Under the sky

Chapter 349 Side Story: High House and Deep Courtyard

Kunlun sixty-two years March spring

Rhododendrons bloom almost all over Guanxian County, but they can't be seen in those high-rise courtyards. It's not that the rich and famous are not rare, but the walls are too high and the flowers inside can't be seen. The beauty of the famous species is not in the garden, but only in the eyes of a few people. Brilliant inside.

Guan County may not be the most prosperous among the nine major cities. Ba County in Qingcheng, Chang'an in Huashan, Hengyang in Hengshan, Shaoxing in Beggar Clan, and Kunming in Diancang are all big cities, and may be more lively. However, Guan County is definitely the one with the most powerful and wealthy families. From the end of a street, there are at least a few households that are related to Tangmen. No other place has so many high-rise houses and deep courtyards.

Chu Jingtan recalled the words of her second senior sister Zhao Chujing when she left Emei Mountain: "There are three types of people in Guan County: people with their own surname Tang, people whose natal family name is Tang, and people whose protective surname is Tang."

"There are no common people?" Chu Jingtan didn't believe it.

"I'm talking about people." The senior sister said firmly.

This is definitely an exaggeration, but Madam is indeed very harsh on people in the sect and other people named Tang. Especially in recent years, there has been a strict investigation of fraud and collusion, and I heard that many clan members have been implicated.

Chu Jingtan remembered that her master had always reminded her to control her temper in Tang Clan. Of course, Tang Clan was not a place where she could be willful.

Horse hooves trampled on the neat stone road, and the courtyards lined on both sides made the street seem long. Chu Jingtan looked around and saw the Tangmen courtyard at the end becoming more and more clear, and she couldn't help but let out a soft "oh". She knew that the Tangmen compound was very large, but the scale was still beyond her imagination. Can people live in such a large courtyard? How far apart is there between one room and another?

Even though she later saw Wudang's Xuanwu Temple and Kongtong's Sanlong Pass, and later married Shen Yongci, she was not shocked when she first entered Qingcheng. Perhaps it was because Wudang was like a temple and Sanlong Pass was a natural pass. , Qingcheng is the inner city. Even if these places are larger and wider than the Tangmen Courtyard, you will be surprised and shocked by their magnificence, but there is no sense of disobedience like the Tangmen Courtyard.

Tangmen is like a home, a mansion, but this home is too big, and the north and south of the yard are too far apart.

The carriage drove into the Tangmen compound.

Rhododendrons were blooming in the garden, all famous species that Chu Jingtan had never seen before. She walked for a long time under the guidance of the guards, passing through corridors and gardens with different layouts.

It's too big, and it will definitely get lost if no one takes it, Chu Jingtan thought. After passing the military hall and the war hall, it was so quiet that only the sound of scrolls was turned, and then she vaguely heard the uniform shouting, which became louder and louder. It was the school grounds. A middle-aged, strong man with a square face, hawk-like eyes, and a strong back, had a stern face, and his sternness could be seen from his pursed lips and eyes. He was leading more than a hundred disciples in Tang Sect uniforms to practice, and the eyes of those who dared not move but could not help but glance at Chu Jingtan did not escape him.

"What are you looking at?" He yelled loudly, his voice like a bell, making people feel nervous.

There were two chairs side by side in the hall. The guard asked Chu Jingtan to leave later. Madam hadn't arrived yet. That was of course. There was no reason for Madam to wait for her. Chu Jingtan lowered her head. The ground was covered with a thick red carpet embroidered with blue patterns and gold edges. She suddenly wanted to take off her boots and try the feeling of stepping on this blanket with her bare feet. It must be very soft, she thought. There is a similar carpet in the Emei Hall, but it is not as thick and the hair is worn a little bald. Emei is not poor. It is said that before the Kunlun Council, it was the largest sect in Shu, and it is still a major force under the Tang clan. However, these glorious histories are rarely mentioned or discussed. She only vaguely Heard it.

Just as she was thinking, she noticed someone approaching and raised her head. A middle-aged woman followed by two strong men walked in from the back hall.

Really skinny.

She had imagined what Madam looked like. In her imagination, she should be a tall and slender person with a sharp chin and nose, thick eyebrows and phoenix eyes, a hairpin full of gold ornaments, wearing a long, trailing skirt, and a slow and majestic pace. Women should look graceful and luxurious. But the lady in front of her looked thin, not tall, a head shorter than the guard behind her. She was ordinary in appearance, wearing a purple robe embroidered with phoenixes and gold threads made of fine Sichuan brocade, with a white jade belt around her waist, a gold hairpin on her wrist, and The filigree silver bracelet, steady steps, straight waist and back, exudes competence all over.

That expressionless face and sharp eyes are like a layer of cold air, as if they are judging you at any time.

"Chu Jingtan of the Emei sect, on the orders of Master Huiyi, the head of the Emei sect, sent greetings to Madam and presented the account book of money and food under the rule of Emei."

The lady sat on the chair and nodded: "How is Huiyi?"

"Madam takes care of me, and my family and teachers are well."

Chu Jingtan raised her head and found that Madam was looking at him. When her eyes met, she lowered her eyes to show respect, but did not avoid the Madam's gaze. She was waiting for the lady to ask about the recent harvest under Emei's jurisdiction, the public security in the area, and other possible weird questions. Isn't that the purpose of the mission? It's not Madam's birthday, so there's no need for Master to send someone specially to say hello.

"You are very beautiful." Madam nodded, "I heard that you just followed your brothers to suppress bandits and made a great contribution."

"Yes." Chu Jingtan was a little proud that Madam knew about such a trivial matter. She couldn't help but slightly raise her lips, "I searched the stronghold, led a team to attack, and personally killed the bandit leader."

However, instead of receiving the expected compliment, Madam changed the subject.

"What reward do you want?"

reward? Chu Jingtan was stunned. This mission was really weird, completely different from what I expected. Even if you want to please your wife, you should do it after you show something, right?
"I don't know why I was rewarded." Chu Jingtan wondered, "Because of suppressing bandits?"

"Suppressing bandits is your duty. You are rewarded because you are beautiful and please me."

Is it also called liking if you keep a straight face? Like to at least smile, right? Moreover, Chu Jingtan didn't like people praising her for her beauty. She said sternly: "Beauty should not be rewarded."

"Beauty is already a reward, a reward from God, and other benefits derived from beauty are just interest."

I have more than just beauty! When Chu Jingtan became stubborn, she couldn't hold ten horses back, and she dared to contradict her master. She looked at the strong man behind Mrs. Lengmian: "Madam's eight protective guards are famous all over the world. If you can be taught, I will benefit a lot."

The madam looked at her quietly, unable to tell whether this rude request offended her.

"Ji Languang." Madam called her name, and the taller and thinner man on the right bent down slightly.

"You and the little girl should compete in some tricks."

When Madam arrived at the school grounds, the originally passionate shouts were suddenly silenced. "Hello, madam!" Under the command of the leading strong man, hundreds of loud shouts merged into a short and powerful greeting. The guards all raised their heads and chests and cheered up.

"Sister-in-law, you want to watch the Wei Hall drill today?" A strong man training soldiers and horses came to his wife. Only then did Chu Jingtan think of who this man was - the head of the Wei Hall, Tang Gu, known as the Seventh Master.

"She is Hui Yi's apprentice, her name is Chu Jingtan, and she wants to compete with Ji Languang."

