After that day, all the well - bred young ladies kept their mouths shut about what had happened.
The maids and servants waiting outside only knew that when their young ladies came out, their eyes were red and their faces were panicked, as if they had suffered great grievances and scares.
Some of them even had their clothes in disarray, and the hairpins and rings on their heads were nowhere to be found.
...
Li Wanming was the last one to come out.
Princess Chengping personally escorted her to the door.
"I originally thought you were just an ordinary girl, vulgar and mediocre, not fit for a decent occasion. But today, it seems you have some courage."
Li Wanming was utterly confused.
Come on!
She didn't even know this princess at all!
Coming up and saying she was vulgar and unfit for a decent occasion... Who do you think you are!
I'm vulgar on my own. What does it matter to you? Have I eaten your rice!
Li Wanming held back and held back, but still couldn't help it. She said, "Does the princess know the story of the gardenia flower?"
Princess Chengping raised her eyes, looking a bit puzzled. "Gardenia flower?"
"The gardenia flower is big and gaudy, with a strong and pungent fragrance. Scholars and refined gentlemen don't like it, thinking it has low - class qualities. The gardenia flower says, 'To hell with you! I just want to be this fragrant, boldly and cheerfully. Who are you to judge?'"
After saying that, Li Wanming didn't look back at all. With her hands behind her back, she swaggered away.
These words were something her second elder sister had read from a book.
Her second elder sister deeply agreed and even copied them out and pasted them on the head of her bed.
Her second elder sister also told her, "If someone ever dislikes you for this or that in the future, you don't need to say much. Just reply with 'To hell with you'."
You know, there's nothing that can't be solved with a 'To hell with you'!
Li Wanming deeply agreed.
Princess Chengping stood there, stunned.
For a moment, anger welled up on her face, but it quickly subsided. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"The mistress of the Prince Ning's Mansion should have such a demeanor... My elder brother is really lucky to have found such an extraordinary daughter - in - law."
The night was slightly cool.
The smile on Princess Chengping's lips gradually spread. In the end, she couldn't help bursting into laughter, and there was an indescribable sense of unrestrained joy in her laughter.
"My second sister - in - law has finally met her match!"
...
Xiao Jingnan's carriage was parked on the street corner.
When he saw Li Wanming coming out, he rushed up anxiously. "Are you okay? Did they give you any trouble? Isn't it just a flower - viewing banquet? Why did it take so long?"
If Chuntao hadn't come out halfway to report that Li Wanming was intact and in good spirits, he would have led people to charge in!
Li Wanming raised her arm and stuffed a big package into his arms.
Xiao Jingnan looked down and saw that the bundle was bulging, filled with all kinds of bead flowers, gold hairpins, coral bracelets, and jade bangles...
"What is this..."
Li Wanming was getting into the carriage. When she heard his question, she stepped on the carriage shaft and raised her eyebrows proudly. "The spoils of your wife's victory!"
In the distance, red lanterns had been lit up at the Princess Mansion.
The big red lanterns hung on both sides of the tall gate, looking like the eyes of a giant beast.
There was a smile on Li Wanming's lips, but her eyes were filled with indescribable coldness and mockery.
"You little hussies, you're still far from being able to compete with me!"
...
It wasn't until two days later that Xiao Jingnan found out what had really happened that day.
"I was drinking when I suddenly saw Pei Yanqi running over in a hurry."
"He was sweating all over, looking as if he had seen a ghost!"
"I urged him for a long time before he stammered that the ladies were going to gamble by the lakeside pavilion!"
"He also said that the stakes were really high. They had to take off one piece of clothing for each loss... Pei Yanqi's face was so red with shame. He kept saying that the moral standards were deteriorating and it was a disgrace to propriety..."
In the elegant private room of Muyun Pavilion, across from Xiao Jingnan, sat a valiant young man.
The young man was dressed in black with a leather belt and had a sword hanging from his waist. His features were handsome.
His smile was unrestrained, and there was a faint smell of gunpowder in his eyebrows and eyes, adding a bit of sharpness to his handsomeness. He was like the scorching sun rising in the morning, dazzling people's eyes.
"In my opinion, who cares about propriety or not?"
"A bunch of shy and coy ladies actually playing for such high stakes. It's simply a world - class oddity! If the servants of the Princess Mansion hadn't blocked so tightly, I would have gone to watch the fun anyway!"
