◇ Chapter 74 (74) "Sir, please give me protection"
"How should I know what the situation is at your home?" Lianzhi said coldly.
The girl spoke as if they were old acquaintances.
Yuyao, however, surrounded her and kept asking her in her broken Daning Mandarin: "Is your father a general? So you know martial arts?"
Xi Niang didn't know why Yu Yao asked her this question. She was a little afraid of this princess, whose expression was cold and arrogant, completely different from the women of Daning, so she nodded timidly, "A little."
"That's easy." Yu Yao's eyes lit up, "Let's have a competition!"
Upon hearing this, Lianzhi and Xi Niang were stunned.
Lianzhi reminded her quietly: "Even if you don't like her, there is no need to target her."
"What are you targeting?" Yu Yao was puzzled. "I'm itching to fight you. If I fight you, others will definitely say you're letting me win. I've finally met a woman who knows martial arts."
Xi Niang certainly didn't dare to disobey the princess' orders. She lowered her head and stood up: "I will obey the princess' orders."
Near the reception room, several servants were leading horses to the stables for a quick wash. Seeing their long-absent mistress leading two women, they all lowered their heads, not daring to look. Lianzhi grabbed one of them and instructed, "Go ask your master to fetch two suitable weapons for the two young ladies."
Bai Kang didn't have a separate hall for martial arts practice. He usually kept his weapons and sword in his study. Lianzhi remembered that the entire west wall of the study was covered with Bai Kang's sandalwood weapon rack.
The servant looked up at him, then took off running. Yu Yao, confused, pulled out the dagger from her waist and threw it to Xi Niang: "Don't bother. Just use mine." Then, she pulled out the dagger with her backhand and leaped up: "Daning woman, I'll give you three moves, how about that?"
Xi Niang clenched her dagger tightly and said nothing. Just as Lianzhi was hesitating whether to go and call for help, Xi Niang suddenly turned around and pointed her dagger at the woman opposite her who was much taller than her.
It turns out that he really knows martial arts.
Lianzhi finally felt relieved. If a girl from a noble family were to get hurt here, not to mention whether Yuyao would be implicated, Baikang would definitely be in trouble. He watched nervously from the side when he was suddenly pulled back. Baikang stretched out his long arms and wrapped them around his shoulders: "Sent someone to look for me, what's going on?"
"Look for yourself." Lianzhi whispered.
Before Bai Kang could understand the current situation, Chang Yuzhu on the other side had already shouted: "Xi Niang!"
The two people fighting were stunned. Yuyao turned the blade and touched the ground with her toes. She lost her balance and fell to the side. Chang Yuzhu was afraid of being hit and subconsciously supported her arm.
Xi Niang's face turned pale instantly.
After Yuyao stood firm, Chang Yuzhu quickly let go of her hand and saluted, then ran towards Xi Niang: "Are you okay? What are you doing..."
Yu Yao was about to speak when Xi Niang spoke first, "The princess and I hit it off, and we were just competing. The princess's skills are truly extraordinary, and I'm willing to admit defeat."
"You're amazing." Yuyao waved her hand. Although she didn't understand what was said, she could tell that it was a compliment. She wanted to stay a little longer, but Chang Yuzhu had already said that he wanted to go back, so the two of them didn't stay. No matter how reluctant Yuyao was, there was no reason to force him to stay, so she could only find an excuse to leave.
Looking at the three departing figures, Bai Kang and Lian Zhi sighed together.
"Are you calling Chang Yuzhu over?" Bai Kang asked.
Knowing that he and Chang Yuzhu were discussing something in the study, he still sent a servant over, obviously saying it for Chang Yuzhu to hear. The servant said that the two young ladies wanted weapons, and he didn't know what they were going to do, which frightened Chang Yuzhu so much that his face turned green.
"Yes and no. Let them go quickly to avoid causing us trouble." Lianzhi said.
In everyone's eyes, Lianzhi was still "seriously ill and recuperating in the other courtyard." Considering Lianzhi's special status, Bai Kang did not tell everyone that Lianzhi had returned and took people to the other courtyard.
"Baby." Bo Kang led his men onto the carriage and pretended to be aggrieved. "Can we go back to Daning? Can we stop being a prince?"