Tang Gu looked at Chu Jingtan and shook his head: "No man of your age can beat Ji Languang."

"If you can win, it doesn't count as asking for advice." Chu Jingtan answered while suppressing her dissatisfaction.

Tang Gu ignored her, turned around and ordered: "Perform martial arts formation!" The well-trained team spread out in all directions with neat steps, leaving an open space more than ten feet wide.

"Is it big enough?" Tang Gu asked.

"That's enough." Chu Jingtan walked to the center of the school ground and saw his wife giving instructions to Ji Languang. He couldn't hear what the latter said, and couldn't judge from his wife's expression. Ji Languang responded respectfully and came to the center of the school ground. Chu Jingtan took off his sword and wanted to replace it with a wooden sword for practice.

"You can use the sword you are used to." Ji Languang took off his sword, refused the wooden sword handed to him, and said to Chu Jingtan. "Comparison can be advantageous."

"Your Excellency, you don't need weapons?" Chu Jingtan asked holding her breath.

"I use my palm, which is similar to a knife." Ji Languang raised his left palm, which was shaped like a knife. "This can also kill people."

"Junior Chu Jingtan." Chu Jingtan raised his sword upside down and bowed his hands in salute, "Senior, please give me a move." Then the tip of the sword pointed diagonally at Ji Languang's left side and stabbed him at Sunrise Emei. Ji Languang frowned, as if he realized that he was underestimating the enemy. He stepped sideways to avoid it, then suddenly approached Chu Jingtan and slashed at Chu Jingtan's wrist with his knife. This blow came very quickly. Chu Jingtan drew back her hand, turned the blade over, and waited for the opponent's fleshy palm to chop the blade. Then she kicked her right foot three times in a row, attacking the opponent's waist, chest, and head. This dragonfly move has three points of water, two false and one solid, with only one real kick. Ji Languang saw through the false and true, and his left arm just hit the kick to the head, and quickly stepped forward.

He couldn't get close to him. He could still fight with the advantage of the long sword, but his strength would be defeated. Chu Jingtan jumped back, turned his wrist, and held three sword flowers to protect himself. He made a wrong step and slid to the right. , wandering around Ji Lan constantly, but not busy launching an offensive, the long sword is only ready to go.

Ji Languang stepped on the Bagua and waited intently. Seeing that he was serious, Chu Jingtan screamed loudly and suddenly used his sword. Ji Languang ducked to avoid it and slashed with his palm. Chu Jingtan felt the strong wind blowing against his face and jumped back quickly.

Just using the palm of the hand instead of the sword can produce such power. If he really uses the sword, he is afraid that he will have been defeated. Chu Jingtan knows that the skills of the two sides are very different, and the risk of attack is very high. He can only rely on the length of the weapon to intimidate, and he can't help but wander around. Jian Yin held back and waited for Ji Languang to chase her before returning the sword and fighting back, forcing Ji Languang to retreat. After more than ten moves, Ji Languang only said that she would not take the initiative to attack. Instead, she slowed down and stopped chasing, waiting for Chu Jingtan to run out of strength.

Chu Jingtan saw that Ji Languang finally relaxed his guard, and suddenly the sword light flashed horizontally, slashing left and right, repeatedly, as if writing a skewed tic-tac-toe, and then a sword came out from it with a sharp wind. This move is about sitting in a well and looking at the sky. The tic tac toe is intended to protect the body and stabilize the body. What is really powerful is the sword that comes out of it. The sword formula says: "Sitting in a well and looking at the outer wall, a line of sky can be seen at the entrance of the hole." A line of sky describes this The sword must be as fast as thunder, and the place where the sword light passes is like looking up in a deep valley, with only a thin line in the sky.

Seeing that the sword light was approaching Ji Languang's chest, Chu Jingtan suddenly changed her mind: "Could it be that I'm going to hurt my wife and sit down on the eighth guard?" After only a moment of hesitation, Ji Languang's gaze was extremely accurate, and he hit the spine of the sword with one palm, and the tip of the sword was barely visible from his right shoulder. Crossed. Chu Jingtan only felt a strong force twisting the long sword, and her body could not stand upright and tilted to the right. In the blink of an eye, Ji Languang was already in front of her. Chu Jingtan's whole body was exposed, and there was a sound of wind in her ears. With a sound, he was slapped hard on the face.

Chu Jingtan was caught off guard, her forehead buzzed, and then she felt hot and severe pain. She felt more humiliated than the severe pain. It was not that she had lost a move. She had no chance of winning, but Ji Lan clearly had more ways to win, but she just slapped him in the face with the most humiliating slap.

Chu Jingtan slashed out the sword with her backhand, but it was already weak. Ji Languang buried her body inside, and received another slap on Chu Jingtan's lower abdomen. The force penetrated her back, and her stomach was turbulent. The pain made her open her mouth wide, and she was about to die. Screamed out. She gritted her teeth violently and swallowed the scream, but she couldn't help but feel her insides churn and open her mouth to retching. Before he could recover, he received another heavy punch on the face, and there was another buzz in his head. The world was spinning, his shoulder hit the ground, and his head hit the ground. Even the disciples who were watching couldn't bear it. Zhu let out an exclamation.

Chu Jingtan wanted to get up, but her legs were sore and the pain made her breathless. She kept inhaling, but she only made a sound of "Hey... He", her face turned pale, and then she kept retching, acid flowed to the floor, tears and snot came out together, and then she couldn't help coughing, and she could only lie on the ground. struggle. She lost in an ugly way, and Ji Languang didn't give her any face.

"What are you, mother-in-law, afraid of hurting someone?" This was Tang Gu's voice. There was no mockery, only cold advice, "A good girl, why should you learn martial arts?"

Chu Jingtan was speechless, her mind went blank, and she just wanted to take a breath as soon as possible to regain her consciousness. She was suppressing her screams, but no one came to help her. She knew that there were hundreds of people in the school grounds, and hundreds of eyes were staring at her. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. She didn't know how long she lasted. She felt like she was about to faint. Maybe she would feel better if she fainted, but she didn't want to faint. She had to stand up. This was really difficult, and her chest almost exploded.

Finally, she heard a pop, and the gloomy air finally spurted out of her mouth, followed by weak air. Taking a breath, she had never felt so comfortable taking a breath. Even though coughing and vomiting were still intermittent, she felt as if she had walked from death to life. This kind of pain was far worse than being inflicted by a sword.

"what happened?"

She heard unfamiliar voices but didn't have the energy to look.

"Is it that girl from Emei? Why was she beaten like this?"

Chu Jingtan fumbled for the sword on the ground, and before she could catch her breath, she used the sword to support her body and stood up. Her legs felt weak and she felt like she was about to fall to her knees. She was still coughing and retching.

"Why don't you just lie down?" The unfamiliar voice seemed a little regretful. Chu Jingtan looked at the speaker, her vision blurred by tears and could not be seen clearly.

"She looks so good..." It was a young girl's voice, and she stopped mid-sentence. Chu Jingtan wiped away her tears and shook her head vigorously. Then she saw clearly that it was a middle-aged man holding a beautiful girl who was not much older than herself, standing next to his wife. Ji Languang had already retreated behind his wife and looked at him. Chu Jingtan licked her lips, and there was a smell of blood. She gritted her teeth hard to avoid screaming, and accidentally bit her lip.

