Transmigrated as the Villainess, She Made the General Blush - Chapter 105

Chapter 105

The outskirts of the Capital.

Half-melted snow had turned the grassy fields into a slurry of mud. Where people had already trodden, the ground was a messy, slippery mire; where they hadn’t, a thin layer of white snow still blanketed the earth.

Hooves crunched through the wilderness as the carriage wheels slowed their rotation, eventually coming to a steady halt.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Zhenxi lifted the curtain and stepped out. He glanced down at the ground and asked, “The snow has made the ground so wet. What if the horses slip and fall while we’re running?”

Tuoba Xin, following behind him, replied, “It’s no matter. The horseshoes have studs for grip. Back in our tribe, we often travel on snowy days.”

“I see.” Xiao Zhenxi didn’t say more and descended from the carriage.

Xiao Pingnan dismounted to assist Tuoba Xin, guiding her down the carriage steps.

Xiao Wangshu was the last to emerge. She was dressed in a dark red robe embroidered with gold cloud patterns, her hair pulled up high.

A gold and jade crown sat atop her head, making her look every bit the handsome young lad.

“Fourth Sister, you’ve dressed yourself up so androgynously. Are you here to ride horses, or are you here to sell those clothes and jewelry?” Xiao Dingbei teased, preparing to dismount to help Xiao Wangshu down.

Before he could even plant his feet on the ground, Chen Chu, clad in armor, was already standing by the carriage. He reached out a hand toward Xiao Wangshu.

Xiao Wangshu’s movements were natural as she rested her hand on his arm, stepping down the carriage stairs with poised grace.

“What does gender matter when coming out to ride? One should wear whatever clothes and hair are most convenient.”

As Xiao Wangshu spoke, her feet hit the ground. She gave Chen Chu a small curtsy of thanks before turning back to Xiao Dingbei with a smile. “Third Brother, you’ve guarded the pass for so many years; how have you become so fussy? Is there a rule for how one must dress to go riding?”

Before Xiao Dingbei could respond, Xiao Wangshu continued, “The clothes and jewelry produced by my Brocade Gate are indeed beautiful, though they are a bit expensive. If Third Brother needs some, I can give you a discount.”

“Who are you looking down on, Fourth Sister? They’re just some clothes and trinkets. No matter how expensive, how much could they possibly cost? Look at you, acting like such a penny-pincher.”

Xiao Dingbei didn’t take it seriously, continuing his grand claims. “If your business is doing poorly, for the sake of you calling me ‘Third Brother,’ I can go and buy eight or ten pieces for Concubine Zhang. Consider it me looking after your business. How about that?”

“Then I must thank Third Brother.”

Xiao Wangshu accepted the offer without the slightest hint of bashfulness, even giving Xiao Dingbei another curtsy of thanks.

The smile on her face was so radiant that Xiao Dingbei began to feel something was slightly amiss.

At that moment, Tuoba Xin burst into laughter beside them.

Xiao Pingnan stepped forward and patted Xiao Dingbei on the shoulder, saying, “If Fourth Sister’s business at Brocade Gate is considered poor, then there are few shops in the Capital doing well.”

Tuoba Yunxiao also sighed with emotion. “Given Wangshu’s temperament, if a wild goose flies past, she’d find a way to pluck a few feathers from it. If you go to her Brocade Gate and buy eight or ten items, I’m afraid you’ll be leaving half a month’s salary with her.”

Hearing them say this, Xiao Dingbei realized he had been played by Xiao Wangshu.

Seeing Xiao Wangshu’s beaming face, Xiao Dingbei asked irritably, “Well, aren’t you something? You’ve grown so capable that you’re even swindling your own brother now?”

“Third Brother is simply mindful of our sibling bond and insisted on supporting my business. Why speak of swindling?”

Xiao Wangshu deflected his words with ease, adding casually, “I happen to have a few sets of clothes and jewelry that would suit Concubine Zhang perfectly. I’ll have them all wrapped up and sent to Third Brother later.”

Seeing that she had already pushed the matter to this point, Xiao Dingbei shook his head with a frustrated laugh.

