Minglong

Chapter 379 Flower Wine
clang--

The pipa music stopped abruptly!
Zhao Ling was flirting with her male concubine, almost forgetting where she was, when she suddenly heard a noise. Startled, she quickly pulled her hand away and closed her collar, glancing towards the door, almost blurting out:
"Who's so blind as to disturb this princess's enjoyment at this time..."

Xie Jinhuan quickly sat up, then noticed a commotion coming from the doorway. She put down her pipa and slipped to the door to peek outside.
"Senior Ye?"

? !
In the corridor, Ye Yunchi's hasty retreat abruptly halted, then he turned around unhurriedly, sword in hand, as if a female tutor were casually passing by the door:

"You're inside? I just got up and was just taking a walk..."

Although her expression seemed normal, a blush was clearly visible on her charming cheeks, her breathing was slightly unsteady, and her clothes were heaving, revealing a hint of nervousness.

Although Xie Jinhuan wasn't alerted by the ghost, he could tell from her appearance that Senior Sister Naigua had been spying. He didn't say anything, but simply explained:
"The Princess has arrived and is currently a guest in her room. Senior Ye, would you like to join us for a couple of drinks?"

The eldest princess...

Ye Yunchi suddenly realized, and thought to himself:

I knew it! Sect Leader Nangong would never behave so improperly...

But even a princess cannot...

Moreover, she was using an elder's body, and Xie Jinhuan didn't even know how to be discreet...

Could it be that they were afraid of the Princess's power and were forced to submit...?

If I go in, the princess will definitely not dare to act recklessly...

……

With this thought in mind, Ye Yunchi inexplicably walked towards the door:
"Um... well..."

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan was a little worried about being bullied by Senior Sister Naigua, so he quickly made way for her.

"Senior Ye, please come in."

Ye Yunchi looked up and saw that the woman beside the table had already reverted to her aloof and elegant Daoist nun appearance, and bowed in greeting first:
"This humble woman, Ye Yunchi, greets Your Highness, the Eldest Princess."

"No gift."

Zhao Ling was no longer the crazy young lady she had been just moments before; it was as if she had merely been enjoying tea and discussing philosophy. She glanced at the very fertile, large-breasted girl and looked at Xie Jinhuan with a puzzled expression:
"This is the first time I've met this Lady Ye, and she is also..."

Xie Jinhuan felt she was practically a daughter-in-law, but officially they were still far from being a couple; he was just giving a serious introduction.

"Master of Qingming Sword Manor, we met by chance at Dragon Bone Beach. Senior Ye helped a lot in seizing the opportunity."

"Oh……"

Judging from his appearance and figure, Zhao Ling knew that she would likely have to see this leader of the Southern Sword Clan frequently in the future. Therefore, she stood up and stepped forward, greeting him as if he were a younger sister who had just entered the house.

"Senior Ye, please come quickly. I didn't know you were on the ship. Xie Jinhuan didn't mention it either, otherwise I would have asked him to invite you over."

Ye Yunchi wanted to say a few polite words, but before he could speak, he heard something behind him:

Click~
The door closed, leaving only two women and one man inside...

?

Ye Yunchi, being a Confucian scholar, was very mindful of the saying "One should not adjust one's shoes in a melon patch, nor straighten one's hat under a plum tree" when he was clear-headed. Upon seeing this, he turned around.
"Xie Jinhuan, why are you closing the door?"

Xie Jinhuan thought that since they weren't having a party, leaving the door open might be a bit inappropriate, but he certainly couldn't say it like that:
"Playing music is a bit noisy, so don't disturb the cultivators of the Northern Underworld Sect. You can chat slowly, I'll continue playing."

As she spoke, she came to the bedside, picked up the pipa, and began to play the pipa piece she had just played.

clang clang ~
Ye Yunchi was very curious about the music and stopped worrying about the door opening and closing. He sat down properly at the round table to listen.

Zhao Ling maintained the elegant demeanor befitting a noblewoman of royalty, poured wine for Lady Ye, and inquired:

"Qingming Sword Manor is also a famous family in the Southern Dynasty, but they live a secluded life and keep a low profile. I have never heard of Senior Ye before. Judging from Senior Ye's scholarly demeanor, could he be a member of the Confucian school?"

Ye Yunchi's refined demeanor was hard to conceal, and he nodded and smiled in response.
"His ancestral home is Ningzhou. He studied at Hualin Academy in his childhood and was classmates with Mr. Li Jing of Danyang Academy. After completing his apprenticeship, he taught at a private school in Ningzhou. He only traveled around the martial arts world in his spare time. It is normal that the Princess has not heard of him."

