Holding a teacup, Shi Lan handed it to Wang Liu, "Would you like to try some?"
Ever since Shi Lan mentioned the tea's picking date, Wang Liu had been curious about her expertise in tea ceremony. Now that she had brought him the teacups she had prepared all day, how could he refuse?
After taking a sip, Wang Liu's brows relaxed. The tea was slightly hot, but to his liking. The delicate aroma of tea mixed with a hint of sweetness flowed between his lips and teeth. Compared to the previous taste, which required him to endure the astringency before the sweetness gradually returned, it was much better.
Shi Lan watched as he narrowed his long, slender eyes and his tall, jade-like crown swayed slightly. She then quietly smiled, brewed another cup, and drank it as well.
The room was quiet for a moment, and even the shouts and sounds of fists and feet clashing in the yard seemed to fade away in the peaceful atmosphere.
After drinking two more cups of tea, the results were finally in the courtyard, and Yun walked into the room with a happy expression.
Before he could speak, he saw the two men sitting opposite each other, drinking. Both men were upright, one wearing a tall hat and a wide belt, and the other wearing trousers and a guard's uniform. Yet, their eyes and brows were so serene and distant that he dared not speak for a moment, for fear of breaking this extremely harmonious scene.
Wang Liu, immersed in the painting, did not share Yun's feelings. He finished his last sip, put down his teacup, and looked up to ask, "Who are the top three?"
Yun hurriedly stepped forward and brought the three guards to him.
Wang Liu looked at the three men with a smile in his eyes, praised them, and ordered someone to bring fifteen gold coins, giving each of them five gold coins as a reward.
Shi Lan looked up and spotted the guard who had stopped her earlier among the three.
Suddenly, a happy smile appeared on her lips.
The guard seemed to sense something was wrong; a chill ran down his spine, making him shiver. He hurriedly put away the five pieces of gold. He and his two companions bowed deeply in gratitude.
Yun waited for the three to get up before speaking, but Shi Lan leaped up from the couch, strolled over to the three, and said, "I am Lan. Please do not hold back later, because I will certainly not hold back either."
The three looked at each other in bewilderment after Shi Lan’s words. Yun then explained the assassination plot they had discussed earlier to them.
Although the three men did not speak, their expressions clearly showed some anger. How could a grown man be looked down upon by a mere woman and child?
Shi Lan looked at the three of them with a hint of provocation in her eyes, "Don't look down on women and children. If women and children become powerful, the three of you combined are no match for them."
The three of them immediately blushed. If Wang Liu hadn't been right in front of them, Shi Lan believed they would have already jumped up and argued with her.
To prevent the three from being punished for disrespecting hierarchy, and to make them submit, and of course, to please herself, Shi Lan came to the corridor, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, slightly raised her chin, and said, "Time is of the essence, all three of you come together."
The three men's faces had turned a deep purplish-red from Shi Lan's humiliation. Yun shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Just punish her a little, don't take her life."
In Yun's opinion, Shi Lan is indeed very talented, but she is still young and a woman. Such arrogance will inevitably lead to her suffering in the future. It is good for her to learn a lesson now, at least it will make her more composed.
The three obeyed the order and, each wielding a sword, attacked Shi Lan.
Shi Lan originally wanted to draw her sword, but after thinking about it, she simply pulled her sword off her waist and used the scabbard to fight.
Upon seeing Shi Lan's behavior, the three men flew into a rage and began to stab at Shi Lan's vital points.
Shi Lan dodged the combined attack of the three, lightly slicing the neck of one guard with the scabbard of her sword. With a light touch of her toes, like a fluttering butterfly, she leaped behind the guard who had just been holding her neck. Before he could retract his sword, the scabbard touched his back. Then, without mercy, she extended her small foot and kicked him hard. The guard staggered and tumbled out of the corridor. Shi Lan's lips curled up. Before he could fall flat on his face, she pressed the scabbard against the heart of the remaining guard. At this moment, the guard had just retracted his sword and was about to stab Shi Lan again.
Shi Lan's series of movements were completed in an instant, and everyone present was stunned by Shi Lan's superb swordsmanship.
Wang Liu reacted the fastest, clapping first, "Well done, your swordsmanship is as exquisite as the greatest master of our time."
Shi Lan fastened her sword and smiled politely, "Sixth Master, you flatter me."
Wang Liu got up with a serious expression and invited Shi Lan back to the couch.
Yun's face turned pale. He had never imagined that anyone could possess such lightning-fast and swift swordsmanship. Upon seeing it now, he couldn't help but feel worried. With a heart that cherishes talent and is wary of others, a thought suddenly arose in his mind.
But looking at Wang Liu, he hesitated.
The Lord is known for his integrity and purity; he probably wouldn't accept my suggestion.
Seeing that Shi Lan and Wang Liu had finalized the details of the assassination, Yun sighed softly and decided that even if his master disagreed, he would still bring her to the Wang family before the Xun family discovered the woman's value, at least that way he would feel more at ease.
After dinner, Shi Lan stood on the high city wall, looking down at the barbarians who were dressed in animal skins, covered in dirt, and whose faces were completely obscured.
Wang Liu stood beside her, stared at her for a moment, and then said, "Every member of the Yuan family gets a tattoo at birth, but commoners and slaves are not eligible."
Shi Lan nodded, tightened her waistband and other items, and then, under the cover of night, quietly climbed down the city wall.
Wang Liu stared intently at the figure that was gradually disappearing from sight, and sighed softly.
Taking the opportunity, Yun stepped forward and said, "My lord, it's a real pity to keep such a person in the Xun family."
Wang Liu glanced at him sideways and asked, "What are you trying to say?"
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