Chapter 135 — The Contest (Bonus Chapter: Asking for Pink Votes)

Song Yan followed the voice and saw Dong Qi, the heir of the Earl of Guang'en.

He was tall and slender, handsome of feature, wearing a phoenix-wing helmet and a fish-scale lamellar armor of bright steel over a skirt-paneled robe of blue silk woven with gold cloud patterns. Fully accoutered for war, he cut a rather imposing figure.

The Crown Prince looked at his armor and asked in surprise, "What is this you're wearing?"

Dong Qi lowered his head slightly and replied with reverence, "This year I too am entered in the autumn hunt's mounted archery."

Dong Qi held an idle post in the Jinwu Guard.

The Crown Prince nodded.

Shen Qing circled Dong Qi, grinning as he looked him up and down. "That's some fine armor you've got."

Empress Shen came from humble origins; the Shen family had been enfeoffed as marquis only through their connection to the imperial consort's clan. The scions of the capital's noble houses had never taken Shen Qing seriously, and so Shen Qing for his part kept little company with them. There were two exceptions. One was Song Yan—his manner was somewhat aloof, but he treated everyone alike, so Shen Qing had nothing to complain of. The other was Dong Qi—smooth and ingratiating with all, on good terms with everyone, so Shen Qing's friendship with him was far warmer than with most.

"I had this specially commissioned from Tianzhou," Dong Qi said with a smile. "If you like it, I'll have a set made for you one of these days."

Armor produced in Tianzhou, Guangxi, was customarily reserved for the military alone, and Shen Qing would have found it a great nuisance to get his hands on a piece. But for Dong Qi, whose father served as Right Commander in the Five Army Commandery and had Guangxi's garrisons under his jurisdiction, it was as easy as turning over his palm.

Shen Qing brightened at the words and said without the least ceremony, "Then I shall obey rather than stand on courtesy!"

The Crown Prince's brows knitted slightly.

Dong Qi, who had been chatting and laughing with Shen Qing as though he had not noticed the Crown Prince at all, now said with a smile, "Mind you, I had this made on the sly, under my old father's banner. Whatever you do, don't let it slip."

At this the Crown Prince's expression indeed improved considerably.

Gu Yu watched and pursed his lips.

Song Yan shot Gu Yu a glance.

Gu Yu at once resumed his former deference.

Only Shen Qing, knowing nothing of any of it, was already fretting before the armor was even in his hands: "Then what am I supposed to say?"

Gu Yu looked up at the sky.

Dong Qi grinned mischievously. "Just say you swiped it from Big Song."

The Crown Prince, Shen Qing, and Gu Yu all froze.

Song Sui said mildly, "That will do."

He was so utterly deadpan that he turned the whole scene grave and solemn on the spot, leaving not a trace of jest.

Shen Qing could not help groaning, "Tianci, can't you loosen up a little? Small wonder everyone calls you Big Song."

The Crown Prince chuckled.

A group of young men in gorgeous attire came sauntering through the ranks of soldiers about to set out on patrol.

They were all sons of noble houses, and because of the autumn hunt they were less bound by punctilio than usual.

One and all they came forward to salute the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince exchanged pleasantries with them in a warm voice.

He seemed to know the circumstances of each; the talk touched on "I hear your grandmadam has hurt her leg—is she any better?", "Are you settling in at the Jinwu Guard?", "Has the wedding date been set?" ... and every man questioned wore a look of basking in a spring breeze.

Song Ji glanced at Gu Yu.

Gu Yu grinned back at Song Yan.

The company clustered about the Crown Prince and went off to his tent.

Before Song's tent only Song Yan, Gu Yu, and Dong Qi remained.

The three stood like the legs of a tripod.

Seven or eight young soldiers came striding over, clad in padded jackets, hung with chain mail, great sabers at their waists. "Is this the tent of the heir of the Duke of Yingguo? We are of the left and right pickets of the Fifth Army Camp, summoned this year to take part in the autumn hunt's mounted archery, and we have come specially to pay our respects to the heir." The speaker's gaze swept over the three of them and came to rest at last on Dong Qi. "We have long heard that the heir of the Duke of Yingguo is a hero of his generation. Seeing him today, the repute is indeed no idle word ..."

Dong Qi's face had gone red and then pale by turns. He was about to say something when someone came over, calling loudly, "Heir Song," drowning out Dong Qi's voice: "You seem to have grown another inch since last year. This year old Yin here isn't eligible for the autumn hunt's mounted archery, so I've brought a few young upstarts to pay their respects and give you fair warning—don't go and lose His Majesty's Deputy Commander of the Jinwu Guard!"

The speaker stood eight chi tall, all brawn and slab, his flesh quivering with every step. Built like a bear, he roared with laughter that rang like a great bell. Behind him followed five or six young men, radiant with high hopes.

This man was named Ma Youming, son of Ma Yichao, the Commander of Xuantong, and he held a post in the Shenshu Camp. Four years ago he had taken first place in the autumn hunt, only for nine-year-old Song Sui to become the focus of all eyes, leaving his own championship stranded and ignored. The year after, he lost to Song Yan by a single arrow and was again disregarded. The third year, he was once more second.

This year he had been promoted to deputy general of the Shenshu Camp; how could he bring himself to compete for rank with these young men who held no substantive office?

Catching sight of Gu Yu, Ma Youming chuckled, "Little girl, you've come along with the heir to watch the fun again!"

Gu Yu was so furious her face went crooked. She sprang up and cursed, a torrent of foul language that left even those men inured to the rough-and-tumble of camp life staring open-mouthed.

Ma Youming pretended not to hear, walked straight up, saluted Song Yan, and plucked out a lad of seventeen or eighteen from behind him. "Heir, this boy is Jiang Yi, son of the Commander of the Dengzhou Guard. Letters run in his family; the Shenshu Camp is counting on him to give you a run for your money!"

Ma Youming's men came crowding up to salute Song Yan.

Song Yan returned the salute and nodded to Jiang Yi with a smile.

The man who had been speaking with Dong Qi froze for a moment, then opened his eyes wide and stared at Song Yan. "You—you're the heir of the Yingzhenguo Duke's household?"

Song Yan nodded.

Ma Youming had already flung an arm around Song Zhi's shoulder. "We so rarely get to see each other—let's go drink in your tent." He walked past Dong Qi as though the man did not exist.

The men of the Five Barracks broke into an uproar.

"How can he be so young?"

"Is it real? Look at him—fair-skinned and soft. He's probably never done a day of hard labor in his life. How could he have taken first place?"

"Heroes come from the young, as they always have!"

Dong Qi's face was dark as a sky about to rain. He slipped quietly away from Song Zhi's tent.

※※※※※

For the next two days of the hunt, Song Yan did nothing but watch from the sidelines. Only on the third day, when the mounted archery contest began, did he change into military dress and appear on the training ground.

Song Zhi's mount, Feidu, was a thousand-li horse, born with an advantage. He took first place in the equestrian event by three horse-lengths over the runner-up—beyond dispute and beyond suspense.

When the archery contest began, he was placed in the final round as the previous year's champion.

He had not expected that the man standing at the other end would be Dong Qi.

Dong Qi nodded at Song Yan with a calm smile, but his gaze was cold as frost.

Song Yan returned a faint smile and turned his attention to the archery.