Chapter 85: There’s No Way I Could Be with Miss Ye

The maidservants lifted the gauze curtains and tied them to the pillars of the pavilion, making it convenient for Princess Chen Tai and the five noble young ladies to watch the martial arts competition between Ye Chutang and Luo Rou.

Qi Yanzhou circled around the pavilion and stood at the entrance of the corridor.

Luo Rou was a bit nervous, her body tense and rigid.

In order to showcase her martial prowess, she put her left hand behind her back and disdainfully looked at the stunningly beautiful Ye Chutang.

“Miss Ye, I’ll use only one hand.”

Ye Chutang looked at the boastful Luo Rou and let out a soft laugh.

“Miss Rou, aren’t you the daughter of a military general? Don’t you know that underestimating the enemy is a big taboo?”

Luo Rou couldn’t be bothered to engage in words any longer. With a flick of her hand, she launched her attack.

“Miss Ye, take this!”

She struck, aiming for Ye Chutang’s throat, hoping to end the match with a single blow.

Ye Chutang stood still, letting Luo Rou’s fingertips brush against her neck, yet she didn’t make a move.

The five noble young ladies watched in silence, rolling their eyes.

They had thought that Ye Chutang, brave enough to accept the challenge, would at least be able to hold her own for a few moves against Luo Rou, perhaps showing some skill.

But this?

Princess Chen Tai, knowing that the throat is a very vulnerable spot, almost shouted to stop the match, fearing someone might get hurt.

But just as she was about to speak, she saw Ye Chutang step back with her right foot, tilting her neck back, avoiding Luo Rou’s hand.

Luo Rou, having missed her attack, shifted her stance and turned her hand into a claw, aiming to grab Ye Chutang’s throat from behind.

Ye Chutang lifted her left foot and swept it across Luo Rou’s waist.

Luo Rou dared not use her left hand to block, afraid that Qi Yanzhou would disapprove of her inconsistency.

She had no choice but to retract her right hand.

Ye Chutang was waiting for this opportunity.

She seized Luo Rou’s wrist and, using her force to escape, jumped into the air, kicking Luo Rou in the chest.

When she landed, she used Luo Rou’s kneeling position to regain her balance, twisting her hand behind Luo Rou’s back.

With a single move, she had defeated her!

Everyone, except for Qi Yanzhou, was stunned.

Princess Chen Tai blinked in disbelief. “This… is this how it ends?”

The five noble young ladies were equally astonished.

Wasn’t it said that the second daughter of the Luo family was one of the top martial artists among the noble young ladies in the capital?

Luo Rou stared blankly at the ground, her whole body dazed.

As the pain from her knee spread, she finally realized what had just happened.

She gritted her teeth and glared at Ye Chutang, wishing she could tear her apart.

Feigning weakness to lure her into a trap, only using one hand… How despicable!

Ye Chutang smiled sweetly at the furious Luo Rou and asked, “Not satisfied? Then let’s have another match with a bigger reward.”

Fighting was exhausting, and without some prize, she wouldn’t bother.

Luo Rou felt that she had lost only because of carelessness, that she had been tricked. If they fought again, she was certain she could win.

“Let’s do it again. However, I don’t have anything on me to bet with. If I lose, I’ll go home and bring you a thousand taels of silver.”

Rather than jewelry, Ye Chutang preferred something useful like silver.

“Fine. You’re injured; would you like to take a break?”

Luo Rou immediately stood up and rubbed her knee.

“No need. This small injury is nothing. I once followed my father to suppress bandits, almost losing my life.”

She said this to show Qi Yanzhou that she understood the hardships and dangers of leading troops and that she would be the perfect consort for him.

Ye Chutang caught the implication and glanced at Qi Yanzhou.

Seeing him remain calm as a monk in meditation, she looked away.

Luo Rou, seeing no reaction from Qi Yanzhou, felt a bit downcast, but quickly encouraged herself. As long as she beat Ye Chutang, the Prince would surely change his mind about her!

