Chapter 909: Hidden Truths and the Encounter with Rebirth (3)

The old madam, Cui, was pleased to hear her grandson’s praises. However, a thought seemed to darken her mood, and the smile on her face faded: “It’s also my fault as his grandmother. I left him alone in the southern villa, rarely seeing him. He finally comes home, but…” Her voice trailed off, and she sighed. “This time, I must find him a good match. I cannot let him go back again.”

Hong Shang, aware of the old madam’s lingering worries, kept silent. As a servant, it was not her place to offer advice.

Just then, a woman in her thirties, elegantly dressed, entered the room. She exuded a noble aura, her features were delicate, and the gentle and serene expression in her eyes was captivating.

This woman was the aunt of the seventh master, Cui Ping'an’s aunt—Cui Qingrou. She was the youngest daughter of the old madam, married at eighteen to the Min family from the south, a family with a centuries-old reputation. Unfortunately, she had been unable to conceive after ten years of marriage.

Not wanting to endure her in-laws’ contempt or watch her husband continue to take concubines, she left the Min family, taking her dowry with her, and returned to the capital with her nephew, Cui Ping'an, whom the Min family had refused to take back.

In the Cui family, only she and Cui Ping'an could enter the old madam’s courtyard without prior notice.

“Daughter pays her respects to mother!” Cui Qingrou stepped forward and greeted the old madam with a bow. Her voice, like her demeanor, was soft and gentle, bringing a sense of calm and peace to those around her.

“You child, I’ve told you many times, no need for formalities here with me,” the old madam said, scolding her lightly but smiling warmly, gesturing for her to sit by her side.

Hong Shang quickly fetched a chair and placed it in front of the old madam.

Cui Qingrou smiled and gracefully took a seat. After asking about her mother’s well-being, she softly inquired, “Mother, I heard that you sent a matchmaker to the Mo family to propose a marriage for little Seven. Has the proposal been successful?”

The old madam’s eyes flashed with an unreadable expression as she shook her head. “The Mo family refused.”

Cui Qingrou was momentarily stunned. Someone had actually rejected a marriage proposal from the Cui family?

“Surprised?” the old madam asked with a faint smile. “I was surprised too.”

Cui Qingrou hesitated, sensing something deeper in her mother’s words, and said cautiously, “Perhaps we didn’t show enough respect. Maybe we should send someone of higher status to accompany the matchmaker next time, to show more sincerity.”

“You think I didn’t think of that?” The old madam replied in a neutral tone but with a hint of satisfaction. “If the Mo family had agreed under such circumstances, they would have been the kind of family looking to climb higher by marrying into ours. What kind of girls would be raised by such families? I didn’t expect the Mo family to reject the match for that reason. It doesn’t seem like they’re deliberately being difficult. Let’s see how it goes. If she is a good match, we will try again next time and settle the marriage for little Seven.”

The Mo family’s rejection, based on their genuine assessment of their status, actually caused the old madam to respect them more. This only strengthened her resolve to pursue the marriage.

Cui Qingrou, now understanding her mother’s deeper reasoning, couldn’t help but ask, “Since you are concerned about this, why not select a bride from a higher-ranking family for little Seven?”

The old madam sighed, her expression dimming for a moment. “Do you think I don’t want that? But little Seven is an illegitimate son, and there’s someone above him who stands in his way. Do you really think anyone would want to marry their legitimate daughter to him? As for the illegitimate daughters… they’re not without merit, but their status is still lacking. That person might not hesitate to mistreat such a daughter-in-law, which would harm little Seven. How could someone like that truly care for him? The Mo family’s daughter, though of humble birth, is low-key in the capital. But she’s a county princess, bestowed by the Emperor himself, and her father is closely connected with the crown Prince and the Marquis of Wu’an. As long as she doesn’t make foolish mistakes, she has the best protection. Even that person would have to consider her status and would dare not be too excessive. On a personal level, I also hope that little Seven marries someone of noble status, so that others will respect him. One day, I will grow old, and I can’t protect him forever.”

[End of Chapter]

 Chapter 1724: Acting Separately

 Chapter 1723: Dad, Let Me Carry You Home

 Chapter 1722: Yuan Gui is Fine

 Chapter 263.2: The Three Matches

Yuan Xiang didn’t know how to respond when he saw Ah Dian stomp his foot, spin around, and storm back, sulking: “You’re too shameless! I’m not playing with you anymore! How can you act like this? Later, I’m going to tell Xiao Ah Li what a bad person you are!”

Yuan Xiang’s face flushed: “…!”

By the time Ah Dian squeezed to stand beside Chang Kuo at the front, someone had already announced the details of the sparring match.

In the Da Sheng army, the promotion and selection of instructors followed strict regulations. To ensure fairness, Chang Suining’s match with Instructor Fang adopted the same system used in the selection of senior instructors—the “Three Matches”:

Mounted archery and spear/longsword combat

Military training methods

Wrestling and physical sparring

The first match was slightly more elaborate, divided into three events: one for mounted archery and one each for spear and sword combat.

