Тhe two sidеs соllidеd, аnd the weakеr sidе immediatеly baсkеd dоwn. Fеng Yuе blinkеd innocеntly, pointed at Ye Yuqing, shruggеd, аnd loоked аs рurе аs a littlе lаmb.
Не stаrted it first!
Аfter looking аt hеr as if shе were dust for а while, Yin Gezhi shiftеd his gaze, stаring аt thе fеw реоple bеlоw who hаd аlrеadу stoоd рropеrlу, and sаid, "Compеte."
Just these twо wоrds, nоthing morе. The grouр оf уoung nоblеs bеlоw wеrе somеwhаt dumbfoundеd.
Cоmpetе at whаt? Whаt аre thе rulеs? Dоеs winning mean beсoming a disciple? Аt least saу a few mоre wоrds—hоw cаn you just throw out these two words and leave it at that!
Ye Yuqing chuckled, shaking his fan as he walked over. "Since the First Prince of Yin wishes to take on disciples, he must be looking for the most talented and outstanding individuals. Since we're already at the training ground, why not compete in martial skills? The winner can step forward and become his disciple, how about that?"
The words of the Crown Prince naturally carried weight. Seeing that Yin Gezhi did not object, the group below grew excited, scattering to clear a space in the middle.
After hesitating between seeking death and preserving her life for a moment, Feng Yue obediently lifted her skirt and went upstairs, hiding behind Yin Gezhi to avoid any flying swords or weapons later.
Yin Gezhi did not look back, only snorted softly before focusing his attention on the scene below.
"Miss, sit here," said Guan Zhi, who had retrieved his black lacquered longsword, as he casually brought her a stool.
Feng Yue smiled gratefully and sat by the railing, craning her neck to look below.
She hadn't looked before, but now she was startled. Just moments ago, there were only seven or eight young nobles, but now there were over a dozen. Strangely, quite a few of them were women.
What was going on? Did the Wu Kingdom also allow women to serve in the military?
Two young nobles took the field first, fighting fiercely. General Song led Ye Yuqing upstairs, and the group stood on the terrace to watch. At the exciting parts, Ye Yuqing even applauded with a smile.
Objectively speaking, many of the Wu Kingdom's young nobles were diligent and hardworking. At least the one in blue and the other in gray fought to the end, making her want to cheer. Glancing at Yin Gezhi's expression, it seemed he was most interested in these two as well.
After the men finished competing, the group of women standing nearby finally moved. However, they did not step onto the field to fight. Instead, they stood below the pavilion, cupping their hands toward the top and saying, "Your Highness, although women can also serve in the military, we are inferior to men in both strength and stamina. If we compete directly with men, it may be unfair."
Yin Gezhi looked down, expressionless, and said, "On the battlefield, the enemy will not send women to fight you just because you are women."
In other words: If you can't fight, get lost!
The leading woman below was quite attractive, and her pink armor looked striking. She was likely someone often pampered and admired. Faced with Yin Gezhi's merciless words, her face immediately flushed.
"This humble woman believes that women can also have the heart to fight on the battlefield. Why won't Your Highness give us a chance?"
Was it about fighting on the battlefield, or just about becoming Yin Gezhi's disciple? Feng Yue smiled without speaking. Such tactics were nothing new—not just to Yin Gezhi, but even she had seen them many times before. Using loyalty to the country as a pretext to flirt with a prince.
Old tricks, old tricks!If it were someone gentle like Ye Yuqing, he might have given them a way out, but unfortunately, the one in charge was Yin Gezhi. With a cold glance, he said, "If you have the heart to fight on the battlefield, then go sign up at the Ministry of War's recruitment office. I, Yin, only accept those with real skill. Apart from genuine ability, everything else is useless."
"..." The people below were left speechless, and even Feng Yue couldn't help but cover her face.
Wake up, ladies. Can you really expect ivory to come out of this man's mouth?
After all, they were all noble young ladies, and someone couldn't take it anymore, retorting, "A woman's abilities aren't limited to warfare. Fighting is what you men are best at, but why must Your Highness look down on us for that?"
Coming to the training ground, if not to compare martial prowess, then what? To compare the skills of women? Even Ye Yuqing couldn't bear to listen, shaking his head behind his fan. Spoiled noble ladies truly didn't belong in this dusty, windswept place.
Unexpectedly, Yin Gezhi wasn't angry, as if he had anticipated this all along. He nodded and said, "A woman's abilities are indeed not insignificant. If we're not discussing martial skill, then let's discuss appearance."
Pointing directly at Feng Yue, Yin Gezhi said indifferently, "This woman's looks are average. If any of you below can surpass her in appearance, I will also accept you as a disciple."
A gust of wind blew over, lifting Feng Yue's red gauze dress. The floral ornament on her forehead shimmered brightly, her eyes alluring and seductive.
This was average? Ye Yuqing couldn't help but chuckle.
He had wondered earlier why Yin Gezhi brought Feng Yue here, but now he understood—he had set a trap for these young ladies, knowing they would come.
The faces of the young ladies below turned sour. After glancing at Feng Yue, none were foolish enough to step forward and compete. Some wanted to leave, but others remained unconvinced and insisted on sparring with the men who had won earlier.
And so, those who wanted to leave left, and those who wanted to fight continued. Feng Yue leaned against the railing to watch. The young woman in black martial attire was quite skilled, exchanging ten moves with the young man in blue without falling behind.
