Chapter 136: Horse Farm
After Professor Zhang took away the bamboo ink painting that day, there was no more news from him. Hence, Xia Wanyuan naturally assumed that her painting had not been selected.
Who would have thought that as soon as she woke up this morning, she would receive a call from Elder Zhang asking her to draw another painting?
Hence, after Xiao Bao went to school, Xia Wanyuan spread paper on the table and drew.
The brush was filled with ink, and the tip of the brush was like a dragon and snake as it swam at will on the Xuan paper. Not long after, a painting of a cold plum blossom appeared on the paper.
Xia Wanyuan pressed the seal with the words “Yuan Wanxia” on it. Then, she laid the painting on the table and waited for the ink to dry naturally.
“Why didn’t you go to work today?” Xia Wanyuan looked at Jun Shiling curiously.
According to Jun Shiling’s habits, he usually went to the company after breakfast.
“I have to receive guests today.” Jun Shiling retracted his gaze from Xia Wanyuan’s painting. “Come with me?”
“At the manor? It’s not suitable for me to go with you.” Xia Wanyuan was a little hesitant. After all, her relationship with Jun Shiling still needed to be kept secret.
“In the suburbs. The guest today is not from China. It’s okay if you go. He doesn’t know you.”
Hearing Jun Shiling’s words, Xia Wanyuan didn’t feel conflicted. It was boring staying in the manor, so she might as well go out with Jun Shiling.
After the painting on the table was dry, Xia Wanyuan packed the painting and sent someone to deliver it to Professor Zhang.
Estimating that the guests would arrive soon, so Jun Shiling brought Xia Wanyuan to the suburbs.
Passing through the tall buildings and a small hill in the suburbs, a large plain suddenly appeared in his eyes. There were many horses on the plain, leisurely strolling as they ate grass.
“Young Master.” Lin Jing had been waiting in front of the racecourse. Seeing Jun Shiling get out of the car, he walked forward.
The person in charge of the racecourse followed behind Lin Jing. He stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Jun Shiling.
The air in the suburbs was especially fresh. The air was filled with fresh vegetation. After Jun Shiling, Xia Wanyuan got out of the car.
The originally cautious person-in-charge and staff of the racecourse were shocked when they saw Xia Wanyuan behind Jun Shiling.
They knew how important today’s event was. Master Jun actually brought a woman here?! What was the relationship between this woman and Master Jun?!
Everyone stood rooted to the ground, not knowing how to address this exceptionally beautiful woman.
Lin Jing’s eyes flashed the moment he saw Xia Wanyuan get out of the car. He knew that Jun Shiling valued Xia Wanyuan, but he did not expect him to value her till this extent.
While everyone was still hesitating, Lin Jing had already walked up and bowed respectfully to Xia Wanyuan. “Madam.”
?????
!!!
Everyone looked at Lin Jing calling Xia Wanyuan Madam in confusion. What? What?! Why didn’t we know when Master Jun got married?
However, Lin Jing was Jun Shiling’s right-hand man. 99% of his actions represented Jun Shiling’s thoughts, so everyone hurriedly followed Lin Jing and called her Madam.
“Let’s go in.”
After everyone greeted Xia Wanyuan, Jun Shiling brought her in.
This was a comprehensive leisure place. It relied on a horse ranch and was equipped with a complete set of entertainment and leisure activities. It was like a small resort.
However, the place was completely clear today. There was even a guard every three steps and a person every two steps. These people were all wearing military uniforms.
Chapter 137: Prince Charlie
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The soldiers in military uniforms were even holding black guns.
Xia Wanyuan knew that compared to the Xia Dynasty, the modern world was more democratic and peaceful. Ordinary commoners had never seen a gun in their lives, let alone so many.
At that moment, Xia Wanyuan was a little curious about the identity of the guest Jun Shiling was about to meet.
“The person who came back is the prince of the Eagle Kingdom and also the crown prince of the Eagle Kingdom.” Jun Shiling explained the identity of this guest to Xia Wanyuan in a low voice.
