"I once detoxified you in that hot spring. Counting the time, the three - month period is up. I bet these days haven't been easy for you, have they?"
Chu Zhiyan's eyes held an unfathomable look. "Continue!"
Di Lanmo flashed a confident smile. "I'll detoxify you, and in return, you let me stay in this prince's mansion. How about it?"
Chu Zhiyan lowered his head and pondered. In fact, this deal wasn't a bad one for him. Di Lanmo was the first woman who had piqued his interest in all these years.
She was mysterious, skilled in martial arts, and her medical skills were extraordinary, yet her origins were a mystery. All the signs indicated that she didn't quite fit in here.
Chu Zhiyan suddenly had the urge to get to know Di Lanmo thoroughly, so he agreed. "Fine!"
Although Di Lanmo knew Chu Zhiyan wouldn't refuse, she still held her breath nervously for a second. When she heard his agreement, she excitedly clapped her hands. "It's a deal!"
"Ah, right. Tonight?"
The woman was looking at him nervously. Chu Zhiyan gently raised his sword - like eyebrows, and all of a sudden, he was in a great mood. "Although I can promise not to consummate the marriage with you, we still need to make some noise so that people outside know. Otherwise, I can't explain it to the queen mother!"
Di Lanmo's eyes darted around. Her gaze fell on a basin of water in the inner chamber. An idea flashed through her mind. "I get it!"
Lan Jiaoshu stood upright beside the gate of Qinghuan Courtyard. As the candlelight in the room gradually went out, the sound of slapping and a woman's groans came. The warm wind blew, but her straight figure gradually stiffened and turned cold.
The next day.
Just as it was the Chen hour, the door was suddenly pushed open with great force. "Your Highness, it's time to..."
The voice of the person who came to wake her suddenly stopped when she saw the woman sitting at the table in the room, having breakfast.
Di Lanmo sized up the old nanny with wrinkled face and a cold expression from head to toe. She picked up a handkerchief unhurriedly, gently pressed the corner of her mouth, and then said, "What's the matter, nanny?"
The nanny came so early on the order of the queen mother to put Di Lanmo in her place. But she didn't expect that Di Lanmo was used to getting up early for training and she was no different after coming to the prince's mansion.
Failing to put Di Lanmo in her place, the nanny felt rather embarrassed. She cleared her throat to find an excuse for herself. "This old servant is ordered by Her Majesty the Queen Mother to teach Your Highness the etiquette for meeting people. Since Your Highness is already up, this old servant will first help Your Highness dress up and then teach you later!"
"I see." Di Lanmo stood up and sat in front of the dressing table. "Come on, then."
After the nanny finished dressing her up, Di Lanmo felt as if her neck was about to break. Her head was full of all kinds of fancy hairpins that Di Lanmo didn't understand.
The nanny nodded in satisfaction. "Now Your Highness has to learn the etiquette for meeting the queen mother, including walking, presenting tea, bowing, sitting upright, and taking leave. Now, please stand up, Your Highness!"
"Keep your shoulders level!"
"Sit upright. Your buttocks should not touch more than one palm's width of the seat!"
"The distance between each step should not exceed one palm's width!"
Di Lanmo took a deep breath and patiently dealt with the nanny.
Suddenly, the nanny waved the ruler straight down. Di Lanmo squinted her phoenix - like eyes, and a flash of killing intent passed by.
She reached out her jade hand and grabbed the ruler. "What do you mean, nanny?"
The nanny tried to use force on her wrist, but the ruler just wouldn't go down. She cursed secretly at the woman's great strength, but said, "This old servant thinks Your Highness is really stupid and can't learn this etiquette. Her Majesty the Queen Mother has ordered that if Your Highness can't learn it, a few more beatings will help you remember!"
"Humph!" Di Lanmo sneered. "I married Prince Qin, not the queen mother! I learned this long - winded etiquette before only because the queen mother is Prince Qin's mother! Don't push your luck!"
