Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

"Then let's continue our discussion," said Mr. Jiang.

Wu: "I believe we should prioritize military strength. Our dynasty now faces Liao and Jin to the north, Xixia to the west, and Dali to the south. None of these forces are easy to defeat. If we don't strengthen our military, the border will be in turmoil."

"If we blindly increase our military strength, each faction will become self-reliant and will fall into chaos before foreign invasions arrive."

Wen: "Brother Zhou's point is quite reasonable. Taizu established the ancestral precept of 'not killing scholars and officials or those who submit memorials to the emperor to express their opinions.' Only when civil officials provide a relatively favorable political environment can they speak out and make suggestions, and only then can political clarity prevail."

Wu: "Who says that once the military is emphasized, chaos will follow? Leaving the military in the service of civil officials will only lead to the low status of military commanders, a lack of motivation for military talent, and a decline in the army's combat effectiveness. Military systems such as the separation of soldiers and commanders and the rotation of garrisons have weakened the army's combat effectiveness."

"The emphasis on civil officials curbed the power of military commanders, reduced the risk of them forming their own armies and launching rebellions, and to a certain extent maintained the stability of the court."

Everyone was arguing with each other, their faces red and ears red, and no one was willing to give in.

Shen Zhiyi listened quietly to the discussion. After a moment, he turned to look at Tao Jiuxi beside him and asked, "Do you understand what they are saying?"

"Of course I understand. Don't tell me I'm the talented girl in our village!" Tao Jiumian was in a very good mood at the moment, so he said jokingly: "And I'm the village beauty who is famous far and wide."

At this moment, a woman's voice suddenly rang out from behind him. The voice was clear and graceful, as sweet as the sound of a yellow oriole singing in a valley: "Greetings, Duke Shen."

Tao Jiuxi turned around when he heard the voice and saw a woman wearing a peach-colored double-breasted long dress with fluttering sleeves, just like peach blossoms blooming in spring.

She had a light pink ribbon tied around her waist, which swayed gently with her movements. Her hair was tied up high with a few delicate pearl flowers in it. She had a pretty face, and one could tell at a glance that she was some pampered daughter of a wealthy family.

She lowered her head slightly and bowed to Shen Zhiyi.

Seeing the pink-dressed woman coming, the other women who were originally resting in the private room next door also came out one after another, and a group of maids followed closely behind them. The dozen or so people made this space seem extremely lively in an instant.

But Shen Zhiyi just remained silent and didn't say a word.

Seeing this, everyone stopped discussing and looked over.

Someone in the crowd asked curiously, "Who is this girl?"

"This is Song Wantang, the daughter of the Left Prime Minister." Someone responded.

"She is the most talented woman in the capital?" Everyone exclaimed in amazement.

"Look at the posture, it seems that they are here for Duke Shen." Someone else guessed so.

Upon hearing this, Tao Jiuxi turned to look at Shen Zhiyi, thinking to himself: So she is my cousin's admirer.

Thinking of this, he quietly moved a little further away from Shen Zhiyi.

Shen Zhiyi looked displeased at this moment and said, "Why are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding. There are a lot of people in the room and it's a bit hot." Tao Jiuxi quickly covered his mouth with his hands and responded in a low voice.

The interaction between the two fell into Song Wantang's eyes, and her eyes turned red instantly.

Tao Jiuxi thought to himself: Oh my god, this is Hong Wen! It's a bit scary!

She frowned slightly, feeling uneasy.

Song Wantang said, "I just heard you call yourself a talented woman. I wonder what your opinion is on the question you asked today?"

what?

Coming for her?

Hearing this, Tao Jiuxi widened his eyes and felt helpless.

But I was just bragging!

All the young people in her village and the neighboring village had moved to the city, leaving only the elderly and left-behind children. That was why she could barely be considered a talented village girl...

However, she didn't want to dwell on it any further, so she just politely said, "My brother and I were just joking, so don't take it to heart."

When Song Wantang heard Tao Jiuxi call Shen Zhiyi so intimately, her jealousy grew stronger.

Song Wan then spoke again slowly, with a subtle hint of bitterness in her words: "Young lady, there is no need to be so modest. Since you have come here, you must be no ordinary person. Why don't you also share your views on what happened today?"

Her eyes were fixed on Tao Jiuxi, as if she was waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

Tao Jiuxi cursed in his heart: What the hell! Why do you only let me speak and let my cousin speak?

What's with all this female competition? Screw you.

Song Wantang was surrounded by noble ladies who were on good terms with her. As girls from prominent families in the capital, they were naturally very unfamiliar with Tao Jiuxi's new face. They knew that his family background must be humble.

Today, Tao Jiuxi actually appeared with Duke Shen. You should know that Duke Shen has never been interested in women, but today he was so close to her, which made few of the noble ladies present feel comfortable.

So they all joined in.

"Alas, if this woman only has good looks but no literary talent in her mind, it is certainly inappropriate for her to come to this place of elegant gathering." A noble lady raised her chin slightly, her eyes full of disdain.

"That's right. Such an untalented person coming here would only defile the elegant gathering place of Wangyue Tower." Another noble lady echoed with a look of contempt on her face.

"Wangyue Tower is really in a bad state now. Anyone can come here to have a gathering. It really ruins the atmosphere of such a refined place." Another noble lady frowned and said with disgust.

"Look at her appearance. She doesn't have the temperament of a talented woman at all. Is she trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful by relying on her looks?" A noble lady in a purple dress said with a sneer.

"Hmph, you don't even look at your own status. You actually dare to be so close to Duke Shen. You really don't know your place." Another noble lady curled her lips, her tone full of sarcasm.

"The threshold to enter the Moon Watching Tower is getting lower and lower. They let anyone in. It's really disappointing..."

Tao Jiuxi thought to himself: This guy actually said he was addicted...

Could it be that she is going to be bullied at a gathering today?

However, when he learned that the other party was the daughter of the prime minister, Tao Jiuxi couldn't help but think in his heart that he couldn't cause trouble for his cousin, so it would be better to be patient for the time being and admit defeat when it was time to do so.

At this moment, Shen Zhiyi's cold voice suddenly rang out: "Are you tired of living?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the murmurs in the crowd disappeared without a trace.

Tao Jiuxi's mind immediately emerged with the terrifying appearance of Shen Zhiyi. She thought that Shen Zhiyi was a murderer and a living devil!

He suddenly became worried, afraid that Shen Zhiyi would get angry and kill someone because of him.

However, on second thought, since Shen Zhiyi had already scolded him, he must be fearless.

Since her cousin is not afraid, she is not afraid either.

Tao Jiuxi felt that this was a small matter and there was no need for Shen Zhiyi to intervene, he could handle it himself, so he pretended to stand up slowly and elegantly.

"I am a humble woman of limited learning, having only read a few volumes. Since you are so sincere in asking for advice, I will be happy to teach you."

When Song Wantang heard what Tao Jiuxi said, she felt a surge of anger in her heart.

She was the daughter of a prime minister and was usually admired and flattered by everyone. Now, she was being "taught" by this woman who came out of nowhere, which was really unbearable for her.

However, he couldn't lose his composure in such an occasion, so he suppressed his anger, his face darkened slightly, and waited for Tao Jiuxi to continue.