The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 197: Martial Arts Tournament (3)

"Of course, I have to be good to my niece considering that my great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, grandmother, and aunt all married into the royal family. How could the Emperor, my uncle, not treat me well?" Yun Qianyue said with a raised eyebrow, a smile on her face as the frustration in her chest dissipated upon seeing Ye Qingran.

"Haha, if you said that in front of the Emperor, I wonder what expression he'd have!" Ye Qingran laughed twice, then looked at Yun Qianyue and frowned. "Why have you gotten so thin? I heard you've been learning to read with the delicate beauty at Rong Wang's residence. Did he force you to skip meals?"

After saying this, Ye Qingran glanced into the carriage, but Yun Qianyue blocked his view, so he didn't see Rongjing.

"Aren't you thin too? Doesn't the military camp feed you?" Yun Qianyue turned and shot a glance at Rongjing, who was still sitting against the carriage wall, eyes closed and motionless. She turned back to Ye Qingran, seeing him in tight, form-fitting battle attire, and asked with a smile, "Are you going to compete today? Trying to win the title of Martial Arts Champion?"

"Don't get me started on the food at the military camp. It's so bad I can barely swallow. So, it's no surprise that I've lost weight!" Ye Qingran made a face as though he had swallowed a fly. Upon hearing the rest of Yun Qianyue's words, he raised an eyebrow. "Of course! I've heard that all the participants in this Martial Arts Champion competition are experts. When did the Heavenly Saint Capital become so full of hidden talents? I've been away from the capital for seven years, and now that I've returned, I naturally have to test my skills. I can't let myself fall behind others, right?"

"I hope you win that Martial Arts Champion title!" Yun Qianyue nodded with a smile.

"Of course! Just wait and see, little girl. When I win that sword, I'll give it to you!" Ye Qingran said with a confident look.

"What sword?" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Shattered Snow! It's one of the three famous swords in the world. It's been kept in the Emperor's treasure vault all this time, and this year, the Emperor brought it out to be the prize. This sword is light, perfect for women. I'll win it for you," Ye Qingran said.

"Great! You'll definitely win it," Yun Qianyue said, eager to see one of the three famous swords for herself. If Ye Qingran really won it and gave it to her, she wouldn't refuse.

"Yes, I'm confident I can win it," Ye Qingran said, smiling with complete self-assurance. Seeing Yun Qianyue leaning against the carriage shaft without moving, he waved at her. "What are you still doing sitting in the carriage? Come on, let's go inside! What about the delicate beauty? Why has he been quiet this whole time?"

"He's throwing a tantrum! Don't mind him!" Yun Qianyue replied, lifting her foot to step out of the carriage. Just as she was about to jump down, Rongjing extended his hand and pulled her back. She lost her balance, let out a cry, and tumbled back into the carriage, landing in a heap with a slight pain in her back. She glared at Rongjing, annoyed. "Why did you pull me back?"

Rongjing didn't look at her. He slowly leaned forward, then leisurely stepped out of the carriage. As his feet touched the ground, his gentle voice reached her ears. "Throwing a tantrum!"

Yun Qianyue's anger flared, and her body, which had been partially upright, collapsed back down again.

Ye Qingran burst out laughing. "Little girl, I told you this delicate beauty is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Look, you're the one at a disadvantage now! I wasn't wrong, was I? He's got a dark side!"

Rongjing gave Ye Qingran a sideways glance and, with an indifferent tone, said, "Xian Ge is also participating in the Martial Arts Champion competition this year. Are you sure Shattered Snow is yours?"

Ye Qingran's face immediately darkened. "So, you're deliberately trying to go against me, aren't you, Rongjing?"

Yun Qianyue lay back in the carriage, staring up at the canopy, thinking about that night at Lingtai Temple when Xian Ge had tossed Ye Qingran out with a single move. She was utterly speechless. This black-hearted guy was using Xian Ge specifically to target Ye Qingran.

Just as she was lost in thought, she heard Ye Qingran laugh again. "Delicate beauty, I'm afraid your plans are about to fail. I've already figured out a way to counter that move. You won't be able to use it on me anymore. Hahaha..."

What does it mean that the higher the skill, the more cunning the opponent? Yun Qianyue couldn't find words to describe these two anymore.

"Even so, you might not win," Rongjing said dismissively, turning back to Yun Qianyue and, with no politeness, urged, "Do you see a lotus fish on the carriage floor? Why are you still sitting there?"

Yun Qianyue shot up, lifting the carriage curtain and jumping out. She grumbled, "There's no lotus fish, but I see a carriage full of black mushrooms. I was thinking about picking them all off!"

Rongjing raised an eyebrow. "I've got black mushrooms on me too. Do you want to help me pick them off?"

"I'm afraid my hands would get poisoned, so you can keep them!" Yun Qianyue gave her clothes a couple of hard pats, as if trying to knock something off, then huffed.

Rongjing blinked his long eyelashes twice but didn't respond. He turned his gaze ahead.

Yun Qianyue followed his gaze and saw a garden surrounded by a three-meter-high wall. At the entrance, a large plaque with powerful calligraphy read "Competition Ground." Soldiers armed with hooks and spears guarded the area, keeping the competition ground secured with three layers of protection. Only the central gate was open for people to enter, with someone standing at the door checking the identities of those coming in.

She shifted her gaze away from the gate and noticed that many vehicles and horses were already parked nearby. They were all young men, the youngest perhaps in his teens, the oldest barely in his thirties. Everyone was looking over toward them. Most of the gazes landed on her and Rongjing. Some were filled with admiration and awe, which was obviously directed at Rongjing, while others were curious, skeptical, or even dismissive, most likely aimed at her. As for Ye Qingran, his notorious reputation made people wary of him, and only a few dared to glance at him.

Yun Qianyue scanned the crowd but didn't recognize anyone, so she turned her attention back.

"Let's go inside!" Ye Qingran turned around and said to Yun Qianyue and Rongjing.

The two nodded and were about to step forward when a carriage slowly approached. Before it even stopped, the voice of Ye Tianqing rang out. "I was originally going to stop by Prince Yun's Mansion to pick up Sister Yue to come with me, but it seems Lord Rongjing beat me to it. It seems that these days, Lord Rongjing and Sister Yue have become quite close, teaching and learning together?"

Upon hearing Ye Tianqing's voice, Yun Qianyue acted as if she hadn't heard it and kept walking.

Rongjing stopped in his tracks and looked at Ye Tianqing's carriage. Ye Tianqing pulled aside the curtain, revealing half his body. His eyes, darkened with a heavy gaze, fell on him and Yun Qianyue. He smiled faintly and said, "She's mischievous and doesn't listen to discipline. Lord Rongjing's switch strikes her hand every day, so how could they have such a close relationship? Your Highness, please don't praise her too much. She's nothing but a spoiled child, no matter how much she's taught, she'll never become a great talent. Talking about close relationships is out of the question; at this point, she'd probably rather kill me than see me."

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