan became even more anxious.
Seeing her distress, Cui Lang chuckled, “I was just joking. After all, I’ve become Master’s disciple, so we’re like a family now. Even if my leg is crippled from the injury, it’s no big deal!”
Qiao Yumianan sighed in relief.
Well, if that’s the case…
Then she supposed it was fine to let Ning Ning accept him as a disciple.
However, she didn’t want to be part of his “family.”
Just hearing him jump around all the time nearly made her lose her mind.
But to keep the peace, she chose not to say anything further and simply stayed close to Chang Suining.
Cui Lang, seeing the delicate and pale girl standing beside Chang Suining, not speaking a word, couldn’t help but laugh again—though this time, it had a bit of a foolish tone to it.
A pot of tea couldn’t help but glance at her husband—wasn’t it enough for him to act cute, now he was also pretending to be foolish?
...
As Cui Lang had predicted, the news of Miss Chang forming the Polo Society spread quickly within the Imperial Academy.
The students, who had been busy inquiring about Miss Chang’s affairs from Qiao Yubai, quickly turned their attention to Cui Lang, who was supposedly in charge of recruiting new members.
In the days that followed, Cui Lang had a taste of being admired by others outside of his Cui family status.
But he made sure to be very strict with the recruitment process, particularly careful not to let the likes of Chang Miao slip into the society, as that would surely ruin its reputation.
One day, after the morning classes ended, Cui Lang was walking toward the dining hall as usual, surrounded by a crowd of people.
However, he noticed a young man up ahead and called out, “Master Song, please stop!”
Hurrying ahead, he greeted the young man with a smile and cupped his hands, “I am Cui Lang, I’ve heard of your great name for a long time.”
Song Xian raised his hand to return the greeting but did not speak.
Cui Lang had entered the Imperial Academy not long ago due to his Cui family status, and he quickly became known for his flamboyant behavior. It wasn’t long before word spread that he had taken Miss Chang as his teacher and formed a Polo Society, which caused quite a stir.
“We’ve recently formed a Polo Society, and the president is Miss Chang. I wonder if Master Song would be interested in joining?” Cui Lang asked warmly.
He had heard that Song Xian was famous for his literary skills and that the Xunmei Poetry Society he founded was quite prestigious. If they could get such a talent in their society, it would be a great addition—even if just as a good luck charm!
But to his surprise, the young man, dressed plainly, showed a faint look of disdain at his invitation, as though it were something laughable.
“Since it is a society for women, Master Cui, why not inquire with those young ladies outside the Imperial Academy to see why they would invite someone like me?” His tone was firm and serious, without a trace of mockery.
Cui Lang was momentarily stunned. Yes, it was indeed a women’s society, but this wasn’t a secret, and for him to use this as a reason to refuse, especially in such a tone—what did it mean?
It was clear from his words that the invitation was far from friendly, and several people around them stopped talking.
“Moreover, I already have a poetry society of my own,” Song Xian continued, raising his hand as if to leave. “I have no interest in Polo.”
Just as he was about to turn away, Cui Lang spoke again.
“Although I don’t take the imperial exams, I know that after the spring exams, all the newly appointed scholars are required to gather at the Moon Lantern Pavilion for a Polo meeting.”
Song Xian glanced at Cui Lang.
“You claim to have no interest in Polo, but is it because you believe you’ll fail the exams?” Cui Lang sighed, “That seems a bit premature. Master Song should have more confidence in himself.”
Song Xian’s expression subtly changed. “…”
Although he didn’t believe in such superstitions, Cui Lang’s words were still quite ominous.
To make matters worse, Cui Lang stepped forward and patted his shoulder encouragingly, “Master Song should eat more fish to nourish his brain, so he’ll have more confidence when the exams come next year.”
Song Xian’s lips tightened.
“Let’s go, let’s go.” Cui Lang waved to the students around him and began walking toward the dining hall. “Eat more, you’ll need the energy to play in the afternoon.”
...
After classes in the afternoon, Cui Lang and the others went to find Miss Chang by the river behind Qiao Yan’s residence.
A few days ago, Qiao Yan had instructed his servants to clear a space by the river to serve as a makeshift polo field for Miss Chang.
Cui Lang had already inquired about Song Xian’s usual behavior that afternoon, and now that he saw Miss Chang, he spoke a bit more. “Although this Song Xian has some talent, his pride and arrogance are clear to see. His entire demeanor is filled with haughtiness, and his words are equally sharp.”
“A sharp tongue isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Miss Chang replied, picking up her polo stick and nonchalantly saying, “If the sky were to fall, at least he’d have his mouth to hold it up.”
“Oh, in that case, maybe it won’t even be him,” Cui Lang said. “My father will handle such things for us.”
When it came to sharp tongues, Cui Lang’s father was far more skilled than Song Xian, and still had a lot to teach him.
Miss Chang couldn’t help but laugh. She wasn’t upset by Song Xian’s words regarding her forming a society as a woman. She simply mounted her horse with the polo stick in hand.
The young men soon began to run around on the field.
The bamboo grove nearby blocked the view of the field, but Grand Tutor Zhu, who was fishing by the river, could still hear the sound of horse hooves and the cheers and shouts of the young men.
“You really found yourself a good student,” Grand Tutor Zhu remarked after a moment, choosing his words carefully. “It’s like a blind cat accidentally catching a…”
“Clever mouse,” he finished.
Qiao Yan chuckled and shook his head. “The children are just playing.”
One must be humble to avoid envy.
However, Grand Tutor Zhu wasn’t so easily convinced. He turned to look at the polo field through the bamboo grove and spoke with a hint of sourness in his voice. “For such a young lady to lead the scions of noble families, officials, and well-known scholars of the academy… Playing such a game is no simple matter.”
Such a clever mouse made him think of his own students.
“Young people like to join in on the fun; it’s just a coincidence,” Qiao Yan replied with a smile. “By the way, this child mentioned yesterday that she wanted me to come up with a name for her Polo Society… Why don’t you help her think of one?”
What would be a good name for Ning Ning’s Polo Society? Let’s think about it for the next 24 hours.
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