Xuanyuan Chaohua, sitting slightly lower than the envoys of the five kingdoms, had clearly heard their words. His expression was gloomy and his eyes were dark: "Yue'er absolutely cannot be harmed!"
The situation on the field became increasingly tense. Ouyang Yue dodged Zi Yi's attack in the first wave, but this time Zi Yi and Zi Er approached her at the same time. At this moment, Ouyang Yue, on horseback, was attacked several times and barely dodged each time. Her hair bun had already fallen apart, and her black hair was scattered and flying in the wind. Zi Yi sneered. At this moment, the whip lashed out again, not hitting her head or back, but directly wrapping around Ouyang Yue's hair. Ouyang Yue knew that if this continued, she would probably be in danger. Her constant dodging was useless. Suddenly, her whole body tilted to the side.
Exclamations immediately came from the stands: "Ah, Miss Ouyang has fallen off her horse!"
"Were you whipped? I didn't see it. What happened?"
"Did Miss Ouyang give up on her own?"
The audience below the stage was buzzing with discussion, and all eyes in the main stands were drawn to the scene. But then they realized something was wrong: where was Ouyang Yue? She had vanished.
Everyone frantically searched for Ouyang Yue, but Zi Yi, standing on the left tail, had a drastic change in expression. While others couldn't see her due to the angle, she saw it clearly. Ouyang Yue's body had suddenly swayed and fallen. She had initially thought Ouyang Yue had been startled and thrown from her horse, but in that instant, Ouyang Yue's legs suddenly bent, her feet wrapped around the reins, and she was hanging precariously on the side of the horse, her face down and facing her. At the same time, the horse's speed did not decrease in the slightest. If things went wrong, this could be a matter of life and death.
Ouyang Yue gripped the dangling reins with one hand, half-hanging on the side of the horse to control her body. At this moment, she only needed to face Zi Yi, which changed the dangerous situation of one against four. Zi Yi took one position and then immediately lashed out with her long whip. Ouyang Yue was hanging upside down on the reins, so her control was naturally worse, and her movement was also restricted as her head was down. Ouyang Yue could dodge her whip before, but this time she was not so lucky.
Zi Yi swiftly lashed out with her whip, leaving Ouyang Yue hanging upside down in mid-air. A slow smile played on her lips as she reached into her robes with her other hand, pulling out a whip – the very same Immortal Binding Lock from before – and lashed it out. This Immortal Binding Lock was more resilient and powerful than the horsewhip. It collided with the horsewhip in mid-air, throwing it off course. Zi Yi was startled; the loss of her whip was one thing, but the horse's steps were thrown off balance. She quickly grabbed the reins to maintain her balance, but this time Ouyang Yue didn't stop after the first strike. The Immortal Binding Lock paused in mid-air, and Ouyang Yue swung her arm towards Zi Yi. Zi Yi frantically tried to calm her horse, and as the Immortal Binding Lock swung again, she could only turn her head to dodge.
"Whoosh!" However, Ouyang Yue's purpose was not to swing it at her head. The Immortal Binding Lock went straight for Zi Yi's neck. Zi Yi's body stiffened, and she immediately reached out to block the inner ring of the Immortal Binding Lock, trying to break free. However, she found that the Immortal Binding Lock was getting tighter and tighter. Her face changed drastically. The constricting force of the Immortal Binding Lock was astonishing. If she did not break free, she would be in danger!
But at that moment, Ouyang Yue's smile deepened, her eyes flashing with a sharp, crystalline light. "Whoosh, swoosh!"
"Bang, plop, thud, splash!"
Zi Yi was already under control, and Ouyang Yue immediately used her strength to pull up the Immortal Binding Lock. Zi Yi was pulled off the horse uncontrollably. At this moment, Ouyang Yue flicked her hand and threw Zi Yi to the side. There was a viewing platform next to them, and Zi Yi's body crashed into the table and chairs in front of him, immediately sending wood chips flying everywhere. With a "pfft," Zi Yi spat out a mouthful of blood, and his body rolled and fell directly to the ground. He groaned and couldn't get up for a moment.
The scene fell silent. No one expected that Ouyang Yue, who had just been at a disadvantage, would actually throw Zi Yi to the ground, injuring her so badly that she couldn't get up. This was simply too unexpected!
