Gu Moran did not respond.
Lin Qingdai placed the wooden stick horizontally between the two of them, with the stick only half a palm's width away from his chest.
I won't ask you what happened.
Gu Moran looked up, glanced at the wooden stick, and then at her.
"So easy to talk to?"
"You could make it up if I asked you."
Gu Moran laughed out loud.
Lin Qingdai pushed the stick forward, pressing it against the fabric of his chest.
"But remember this: having only energy and strength is no substitute for someone who truly wants you dead; they can bring you down within three moves."
Gu Moran raised his hand and pressed down on the end of the stick, without exerting any force.
"So from this day forward, I will be bullied by my wife every day."
Who wants to bully you?
What's that called?
"Dismantle."
Gu Moran looked at her.
Lin Qingdai added another sentence.
"Take apart all that energy that's running wild in your body, then put it back together."
Gu Moran let go of her hand.
"It sounds more painful than being bullied."
"If you're afraid of the pain, then leave."
"My wife is here, and I can't bear to leave."
Lin Qingdai twitched.
" Gu Moran, if you utter another word, I'll teach you how to crawl out the door today."
Gu Moran immediately raised the wooden stick.
"Please dismantle it, madam."
Lin Qingdai flicked her wrist, and the wooden stick pressed down against his shaft.
"Remember, first of all, don't force a block if you can't block it."
Gu Moran stepped aside.
The stick brushed past my sleeve, carrying a faint smell of sawdust.
"Secondly, there's no shame in backing down."
Lin Qingdai caught up by half a step.
"It takes real skill to fight back after retreating."
The wooden stick fell from his shoulder.
Gu Moran took a half step back, her feet slipping on the dew-covered bricks.
He gripped the brick seam with his toes, pulled his waist to the left, and the wooden stick brushed against his sleeve, making a rustling sound as the fabric was pulled.
Lin Qingdai nodded.
"This step is acceptable."
Gu Moran raised an eyebrow.
"Is the lady praising me?"
Lin Qingdai raised her hand and slapped his forearm with a stick.
Gu Moran his stick to block.
The two wooden sticks collided, the dull thud echoing along the courtyard wall. His arm went numb from the impact; the pain was abated by the system, but the shockwave remained deep within his bones.
Being able to withstand a stick doesn't mean you can withstand a knife.
If Ye Qingyun were to actually make a move, he wouldn't be using a wooden stick to talk to him about rules.
Lin Qingdai noticed that he was distracted and pressed the tip of her stick against his shoulder.
"Distracted during martial arts practice?"
Gu Moran out of her daze.
"I'm thinking about how tender the braised pork knuckle should be tomorrow."
"Lie."
"Does Madam insist on hearing the truth?"
"Explain."
"Thinking of Ye Qingyun."
Lin Qingdai paused for a moment.
The image of the scholar in a gray-blue robe standing on the poetry platform flashed through her mind.
"He's going to use force?"
He's practicing.
Lin Qingdai put the stick down.
The smell of ironware in the courtyard had been somewhat dispersed by the wind, but the aroma of soy sauce in the food box was even more pronounced.
She walked to the stone table and picked up a piece of pork knuckle.
How far has he progressed in his training?
It's not clear yet.
Are you afraid of him?
Gu Moran did not answer immediately.
I'm afraid of someone who's only a seventh-rank official; it's embarrassing enough to tell anyone.
But losing face is better than losing your life.
Lin Qingdai bit off a piece of pork knuckle skin and swallowed it quickly, but she saw everything.
"Then why did you leave him in the capital?"
Gu Moran walked over and leaned the wooden stick against the stone table.
"Drive him away, he'll come back."
Lin Qingdai looked up.
"Why not just kill him?"
"This guy's tough; we can't kill him outright right now, and it's easy for his backers to succeed."
He paused.
"His men are worried about how to deal with me."
Lin Qingdai put down her chopsticks.
"Understood."
Gu Moran looked at her.
"What do you know?"
"You don't want him to die at the hands of the Prince's mansion."
Gu Moran didn't laugh. The daughter of a military general was not without her brains.
Lin Qingdai picked up the wooden stick and tapped the tip of the stick twice on the blue brick.
"Okay, let's continue tomorrow."
Gu Moran looked at her.
Is today over?
"If you keep practicing like this, you won't be able to go to the Azure Wolf Courtyard this afternoon."
Gu Moran was about to speak.
Lin Qingdai blocked his way first, raising an eyebrow and smiling.
Don't ask me how I know.
Gu Moran touched the bridge of his nose.
"My wife is truly wise; she understands my heart perfectly."
Don't try to sweet-talk me.
Lin Qingdai glanced at his forearm.
"Pay attention, and don't show off when Murong Xue is teaching you swordsmanship."