Xia Wanyuan had seen some modern history and knew that although there were still such things as kings, to many countries, they were just empty titles.
But even if it was just a name, it represented a country.
“They’re visiting China this time and I had some ties with the old prince of the Eagle Kingdom, so Ii’m helping to entertain his descendants.”
“Mm.”
As Xia Wanyuan listened to Jun Shiling, she walked. Not long after, the two of them arrived in front of a large grassland.
Not far away, two tall figures riding horses dashed over.
The sound of a horse whip tearing through the air was extremely ear-piercing. The horse galloped over and gradually slowed down a hundred meters away from Jun Shiling and Xia Wanyuan.
“Hello, Mr Jun. It’s an honor to meet you.”
A blond man in a white riding suit walked towards Jun Shiling. He placed his right hand on his chest and lowered his head slightly.
As the crown prince, he had naturally received all kinds of advanced education since he was young. It was necessary for him to know the few important languages in the world today. Therefore, although his pronunciation was a little awkward, he could communicate daily in Chinese.
“Hello.” Jun Shiling nodded and introduced Xia Wanyuan to the guest who had come from afar. “This is my wife, Xia Wanyuan. This is Prince Charlie.”
Only then did Prince Charlie look at Xia Wanyuan. His blue eyes were filled with amazement.
Knowing that she had a guest today, Xia Wanyuan specially put on light makeup, making her look even more elegant and refined.
Dressed in a light blue dress, she looked like the blue sky among the clouds, gentle and peaceful.
It was the first time Prince Charlie had seen the gentle beauty of an Eastern woman, and he was stunned.
Jun Shiling frowned slightly while Lin Jing coughed behind him. Only then did Prince Charlie seem to have recovered from his loss of composure.
“Madam Jun is too beautiful!! You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” The people of the Eagle Nation expressed their emotions more directly, so Prince Charlie clearly expressed his admiration for Xia Wanyuan.
“Thank you for your praise.” Xia Wanyuan was not super happy about being praised by the prince. After all, in the Xia Dynasty, this so-called prince could only be considered a citizen.
“Mr Jun, your racecourse is very good. I wonder if Mr Jun knows how to ride a horse? I’ve been in China for a while and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone who knows how to ride a horse. What a pity.”
As the origin of modern horsemanship, horsemanship was popular in the Eagle Kingdom. Prince Charlie was a hobbyist and proficient in horsemanship.
China was a civilized ancient country with more than five thousand years of history. However, more than a hundred years ago, China was chaotic and poor. For a long time after the liberation, China appeared on the international scene as a backward and weak country.
From the beginning, it was difficult to eliminate one’s opinion of something.
Therefore, even when facing Jun Shiling, the global magnate who was now famous internationally, Prince Charlie subconsciously still had a subtle sense of superiority as a royal family of an established and advanced country.
Chapter 138: Pretty Person, Beautiful Horse
Xia Wanyuan frowned when she heard Prince Charlie’s words.
China had a long history. A long time ago, transportation was inconvenient, and people traveled by horse-riding. Furthermore, they would train horses in large numbers and use them as combat horses to increase the combat ability of the army.
Even the Great Xia Dynasty a thousand years ago had a fully formed cavalry.
The history of the Eagle Kingdom was not even half that of China. When China’s civilization was brilliant and open, they were still eating raw meat and drinking blood. Now, they were showing off their superiority with horsemanship.
“Prince Charlie, I’ve long heard that your riding skills are excellent. I wonder if I have the honor of asking you for advice?”
Before Jun Shiling could speak, Xia Wanyuan spoke leisurely.
Everyone present looked at Xia Wanyuan in surprise.
Other than Jun Shiling and Lin Jing, everyone else had an incredulous expression.
There was a reason why Prince Charlie dared to feel so superior in front of Jun Shiling.
In recent years, Prince Charlie had consecutively won the individual championship at the European equestrian championship. He had even represented the Eagle Kingdom to attend global equestrian competitions and had achieved considerable results.
