Chen Long’s face showed a flicker of pain and hesitation. After a long pause, he spoke in a low voice: "Chu Madam."
ng Qianqian froze in place.
Chu Madam... She is actually Chu Madam.
She had suspected it before, but suspicion was one thing—hearing it confird from Chen Long’s mouth was entirely another.
No wonder she wasn’t a daughter of the Chu Family yet knew it so well, not to ntion her understanding of the Twelve Guards.
Everything seed to make sense, except... her unnervingly intimate familiarity with warfare.
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, her thoughts a chaotic whirlwind.
She forced herself to calm down, bit by bit.
This alone was shocking enough, but she hadn’t expected Chen Long wasn’t finished. His next words left ng Qianqian, who had barely begun to regain her composure, thunderstruck all over again.
"She is also one of the Chu Grand Marshals."
ng Qianqian was utterly petrified.
Her gaze locked on Chen Long, and it was a long mont before she regained her voice: "What did you say? One of the Chu Grand Marshals? Are you saying there’s more than one Chu Grand Marshal in the world?"
Chen Long’s expression was complex as he said, "There are indeed two real Chu Grand Marshals—one is Chu Nan, the son of King Chu, and the other is my younger sister."
ng Qianqian’s mory loss ant she rembered none of this.
Confused, she asked, "What on earth is going on?"
Chen Long began to explain: "Chu Nan was frail from childhood and was rumored not to live past eighteen. To cure his son, King Chu sought doctors everywhere. One year, he heard of a divine doctor arriving in the Capital City. He hurried back from the border but, on the way, saved a child—that child was my younger sister."
"Because he saved my sister, King Chu missed out on seeing the divine doctor. He brought my sister back to the Chu Family and raised her as his own daughter."
"My sister beca the inheritor of the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles. By a twist of fate, King Chu not only found a protective talisman for Chu Nan but also a perfect decoy."
"Though Chu Nan was physically weak, his intellect was extraordinary. He had studied military strategy since childhood and, by the age of seven, advised King Chu on defending the city. At eight, he persuaded a bandit chief to surrender. Together, they went to war—Chu Nan made the plans, while my sister led the charges. Wearing the armor, she was the Chu Grand Marshal; out of the armor, she was Chu Madam."
No wonder no one suspected a thing when the two of them were seen together in the military camp. When Chu Madam fought battles as the Chu Grand Marshal, Chu Nan simply switched identities with her and stayed in the command tent.
The two grew up together and knew each other inside and out. Their impersonations were flawless to any outsider.
"The one who subdued the Twelve Guards was..."
"Of course, it was my sister!"
ng Qianqian: Why do I feel like Chu Nan, with his endless crafty sches, probably contributed about a sackful of bad ideas?
Regardless, this truth was simply too shocking.
She needed ti to process it all.
Chen Long’s gaze grew cold as he fixed it on ng Qianqian: "You asked, and I told you everything. Now it’s your turn to answer —where did the bone flute and the lody co from?"
ng Qianqian, calm and unperturbed, replied, "The bone flute? I bought it from a workshop. As for the lody... Yin Hu taught !"
Chen Long roared in anger, "Lies! That lody is only known to my sister and ."
Then grow a little bolder, big brother.
"What are you two doing here?"
From the other end of the arch bridge, Princess Wanping’s voice rang out with a reprimand.
The two quickly recovered their usual composed expressions.
ng Qianqian replied with serene composure, "Nothing much, just got lost on the way to the latrine, so I asked your guard for directions. Weren’t you with my mother-in-law? Decided to leave her side?"
Well, that’s because your little one woke up. Your mother-in-law was so busy coaxing the child that she had no ti to pay attention to !
Princess Wanping had found herself a convenient excuse and claid she was simply searching for ng Qianqian.
And she really did end up finding her.
"Many thanks to this esteed guard for pointing the way. I’ll take my leave now," ng Qianqian said, courteously cupping her hands toward Chen Long before striding off toward the arch bridge.
