He didn't look much, really.
He just took a look, one, two, three... seven, eight glances.
Ling Yao's eyes sparkled with gossip. She leaned closer to Yutou and asked slyly, "Where? Did you see clearly? Who made the first move?"
"It should be..."
"Get down."
Xiao Shan's cold gaze swept over, and Yutou instinctively flinched, pursed his lips, and scurried away very nimbly.
Ling Yao wanted to ask more, but Xiao Shan's interruption prevented her.
She stood up angrily and moved further away from Xiao Shan.
Originally, the two were sitting in the main seats, drawing everyone's attention. The soldiers' gazes were all fixed here. However, the general protected her tightly. The goddess had been nestled by his side since she arrived, her entire body wrapped in a cloak, revealing only a face like a bright moon. None of the soldiers dared to approach the goddess to greet her.
Now, they saw the goddess sitting alone at another table, as if she were angry with the general?
"Military advisor, should I go and pay my respects to the goddess? Wouldn't it be impolite if I didn't go?" a certain adjutant said eagerly.
Wu Zhoubai snorted and didn't reply.
He used to drink with the general, but now he was superfluous. The general had found someone new and forgotten the old, he was heartless.
Seeing that he didn't speak, the adjutant looked at Yuan Bufi, who was devouring a chicken leg.
General Yuan was the brother of the great general. By rights, the goddess was like his sister-in-law. He hadn't gone over, so was the situation a bit... complicated?
Yuan Bufi finished his chicken leg, tossed the bone aside casually, and mocked, "Go ahead, feel free to go. Perhaps the goddess will also grant you the title of great general."
Really?
The adjutant was a little excited.
"Then tomorrow, the general will send you to Sucuan to guard the city gate."
Sucuan, the most desolate and harsh place in the Great Jing, where sandstorms raged, and water and food were scarce. If you went for a year, even flowers would turn into cow dung.
The adjutant shivered.
No way?
Didn't they say the general listened to the goddess?
Forget it, don't take that risk. Let's see what others do.
City Lord Gu was boasting to the Southern Barbarian prince about his three daughters. The Tantai Eldest Princess was happily drinking with her brothers.
Hey? Wasn't the Tantai Princess here for a marriage alliance? Now that the goddess was here, why hadn't this person left?
Ling Yao moved further away. Xiao Shan was unhappy. That table originally belonged to the King of Jiangbei. He hadn't come, so it was naturally empty. Xiao Shan stood up and sat down there too.
"Why are you following me again? Aren't we still supposed to be acting?"
Ling Yao stood up and tried to leave again, but Xiao Shan pulled her back, and she fell into his arms.
Below, there was a burst of hushed murmurs.
Xiao Shan swept his gaze around intimidatingly. Everyone lowered their heads, eating meat, drinking wine, and busying themselves.
"What's there to act about? Sit down and eat something with me properly."
Ling Yao still got up and sat up straight. Xiao Shan picked out the fish bones and placed the meat in front of her.
"Call Yutou over."
"What do you need him for again?" Xiao Shan put down his chopsticks, looked around, and called out, "Wang Meng! Come here!"
Yutou, who was chatting enthusiastically with someone: "..."
No way? Just now he only mentioned that Brother Xiao was jealous when he saw someone chatting with Sister Xue in the village. He had just started!
Caught again?
The people he was chatting with scattered instantly. Yutou had to pretend to be energetic and trot over.
"General, what are your orders?"
"It was me who called you," Ling Yao said.
Ah, it was Sister Xue. That was reassuring.
"Go and send some food to Du Ling, and by the way, chat with him. Tell him some interesting things you've seen! For example, what you saw of the King of Jiangbei and his consort in the forest!"
"Ah?" Yutou looked at Ling Yao's very serious eyes and truly felt that Sister Xue and he were...
of similar interests.
Indeed, gossiping about others behind their backs was not gentlemanly, but it was the most amusing. Brother Du must be bored to death. He would go now.
Moreover, this was instructed by the King of Jiangbei's own sister. He had no psychological burden at all.
Yutou accepted the glorious mission and ran off.
Xiao Shan snorted, "He's really idle. In my opinion, Qu Linglong was blind. She should have chosen Du Ling instead of divorcing him!"
"You're the one who's blind. My elder brother is very good."
"He burned down our house."
"When that house was built, it was already destined to be burned. If it wasn't for my elder brother, someone else would have burned it. We'll just build another auspicious one."
Xiao Shan was speechless.
In any case, when she sided with someone in her heart, she could always find reasons to protect them.
It seemed that another person had found a place in her heart.
Alas, melancholy.
New dishes were brought up from the kitchen. The cook carried a large roasted leg.
"Your Highness Goddess, General, this is a deer leg sent from the Southern Barbarians. Please enjoy it."
Chi Yun stepped forward and began to carve the meat with a knife.
Ling Yao lazily glanced down. Xie Bo was covering his head, appearing somewhat drunk.
"General, you eat. I'm going out for a walk."
Ling Yao stood up, and Xiao Shan didn't follow. He picked up a piece of deer meat with a fork and chewed it in large mouthfuls.
However, at this moment, a commotion came from afar.
A small soldier ran to report, "General, some elders from Tantai have arrived, saying they are looking for the Eldest Princess."
Everyone looked at Ling Yao.
Had Tantai come to support the Eldest Princess?
Damn it, the General and the Goddess were a divine couple. Where did that Tantai Princess come from, where should she go? Looking at her dissolute appearance, drunk and foolish, how could she compare to the Goddess?
For a moment, many soldiers stood up.
"Goddess, please rest assured, we will never let the Tantai people bully you."
"Yes, the General marrying the Tantai Princess was just a temporary measure, a show. I understand this matter."
"Goddess, please do not misunderstand the General."
"The Tantai Eldest Princess is not as good as a single strand of the Goddess's hair."
"The General even cursed the Tantai Princess as being seductive and overestimating herself."
Yuan Bufi, trembling, raised his hand: That was him who cursed.
Hua Qingmu, who was drunk, was rudely awakened by this group of rough men. She looked up and saw the surging emotions of the crowd.
She flinched, "Yes, yes, yes, I overestimate myself and dare not covet the General."
Everyone despised her even more. What a useless, spineless person. How could she compare to the Goddess's might when fighting the puppet army?
Coward!
A weak princess who only knew how to exploit favors.
And she was a queen? Tantai must have no capable people left!
Don't think that just because the Goddess is far from the capital, she can be bullied. They were all her backing. Even if the entire Tantai came, they wouldn't be afraid!
Ling Yao stared with her mouth open at the group of rough but lovable men. They were indeed people brought out by Xiao Shan, all true to their nature.
Xiao Shan waved his hand, "Let them in. It's a good time for this general to explain."
The ones who came from Tantai were two elders, a man and a woman.
They were Elder Li and Elder Mie, who supported Hua Qingmu.
As soon as they entered, they were subjected to a warm reception, being stared at by everyone until they felt uneasy.
What's going on? Did the Eldest Princess commit a crime?