“Miss Ye, this time, I won’t let you win!”

Qi Yanzhou silently thought to himself: Even if you try your best, you’ll only manage to last a few more moves before Ye Chutang defeats you.

Ye Chutang smiled and replied, “I never asked Miss Rou to let me win.”

With that, she moved first, but she held back.

It wasn’t out of sympathy for Luo Rou, but because she didn’t want to reveal all of her skills.

Luo Rou’s martial arts weren’t bad, and now that her fighting spirit had been ignited, she was both offensive and defensive.

She went all out, while Ye Chutang deliberately downplayed her abilities.

After over a hundred moves, Luo Rou gradually fell behind.

In the end, Ye Chutang grabbed her throat, defeating her.

Ye Chutang let go of Luo Rou. “Thank you for the match.”

Luo Rou’s face turned pale, her lips tightly clenched, and she could taste blood.

She hadn’t given any ground, had gone all out, yet still lost!

“A thousand taels. I’ll have a maid deliver them to the Minister’s residence later.”

With that, she hurriedly left.

Ye Chutang turned to the remaining five noble young ladies and asked, “Next? Who’s up?”

None of them wanted to risk losing their precious belongings.

But with Princess Chen Tai and Prince Chen silent, they had no choice but to use their personal items as stakes, reluctantly stepping forward to compete against Ye Chutang.

The result was predictable: they all lost.

Whether it was chess, embroidery, or other skills, Ye Chutang won every match.

And there was no doubt about it.

Princess Chen Tai watched Ye Chutang’s every move with growing admiration.

She almost wished she could keep her at the Prince’s residence, force her son to marry her, and make her the Princess Consort.

She had completely forgotten that her son was “incapable.”

After the noble ladies left in disgrace, she immediately tried to keep Ye Chutang.

“Miss Ye, it’s almost time for dinner. Stay and dine before you leave?”

Princess Chen Tai’s intentions were clear on her face. Not only did Ye Chutang understand, but Qi Yanzhou did as well.

Ye Chutang collected her winnings and declined, saying, “Thank you, Princess. I’ve been out all day. I need to return to the Minister’s residence.”

Qi Yanzhou immediately added, “Miss Ye, let me escort you.”

“No need. I know the way.”

With that, Ye Chutang quickly left the Prince’s residence.

Princess Chen Tai grabbed her son, who was about to leave.

“Zhou’er, stay and talk to your mother.”

Qi Yanzhou knew what she was going to say and immediately replied, “Mother, there is no possibility between Miss Ye and me.”

Princess Chen Tai gave her son a thorough look and was quite pleased.

“You’re handsome, your status is high, why wouldn’t Miss Ye be interested in you?”

Qi Yanzhou looked at Princess Chen Tai with confusion.

“Why do you think I’m not interested in her?”

“Heh, you’re my son. How could I not see that you’re interested in Miss Ye?”

Qi Yanzhou smiled faintly.

“Mother, have you been picking too many noble young ladies? Have your eyes gone blind?”

He only admired Ye Chutang, nothing else.

Seeing that her son hadn’t yet come to his senses, Princess Chen Tai poked his chest with her finger.

“You really should pay more attention!”

Qi Yanzhou didn’t listen to his mother’s advice and stood up to leave for the Imperial Court.

Just as he stepped out of the Prince’s residence, his close eunuch, Double Happiness, appeared.

“Your Highness, the Emperor has summoned you to the palace.”

Qi Yanzhou thought that the Emperor’s summons must be about the flood relief in Jiangnan.

But Double Happiness didn’t take him to the court hall but instead to the Emperor’s private chambers.

“Grandfather, why has the Emperor summoned me to the palace?”

Double Happiness, knowing that once the Prince entered the Emperor’s chambers, he would find out what had happened, was happy to do him a favor.

He said, “Your Highness, the Emperor’s secret treasury has been robbed by the ‘Ghost Thief.'”