Volume 1 Chapter 18: No Room for Discussion!

  He had barely finished speaking when he turned and said, "You again?"

  This time there was even more astonishment in his voice.

  Tai Shi Lan opened her eyes.

  Before him, the man's eyes were dim and bright, seemingly smiling but not quite, his skin as luminous as a pearl in moonlight, which even in this dark shadowy place did not lose any of its radiance.

  It's indeed that annoyingly beautiful face.

  Tai Shi furrowed his brow, stretched out his hand and pushed away his face.

  Rong Chu smiled and let go, "Bang---"

  Tai Shiyan fell to the ground, fortunately, Rong Chu had not yet reached the point of being completely heartless, and there was a table in front of him with several thick blankets, Tai Shiyan landed on one of the blankets.

  However, after falling from a high place and experiencing the impact, one can't help but have some bruises. Tai Shi Lan's whole body was sore and painful, and he felt anxious and thirsty. He raised his eyes to see fresh pears on the table, and he grabbed one with his hands and took a bite.

  After finishing eating, casually toss the pear core, and then raise an eyebrow - huh? So many people.

  At a glance, it was found that this place was originally flat ground, which could not be seen from above. Only when coming down did one discover that the terrain below was level and covered with lush green grass, with bluish cliffs on top, dense flowers on the sides, emerald water in front, and clear wind behind. Therefore, it was chosen as the venue for the grand festival.

  At this time, a large empty space, row by row, the left side male, the right side female, in front of the woman's seat with a colorful curtain to block, the fragrance is blowing, the men sit on the ground, eating and drinking, the floor is full of shells and kernels, on the curtain are hung some poems and paintings, the ink marks are still wet.

  This large crowd should have been noisy and crowded, but at this moment it was silent, with everyone staring in shock.

  Whoever is having fun and enjoying themselves, suddenly someone falls from the sky and lands right in front of the host, it's a bit unacceptable.

  Only one person, after being stunned for a moment, excitedly shouted: "Sister..."

  Tai Shi Lan raised her eyes and saw Yi Shi Tao rushing over with joy, his body still hanging on a red and gold two-color satin dragon head, the dragon head jumping up and down with his footsteps.

  Tai Shi Lan keenly noticed that a considerable number of people, after coming to their senses, cast unfavourable glances at Wei Shi Tao.

  What's wrong with this kid, has he offended someone again?

  "Sister..." Yu Shitao called out half a sentence before stopping, suddenly remembering that his sister was the royal abandoned concubine, granted permission to become a nun, and couldn't possibly appear in this gathering. He hastily swallowed back the words that were about to leave his mouth.

  Tai Shi Lan was not in the mood to chat with him, looked up at the cliffs on both sides, then looked at the creek not far away, thinking about whether Li Jin Xue who fell into the mountain crevice might still slide down from the mountain and eventually fall into the mountain stream.

  She propped herself up with her hands and endured the pain that seemed to crack every bone in her body as she stood up.

  Rong Chu was drinking wine leisurely on one side.

  Tai Shi Lan only had eye contact with him for a moment when he fell into his arms, and afterwards didn't even glance at him, treating the main guest surrounded by everyone as if he were nothing. He didn't seem to be angry either, but instead slowly peeled a fruit and ate it, watching Tai Shi Lan with great interest.

  At this moment, Tai Shi Lan was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely, but his face remained expressionless. He stood up and seemed to be about to leave, only then asking: "Where are you going?"

  "Looking for someone."

  "Who?"

  "None of your business."

  "What an unmarried wife is going to do, an unmarried husband must ask."

  "It's better if you don't use this word to disgust me before I acknowledge you."

  "Then give me a chance to win your recognition?" Rong Chu said with a smile, seemingly without sincerity, "I'll send someone to help you find it."

  Tai Shi Lan subconsciously wanted to refuse, but suddenly remembered that this stream might be a tributary of the Lüming River. If Li Jinsnow was washed downstream, it would be difficult for her to find help in time. Moreover, if Li Jinsnow was still stuck in the mountain crevice, it would require a large number of people to rescue her.

  "Good." She stretched out her hand, "One hundred guards."

