Wei Luo was intrigued by her smile, but then Yin Hui pinched his arm and added, “I noticed when you were rowing the dragon boat last time. Feng Teng’s arms are about half a circle thicker than yours. If you were to compete with him, you might be at a disadvantage.”
Wei Luo’s face darkened, and he grumbled, “Don’t look at other men like that.”
Yin Hui pouted and retorted, “Father allowed us to watch the ceremony, which means he didn’t mind us taking a look. Plus, it’s not just me; your sisters-in-law and other young mistresses from the noble families were all watching. Why can’t I watch a serious dragon boat race a few times? You get to ogle those dancers performing suggestive dances every day.”
As she ranted, Wei Luo suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Yin Hui let out a small exclamation of surprise. Wei Luo paused and glanced outside but didn’t do anything inappropriate. He just looked at her and said, “Next time, don’t look around.”
Yin Hui’s eyes flickered as she sat on his lap, squeezed his arm, and said mysteriously, “Actually, I’ve seen someone who is even stronger than Commander Feng.”
Feng Su was King Yan’s top general, and Wei Luo had never seen anyone surpass him in terms of martial skill or stature. Curious, Wei Luo asked, “Who is it?”
Yin Hui smiled and replied, “I’ll have Jinzhan arrange a meeting for you tomorrow morning. If you come to the city gate in the evening, you’ll see that what I said is true.”
Wei Luo understood, “Is this person an acquaintance of yours?”
Yin Hui nodded, “If you’re interested, I’ll tell you tomorrow night.”
The following evening, Wei Luo arrived at the city gate, scanning the bustling streets for any signs of the person Yin Hui had mentioned. After a while, he spotted a robust man in gray coarse clothes and short brown hair. Amidst the crowd, this man stood out with his unwavering presence, as if nothing could sway his focus.
When their eyes met, Liao Shisan, the burly man, noticed Wei Luo. Despite the difference in their status and his intention to join King Yan’s guard, he didn’t greet Wei Luo humbly. Instead, he maintained a silent posture and looked at Wei Luo.
After a long exchange of glances, Wei Luo nodded to Liao Shisan and rode away.
Changfeng, who was with Wei Luo, noted, “Third Master, that man is no ordinary person.”
Wei Luo was eager to return to the mansion and learn more about this individual’s background.
After dinner, Yin Hui sat on the bed and narrated Liao Shisan’s incredible adventures in the martial world to Wei Luo. She described how Liao Shisan couldn’t be killed, how he had been abandoned in the desert by robbers, and how he valued love and righteousness as a member of the caravan.
As he listened to Yin Hui’s storytelling, Wei Luo remained silent. After the tale concluded, he asked, “In that case, why did you recommend him to me?”
It was clear that Wei Luo had arranged for Liao Shisan to meet him for a reason beyond his burly appearance.
Yin Hui hesitated for a moment before answering, “It’s difficult to explain the full story. In short, my cousin had a conflict with Uncle Liao. Uncle Liao is a principled man, and he no longer wanted to work for our family. This situation has made me support Brother Lang even more. My cousin is not a good person, and he has made my grandfather very angry.”
Wei Luo recalled the additional trip Yin Hui made at the beginning of the month, which likely had something to do with resolving the conflict between Yin Wen and Liao Shisan.
“Where does he live?” Wei Luo asked. “I’ll tell Chang Feng to spar with him tomorrow. If he can defeat him, I will introduce him to my father.”
Yin Hui happily provided the information, saying, “He lives behind the bun store. The store is quite busy, and there are many people inside. Instruct Chang Feng to knock on the back door.”
Wei Luo took note of the details. The next day, Chang Feng went to Liao Shisan’s residence for a martial arts competition. When he returned to report to Wei Luo, he asked, “How did it go?”
Chang Feng, looking somewhat ashamed, replied, “I was defeated in both fist fighting and swordsmanship.”
Wei Luo then asked, “How many rounds did you compete in?”
“I only endured twelve rounds of fist fighting, and his swordsmanship was not as exquisite as mine, so I persevered for thirty strokes.”
Wei Luo nodded and inquired, “There’s no shame in losing to him, but are you injured?”
Chang Feng couldn’t hide his bitterness as he replied, “I did take a few punches.”
Wei Luo instructed him to go to the military camp to obtain some medicine for his wounds.
Upon returning to the palace, Wei Luo reported it to his father.
King Yan, upon learning about Liao Shisan’s background, stroked his beard and pondered, “I wonder what that Yin family boy has done.”
Naturally, Wei Luo had already dispatched Chang Feng to investigate the matter. Combined with the incident that happened at the Wang family’s kitchen, it was easy to deduce the truth.
King Yan snorted and remarked, “Such a worthless man; the Yin family will inevitably fall because of him sooner or later.” If he had known, he would have asked Yin Yong for more silver, which could have secured blessings for the Yin family’s descendants.
Wei Luo lowered his eyes. While it was disgraceful for something like this to happen to his wife’s family, he also recognized Liao Shisan’s talents and couldn’t bear to miss out on a formidable general. Even if the man lacked knowledge of the art of war, he could excel on the battlefield and defeat the enemy.
King Yan noticed his son’s expression, coughed, and stated, “Your wife is exceptional, virtuous, and sensible. She has earned praise by recommending him. It’s clear that Yin Yong is skilled at raising his granddaughter, unlike his daughter-in-law.”
Wei Luo replied, “Father, thank you for your kind words.”
King Yan then said, “Well, you should take Liao Shisan to the guards. I’ll be going for autumn hunting next month, and I’ll assess his skills then.”
Wei Luo accepted the order and took his leave.
Yin Hui’s eyes sparkled when she heard about the “autumn hunting” expedition.
Yin Hui said with a smile, “But Father didn’t explicitly say that we’re not allowed to go. How about we make a bet? If I win, you promise me something, and if I lose, I…”
She leaned in close to Wei Luo’s ear and whispered her proposition.
Wei Luo looked at her and asked, “Are you truly skilled at dancing?”
Yin Hui confidently replied, “The young ladies of the Yin family are all versatile. Do you want me to count how many dance teachers I’ve had?”
Wei Luo had never heard such a confident boast before. He paused for a moment and finally agreed to the bet.
Three days later, the news that King Yan planned to go hunting in the paddock in mid-July spread throughout the palace. He intended to bring not only his wives and concubines but also allow his sons to bring their wives and children.
The author note:
Yin Hui: Happy!
Ji Xianxian: Happy!
King Yan: Why does the third son seem so reluctant, as if he doesn’t want to go?