in2ebook Chapter 245 If you can't win, why fight him at all?
Chapter 245 If you can't win, why fight him at all?
"So much!" Qin Yizhen exclaimed in surprise. "This must be all the salary and rewards."
Three to five thousand is a lot of money.
Cheng Yan nodded: "Pretty much. He doesn't usually have many expenses, except for buying some storybooks."
Songnian didn't spend much money. He usually stayed by Cheng Yan's side, and his food and daily necessities were basically prepared by the Pingxi Marquis's mansion. Therefore, he saved his own salary and the rewards for winning battles.
Besides, the Pingxi Marquis's residence also prepared an additional wage for him.
"He's not bad, except that he can be a bit annoying when he's being a chatterbox. He's already a junior general with official rank, and he really likes Hongying. So, from a moral and logical standpoint, marrying him wouldn't be a bad deal."
"Why don't you try to persuade him, my wife? Just think of all the years he's been by my side."
"Alright..." Qin Yizhen hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed.
Song Nian is indeed a good man, and he truly cares for Hong Ying. If Hong Ying marries him, at least she won't suffer. If Hong Ying doesn't dislike him, it's already a good match.
Moreover, she remembered that the two of them had been drinking and fighting together from time to time these days, and when Song Nian pulled Hong Ying away just now, she did not refuse, so it was not entirely impossible.
One person has their own carefree joy, and two people have their own happiness and pleasure.
At least Qin Yizhen felt that she was doing quite well with Cheng Yan now.
After the cooking competition ended, the dishes were served one by one. A guard took a dagger that could cut through iron like mud, cut up a roasted lamb, and brought a few ribs and roasted meat to the table of the two masters.
Lü Qiao wanted to serve Qin Yizhen her meal, but Qin Yizhen waved her away, telling her to go back and eat her own.
Cheng Yan used a dagger to cut a small, thin piece of roasted mutton and placed it in the bowl in front of her: "Try it. This mutton was slaughtered this morning and marinated all morning. It's very flavorful. It tastes good even without dipping sauce."
Qin Yizhen usually only likes to eat fish, shrimp, crab, chicken and other meats. She doesn't like anything else. Besides the fact that she doesn't like the greasy taste, she also doesn't like the heavy sauces and seasonings used to mask the fishy smell.
Even if they do eat, they only eat lean meat and not fatty meat, and they can't eat too much in one bite; they are very picky.
However, Cheng Yan cut it for her himself, and she obliged. She tried it and found it quite good. The meat was lean, but because it had been marinated for a long time, it was very flavorful. One bite, and it was neither dry nor greasy, and even had a bit of chewiness.
She chewed and ate it.
Cheng Yan cut off a piece for himself and ate it. When she finished eating, he cut her a small piece and then had someone serve her half a bowl of mutton soup. This mutton soup was made from half a sheep and offal, and it tasted very good. It was even better with roasted lamb.
"This soup is best eaten in winter. After a bowl, you'll feel warm all over."
"How about we do it again in winter, on New Year's Eve?" Qin Yizhen also thought it was fun and lively like this.
"We'll have to see if we should attend the palace banquet then."
"It's alright. Even a palace banquet is during the day, and they should be back by evening anyway. We can eat there later."
"Okay."
The couple quickly discussed the next time, and then ate, drank, and toasted with everyone to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
To make it more lively, Steward Zhou had a stage set up. Some people went up to tell stories, some to compose poems, some to play a tune, and some to spar and exchange a few moves.
They give you money as soon as you go up.
Those who went up to compete received three taels for the win, one tael for the loss, and one tael for the rest. Everyone was eager and ready to compete.
As the sun set, cheers and applause frequently erupted from the courtyard, creating a lively atmosphere.
Qin Yizhen sipped her refreshing tea while watching the competition on stage, and asked Hongying beside her, "I heard you've fought a few matches with Songnian, what were the results?"
Hongying paused in her munching on sunflower seeds, then immediately complained, "Who let the princess hear about this?"
"If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. The more you meet, the more it will naturally reach my ears. Besides, it's not some hidden secret."
Hongying didn't believe it: "It must have been the Marquis who said it. The Marquis truly loves his soldiers like his own children."
Qin Yizhen thought to himself that he didn't love his soldiers like his own children; in fact, they didn't even want to have children right now.
"How about you have a contest with Songnian?"
Hongying blinked: "Princess, look at me. Do I look like I can win?"
Don't be fooled by Song Nian's usual role of staying by Cheng Yan's side; he has actually fought on the battlefield and earned many military merits. He is the commander of the personal guards in ordinary times, and a deputy general on the battlefield.
Hongying knew she had some martial arts skills, but she wasn't so arrogant as to think she could beat Songnian.
Qin Yizhen asked her, "If you can't win, why fight him at all?"
Isn't this just asking for trouble?
Hongying paused, unusually a little embarrassed, and thought for a moment before saying, "I can still win a few times occasionally..."
As soon as Hongying said this, Qin Yizhen immediately understood: "Oh, it was him who made the decision."
Hongying opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but Qin Yizhen said again, "Actually, I can understand. You see, I often play chess with the Marquis, but when I play chess with him, I can only win by chance. Many times, he lets me win."
Qin Yizhen's chess skills weren't bad, but Cheng Yan was a man who had led armies to victory and swept through thousands of troops. A small chess piece and a chessboard that could be seen at a glance were all things that he had already mastered.
If Qin Yizhen really wants to defeat him, she will have to rely on a stroke of luck.
This was only because he wasn't really serious and was just playing chess. If he were serious, Qin Yizhen wouldn't last more than a few moves against him.
Qin Yizhen thought for a moment: "However, I'm a little curious, how do you and Song Nian usually spar? Why don't you two go up and give it a try?"
Hongying paused and looked at Qin Yizhen: "Does the princess want to see?"
"Hmm, I'm a little curious." Qin Yizhen smiled. "If you win... I'll give you ten jars of wine; if you lose..."
What if we lose?
"Then naturally there will be no wine. Today, the entire Pingxi Marquis's residence is celebrating together, with only rewards and no punishments."
Hongying was very tempted.
It should be known that the wines in the Pingxi Marquis's mansion are always of high quality. They are either imperial wines bestowed by the palace or specially purchased by the mansion. If they are not good wines, they cannot be put into the Pingxi Marquis's mansion's storeroom.
The wines that Song Nian brought to drink with her were changed from time to time. Although there were one or two that did not suit her taste, she liked most of them.
"Ten jars of wine, for your subordinates to choose from?"
"Alright, if you win, you can go and choose." Qin Yizhen smiled. "But there's something I need to make clear: if you want him to let you win, you can't just fool me. It's only if I can't tell the difference."