I don't remember where I read this in a book, but to conquer a person you have to start by conquering his stomach.
The person Zhang Shixun wanted to conquer was Ding Dusai, and had no intention of conquering Li Shishi, as she was already taken.
Such a beautiful woman was taken away by the old lecher Zhao Ji, which felt like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung, even though Zhao Ji was a versatile emperor.
Li Shishi and the other girl ate with gusto. From their expressions, one could tell that they really enjoyed the delicious dishes.
"I dare not eat anymore." Li Shishi gently put down the bowl and rubbed her belly.
"You only eat one bowl of rice, doesn't it seem a little too little?" As the host, Zhang Shixun certainly wanted his guests to eat more.
"Although I didn't eat much rice, I ate a lot of vegetables." Li Shishi said happily, "This is the first time in my life that I've eaten such delicious food. Thank you, Master Zhang, for your hospitality."
"You're welcome. Madam Li, you can come anytime you want to eat." Zhang Shixun said it politely, but he was thinking in his heart, if you marry me, I will make sure to keep you fat and plump for the rest of your life.
Li Shishi had no idea of what he was thinking, so she smiled and nodded.
"I want another half bowl of rice." Ding Dusai held the empty bowl and was not polite at all.
"Oh! I'll get it for you." Zhang Shixun happily took her bowl and went to the kitchen to get her half a bowl of rice.
"I really envy Saisai. She has a good appetite and a healthy body." Li Shishi looked at Ding Dusai with envy.
"I practice a lot and am busy in the Lotus Pavilion all day. I have so much to worry about, so of course I eat a lot. Sister never leaves the house, staying at home all day, how can she have a good appetite?" Ding Dusai glanced at Zhang Shixun. "Only by exercising every day can you have a good appetite... Look at Mr. Zhang, he's already eaten three big bowls of rice."
Zhang Shixun chuckled and said, "I exercise every day... Oh! Just to strengthen my body, so I eat a lot. You're women, so you naturally eat less, so of course you can't compare to us men."
Li Shishi said, "I heard rumors that when you took the martial arts exam at the martial arts hall, you were able to pull a bow weighing hundreds of pounds, and your arrows were extremely accurate, almost hitting the target with every one of them."
Zhang Shixun put down his chopsticks and asked in surprise, "Where did you hear that, Madam Li? A bow weighing several hundred kilograms is too much. I only use a bow weighing two stone and five dou."
Before Li Shishi could reply, Ding Dusai said, "Two shi and five dou, that's a little over three hundred catties, it's not wrong to say a few hundred catties."
"If the rumors are true, Master Zhang should be able to pass the test easily, right?" Li Shishi seemed happy for him.
"As long as nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to pass the exam."
The speaker may not have meant it, but the listener took it to heart. Li Shishi immediately sensed something fishy in his tone, put down her chopsticks, and asked, "Master Zhang, from what you're saying, could it be that someone is interfering?"
"It's hard to say. Gao Yanei and I have put Wang Hongfu in the Kaifeng prison. Wang Fu might not let me go. He is the prime minister of the dynasty. It would be easy for him to ruin my plans."
"Do you want me to find a way for you?"
"Thank you! Not for now. General Gao has already agreed to handle this matter for me. He and I have a deal, and it's probably inappropriate to ask someone else for help before things are clear."
"Okay, if you need my help, Mr. Zhang, just let me know." Li Shishi was very sincere.
Zhang Shixun nodded and began to clear the dishes on the table. The two women also helped to move the things to the kitchen.
"I'll wash the dishes." Ding Dusai rolled up his sleeves and diligently picked up the ladle to pour water into the clay basin.
"Let's take a bath together, sisters." Li Shishi also rolled up her sleeves.
"Okay, sister! You've never done housework before, so you can't do this job. You'd better talk to Mr. Zhang." Ding Dusai pushed her out the door.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, sister." Li Shishi did not insist.
The two returned to the living room, sat down, sipped tea, and slowly chatted.
"Master Zhang, the piece you taught us that day, 'Moonlit Night on a Spring River,' we sisters practiced countless times, but we never quite got it right, let alone the charm you achieved. Especially when we played together, even we ourselves felt it wasn't quite right."
Zhang Shixun smiled without saying anything, and could not express himself clearly in just a few words.
Li Shishi took a sip of tea and continued, "Did Saisai tell you about the moon-viewing banquet in the palace on Mid-Autumn Night?"
Zhang Shixun nodded.
"Unlike previous years, this year, all officials above the sixth rank will enter the palace for the Mid-Autumn Festival. On such a festive day, there will inevitably be singing and dancing performances. The Imperial Music Bureau has invited the most famous artists in the capital to perform in the palace on Mid-Autumn Festival, and Saisai and I have been invited as well."
"Haha! With the abilities of you and Madam Ding, you will definitely be able to surpass all the others and shine brilliantly." Zhang Shixun said.
"We are planning to play the song 'Moonlit Night on the Spring River' for the emperor and the prince assistant on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In order to sing this song well, we would like to ask Mr. Zhang for some personal guidance. This is also the purpose of our visit today." Saisai, Li Shishi stood up and squatted respectfully.
"Madam Li, please stand up. This is just a small matter and not worth the formality." Zhang Shixun stood up, gave her a light support, and said, "As long as I can help, I will do my best."
"In that case, Shishi is deeply grateful." Li Shishi bowed again and sat back in her chair, sighing, "I've been learning the art since I was little, and have endured many hardships. The hardships I've endured cannot be shared with outsiders. There's a bad habit in the industry of not easily passing on one's skills. Learning something truly from them is almost as difficult as climbing to heaven. There's no one like Master Zhang who is so unreservedly willing to help others."
"Yes, Mr. Zhang is the best." Ding Dusai walked into the living room.
"Can you two stop praising me so much? I'll blush." Zhang Shixun smiled and poured Ding Dusai a glass of water. "If you want to learn something, don't bother. Just stand in front of me with your hands on your hips and tell me what you want to learn. I'll give it to you right away."
"Wouldn't that make him a bandit who robs people on the road?" Li Shishi smiled, a charming smile.
Ding Dusai also smiled and said, "Anyway, I like everything you sing and play, and I want to learn it all."
"As long as you like, I will teach you."
"You have to teach me everything." Ding Dusai became more and more demanding.
"All of them, are you sure?"
"Of course."
"This... I'm afraid it's not easy." Zhang Shixun smiled and teased, "I know too much. If you want to learn all my skills, it will probably take you a lifetime."
"Then I'll learn from you for the rest of my life..." Ding Dusai suddenly realized the hidden meaning in his words and quickly stopped talking, his face turning red. "I'm going to ignore you. You're just setting traps for others."
Li Shishi smiled and stood up. "Master Zhang, the day after tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival. We need to hurry up. If you are free today, please go and help us."
"Yes! Please help us." Ding Dusai also pleaded softly.
"Okay! I'm happy to help." Zhang Shixun stood up. "Let's go now."
The two girls looked at each other, their joy evident in words.
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