As she brushed past Princess Wanping, the latter called out to her: "You haven’t forgotten our wager, have you?"
ng Qianqian looked surprised: "One month has passed. I thought Princess Wanping had forfeited the bet."
Princess Wanping said with an air of arrogance, "This princess would never! Out of consideration for your being confined to the Imperial Palace and unable to fulfill the wager, I rely postponed it. You haven’t found a second Twelve Guard, have you? After all, you’ve been stuck in the palace without any chance to look."
ng Qianqian replied, feigning sorrow, "So you do realize how unfair it is to , huh? I really must be the world’s biggest fool!"
Princess Wanping pursed her lips. "This princess is no opportunist who strikes when others are down. In light of the fact that you cured my imperial father’s plague, I’ll give you an additional three days."
As she spoke, she shot ng Qianqian a aningful look. "Let this princess remind you—you’re bound to lose."
Such confidence—it seed she had more than just Chen Long as one of the Twelve Guards in her pocket.
ng Qianqian smiled in defiance: "Who wins and who loses will be clear in three days!"
It was maddening.
Had Ji Li returned to the Capital yet?
-
To win Liu Qingyun’s favor, Princess Wanping had forcibly turned her poetry session into a culinary extravaganza.
When one plate after another of glistening roasted suckling pig was served, the noblewon and ladies were spellbound.
The steward, beaming, announced the dishes: "This dish is called Fiery Fla Black Gold!"
A pig, also known as black gold.
One madam praised, "What a na!"
The steward straightened proudly: "Next dish, Buddha Fire Treasure!"
A whole roasted lamb was brought out.
Treasure is an elegant term for lamb.
"Bounding Through the Moonlight!"
Bounding, that is, the rabbit.
"Dragon Leaping Volcano!"
A carp leaping over the dragon gate becos a true dragon.
Even Lady Lin couldn’t help but sigh, "These dishes appear crude at first glance, yet they possess great refinent!"
Princess Wanping basked in the complints, generously rewarding the steward and the chefs.
None of the attendees had ever eaten such down-to-earth cuisine at the Princess Mansion. It had to be said that this was a uniquely refreshing experience.
Today’s feast was not only a gastronomic affair but also a treasure showcase.
The treasure? Treasure Piggy.
She was dressed in traditional Miaojiang attire for babies, her silver ornants jingling with every move.
Far from being stage-shy, she enthusiastically took center stage in the garden for an impromptu performance.
First, she clasped her hands behind her back, imitating an old man ambling on a stroll. Then, she grabbed a handful of leaf cards and mimicked an old lady playing Mahjong.
"Pong!"
"Won!"
"Pay up, pay up!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The noblewon and young ladies were laughing to the point of tears.
Then she picked up a large leaf from the ground and mimicked ng Qianqian wielding a Brocade Spring Saber.
She could barely keep her balance, and her moves were clumsy and wobbly.
But as the saying goes, when skill falls short, the aura must compensate.
"Hyah!"
A tiny, high-pitched roar—fierce beyond asure!
"Oh my heavens—" Zhou Nanyan collapsed into her mother’s arms, clutching her stomach from laughing too hard.
ng Qianqian was equally amused.
Sitting beside Liu Qingyun, she laughed so hard her breath hitched several tis.
Finally, with the little one’s roaring finale, she, like Zhou Nanyan, laughed until she toppled sideways—straight into Liu Qingyun’s arms.
"Mother, I’m sorry... Let laugh a bit more..."
"Not satisfied with calling ’father,’ now you’re calling ’mother’ too?"
An icy voice abruptly sounded above her head.
ng Qianqian’s body stiffened, snapping upright in shock as she turned to face Lu Yuan, who had appeared without warning. "G-Grand Commander?"
What the—?
Could you not announce your arrival?
Where’s my imposing mother-in-law?
Bao Shu, spotting Lu Yuan, imdiately tossed aside the "Brocade Spring Saber" she was holding and wobbled over to him.
Grabbing Lu Yuan’s hand, her tiny fingers patted it as she said, with a face full of elderly benevolence: "Great-great-grandson-in-law—"
Lu Yuan:
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