At this moment, Ouyang Yue tightly wrapped her legs together and suddenly pulled on the dangling reins. Her mount suddenly neighed and sprang up on its front legs. Just when everyone thought the horse was about to go berserk, Ouyang Yue used the momentum to gracefully flip back onto the horse's back. Her movements were swift and decisive, even possessing a graceful, flowing beauty. Her glossy black hair twirled in the air, creating a beautiful arc, immediately stunning the crowd.
"Big sister!" Zi San, who was running behind Zi Yi, was startled and immediately shouted. He looked at Ouyang Yue with a gloomy face. Now that Zi Yi had fallen off his horse, he obviously could no longer compete. Although Zi Er and Zi Si were worried, they knew that at this time, the competition should be the priority, and they should avenge Zi Yi.
"Go! Change formation!"
Zi San kicked off the ground, taking Zi Yi's place. At her command, Zi Er, Zi Si, and she simultaneously lashed out with their whips, striking Ouyang Yue from three directions. This was a true encirclement attack. Just now, they had held back, with only Zi Yi making a move, but now they were unleashing their killing blows. One whip struck Ouyang Yue's head, while the other two lashes struck her back and arms from the left and right, effectively cutting off two of her escape routes. Each whip was a deadly strike.
"Crack!" Baili Chen crushed the teacup in his hand, his expression extremely cold. Leng Sha's face was also stern, and he was secretly making hand gestures. In the stands, ordinary people who were dressed up had sharp eyes, staring intently at the arena, ready to leap out.
At that moment, Ouyang Yue pulled out another riding whip from the saddle, holding one in each hand and swinging it outwards. One whip wrapped around Zi San's whip, while the other Immortal Binding Lock wrapped around Zi Er and Zi Si, who were moving in the same direction. The three of them were shocked and shouted with a cold laugh, "Retreat!" They tried to retreat, but that would result in them pulling on Ouyang Yue's arms.
Ouyang Yue sneered, and at the same time, she raised her arm, directly binding the whips in her hand together. Inevitably, the whips of Zi Er and the other two became entangled. At this moment, Ouyang Yue held the Immortal Binding Lock in her hand, which suddenly began to shake strangely. Zi Er and the other two felt a numbness in their hands and clenched their fists tightly. However, at this moment, Ouyang Yue pulled the Immortal Binding Lock, and the horse galloped forward, directly pulling on the whips of the other three. The three of them leaned forward, and with a "whoosh" sound, a numb and painful sensation came over them. At the same time, they were also controlled by the whips, and their bodies began to tilt forward or to the side. The three of them were shocked. At this moment, it was difficult to escape. They immediately let go of the whips in their hands to prevent themselves from falling off the horse.
Ouyang Yue's horse had already galloped off, her soft, glossy black hair flying high in the air, creating beautiful arcs. A faint smile graced her face, her back ramrod straight, exuding a heroic and dashing air that left everyone staring at her in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Zi Er, Zi San, and Zi Si, who were lagging behind her, all showed resentment. It was a momentary lapse in judgment; they had only let go to prevent being thrown from their horses by Ouyang Yue. The others, however, had witnessed the earlier dramatic scene. Although everyone in the capital knew Ouyang Yue was somewhat impulsive and knew some fancy footwork, even those without martial arts backgrounds could see that her technique was exquisite and swift—far beyond what a novice could achieve. Moreover, she was fighting three against one! Just when they all thought she would lose, she had turned the tables!
When Ouyang Yue's horse crossed the finish line, the entire stadium erupted in gasps of surprise. There were excited gasps, dissatisfied gasps, and incredulous complaints—all sorts of reactions. But one could not deny that Ouyang Yue's technique was truly exquisite.
She was undoubtedly the winner of this horse race. Facing four opponents and several close calls, she emerged victorious, a result that left a lasting impression. Zi Yi, however, was severely injured and disqualified. Aside from Ouyang Yue's first-place finish, the other rankings were largely unimportant. Of course, Zi Yi's second, third, and fourth places included those who qualified for the top ten to top nine competition. The remaining five places were reserved for substitute riders like Jiang Huan and Baili Nan, who were also qualified to advance.
Zi Er rode his horse toward Ouyang Yue, looking at her coldly: "You injured my eldest sister, so you'd better be careful in the upcoming matches."
"What? You're allowed to hurt me, but I'm not even allowed to defend myself?"
