Xun Ba arranged for Wang Liu's residence to be in the most secluded courtyard in the entire mansion. Green water surrounded green bamboo, a small bridge faced a slender stone, and after passing through a dense flower wall, the view was truly different at every step.

After crossing the small bridge, a courtyard gate surrounded by a bamboo fence came into view. Shi Lan raised her eyebrows and came to the courtyard, which seemed like a paradise.

The guards standing guard on the side drew their swords and blocked Shi Lan from entering, shouting sternly, "Who goes there?"

Facing the sharp, icy blade, Shi Lan calmly raised her eyes to meet the guard's cold, stern gaze: "Guard Lan of the Xun Clan has something to discuss with Lord Wang Liu."

The blade remained motionless, as did the guard. "Young Master is taking a short rest. If Xun Ba needs anything, please have him come over personally."

Shi Lan pursed his lips. Although he knew that the Wang family was a prestigious family with high social standing, even if it was, he, as a guard, had no right to casually refer to the rankings of other family members.

A few barely audible footsteps came from inside the gate, and the bamboo fence was opened from the inside, revealing a handsome man with a tall hat and wide belt.

The man clearly heard the guard's reply. He first gave the guard a disapproving look, and seeing the guard awkwardly sheath his sword and lower his head, he then smiled and looked at Shi Lan. "My name is Yun, a guest of the master. The master has been traveling all night and is currently taking a short rest. If you have anything to say, please tell me, and I will pass it on later."

Shi Lan cupped his hands in greeting to Yun and said, "To be honest, I have been chasing after Sixth Master all the way here. Now the number of barbarians gathering outside the city is increasing. I have a plan that I would like to discuss with you, Master. Since it concerns whether we can defeat the enemy, I would like to meet with you to discuss it in detail."

Yun had initially looked down on Shi Lan because she was just a woman of the first rank. Now, hearing that Shi Lan had another brilliant strategy to defeat the enemy, he looked at her with some surprise and uncertainty.

Shi Lan gave him a confident smile, then pursed her lips tightly, showing no sign of not speaking until she saw Wang Liu.

Yun pondered for a moment, then stepped aside and said, "In that case, please come inside and we can discuss this further."

Shi Lan nodded to him, smiling gently as she followed Yun inside.

The guard quietly raised his head, suspiciously examining the thin figure from behind, and muttered to himself, "I wonder if what this woman said is true or not."

Hearing this, another guard by the door laughed and said, "Whether it is true or not is for you, sir, to decide. Are you so concerned because you're worried that the woman might do something great and then come after you?"

The guard was furious and was about to retort when the person opposite him said, "Don't worry, I was watching her closely just now. When she went inside, she didn't even glance at us. It's obvious she didn't take it to heart. Your worries are really unnecessary."

Upon hearing his companion's words, the guard's face immediately turned red. He stammered a few times but ultimately remained silent.

At this moment, in the courtyard, Yun led the way while exchanging cryptic remarks with Shi Lan, trying to get some information out of her.

Shi Lan had long known that these powerful families would usually place advisors or similar figures around the men they valued. Judging from Yun's behavior, she deduced that he must be Wang Liu's advisor.

Seeing Yun's bright eyes and his elegant demeanor, but with his nostrils flared and his chin unyielding, clearly feigning composure, Shi Lan chuckled inwardly, but her face remained even more indifferent.

Yun felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't one of those clueless young men. Back in the capital, he had been able to charm women with his handsome looks and charming manners. This woman, though smiling and blushing, had clear eyes and a graceful demeanor, and seemed completely unaffected by his charms.

Yun was a strategist who always preferred to plan carefully before acting. Therefore, he always liked to collect information, analyze it, and draw conclusions before informing his lord, so that he could take the initiative in his actions.

When facing Shi Lan, Yun tried the same old trick as before, but he didn't expect to run into a brick wall this time. Even after arriving at Wang Liu's house, he couldn't get any information from Shi Lan about a good strategy to repel the enemy. Helpless, Yun had no choice but to go inside and report.

The carved door was pushed open, and Wang Liu sat upright in the main seat. A maidservant was boiling water and preparing tea for him. Wang Liu slowly picked up the teacup, first gently sniffed it, then took a small sip, and slowly put it down before casually saying, "I've heard that you have a good plan to defeat the enemy, but I wonder what that plan is?"

Shi Lan smiled faintly, mimicking the nonchalant manner of her uncle from another world, and said, "Is letting guests stand at the door to talk the talk the way you treat your guests, sir?"

Wang Liu raised an eyebrow, smiled faintly, and gestured to the side.

Shi Lan chuckled, took off her soft boots, and sat down on the couch.

The maid immediately served the teacup and filled it.

Wang Liu took a sip of tea and said, "It's just a game. You may try it and see if you can stomach it."

Wang Liu's words were casual and understated, seemingly very relaxed.

Shi Lan remained unmoved, picked up the teacup, squinted at the somewhat cloudy tea soup, and, not wanting to get a mouthful of tea leaves, said, "It has a clear and elegant aroma that enters the nose, and a long-lasting fragrance afterward. It is a treasure."

Wang Liu narrowed his eyes, glancing at Shi Lan's clothes, a hint of mockery flickering in his eyes: "You can tell good from bad just by smelling it?"

Shi Lan chuckled but didn't answer. In her heart, she thought to herself that having experienced so many worlds, she had drunk more tea than he had ever seen. How could she not distinguish between good and bad?

Wang Liu placed the teacup on the table and said, "Can you tell when this tea was picked?"

As soon as Wang Liu finished speaking, Yun's eyebrows twitched, and his gaze fell on Shi Lan, who was deep in thought.

Wang Liu's words were a bit difficult. Tea is an extremely precious beverage these days, and even in the Wang family, only a small number of people are qualified to enjoy it. Yun only started drinking it often after following Wang Liu. He believed he could judge whether it was good or bad, but if asked to tell him when it was picked, Yun felt that even Wang Liu himself probably wouldn't know unless he was told.

It seems the Lord does not like this woman.

Yun silently tried to guess what his lord was thinking.

Shi Lan raised the teacup, examined its color closely, and then sniffed it again. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "This was picked before the rain."

Wang Liu's eyes were dark. He stared at Shi Lan for a moment before asking, "How did you know?"

Shi Lan smiled, leisurely swirling her cup halfway around, and said, "Sixth Master, I have come here to offer you a good strategy for repelling the enemy. Such refined pleasures should be discussed after the war has ended."

Wang Liu's eyes flickered, and only now did he finally consider Shi Lan someone he could have a formal conversation with.

"What you say is absolutely right. It was Wang Qi who was impolite just now."

Shi Lan hurriedly said, "Sixth Master, you are too kind to say that. Last night, you overruled everyone's objections and insisted on coming to defend the city even though you knew there were no reinforcements. I admire your noble character very much. You can forgive me for any minor mistakes."

Wang Liu was speechless, yet he wanted to laugh.

It's true that petty people and women are the hardest to deal with. As the eldest son of a high-ranking family, my behavior was just casual and my little harassment was just a habit. Who knew she would hold a grudge? I had already apologized, but she still wanted to make things difficult for me.

Shi Lan knew she was a bit petty, but she had never been ignored like this before, so she gave it a little jab, felt better, and immediately looked away.