Chapter 153: A Gentleman’s Contest

The 23rd of the twelfth lunar month.

7-9 am, the sun was high.

Yi Yiyi, who was accustomed to early rising, had been awake for over two hours. When she tried to get up for the third time, the arm wrapped around her waist stubbornly refused to let go, gentle but firm.

“It’s already 7-9 am ~” she said, her voice slightly hoarse with helpless urging.

“Nothing to do today. Let’s sleep until noon and then have lunch ~”

Ding Suian kept his eyes closed, burying his nose in her cool, silky hair, taking a deep breath of the faint, sweet scent unique to a Jile Sect Disciple. It made the student who had just finished class return to his seat.

Ever since Lou Yuzhi began organizing the carpenters in the county to build the skull coffins on the 18th, Ding Suian had been temporarily idle.

Skull coffins were much smaller than normal coffins, saving both labor and wood.

But needing to make over 13,000 of them all at once was still a significant project.

It would take seven or eight days to finish.

During these days of waiting, whenever night fell, the two would change into coarse commoner clothes and stroll the streets like an ordinary young couple. When tired, they would return home hand in hand and sleep in the same bed.

Every time, Yi Yiyi would declare as usual, ‘No!’

Dasheng County was far from Yunzhou, and she had not met with any local officials from the start, so there was no fear of being recognized.

They had spent a few days living like an ordinary young couple.

Yi Yiyi didn’t have the habit of sleeping in, but since he wouldn’t let her get up, she felt annoyed. She lowered her head and began tapping her smooth forehead against Ding Suian’s chest, neither too hard nor too soft.

It was both a silent protest and a way to disturb him so he couldn’t sleep.

“…”

Ding Suian gradually lost his sleepiness and simply rolled over, pinning the troublemaker firmly beneath him.

“It’s already 7-9 am!”

She could feel that Ding Suian was swelling again, and she couldn’t help but panic.

“It’s still early for lunch.”

“No ~”

“Can we change the script?”

Ding Suian laughed and rubbed his nose against hers.

Yi Yiyi blinked her clear, charming, and watery eyes, then suddenly whispered, “The heart-ape is bound by locks, the will-horse is trapped by reins ~”

Ding Suian, “…”

Face to face, less than a span apart, Yi Yiyi’s face, flushed with rouge-red clouds, displayed a deliberately naive and innocent expression. “Does this line work?”

“Lift the curse first.”

“You’re the one who told me to change the script. Now that I have, you don’t like it ~”

A rare, triumphant smile appeared on Yi Yiyi’s face, the corners of her lips curling up slightly.

She then twisted her body, slipping out of the confinement of his arms like a slippery fish.

The spellbound Young Master Ding remained on the bed, propped up on his elbows, as if holding an invisible person in his arms.

The sunlight spilled into the room from the east window, gently bathing Yi Yiyi. Her milky skin reflected a hazy, soft halo, making her look like glowing carved jade.

She sat on the edge of the bed, back to Ding Suian, arms reaching behind her neck, fingers gently combing through her slightly messy long hair. This movement stretched her back into beautiful, delicate lines.

Then, she leisurely put on her clothes piece by piece.

First, the rose-red bodice embroidered with silver-threaded begonia vines, her slender hands wrapping the thin ribbons behind her neck and tying them at her waist. Then, the matching small undergarments. She leaned over, slowly and carefully pulling on those white Lingbo socks, moving upward to her slender ankles, her movements elegant.

There was no excessive expression on her face, just her usual calm and composed demeanor, even her gaze was indifferent.

Yet, every subtle movement, every unintentional stretch and bend, the curves in the sunlight, and the focused manner of dressing exuded a natural, bone-deep charm.

There was no need to flaunt; the allure seeped from her very bones.

Truly a temptress of the Jile Sect. Some things are already carved into the bones and soaked into the temperament.

‘Knock knock ~’

“What is it?”

Yi Yiyi, who had just sat down in front of her vanity, asked through the door.

“Your Highness! It’s bad! Young Master Xie and Young Master Sun are here!”

A Qi had become jumpy ever since she encountered the Crown Prince while keeping watch outside the Imperial Study.

“What are they here for?”

Yi Yiyi frowned slightly, then heard A Qi say outside, “Young Master Xie says that Your Highness promised to attend the literary gathering on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month at the Imperial Study, but missed it for some reason. Later, they heard Your Highness was in Dasheng County, so they came together to visit.”

“Uh…”

It seemed that did happen.

Last time at the Imperial Study, while flustered, she seemed to have promised Master Xie to attend on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month.

Yi Yiyi quickly tidied up, walked back to the bed to lift the curse on Ding Suian, and whispered, “I have to see them this time. You should go back first.”

“Not leaving, my body is numb ~”

Ding Suian rolled over, hands behind his head, crossing his legs, looking lazy.

“…”

Yi Yiyi thought for a moment and compromised, “Then stay in the inner room and don’t make a sound.”