Lianzhi closed her eyes and said nothing. Bo Kang continued, "Look, I had to be sneaky when I wanted to take you home."
"I think the villa is pretty good. Xiao Wenzi is still in the villa." Lianzhi poked his hand, "Just say that I am used to Xiao Wenzi's service and I don't want to go back to the villa."
Bai Kang hesitated for a long time, but still didn't say anything that would seem to compete with Eunuch Wen for favor. If he said it, Lianzhi would laugh at him even more.
Lianzhi wasn't being perfunctory when she praised the villa. He had been away from the capital for nearly three months, and the person he cared about most was indeed Eunuch Wen. When he arrived at the villa, Eunuch Wen, who had already received the news, was waiting at the door. Upon seeing him, he immediately came forward with tears in his eyes. Lianzhi took a closer look and confirmed that Eunuch Wen's health had improved significantly. It seemed that Bai Kang had not treated him unfairly.
The chef at the other courtyard had already prepared Lianzhi's favorite snacks. Entering the bedroom, Lianzhi threw her cloak to the ground and lay on the couch with her legs crossed, looking like a young master waiting to be served.
Two plates of warm milk cakes sat on the table. Lianzhi glanced at them repeatedly but didn't touch them. Bo Kang looked at him twice before reacting, forking over a piece and bringing it to his lips.
"Do the servants of the Helan tribe serve you like this?" Bo Kang didn't understand the customs of the North Sea. Lianzhi nodded: "You are dumber than them. Feed me."
With her red lips slightly parted, Lianzhi used her eyes to urge Bai Kang to feed her quickly. Bai Kang was jealous and kissed her. After kissing her enough, he stood up and fed the snack to Lianzhi: "Stay here for the next two days and have a good rest?"
"I don't want to." Lianzhi chewed and pretended to complain, "I ate two bites of your snacks and you still kissed me, how annoying. I'm going back to the inn tonight. Didn't you tell the chef to prepare a lot of dishes that I like? Have them send them over quickly."
Seeing Bai Kang's eyes dimmed in an instant, and he looked listless, Lianzhi couldn't help but smile and hugged his head: "Honestly. If I don't go back, Da Ximi will get suspicious. She already hates you, so why give her a handle?"
So, is this still for his consideration? Bo Kang pursed his lips and said sullenly, "It makes it seem like we're having a secret meeting."
Lianzhi said stubbornly: "That's how it is."
The servant quickly brought the meal into the room. Bo Kang stopped fussing and let Lianzhi eat while he watched from the side. Lianzhi ate with such relish that it was heartbreaking to see her.
"We were supposed to go to the imperial court for the enthronement ceremony in three days," Bai Kang said. Seeing Lianzhi raise her eyes, she gestured for him to continue eating and just listen. "The envoy from Mobei has also arrived in the capital. You didn't know this when you were in the Helan tribe, but the envoy from Mobei stated that they are willing to honor Daning and seek peace with Daning."
Who could fail to understand their intentions, seeing how the abacus was being calculated? Mobei had been utterly routed by the Beihai Territory, leaving only a few remaining cities. Daning was powerful, but slightly inferior to the Beihai Territory. Without Mobei, the Helan tribe could easily attack Daning.
"What did Chen Fengke say?" Lianzhi wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
"Your Majesty has treated the envoys from Mobei as honored guests and has them staying in the palace," said Bai Kang.
Lianzhi sneered, "He wants to wait and see how your preparations are going, and whether I'm obedient enough." If he could control the princess of the Helan tribe, there would be no need to ally with Mobei. If it were him, conquering a nation would be great, but he also wanted the cities of Mobei.
Hearing Lianzhi bring up the marriage again, Bai Kang felt uncomfortable. Lianzhi had already finished her bowl of porridge and said, "This matter is not important. Brother Kang, you should remind Chang Yuzhu to be careful."
The topic suddenly turned to Chang Yuzhu. Bai Kang was puzzled: "What happened to him?"
How slow-witted. Lianzhi sighed softly, "Didn't you see it just now? Chang Yuzhu's fiancée has seen through Yuyao's thoughts. If Chang Yuzhu is as careless as you, I'm afraid she would be upset."