Mounted archery began first. Chang Suining and Instructor Fang mounted their horses in turn. The torches around the arena made the New Year’s Eve night unusually bright, and the soldiers began cheering.

Matches for senior instructors were far more difficult than those for junior ones.

For mounted archery, fifty targets were placed along the arena. Whoever hit the most bullseyes within fifteen minutes would win. In case of a tie, the first to return would be victorious.

Along the course, sandbags, wooden posts, and other obstacles tested the riders’ horsemanship.

The arena itself covered a wide area, a full loop spanning fifteen li. Under the obstacle conditions, an average rider would take at least fifteen minutes just to complete the loop, without factoring in archery.

Each archer had fifty arrows, one per target—every shot could determine victory or defeat.

At the beat of a drum, Chang Suining and Instructor Fang spurred their horses forward.

Fang glanced at the girl, already a step ahead of him, shooting forward like an arrow from a bow, and was momentarily surprised. Then he hastened to follow.

Standing in the arena earlier, the cold wind had sobered him. He regretted his decision—not because he thought he might lose to a little girl, but because as a senior instructor, sparring publicly with someone younger than his own daughter would bring no glory even if he won.

For now, the mounted archery match did not require direct contact and posed no danger of injury. He planned that after winning this round, he would forgo the next two, closing the matter quietly to avoid the perception of bullying a child.

He had his plan.

Yet what followed was entirely outside his expectations.

The slender girl looked exceptionally light on horseback. She cleared the first obstacle, and as her hooves landed, she nocked an arrow.

She rotated her upper body, drew the bow toward the target, and maintained perfect balance on horseback, not swaying an inch.

Her slight frame, while advantageous for agility, would normally compromise lower-body stability—but she was astonishingly steady.

As a senior instructor, Fang immediately noticed her skill and couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Whoosh—”

Her arrow flew, yet she didn’t even glance to see if it hit. Instead, she turned to him with a smile, raising her longbow: “Instructor Fang, your honor!”

Fang: “…!”

He had not yielded!

Moreover, her casual, carefree manner after shooting implied she was certain to hit the bullseye.

The little girl’s arrogance was evident; excellent horsemanship did not guarantee expert archery…

As Fang drew his bow, he aimed at the target. To his astonishment, the first arrow of the match was already dead center. His arrow, shot at the same time, also struck the bullseye—the two arrows crowded in the center, impossible to call a winner.

It was precisely this tie that forced Fang to take the girl riding ahead of him seriously.

She rode forward again, nocking another arrow just as before, shooting without checking the result.

The horses and bows used in the match were not those of the participants, ensuring fairness and directly testing their skill.

Soldiers stationed along the course observed closely. From a distance, spectators could barely discern the details, only seeing the girl always in front, moving fluidly with her bow and horse as though they were extensions of herself.

The obstacles did not impede her in the slightest.

She seemed to understand the rules of this military arena instinctively—facing doubt without fear, rules without question, and every step without hesitation.

The girl showed no hesitation—but some began to doubt.

Among the instructors cheering for Fang, one muttered: “Why does Fang seem a bit slower than usual?”

“Speed alone isn’t enough. In the end, it’s who hits the most targets in fifteen minutes!”

Six other senior instructors arrived, and one calmly said: “Do you still not trust Old Fang’s mounted archery? Has anyone among you ever beaten him?”

Although only Fang faced the girl today, the other instructors’ pride was at stake. After all, the girl had insulted the methods of all instructors.

They firmly believed their reputation could not fall.

Instructor Zhu: “Indeed, since she ‘only seeks defeat’… then let her have it!”

“One round is enough,” another calm instructor said, watching the two black figures nearly lost in the night. “Old Fang may not continue to the second round, but winning this one suffices.”

Someone made a joking comment, causing laughter among the spectators.

But Fang could not laugh.

From the initial tie, to two targets, the girl had gradually pulled ahead by five or six targets.

Despite the numerous obstacles, she moved ahead effortlessly, as if nothing existed in her path.

At this point, Fang’s advantage was only in arm strength. If he were ahead, knocking down targets could hinder her aim, leaving her without targets, putting her on the defensive, and unsettling her.

But he was behind. Even if he knocked down targets, her arrows had already struck the bullseye—his efforts were useless.

Chang Suining knew her weakness. No matter how skilled, she could not overpower targets with brute force—but the opponent could. This was an unbridgeable disparity.

So from the start, she refused to fall behind a single step. Knowing her limits, she concealed them.

In the watchful gaze of all, the two figures became indistinct in the darkness, then reemerged, still faintly visible.

As they approached, it became clear—the leading figure was a girl.

She released her final arrow, this time watching its flight intently.

The spectators could clearly see it hit dead center without deviation.

Chang Suining returned to the arena’s center, her quiver empty, and dismounted with composure.

The instructors exchanged uneasy glances.

Yet their unease could not shake the confidence accumulated over years of experience.

As the allotted time ended, Fang returned.

He dismounted, not exactly relaxed.

Facing the questioning gazes of his peers, he remained silent.

Soon, soldiers retrieved all fifty targets and placed them in order for counting by the officer overseeing the match.