Jiang Xirong naturally didn't hear the sarcasm behind He Huilan's words and still smiled gently:

"Yes, every year my father would send people to deliver the fresh tea just brought from Jiangnan to various aristocratic families."

He Huilan smiled and said, "Really? You've worked so hard."

There was an exquisite white porcelain jar filled with tea on the table, and a set of wooden tea sets and exquisite teacups on the side.

He Huilan smiled and said, "I've heard that the servants of your Jiang family are all very good at tea art. I think you, Miss Jiang, are even more skilled in tea art. Could you demonstrate it to me?"

Jiang Xirong felt that something was wrong with what she said, but she couldn't figure it out for a while, so she smiled stiffly and said, "Okay."

She just stretched out her hand, and before she touched the teapot, she was stopped by a pair of slender jade hands. A voice as cold as a mountain spring sounded softly in her ears:

"I'm sorry, you are not an elder, benefactor, or lover. The Jiang family has an ancestral teaching that women cannot easily practice tea art for others."

As soon as He Huilan entered the pavilion, she noticed the woman wearing a veil, but with an outstanding temperament and stunning features.

When she spoke at this time, her voice was also pleasant. He Huilan smiled and looked at Jiang Yuanyi, and saw that she also had a smile in her eyes, but it was quite strong. She pretended to be surprised and covered her lips slightly: "Sorry, I really don't know this rule."

As soon as she finished speaking, the small stone table fell into silence. Jiang Yuanyi gently stroked the back of her sister's hand, lowered her eyes slightly and stopped talking.

Comparing it to a servant, let my sister serve tea for you?

Just hearing that she is a merchant girl, her words revealed a sense of neglect.

At this time, He Huilan had not yet married into the Chu family. Although she had many little thoughts, she was not so deep, but she was also very smart. She did a good job on the surface, making it difficult for people to find fault with her.

He Huilan took the cakes and carefully looked at the veiled woman. The more she looked, the more stunning she felt. The veil was slightly transparent, and she could see the woman's charming red lips, straight nose and smooth and small face.

He Huilan took the handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mouth, then turned to look at Jiang Xirong: "May I ask your name?"

Jiang Xirong said: "Jiang Xirong, what about you, sister?"

He Huilan smiled and said dignifiedly: "He Huilan." Then she looked at Jiang Yuanyi on the side and asked: "Is this your sister?"

Jiang Xirong smiled: "My sister, her name is Jiang Yuanyi."

Yuanyi...

He Huilan silently repeated this in her heart several times, just wanting to tear off the veil to see what it looked like... She had seen many people who seemed to be half-covered by the beauty of the lute, but were actually mediocre and vulgar.

It suddenly became lively outside, and a man's hearty laughter was heard. The girls in the pavilion all turned their heads.

A tall man wearing a royal blue gown with a swastika pattern and black boots with gold thread edging was walking towards them. The man was handsome, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose bridge, which was very pleasing to the eyes. His eyes were bright, smiling, and full of vitality. The man

who came with him was wearing a dark blue gown with fine cloud patterns on his face, his hair was neatly combed, he had single eyelids, and a tough face, and he was also very handsome.

Jiang Xirong recognized him, and gently poked Jiang Yuanyi's hand: "Isn't that the young master

of the Xiao family?" He Huilan asked, "Do you know the Duke of Yingguo?"

Jiang Xirong waved her hand and said, "I've only heard of him and occasionally seen the third young master of the Xiao family."

Xiao Tuo came down from the corridor and walked around the pavilion before finding Jiang Yuanyi, who was huddled in the innermost part. That was where the young ladies who had not left the pavilion stayed, so he couldn't go in, so he found a place nearby and sat down.

Isn't this a coincidence? Xiao Tuo had just withdrawn his gaze from Jiang Yuanyi when he saw Yao Kang sitting opposite him. The moment he saw him, his face changed.

Xiao Tuo immediately had the urge to tease him, so he walked over to Yao Kang, pushed Gao Mingxuan aside, and affectionately hugged Yao Kang's shoulders, saying, "Mr. Yao, do you still remember the bet we made that day?" Yao

Kang blushed and stammered, "Who, who bet with you?"

Xiao Tuo cleared his throat and said, "Why don't I help you recall it? There were a lot of people in Yunsheng Pavilion that day, and there must be some today as well."

Seeing that Yao Kang was still holding his breath and not speaking, Xiao Tuo raised his voice and said, "The loser should face the winner..."

The girls around here who didn't go out easily were all pricked up their ears. Yao Kang quickly covered Xiao Tuo's mouth, He leaned close to Xiao Tuo's ear and begged for mercy, "Brother Xiao, I was wrong, okay?"

Xiao Tuo pried his hands apart, wiped his face with disgust, and raised his eyebrows: "Call me Master."

Yao Kang pointed at Xiao Tuo: "You! Don't go too far!"

Xiao Tuo coughed lightly and said loudly: "Kowtow three times..."

Yao Kang grabbed Xiao Tuo's hand and said with gritted teeth: "Xiao, Master."

Xiao Tuo felt relieved and patted Yao Kang on the shoulder: "You are so obedient."

Xiao Tuo and Yao Kang said something. The girls in the pavilion and the flower hall couldn't hear it clearly, but they still found it funny. The clear laughter like silver bells gathered together in this garden, which was very pleasant to the ears.

