The Young Marquis Regrets Too Late - Chapter 1

By the middle to the late parts of the third month of the year, the weather had begun to warm. The spring sunlight heralded a new season, where all living things thrived in harmony and created a vibrant scene of renewal.

In the outskirts of the capital, at a polo field, a group of young men and women were playing with great fervour. Their raucous shouts nearly echoed beyond the grounds.

“Pass it to me! Over here!” 

“No, to me! To me!”

The clamour was so loud that it was hard to tell who had shouted what.

Polo had always been a pastime activity of the wealthy.

Ordinary folks usually wouldn’t be able to even afford a horse, let alone play polo. As such, only high-ranking officials and members of the nobility would typically have access to such a sport, and polo fields became exclusive entertainment grounds for the aristocracy over time.

Today, one of these members of prominent families had booked the field—who exactly it was, no one even knew. The guests present also mingled and blurred the lines of who was whose acquaintance.

A girl in a striking red outfit stood out amidst the chaos on the field. Her long, jet-black high ponytail danced in the wind. Her soft, delicate features—gentle eyebrows and eyes without a trace of harshness—were contrasted by her bold attire, which gave her an aura of understated intensity.

“Jiang Jingchun really is a beauty,” remarked a noble miss from the spectator stands. Her gaze fixed on the striking figure among the crowd.

Jiang Jingchun was undeniably the most dazzling player on the field. She drew everyone’s eyes to herself without even trying to.

However, after the noble miss spoke, someone else chimed in mockingly, “Hah, what is the use of being pretty? If beauty could win favour, wouldn’t Young Marquis Gu have fallen for her long ago?”

The ‘young marquis’ that this other noble miss mentioned was none other than the eldest son of the Gu family—the household of Marquis Heyang.

Gu Huaisheng.

Jiang Jingchun’s romantic feelings for Gu Huaisheng were a public secret in the capital. 

Jiang Jingchun’s father was the minister of personnel and, thus, a second-rank official.

The Jiang family was a family with an illustrious history. Although they had faced some setbacks in the past, they’d managed to restore their status. By any standard, they were a respectable noble family. A second-rank official like Jiang Jingchun’s father commanded respect, even from the fathers of many present today.

Gu Huaisheng’s mother was the younger sister of Jiang Jingchun’s father. This made Gu Huaisheng and Jiang Jingchun cousins.

Jiang Jingchun was the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family—the one born from the legitimate wife, who was pampered by her mother from a young age.

She had each and every single one of her whims indulged. When she developed romantic feelings for her cousin—Gu Huaisheng, she frequently used their ambiguous familial connection to find excuses to visit Gu Huaisheng and shower him with attention.

Such pity, though, that Gu Huaisheng barely ever spared her a glance.

“She’s so used to being spoiled at home that she’s become shameless. Just the other day, I heard she went to the Gu family residence and caused a fuss. She insisted they dismiss a pretty maid who was close to the young marquis,” someone gossiped.

Another listener was sceptical. As brazen as she seemed to be, it still seemed unlikely that she’d create such a scene at the marquis’ residence. “Is that really true?”

“It is! I heard it from someone else. People have been whispering about it everywhere. If you haven’t heard, it’s probably because you’re out of the loop.”

“She’s a beauty, sure, but she has a bad heart—she’s terrible.”

Jiang Jingchun, who was engrossed in her game on the polo field, was wholly oblivious to the slander that was spreading about her behind her back.

However, the next moment, a polo ball hit her squarely in the back. She hadn’t been paying attention and took the blow head-on.

Her elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly as she wondered to herself—such a precise hit. Could that be on purpose?

Before she could locate the culprit, another ball struck her again.

Alright. That was definitely on purpose.

She looked back and spotted a girl about her age holding a long mallet. The girl smirked as she looked at her.

It took Jiang Jingchun a moment to recognise her.

She was Lou Yanyan, the second miss of the grand herald’s household.

Since everyone here mingled within the same social circles, they were at least familiar with each other’s identities.

Behind Lou Yanyan stood a few other young ladies who seemed to be her usual clique.

“If you can’t play properly, step off the field. Why play dirty?” 

Jiang Jingchun’s current outfit was already thin to begin with, and they didn’t provide any padding against the strikes. As such, the two strikes left her back aching. Moreover, her tone was less than cordial as she addressed Lou Yanyan, who had clearly come to provoke her.

Lou Yanyan rolled her eyes and said coolly, “Oh, what’s wrong? Can’t handle it, can you? Bumps and bruises are part of polo. Is Miss Jiang so delicate that a little mishap is too much? Fine, we won’t play then. You are too noble for us lowly folk to offend.”