It could be said that Prince Charlie’s riding skills were top-notch worldwide.
And now, this woman who looked as gentle as water that Jun Shiling had brought actually wanted to compete with Prince Charlie. Everyone felt that Xia Wanyuan was asking to be humiliated.
Prince Charlie felt that Jun Shiling would never agree to his wife competing with him.
After all, although this was a private event, one party was the controller of the Chinese economy and the other was the royal prince of the world power.
It could be said that they represented the face of their countries. Prince Charlie believed that Jun Shiling would not let a weak woman cause trouble.
“Alright, then represent me and seek advice from Prince Charlie.” Who would have thought that Jun Shiling would agree to Xia Wanyuan’s suggestion after taking a deep look at her?
“Mr. Jun, won’t I be bullying women like this? Why don’t we compete?” Prince Charlie did not really want to win Jun Shiling. He only wanted to show off his skills and give Jun Shiling face so that they could draw.
Now that Jun Shiling had asked his wife to compete, wasn’t it obvious that he wanted to lose?
“Prince Charlie, do you think that women can’t compare to you?”
Prince Charlie could not refute Xia Wanyuan’s accusation. “Alright, then please go and change your clothes. I’ll wait for you here.”
After Xia Wanyuan was brought to change into her riding attire, Jun Shiling sat on a chair and poured himself a cup of tea.
“Mr. Jun, do you want to consider it again?” Prince Charlie was arrogant and felt that it was meaningless to compare himself to a woman.
“Prince Charlie, you should worry about whether you can win or not.” Jun Shiling didn’t look worried at all, as if he was confident that Xia Wanyuan would win.
“But…” Before Prince Charlie could finish his sentence, he saw Xia Wanyuan walk towards them after changing.
The attire for the equestrian competition was extremely experienced. Xia Wanyuan was dressed in a simple white knight suit. A pair of high boots made her legs look straight and slender. Her top was tucked into the waist of her pants, outlining the perfect waistline and making her look slender.
Her long, seaweed-like hair was neatly tied into a ponytail. Xia Wanyuan, who was slowly walking over with a horsewhip in hand, made one instantly think of the word Queen.
Amazing ~” Prince Charlie couldn’t help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.
If one were to say that when he first saw Xia Wanyuan, she was as graceful as water, then now that she was dressed in a knight’s uniform, the valiant Xia Wanyuan was like a sharp sword that was about to be unsheathed.
Everyone present was stunned, except for Jun Shiling.
Looking at Xia Wanyuan’s slender waist that was outlined by the close-fitting knight suit and her slender legs, a hint of displeasure flashed across Jun Shiling’s eyes. If he had known, he wouldn’t have let her go.
“Please.” Xia Wanyuan shrugged slightly and invited Prince Charlie to the venue.
“Okay.” Prince Charlie nimbly mounted the horse and looked at Xia Wanyuan below. “Madam Jun, do you need help getting on the horse’s back?”
Xia Wanyuan did not reply. Instead, she stepped on the stirrups with her left foot and held the reins. Her right foot drew a beautiful arc in the air and she sat steadily on the horse.
Prince Charlie’s eyes turned serious. He was an experienced person. From Xia Wanyuan’s casual and natural actions, he could tell that her riding skills were definitely very profound.
“I didn’t expect Madam Jun to be so accomplished. I won’t be polite anymore.”
“Go ahead.” Xia Wanyuan used all her strength to raise the horsewhip, and the horse under her flew out like an arrow leaving the bow.
Everyone was so frightened that their hair stood on end. Even Jun Shiling stood up worriedly.
Normally, people on horseback would ride their horses slowly at the beginning. After adjusting their state with the horses, they would enter the competition state.
No one would ride their horses the moment they arrived, let alone at such a fast speed. The staff only felt a breeze before they disappeared.
“Quick, inform the emergency team!!” The person in charge of the racecourse was so frightened that his heart clenched. Oh my god, that was Madam Jun!!!