"Thank you... Senior for your advice." She stood up straight, her hands trembling so much that she couldn't hold the sword, and her knees couldn't help shaking.

"Oh!" Sporadic exclamations with admiration came from the surrounding disciples.

The lady gave Tang Gu a look. "Disband!" Tang Gu ordered. The onlookers quickly dispersed under the leadership of their respective captains.

The lady bent down and handed Chu Jingtan a handkerchief: "You can scream if it hurts, but if you bite it off, your appearance will be ruined."

"I'm fine...I've benefited a lot today." Chu Jingtan took the handkerchief, but didn't cover the wound. Blood flowed from her lips and stained her clothes.

"If your clothes are dirty, I'll pay you one." Madam said, "What else do you want?"

Chu Jingtan felt that her bones were about to fall apart, but she still tried her best to stand up straight and reply, although she knew that she was very embarrassed now. Is Madam trying to teach her a lesson for not knowing where the sky is the limit, or is she punishing herself for being reckless?
It didn't matter, she didn't want to admit defeat.

"Madam... today's reward... is enough..." This simple sentence took her several times to finish. "It has benefited me a lot."

"Your name is Chu Jingtan, I'll call you Xiaojing." Madam's voice was as cold as ever, and she said, "I like you very much. What position do you want in the Tang Sect?"

This is the second time that Madam has said that she likes herself. Really, Madam should at least say it with a smile. Chu Jingtan brought her messy thoughts back to the key point of her wife's words: Stay in Tangmen?
The Nine Families will recruit capable people from each sect to perform their duties. This is a great honor and power, so everything just now was just a test of yourself? No, he is only eighteen years old. Chu Jingtan does not feel that he is qualified to enter the Tang Sect now.

"I don't want to stay in Tang Clan. If I stay in Tang Clan, I can only be a squad leader." Although it was an ugly defeat, she was definitely qualified for the position of a squad leader, and maybe it was a waste.

"Your martial arts skills are good, but my guards don't accept women." Tang Gu responded coldly.

"Not all of the Hall Master's men have the skills of the Eight Guards." Chu Jingtan finally couldn't hold it back and retorted, "At least half of them can't beat a woman like me."

Tang Gu's expression suddenly changed, and he mocked: "But they don't hesitate when killing the enemy. Women are soft-hearted, cowardly, and docile."

"The hall master said this in front of Madam?" Chu Jingtan wondered why the lady was so unaware of these insults, "Madam also admitted what the hall master said?"

The madam obviously didn't want to pay attention to the dispute between the two, but it was the middle-aged man holding the beautiful woman who spoke: "Seventh brother, why are you arguing with a baby? Be generous and show your measure."

Tang Gu snorted coldly and stopped replying.

This middle-aged man's name is Tang Gu Qidi, so he is the wife's husband, the son of the former head of the family, Tang Jue, the second master of Tang Dynasty? He hugged other women in front of his wife?

"You can apply for other positions. Martial arts is just one talent among many." Madam finally said, "With such a good opportunity, you should think about what you want and where to start to get what you want."

"I want to do things based on my own abilities, such as becoming one of Madam's Eight Guards."

"Your martial arts skills are not good enough."

"They will get older, and I will be better at martial arts than them in the future. I will wait until then to enter the Tang Sect." Chu Jingtan looked at Tang Gu and glared with all her strength, as if to counter the latter's contempt.

"Then I will change to a guard with better martial arts skills."

"Madam, you also think that this girl cannot be your guard?" Chu Jingtan regretted her hesitation just now, which made her look cowardly.

"Martial arts is something that can be easily replaced." Madam changed the subject, "You stay in Tangmen to recuperate, I will summon you again."

"Yes..." Chu Jingtan replied, feeling that the pain in her body seemed to be gradually dissipating.

Madam turned around and left. Tang Jue asked Tang Gu to follow her. Chu Jingtan was the only one left in such a big campus. She didn't even know where she was going, so she had to follow Madam from a distance. But she was stopped by the guard before she reached the main hall. After waiting for a long time, an old man came from the other end of the corridor.

"Miss Chu?" The old man said respectfully, "Young man Yang Zaidao is the housekeeper of the Tang Sect. Madam asked me to arrange your residence."

The old man's hair is white at the temples, his cheeks are dry, and his clothes are neat. He was not wearing guard clothes, but the guards were very polite when they saw him. He led Chu Jingtan to a courtyard. There was a large house with at least four rooms. It was very clean, but obviously no one lived in it.

"My luggage is at the door." Chu Jingtan thought to herself, Jin Chuangyao was also left in the luggage, as well as clothes, which were all stained with blood.

"The younger one will help the girl prepare it. Please wait a moment."

After Yang Zaidao left, Chu Jingtan finally took a breath and began to examine the wound. Before she knew it, the pain almost dissipated, and there wasn't even any bruise left on the area where she was beaten. The biggest wound on her body was the lip she bitten, and the big bump on her head when she fell.

Ji Languang showed mercy, these few blows were only painful. Indeed, I am still too young to compete with the famous seniors. After all, the Eight Guards are the Lady Guards, and they are all top masters.

Since you kept your hand, why did you have to humiliate yourself in front of so many people? Chu Jingtan couldn't figure it out. She felt that Ji Languang must have been ordered by his wife, perhaps to punish herself for being rude? But the lady doesn’t look like her either. She also didn't understand why Madam wanted her to stay in Tangmen, and why she specially recruited a team leader from Emei?

Chu Jingtan lay on the bed. The comfortable soft bed and the fragrant quilt were the comfort that Emei did not have. Only then did she remember that the wound on her lip was still stained with blood.

No matter, I'm exhausted, just freshen up and go to bed. Although I don't know where to have dinner yet, that will be a problem later. She was about to get up to fetch water when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. When she walked to the door of the room, she saw four girls walking outside carrying buckets.

"What are you doing?" she asked in surprise.

"Serve Miss Chu to take a bath." A girl replied and walked directly into the back hall.

Chu Jingtan followed in. There was a large bathtub in the back hall, which was even covered with flower petals. Several girls poured hot water into the bucket, and then went to fetch water. After a while, the bathtub was filled with hot water. .

"Do you think it's appropriate, girl?"

Chu Jingtan felt a little uncomfortable and tried the water. It was a bit hot, but it was not unbearable. "Okay." She didn't know how to respond, so she had to say, "You guys go out."

"The slaves are waiting outside the door. If the girl has any orders, just call us."

Chu Jingtan took a good bath. After all, she was a disciple of Emei's head sect, so she couldn't afford to take a bath. She just found it troublesome. It required a lot of effort to carry water and burn firewood. After all, she still had to deal with two buckets of water on weekdays.

Chu Jingtan took a deep breath. The fragrance of the flowers almost relieved her from all the fatigue from Emei. However, under the steam of heat, the wound on her lip oozed blood again.

The maid walked in again, carrying two wooden boxes: "Girl, these are the clothes that Madam paid for you."

"Leave it alone." Chu Jingtan waited for the maid to leave before getting up from the bathtub. She opened the first wooden box first. Inside were some scattered items and a delicate small porcelain bottle. When she opened it and smelled it, she found that it was gold-creating medicine, and it was The best kind, she took some with her index finger and applied it to the wound. In addition, there are some gold hairpins, jade belts, jade bracelets, a pair of gold embroidered shoes, earrings and mother-of-pearls, as well as black pens, rouge, lipstick, face powder and other items...