With that, Lou Yanyan turned and left with her friends. They left Jiang Jingchun simmering with frustration.

Although Lou Yanyan had started it, her remarks made it seem as though Jiang Jingchun was the one being unreasonable.

Jiang Jingchun couldn’t recall ever offending Lou Yanyan, but from the start of the game, the latter had been targeting her.

Some bystanders sensed the tension and stepped in to mediate. Their fathers were court officials working together in the same court and would see each other at work every day. There was no need to cause embarrassment for everyone involved over this matter.

“Alright, alright, Miss Lou was probably too careless and did it by accident. Let’s not make a big deal out of it and just keep playing.”

A friend of Jiang Jingchun retorted sharply, “It might be an accident the first time, sure, but what about the second? Who are you trying to fool…?”

Before her friend could finish, Jiang Jingchun dismounted from her horse, picked up a polo ball that was at her feet, and hurled it at Lou Yanyan’s back.

The crowd fell silent. They were all shocked by Jiang Jingchun’s boldness.

Lou Yanyan was caught off guard by the sudden attack and screamed in pain.

It took her a moment to recover from the shock.

Jiang Jingchun had actually dared to strike her so openly! Did she have no shame?

Lou Yanyan turned around. She had a livid expression on her face, but before she could speak, Jiang Jingchun said nonchalantly, “Oh, that was an accident. Surely Miss Lou won’t get upset over such a trivial matter? That would be rather petty of you, Miss Lou.”

Without waiting for a reply, Jiang Jingchun left the field. She fully ignored Lou Yanyan’s seething fury.

The commotion caught the attention of the spectators, but they were too far away to grasp the details. They could only surmise that there was some conflict between Jiang Jingchun and Lou Yanyan’s group.

“Honestly, Jiang Jingchun’s a walking disaster. Wherever she goes, trouble follows. Lou Yanyan sure is bold, to pick a fight with that firebrand. Just wait—when Jiang Jingchun cries to her mother later, all hell will break loose.”

The person next to the one who had spoken first disagreed. “That’s nonsense. She might act spoiled at home, but does she think the world also revolves around her outside?”

They knew that something exciting was about to unfold but said no more.

After such an incident happened, Jiang Jingchun lost all interest in continuing to play. She left with her personal maid, Huayun, to a quiet room to change clothes.

The sun was blazing today, and even the spring air carried a trace of heat. She had played two rounds of polo, working up quite a sweat. Her riding outfit clung uncomfortably to her body.

Jiang Jingchun removed her outer garment, and then her inner garment. Huayun handed her a fresh set of clothes but caught sight of the bruises on her back.

The spots where she’d been hit had also reddened and swelled from being hit by the balls, and the marks stood out starkly against her pale skin.

Huayun grew anxious and exclaimed, “How could Miss Lou be so rough? Look, Miss, your back is all red!”

Jiang Jingchun’s back did hurt a bit.

However, she didn’t think too much about it. She said, “Don’t be upset, Huayun. I already hit her back. When I get home, I’ll just apply some ointment—it’s nothing.”

Huayun couldn’t agree with her view, though. She said, “How can this be nothing? If Madame sees this, she’d be very upset.”

Jiang Jingchun chuckled. Nonchalantly, she said, “Huayun, you’re so silly. It’s not like I’m going to strip down in front of my mother so she can see my back. It’s fine.”

Jiang Jingchun left the room once she finished changing. However, as soon as she opened the door, someone on the other side was about to barge in, and they nearly collided.

She was startled. When she looked up, she saw that the person who had arrived was none other than Lou Yanyan, who had picked a fight with her earlier.

Jiang Jingchun had no intention of paying any more attention to this bull-headed girl and turned to leave.

“You’re really shameless.”

Jiang Jingchun stopped in her tracks. She turned around and walked back to Lou Yanyan. She echoed Lou Yanyan’s words by saying, “I’m shameless?”

She had changed back into her everyday clothes—a light yellow dress that erased her earlier sharpness. Although she wasn’t wearing any makeup, her cheeks still appeared rosy.

Perhaps it was this softer appearance that made her seem easier to bully. Lou Yanyan didn’t back down at all. She puffed up her chest and retorted, “Did I say something wrong? You spend all your time clinging to men—calling you shameless isn’t wrong at all, is it!?”

Hearing the acidic tone of her words, Jiang Jingchun finally understood her intent. She asked, “You like my cousin too?”

If so, then no wonder she had come to pick a fight with her today.

However, Lou Yanyan suddenly grew agitated and said, “Stop spouting nonsense!”

Seeing her flustered state, Jiang Jingchun thought for a moment and then recalled that Lou Yanyan already had someone else she liked.

This was something many people knew.

So she didn’t like her cousin?