  Rong Chu clapped his hands, and a team of men in green clothes suddenly appeared out of nowhere. These people were dressed simply and didn't look like those lavishly equipped guards from the wealthy families at all, but each pair of eyes was sharp and piercing, with an extremely powerful gaze that was like a gust of wind hitting you in the face.

  A gust of wind rose on all sides, and someone was whispering, seemingly talking about something like "Dragon Soul Guard".

  Tai Shi Lan was still dissatisfied, "Only ten."

  "They are ten, but can resist a thousand ordinary guards." Rong Chu's tone was calm and left no room for doubt. "Now you can tell me, who to find?"

  "A man," said Taishi Lan. "Wearing blue clothes, about the same age and build as you." After thinking for a moment, feeling that this wasn't distinctive enough, he added, "Good-looking."

  "Good-looking?" The last sentence raised Rong Chuyi's eyebrows and her eyes became somewhat menacing.

  "Uh-huh." Tai Shiyan nodded in emphasis.

  "What's so good-looking about it?" Rong Chu pointed at herself, "Like me?"

  Tai Shi gave him a disdainful look, he was the most annoying self-loving person!

  She thought for a moment and felt that it was actually unfair to compare the two of them, as their styles were too different. However, if she had to say, she still found Li Jinyue more pleasing to the eye.

  "You look better than me."

  Rong Chu's eyes narrowed, that kind of smile that was neither a smile nor a laugh, with a hint of danger, floated out again.

  "Do you like it?"

  The tone was flat, and as it got flatter, a certain aura seemed to grow stronger. Yu Shitao, who was standing on the side, suddenly shivered with cold.

  Tai Shi Lan instinctively furrowed her brow, she didn't like the word "like".

  Her frowning, however, looked like a guilty conscience to others, as if her heart had been seen through. Rong Chuyu gazed at her for a while, then suddenly leaned back lazily and smiled: "I've changed my mind, why should I try to please my fiancée?"

  Tai Shi didn't say another word and turned around to leave.

  "Aren't you angry?" Rong Chu asked from behind her.

  "You're not qualified." she replied.

  It's not her concern who he is, why should she waste any emotions on him.

  A moment of silence behind, Rong Chu was still smiling, but the smile seemed a bit strange. Yi Shi Tao glanced at him sideways, thinking that the Duke, who had always been pampered by women and feared being frozen out, felt defeated this time?

  Then thought sister really changed a lot, but he liked it.

  "How can you be so stubborn? It's really unlovable." After a moment of silence, seeing Tai Shi Lan Zhen limping forward, Rong Chu spoke up again, "I think you're not willing to owe people favors, and you don't care about my flattery either. You should like fairness, so if you do one thing for me, I'll send someone to help you find the person."

  "What's wrong?" Tai Shi Lan turned around, she didn't ask for help, but that doesn't mean she was recklessly brave.

  Rong Chu beckoned to her, Tai Shi Lan walked over with no expression. Rong Chu leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "You're late, the Flower Tide Duel has already ended. I promised earlier that whoever won could make a request of me, but now I don't like this winner and don't want to grant her anything. Why don't you go win against her instead? Then you can ask me for whatever you want."

  "Compared with what?"

  "Embroidery is an art." Rong Chu smiled somewhat wickedly.

  Embroidery takes time, and it's not a project that compares women's skills, but Rong Chu really didn't want to give those women the opportunity to flirt with him, so he simply asked for "Women's Four Virtues", the first three virtues of Anzhou's talented women have already opened my eyes wide, let's test the last virtue.

  But...

  Rong Chu's eyes slightly slanted towards Tai Shi Lan, her smile looking even more sincere.

  Looking at her toes, she doesn't seem to be good at needlework either. Let alone needlework, all the things that talented women are good at, poetry, song and dance, storytelling, musical instruments... I'm afraid she won't be able to do any of them?

  He actually wanted to know what she was good at?

  He also wanted to know what method this woman, who looked very stubborn at first glance, would use to win if she insisted on winning.

  Have to say, although her temper is really unlovable, it's also... really easy to provoke a man's desire to challenge.