Chu Jingtan frowned and opened another wooden box. Inside were several pieces of clothing, including bras, petticoats, inner robes, long skirts, and a conspicuous embroidered deep purple robe.

It's purple, eye-catching purple. She has never worn a purple robe, and it is not easy to find it even in a cloth shop where she can ask for the price. This color is too expensive and rare. Walking on the street, just a purple belt can show wealth, let alone a long skirt?
Is this Madam's compensation?

She changed into her clothes. The embroidered shoes were a little tight, but they still fit her well. When she put on a robe like this, she couldn't help but wear a gold hairpin.

"Does the girl need help to change clothes?"

"No need." Chu Jingtan felt embarrassed, "Just wait outside."

She pulled up her hair by herself, added gold hairpins, and carefully traced her eyebrows. She was not good at doing this, so she fiddled with it for a long time. It took her only half an hour to complete the outfit until the water was cold, and it was not very detailed. She was about to take off the lipstick when she suddenly remembered that she had just applied the Jinchuang medicine and should be patient if she was injured. She stood up and walked to the bronze mirror. Although the pale color of her lips was a bit abrupt, her gorgeous clothes really made her look even brighter.

A smell of vegetable aroma came from the front hall, and Chu Jingtan walked out of the back hall. Dinner had been set on the table outside, including four exquisite dishes and one soup, a small vat of rice, two plates of dried fruits and a plate of cherries. Four maids stood guard on both sides of the hall, while Yang Zaidao stood waiting outside the door with his back to the door.

She seemed to vaguely understand something.

"Steward Yang." Chu Jingtan greeted. Yang Zaidao responded and walked into the room after Chu Jingtan signaled.

"Girl, why don't you let the slave put on makeup? You forgot to put on lipstick." Yang Zaidao asked.

"The wound on the lip has just been treated with gold medicine." Chu Jingtan asked, "Where is my luggage?"

"The luggage is still at the door and has not been picked up." Yang Zaidao replied respectfully, "Where does the clothes Madam gave me not fit?"

"There's no place to hang a sword in these clothes, not even on my back, and these shoes bite my feet. I won't be able to walk for long, so I have to change into boots."

"There are no clothes that can be changed now." Yang Zaidao replied respectfully, "Your dirty clothes are full of blood and unsightly. The maids took them away."

"Can I walk around in these clothes all day? No casual clothes?"

"You can do it in Tangmen. There is no need to carry a sword in Tangmen. Here only the guards carry weapons."

"I can wear it for one day." Chu Jingtan said, "I will change it back tomorrow."

"Okay, girl." Yang Zaidao bowed respectfully.

Chu Jingtan thought about it for a long time before going to bed. Even if she guessed the purpose, she still didn't understand her wife's attitude towards him. Why do you deliberately humiliate yourself in front of everyone? Kill Wei Feng? There is no need for this. She understood that now that she had come to Tangmen, life and death were all she said.

I'm too tired, there's no point in thinking about it, I'd better sleep.

The morning light shone in from the window. Chu Jingtan stretched and licked her lips. The Tang Sect Golden Traumatizing Medicine was really useful. The wound on her lip had stopped bleeding, and it might not take long for it to scab. She was about to wash up, but the maid outside the door was already busy fetching water.

"You haven't slept yet?" Chu Jingtan was surprised.

"I don't know the girl's schedule, so Yinchu got up and got ready."

"What time is it now?"

"Mao Mo."

"You guys should go back to your room and rest." Chu Jingtan said, "I don't need you to serve me."

The maids looked at each other: "You have to ask Butler Yang about this."

"I will explain it to Butler Yang."

After washing up, Chu Jingtan thought for a while, without using a gold hairpin or makeup, she simply tied her hair into a neat ponytail, placed her sword horizontally on the table in the hall, and sat on a chair to wait.

The sun's shadow was getting straighter, and it was exceptionally bright outside the hall door. The breeze was blowing the azaleas, and Chu Jingtan dozed off.

Are you coming or not? She was impatient. It was almost noon before I saw anyone. Several maids shouted: "Young Master is well."

I saw a young man in his early twenties, with a hosta in his hair and a red and black dark coat walking in. The clothes were of good quality, and he walked in through the door.

With this appearance, Chu Jingtan had to say that he was a little disappointed. Even Mr. Tang Jue looked more heroic than him. Especially when he walked in without even asking, it was extremely rude. It was expected that most of the young masters from the Nine Clan had this kind of temperament.

Chu Jingtan stood up and hesitated on how to speak. "Miss Chu?" The young man said first, "I'm Tang Jinyang. My mother said that Ji Languang hurt you yesterday and asked me to come over and see your injury."

"Thank you for your concern, Madam. It's just a minor injury." Chu Jingtan bowed with her hands folded, "Sir, please sit down."

Tang Jinyang said hurriedly: "Thank you, miss."

The two of them sat down and the maid served tea.

"Master, please have tea."

Tang Jinyang picked up the teacup and took a sip, then put the teacup down and looked at Chu Jingtan. Chu Jingtan waited for him to start talking. After a long time, Tang Jinyang remained silent, and the silence was a bit embarrassing.

Chu Jingtan rolled her eyes in her heart.

"Where can I get a job, young master?" Finally, Chu Jingtan couldn't help it.

"I'm studying in the execution hall. To tell you the truth, mother doesn't think I can be the boss, but I just don't believe it." Tang Jinyang said confidently, as if he had a plan in his chest, and he was quite capable of letting his talents down.

"Oh?" Chu Jingtan became curious. The virtuous people of the Tang clan were not passed on to direct descendants, but all descendants and nephews could inherit. Otherwise, his wife would not have made an exception and became the head of the family. This eldest son may be clumsy in words, but he is also an ambitious person.

"I worked as an errand in the Gongtang, Zhantang, and Xingtang, and also managed the accounting room." Tang Jinyang sighed, "You are also from the Tang Sect. Knowing that the Tang Sect does not pass down the virtuous to the direct descendants, they are all afraid of my meritorious deeds. , everyone stopped me from doing things, just saying that when I was in the workshop..."

Just don't ask, but as soon as the conversation came up, Tang Jinyang started to talk about complaints, talking about his subordinates, all of them were incompetent and reckless. He was wrongly convicted in the execution hall because his subordinates failed to collect evidence, and his proposal was refuted because his elder cousin deliberately made things difficult. He also loved cars and wheels. He talked about one thing over and over again, rambling here and there, and mentioned that he had learned the flute as a child. The teacher taught poorly and was biased. He said that he was diligent and careful, and always asked again and again when encountering problems. He had to ask carefully, but he was just unwilling to teach me.

All in all, it's everyone else's fault.

"Take the Gongtang incident as an example. I asked why the death medicine can't be made colorless and odorless? You have to find a way. They were doing it in both positive and negative ways, saying it was against pharmacological principles. I said that the predecessors could not do it, but our descendants have to. Only by doing it can you be called capable. Don't follow the ideals of medicine, but find new ways..."

"Find another way." Chu Jingtan corrected.

"Yes, find another way. Those two words are easy to misunderstand. I mispronounced them the first time I saw them. Later, I was quick to speak and it was easy to say them wrong. You see, this is because the master was not serious about teaching and didn't remind me earlier..."