Zhao Ling was slightly surprised and considered it carefully:
"The senior and Elder Li were classmates, so they must be of a very high generation. They also have ancestral roots in Ningzhou and share the same surname as Ye Sheng. I wonder..."

Ye Sheng's ancestral home was also in Ningzhou, but he studied at the academy from a young age. As a result, people all over the world regarded Danzhou as Ye Sheng's hometown, and few people knew his ancestral home. But Zhao Ling obviously knew.

Ye Yunchi didn't really want to talk about these things, and simply shook his head:

"It's just a coincidence; Ye Sheng and I aren't on the same side."

Zhao Ling had never heard of any connection between Qingming Sword Manor and Ye Sheng, and thus dismissed her speculation:

"Oh, that's a pity..."

Ye Yunchi picked up his wine glass and clinked it together, then asked in confusion upon hearing the sound:

"What is the meaning of the Princess's words?"

Seeing that they were all his own people, Zhao Ling didn't try to hide anything:
"Empress Dowager Ming Kang came from the Song family of Ningzhou. She was the eldest daughter of Ye Sheng's maternal uncle. If you and Ye Sheng have any connection, then we can be considered relatives."

"..."

Ye Yunchi had been living away from home since childhood and didn't acknowledge his own background, so he certainly had no interest in finding out who his father's relatives were.

If what the eldest princess said is true, then she would have to call the founding empress dowager "aunt," and the eldest princess would have to address her as...

Ye Yunchi didn't know how to categorize this relationship, but it was indeed quite distant, so he didn't pay much attention to it and simply asked:

"Master Ye has not appeared in the world for many years. Does the Princess know where Master Ye is traveling now?"

“Sigh, even Xie Jinhuan doesn’t know about this, and I’ve never heard my elders mention it…” Zhao Ling felt that this kind of idle chatter was a bit boring, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to leave her male concubine standing there, so she set out some wine vessels:
"Senior Ye comes from a Confucian family, so he must be quite learned. How about we try something else?"

Ye Yunchi and the Princess were not familiar with each other, and Xie Jinhuan did not interrupt them. This awkward conversation was indeed a bit uncomfortable, so she did not refuse when she heard the voice.

"Flying Flower Order?"

"Reciting poems in the Flying Flower Order should not be too difficult for Senior Ye. We will each set a question, with no limit on the scope, and the two of us will answer. If you can't answer, you will be punished by drinking or performing a talent. If you can answer, the person who set the question will be punished in the same way."

The questions were open-ended and required extensive experience, but Ye Yunchi, having lived several decades longer and read widely since childhood, didn't believe he couldn't outwit two young people. He nodded and said:
"Then I'll give it a try. Xie Jinhuan, you come too."

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan put down his pipa and sat down at the round table:
"Okay, who wants to go first?"

Ye Yunchi's mind was filled with thoughts of 'having five children,' and Xie Jinhuan, sitting nearby, wanted to move closer, but fortunately, he suppressed his emotions and smiled:
"The eldest princess will set the question first, and I'll see how to play it."

Seeing this, Zhao Ling naturally didn't hold back, knowing Xie Jinhuan's profound knowledge and skills, and thus posed a very tricky test:

"The patriarch of Wuling Mountain in the Northern Dynasties once wrote three admonitions, one of which discusses human desires..."

?

Upon hearing this, Ye Yunchi frowned slightly.

After all, the patriarch of Wuling Mountain was a figure from hundreds of years ago, and he was not famous for his writings. The so-called "Three Admonitions" were just words of advice from a foreign Taoist priest to his disciples. They had no literary value and only disciples like Lü Yan would memorize them. How could the Confucian scholars of the Southern Dynasties remember such a thing?

Ye Yunchi had no idea what to do, so she glanced at the male model next to her out of the corner of her eye.

As it turned out, Ah Huan never disappointed; after a moment's thought, he provided the answer:

"I observe that most foolish people in the world are trapped by the word 'lust.' At best, it depletes their spiritual energy and hinders their progress on the path of cultivation; at worst, it breeds inner demons and leads them into the abyss of demonic ways. They must be wary of it..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Yunchi's eyes visibly brightened.

Zhao Ling was also taken aback, then turned to look at Xie Jinhuan, thinking to herself:

You may know about strange and ingenious skills, but how come you also know about the heretical doctrine of abstaining from sex?