Jiang Jingchun said, “Then it must be your sister who likes him.”

Her tone wasn’t questioning—it was certain.

Lou Yanyan’s sister really did like Gu Huaisheng.

Although, in truth, there wasn’t a single young miss in the capital who didn’t admire Gu Huaisheng.

Gu Huaisheng came from Marquis Heyang’s household.

The family’s ancestors had established their merits alongside the founding emperor and were among the founding figures of the dynasty.

After the dynasty was established, the emperor rewarded them with titles and riches, which established the marquis’ household. Their honour and prestige were the envy of the time, and the family’s younger generations continued to succeed and maintained the family’s glory to this day. The marquis’ household had lasted five generations, and the family’s deep foundations in the capital remained well taken-care of so far.

Gu Huaisheng himself lived up to his position as a marquis’ son. As the young marquis, he was naturally a man of high standing. Besides being born into nobility, he was also an outstanding person with great merits to his name. Before he even came of age, he had already earned third place in the imperial examinations.

After serving at Hanlin Academy for three years, he was promoted to the Censorate, where he rose to the rank of left assistant censor-in-chief, which was a fourth-ranked position, within two years.

He had achieved all this by the time that he was 21.

His achievements would have been unthinkable for ordinary people.

However, Gu Huaisheng was the most exceptional member of his family and a role model for those who were younger than him.

He was like the snow on the eaves or the moon by the window. He could be seen and admired but could never be attained.

Who wouldn’t admire someone as great as he was?

However, just because everyone admired or liked him didn’t mean he had to like everyone back.

In fact, given his personality, that seemed unlikely.

Jiang Jingchun’s words must have struck a nerve, because Lou Yanyan started rattling like a beanpod and suddenly burst out in anger. “My sister hasn’t married anyone because of him, and you—you’re such an insufferable pest! Why do you always hover around him!?”

Jiang Jingchun truly couldn’t understand Lou Yanyan. She almost laughed out of sheer exasperation.

If Gu Huaisheng and her really had something going on between them, then Lou Yanyan might have had a case to make. However, Gu Huaisheng couldn’t even be bothered to glance her way.

Jiang Jingchun herself was longing for something she couldn’t attain. Why would she bother with other people who were only doing the same thing?

Lou Yanyan, this fool, somehow thought she could blame all of her sister’s trouble on her.

“What does this have to do with me? It’s not like I told him not to like your sister. If you have the guts, go settle this with him.”

As Jiang Jingchun looked at Lou Yanyan, whose face was contorted in fury, she suddenly remembered something else.

Some time ago, she had visited the Gu family and happened to witness something she shouldn’t have.

A maid had tried to climb into Gu Huaisheng’s bed. After that, the maid had been sent to Madame Gu—his mother and the mistress of the house, who expelled the maid from the household. However, someone had spread a rumour that Jiang Jingchun, out of jealousy towards the beautiful maid, had caused the scene and gotten her driven out.

To make matters worse, the brainless gossipers who heard that rumour believed it and spread it.

She had been wondering who she had offended for such rumours to spread and smear her reputation.

Well, now it seemed the culprit had delivered herself right to her doorstep.

She stepped forward, grabbed Lou Yanyan’s collar, and demanded, “Hey, was it you who spread those rumours a while back!?”

Lou Yanyan, choked by Jiang Jingchun’s grip, struggled and shoved her hard.

“So what if it was me? You vile person—was I wrong!?”

Their shouting had grown loud and drew the attention of passersby.

Lou Yanyan’s unreasonable strength had pushed Jiang Jingchun so hard she almost stumbled, but luckily, Huayun beside her caught her in time.

Jiang Jingchun wasn’t about to let herself be insulted for nothing. First, she’d been slandered, and now she was being provoked in this way. If she kept enduring this, she might as well drive herself mad.

She stepped forward and pushed back hard.

“What are you, some kind of maniac? Why do you keep sticking your nose into other people’s lives!?”

She wanted to scold her more, but then she saw Lou Yanyan stagger backwards after the shove. Behind her were a few stone steps. Lou Yanyan wavered at the edge, then suddenly smiled at Jiang Jingchun.

With that, she fell backwards down the steps.

Lou Yanyan, that lunatic, had thrown herself down!

Jiang Jingchun’s mind went blank for a moment. Then, a wave of screams erupted around her.

She stood there and stared down at Lou Yanyan, who was now crying and wailing at the bottom of the steps. Though Lou Yanyan had been the one to fall, Jiang Jingchun felt an intense pain in her head.

She was in trouble now.

When they’d been arguing earlier, people had already been watching. Now that Lou Yanyan had fallen, the crowd swelled, and everyone began pointing fingers at Jiang Jingchun and muttering accusations about her pushing Lou Yanyan.

