The Prime Minister Knows How to Handle His Wife (ABO, GL) - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Sheng Shiyue naturally did not retreat.

She raised her eyes and glanced at the opponent’s cricket, her doubts growing heavier, yet she had no clues, so she temporarily poured her own cricket into the fighting arena.

The fighting arena was first divided into two sides by a wooden board until both crickets opened their jaws, and then the board could be pulled away.

Xu Zhengming had prepared early but could do nothing, only waiting as Sheng Shiyue used a rat whisker to stroke the cricket’s antennae.

Sheng Shiyue’s cricket was not kept for long; a few days ago, when Qu Li went to a villa outside the city, she happened to come across it and sent it to Sheng Shiyue as a reward for her diligent studying these days.

Since it was a reward, it naturally could not be ordinary. This cricket had a large, round head with high-set eyes, just like the “gem head” praised by experts, with a long body and a pointed tail, its entirety faintly shimmering.

As soon as it appeared, it provoked a “wow” from the crowd of dandies. If the match had not been imminent, someone would have rushed forward to examine it closely, but even though they could not approach, the crowd bent over and stretched toward it, letting out tsks of admiration.

In the blink of an eye, Sheng Shiyue stole the spotlight again.

Xu Zhengming propped his hand on the table’s edge, veins bulging on his forehead and hands from anger, wishing he could break off a piece of the table, yet he could not urge her on.

His temperament was not usually so impatient; after all, he was a son raised by an official family. But after suffering a setback in polo, being mocked by peers for a long time, and losing face repeatedly today, he completely lost his composure.

Seeing the opponent’s cricket open its jaws, he immediately reached out and yanked the wooden board away, shouting, “Begin.”

The dandies showed dissatisfaction on their faces, Sheng Shiyue’s smile faded from her lips, and she shot a glance at him.

Xu Zhengming, however, cared no more, immediately leaning forward and staring intently inside.

His cricket was indeed extremely ferocious, lunging directly at the opponent, its golden teeth biting down on the other cricket! At the same time, it raised its front legs, trying to pin the opponent.

The other was not easy to deal with either. Provoked, it flared up, turned its head with force, and nearly flipped Xu Zhengming’s cricket upward, almost overturning it.

The two crickets let out rapid chirps, separated briefly, then quickly collided again, butting heads, snapping their sharp jaws. One moment the former gained the upper hand, the next the latter flipped it over.

The onlookers were engrossed, nervously clenching their fists, letting out bursts of “ho” sounds.

After four or five minutes, the stalemate finally shifted. Sheng Shiyue’s cricket gave a forceful flip, directly overturning the other cricket and slamming it against the arena’s wall.

“What a mighty bug!” Meng Qingxin loudly praised. Normally, this would signal a winning trend, but the next second, her expression changed.

The flipped cricket did not pause at all and lunged at its opponent again, while Sheng Shiyue’s cricket, after a fierce effort, seemed to lose strength and, caught off guard, had its front leg bitten.

Its wings fluttered rapidly, and Sheng Shiyue’s cricket, in pain, bit the opponent’s head, but it had no effect on the adversary.

The situation reversed instantly and was hard to change.

“Something’s wrong. His cricket is very strange, far too ferocious,” someone sensed deeply amiss.

Xiao Jing, both puzzled and furious, scolded, “What trick did Xu Zhengming use this time?!”

The crowd outside buzzed with discussion. The scene was laughable: the dandies, usually criticized and belittled, were upright, while the self-proclaimed noble used every trick.

Sheng Shiyue’s cricket was about to have its leg torn off, its chirps carrying a hint of pleading. Meng Qingxin could not bear it, stepped forward, and shouted, “We concede!”

If it were her cricket, she would fight to the end no matter what, but this was Sheng Shiyue’s cricket. Outsiders always called Sheng Shiyue frivolous and heartless, but her friends knew she valued bonds deeply, even caring for a mere bug until its natural end. Her golden abacus was lost, but that was her own folly, being deceived.

But as her words fell, the opponent seemed not to hear, even stepping back, looking up with a smug smile.

Meng Qingxin’s brows shot up, and she stepped forward herself, ready to separate them.

But at that moment, Xu Zhengming reacted, grabbing her wrist and saying, “The match isn’t over. Outsiders can’t interfere.”

The next second, his cricket turned its head and yanked hard, tearing off the opponent’s front leg.

Sheng Shiyue hurriedly stepped forward, wrapping her wide sleeve around her hand to separate them, but it was too late. The cricket released the leg in its mouth and dared to bite Sheng Shiyue’s hand.

“Hiss…” Sheng Shiyue let out a cry of pain.

The long jaws had bitten through the brocade cloth.

At that moment, the legless cricket suddenly lunged back, biting the opponent’s neck.

The other, in pain, kicked with its hind legs, and both crickets crashed against the porcelain wall!

“Is this cricket mad?!” The crowd showed fear on their faces.

Xu Zhengming’s cricket seemed truly oblivious to pain. One crash was not enough; even with its neck bitten, it slammed against the porcelain wall again and again.

Sheng Shiyue, wanting to help, had no way to intervene.