"No matter what, you hurt my eldest sister, so I'll take your life!" Zi Yi was seriously injured even if she survived. Even if she fell off her horse, she probably wouldn't be able to continue the competition. Although Zi Yi and the other three were maids of the Miao Jiang Holy King, they were all proficient in chess, music, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and songs since childhood. They also had the pride of talented women and were as close as sisters. If one of them was injured, the other three would take cruel revenge.
Ouyang Yue sneered: "Oh, you are quite domineering. Obviously, like master, like servant. How despicable and shameless!"
"How dare you insult your master!" Zi Er immediately retaliated by striking Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue smiled coldly, the Immortal Binding Lock already in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, she caught Zi Er off guard, who was at her weakest point due to her anger and the close proximity of Ouyang Yue. Before Zi Er could react, her neck was immediately wrapped around the lock. She cried out in alarm, "Stop!"
Ouyang Yue laughed: "Okay, I'll stop!" She was surprisingly easy to talk to. However, with a flick of her wrist, the Immortal Binding Lock wrapped around Zi Er and threw him. Zi San and Zi Si happened to be riding over there. When Zi Er came crashing down, they instinctively reached out to catch him, but Ouyang Yue flicked the Immortal Binding Lock, causing Zi Er's body to spin in the air and crash down on Zi San and Zi Si. With the force of the impact, the three of them immediately fell off their horses in a sorry state and rolled twice on the ground before coming to a stop.
...
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then shouts rang out.
"Well done, Miss Ouyang! Haha, great shot!"
"What are you doing? Marseille has already finished his race, and she's whipping someone else. That's terrible behavior."
"What's so bad about it? This is much better than those sneak attacks. Our Miss Ouyang's attack was an open attack. Those three women couldn't dodge it themselves. Who can you blame if they don't have the ability? Miss Ouyang clearly didn't do it on purpose."
"Exactly, it wasn't intentional at all!"
"Bullshit, wasn't that intentional?!"
"So what if it was intentional? Your people were deliberately sabotaging things during the match too. This is just retribution. You deserve it!"
"Are you asking for a beating?!"
"What, you want to fight? Come on, are you afraid of me? You despicable and shameless scoundrel, you resort to underhanded tactics when you can't win. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Damn it, let's fight!"
"beat!"
Chaos erupted at the scene. The two groups of people were pulling, tugging, and cursing at each other. Crown Prince Baili Cheng, with a smile on his face, immediately waved his hand, and soldiers ran over to pull the people apart.
The Miao King said with a stern face, "Crown Prince of Great Zhou, what does Ouyang Yue mean by this? It's wrong of her to make a move after the competition is over. So-called struggles are all on the field. We are still friends in private. Does she want to destroy the peace between our two countries by doing this?"
Baili Chen sneered: "I saw that the servant in purple robes made the first move. What, our contestants can't even defend themselves? So they're wrong? Miao Jiang King is really domineering. How dare you be so arrogant and domineering in the territory of my Great Zhou Dynasty? Where does your confidence come from?"
The Miao King's expression changed: "Zi Er was just saying hello. Did she just raise her hand to attack? Ouyang Yue overreacted and hurt someone. It was her fault."
"Oh, so this is how the Great Zhou Dynasty greets people? If the Miao King doesn't believe me, I, the prince, can test you right now. Leng Sha, bring out the whip!" Baili Chen raised an eyebrow and said with a smile.
"You dare to be so disrespectful! I am the King of Miao Jiang! You have no respect for Miao Jiang at all!"
Baili Chen looked at the Miao King indifferently: "Oh, I've only heard that the most noble person in Miao is the Miao Holy King. Even if you are a king, you are still a level below him. And if your country's strength is inferior to that of the Great Zhou, you are a level below him. All things considered, you should be about the same as me. We are equals, so how can I not respect you? It is you who are so arrogant and domineering in front of my Crown Prince brother. Do you even respect the Great Zhou?"
Baili Cheng gave Baili Chen a strange look. In the past, Baili Chen had always taken him seriously because of Emperor Mingxian's favor. But today he was praising and exaggerating his status? However, Baili Cheng still felt proud and said with a smile, "King Miao Jiang, don't be angry. Why don't you ask the Holy King what he means?"
The Miao Holy King glanced coldly at the two women, Zi Er and San, who had returned to his side, and said, "If your skills are inferior, you can't blame others."
The two or three women in the purple robes stiffened, their faces paled, and they lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
Judging from the Miao Jiang Holy King's earlier remarks about the outcome of the competition being determined by the results, he had no choice but to say it, otherwise it would be a slap in the face. He was different from the Miao Jiang King. The Holy King's nobility and the promise he kept were like the golden words of a monarch. The Miao Jiang King's expression was still somewhat unpleasant, but since the Holy King had already spoken, he naturally could not say anything.
