Marriage to the Royal Prince's Uncle

C23. I'm Sleepy, Carry Me Back To Qiyun Hall.

Chapter 23

The young maid also informed that Duke Dingguo had gone directly to Qiyun Hall to change into dry clothes and would return to the main courtyard later.

Meng Shi encouraged her daughter to accompany her son-in-law at Qiyun Hall, as their new son-in-law was visiting, and he might feel restrained left on his own.

Yunzhu chuckled at this remark, "He's still acting constrained. As if he's thirteen this year! Let me tell you, he's thick-skinned, and he won't change in this lifetime."

Meng Shi replied, "Well then, you should go and check on him."

Yunzhu, however, was too apathetic to move, "I won't go. The sun is too harsh outside, and I'll end up sweating even with a little walk. Besides, he cleans up quickly. Maybe I'll run into him halfway."

Meng Shi could do little with such a daughter. Among her three children, the youngest didn't need much guidance.

Now that things were almost ready in the kitchen, mother and daughter returned to the front hall.

Li Yong was discussing the recent competition with Li Xian, "Your brother-in-law is truly trained on the battlefield. He eschews any artistry and simply targets the opponent's vital points with his sword. On the other hand, your eldest brother's marksmanship is a bit less refined. Luckily, his innate divine power compensates for this deficiency. As the saying goes, one force can conquer ten strategies. In the face of absolute power, no amount of tactics will suffice."

Upon hearing this, Yunzhu inquired, "Papa, who do you think will emerge victorious if he and his eldest brother continue to compete?"

Li Yong shook his head, "It's difficult to say. Each of them has their chance of winning."

Meng Shi asked, "And you? Are you better than your son?"

Li Yong replied, "It's different. I can best your son because I've observed him practicing spears for over a decade and know his weaknesses well. I stand no chance against Fushan. Besides, being a general requires skillfulness and decisiveness in combat. As long as you can accomplish these two things, even if you're just a weak scholar, you can lead your troops to victory. In this regard, our father and son are not as good as Fushan."

Recalling his defeat, Li Yong's expression darkened once more.

Yunzhu quickly reassured her father, "Everyone has their own strengths in the world. You do too, Dad, so there's no need to belittle yourself."

Meng Shi added, "Indeed, you're very accomplished. If you had participated in the imperial examination, you would've been a top-three scholar."

How could someone so unremarkable be respected by Emperor Yuan Qing for so many years?

Li Yong smiled helplessly, thinking that today was a good day for his daughter's return; he quickly pushed away the complex emotions.

After a while, Li Yao returned in different attire. Cao Xun, requiring a maid to lead the way, moved more slowly and was late for tea.

Having endured the scorching sun for over an hour, both Li Yao and Cao Xun's faces and necks were red. Disgusted, Yunzhu only conversed with her parents and third brother during the meal.

Cao Xun was too preoccupied with Li Yao's persistent offers to drink to take heed of the young lady's countenance.

Meng Shi was exasperated and scolded her eldest son, "That's enough. It was rude to bring Fushan to the competition so recklessly. Why are you drinking so much? Your drinking privileges will be revoked after finishing that bowl."