It turned out that the seemingly tall and cold General was directionally challenged and had genuinely gotten lost on the streets of Yanfeng City. Hearing my sister tell the sedan chair driver about going to White Crane Plain, he followed her.
This left me stunned. My sister, embarrassed and angry, shrank behind us, mumbling: “Such a big man and can’t even find his way, useless…”
General Shen glanced at my sister behind me. “Unreasonable.”
The yellow parrot enthusiastically nodded: “Unreasonable! Unreasonable! Ugly girl causing trouble!”
Thus, this mouthy parrot successfully offended my sister again.
An Jin and I managed to calm her down. General Shen had already gone to Southern Rui’s seating area. Jiang Yunqiao pulled me aside, apologizing for the parrot’s lack of propriety and praising my sister as beautiful and straightforward.
I apologized for my sister wrongly accusing General Shen, but Jiang Yunqiao didn’t mind, saying, “This is the first time I’ve seen Danding so angry. Your sister is indeed extraordinary.”
“The general was angry?” I couldn’t tell; his expression showed no emotion.
Jiang Yunqiao glanced at General Shen and said mysteriously, “He actually spoke to a strange girl, using idioms, and twice at that! I bet he has a good impression of your sister.”
I felt my eyebrow twitch. “Overestimating oneself” and “making a fuss over nothing” were idioms, but how did that relate to having a good impression…
Jiang Yunqiao indirectly asked about the follow-up of the mother-in-law’s adultery-catching drama, hinting that I could consider taking An Jin to develop in Nanrui Country to experience its social welfare. I wryly said I would consider it, and she left satisfied with her attendants.
My little sister tugged at her handkerchief, fuming: “Stupid bird! Stupid blind man! Stupid bird! Stupid blind man!”
An Jin and I looked at each other blankly until the competition’s signal drum was struck, and we hurriedly returned to our seats.
Twelve wooden houses were occupied by machine technique practitioners in white gauze caps and blue-green robes. Their attire was identical, with only slight differences in height and build. Among the contestants, Xiliang, Nanrui, and Qi Country each had four representatives, making it impossible to identify the countries of the contestants.
The competition comprised three rounds involving unlocking increasingly difficult mechanisms and retrieving hidden items, with the fastest time winning. The first round would eliminate six contestants, the second three, and the final round would determine the top three. Two judges monitored the contestants, recording times and striking a bronze gong for completed tasks.
The Crown Prince stood on the high platform, raising the gilded dragon hammer to strike the peace drum, silencing White Crane Plain. The ritual musicians beside the golden bell immediately played the yellow bell, their sounds thunderously resonating.
After the music ended, Minister of Rites Su Quan received the imperial scroll from Crown Prince Xia Zhiyuan and loudly read the competition’s procedures for the first round.
According to Su Quan, the first round was limited to the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. Each contestant had a jewelry box-sized mechanism containing a turtle shell, and the first six to retrieve the shell would advance. The twelve contestants exhibited various reactions—some focused on their boxes, others looking up at the platform.
After Su Quan finished, the ceremonial official signaled the start of the competition, flipping the glass hourglass on the platform to begin timing.
The twelve contestants moved quickly. I tried to identify my brother among them, my palms sweating nervously.
Father squinted towards the wooden houses while Mother tugged his sleeve: “Can you see where our son is?”
“Yes, yes! Where is big brother?” My little sister shielded her eyes from the sun, standing on tiptoes to see better.
An Jin discreetly held my hand. “Big brother is in the Geng-number house.”
Everyone understood, four pairs of eyes fixed on the Geng-numbered house.
Big brother, a disciple personally trained by the Tang Sect’s master, was incredibly diligent. He moved calmly and precisely, effortlessly unlocking the wooden box and retrieving the turtle shell. Only three contestants had opened their boxes at that point, and he was the fourth.
The bronze gong at the Geng-numbered house rang, and we collectively exhaled in relief.
“Big brother is awesome!” My little sister clapped excitedly, hugging mother. An Jin and I exchanged smiles.
The top six contestants were quickly confirmed, with the other six eliminated.
I was startled to see Ding Hao, but after careful examination by two judges, they announced that he had violated the rules during the decryption process by using a knife to damage the box, making his attempt invalid.
Ding Hao left dejected. At that moment, a gong sounded, signaling the arrival of Geng Hao, my elder brother.
I realized my back was covered in cold sweat. An Jin sighed in relief, patting my hand: “Big brother won again.”
Little sister collapsed into her chair, murmuring: “That was too nerve-wracking…”
Mother, full of confidence, asserted: “Don’t worry, I know my son! He will definitely win.”
The final three practitioners entered the final round: my elder brother, Geng Hao, Yi Hao, and Xin Hao.
Yi Hao was relatively short, while Xin Hao was tall, with a python-skin sword sheath at his waist, identifying him as Mo Qu, the dark-faced attendant beside Yan Huo.
I was extremely anxious. My brother had learned mechanical arts at the last minute; how could he possibly compete with Mo Qu, a genuine Mohist disciple? I had long refused Yan Huo’s previous proposal, so he would surely show no mercy during the competition. I sighed, praying for divine protection.
The third competition was the mechanical room challenge. The three practitioners entered three sealed mechanical rooms, and whoever could solve the mechanism and exit first would win the crown. The difficulty was higher than the previous box challenge, with a time limit of one hour.
An Jin quietly said to me: “Don’t worry.” I looked at him, and he nodded confidently, providing slight reassurance.
More than half an hour later, the practitioners were ranked. The first to exit was surprisingly Yi Hao, followed by my brother, with Mo Qu coming last, exiting calmly.
Yan Huo had once again made me owe him a favor. Despite Mo Qu’s mercy, my brother still lost, leaving Mother visibly distressed and my little sister in tears.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Embarrassing Moments in the Study
The mechanical arts competition concluded, with Mo Qu and my brother leaving the stage.
The White Crane Plain was jubilant, with everyone curious about Yi Hao’s origins. The ceremonial official announced: “Please, Yi Hao practitioner, come forward to pay respects—”
My brother changed out of his hemp clothing and returned to us. Mother and little sister hugged his arms, but he remained focused on Yi Hao approaching the high platform.
Yi Hao ascended the steps, bowing to the three kingdoms’ royal families and removed the veil.
Beneath it was a charming face with a gentle smile. I noticed the emperor and empress’s smiles stiffening.
“Neither male nor female,” Mother grumbled. “How can they compare to our A Wang?”
I coughed, sensing Mother would soon regret her words. My brother looked embarrassed. “Mother, she is—”
“Miao Yin pays respects to Your Majesty and the Empress,” she announced, “Thanks to Your Majesty and the Empress’s blessings, Miao Yin could bring glory to our great Qi Kingdom.”
The ultimate victor was my future sister-in-law, Xue Miao Yin.