Everyone had seen Jiang Jingchun push her. Even if she said she had seen Lou Yanyan smile maliciously before falling, it wouldn’t matter. The fact remained that she had pushed her.

In everyone else’s eyes, this was all her doing.

Even if Jiang Jingchun tried to explain, no one would listen.

Jiang Jingchun silently stood in place amidst the noisy crowd. Uncharacteristically, at this moment, she was at a loss.

A physician arrived shortly after, and luckily, Lou Yanyan hadn’t broken any bones or hit her head. She only had some scrapes.

Yet she cried as though she’d suffered a tremendous injustice.

The onlookers offered Lou Yanyan words of comfort while others mocked Jiang Jingchun.

“How ill-mannered Miss Jiang is! They were just having an argument. Did she intend to take Miss Lou’s life over it?”

“Indeed. Even if they must fight, she still shouldn’t push someone like that. They’re both young misses—what if Miss Lou had scarred her face?”

These criticisms gave Jiang Jingchun a headache. She retorted, “She pushed me first! Why shouldn’t I push her back?”

Lou Yanyan cried out, “But I didn’t hurt you!”

Jiang Jingchun knew she had fallen into her trap, and a lump of anger stuck in her throat. Her face turned pale as she stood off to the side.

“You should apologise to me and do it properly and nicely. Only then will I consider forgiving you!”

“In your dreams,” Jiang Jingchun replied. She turned her head away and refused to even look at Lou Yanyan anymore.

Lou Yanyan had sullied her reputation, schemed against her, and now she wanted her to apologise?

Jiang Jingchun’s close friend, Chen Muqing, had also rushed over to the scene. She’d already heard about the reason behind the commotion while she was on her way.

When Chen Muqing arrived, she pushed through the crowd and, ignoring those who tried to stop her, went straight up to Lou Yanyan. She forcefully lifted Lou Yanyan’s sleeves to inspect her scrapes.

Chen Muqing came from a family with a military background. She was used to wielding swords and practising martial arts, so her strength was naturally greater than the average young miss. Lou Yanyan couldn’t struggle free from her grasp, no matter how hard she tried.

Chen Muqing took a look and said, “You just got some scratch, yet I can hear your whining from miles away. You’re so noisy.”

Chen Muqing gave Lou Yanyan a derisive laugh, and Lou Yanyan immediately shouted, “Do you think everyone is as thick-skinned as you? What about it? Didn’t I still get injured!?”

The onlookers chimed in with agreement.

Though Chen Muqing liked practising martial arts, she was still a delicate young woman. Yet, in Lou Yanyan’s words, she had somehow turned into someone with ‘thick skin.’

Seeing her friend being ganged up on, Jiang Jingchun could no longer hold back. She planted her hands on her waist and joined Chen Muqing in shouting back at the crowd. In an instant, the bickering grew so loud that it nearly drowned out everything else. It was impossible to tell who was saying what amidst all the yelling.

At that moment, someone in the crowd suddenly said, “Gu… Young Marquis Gu.”

The entire scene fell silent in an instant.

However, Jiang Jingchun, who was still arguing furiously, didn’t notice the change around her. It wasn’t until Chen Muqing beside her began tugging frantically at her sleeve that she realised something was off. She turned her head and discovered that, at some point, the entire area had gone quiet.

Two men, refined as the wind and bright as the moon, were approaching with their cloaks billowing behind them.

The surrounding people unconsciously made way for them.

Jiang Jingchun, with her hands still on her waist like a little shrew, turned her head and saw her elder brother walking towards the scene with Gu Huaisheng.

The man dressed in white silk robes immediately drew all her attention. Her gaze froze on him completely, and her breath caught in her throat as she fell silent.

Why had her cousin come!?

The man approached steadily from not far away. As he was dressed in a luxurious robe of white silk embroidered with golden threads, with a jade belt tied neatly at his waist, his figure looked even more upright and elegant than usual. 

His face was as flawless as jade, and his features were sharp and handsome. The sunlight streaming across his face seemed to gild him with layers of golden light. When he wasn’t speaking, his expression carried a touch of indifference and aloofness, which made him seem distant and unapproachable.

The moment Gu Huaisheng appeared, everyone’s attention shifted entirely to him. 

Just moments ago, the crowd had been shouting and arguing, but now, they had all fallen silent.

Jiang Jingchun had no idea when the two of them had arrived, nor did she know why Gu Huaisheng was with her elder brother. However, she felt as though the world had suddenly turned dark. Her head spun.

Her cousin already didn’t like her much, to begin with. Now that he had caught her fighting someone, he would probably dislike her even more.