Chief Hash watched their fight indifferently, merely smiling obsequiously. Meanwhile, the Great Khan's Crown Prince Jiang Qi and the Black Teeth Kingdom's Emperor also looked grim. They had previously thought the four Miao women could eliminate Ouyang Yue, but unexpectedly, Ouyang Yue had taken first place. Moreover, judging from the previous match, Ouyang Yue was even more troublesome than the four Zi Yi women. They had been very confident in the upcoming matches, even believing they could defeat the four Zi Yi women, but Ouyang Yue had actually fought four against one and won. For them, Ouyang Yue was now their number one enemy!
Back in the post-race rest area, Mu Cuiwei's face darkened. Ouyang Yue had actually withstood the attacks of the four Miao women without suffering any loss. How could this be? She had hired the best horseman in the entire capital for this horse race, but it hadn't made any difference. Mu Cuiwei felt nauseous, as if she had swallowed a fly. She clenched her fists, her expression cold and stern. This time, Ouyang Yue's championship was definitely hers. If you dare to stand in my way, then there is only one path: death!
Ning Xihe sat quietly to one side, her face also showing shock. The Ouyang Yue she remembered as someone who was good for nothing actually possessed such skill. Although she wasn't good at literature, her martial arts were truly astonishing. The competitions from ten to nine and nine to seven were also quite sophisticated; winning first place in these competitions brought increasing benefits as the competition progressed. In the final few matches, a single point could mean losing the championship. Therefore, none of them dared to underestimate these smaller rounds. Who knew if she would gain extra points from winning earlier rounds and thus defeat those ahead? Even she hadn't gotten it, yet Ouyang Yue had—this was truly unexpected.
Baili Nan's expression was somewhat calm. She had no personal relationship with Ouyang Yue and no grudges against her. She used to look down on Ouyang Yue, who had a bad reputation, but she didn't expect that Ouyang Yue was also a capable person. Surely such a person couldn't have such a bad reputation that she became one of the three ugliest people in the capital. She... wasn't without merits.
After the competition ended, everyone left with their servants. Jiang Huan suddenly stood in front of Ning Xihe, who had arrived a step later, and said with a smile, "I heard that Ouyang Yue is your cousin. I didn't expect that Ouyang Yue, who has a bad reputation, would have such abilities. I'm sure Miss Ning is very happy for her now."
Ning Xihe has a beautiful and refined appearance and a very gentle and quiet nature. She slowly raised her head and smiled faintly, "So it's Princess Jiang. Yes, Yue'er is my cousin. I'm naturally happy for her to win first place in the competition."
Jiang Huan said meaningfully, "Oh, I didn't expect Miss Ning to be such a magnanimous woman. Can she really sincerely wish Ouyang Yue well? I certainly can't."
Ning Xihe lowered her eyes slightly and looked at Jiang Huan: "Princess Jiang, what do you mean by this?"
"What do you mean? Hehehe, I think Miss Ning, you should know very well." Jiang Huan was also very shrewd. She had sent people to find out about the contestants beforehand. Although she couldn't know some details that the contestants deliberately concealed, she still knew these contestants quite well. She was very good at observing people. She had observed that Ning Xihe and Ouyang Yue had only interacted two or three times from beginning to end, and they had only exchanged a few words each time before parting ways. Their relationship was definitely not close.
Ning Xihe pursed her lips and looked at Jiang Huan with hostility: "If Princess Jiang wants to sow discord, I think you should forget it. First of all, Yue'er and I are both citizens of the Great Zhou and have the responsibility to serve the Great Zhou. Moreover, we are relatives, and I would never do anything to harm Yue'er. If Princess Jiang has any other thoughts, she might as well take this opportunity to practice more. If you lack confidence, you can regain some through practice. I really can't help you with anything else."
"You! You're mocking me!" Jiang Huan glared at Ning Xihe with a stern face.
"Princess Jiang has wronged me. How could I dare? It's just that honest advice is hard to swallow. Please forgive me, Princess Jiang." After saying this, Ning Xihe gracefully bowed and turned to leave.
Jiang Huan's face turned pale and then red, and finally she sneered, "Hmph, as expected, she is a hypocritical and cunning woman. If she was really happy for Ouyang Yue, why didn't she go and congratulate her when Ouyang Yue was here? Ning Xihe, hmph, you'll have your day."
