Peach Blossom Plain, Taohua Village.
On one side were Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu, on the other were Tu Yujiao, along with her sisters Tu Yuya and Tu Yuqing.
Additionally, Lu Zheng, Shen Ying, Liu Qingyan, and Si Lingxi sat at the main seats.
The three-court... ahem... started to tear... ahem... started to explain the misunderstanding.
As the only victim, Zhu Yushan was the first to speak, "Yesterday afternoon, I was invited to Wenhua Building for a discussion on literature and classics, and I dined with others. However, during that ti, Brother Liu Licheng didn't co, so I went to see him on my way after separating from the others."
Zhu Yushan continued, "When I just arrived at his house, I saw him bewitched by this... this Miss Tu, doing so indecent acts out in the public at his doorstep. I thought he had encountered sothing demonic, so I... acted imdiately..."
Everyone nodded and then turned to look at Tu Yujiao.
Tu Yujiao snorted, and said coldly, "I was wandering around Yizhou Prefecture, and that scholar surnad Liu ca to bother . I ignored him, but he was persistent, saying things like showing goldfish—utterly vulgar.
Bah! I've been alive for almost a hundred years, and I don't know what he ans? So I followed him ho, then bewitched his mind, letting him think he was in a passionate embrace with , but he was actually just making a fool of himself at his doorstep."
Everyone nodded, having roughly understood the course of events.
Tu Yujiao continued, "Then this scholar surnad Zhu appeared, without saying a word, attacked . Tch, with such minimal cultivation, trying to act chivalrous? And still, couldn't distinguish right from wrong!
So, I subdued him easily, then took him and that scholar Liu out of the city to a manor, making them each transcribe 'The Gentleman's Ode' a hundred tis, to teach them the true way of a gentleman."
Everyone, "..."
Li Hanyu held back her anger, "My husband didn't know the situation, why didn't you explain it then?"
Tu Yuqing looked at Tu Yujiao, but it was Tu Yuya who replied, "Then why didn't your husband ask before taking action?"
"Wasn't I in a hurry to break the spell on Brother Liu? After all, he opened the door and was at the doorstep..." Zhu Yushan said with a wry smile, "Miss Tu's Dao Practice is profound. Knowing I'm no match, I had to give my all..."
Li Hanyu glared fiercely at Zhu Yushan, "That guy Liu made you miss the exam, yet you still call him Brother Liu?"
Liu Qingyan nodded, "Being aroused by lust, not a good person!"
Zhu Yushan could only smile wryly and nod, not daring to speak. He certainly couldn't say that during a discussion at Wenhua Building, several scholars imagined excelling in exams and then having beauties embrace them with affection, adding fragrance to their sleeves.
As for Lu Zheng, he watched his nose, his nose watched his heart, pretending to have heard nothing.
Li Hanyu asked Zhu Yushan, "Didn't you tell her you had an exam today?"
Tu Yujiao rolled her eyes, "He didn't say, that scholar Liu did. Besides, even if he had, what difference would it make? Their exam has nothing to do with anyway. They can leave after transcribing 'The Gentleman's Ode' a hundred tis."
Zhu Yushan sighed, "I had already reached ninety-eight transcriptions at the ti, thinking I could finish in ti."
Everyone, "..."
Lu Zheng said speechlessly, "You actually wrote them!"
Zhu Yushan nodded, "I misunderstood Miss Tu and acted first. I was in the wrong. Miss Tu only asked to transcribe 'The Gentleman's Ode' a hundred tis, which is already quite considerate."
Indeed, it was the case. Tu Yujiao had her reasons, and hadn't endangered the life of that scholar Liu. Zhu Yushan attacked Tu Yujiao first, and since he didn't succeed, naturally, he was at fault.
Right, when both sides have their reasons, of course, the victor is justified.
Moreover, Zhu Yushan's life was in Tu Yujiao's hands. If it had been a vicious demon, he'd likely be dead. Only being asked to transcribe 'The Gentleman's Ode' a hundred tis was indeed very courteous.
Li Hanyu pursed her lips, having nothing more to say, just shook her head helplessly.
"Tch! Is it that serious?" Tu Yujiao couldn't understand their helplessness, "I've been very courteous, haven't I? It's just an exam, after all. You're not ordinary people, would you really care about a re mundane world's imperial exam?"
Li Hanyu turned and said nothing, sulking internally, while Zhu Yushan could only smile wryly and shake his head, saying nothing.
Liu Qingyan could only explain, "Brother Zhu has long had bad luck with imperial exams..."
Then Liu Qingyan briefly recounted Zhu Yushan's long journey of chasing exams over the years, emphasizing the recent years. For example, he missed the exam but married Li Hanyu, missed the exam but made remarkable progress in cultivation and chess, missed the exam but befriended a Centennial Turtle Demon.
The Tu Family Sisters, "..."
Si Lingxi was also hearing Zhu Yushan's story for the first ti, looking at him curiously, her eyes filled with a mystical glow, as if trying to see through him.
After Liu Qingyan finished, Li Hanyu sullenly said, "This ti, we stayed right across from the academy, the closest we've been in over ten years."
Tu Yujiao's mouth twitched, feeling sowhat embarrassed, "I... I didn't know... he... was so unlucky..."
Saying this, Tu Yujiao shrank her neck, her gaze towards Zhu Yushan filled with an unusual look. "I interrupted your exam, so do I need to marry you this ti?"
Zhu Yushan: ???
Li Hanyu imdiately turned, speaking tensely, "There's no need!"
The crowd couldn't hold back their laughter upon hearing this, and Lu Zheng winked at Zhu Yushan, teasingly saying, "You know, every ti Brother Zhu misses an exam, he gains sothing else; I wonder, what'll it be this ti?"
Zhu Yushan's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Lu Zheng to fan the flas. He quickly shook his head and waved his hands, "No need! I don't want anything this ti. Well, I didn't wish for anything before either!"
Tu Yujiao's eyes twinkled as she lightly bit her lower lip, her coquettish charm flowing as she giggled, "I must say, you are different from other scholars, not tempted by , willing to admit defeat, not begging for rcy, just transcribing. You've written ninety-eight already, while the other scholar had only done thirty-sothing..."
Zhu Yushan was on the verge of having his eyes pop out, while Li Hanyu's face turned crimson, looking at Tu Yujiao with extre displeasure.
Seeing the two nearing a breaking point, it was Tu Yuqing's kind heart that intervened, urgently patting her own sister, "Don't be so reckless with your words anymore; both Young Master Zhu and Miss Li are friends of Qingyan. Aren't you going to apologize?"
Tu Yujiao already knew Liu Qingyan's identity; being in the upper hand, she couldn't continue teasing the two, thus she rose, slightly bowing, and speaking sweetly, "My apologies, Young Master Zhu, for delaying your exam. I didn't know beforehand. Please accept my apology here."
Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu quickly stood to return the courtesy, with Zhu Yushan saying, "Don't dare, don't dare, it's just not destined."
At this mont, Si Lingxi finally spoke from the main seat, "It truly is destiny. Although Tu Yujiao delayed your exam this ti, the real reason lies within yourself."
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