chsdbacks Chapter 112 Everyone in Handan knows I'm having an affair with Madam Ya.
Chapter 112 Everyone in Handan knows I'm having an affair with Madam Ya.
Chapter 112 Everyone in Handan knows I'm having an affair with Madam Ya.
After a while, Lady Ya's enchanting singing voice filled the hall again—
"In the state of Zhao, there was a beautiful woman, peerless and independent. One glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation. How could one not know the power of such beauty, for such a woman is hard to find again?"
Several songstresses joined in the harmonies, captivating the audience.
There was only one exception—Gu Yu!
Upon hearing the first sentence, Gu Yu looked surprised and stared intently at Madam Ya.
As Lady Ya danced, she would glance at him from time to time, her eyes filled with complex emotions that were difficult to decipher.
At this moment, Gu Yu felt a surge of emotion.
He never expected that Lady Ya would present his poem in a singing and dancing manner on such an important occasion.
No wonder she's been quiet these past few days; it turns out she's been holding back this move.
As she danced, Madam Ya danced until she reached the table where Gu Yu was sitting.
Using his wide sleeves to conceal his face, he spoke rapidly, "Kid, I bet you'll win. If you dare to lose, I won't let you off the hook."
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned to the other side.
Of those present, only Gu Yu and Wu Tingfang, who was sitting with him, heard what she said.
Wu Tingfang looked suspicious and whispered in Gu Yu's ear, "You two know each other?"
Gu Yu shook his head seriously: "I don't know him!"
However, they were proven wrong.
After the dance, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
When the applause subsided, King Zhao couldn't help but ask, "Sister, I've never heard this piece of music before?"
Lady Ya smiled and said, "Because this was specially composed for the Queen Sister."
She deliberately emphasized the phrase "alone".
These words caused another uproar in the hall.
Someone couldn't help but exclaim, "Wonderful! So the stunning beauty sung about in the song is none other than Lady Ya!"
King Zhao beamed with delight and said, "I never imagined that my Zhao state had such a talent! My sister, tell me quickly, who is the author of this poem?"
Madam Ya looked at Gu Yu with a resentful expression.
Everyone followed her gaze and looked over.
Gu Yu immediately felt extremely uncomfortable, secretly blushing – now the whole of Handan knows that I'm having an affair with Madam Ya.
However, he already had a hunch that Madam Ya's actions tonight were intended to help him.
In a battle between masters, the worst thing to do is to be distracted.
This will not only anger Zhao Mu, but also make Jin extremely jealous.
As a result, one's emotions will inevitably fluctuate during battle.
This also shows that in order to win back his heart, Madam Ya did not hesitate to sever ties with Lian Jin.
As for what others think of her, does she care?
Who in Handan doesn't know her reputation?
Wu Tingfang looked surprised, glanced at Gu Yu, then at Madam Ya, and then shoved Gu Yu hard, saying angrily, "You still say you two don't know each other?"
So Gu Yu had no choice but to stand up, give Lady Ya an awkward smile, and bow to King Zhao: "Your Majesty, this poem was written on the spur of the moment after drinking. I apologize for making a fool of myself."
King Zhao was greatly surprised: "This melody was actually composed by Minister Gu?"
Although it was his first time meeting Gu Yu, he had heard Wu Shilu mention him before, so he immediately guessed who he was.
"I am ashamed. I was immediately struck by your beauty when I first saw you, and thus I dared to compose this poem to express my admiration. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
King Zhao laughed heartily: "Hahaha, with such talent as Minister Gu, I admire you so much, how could I possibly blame you?"
What the hell!
Upon hearing King Zhao's words, Gu Yu was startled and secretly lamented his misfortune.
It would be troublesome if this guy took a liking to me; he doesn't have any of those strange hobbies.
"Your Majesty!"
At this moment, Zhao Mu suddenly stood up and called out.
He never expected that Lady Ya would interfere, allowing Gu Yu to win the King's favor, which he considered a serious threat.
He knew better than anyone that his current status and power were entirely due to the king's favor.
If the king were to fall in love with someone else, his position would be in grave danger.
King Zhao smiled and asked, "What brings you here, Marquis of Julu?"
Zhao Mu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I imagine everyone is eager to witness the unparalleled swordsmanship of these two masters. Why don't we begin now?"
"Okay, that's fine."
King Zhao nodded.
"Both of you are exceptional individuals. I have invited you to the palace for a sword duel so that you may promote the spirit of martial arts and set an example. The winner will be immediately appointed as a royal swordsman and may lead troops into battle."
Zhao Mu then said, "Your Majesty, I have another suggestion."
"Lord Julu, please speak freely."
It was Zhao Mu who caused this trouble; if it had been anyone else, King Zhao would probably have been furious long ago.
Zhao Mu continued, "Your Majesty, today Gu Yu and Lian Jin are dueling in the palace. Since Your Majesty wants to set an example, you should let them use their full strength so that they can display their most exquisite swordsmanship."
King Zhao pondered for a moment and nodded: "The Marquis of Julu is right. The way of war is also the way of life and death."
"In today's duel, I will not impose any restrictions; you two ministers may fight with all your might."
Lian Jin was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Gu Yu was naturally eager to do so as well, but he did not show it on his face and stepped forward, saying, "Your subject will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations and will do my best."
"Alright, gentlemen, please enter."
At King Zhao's command, Gu Yu and Lian Jin exchanged a glance, then walked together to the center of the empty hall.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, Lian Jin drew his sword with an eager expression.
Gu Yu remained motionless.
Lian Jin said sarcastically, "What? You're so scared that you can't even draw your sword now that you hear it's a life-or-death battle?"
Gu Yu smiled: "A sword is sheathed to conceal its sharpness, to hide its edge and feign weakness. Unfortunately, your sword, like you, cannot be hidden."
This guy is so arrogant, he'd never guess he'd be here to get himself killed.
"Well said!"
Inside the hall, someone couldn't help but shout loudly, his voice strong and his presence imposing.
Everyone looked over and discovered that it was Yan Ping, the leader of Zhao Mo.
In the State of Zhao, Yan Ping held extremely high prestige and status. This old fellow often referred to himself as the leader of the Mohist school, and he didn't even need to perform the etiquette of a subject to a ruler when he met the King of Zhao.
He applauded for two reasons: first, he deeply agreed with what Gu Yu had just said, which even inspired him; second, he disliked Lian Jin very much.
Yan Ping felt ashamed because Lian Jin had previously challenged and defeated two of his disciples.
Given his status, he was too embarrassed to challenge a young man, so he kept his anger bottled up inside.
Now that a young man has finally emerged, he naturally hopes that Lian Jin will suffer a crushing defeat.
As soon as he spoke, someone else chimed in, "Concealing one's brilliance and hiding one's strength—this saying aligns quite well with Taoist principles. Could this young man be a Taoist disciple?"
"It seems that Lian Jin is indeed a bit too hasty."
"When a person is impatient, their mind will inevitably be in turmoil."
Hearing the crowd's murmurs, Lian Jin became even more enraged, his face flushed red. Without uttering a sound, he suddenly thrust his sword at Gu Yu—