Ning Xihe froze as soon as she stepped out of the tent. Her maidservant immediately helped her up, saying, "Miss, shall we go back to the manor first?"
Ning Xihe smiled faintly: "Yes, let's go back. It's a great blessing that my cousin Yue'er won the horse racing championship. I need to go back to the mansion first to tell my grandmothers and make them happy. Then I'll go to the General's Mansion to congratulate them. I'm sure my great-aunt and uncle will be happy for my cousin Yue'er."
The maid said with admiration, "Miss is the most kind and generous. If it were any other young lady, how could she sincerely congratulate her? But I really didn't expect Miss Biao to perform like this. In my mind, she was just an ignorant and good-for-nothing playboy, without even a single thing worth praising. I never thought she could win first place in a small section. It's truly remarkable."
The maid, oblivious to Ning Xihe's somewhat somber expression, continued her rambling. Ning Xihe couldn't help but scold her, "Alright, stop talking." The maid was startled and looked at Ning Xihe, who immediately shook her head, saying, "We're outside now. It's fine for you to praise Cousin Yue'er like this at home, but outside, wouldn't people laugh at you? Besides, if people hear you saying this, they'll think you're showing off, which is making enemies for Cousin Yue'er, do you realize that?"
The maid was startled and quickly lowered her head, saying, "It was my fault, I won't do it again, thank you for your guidance, Miss."
Ning Xihe nodded: "Okay, let's go back."
"Yes, Miss."
Envoys and people from various countries left their seats one after another. Each advancement competition was held the day after it ended. Especially for some important advancement competitions, there would sometimes be a two or three-day break or even longer before the competition was held. Before long, the stadium was almost empty.
Ouyang Yue was walking along a side path. Behind the competition venue were several rooms for the contestants to change clothes. Ouyang Yue's hair was disheveled and her clothes were a bit messy, so she needed to get dressed before leaving. Therefore, she went straight to the side rooms in the back courtyard to get ready, with Chuncao and Dongxue following behind. After the two helped Ouyang Yue get ready, the three of them left the side rooms, walked along a side path, turned around, and crossed another road to reach the entrance. But at the intersection of the side path, a figure flashed by.
Dongxue immediately shouted in a low voice, "Who goes there!"
The figure was startled by Dongxue's shout and stiffened: "And who are you, daring to be so disrespectful to this young master!"
Ouyang Yue looked at the person who had accused her first. He wasn't very tall, but rather of medium build. He had a fair complexion, and his white clothes made him look like a thin scholar. He was not bad looking, but the way he was looking at her made her dislike him.
"What are you trying to do by suddenly popping out like this? If you hurt my young lady, even ten heads won't be enough to pay for it." Dongxue said coldly, her voice icy. Having been an assassin, she exuded murderous intent, causing the pale-faced man to glare at her and instinctively take a step back. But for some reason, his feet suddenly froze. "How dare you, a mere maid, be so disrespectful to this young master! You have quite the nerve! Do you know that I am..." The man's face remained cold, but he only finished speaking halfway.
"Ouyang Yue, is this the maid you trained? So unruly, it's simply outrageous!" The man turned his head and reprimanded Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue frowned immediately. This man's appearance was very strange, and she didn't recognize him at all. She had absolutely no recollection of him. "Does your silence mean you're ashamed? That's fine. If you keep making excuses for her, it will make you seem incapable of disciplining her, and even confused yourself. It seems you're not that bad after all."
Ouyang Yue frowned even deeper, but the man didn't notice. "I never expected that you, the most notorious of the three ugliest women in the capital, would actually win first place in a small section, and even make it into the top nine. It's already quite difficult to make it into the top ten in this beauty pageant, and you actually made it into the top nine. It seems you do have some talent. I underestimated you." As he spoke, the man carefully examined Ouyang Yue. Earlier in the stands, he had noticed Ouyang Yue's dashing and heroic figure while riding a horse, which was quite charming. He could consider what his mother had said; he, Huang Yu, couldn't possibly marry someone without talent or virtue.
Although being in the top nine was still a bit lacking, the title of being in the top nine of a beauty pageant was far more prestigious than the title of the "Three Beauties of the Capital," which somewhat dampened his anger at having to marry Ouyang Yue. Originally, he wanted to marry Ouyang Yue because of her status and the power behind her, but now that she had some ability, and upon closer inspection of her features, he discovered that she had exquisite features and eyes as bright as stars. For some reason, he felt an irresistible itch in his heart. Huang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.