Chu Jingtan felt sleepy after hearing this. After waiting all morning, she was so hungry that she finally yawned. This was already an eviction order that she couldn't hold back because of her status, and she couldn't bear to curse.

"Sometimes I think about it, my whole life has been delayed by my mother." Tang Jinyang was unaware of this yawn, and just sighed, "I am not smart, but I am also diligent. If I were not the son of the boss, why would I be delayed like this? ?" After saying that, he sighed again, "I rarely tell people my true feelings like this. I hit it off right away with Miss Chu. I guess Miss Chu will understand me."

I understand your mother! Chu Jingtan was so irritated that she almost cursed, but this was the Tang Sect and she was the envoy sent by her master. She had to suppress her anger and said coldly: "Madam has arrangements, Young Master..."

"The only one I haven't been to is the Wei Hall." Tang Jinyang was still thinking to himself, "Seventh Uncle refused to let me enter the Wei Hall. I know he never liked my mother being in charge..."

"Young Master Tang, be careful what you say!" Chu Jingtan shouted to stop.

Tang Jinyang realized that he had made a mistake, his face turned red, and he quickly turned around and said, "It's already noon and we haven't eaten yet."

"I'm not hungry." Chu Jingtan would rather go hungry than get stuck with this young man. Chu Jingtan firmly believed, "I'm a little sleepy and want to take a rest."

"Then I'll see the girl later."

"No need to worry, young master, it's just a minor injury." Chu Jingtan said hurriedly.

"I still feel..."

"I said you don't need to bother me, sir." Chu Jingtan raised her voice, even threateningly, "Master, please."

Tang Jinyang's eyes turned red when she yelled at her. Chu Jingtan was surprised. Could it be that he was scared to tears?

Tang Jinyang stood up tremblingly and walked towards the door. Chu Jingtan was annoyed that she had made a mistake. Tang Jinyang turned around and pointed at her and cursed: "You look down on me just like them! You just think that I have this status because of my mother's protection." Status! Let me tell you, I don’t like you either. It was my mother who asked me to come! Will I lack beautiful women? I have the ability. One day you will see my ability, and then you will regret it! "

Chu Jingtan was furious. The dissatisfaction accumulated in the past two days finally broke out. She slammed the table, raised her sword and shouted: "If you have the ability, stop talking nonsense. If you beat me, I will let you do whatever you want!"

The mother's scolding made all her finery and temperament disappear. Tang Jinyang shrank and shouted: "How dare you be rude to the prince!"

"Where did the Tang clan's heir apparent come from?" Chu Jingtan didn't know whether to be angry or laugh. This young master doesn't even know how to threaten, but it is still impolite to rush into his wife's son. After she cursed, she calmed down a little, put away her sword, and said, "Young Master, please."

Tang Jinyang left angrily.

Although Chu Jingtan was sulking, she was worried about getting into trouble. Soon, the white-haired old man walked into the house again.

"I see the young master has left. Do you want to have a meal?"

"No." Chu Jingtan was annoyed, and her hunger had long since disappeared due to this scolding. "I scolded the young master, and my wife will definitely be unhappy."

"Madam won't lose her temper over such a thing, and the young master doesn't dare to tell the madam that you scolded him." Butler Yang was respectful and polite, "The young master saves face and is afraid of being scolded by the madam."

"really?"

"I have been in the Tang Clan for fifty years, and have been here since the old lady's time. I know Madam's temperament." Butler Yang comforted, "Girl, you can rest assured."

Chu Jingtan didn't know whether to believe it or not. She took off her golden shoes and found that the skin on her ankles had been scratched: "Steward Yang, these shoes bite my feet."

"New shoes are like this, you will get used to them after wearing them for a long time. Don't dislike them, these shoes are beautiful after all."

"No matter how beautiful it is, it's not suitable. Do I have to cut my feet to fit the shoes?" She put on her original boots. "I want to get my luggage back and tell the old lady that I can't get used to these new clothes."

"Well..." Yang Zaidao pondered for a moment and then nodded, "I'd better prepare something to eat for the girl." At dusk, Chu Jingtan's luggage had been placed in the room, and she changed into the light clothes she liked. She did like that purple robe, but she wasn't obsessed with it, and she didn't want to pay a high price for it.

"Did Madam say when she wanted to see me?" she asked Yang Zaidao.

"Madam will have ideas."

There will be no end to the next days. Tang Jinyang came a few more times, but Chu Jingtan responded with sarcastic remarks, which made Tang Jinyang furious and left, and he never came back again. Madam never summoned her again, so Chu Jingtan just waited and practiced swordplay in her spare time. Besides practicing swordsman, she asked Butler Yang: "Please help me remind Madam."

"Madam always remembers the girl, but she is too busy and hasn't figured out how to arrange her. She will wait a little longer."

Chu Jingtan felt that she was under house arrest. Was Madam trying to force herself? Butler Yang did not take away the gorgeous dress. It had been quietly placed on the bedside of the room.

Half a month later, Chu Jingtan decided to find out. The most indispensable thing in this manor is people named Tang. She can always find someone to help, or else she will escape.

On this day, she hung her sword and went to the next yard without listening to the maid's dissuasion. The cuckoos were open, but there was no one in the next yard. She walked forward again, and the next yard was also empty, and she didn't even see a guard.

what happened? She walked through one courtyard after another, but they were all deserted. There were only blooming rhododendrons and Fusu trees. There were still carps and geese in the huge pond. There were even various antiques and curios in the room.

Tangmen is like a dead city...

Not giving up, she went around several manors, but still no one was seen. There were even too many manors, and she got dizzy and couldn't find her way back. She stared at the dead courtyard in front of her, a little scared, until Butler Yang's voice sounded behind her.

"Miss Chu."

Chu Jingtan was surprised. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Butler Yang approaching.

"What's going on here?" Chu Jingtan asked, "Why is there no one?"

"This used to be the eldest young master's manor, and all the eldest young master's family members lived nearby. After the eldest young master's family left, this place became empty."

Chu Jingtan had heard when she was a child that it was before his wife took over as the head of the family that Tang Mie, the accountant, was convicted of corruption.

"That's the third master's house over there. There are more than a dozen houses. The third master is no longer here." Yang Zaidao pointed to the other side and said after thinking for a while, "Actually, all the children of the masters lived here in the past, but Now they have all moved, and the Second Master and the Seventh Master have also moved away, so the manor here is idle."

"Isn't it a waste?"

"Tangmen is very big and can afford to waste it. In a few years, this place will be filled with people named Tang again."

"You said you've been here fifty years."

"Yes, I have been working as a housekeeper here for fifty years. The old man and his brothers used to live in the manor in the north, and I served them at that time. Later, the manor in the north became empty, and the young masters came to live in the manor here, and then this The manor on the other side is empty, I guess Young Master Jinyang will move to the manor on the west."

"Do you know why Madam keeps me here?"

"I think it's because Madam likes you very much."

Chu Jingtan has heard this several times, but still doesn't believe it: "Are you sure?"

"Be sure, otherwise she won't send me to serve you. An old servant like me still has some weight in Tangmen. I have always been very considerate and was assigned to serve the most important guests." Yang Zaidao said, "Actually, I have to serve you every day. Report your affairs to Madam. Every move the girl makes, what she did today, and what she said, I will report to Madam."

"Oh?" Chu Jingtan was surprised and a little annoyed, feeling that she was being watched.

"She has not forgotten you, so the girl should go back to her room and wait for news."