With another crash, the cricket suddenly collapsed, its hind legs twitching weakly, as if bitten to death by the legless cricket or perhaps killed by its own collisions.

But Xu Zhengming now spoke, “Since Meng Qingxin conceded, this round counts as our win.”

He had pretended not to hear earlier but now brought it up.

“Shameless!” Meng Qingxin cursed loudly, “Xu Zhengming, have some dignity!”

Xiao Jing stepped forward too, his face cold, saying, “Did you drug the cricket?”

Though cricket fights were intense, they rarely reached this point. Usually, a defeated cricket would scurry around the arena’s edge, signaling loss, but Xu Zhengming’s cricket was clearly abnormal, crazed enough to kill itself by crashing.

Sheng Shiyue’s expression darkened, also provoked to three parts anger. A fair match was one thing, but this person repeatedly played dirty, not acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum!

She first separated the other cricket, then carefully scooped her own back into its jar, handed it to Xiao Jing, and instructed, “Take it back to the mansion for me. Have them care for it well.”

Insects in the wild often fought, losing limbs was common and did not affect lifespan, but it could no longer be used in matches.

Xiao Jing quickly agreed.

Sheng Shiyue turned to face the opponent, her tone flat but inexplicably chilling, saying, “You’re quite lucky. Your leg injury hasn’t healed, so you can’t ride, or it wouldn’t just be this leg.”

Xu Zhengming, finally triumphant, would not be easily scared off, laughing, “Your Highness should worry more about yourself. If you accidentally break a leg too, who knows what outsiders would say? Sheng Jiu, worried for her cricket, breaks a leg to match it.”

Sheng Shiyue glanced at the arena, saying ambiguously, “Better than being dead.”

No one could stay calm when cursed with death. Xu Zhengming sneered, “There’s one more round. Don’t be scared, Your Highness.”

Sheng Shiyue scoffed, replying, “I’ll see how many tricks you have left.”

The tension between the two sides grew thicker, glaring at each other, refusing to yield an inch. This was no longer an ordinary match. Xu Zhengming’s repeated shameless acts had thoroughly enraged the group. This was not just bullying Sheng Shiyue and Meng Qingxin.

It was clearly a slap to all their faces!

“This round isn’t about me. The people Your Highness offended recently aren’t just me,” Xu Zhengming tugged at his lips, his tone carrying an inexplicable certainty, as if he firmly believed this person could defeat Sheng Shiyue.

Sheng Shiyue frowned slightly, only able to suppress the sudden bad premonition for now.

The group noisily squeezed out of Yicui Tower, bickering and making small moves along the way, still trading barbs and glares by the time they reached the field.

As soon as they took their positions, someone went to fetch the referee. Polo was popular in Bianjing, so merchants had opened fields outside the city for hourly rentals. Though the fees were high, the fields came with physicians and referees, available to anyone who rented.

Polo sticks, horses, and other equipment had been arranged by servants, but the only trouble was that Ye Chiling still could not ride for the game.

Polo required coordination. Ye Liuyun and Ye Chiling had grown up with Sheng Shiyue, always playing polo and cuju with her. Even if they occasionally teamed with Meng Qingxin and others, their synergy was unmatched, or Xu Zhengming would not have deliberately caused Ye Chiling’s fall last time.

After some discussion, they decided Meng Qingxin, who had trained in martial arts since childhood and had the best physique, would take Ye Chiling’s place, with instructions to pass the ball to Sheng Shiyue and Ye Liuyun whenever possible to help them score.

After settling this, they looked at the other side. None of Xu Zhengming’s group left to change or fetch horses.

Everyone grew puzzled, then saw three figures in black robes on black horses charging from afar. The hoofbeats were loud, shaking the ground with a buzz, and the riders, tall and sturdy with slightly dark skin, exuded a fierce, murderous aura even before reaching them.

“They look like Qu Yu and her group,” someone whispered.

The person beside stomped their foot, shouting, “It is Qu Yu and her group! Isn’t she busy preparing for the martial exam in a few days? Why’s she here joining the fuss?!”

The crowd’s expressions grew much graver.

In the Liang Kingdom, military officials were divided into three factions. First was the Meng family, controlling the imperial guard, loyal only to His Majesty’s orders, rarely involved in factional disputes, and keeping a low profile.

Second was Lord Wu’an’s faction, whose influence was mostly at the borders due to long campaigns, with weaker sway in court.

Third was the faction led by Qu Yu’s mother, Lieutenant Qu Xiagui, one of the Three Excellencies and part of the Eighth Princess’s group. Most officials here rose through martial exams, were highly proud, and looked down on those like Lord Wu’an or the Meng family, who, through ancestral privilege, skipped martial tests to lead armies.

Thus, they were equally strict with their children, demanding they train in martial arts from a young age and compete in martial exams like others.

And this Qu Yu before them was a top contender in this year’s martial exam. It was said she had secluded herself for over a year to win the martial champion title. If not for spotting her at His Majesty’s polo match a few days ago, everyone would have thought she vanished.

As thoughts swirled, the three appeared before the dandies.

Seeing that Sheng Shiyue did not dismount, Qu Yu pointed her polo stick at her, and said, “Your Highness, this round, I’ll compete with you.”