Chapter 300 Heroine
"Major General Yun Chen has arrived—"
A message echoed throughout the inner hall.
Everyone looked over curiously, wanting to see what the first female general of the Nan Kingdom looked like, and what her face looked like beneath the rebellious men's clothing.
Yun Chen looked around quickly.
Unlike the front hall where men used to drink and feast, there were no clearly defined hierarchies, stern-faced guards with swords on their waists, or the tense atmosphere of people ready to fight at the slightest disagreement.
The ladies and young ladies stood together in groups of three or two, like clusters of colorful flowers leaning against each other. Gold, silver and jade hairpins framed their fair and tender faces, and the air was filled with a gentle and bright atmosphere.
Whenever he entered an unfamiliar place, Yun Chen would subconsciously scan the entire place, clearly identifying the layout of all personnel and the locations of the front and back doors.
But when she looked around, she saw only dazzling flowers and bright colors everywhere, so dazzling that she couldn't even see where the door was, and she didn't know where to put her eyes.
The women in the hall clearly felt Yun Chen's imposing aura. His eyes swept across the entire audience with sharp edges. His heroic appearance made all the flowers pale in comparison, and they couldn't help but marvel at his appearance.
"Sister Yunchen!" Song Qiaoqiao's sweet cry broke the silence.
Like a joyful little sparrow, she ran up and affectionately took Yun Chen's arm, scolding him:
"Sister, do you dislike me? I called you so many times and you didn't come. I'm so sad!"
Yun Chen had never been "blamed" so gently before, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Seeing Yun Chen looking dazed and a little embarrassed, Song Qiaoqiao smiled sweetly:
"Haha, I'm just kidding! I'm an official appointed by the court, and I have endless things to do. I understand!" Song Qiaoqiao said quietly and approached Yun Chen, saying happily:
"Sister, it's great that you're a woman. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'd never have the chance to get so close to you in my entire life!"
After saying that, regardless of whether Yun Chen was willing or not, Song Qiaoqiao directly pulled her around and started walking around, introducing everyone in the hall to her one by one.
"This is Madam Jiang Er, she embroiders beautiful Suzhou embroidery. The birds she embroidered look like real ones, so beautiful!
This is Madam Zhang from Jing'an Prefecture. Madam Zhang is incredibly skilled at managing the household. Two years ago, when the national taxes were checked, Jing'an Prefecture was completely clean! She owns numerous shops, yet her accounts are incredibly clear. For someone like me who can barely even break even two taels of silver, she's truly impressive!
This is Miss Yang Liu. She's famous in the capital for her sharp eyes. She can tell the authenticity of any gold, silver, or jade with just one glance. We all call her the 'touchstone,' hahahaha...
This Du Liuniang is quite famous. She has been well-read since childhood and can compose verses with ease. She writes with divine inspiration. I often ask her to copy poetry collections for me...
This is the younger sister of Duke Zhuang...
This is Madam Baohua from the Taiwei Mansion..."
Song Qiaoqiao introduced them one by one, and they saluted Yun Chen one by one, saying softly, "Hello, General Yun."
When several lively young ladies were introduced, they fanned the talkative Song Qiaoqiao with their fans, which showed that they had a good relationship with Song Qiaoqiao.
After walking around for a long time, Yun Chen didn't remember anything. He just felt dazzled by the beauty in front of him.
Soon, the banquet began.
The old countess has been ill for a long time and has not been able to leave the house. In the entire hall, there are many ladies with higher titles than Yun Chen, but only Yun Chen holds a high official position.
There was no other choice but for Yun Chen to sit in the main seat.
She sat down with her legs crossed, picked up the teacup beside her and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped her mouth with her sleeve out of habit.
Feeling the dead silence and surprised gazes of the entire audience, Yun Chen blushed, and slowly put his legs together, imitating the other ladies, sitting on half of the stool with his body slightly tilted.
She picked up the teacup and took a sip, looking unfamiliar and clumsy, which made several younger girls laugh out loud.
A lady laughed and said:
"General Yun has been on the battlefield for years, so he naturally doesn't like being restricted. In my opinion, we should relax a bit and stop being so strict!"
Everyone smiled faintly without saying anything. No one agreed, and no one refuted. They just looked at Yun Chen more frequently, and were quite curious about her every move.
The women who grew up in large mansions are all very considerate.
No one mentioned the fact that Yun Chen was dressed as a man. They just chatted with her like they were talking to a young lady from a wealthy family. They asked Yun Chen how old she was now, how her parents were, how her brothers and sisters were, and how the material of her clothes was beautiful. They asked where she bought it.
Soon, the banquet began.
From the front yard came the sound of men talking loudly.
An exquisite banquet was also prepared in the inner hall.
But everything is much smaller than the front yard.
The bowls are as small as a palm and the plates are as big as leaves, and the amount of food has been reduced a lot.
Yun Chen was already starving, and she felt that following the rules and talking to the girls was much more tiring than fighting.
She sat down at the table swiftly, washed her hands with a warm cloth, and just as she was about to pick up some food with her chopsticks, she saw all the ladies and girls came out with a new handkerchief and gently wiped the moisture off their hands. She could only put down her chopsticks and wait.
Song Qiaoqiao saw that Yun Chen didn't understand these things, so she simply threw her handkerchief behind her and greeted everyone enthusiastically:
"Just wipe it once, the food will get cold if you wipe it again!"
Everyone laughed and started to eat.
When Yun Chen ate the food, he would pick it up with a big chopstick. Although he didn't look clumsy, he ate with big mouthfuls and it was very delicious. He finished a bowl of rice in just a few bites. Everyone was stunned.
Yun Chen ate bowl after bowl. Lan Qian, who was standing next to him, had never seen such a situation before and almost didn't have time to collect the bowls.
When he was eating the fourth bowl, Yun Chen finally realized that everyone was looking at him. He couldn't help but put down his chopsticks, feeling embarrassed to eat any more.
An unfamiliar lady exclaimed:
"I'm so envious of General Yun. He eats so much and doesn't gain weight. I'm so envious!"
Another lady continued with a smile, "General Yun is very lucky. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to eat even if I wanted to. I'd be anxious just watching the food dry up!"
"Hahaha..." Everyone covered their mouths and laughed.
Yun Chen's face turned a little red, but she was very happy in her heart. She felt that the ladies present were all very kind.
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard a cold voice coming over. A young lady with delicate makeup and meticulously decorated hairpins said with disdain:
"What a 'female hero among men'! Since when has being unruly become endearing, and being unruly become uninhibited? Is this telling women everywhere that all the fine arts and etiquette they've painstakingly learned since childhood are a joke, and that it's better to imitate men and drink and eat meat with big gulps?"
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