Qiao Xiuyu: "..."
He looked at Shang Shaoyan with a somewhat aggrieved expression, like an abandoned puppy. Shang Shaoyan's heart softened immediately. He was about to laugh when he gently touched Qiao Xiuyu's hand and said, "Good boy, I like you the most."
She even winked at him, and Qiao Xiuyu was immediately captivated by that look, puffing out his chest with pride and glancing at Mo Xing with a hint of smugness.
Mo Xing: "...?"
He looked at Qiao Xiuyu with a somewhat indescribable expression, and wondered why she seemed a little dazed.
The county princess's judgment isn't very good.
But soon, Shang Shaoyan chose her best weapon: the longsword. She was still dressed in her short-sleeved Hu-style clothes, with her hair in a high ponytail. Her eyes were full of spirit. She raised an eyebrow at Mo Xing and smiled brightly and generously: "Come and fight!"
Mo Xing laughed loudly, "Coming!"
Then he picked up his usual longsword and, without any hesitation, thrust it directly at Shang Shaoyan.
Then……
That was the end of it.
Shang Shaoyan didn't even draw her sword. She used the scabbard to block the attack and then used the momentum to knock Mo Xing off the stage.
Mo Xing: "...?"
He wiped his face: "Let's fight again!"
Shang Shaoyan laughed and said, "Alright, I'll give you three moves."
Mo Xing did not feel provoked or looked down upon; on the contrary, his fighting spirit grew even stronger. He roused himself and went to meet them again.
This time, Shang Shaoyan held back his strength and gave Mo Xing three moves. After a few breaths, he used the scabbard in his hand to press against Mo Xing's chest: "Deputy General Mo, you have lost again."
Mo Xing laughed heartily, then cupped his hands in greeting, his eyes brimming with joy: "Your Highness, what skill you possess!"
Shang Shaoyan raised an eyebrow: "In that case, may I go to the military camp tomorrow?"
Mo Xing then remembered the original purpose of the competition, and immediately laughed even more heartily: "Go, of course I'll go! Tomorrow at the beginning of the fourth hour, I will be waiting for the county princess in the mansion!"
Shang Shaoyan nodded, then took the handkerchief Qiao Xiuyu handed him and wiped his hands: "Deputy General Mo, see you tomorrow!"
Mo Xing watched Shang Shaoyan leave, and once again thought of the Duke and his wife, who were like older brothers and sisters to him.
His eyes reddened without him realizing it, and he murmured in the wind, "My lord, my lady... I miss you both."
...
Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu arrived at the accommodations arranged for them by Mo Xing, a simple and rustic courtyard.
The soldier who led them here had never seen such exquisite and beautiful people before. Suddenly, he felt that this house was a bit of a waste for them, and he blushed and said somewhat awkwardly, "Shuocheng is in a remote place, and this is already the best house we could find."
Shang Shaoyan didn't think anything of it; on the contrary, he was quite satisfied: "I think it's very good. What about you, Qilang? Do you like it?"
Qiao Xiuyu was not picky at all. He smiled and said, "I've stayed in dilapidated temples before. This place is already very good."
The two men didn't seem to mind, and the soldier felt a little relieved. He became even more respectful towards them: "This residence was personally prepared by our deputy general. There weren't many servants available in Shuocheng, and the deputy general searched for quite a while before finding a cook, two nannies, and two servants."
Shang Shaoyan thought about it and felt it was enough: "That's about right, it's fine."
The soldier then explained the structure of the house and the layout of the surrounding area to the two men before taking his leave.
Shang Shaoyan was very satisfied with this residence because there were many trees here, and the sunlight would just shine through the gaps in the leaves, neither too bright nor too shady.
Qiao Xiuyu and Shang Shaoyan strolled together through the small courtyard. He asked curiously, "An'an, why did you only meet Deputy General Mo Xing? Doesn't Shuocheng have a prefect?"
Shang Shaoyan calmly swept the dust with a feather duster, her movements appearing practiced and efficient, as if she had done it a thousand times. Upon hearing this, she smiled and asked, "Does Qilang know why Shuocheng is a city, not a prefecture?"
Qiao Xiuyu shook her head, somewhat embarrassed: "I never paid attention in class when I was at the Imperial Academy."
Shang Shaoyan chuckled, shook his head, and carefully explained, "Shuocheng was not originally a city of the Southern Chen Dynasty, nor was it of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Shuocheng was originally the territory of the Western Turks. My parents once nearly wiped out the Western Turks. Shuocheng was obtained by the Khan of the Western Turks at the end of the year before last when he ceded territory to sue for peace."
Qiao Xiuyu suddenly realized and said, "It just so happens that the former emperor of Southern Chen passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne. The new emperor is a scoundrel and doesn't care about the affairs of Shuocheng at all. Therefore, the name has not been changed and the prefect is just a nominal position with no real power... The entire city of Shuocheng is now in the hands of Deputy General Mo. You can only go to Deputy General Mo."
Shang Shaoyan smiled and tapped Qiao Xiuyu's forehead: "My seventh son is really smart."
Qiao Xiuyu was pleased to be praised, but she still put on a nonchalant expression: "I just followed An'an's train of thought and said a few more words. It's not that I was smart."
Shang Shaoyan was secretly laughing to death. Her Qilang had truly mastered the persona of a silly beauty.
However, she really loved Qiao Xiuyu's adorable appearance.
Thinking this, Shang Shaoyan tiptoed and planted a kiss on Qiao Xiuyu's cheek, then continued cleaning the vase with a feather duster.
...
Southern Chen Dynasty, Shengjing, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
Shang Yunlan survived the most dangerous detoxification process, and the subsequent treatment was not complicated. She recovered quickly and only needed to drink medicine for another three months to consolidate the results before she could fully recover her health.
After Lin Jing finished writing the prescription, he intended to return to Qingcheng Mountain in Shu Prefecture to continue his reclusive life, but Shang Yunlan stopped him: "Doctor Lin, why don't you stay in Shengjing? I can send someone to pick up A'Le. A'Le is approaching the age for enlightenment. In Shengjing, I can invite many contemporary Confucian scholars to teach him. What do you think?"
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