Bai Kang honestly admitted he hadn't noticed. Seeing Lianzhi's expression, he was tempted to think that perhaps the girl was different from Lianzhi, not the type to throw tantrums. At this point, he wisely kept his mouth shut: "I'll talk to him when I get back. But if Princess Ashina really insists on having Chang Yuzhu..."
He secretly didn't want Lianzhi to marry into a foreign country, and he couldn't let it happen. But he couldn't just watch his good brother marry into a foreign country!
"Yuyao is a man of quick wits. Once his enthusiasm dies down, this matter might be over. Ask him to go out less." Lianzhi frowned. He didn't really want to mention Chang Yuzhu. "Brother Kang, are you really unaware of the identity of his fiancée?"
Bai Kang shook his head again.
"It's strange that Chang Yuzhu didn't even tell you about this. She's the daughter of General Yan, the Tiger Guard." Lianzhi analyzed, "I've never met General Yan. He died of illness two years before my father passed away. In your opinion, what is her family background like?"
He stared into Bai Kang's eyes and noticed that his expression changed slightly, only for a moment, and then quickly returned to normal: "So that's how it is. It's no surprise that Duke Chang arranged this marriage for him."
Lianzhi tilted her head and looked at Bai Kang. Bai Kang felt a little thirsty, so he picked up the porridge bowl and took a sip. "You know, Chang Yuzhu is the youngest in his family. Duke Chang had some friendship with him, and I had the honor of meeting General Yan before I was transferred to your side. He was born in a poor family and was not considered a powerful person in the capital. After his death, his family became even more deserted. I have heard that his family has a daughter. After General Yan's death, the orphan girl had no one to take care of her, and there were no relatives in the capital who could take her in. Perhaps Duke Chang felt sorry for her, and with Chang Yuzhu's status, he didn't need to arrange a marriage, so letting him marry Miss Yan would be a good thing."
"Is there no male in General Yan's family?" Lianzhi asked.
"I haven't heard of it." Bai Kang drank another mouthful of porridge and said firmly, "I only met General Yan once, Chang Yuzhu should know." But he couldn't ask such things, otherwise wouldn't it be exposing other people's scars?
Bai Kang's mouth was very dry. After finishing his porridge, he noticed Lianzhi staring at him and whispered, "Brother Kang, don't use my bowl. I drank from that!"
In the evening, Lianzhi returned to the inn alone.
He crept into the room, looking at the small, empty space, and suddenly felt a little uneasy. Just as he lay down, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Arus or Yuyao who had noticed him coming back, he went to open the door.
The moment Lianzhi saw who was outside the door, she slammed the door shut.
"Sir, please open the door." The voice outside the door was as clear as a bell, which he had just heard today. Lianzhi waited for a while, but he didn't hear the footsteps leaving, so he had to open the door again.
Xi Niang stood outside the door, her eyes as calm as water, staring straight at him, and bowed: "Greetings, sir."
Lianzhi remained silent. Xi Niang said, "I know your identity, so I won't hide anything. I've come here rashly because I have something to ask of you."
Xi Niang bowed gracefully and said, "I know that you, my lord, have a close relationship with Princess Ashina. I beg for your protection while the envoys are in the capital."
Dusk deepened. A wind picked up at night; nights in the capital were always cold. The dead branches by the window clashed against the frame, a sound like a ghost knocking on the door. Fortunately, the occasional clatter of patrolling guards beating gongs downstairs mitigated the chill.
The knocking outside the window intensified. Lianzhi wasn't afraid, just annoyed. The inn was high up, and the wind was strong. If the envoys' accommodations hadn't been arranged by the Ministry of Rites, he would have spent some money to buy a new courtyard. Lianzhi raised his knife, wanting to cut off some of the dead branches by the window. He opened the window, but found that there was no movement of branches outside.
Bai Kang was holding the window open, smiling at him, and it really felt like he had seen a ghost. Lianzhi almost slammed the window shut, but she forced herself to stop herself, blinking, and realized it wasn't her illusion.
"What are you doing here?" Lianzhi asked.
"To meet you privately." Bai Kang replied.
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