With this speed, he didn’t even dare to imagine how Madam Jun would fall, nor did he dare to imagine how dark his future would be. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat and went to inform the rescue team with trembling legs.
The moment Xia Wanyuan rushed out, Jun Shiling clenched his fists and stood up. However, after squinting slightly and looking at her for a while, Jun Shiling let go of his tightly clenched hands and sat back on the chair.
Prince Charlie was shocked at first, but after a while, his eyes were filled with admiration.
It had been a long time since Xia Wanyuan had ridden a horse. Just as she held the horsewhip, her heart leaped with joy. The horse galloped across the boundless plains, and the wind whistled past Xia Wanyuan’s ears.
In just a minute, Xia Wanyuan had run nearly two kilometers. The horse under her was of excellent quality, and it was extremely comfortable to ride.
Thinking that it was time to go back, Xia Wanyuan pulled on the reins and returned the way she came.
The person in charge, who was about to cry from fright, forced himself to calm down when he saw that Jun Shiling and Prince Charlie were extremely calm.
In the eyes of the person in charge, it seemed like a century had passed in the short minute. Finally, a small white dot appeared in the distance.
The tall horse flew over, its speed as swift as the wind. However, Xia Wanyuan, who was on the horse’s back, did not look the slightest bit disheveled. Instead, she looked valiant and heroic, like a white poplar, tall and slender.
“Madam Jun, you’re good at riding.” Xia Wanyuan ran back and forth. This time, Prince Charlie’s eyes were filled with seriousness as he pointed at the obstacle ahead. “Pass through that obstacle zone. Whoever reaches the finish line first will win.”
“Yes!”
Chapter 139: Riding a Horse
The ability that Xia Wanyuan had displayed just now was enough to make Prince Charlie look straight at her.
Prince Charlie rode his horse and prepared for a while. Then, the two sides stood in front of the starting line.
The referee blew the whistle and two horses dashed out.
There was a hurdle in modern equestrian programs that tested the horseman’s control and coordination.
Why did Xia Wanyuan feel that Prince Charlie’s flaunting of his horsemanship was laughable?
Because in her eyes, these so-called obstacles were really child’s play.
These obstacles that were no more than two meters tall were a piece of cake to her. If it were any ordinary cavalry from a thousand years ago, they would not treat this as a competition.
There were no modern cars in ancient times. If one wanted to reach their destination quickly, they had to ride a horse.
In the few battles where the Xia Dynasty had recovered its territory, Xia Wanyuan had always led troops to war. There was no asphalt road in ancient times.
Furthermore, in order to make full use of the natural advantage, there were several wars that broke out in the mountains. The mountain roads were rugged and the terrain was complicated. It was much more difficult than the roadblocks set up on the flat land.
Hence, Prince Charlie was still adjusting his best state according to his professional training and looking for the best angle to cross the roadblock.
Xia Wanyuan had already mounted her horse and raised the whip. Without stopping, she pulled the reins and crossed the roadblock one by one.
There was no need for any technique or perfect angle. Xia Wanyuan and the horse beneath her were naturally harmonious and moving smoothly.
It made one feel that this was not a horse racing competition but Xia Wanyuan strolling leisurely.
Prince Charlie had just crossed the first railing when Xia Wanyuan had passed through all the obstacles and rushed to the end. Then she turned her horse and looked back.
Prince Charlie finished the rest of the game as usual.
However, this time, victory was no longer waiting for him at the finish line.
Prince Charlie was very depressed, but the way he looked at Xia Wanyuan was filled with admiration.
“Madam Jun, you’re the person with the best horsemanship I’ve ever seen. Even the world champion, Houston, can’t compare to you.”
“You flatter me.” Xia Wanyuan nodded slightly, her bearing fully displayed.
He had wanted to show off his excellent horsemanship, but he did not expect that he could not even catch up to the other party’s wife at all. Prince Charlie felt embarrassed and left after bidding farewell to Jun Shiling.
