From time to time, melodious sounds of string and bamboo instruments drifted out from the blue boats and painted pleasure barges, occasionally interspersed with bursts of silvery laughter. In such beautiful weather, even girls who had been cooped up in their boudoirs all winter could not resist coming out for some fresh air under the pretense of spring outings. Along the lakeshore, countless scholars strolled and enjoyed the spring, experiencing life as it was often called. Of course, among them were also wealthy young masters who used the excuse of “experiencing life” to seek romantic adventures.

Where there are young men seeking romance, there are naturally young women yearning for love. This season is, after all, one that easily stirs the heart. Little William gazed at the youthful girls brushing past him—some beautiful and charming, others fresh and lovely—each dressed in vibrant finery, exuding feminine allure. Then he thought of the Li family’s daughter to whom he was betrothed, rumored to have been paralyzed for five years and hideously ugly. His mood, which had just brightened thanks to the spring scenery, instantly soured. To spend a lifetime with such an invalid would be more unbearable than death.

Suddenly, the crowd ahead became chaotic, people hastily moving aside. The rapid clatter of hooves rang out in the warm spring air, the blue stone road and the horse’s hooves striking a rhythmic beat, while the fine grass on either side of the road trembled from the vibrations.

A young girl in red rode a rouge-colored steed, galloping wildly toward Little William. As she rode, she shouted, “Make way! Make way!” In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Little William.

Little William, lost in thought, realized what was happening too late. The horse was about to crash into him when the red-clad girl, quick-eyed and deft, yanked hard on the reins with her snow-white hand. The rouge horse abruptly halted its charge, letting out a long neigh, its front hooves rearing high, nearly standing upright on the spot.

The hooves crashed down suddenly, striking the bluestone pavement with a loud bang!—no more than two feet from Little William. It was truly a heart-stopping moment; had the girl hesitated even a second, the horse would surely have sent Little William flying.

The servants behind Little William turned pale with fright. Their duty was to protect this precious young master; if anything happened to him, the Minister would surely have their hides.

Little William was also startled by the sudden turn of events. Looking up, he saw the girl dressed in a red archer’s jacket with a cross-collared warrior’s robe, a brocade cloak with emerald patterns draped over her shoulders, red lantern trousers, a gold-threaded gauze skirt over them, and black, thin-soled embroidered riding boots. Her hair was styled in a double bun, parted into two locks, tied atop her head without any support, naturally hanging down, the ends tied and draped over her shoulders like a swallow’s tail in spring. Her features were as delicate as a painting, and with her outfit, she looked truly charming and lovely.

Seeing this girl, the first thought that sprang from the depths of Little William’s heart was—what a beauty! After twenty-eight years of devoted work and business, his love life was a blank slate. Dissatisfied with his own engagement, stirred by the bright spring day, and driven by the universal appreciation of beauty—not to mention the effect of his repressed masculine hormones from two lifetimes—he found himself especially sensitive to beautiful women.

If only the Li family’s young lady looked like this! Little William thought to himself. I wouldn’t mind sharing a bed with you, or marrying you and having children. Spending a peaceful, leisurely life together wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

The red-clad girl’s cheeks were flushed, both from her wild ride and from Little William’s unabashed gaze. This was an era that valued propriety, where gentlemen were expected to restrain their feelings and not overstep boundaries, and where men and women were not to have physical contact.

The red-clad girl was not known for her good temper. First, Little William had blocked her path, and now he was staring at her so brazenly. Her anger flared, and she raised her riding whip, lashing it down at Little William’s head as she shouted, “Shameless scoundrel, what are you looking at?”

Little William hadn’t expected the red-clad girl to actually strike him. He hurriedly raised his arm to block, but the whip landed with a crack! tearing his outer robe and leaving a long, bloody welt on his arm, burning with pain.

The four servants, seeing that the red-clad girl dared to attack—and had struck their young master—immediately rushed forward. The first to charge was Robert Bennett, Little William’s personal attendant. When his master was in danger, it was his duty to lead the defense. The red-clad girl was skilled in martial arts; her whip moved as if guided by the gods, striking wherever she aimed, leaving the servants in utter misery.

Howard Hoover, though the last to act, was the most skillful. To catch the thief, seize the king first; to shoot a man, shoot his horse first. He quietly circled behind the rouge horse, raised his staff, and jabbed it hard at the center of the horse’s rump. The three-foot-long staff sank more than halfway in. The rouge horse, in pain, reared and neighed wildly. Howard Hoover, having raised horses for years, knew their temperaments inside out. It was hard to make a horse obedient, but if you wanted a horse to misbehave, he could find a thousand ways.

Though the red-clad girl’s whip was formidable, open attacks are easy to guard against, but hidden ones are not. She never expected her mount to be sabotaged. Suddenly, the horse went mad, and she was thrown off, flying through the air as if riding the clouds.