As the young man was talking, he peeled a peanut on the table, casually tossed it up, and it landed straight into his mouth.
His name was Feng Xiao, the grandson of General Zhenguo Feng Yuanji.
General Feng was old and had been injured on the battlefield in his early years. He had retired from the army early and stayed in the capital to recuperate.
But who would have thought that thirteen years ago, a great defeat in the southern border had cost General Piaoji Da Jiangjun Huo Xiaoyan and his son their lives, as well as the lives of Prince Ning Xiao Yuancheng's three sons and one of his legs...
The army of the Sheng Dynasty was severely damaged.
There was no other way. General Feng had to put on his armor again at the age of sixty. After painstaking efforts, he finally managed to stop the greedy ambitions of the countries outside the southern border beyond Lingxi County.
However, the six cities in the southern border were eventually lost, becoming an indelible shame for the Sheng Dynasty...
Not long ago, General Feng was transferred to the northwest. In the war with the western border, he finally returned in victory!
This was the greatest victory the Sheng Dynasty had achieved since the southern border war thirteen years ago!
The whole court was greatly inspired, and the decadence of the past decade was swept away.
The emperor immediately ordered to confer the title of General Zhenguo on Feng Yuanji and issued an imperial edict saying that when he returned in triumph, he would personally go to the city gate to welcome him!
General Feng's carriage was still on the way, but Feng Xiao was young - spirited and couldn't bear the boredom of the journey. He rode his horse back to the capital first, saying that he was going to be his grandfather's vanguard.
But everyone knew that he was just coming back to have fun.
When Prince Ning Xiao Yuancheng first joined the army, he had been Feng Yuanji's deputy general. Therefore, the Xiao family and the Feng family had a deep friendship.
When Feng Xiao was very young, he used to follow behind Xiao Jingnan and call him brother. Xiao Jingnan also regarded him as his own younger brother.
When Feng Xiao came back to the capital this time, he went to find Xiao Jingnan on the first day, but was turned away.
The guard at the door stammered and couldn't explain clearly for a long time.
Later, Feng Xiao accidentally met Wu Yao on the street and only then did he know that Xiao Jingnan was married! And the whole family had moved to Pingkangfang. Now they made a living by selling wine!
"Aren't you supposed to be an unlucky star doomed from birth? How did you find a wife so quickly?" This was the first thing Feng Xiao asked when he saw Xiao Jingnan a few days ago.
Xiao Jingnan gave him a disgruntled look. "You're the unlucky star. Can't you wish me well?"
After Xiao Jingnan explained everything to him, Feng Xiao stared at him with his mouth wide open and couldn't say a word for a long time.
"You were... snatched away by her?"
He struggled to digest this news and still couldn't believe it.
Xiao Jingnan paused for a moment and said, "It's not exactly like that. We're actually a match made in heaven... It's just that the process was a bit complicated."
Feng Xiao jumped up. "How is she? Is sister - in - law beautiful? What's her personality like? When can I meet her?"
Xiao Jingnan sighed deeply. "In a few days. We've been really busy these days."
He told Feng Xiao about Princess Chengping's order for wine and said that Li Wanming had been so busy that she didn't have time to come out and meet him.
As soon as Feng Xiao heard this, he said, "Easy! I'll ask the princess to invite me too!"
He was so eager to meet his new sister - in - law that regardless of Xiao Jingnan's阻拦, he forced his subordinate to stuff his visiting card into the Princess Mansion.
At this time, the Feng family was in the limelight. Coupled with the long - standing friendship between the two families, Princess Chengping of course didn't object. She immediately sent an invitation, inviting him to come and enjoy the flowers.
...
When Feng Xiao saw Li Wanming from afar on the mountain corridor, his first impression was that she was delicate.
Although she was a beauty, she wasn't stunningly beautiful. How did she manage to capture Brother Xiao's heart?
When he saw Li Wanming using lotus leaves to wrap the leftovers, he couldn't help but widen his eyes...
Then, Pei Yanqi ran over out of breath, scolding Li Wanming for "being a disgrace to propriety". At this time, there were already huge waves in his heart.
Finally, when he learned that Li Wanming had single - handedly defeated all the ladies in the capital without a single loss, his eyes almost popped out.
...
In Muyun Pavilion, Feng Xiao finished the last bowl of wine and gave Xiao Jingnan a thumbs - up. "Your wife is awesome!"