He Huilan also covered her mouth and chuckled. She turned around and wanted to say something to the two of them, but she found that the two people next to her were not paying attention there. Sitting quietly, she seemed unreserved.

She put away her smile, sat aside, picked up the teacup and took a sip slowly.

Jiang Xirong was also happy at first, and then she saw Yuan Jiaqi walking over from the path behind the pond, and her mind instantly became uneasy.

Jiang Yuanyi followed her sister's gaze and saw a bookish and handsome man standing not far away, looking at her sister with gentle eyes.

The eye contact between the two was too obvious. Jiang Yuanyi glanced at He Huilan, but fortunately her eyes were completely attracted by Xiao Tuo and she didn't notice this.

Jiang Yuanyi quickly pulled her sister's sleeve.

Jiang Xirong finally came back to her senses, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled.

On the path outside the flower hall, a tall and heroic woman strode in, wearing a cross-collared double-breasted vest with a wheat-yellow edging, a white background with yellow flowers and gold satin embroidery, and a single-tail high bun with only a plain hairpin inserted. Among these beautiful women, it is a unique scene.

Someone on the side said: "Didn't General Ning Yuan put out a notice to recruit a wife through a martial arts competition?"

"Yes, if you are selected, you will be very successful!"

"Do you think it is so easy? General Ning Yuan is a martial artist taught by the Duke of England himself. He has killed enemies on the battlefield for many years. How can ordinary people compare with him?"

A discordant voice sounded: "A 23-year-old old girl who is exposed to the public, if she is not the daughter of the Duke of England, who would want her?"

His voice was not low, and it happened to be raised when everyone had finished speaking and everything was quiet, so the nearby tables could hear it clearly.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a handsome young man with feminine features. Although he was good-looking, his eyes were a little sinister, and there was some blue-gray around his eyes.

When they saw the newcomer, the others did not dare to speak.

This man was the son of Prince Kang, Liu Jingtong.

Prince Hui was the one the emperor wanted to assist, but Prince Hui was unwilling. Prince Kang was different. Prince Kang once competed with the current emperor for the throne, and was ultimately defeated. Although the emperor did not kill him, he did not give him any real power either. He only gave him annual rewards and kept him as a wanderer in the capital.

Even the descendants of King Kang did not go into politics or the military. Liu Jingtong was the youngest among them. He had not yet married, and the only person in the capital who was known for being a playboy was Xiao Tuo.

Xiao Tuo sat not far from Liu Jingtong, so he heard every word of his words without revealing them. The rest of the people at the table looked at Xiao Tuo. A

cold light flashed in his eyes, and he stood up with his wrists around his waist. Then he heard a cold and hard voice behind him: "Tuo'er, sit down."

Lin Zhengyu looked at Xiao Tingyi's beautiful and heroic profile, and when he thought of the words he had just heard, he felt a burning pain in his heart.

But that man was the son of a county prince, and he could not afford to offend him. Seeing that person with a mocking face but unable to do anything, Lin Zhengyu felt that his breathing was blocked and he felt uncomfortable.

Xiao Tuo turned to look at his sister, and heard her say lightly: "Today is the birthday of the Princess of Hui, don't act rashly."

A cold light flashed in the woman's slightly upturned eyes, and she opened her thin lips lightly: "And for this kind of thing, I can do it."

Lin Zhengyu was startled, and saw Xiao Tingyi walking over, her feet stepped on the stones and made a dull sound. Each step seemed to be stepping on his heart, which made Lin Zhengyu frown in pain.

Xiao Tuo looked at his sister's neat and straight back like a gun, and exhaled lightly. Yes, this is Xiao Tingyi, a man of iron, comparable to the Ningyuan general of men.

Xiao Tingyi walked to a place one step away from Liu Jingtong and stopped, raised his chin slightly, and said in a clear voice:

"I have been fighting on the battlefield for six years, fought eighteen battles, and never lost a single battle. This achievement is rare even among men of the same age. Tingyi's life is hard, so it is naturally not as comfortable as your leisure in the capital all day."

Xiao Tingyi grew up with the Duke of Ying and knew the grievances between King Kang and the emperor. Liu Jingtong was extremely talented. He passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen and became a Jinshi at the age of nineteen. He could take the imperial examinations, but he could not achieve anything in his life because of the grievances of the previous generation.

He was in the officialdom for three years, and he always did simple and idle jobs. Even if he was dead, he still received a high salary.

He was extremely depressed until one day the emperor called him over, looked at him with a smile, and told him kindly like an elder that he should just go back and have fun, why bother doing these hard jobs? Even though he was not very good

at dealing with people, he understood what the emperor meant. Since then, he never worked again, and spent his days in the streets of prostitutes, taverns and casinos, becoming a famous playboy in the capital.

He also became the most satisfied person in the heart of the old emperor.

Liu Jingtong's mouth twitched slightly, and his eyes were extremely gloomy. He suddenly laughed and looked at Xiao Tingyi: "General Ningyuan is holding a martial arts competition to recruit a bride. Is it true as the notice says, that if he wins, he can marry you?"

Xiao Tingyi's eyes were indifferent and he squinted slightly: "Of course."

Xiao Tuo heard it and grabbed Lin Zhengyu's arm with a look of being fed shit: "Damn, what does he mean?"

Lin Zhengyu looked at Liu Jingtong, his eyes were like a sword unsheathed, with a cold light flashing.

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