“Will it hurt the feelings of the country?” Xia Wanyuan asked as she watched Prince Charlie leave in loneliness. After all, Prince Charlie represented the face of the Eagle Kingdom’s royal family.
“No.” Jun Shiling shook his head. Over the years, China had developed very quickly. When the established aristocrats of the Eagle Kingdom came to the capital, they always had a superior attitude. It was no problem to teach them a lesson.
“You know how to ride a horse, right?” Xia Wanyuan looked at Jun Shiling.
“Why do you say that?” Jun Shiling asked back.
“Because I feel like you know everything.” Xia Wanyuan was telling the truth. From the moment she met Jun Shiling, he seemed to be omnipotent in her eyes. He knew many things and had all kinds of means.
“Since you’ve said so, if I don’t ride with you for a while, wouldn’t I be letting down your high evaluation of me?”
Hearing Xia Wanyuan’s high evaluation of him, Jun Shiling’s heart was filled with joy. His deep eyes also carried a smile.
“I’ll go and change first.”
“Okay.”
Xia Wanyuan was riding her horse around when she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves behind her. Xia Wanyuan turned around and saw Jun Shiling dressed in knight attire.
In Xia Wanyuan’s memory, Jun Shiling always wore a shirt and suit, and she rarely saw him wearing other clothes.
The knight suit had a British style to begin with. Jun Shiling was dressed in a white uniform. Sitting on the horse, he looked as noble as a prince in the Middle Ages.
“You’re very good at riding,” Jun Shiling praised Xia Wanyuan sincerely.
“I guess you’re bad either.” Xia Wanyuan raised her eyebrows slightly and suddenly pinched the horse’s stomach. The horsewhip flew up and flew out, its clear voice scattering in the wind.
A smile flashed across Jun Shiling’s eyes. He raised his horsewhip and chased after Xia Wanyuan.
Xia Wanyuan’s guess was right. Jun Shiling followed quickly.
The horse ran extremely quickly. On the vast plains, Xia Wanyuan and Jun Shiling were riding side by side. The wind blew up their ink-black hair, and the sunlight cast a layer of light on the two of them. They were magnificent and radiant like pearls.
The wind whistled by her ears. Amidst the swift horse-riding, Xia Wanyuan felt extremely happy. Her eyes were bright and moving.
Jun Shiling turned to look at Xia Wanyuan beside him, feeling a sense of arrogance that looked down on the world from the depths of her soul. Jun Shiling had never seen such arrogance on Xia Wanyuan before.
It was as if this arrogance was carved into Xia Wanyuan’s bones. In this particular environment, it was inadvertently revealed, allowing him to see a little.
Just this point alone was enough to make one’s heart tremble.
It was indeed satisfying to spur a horse and gallop, but Xia Wanyuan had neglected a fact. In her modern body, she was used to living like a prince. It was impossible for her to endure such a high-intensity exercise suddenly.
Hence, on the way back to the manor from the horse farm, Xia Wanyuan felt a little sore. After sitting in the manor for a while, she felt extremely sore.
Jun Shiling came out of the study and saw Xia Wanyuan frowning downstairs. He could not help but ask, “What’s wrong?”
“I haven’t exercised for too long. My body is a little sore.”
“Ask Shen Xiu to come over,” Jun Shiling instructed the servant.
Then he walked over to Xia Wanyuan. “Do you want to run with me in the morning in the future?”
“Okay.” Jun Shiling woke up very early and exercised every day. Xia Wanyuan felt that she indeed lacked exercise, so she agreed readily.
Shen Xiu arrived at the manor very quickly.
“Her body hurts. Check it for her and prescribe some medicine.”
“Alright.”
Shen Xiu looked at Xia Wanyuan’s expression and asked about her symptoms. He then understood Xia Wanyuan’s problem and prescribed her some medicine and ointment to help ease her nerves.
After seeing Jun Shiling, Shen Xiu looked at him quietly, as if he had something to say.
“Rest for a while. I have something to discuss with the doctor.” Jun Shiling handed warm water to Xia Wanyuan, then followed Shen Xiu out of the house.