“Mm, hurry up. You cast a spell randomly earlier, don’t make a fool of yourself later ~”

“Mm ~”

Yi Yiyi nodded, turned, and walked toward the outer reception hall, closing the door tightly behind her.

Dasheng County was just a small town with a population of a few thousand. The “mansion” temporarily requisitioned by County Magistrate Lou Yuzhi was only a three-courtyard residence with three main rooms in each courtyard.

Thirty guards had already packed the first two courtyards.

Even the living room had beds set up for people to sleep.

Xie Wuxia, Sun Yun, and the others could only wait in the small garden of the second courtyard.

Xie Wuxia’s father was the Chancellor of Great Zhao. He was as his name suggested, with a soft and beautiful appearance and elegant demeanor, just lacking a bit of masculinity.

Sun Yun’s grandfather was a Grand Academician of the Zhaowen Pavilion.

With noble family backgrounds, outstanding appearances, and literary fame, both were genuine top-tier noble Young Masters of Great Zhao, deserving of the title “dream of thousands of young girls.”

“Brother Xie, I wonder why Her Highness would come to such a remote and poor place.”

Sun Yun looked around the cramped residence and asked in confusion.

‘Swish ~’

Xie Wuxia opened his folding fan and fanned himself twice. Feeling cold, he closed it with a’snap’ and said, “I heard that Her Highness came for the peace talks between Zhao and Wu. You know, His Highness has no son, so Her Highness has to step out herself.”

This sentence inadvertently pointed out the key point.

After Yi Jinzai was enfeoffed as Crown Prince, the imperial succession of Southern Zhao was settled.

These noble Young Masters suddenly swarmed around Princess Zhao Ning. One reason was hearing of her peerless beauty and chaste, virtuous nature. The second, and most important reason, was naturally because the Crown Prince had no son.

In the future, whether Yi Jinzai had a late-life son or they eventually chose a child from a side branch to adopt, the next Crown Prince was destined to have a huge age gap with Zhao Ning.

When Yi Jinzai grew old, the power of this imperial sister, Zhao Ning, would have room for imagination.

In the future, it would not be strange for a figure like Princess Xingguo of the State of Wu to appear in Southern Zhao.

Naturally, marrying Zhao Ning became the shortcut to sharing or even fully controlling this immense power.

“Alas, Her Highness is a delicate woman, yet she has to travel in the harsh winter to share worries for the country and His Highness. It is truly heartbreaking.” Sun Yun’s face was full of pity, his tone sincere. “In the future, I am willing to serve Her Highness and do my meager part.”

“Heh ~”

Xie Wuxia smiled softly upon hearing this. “Brother Sun having this intention is naturally good. Her Highness is of noble status and has many complex affairs, so she indeed needs someone to assist from the side.”

Speaking of this, he leisurely tapped his palm with his folding fan and changed the subject. “But my father is the Chancellor, overseeing all affairs. In terms of state affairs and government, I have been immersed in it since childhood, perhaps I can provide more practical help to Her Highness. As for some small matters of running around, there is no need to trouble Brother Sun.”

In his tone, the innate confidence and arrogance were not concealed.

It was true, noble Young Masters like him, whether it was official daughters or popular courtesans in Yunzhou, who wouldn’t cast secret glances when they saw him.

To him, he only needed to smile gently at the other person, and the woman would take the initiative to throw herself into his arms.

It took no effort at all.

Beside him, Sun Yun heard him speak as if it were easy, and forced a smile. “Her Highness grew up in the State of Wu, chaste, virtuous, and strictly abiding by etiquette. How could she be compared to ordinary women? Brother, you are too confident.”

“Hahaha ~”

Xie Wuxia covered his mouth with his folding fan and laughed a few times. “Brother Sun, don’t be angry. Her Highness is not yet married; you and I can have a gentleman’s contest!”

Just then, A Qi walked to the front courtyard. “Young Masters, please move to the back courtyard ~”

None of the people who came together dared to move, all waiting for the two Young Masters, Xie and Sun, to take the first step.

“Thank you ~”

Xie Wuxia accepted without hesitation, responded to A Qi, and then lightly flicked his sleeves, taking the lead.

His posture was as natural as if he were the master of the house.

Sun Yun, who reacted a beat slower, hurriedly followed. When he reached the moon gate that only allowed one person to pass, he was just shoulder-to-shoulder with Xie Wuxia.

Seeing Sun Yun disregard demeanor to rush in front of him, Xie Wuxia suddenly shifted his body to the side, squeezed half a step in front of the former, and then used his shoulder to bump him behind.

“Brother!”

Sun Yun was bumped into a stagger, almost hitting the pink-white wall of the moon gate.

A look of anger couldn’t help but appear on his face, which had been trying to remain calm and maintain a scholarly demeanor.

“What’s wrong with you?”

A Qi, walking in front, heard the commotion, turned around in confusion, and scanned the two of them.

“Brother Sun, mind your demeanor ~ Hehe.”

Xie Wuxia smiled humbly, bowed, “You and I, a gentleman’s contest.”