Zhou's mother's first impression of it was not bad.
"Zifang, who is that girl?" Zhou's mother asked with a smile, pointing to Qiu Ling'er beside Qiu Yan.
"Ling'er, my little sister," Zhou Zifang blurted out.
As soon as he spoke, he realized what his mother was thinking and looked away.
"Why didn't you tell your mother about having someone you like?" Zhou's mother scolded, then put on a gentle smile and carefully looked Qiu Ling'er up and down.
"I must say, this girl is quite nice. I just don't know which family she comes from. If you really like her, let me find out, and then we'll send a matchmaker to propose marriage," Zhou's mother said with a smile.
"Her older sister is a general's wife, and her older brother is the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination," Zhou Zifang told the truth.
He sighed,
He used to have an extremely high sense of superiority over Qiu Yan and her two sisters.
But things are different now.
"The General's wife's younger sister?" Upon hearing this, Zhou's mother's eyes lit up.
They just need to be related to royalty; otherwise, their family wouldn't be able to reach them.
Their family was a prominent merchant family, which was quite unique in the vast city of Shangjin.
"The two families are well-matched in terms of social standing and economic status."
"Mother, no rush." Zhou Zifang's voice was low, revealing a deep lack of confidence.
Zhou's mother watched Zhou Zifang's expression intently:
“My son, you’ve been rebellious since you were little, but you have no flaws. Your favorite thing is to help others. Relatives and neighbors all like you. With such an outstanding young man as you, how could Miss Ling’er not like you?”
That's right, in a mother's eyes, her own children are always the best.
Seeing that Zhou Zifang's expression was not good, Zhou's mother's face changed.
"Could it be that you were rejected?"
From her perspective as someone who's been through it all, that's certainly how it is.
Zhou Zifang's expression froze slightly. He didn't reply, but simply lowered his head and remained silent.
"I knew it!" Zhou's mother said knowingly. No wonder Zifang had been so sullen these days.
So that's the reason.
"If she doesn't like you, that's fine. Who can hang themselves on one tree forever? Tomorrow, we'll continue with the blind date. It's agreed that you can't do what you did before, saying random things and sending the girls away."
"Please stop making things difficult for me," Zhou Zifang muttered, not wanting to say anything more.
Zhou's mother understood in her heart that it was difficult to change her son's mind.
“Zifang, what you can’t have is always the best. If a long time has passed, you might have a different feeling for that girl. Listen to your mother, let’s go on another blind date tomorrow.”
"Perhaps you are right." Zhou Zifang forced a smile.
Ling'er doesn't like him, so she'll probably find my attempts to be attentive quite offensive.
Then he should stay away from him.
"That's right," Zhou's mother smiled happily.
Her son finally came to his senses.
At that very moment, on the river, a minor official began to loudly proclaim the rules of the competition.
Immediately afterwards, a group of strong young men who would serve as crew members boarded the ship, ready to set sail.
With a loud shout from the minor official
"The match begins!"
The crew members quickly rowed forward, their oars whirring as they began to paddle.
Their spirited actions, not to mention the crew...
Even the people on both sides of the road were incredibly excited.
Shouts erupted from their mouths.
Everyone was urging the crew on the dragon boat to go faster, even faster...
During the dragon boat race, the people on both banks of the river watched with great excitement, wishing they could join in the race themselves.
Qiu Ling'er smiled broadly, while Qiu Yumei, Jiang Liu, and their respective daughters all stared intently at the dragon boats on the river.
The three little girls were already dancing with joy.
Despite the uproar, Qiu Yan remained completely uninterested.
Her eyes flickered, glancing occasionally at the dragon boats racing on the river, and then occasionally looking in all directions.
The surrounding noise was perfectly timed and appropriate, showing no sign of anything unusual.
Just as Qiu Yan was feeling bored,
He Lin, seated at the head of the table, watched with great interest.
He had to admit, they were incredibly thick-skinned.
"Your Majesty—" Before the words were finished, Zhan Yue arrived on horseback.
After he arrived, he quickly dismounted and then whispered something in He Lin's ear:
"..."
Qiu Yan knew that her bad premonition had come true.
But He Lin remained calm and composed.
She pursed her lips slightly, "Have you ordered someone to keep a close eye on the Crown Prince?"
Zhan Yue nodded. "Your Majesty, rest assured, I guarantee that His Highness the Crown Prince will not enter the palace."
Because he had already firmly placed the people under his control in the general's mansion.
"Hmm." He Lin didn't even lift his eyelids.
His eyes were fixed on the river and the dragon boats racing ahead, as if he were wondering who would be this year's champion.
Zhan Yue gently shook her head and stood beside He Lin, her heart filled with unease...
He Lin's composure was, of course, based on his own strength.
Just as he knew,
At this very moment, the heir of the Qin family, who is also the son of the King of Qin, has led thousands of troops into the palace gates.
Where did these people come from?
Disguising oneself as an ordinary citizen is not impossible.
Today, they are not there to force the emperor to abdicate.
Instead, it's a forced attack.
This sudden change,
In an instant, all the concubines and eunuchs in the palace...
My heart was in my throat.
Whistling sounds, wailing sounds, and more and more...
The enemy forces were vast.
The palace guards were far too few in number to be compared to the enemy army, whose morale was high.
Therefore, in their desperation...
They abandoned the palace and fled!
The guards' actions prompted a cold smile from the Crown Prince of Qin.
He Lin, look at you! What kind of useless people have you raised?
In critical moments, none of them can be relied upon.
Therefore, he did it easily.
They had already captured most of the palace.
But unexpectedly,
Man proposes, God disposes.
To his surprise, the palace walls were undulating in all directions.
Suddenly, a layer of armored warriors appeared.
These warriors, besides the palace guards, were He Lin's personal guards.
Moreover, not only within the palace walls, but also outside the palace, there were many others, with the aim of surrounding and encircling the Prince of Qin and his rebellious followers.
With that resounding, powerful sound,
"Release the arrows!"
The Crown Prince of Qin suddenly panicked.
Clearly, they did it flawlessly.
How did Your Majesty know their whereabouts?
Over the years, because he was not used by His Majesty, he had always pretended to be subservient and obsequious.
Of course, it was his father who prevented him from showing his talent.
So much so that he thought that even if His Majesty suspected a beggar on the street, he wouldn't suspect him.
Even after his father's death, he continued to act according to plan.
In his initial panic, he quickly regained his morale.
"Soldiers, cheer up! Don't forget whose army you are! He Lin's real show is yet to come!"
Upon hearing this, his soldiers were filled with renewed fighting spirit.
Their faces were resolute, and their eyes held an unwavering determination to win.
Unbeknownst to them, beyond the palace walls, countless troops awaited them.
Even if they knew, they wouldn't be afraid; they had complete confidence in their own fighting ability.
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