King Yan was well aware of their intentions and expressed his frustration, saying, “If you don’t compete for the first place in a dragon boat race, how can I expect you to win in battle in the future?”
Before the arch hole in the middle of the southern section, the three leading dragon boats���King Yan, Wei Luo, and Wei Xuan—pulled ahead with all their might.
The arch hole could only accommodate two dragon boats side by side. King Yan’s dragon boat found itself squeezed in the middle. Wei Wei Xuan glanced at his third brother on the other side and decided to maneuver his own dragon boat to collide with their father’s boat.
King Yan’s dragon boat swayed, but Wei Luo was ready with a countermove and rammed into them as well. This caused the front half of King Yan’s dragon boat to tilt upward, with one part stacked atop the other two. In this way, the three dragon boats barely managed to pass through the bridge hole at the same time.
Wei Xuan nervously asked, “Third brother, what should we do now?” He dared not pull away suddenly, fearing that it might result in their father falling into the water along with the boat.
Wei Luo looked at his father, and he returned his gaze. He gave them a subtle signal and said, “Paddle the boat, and release at the same time!”
The people on the dragon boat followed his command, but once the middle boat was stabilized, both King Yan and Wei Luo simultaneously ordered, “Turn left!”
With two collisions, Wei Luo’s dragon boat crashed into King Yan’s boat, and King Yan’s boat collided with Wei Xuan’s again. With this forceful push, Wei Yan’s dragon boat sailed through.
As Wei Xuan followed the other dragon boats on the water, he realized that the other two boats had rowed far ahead.
“Father! You and the third brother conspired to trick me!” Wei Xuan exclaimed in frustration.
King Yan didn’t look back but laughed and responded, “I also intended to trick your third brother, but it was your impulsive reaction without considering my signal that got you caught!”
King Yan signaled both of his sons, but the fourth son was too young to comprehend the gesture.
As the sounds of gongs and drums reached the southern section of the river, Yin Hui and the others rose to their feet, stood in a row in the pavilion, and turned their heads to the right.
Wei Luo’s dragon boat appeared first at the southeast corner, but King Yan’s dragon boat was positioned on the inner side of the river, allowing it to make a slight turn. When the two dragon boats ran parallel, King Yan’s was slightly ahead.
Er Lang and San Lang shouted with excitement, “Grandpa is winning! Grandpa is winning!”
Xiao Heng was held by his wet nurse, gazing at his older brothers and also calling out, “Grandpa.”
Yin Hui silently observed the two dragon boats closely intertwined with each other. King Yan was forty-four years old that year and had regained his former vitality after two months of recovery following a tooth extraction. His arms were bare and as muscular as a young man’s.
Realizing her thoughts were wandering, Yin Hui quickly averted her gaze and glanced at Wei Luo. However, Wei Luo’s figure was often obscured by King Yan’s dragon boat, occasionally appearing and disappearing. Only his composed and stern face was visible from time to time, which had recently taken on a deeper tan. Whether it was from sweat or splashing water, glistening water droplets adorned his skin. He also had bare arms, which were slightly leaner than King Yan’s but equally muscular. No one knew Wei Luo’s strength better than Yin Hui.
Realigning her thoughts, Yin Hui averted her gaze guiltily. However, she noticed a row of young wives beside her, all intently fixated on Wei Luo’s direction.
Yin Hui couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.
Wei Luo’s countenance might typically appear reserved, but in that moment, he was simply a young military general exuding strength and vitality. His handsome face and robust physique might not be immediately appreciated by the young girls, while the young wives might harbor a fleeting sense of envy.
It wasn’t just Wei Luo; when the three Guo brothers caught up, their well-toned bronze arms also captured the admiration of the young wives.
Xu Qingwan and Ji Xianxian remained seated in a dignified manner.
“The third sister guessed correctly. Indeed, the third master secured second place,” Ji Xianxian remarked with a smile, a hint of envy lingering within her. She thought of what a fine husband Wei Luo was, and she’d have gladly traded places with Yin Hui.
Xu Qingwan delicately sipped her tea, her thoughts still captivated by the powerful strokes of Wei Luo’s arms, which continued to resonate in her mind. Her husband, Wei Yang, might appear lean but had some excess weight around his midsection.
However, Xu Qingwan promptly reminded herself of Wei Luo’s background. In the end, titles and influence held the most significance.