  Tai Shi Lan ignored his strange smile, and she also frowned at the two words "embroidery", this thing, even if she had eight lifetimes, she would never learn it, and she would absolutely not go to learn it.

  "Who is the winner?" She suddenly wanted to know who she was going to challenge, because in the crowd, there seemed to be a few familiar and vicious glances shooting over.

  "It's quite a coincidence." Rong Chu slightly tilted her chin, nodding towards the crowd, "The men competed in writing poetry, and the winner was your younger brother; the women competed in embroidery, and the winner was your younger sister."

  Tai Shi Lan followed his gaze and saw that Yi Shi Tao nodded and smiled, and then he shook his head at his sister, while a certain woman who had been standing aside, previously ignored by her as a human background, was staring at her with an unfriendly expression.

  Tai Shi Lan thought she looked familiar, and after thinking for a while, he remembered that this wasn't the one who followed Tai Shi Zhu to collect debts on the night of Tai Shi Lan's death, hiding behind Tai Shi Zhu and only showing half her face? Later, at Tai Furen's place, he also saw her, seemingly the unmarried lady from the fourth house, named Tai Shi Wei.

  Wei Shiwei met Tai Shi's gaze as calm as looking at plants and trees, her anger made her whole body tremble slightly.

  She easily surpassed these talented women and made a name for herself in front of the Duke of Jin!

  She should have been standing beside Duke Jin's side, she had already thought of her request!

  Just as she was about to step forward, this woman suddenly fell from above! And intentionally fell into the arms of the Duke of Jin, interrupting her words!

  She fell down, broke off, and should have let go. But this woman wouldn't give up, actually clinging to him and making demands with Prince Jin - the one who had the right to make demands was her, Wei Shiwei!

  Now she's being looked at with such disdain!

  This detestable woman, who has already thrown the entire household into chaos, also dares to disrupt her plans!

  ……

  "Do you know who you are!" Tai Shiwei stared at Taishi Lan, not hiding the hatred in her eyes. "This is not a place you can come to, hurry back! Don't lose your family's face!"

  She didn't dare to confront Tai Shi Lan about her current identity, as that would lead to the downfall of the Yi family as well. However, she had never looked down on Yi Shilan's status as a former imperial concubine who was banished from the palace for life. Her fate was already sealed - she could only spend the rest of her days in a nunnery or be drowned in a river due to her immoral behavior.

  Everyone listened to her tone and realized that Taishi Lan was also a member of the Yi family. They couldn't help but be shocked - which Miss Yi was this? Why were the sisters' relationship so bad?

  Everyone's eyes turned to Tai Shi Lan, eagerly waiting for a wonderful sisterly verbal battle. Who knew that Tai Shi Lan's gaze swept over Yu Shiyi lightly and didn't even acknowledge her, instead turning to Rong Chu and saying: "Is it just her?"

  Look at her, and then look at the furious Tong Shouwei with a red face. Suddenly, everyone felt that they seemed to see a small hunting dog that had not grown up, helplessly barking at the sharp blade-like warrior...

  "Are you confident of winning her?" Rong Chuyue smiled sincerely, making Tai Shilan feel even more ill at ease.

  "Whatever." She replied impatiently.

  Wei finally understood what the two meant at this moment, unbelievably widening her eyes, and suddenly burst into giggles after a while.

  "Let her win me? Ha ha, let her win me?" She laughed with a trembling flower branch, as if she had encountered the most delightful thing in the world. "Duke Guo, are you planning to add excitement for everyone? This woman... Let this woman win my Red Girl? ...Ha ha, it's too ridiculous..."

  Her laughter grew louder, and everyone looked at her with a knowing expression. It seemed that this new Miss Cui was not good at feminine charm, and they couldn't help but cover their mouths to stifle their giggles.

  "This girl probably won't be able to get married, right?"

  "That's okay too, or you can see a duck-shaped mandarin duck, or a flat-water grass haha."

  "Sister, you're not bored with manual labor, are you? Now it's just right, Lezi has arrived..."

  ……

  The jeers were like a tide, but Taishi Lan seemed to not hear them, his eyes swept over Rong Chuhun's body, heavily falling on his waist, and suddenly he pushed him down!