Gu Moran smiled.
What if she attacks me?
"Then run."
"Madam just finished instructing me to stop."
"Stopping is for survival, and so is running."
When the courtyard gate opened, Uncle Fu was standing under the eaves holding a glass of medicinal wine.
Zitang leaned against the door and saw that Gu Moran was able to walk out on his own, so she felt a little relieved.
Uncle Fu stepped forward.
Your Highness.
Gu Moran took the medicinal wine, poured it into his palm, and rubbed it in.
The medicine had a pungent, spicy taste that overpowered the metallic smell, and when it entered the nasal cavity, it even made the throat feel bitter.
" Madam Lin's teaching is rigorous and deserves recognition."
Lin Qingdai spoke from inside the courtyard.
"Don't come in tomorrow if you don't bring pork knuckle."
Gu Moran stopped in her tracks.
Uncle Fu lowered his head.
Zitang raised her hand to cover her mouth.
Lin Qingdai closed the door.
Before the door closed, Gu Moran saw her move the remaining half of the pork knuckle further under the eaves.
[System notification: Consort's favorability has increased.]
[ Lin Qingdai's favorability +10, current -44.]
[Volatility Source: Acknowledges the host's willingness to learn.]
[Added tag: Worried about unlikable family members.]
Uncle Fu followed beside Gu Moran, the smell of medicinal wine lingering in the corridor.
"Your Highness, has Madam Lin noticed?"
"I've noticed something."
Will she tell?
"Won't."
Uncle Fu looked towards Iron Plum Courtyard.
Why?
Gu Moran rubbed his forearm; the numbness was still lingering under the skin.
"If she wanted to expose me, she wouldn't have let Zitang leave just now."
Uncle Fu nodded.
Are you going to Azure Wolf Courtyard again this afternoon?
Gu Moran stopped under the corridor and looked towards the Azure Wolf Courtyard.
The sound of horses neighing came from over there, and the scent of hay carried on the wind, mixed with a bit of heat from the stable.
"Go."
What should we prepare?
"Fine salt, good leather rope."
Uncle Fu wrote it down.
"Also, two packs each of beef jerky and shortbread."
Uncle Fu looked up.
"For Batuer?"
"Hmm, that tiger woman looks simple-minded, but she's quite capable."
"Your Highness, you've included her too?"
Gu Moran the bottle of medicinal wine back into Uncle Fu's hand.
"The men of the Northern Territory protect their lord; first, they feed their loyal servants."
Uncle Fu lowered his eyes.
"This old servant will prepare it immediately."
In the afternoon, the gate to Azure Wolf Courtyard was not closed.
The stable was hot and stuffy, filled with the smell of hay mixed with horse manure, which made Gu Moran's nose sting.
Murong Xue squatted in the center of the courtyard, wiping her knife. There were fresh sawdust on the back of the blade, and two broken pieces of wooden stakes were beside her.
Batuer sat on the threshold repairing a saddle, his hand holding the leather thread very steadily.
Upon hearing footsteps, first check the bundle.
Gu Moran tossed the beef jerky and shortbread over.
Batuer caught it, even faster than he was offering a greeting.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Murong Xue did not look up.
"You arrived earlier than I expected."
Gu Moran chuckled inwardly; these two women were both incredibly shrewd.
He placed the salt and leather rope on the stone table.
"I'm afraid if we arrive late, the princess will have finished chopping down the wooden stakes and won't have anywhere to vent her anger."
Murong Xue paused in wiping her knife.
Did Lin Qingdai hit you hard?
Gu Moran sat down on the stone bench, keeping two steps away from the knife.
"That's called caring. Women in the Central Plains have a rather unique way of showing care. There's a saying: 'Spare the rod and spoil the child.'"
Batuer stopped tearing the jerky.
Murong Xue looked up.
"That's what she calls concern? You're the one who's getting beaten up."
She stood up, her riding boots crunching over splinters of wood, the sound of sawdust echoing all the way.
"You came to me wanting to learn how to get beaten up?"
"If you want to learn, don't get hurt."
Murong Xue looked at the stick marks on his sleeve.
"I'll teach you how to save your life first."
Gu Moran raised an eyebrow.
"Princess, such words are unseemly."
Murong Xue drew her sword half an inch from its sheath, the blade gleaming as it emerged from the scabbard.
"Can dignity protect you from harm?"
Gu Moran changed her tune very quickly.
"Then please teach me how to run gracefully, Princess."
Batuer lowered his head and munched on some jerky, his shoulders twitching slightly.
Murong Xue looked at him.
Batuer spoke vaguely.
"Um, Princess, this jerky is too hard."
Murong Xue snorted and turned to look at Gu Moran.
"You're suddenly so serious, is someone trying to harm you?"