"You..."
"What's going on here!" Chu Zhiyan walked in quickly from outside the door and asked in a cold voice.
Di Lanmo withdrew her hand and turned her head without saying a word.
The nanny secretly glared at Di Lanmo, curtsied, and said, "Greetings to Your Highness the Prince!"
Then she told Chu Zhiyan what had happened before. "This old servant came from the palace to teach Your Highness the etiquette, but Your Highness didn't appreciate it! Please, Your Highness, uphold justice!"
But Chu Zhiyan said, "No need. You can go back to the palace. If the queen mother asks, tell her that I don't allow it!"
The nanny didn't expect Chu Zhiyan to side with Di Lanmo. She hurriedly said, "Your Highness, this old servant..."
"Hmm?" A murderous look shot directly at the nanny.
"Yes... yes... This old servant will leave now!" The nanny's body suddenly trembled.
Although she knew that Prince Qin was hailed as the God of War by the common people, she had never felt such a sense of oppression before.
This was the first time the nanny had so directly felt the terrifying aura of Prince Qin, who had been tempered on the battlefield.
After the nanny left, Chu Zhiyan said to Di Lanmo, whose face was cold. "It was my oversight today. We'll talk about the tea - presenting ceremony another day. Everything for the return - to - the - bride's - family ceremony is ready, and it's almost time. It's time to set off!"
At the General's Mansion.
Chu Zhiyan helped Di Lanmo out of the carriage. Di Mingye and his wife, Lin Shi, stepped forward to greet them. They bowed in succession. "Greetings to Your Highness the Prince, Your Highness the Princess!"
Chu Zhiyan nodded slightly. "Yes!"
Di Lanmo didn't want to engage in false pleasantries with them. She just nodded and walked into the mansion first.
Di Mingye cursed Di Lanmo secretly for being impolite, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. He just put on a smile and said, "Please come in, Your Highness. My daughter is impolite. I hope Your Highness will forgive her!"
"It's okay!"
After entering the mansion, Di Lanmo walked straight to Wenjing Pavilion. She found Qingque to follow her and then walked towards the main hall.
In the main hall, Chu Zhiyan was sitting there drinking tea without saying a word. Qiao Yan was chatting with Chu Zhiyan cheerfully, making Di Mingye burst into laughter.
Di Lanmo went in and sat with them for a while. When she thought it was almost time and didn't want to stay here any longer, she gave Chu Zhiyan a look and said, "Father, Mother, it's getting late. Daughter and His Highness the Prince will go back first!"
Di Mingye stood up to persuade them to stay. "Why don't you have dinner in the mansion before going back? The kitchen should be almost ready!"
"There's no need for dinner. We'll have plenty of opportunities in the future!" Di Lanmo said indifferently. "Your Highness, shall we go?"
Chu Zhiyan also stood up. "General, Madam, please don't persuade us to stay. I'll come to talk with the general another day!"
Di Mingye twitched the corner of his mouth. For the first time, he cursed disrespectfully in his heart: Talk your ass off. If it weren't for the steward being there, I don't know how this return - to - the - bride's - family ceremony would have continued today.
He didn't pretend to persuade them anymore. He said with a smile, "Then this old official won't keep Your Highness the Prince and Your Highness the Princess. This way, please!"
Just as they were about to step out of the door, they saw Di Tingyu leading a few maids and servants, and a plain - looking man with a disheveled hair bun coming over. "Di Lanmo!"
Their steps paused. Di Lanmo first glanced at Di Mingye and Lin Shi. Seeing their surprised expressions, as if they didn't know about this, she knew that Di Tingyu was up to something.
Suddenly, she became interested. After all, it was quite interesting to watch a fool perform in front of her.
"What are you up to, sister?"
Di Tingyu shyly glanced at Chu Zhiyan. As if she had gained confidence, she shouted loudly, "Di Lanmo, you're shameless! You were supposed to be Prince Qin's fiancée, but you have a lover outside!"