"This one isn't bad," General Song remarked. "It's rare to see a woman with such skill."
The few young ladies who stayed to watch also nodded in agreement, praising her with envy.
Feng Yue remained silent, only shaking her head slightly when the young woman attempted a sweeping leg strike.
"What is it?" Guan Zhi whispered. "Do you think the young woman in black isn't up to par?"
"She has some foundation, but she seems to lack sense," Feng Yue replied. "The young man in blue has the most stable stance, yet she dares to use a sweeping leg strike. It's like an egg striking a rock—a waste of effort."
With just these words, the people standing below grew displeased, frowning up at her and saying, "Since this young lady is so skilled, why not come down and spar yourself?"
Feng Yue grinned, showing no pride at all, and raised her hands in surrender. "My apologies, I don't know martial arts."
Yin Gezhi shot her another disdainful look.
General Song laughed heartily, trying to smooth things over. "I have heard that in the former Wei Kingdom, there was a female general with remarkable skill, no less capable than any man. If those below had her level of mastery, Your Highness would surely accept them on sight."
Feng Yue paused, lowering her eyelids.
Yin Gezhi said calmly, "There was indeed such a person, but I never had the chance to meet her. Now, it's impossible to witness her skills again."Guan Canghai's legitimate daughter, Guan Qingyue, was rumored to have charged straight into enemy ranks during the Battle of Dongkuang with a red-tasseled spear. Despite the disadvantage, she took the enemy commander's head, covered in blood, her eyes fierce and heroic—a woman who rivaled any man on the battlefield.
Such a woman was fit for the battlefield, but unfortunately, she never fought on the same one as him. They were supposed to meet during the Battle of Pingchang, but before her reinforcements could arrive, Guan Canghai met with misfortune, and she, too, was imprisoned along with him.
What happened afterward goes without saying—the entire Guan family, down to the ninth degree of kinship, was wiped out, with no survivors. That woman’s bones have probably long since rotted away in the mass graves.
"Ah, she lost," someone nearby exclaimed softly. Yin Gezhi snapped back to attention and saw the woman in black defeated by the youth in blue, looking rather disheveled.
Ye Yuqing chuckled lightly, "It seems she still lacks some refinement."
"Who are the final two winners?" Pretending not to have noticed, Yin Gezhi turned his head and asked Ye Yuqing.
Without much thought, Ye Yuqing instinctively replied, "An Shichong and Xu Huaizu."
"Then these two will do," Yin Gezhi said. "Guan Zhi, take them and follow me back."
"Yes."
"Your Highness, I shall take my leave now." Turning to bow to Ye Yuqing, Yin Gezhi looked up at Feng Yue.
Feng Yue stood up, about to ask if she could leave as well, but the man, without a word, came over, grabbed her waistband, and led her downstairs.
"...Are you walking a dog?"
"Less talk," the First Prince Yin said, clearly displeased. "From now on, you’d better not say another word."
So unreasonable! Feng Yue pouted, pressing her lips tightly together.
Ye Yuqing continued to fan himself, standing on the balcony as he watched Yin Gezhi depart. General Song stood beside him, unsure what the Crown Prince was thinking and not daring to make a sound.
"Today’s First Prince Yin was truly interesting," Ye Yuqing finally spoke softly, long after the others had left. "I’ve never seen him like this before."
In the year he had been in the Wu Kingdom, that man had always worn an expressionless face, showing no emotion in anything he did. Whether entering the palace or a brothel, it seemed as if nothing around him mattered.
Until that day when Feng Yue fell into his arms, like a stone thrown into a mirror-like lake, instantly stirring up countless ripples.
Fascinating.
General Song was somewhat bewildered. As a military man, he naturally couldn’t understand what the Crown Prince meant. He could only nod foolishly and then escort the Crown Prince away.
Yin Gezhi did not return to the Envoy's Mansion but went straight to the Dream Return Pavilion.
Feng Yue’s hand hurt terribly, but she didn’t make a sound, quietly following him. Once inside the room, Yin Gezhi shut Lingshu outside, ignoring her glaring at Guan Zhi and refusing to open the door.
"You seem particularly petty today," Feng Yue said, sitting on the soft couch and looking at him with a kitten-like smile. "Could it be you’re jealous of me?"
Giving her an incomprehensible look, Yin Gezhi replied, "Who do you think you are?"
"Ah, ah, just joking! Isn’t it because you’re too serious?" Feng Yue giggled. "Since you don’t care about me, why be so fierce? I’m just a delicate girl made of water—I can’t handle being scared like this!"Have you no shame at all? Yin Gezhi frowned. "The Crown Prince has taken notice of you."
"Is that so?" Feng Yue nodded calmly. "That's quite good, then. This humble one won't have to worry about business from now on..."
Before she could finish speaking, her neck was seized once more. Feng Yue pressed her lips together and looked up at him.
Yin Gezhi's face was full of mockery. "Didn't you say you've admired me for years? Now you're so quick to admire the Crown Prince?"
"Sir," Feng Yue asked, baffled. "Will you marry me?"
Who would marry a courtesan? Yin Gezhi shook his head, his expression dark.
"Well then?" Feng Yue smiled. "Since this humble one cannot marry you, I must try to marry someone else. What if I manage to climb the branch and become a phoenix?"
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