"She plans to force me to marry the young master?"

"I'm definitely not forcing you." Yang Zaidao shook his head, "You should know that if you want to force a girl, Madam will have a better way."

Chu Jingtan did not give up. She was determined to leave the manor. If the madam really didn't want to see her, then she had to go find the madam. Before that, she had to find out the nearby manors and roads.

She couldn't alert the snake. She knew very well that she would have to pass through numerous guards to see Madam. She excused herself for a walk and finally figured out where she was in the Tangmen compound, as well as the direction of Madam's room. She planned to just barge into the hall, which would be dangerous, but at least it would cause a commotion.

She didn't want to live in this damn Tangmen forever.

Taking advantage of Butler Yang's absence, she checked the road. Another half month passed, but she didn't see Butler Yang again. According to the maid, a distinguished guest from Tang Clan came, and Madam asked Butler Yang to entertain him for a few days.

This was a good opportunity. She walked west along the compound. The manor was as dead as before. She paid careful attention to the courtyard roads along the way, and when she came to a certain compound, she saw a child standing under a tree admiring flowers. He looked like he was only ten years old.

This is the first time she has seen someone other than Butler Yang and the maid in the Tang Sect for more than a month. Although she is just a child, judging from the material of her clothes and the jade belt on her body, she is either a person named Tang or someone whose maiden name is Tang.

Chu Jingtan thought for a while, should she threaten the child to lead the way, trick him into leading the way with gentle words, or should she ask him for directions in a friendly manner? She couldn't make up her mind for a moment, but she still walked forward and stood next to the child. The child kept looking at the tree. No, rather than looking at the tree, she was actually looking at the small house. Compared with the big houses in other courtyards, the houses in this courtyard looked elegant and small.

She was thinking about how to deceive people, when the child suddenly said: "Did you know that the cuckoo is also a kind of bird?"

Chu Jingtan glanced at it. The child looked...not ugly, or to put it another way, at least not the kind of child that people would want to hold and get close to.

"The cuckoo will lay eggs in the nests of other birds, then smash the eggs in the original nest, and let others raise their sons for them. This is the story of the dove occupying the magpie's nest." The child said, "The entire Tang Clan They are all planted with rhododendrons, isn’t it interesting?”

Chu Jingtan only felt pity for the magpie birds that had occupied their nests. She reached out and touched the child's head and asked, "Child, why did you come here? This is the forbidden area of ​​​​Tangmen. Where is your family?" She I decided to test the child's tone first, and then trick the child into leading the way.

The child frowned and looked up at Chu Jingtan, looked at her clothes, and then raised his fingers. Chu Jingtan did not doubt that he was there. She bent down and the child suddenly slapped her in the face.

Chu Jingtan was caught off guard and received a harsh slap on the face. She couldn't help but be surprised. She had seen a lot of overbearing children from powerful families, but to slap them in the face with just two words was really unheard of, and she couldn't help but feel angry.

Just listen to the child saying in a cold voice: "The slaves of the Tang Sect are so ignorant? Oh..." Before he could finish his words, Chu Jingtan had already kicked him to the ground, and then grabbed him by the back to kill him. Pick it up. Although the child was young, his kung fu was not bad. He put his right hand on the ground and flew towards him with his feet. Chu Jingtan took advantage of his short legs and grabbed his shoes and lifted him up.

"What are you doing! How dare you treat guests like this?!" The child blushed and shouted loudly.

"Are you a guest?" Chu Jingtan was surprised, and then she changed her mind. Now she didn't have to think about how to use clichés. If she didn't make a big deal out of it and let Madam know directly, Madam would have to summon her to explain. If you get into trouble, get into trouble. Instead of being punished Being put under house arrest in this compound, it would be better to give him a blow with a knife.

Chu Jingtan made up her mind and shouted: "You kid, take me to see your father and see how he taught you to be so rude!"

The child suddenly flew up with his right foot and kicked the door in front of Chu Jingtan. Chu Jingtan blocked it with his left hand, and felt a strong force. Then his hand loosened, and the child turned around and swung his waist to break free of Chu Jingtan's wrist. Chu Jingtan only It is rare for someone to be able to pick up a boot at the age of eleven or twelve.

The child landed slightly slowly. Chu Jingtan was afraid that he would escape, so he threw out his boots and hit him in the face, then quickly stepped forward. The child pretended to turn around and was about to leave, but suddenly turned around and slapped him. This move of "looking back at the moon" was extremely cruel. Chu Jingtan grabbed his arm, stepped back, and dragged him back. The child fell to the ground with a "ah" sound, and he fell like a dog.

"Take me to see your father." Chu Jingtan said with a serious face, as if to teach a child, and picked up the fallen boots, only to find that the boots were heavy. When the boots were turned over, several wooden pads fell out. The child stood up and saw that one of his legs was long and one was short. It turned out that he was lame and he was looking at him fiercely.

Chu Jingtan apologized: "I'm sorry, I didn't know you..."

"What's your name?" The child regained his composure, took the boots and put them on.

"My name is Chu Jingtan. If you have any dissatisfaction, please take me to see your father."

Chu Jingtan was still determined to make the matter bigger, preferably out of control.

"I have to think about how to deal with you." The child spoke in an old-fashioned way, "You are a foolish woman, stupid... but the crime will not lead to death." He looked at Chu Jingtan, "Well... Okay, you accompany me I'll sleep for a few days, I..."

Chu Jingtan hit the child with her sword and scabbard. The child was already prepared, jumped back and said sarcastically: "What a pity."

Chu Jingtan was about to give chase again when she suddenly heard a loud shout: "How dare you!" A fierce palm wind struck from behind. Chu Jingtan was shocked. She couldn't turn back, so she could only roll forward, and the palm wind blew from her back. However, I felt a faint tingling sensation.

Chu Jingtan knew that she was encountering a master and was afraid of being pursued. She rolled once, then did two somersaults, and jumped into the tree. Then she turned around and held her sword on guard.

The visitor was about to give chase when the child shouted: "Brother, it's okay, we were just joking!"

Chu Jingtan looked down from the tree and saw a young man wearing a crown and a black and red robe. He was about 20 years old, more than eight feet tall, with curly hair, a high nose, and bright eyes. He looks very handsome.

"Why did you hit my brother?" The young man shouted, "Come down and tell me clearly!"

Chu Jingtan made up her mind to cause trouble, jumped down from the tree, straightened her hair slightly, and said: "Your brother is rude. If you think I am at fault, arrest me and tell me in front of my wife."

The young man shouted: "Apologise to my brother and I will let you go!"

"I won't apologize!" Chu Jingtan raised her head, "Take me to see Madam!"

The young man looked at Chu Jingtan for a while, seemingly hesitant, and when he was about to speak, the child said: "Brother, don't listen to her, let's forget it."

"Huh?" Chu Jingtan was surprised. He thought that the child was so violent and would make things worse if he suffered a loss.

I just heard the child laughing and saying: "You look like you are not from the Tang Sect. You know that I am a guest, but you dare to disobey me, and you keep asking us to take you away."

When this kid laughs, it makes people want to punch him. How can there be such an unpleasant kid in the world?
"You want to see Madam, that's your purpose, right?" the child said.

Chu Jingtan's expression changed.

"I guessed it right." The kid dusted himself off, "I won't argue with you, brother, let's go."