Knowing you're involved, you still flirt with so many girls. Isn't that just knowingly doing the wrong thing...?

Xie Jinhuan had been reading since childhood, with the aim of showing off his knowledge in front of others. He might not be able to recite well-known classics, but he had stumbled upon this kind of obscure foreign doctrine that was somewhat famous but not very popular.

Seeing the two girls' incredulous expressions, Xie Jinhuan adopted a nonchalant demeanor:
"I've studied a wide variety of subjects since I was young, and I just happened to have read this article. I'm just showing it off. You two, have a drink."

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan was no match for Zhao Ling, Zhao Ling had nothing to say and punished himself with three cups of wine.

Ye Yun didn't answer, so he naturally chugged down three glasses of strong liquor, and a blush appeared on his cheeks.
"Young Master Xie is indeed learned and talented; ordinary test questions certainly won't stump him. Let me try a difficult one... In the fourth year of the Ming'an era of the previous dynasty, the Minister of Justice Zeng Zai, in judging the case of the Li family of Huzhou, left behind a cautionary tale..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ling blinked, sensing that Senior Ye's words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

After all, the case in the previous dynasty was probably about a mother-in-law who, after her divorce, took a fancy to a similarly divorced son-in-law. The matter came to light and caused quite a bit of controversy.

Zeng Zai, then Minister of Justice, wrote an article admonishing people to remember ethical norms and not to try to take advantage of elders. Wasn't this a direct reference to Xie Jinhuan?

Xie Jinhuan sensed that the question was aimed at him, but after a moment's thought, he answered:
"Heaven and earth have their constant principles, and human relationships have their established order; these are the foundation for the growth of all things and the basis for the stability of the nation..."

"?"

Ye Yunchi was even more puzzled when he saw that Xie Jinhuan knew about this article. How could Xie Jinhuan, a righteous and chivalrous hero, dare to have intimate contact with the head of the Nangong sect?

Could it be that the eldest princess is really abusing her power to bully the righteous young heroes...?

Judging from the princess's speech and behavior, she doesn't seem like a spoiled princess at all...

Ye Yunchi didn't know how to ask, so he just praised her and then drank the penalty shot.

Tons tons tons~
……

The three of them toasted each other and played a little game of question and answer.

Xie Jinhuan was in her comfort zone, so she was naturally successful. Ye Yunchi and Zhao Ling, on the other hand, had their share of wins and losses, and initially they were quite happy together.

But after a dozen or so glasses of strong liquor, the atmosphere in the room clearly changed.

Once Zhao Ling got into the swing of things, she gradually abandoned her princess-like demeanor and moved closer to Xie Jinhuan. They started drinking flirtatious wine, and the questions she posed became increasingly risqué. In the end, she even brought up the masterpiece of Qingping Jushi, betting that Ye Yunchi wouldn't read any erotic novels.

Ye Yunchi was virtuous and chaste, and indeed did not look at that kind of thing. She lost the most. Under the influence of alcohol and the secret influence of the 'giving birth to five old devils', her eyes slowly began to drool. In the midst of casual conversation, she inexplicably raised her hand and placed it on the male model's leg.

When Xie Jinhuan saw that Senior Sister Naigua was there, he initially did not want to do anything reckless, but the two of them suddenly started attacking each other from both sides, and he could not withstand the test.

Seeing that Naigua was becoming increasingly audacious, Xie Jinhuan was worried about being humiliated on the table, so he moved his left hand under the table and placed it on Naigua's knee.

"Whoo~"

Ye Yunchi trembled slightly, leaned forward against the table, held his wine glass and pretended to be calm, listening to the princess and Xie Jinhuan tell jokes, but he was obviously absent-minded.

Touched by a palm, reason told her to move her legs to the side to avoid it, but her inner demons made her keep her right leg still, and then it turned into...

ha?
Xie Jinhuan hadn't expected Nai Gua to be so cooperative. Even the Vice Minister of Revenue had come. If he still didn't understand romance, he'd probably get a beating. So, he could only grit his teeth and lift up his skirt...

It turned out that Sister Milk Melon had indeed come prepared, wearing the magical artifact she had given her a few days ago...

"cough……"

Ye Yunchi trembled again, biting her lower lip as she tried to get up and leave her seat, stopping this audacious act.

But his inner demons made it hard for him to control himself. He struggled for a long time but couldn't muster the courage. He simply stopped Xie Jinhuan from parting the fabric, his shoes lightly rubbing against the ground, his eyes darting left and right...

(End of this chapter)