Although Liu Chaiji looked mature and tall, since he was Liu Fengmian's younger brother and the youngest in the family, and the military regulations stipulated that one could join the army at sixteen, he was probably only a teenager of seventeen or eighteen.
"How old are you?" Zheng Quchi asked curiously.
Liu Chaiji was puzzled, but he still pouted and snorted, "Seventeen."
As expected.
Zheng Quchi turned to look at Yuan Xingzhou and saw that he was in a very good mood. His slender, pale eyebrows relaxed, and his eyes, full of irises, held a hint of mischievousness.
"Look, it was cured in no time."
This corresponds to Huo Ting's previous complaints that Liu Chaiji was arrogant and unruly.
Zheng Quchi's serious face immediately crumbled, and she chuckled, "Childish, why don't you go and compete against him yourself?"
Can these be the same?
From a psychological perspective, he will only feel severely defeated after being overtaken by someone he looks down on, and his previously firm confidence will completely collapse.
"You think I'm not up to the task?"
As Yuan Xingzhou spoke, he stepped forward. His clothes were extravagant and long, which was inconvenient, but for a master who was good at manipulating power, external obstacles would not hinder him. He lifted the huge, heavy object with ease, just like Zheng Quchi.
"I have said it before, a man who cannot even compare to you is not worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with you."
His effortless performance once again dealt Liuchaiji a devastating blow.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi simply laughed and said, "That's great. Are you going to join my army too?"
Yuan Xingzhou shook his head, a smile playing on his lips, like ripples on water: "You don't need soldiers anymore, so how about... I become your husband?"
Oooh!
Is His Highness publicly professing his love for the General's wife?!
Those around them heard it, but aside from shouting excitedly inside, they outwardly kept their mouths shut as if they had heard a secret that couldn't be told, and hunched their shoulders like quails.
Seeing that he was getting more and more outrageous, Zheng Quchi changed his expression and stopped arguing with him. He turned around to ask Liu Chaiji for a "prize," but suddenly heard him say seriously from behind: "If you don't want this, then I'll make you a general. Do you want that?"
Zheng Quchi paused in his steps.
"I know you want to win. As long as it's what you want, I will help you achieve your wish."
His words, like dense threads, entangled Zheng Quchi's departure, as if determined to leave something behind for her, so that when she turned to leave again, she wouldn't be so decisive and without any lingering feelings.
Zheng Quchi took a deep breath and then turned his head: "Your Highness, don't talk about selflessness. Don't you want to win? Don't try to fool me. Your eyes are filled with the desire to control everything. You are different from them. You will not bow down and serve the people. So, it's not just me who wants to win. We want to win together and achieve what we want together."
Yuan Xingzhou stared into her bright, star-like eyes, pursed his lips, and let the curve of his lips break through the ice, a joyful and pleasant smile: "The word 'we' sounds really nice."
Zheng Quchi grinned, but the pink atmosphere instantly shattered: "We won, that sounds better."
Huo Ting: "..."
I didn't realize that the General's wife was quite skilled at picking peach blossoms. Any ambiguous topics turned into business-like conversations with her. "We're not acquainted, and we don't go out together."
It's even more surprising that His Highness doesn't like gentle and obedient noble ladies who are still unmarried, but prefers strong and eccentric young women. But then again, who in the whole country has such a rich and powerful dowry as the wife of a general? Marrying her would really be a good deal.
"General's wife, the three hundred women have been assembled. Would you like to inspect them?"
Wang Feichen finally finished his work and jogged over to report. Upon seeing that His Highness the Crown Prince had also arrived, he immediately bowed and said, "Feichen greets Your Highness."
"Then let's go take a look." Yuan Xingzhou raised his hand, and as he walked, the embroidered python pattern on his long robe shimmered, sending a chill through everyone's eyes.
Zheng Quchi glanced at Liu Chaiji, thought for a moment, and decided to give him another chance to cool off, so he followed Yuan Xingzhou.
Huo Ting slapped Liu Chaiji.
"You brat, it's rare to find someone willing to take you. If you miss this opportunity, you'll never have another one."
After giving him some pointers, Huo Ting followed after him.
Liu Chaiji, who was left behind, was dumbfounded. Why had everyone left? What was he going to do?
——
"Why are they standing in three rows?" Zheng Quchi asked Wang Feichen.
Wang Feichen introduced them to her: "Madam, this column consists of soldiers who are capable of passing the imperial examination, this column consists of soldiers who failed on their first attempt but succeeded on their second, and this column consists of soldiers who failed on their first attempt but are still superior to those who passed the imperial examination."
After listening to Wang Feichen's words, Zheng Quchi nodded repeatedly.
"Wang Feichen, you are truly both serious and meticulous in your work." She sincerely praised him.
Wang Feichen was always one to do things well, and if he did something, he would do his best to be the best. Hearing the General's wife's generous praise, he showed a sense of relief and joy in his eyes: "I'm glad that you're satisfied, Madam."
"I'd like them to try throwing the guns. Wang Feichen, could you arrange some targets?"
"yes."
Just as Wang Feichen was about to take care of it, he saw Huo Ting, who was not willing to be left out, say, "Lieutenant Wang has just been busy for a while, so let Old Huo handle this matter."
It's a rare opportunity for His Highness to come and inspect the area; if I don't seize this chance, when will I ever have another chance?
Without saying a word, Huo Ting became very proactive and worked with remarkable vigor despite his age. He personally took charge of everything and insisted that Yuan Xingzhou, just like the General's wife, praise Wang Feichen's work and say something wonderful.
"General Huo is truly a talented individual," Zheng Quchi remarked to Yuan Xingzhou.
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