It seemed that something big had happened. Chu Jingtan shouted, "Look at the sword!" and thrust out the sword. The young man stood in front of his brother, stepped aside, and twisted Chu Jingtan's wrist.

"Miss Chu!" Another voice sounded, it was Yang Zaidao, the housekeeper. He was dragging his old body over and apologized to the young man continuously: "Master Zhuge, I don't know the etiquette of this servant. Don't blame me for offending you."

"She was the one who was rude first. Who wants you to apologize? Let's go see Madam and explain!"

"I have been ordered by the madam to take care of the girl. If the girl commits any crime, the madam will definitely punish me."

Chu Jingtan choked immediately.

"Brother, let's go!" The child was elated and limped away. But the young man looked back frequently and hesitated to speak.

"Tell Madam, if you don't see me again, I will set fire to the Tangmen courtyard!" Chu Jingtan returned to the house and said loudly to Yang Zaidao, "I will really do this!"

"Miss, please don't do it." Yang Zaidao was still respectful, "This old servant will be implicated."

"What does it have to do with you if I set a fire?"

"In Madam's eyes, it's none of my business."

Chu Jingtan gritted her teeth. She didn't want to implicate innocent people, so she seemed to have to find another way. First get a map of the Tangmen compound, preferably with a guard inspection list.

Seems more reckless, she thought before going to bed.

Early the next morning, Chu Jingtan was going out to survey the terrain again. Two figures, one tall and one short, walked into the door. They were the Zhuge brothers from yesterday. She inquired from Butler Yang and found out that the brothers were from Diancang.

"What are you doing here, looking for bad luck?" Chu Jingtan immediately became alert.

Zhuge Yan bowed his hands and saluted: "When I went back, I asked my younger brother what happened. It was my younger brother who offended me first. I came here today to apologize to Miss Chu. My younger brother, I apologize to Sister Jing."

Zhuge Ran bowed down with his hands raised, and the insoles under his feet were raised. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't be able to tell that he was disabled: "It's me who is rude, don't blame me, Sister Jing."

When Chu Jingtan heard Zhuge Yan's humble words, she immediately had a good impression: "It's my fault that I didn't know the importance and was rude to the young master."

"Young lady, won't you entertain me?" Zhuge Yan asked, "After all, I am the Crown Prince of Dian Cang, so I am worth two cups of tea, right?"

"Of course, Mr. Zhuge, please come in." Chu Jingtan hurriedly invited the two brothers to come in and take a seat, and asked the maid to prepare snacks and tea. She hadn't spoken to anyone else for a long time. Although she had misunderstandings with the brothers, it wasn't annoying to hear Zhuge Yan talk politely, and she wanted to find someone to relieve her boredom.

"The female hero of Chu is very good at martial arts." Zhuge Yan praised, "My brother-in-law said he can't beat you."

"He is still just a child, and he will definitely achieve something in the future. It is really admirable for the young master to have such martial arts attainments at his age."

Zhuge Yan laughed loudly: "I also fought against the Eight Guards of the Tang Sect."

"Oh?" Chu Jingtan became curious, "Who has the young master fought against? Ji Languang?"

"The girl is so smart, she can guess right." Zhuge Yan said with a smile, "I used Ling Cang Jue to defeat his Jiu Shu Dao, but..." He paused for a while, then continued, "Obviously Ji Languang didn't use all his strength. , he loses quickly, he just wants me to overestimate myself, gives me face and deceives me into thinking I am self-righteous."

Chu Jingtan nodded, feeling that this man was arrogant but not arrogant, which made him a little more favorable.

"Three years, almost three more years, before I can really defeat the Eighth Guards." Zhuge Yan crossed his fingers and asked again, "Miss Chu also fought against Ji Languang?"

Chu Jingtan shook his head and said, "It will take at least seven or eight years for me. That's still fast."

"Emei's martial arts is very good, but he is slow to get started and tends to be feminine. If you don't have enough skills to deal with Ji Languang's hard sword skills, you will be at a disadvantage. Dian Cang just has some hard skills. If Miss Chu doesn't dislike it, let's learn from each other and learn from each other. Maybe we can help each other. ?”

Chu Jingtan said happily: "Very good."

The maid brought tea at this time, and Chu Jingtan said: "Master, please have some tea."

Zhuge Yan raised his cup to drink tea and praised: "Girl, this tea is much better than Tianfeng Tower."

"Tianfeng Tower?" Chu Jingtan was stunned, "The largest brothel in Kunming?"

Zhuge Ran's expression changed. Zhuge Yan realized that he had made a mistake and stammered his explanation: "I...I went with Mr. Tang, then..."

Chu Jingtan didn't deeply hate Xunhuawenliu. She was very aware of the social activities of the children of these aristocratic families, but Zhuge Yan was busy explaining and said anxiously: "You are much prettier than the girls there!"

Zhuge Ran rolled his eyes and said hurriedly: "Brother, don't talk yet!"

"Young Master thinks I'm much prettier than the girls in the brothel." Chu Jingtan smiled, "So Young Master wants to sleep with me?"

Zhuge Yan never expected that Chu Jingtan would speak so straightforwardly, and quickly waved his hands and shook his head: "If I just wanted to sleep with you, I would have made a price long ago!"

"Brother! Shut up!" Zhuge Ran covered his face, looking even more embarrassed than Zhuge Yan.

Chu Jingtan felt angry: "How much price do you want, Master? Let me think about it!"

Zhuge Yan didn't know how to answer, so he had to say: "Don't be angry, that's not what I meant. Why don't you understand..."

Zhuge Ran pulled Zhuge Yan's sleeve and stood up: "Miss Chu, our brothers say goodbye."

"I still need to explain to Miss Chu..."

"Get out!" Chu Jingtan shouted. Zhuge Yan was stunned for a moment and was dragged away by his younger brother.

Are all the children of aristocratic families so ignorant? Chu Jingtan was just short of being angry.

Three more days later, Chu Jingtan had memorized the terrain of the nearby empty yard. There are two ways to escape. One is to avoid the guards and escape at night. The other is to go to the hall to see the madam, but he is afraid that the madam will not let him go...

There are still guards to avoid, so seeing the lady alone is as difficult as assassination...

There was a knock on the door, and it was the voice of the maid: "Miss Chu, Mr. Zhuge is here to see you." Chu Jingtan came to the hall and saw the kid who was as big as a brat.

"Can I come in?" Zhuge Ran asked.

"Call me Sister Jing." Chu Jingtan said, "Your brother asked you to call me that."

The corners of Zhuge Ran's mouth twitched.

"Then don't come in."

"I'm here to help you."

"I'm in."

Chu Jingtan stood up to go back to the room, but Zhuge Ran had to shout: "Sister Jing, please take a step to speak!"

"What do you want to say?" Chu Jingtan asked Zhuge Ran to take a seat, "I won't serve tea."

"My brother and I came from Diancang to visit the Tang Clan. The heir apparent of the Nine Families needs to travel some distance to keep in touch with each other." The child spoke slowly and calmly, but he was very mature.

"Some heirs of the Nine Families like to socialize with the sons and daughters of the sect leader or the masters of various halls to make connections. That is my brother's job. Let him do the useless things, and I can do the useful things."

"I like talking to old people. The older the better. People like Butler Yang. God knows those powerful people are all the same. You don't need to waste too much time. Only old people can know the secrets of the sect. Every Tang sect Anyone can boast of seeing how bright the stars are on Shushan Mountain, but only he knows what kind of pickles my wife and second master like to eat with their porridge."