“If there’s anything, just say it. Is there a problem with Xia Wanyuan’s health?” Jun Shiling frowned slightly, his eyes filled with worry.
Madam is fine. I just wanted to remind you that Madam needs to train more.”
He recalled that when he had been treating Xia Wanyuan, he had seen a patch of red on her arm, as if she had been pinched hard.
Shen Xiu looked a little embarrassed and continued, “Otherwise, you should control yourself a little. If not, Madam’s body won’t be able to take it.”
Chapter 140: Yuan Wanxia Shows Her Brilliance
Jun Shiling was stunned by Shen Xiu’s words and did not react at first.
When he realized what Shen Xiu was talking about, Jun Shiling clenched his fists tightly, and an unnatural look flashed across his eyes.
Just as he was about to reprimand him sternly, he realized that Shen Xiu had already run away after speaking.
Jun Shiling walked into the house. Xia Wanyuan was rolling up her sleeves. She looked at her arm that had been hit by the horsewhip. It was a little red, but thankfully, there was no wound.
“Let me apply some medicine for you,” Jun Shiling said as he picked up the ointment beside him.
His originally calm heart wavered when he saw Xia Wanyuan reach out her arm that was as white as a lotus root.
After applying the ointment to the swelling area, Jun Shiling suddenly paused when he recalled Shen Xiu’s words.
“What’s wrong?” Xia Wanyuan asked.
“It’s nothing. Do it yourself. I just remembered I had to do something.” With that, Jun Shiling stood up and walked away.
Xia Wanyuan was left staring at Jun Shiling’s back in confusion. For some reason, she felt that Jun Shiling looked a little flustered.
“Tsk, tsk. She really drew it too well. I’m really ashamed. I’ve received so many years of praise from the industry, but I can’t compare to a young lady who’s only 20 years old.”
In the professor’s office in Qing University, Professor Zhang clicked his tongue in wonder as he looked at the painting sent by Xia Wanyuan.
If he had not seen Xia Wanyuan draw with his own eyes, he would not dare to believe that such experienced brushstrokes were drawn by a twenty-year-old girl.
At that moment, the phone rang.
“Hey, Old Zhang, did you get that mysterious painter’s painting? You can’t hide it yourself. Bring it over for us to see.”
Ever since Master Li Qian from the Painter Association had seen the ink bamboo painting that Professor Zhang had brought over the previous time, he had always treated that painting as a treasure. After knowing that Professor Zhang had asked Yuan Wanxia for another painting, he could not help but call Professor Zhang.
“Oh, Chairman Li, your ears are real. I just got the painting and you found out about it. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the painting over tomorrow when I go to the association.”
After hanging up the phone, Professor Zhang looked through it carefully again and found many details that he did not notice the first time. He was impressed by Xia Wanyuan’s talent.
Li Qian was very experienced in the Chinese painting and calligraphy world, and he was also the president of the Painter Association. With his affirmation, it was much easier for Xia Wanyuan to be recognized by the Painter Association.
He was one step closer to recruiting another talented professor at Qing University.
Professor Zhang’s lover was someone who had been recruited by the person in charge of Qing University. Inviting a painter who had been recognized by the Painter Agreement was simply a rather large achievement.
Thinking that his wife would turn a blind eye to his drinking when she was happy, Professor Zhang was extremely happy.
From the first boneless painting of a peach blossom to the ink bamboo painting that Professor Zhang had sent to the Painter Association, this painter, whose name was originally Yuan Wanxia, gradually attracted the attention of the domestic painting industry.
In those two paintings, there were actually many lost artworks and brush skills hidden. Everyone guessed that this master might be an expert hidden among the commoners.
Everyone had flipped through some of the more famous paintings in China in recent years, but they could not find any work that was similar to this person’s strokes.
Due to her excellent skills and the fact that they could not find the real artist, Yuan Wanxia became even more mysterious. In a short period of time, her works had risen to a relatively high price.
Many people wanted to buy the painting from Professor Zhang through various connections.