The ancients were shocked and amazed. "Is this acting? That can't be possible! I saw her blood coming from her chest with my own eyes! That knife even stabbed right into her!"
"Sisters, look, she's been stabbed again! That's just... too cruel."
Although Gu Sang had explained it was fake, just acting.
But the ancients had never witnessed such a vivid scene of being stabbed and bleeding on stage before.
It wasn't until they saw the person who had coughed up blood stand back up, dust herself off without a care in the world, that they were utterly dumbfounded.
Stabbed by a knife and... and still fine?
Just what sorcery was this?!
"The next scene will be your acting test, remember safety comes first, don't try to be overly competitive."
"You all go pick your horses from the stables now and get ready for the test."
The assistant director led a few people to the horse stables.
The stables were not large, with only a dozen or so horses, each kept in their own stall.
Within minutes, everyone had picked out a horse and led it outside.
This was a multi-rider horse scene, so to avoid poor performances, the others had all chosen docile, gentle mounts.
When they saw the large, muscular, vigorous stallion that Gu Sang had picked, head held high with a prideful air of defiance, even the assistant director's expression changed.
The girl who had just put down Gu Sang started mocking again: "It's just an acting test, no need to take it so seriously, right?"
"That horse clearly hasn't been properly tamed yet. If you fall off later, a broken leg would be the least of your worries."
"Didn't your little sister say you used to be too scared to even approach horses? Now you've picked such a fierce one just to prove yourself, even putting your safety at risk?"
"Tsk tsk, just showing off for attention."
Gu Sang gave the girl a momentary glance before elegantly retorting, "With such a foul mouth, I suggest you keep it shut."
"I'm afraid when I slap your face later, the scraps stuck in your teeth might come flying out in surprise."
The girl shut her mouth: .......
It was at this moment that the props and cameras were all set up.
The assistant director stood in the filming area, and someone not far away held up a clapperboard, calling out "Action!"
The women simultaneously grasped the reins in their left hands, planted their left feet in the stirrups, and with a forceful push, mounted the horses with ease and stability.
Next!
They squeezed the horses' bellies firmly with their legs, and the steeds charged forward at a gallop.
The horses raced ahead as one, the women riders cutting dashing, heroic figures atop them, like the legendary warrior maidens of the Yang family.
In that instant!
Gu Sang's horse leapt out ahead of the others.
Wearing a long dress, she sat astride the stallion like a valiant, undefeated warrior woman, radiant and the center of all attention.
"Your Ladyship is indeed worthy of time spent in the military camps - even the frontier generals would have to admire such horsemanship."
"It seems... some people from that world really are superior to us in certain ways."
"Look at them barely staying seated - worse than infantry soldiers."
Seeing this sight, the ancients beamed with pride.
Pei Changying watched the breathtakingly graceful Gu Sang, his mind drifting back to the past.
When he had been in peril, Gu Sang had ridden alone into the enemy camp like this, risking her life to carry his wounded self out to safety.
Gu Sang had been just as dazzling then, like a celestial maiden descending with the force of raging winds and thunder.
She did look quite striking on horseback.
This was something Pei Changying had always agreed with.
Unlike the pride of the ancients, the other women competing against Gu Sang were utterly shocked, none more so than Gu Qing: "But... you said you could never learn to ride before? Our parents hired the best instructors for you and you drove them all away."
"Back then you wouldn't even get on a horse!"
"And now you're riding like that? Gu Sang, what kind of miracle drug did you take?!"
She stared at her dust-trailing sister with a complex gaze.
It had only been a little over a year.
Where did Gu Sang learn to ride like this?
Wasn't her sister from the commoner's district just a slow, self-conscious bookworm who couldn't learn anything?
A sense of refusal to be outdone welled up in Gu Qing, and with a hardened heart she yanked forcefully on the reins, irrationally trying to catch up to the sister she had always looked down upon!
Foolishly...
With only the drive to win in her eyes, Gu Qing failed to realize her speed had become too fast for her to control.
Dangerously fast.
"Quick! Slow down! You're going too fast!" Seeing something was wrong, the assistant director yelled to cut the scene.
But then, disaster struck.
Gu Qing felt the reins slip from her hands and with a lurching motion, lost her balance and was flung heavily from the horse's back!
Gu Qing crashed into the ground with force!
And the rapidly approaching horse was heading straight for her prone body.
"Ahhhh!!!"
Witnessing this, everyone watching was chilled with terror and could only scream in fright.
She would surely die!
To be trampled underfoot by that horse was a death sentence!
But in that moment, a dazzling figure flashed across their vision, the woman pressing herself against the horse's belly and pulling hard on the reins.
Gu Qing was pulled out from under the horse and up onto another steed's back.
The two horses passed each other in a whirlwind, the sheer speed raising a cloud of dust.
The assistant director let out a huge sigh of relief, shaken to his core: "Scared me half to death! If we had a real casualty over an acting test, this entire production would be scrapped."
"Horsemanship like that would make her a top cavalry officer on an ancient battlefield!"
"Originally that battle scene was cut due to concerns over the riding, but with a talent like her we could put it back in! What a find - perfect form and presence too!"
The ancients cheered: "Our Noble Consort is so formidable, to perform a rescue from horseback at such close range!"
"In the past, this subject heard tales of how the Noble Consort Gu braved the enemy alone to rescue His Majesty, but did not believe them. Now, this subject is convinced!"
After riding a distance, Gu Sang finally brought the sweat-drenched Gu Qing down from the horse, relieved to see her unharmed.
The director, assistant director, and crew, hearts still pounding, rushed over in the aftermath.
"What was that about? Didn't I tell you all not to be so recklessly competitive? There were no safety precautions for that riding scene - did you think it was just playing around?!"
"Pushing it way too fast when you couldn't control the speed? Are you trying to get killed?!" The director angrily scolded everyone present.
Noticing the cold sweat on Gu Qing's forehead, Gu Sang quickly waved the director over.
The shooting pain from her left leg caused Gu Qing's lips to turn white, and she opened her mouth with a trembling voice on the verge of tears: "My leg... it hurts so much."
"There's so much blood, the bone must be damaged!"
"Quick! Get her to a hospital."
The crew had a basic stretcher, and with Gu Sang and the other women's help, they managed to get Gu Qing down from the horse.
The normally arrogant and foul-mouthed Gu Qing now clung to Gu Sang's hand, crying: "Gu Sang, is my leg going to be amputated?"
"I can't feel it anymore, waaaah I can't move it....."
Gu Sang: Weren't you just being so brave a moment ago?
Now you're crying and clinging to me?
Gu Qing had always seemed headstrong and self-assured, but when faced with real danger she just held onto Gu Sang's hand and kept bawling: "Waaah....."
"Waaah....."
"It's just some blood and numbness, what are you panicking about? You'll be fine, I'm taking you to the hospital."
The ancients were puzzled: Hospital?
What is that place?