“Fine, fine! Look at that money-grubbing face of yours. I’ll buy them!”

Xiao Wangshu thanked him once more, her sweet words flowing one after another without repetition.
But to Xiao Dingbei’s ears, those words were as grating as could be.

“Forget it. Let’s go, time for some riding!”

Xiao Dingbei called out to the others, then added specifically to Xiao Wangshu, “If you don’t know how to ride, just sit there and watch quietly. Don’t go running around.”

“Don’t worry, Third Brother. I’ll sit here quietly and go over my ledgers to see just how many sets of clothes I should send your way,” Xiao Wangshu replied, a smile of feigned innocence on her face.

Seeing that the siblings were on the verge of bickering again, Xiao Pingnan quickly stepped forward, draped an arm over Xiao Dingbei’s shoulder, and pulled him aside.

Xiao Fuguang also walked over to stand in front of Xiao Wangshu, addressing the group, “Let’s go riding! I can’t wait!”

He couldn’t wait for today’s outing to be over.

Standing behind Xiao Wangshu, Chen Chu silently watched the back-and-forth between her and Xiao Dingbei. His sharp eyes were dark and unreadable, his thoughts unknown.

–

The riding excursion began shortly after, and Tuoba Xin was the one enjoying herself the most.

Xiao Pingnan stayed by her side, looking after her with great care, which left Tuoba Jihui and Tuoba Yunxiao looking on with satisfaction.

Xiao Fuguang was too young, so Xiao Dingbei didn’t feel comfortable taking him along to gallop wildly. It went without saying that if Xiao Fuguang fell and injured himself today, his fourth sister sitting nearby would be the first to tear into him.

As for Xiao Zhenxi, he was just like Xiao Wangshu-there merely to watch the fun.

His health was too poor, and Xiao Dingbei didn’t dare take him along.

Xiao Dingbei looked around but couldn’t find anyone to race with him. His gaze swept over the accompanying soldiers and finally landed on Chen Chu.

“General Chen, shall we go for a run?” Xiao Dingbei gave a thumbs-up, pointing toward the open grassland behind him.

Chen Chu was sitting on a rock behind and to the side of Xiao Wangshu. He looked up at Xiao Dingbei and replied in a deep voice, “I am on duty. It is not appropriate to indulge.”

“Don’t be such a bore. With so many soldiers on guard, what could possibly happen?” Xiao Dingbei was still determined to race Chen Chu. He added, “We rarely had the chance to train together at the frontier. Now that we’ve finally gathered in the Capital, shouldn’t we have a little contest?”

Among the officers of a similar age in the army, General Chen Chu was the only one frequently mentioned in the same breath as him.

The fact that he held a status comparable to veteran generals like Lu Xuyang at such a young age was a testament to the sheer number of military achievements Chen Chu had earned.

It was often said in the army that the two of them were the most valiant young commanders. Xiao Dingbei had long wanted to test himself against Chen Chu, but unfortunately, while at the frontier, they had both been too busy guarding passes and training soldiers to find the opportunity.

Now that he finally had the chance, wouldn’t it be a pity not to compete?

Chen Chu maintained his flat, indifferent tone as he replied, “Please excuse me, Third Young Master. I truly do not care for contests without a wager.”

“I see.” Xiao Dingbei nodded, not taking offense at Chen Chu’s attitude.

Everyone in the army knew that Chen Chu was a man of few words. Aside from showing respect to Xiao Hong, he treated everyone else with this same lukewarm indifference.

“Fine then. Name your wager. Shall we put up a few silver ingots?” Xiao Dingbei pressed.

His eagerness made it clear how much he truly wanted this match.

Xiao Wangshu sat nearby, watching with interest as she waited for Chen Chu’s answer.

“There is no need for money. It would not look good for me to gamble silver with the Third Young Master.”

Hearing this, Xiao Dingbei asked directly, “Then you name the stakes. I’ll agree to anything.”

Chen Chu replied, “Since we are testing horsemanship, let the wager be the Classic of Horse Appraisal. The loser must return and transcribe the book ten times.”

Ten transcriptions… that should keep him too busy to come and argue with her until the New Year.