"Can you say something important? I'm sleepy." Chu Jingtan criticized mercilessly.

Zhuge Ran smiled awkwardly: "I mean, I asked Butler Yang about a lot of things, and I know that Miss Chu..."

"Call me Sister Jing!" Chu Jingtan insisted on taking advantage.

"Sister Jing's situation..."

"You speak much more steadily than your brother."

"Each fruit falls to the ground at a different time. I am the first one." Zhuge Ran smiled, full of contentment.

"You can see it's broken."

"The most important thing about fruits is sweetness. Beautiful fruits are easy to be sour." Zhuge Ran returned to the topic, "You know Mrs. Tang?"
Why do people trap you here? "

"why?"

"Mrs. Tang has a title that is circulated in private. Maybe it won't be private for a long time. She is called Mrs. Cold Face. Things in the Tang Sect are dirtier than you think. You just need to pay attention to how many famous brands there are in front of the mansions in Guan County. Just a new coat of paint will do." Zhuge Ran smiled and said, "Didn't my brother have a fight with the Eight Guards? Ji Languang could have won, but he lost. The cold-faced lady slapped him and scolded him for being useless. The second God drove him away."

"Ah?" Chu Jingtan exclaimed, he didn't expect Ji Languang to end up like this.

"She taught me never to be soft on the people around me. Only by being strict can people be convinced. It is taboo for a king to be near or far." Zhuge Ran sneered, "She did all this just to plant a wrong thought in my heart. Let me be serious and be strict with the people around me. How deep is the cold-faced lady? She will even plot my temper twenty years from now."

"Mrs. Grim wants to tame you."

"tame?"

"She likes your beauty, which is the most important talent. She also likes your temperament, which is strong, smart, and resilient. I heard that you were knocked to the ground and bit your lip without screaming, and you were always thinking of a solution. Get out."

"Time flies."

"Power and wealth may not always be in your hands." Zhuge Ran shook his head, "Only reputation in this world can last forever. We will remember the names of people from thousands of years ago, but we will not remember the names of every Shaolin abbot."

"What you mean is that Madam deliberately made me look embarrassed in front of many people to humiliate my self-esteem..." Chu Jingtan suddenly understood.

"But you obviously weren't affected. You still rejected Tang Jinyang and scolded him."

"I just lost, there is no shame in it, and I didn't think I would win in the first place."

"Perhaps being thick-skinned is also the reason why Sister Jing is favored by Mrs. Leng Mian." Zhuge Ran disagreed, "I can't stand crying and kneeling in front of hundreds of people. Maybe that is also an important leadership skill."

"How old are you? Twelve? Thirteen?"

"I'm sixteen in the middle of the year. I'm just short, not small." Zhuge Ran was a little annoyed, "You were slapped by me just for touching my head. I'm an adult."

"Oh?" Chu Jingtan sneered, "Then there won't be much time left for you to grow taller."

Zhuge Ran's face was green and white. He took a deep breath and said, "Do you remember the other courtyard when we met? That was the residence of a concubine named Wen Yi. Mrs. Lengmian did not allow any of her husband's concubines to become pregnant. She She doesn't like to be bothered by family matters. She wants you, but she wants to tame you, make you obediently her wife, and make you accept your fate."

"I can spend ten years here." Chu Jingtan suppressed her panic, "Why didn't she give the order directly? It would be so convenient for me to hack her son to death on the wedding night."

"You have already told the reason, what else do you want me to say?" Zhuge Ran said, "You are now her backup daughter-in-law. If you accept your fate, you will marry, and you will be content after marrying into the Tang clan. If you don't accept your fate, Mrs. Lengmian can slowly look for other daughters-in-law."

"What if I could escape, or see Madame?"

"That will only make her like you more, and she might actually make an offer."

"I won't sell it."

"It's just that we can't agree on the price." Zhuge Ran disagreed.

"I understand." Chu Jingtan stood up and bowed her hands: "I was rude that day. I didn't know Mr. Zhuge's age, so I apologize to Mr. Zhuge. Please also tell your elder brother that the past is like smoke, and I still welcome him to be a guest. As long as He should stop asking you to prepare a speech for him."

"I know Sister Jing likes people who are pretentious." Zhuge Ran sneered, "It was very successful at first."

"Do you have anything else to say?"

"You don't want me to help you?" Zhuge Ran puffed up his chest and felt quite proud. "You should be able to find that I am very smart and can solve all your problems."

"And I especially like to use metaphors when speaking." Chu Jingtan said, "I shouldn't be the only one who has said that, right?"

Zhuge Ran snorted: "I can help you..."

"No need." Chu Jingtan interrupted Zhuge Ran, "I can keep spending time with my wife. In ten or twenty years, she will not tame me, but I will always have a way to escape. Besides, Tang Jinyang cannot last forever. If we don’t get married, she will eventually choose another girl to replace me.”

"What's the use of wasting your youth?"

"I'm only eighteen." Chu Jingtan smiled, "I will be the daughter-in-law that Madam always wants but can't get. She will remember this, and she will remember it for a long time. If Tang Jinyang's children are as unqualified as him, , she will be upset for the rest of her life, how many people in this world can make Mrs. Lengmian worry about her?"

Zhuge Ran was silent for a long time.

"I don't like this result very much. If I can't see you for these three days, my brother will lose weight faster than the snowdrifts under the sun."

"Your brother should have no shortage of beauties."

"The best thing you can't get is the best. He likes stubborn and unyielding women."

"Your brother also likes Mrs. Cold Face?"

"You don't have to be so stubborn." Zhuge Ran rolled his eyes, "You should really get along with my brother for a while. I don't intend to force you, after all, even the cold-faced lady can't force you, but my brother is a good person, and he still He has... um... some other advantages, such as good looks and talent in martial arts."

"My brother sincerely invites Miss Chu to travel to Diancang. Please accept Sister Jing's consent."

This should be the best result. Madam agreed to Zhuge Yan's request to invite Chu Jingtan to Diancang. Chu Jingtan was only trapped in Tangmen for more than a month, although she really wanted to try whether she could escape. .

Butler Yang packed her luggage: "I didn't expect the girl to leave so soon."

Chu Jingtan hummed softly and suddenly remembered something: "Did you tell the second young master of the Zhuge family about me?"

"Just gossip." Yang Zaidao hunched over and lifted the luggage for Chu Jingtan.

He has been in Tangmen for fifty years, so he should know very well what not to say. There is no reason for him to reveal so much about himself to Zhuge Ran.

"Are you helping me?" Chu Jingtan was confused, "If I let Madam know..."

"I served Aunt Wen before... That was a long time ago... She was very kind and considerate to her servants. Everyone thought she was executed by the Second Master because she betrayed him. Only a few of us knew that she He committed suicide by taking poison."

Arriving at the courtyard, Yang Zaidao piled his luggage on the carriage, and Chu Jingtan got on the horse and looked around.

"You might as well leave early. This yard is very big..." Yang Zaidao's voice came slowly.

In the empty deep garden, there were only flowers, grass, trees, insects, birds, and fish. Chu Jingtan passed by these in turn... They were not dead things, but they were lifeless for some reason. She vaguely heard the last sentence in her ears:

“…but not many people can live there.”

(End of this chapter)