Ouyang Yue stared coldly at Huang Yu, feeling utterly disgusted by this man who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She figured he was just another spoiled brat, recklessly causing trouble. Thinking back on riding the horse earlier, Ouyang Yue felt a lingering fear and was now quite tired. She didn't want to get entangled with this man and turned to leave. Huang Yu immediately blocked her way, saying, "Where are you going? I haven't finished speaking yet!"
From the other corner, three people walked in. One of them was dressed in a blue robe, with a handsome and refined appearance. However, upon seeing the situation, he suddenly stopped and asked, "Where is Ouyang Yue? Who is that man?"
Immediately someone nearby said, "Fifth Prince, I have seen that person in a brothel before. He is Huang Yu, the son of Huang Qi, a fourth-rank weapon supervisor."
Baili Jian frowned: "Hmph, a fourth-rank weapon supervisor!" He was clearly somewhat disdainful, but another person whispered, "However, these weapons have always belonged to the Emperor, so we shouldn't confront them directly."
Baili Jian withdrew his foot, which was about to step forward. Over the years, the princes in the court had been fighting openly and covertly, and Emperor Mingxian had turned a blind eye to it. However, if these princes easily made a move against Emperor Mingxian's people, or if it was found out that they had won his favor, none of them would benefit. Therefore, the Crown Prince and Baili Jian had a tacit understanding that no matter how fierce the fighting was, they would not deal with the loyalists in the court. Although Huang Qi was nothing in his eyes, he would not have a direct conflict with Huang Qi, since there was no benefit for him to do so at the moment.
"I'm going back to my residence now. I don't know who you are, and I don't care. But if you don't leave immediately, you must have seen the races at the racetrack. I wouldn't mind giving you a good beating too." Ouyang Yue's patience had long since worn thin. Huang Yu had immediately rebuked her. Now that five countries were gathered in the capital, Ouyang Yue instinctively thought that this might be a member of royalty from one of those countries. Because she had won the race, she was standing up for her country's contestant. It would be extremely unwise to confront royalty directly, even if they were from nomadic tribes that divided the region. So Ouyang Yue hadn't initially offended Huang Yu, but Huang Yu persisted, and Ouyang Yue couldn't continue with polite words.
"You dare to speak to me like that? Do you know who I am? I am..."
"Moon, you're here! Mother has been looking for you for so long!" Huang Yu said angrily, but at this moment a cry of surprise came. Ning Shi, dressed in fine clothes, came running from the crossroads with two maids. Huang Yu was stunned. Ning Shi had been coming into the mansion these past few days under the pretext of contacting friends, so he had naturally seen her before. Ning Shi gave him a look that said, "Take it easy."
Huang Yu was somewhat sensible and understood that young women should be reserved in such matters. However, he had assumed that someone like Ouyang Yue, whose reputation was utterly tarnished, would fawn over him like bees to honey. He hadn't expected her to be so eager after only making it into the top nine. Huang Yu was somewhat displeased. If this continued, would Ouyang Yue expect to ride roughshod over him after she married him? This little slut, harboring such thoughts, was truly shameless. No wonder she was one of the three ugliest women in the capital.
Ning noticed Huang Yu's expression and her eyes flashed. Huang Yu probably held a grudge against Ouyang Yue now. This was good news for her. She turned to Ouyang Yue with a smile and said, "Yue'er, let me introduce you. This is Huang Yu, the son of Lin Huangqi, a fourth-rank weapon master. His mother, He Shi, is my best friend."
Ouyang Yue's eyes darkened, and she looked at Ning Shi with an ambiguous expression...
☆、138, face crippled, legs broken!
Close friends? Ouyang Yue had never heard Ning Shi mention it before, and probably no one in the General's Mansion knew about it.
Based on her understanding of the Ning family, would she become close friends with someone who had no use to her? She had a rough recollection of the fourth-rank military commissioner in her mind. In terms of the duties of the military commissioner, he did indeed have some use, but she did not think that the Ning family would become close friends with the He family simply because of that.
If her memory served her right, she recalled some rumors about He Shi: a village girl, a fiercely jealous shrew who had driven away all her concubines, a notorious shrew in the capital. Given Ning Shi's pride, would she easily befriend someone with such a reputation? It seemed unlikely.