Resisting the Wind and Splendor

Andelu's arrival indeed brought a new predicament—the third prince of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty would visit seven days later.

"It is said that the Third Prince of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty is fond of martial arts. In order to entertain the distinguished guests, the Emperor plans to hold a martial arts feast for the Third Prince."

Chu Yueli lowered her eyes, looking at the cup in her hand.

Chu Xiaohe asked calmly, "Eunuch An, what is meant by a martial arts feast?"

An Delu said with a smile, "I have heard that the Third Prince of Dongzhou has many experts around him. He has also brought two experts with him this time. Dongling cannot lose face, so we will select experts from the young masters of various noble families to compete with him."

"General Chu is the Grand General of Dongling, with a prestigious reputation. We cannot afford to be disrespectful to him. Therefore, the first name written by His Majesty on the list is your Duke's Mansion."

"The Duke's Mansion?" Chu Yueli grasped the key point.

"The Duke's family is known for its loyalty and bravery, and the Chu family army is renowned far and wide. Even the Third Prince of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty has long admired General Chu. His Majesty said that this battle is for the Duke's family, for the Chu family army, and even more so for Dongling. General Chu must win; there is no room for failure."

Chu Yueli and Chu Xiaohe exchanged glances but remained silent.

The Emperor wanted his elder brother to prove that he was still capable of leading the Chu family army.

If it were someone else, losing wouldn't be a big deal; at most, they would just lose face and disappoint everyone.

In martial arts competitions, there are always winners and losers; there are no invincible generals in the world.

But Chu Xiaohe was different; the news of his health problems spread like wildfire.

If he loses, people won't believe the saying "victory and defeat are common occurrences in war." They will only think that his health will never fully recover and that he is not qualified to continue leading the Chu family army.

Your Majesty is forcing my elder brother to voluntarily hand over the Chu family army to the royal family!

But once it's returned, their Duke's mansion will truly decline.

"Then... Eunuch An, has His Majesty said what kind of reward there will be if we win?" Chu Yueli smiled as if she were full of anticipation.

An Delu had mixed feelings, but his face remained kind and smiling: "If we can win first place, the Emperor will reward us handsomely."

But even if Chu Xiaohe were completely unharmed, he still wouldn't be able to get first place.

An Delu smiled without a hint of sarcasm, adopting an encouraging posture: "Now, in the Duke's mansion, only you two siblings are left to support each other. Ever since the Marquis and the others... alas, since then, there have been some reservations about the Duke's mansion still controlling the Chu family army. This is the best opportunity for you to quell the outside voices, General Chu, you must seize it!"

Chu Xiaohe remained expressionless and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, sir. I will remember your words!"

After seeing An Delu off, Chu Xiaohe locked himself in his study, holding his silver spear, and didn't come out all day.

Zisu invited him several times, but he didn't respond at all.

In the end, Zisu still went to Chu Yueli.

"Miss, the young master must be in a very bad mood right now. You...you should go and comfort him."

"I can't advise him too much. He has to figure this out himself. After all, injuries don't heal overnight. My advice is useless."

She didn't turn around, her back view showing her busy work: "Don't worry, my brother isn't someone who can be easily defeated. Once he figures things out, he'll become strong."

Zisu also knew that the young master had an excellent temperament.

He is gentle, sincere, and most importantly, indomitable.

Zisu sighed and looked at Chu Yueli's busy figure: "Miss, what are you doing?"

Chu Yueli turned around.

Zisu then saw clearly that she was holding a silver spear and wiping it with a red silk cloth.

Zisu was somewhat taken aback: "Miss..."

Chu Yueli swept her arm lightly, a silver light flashing through the air: "It's been a long time since I've practiced, and I've become a bit rusty. Today, seeing my elder brother practicing his spear, I thought I'd ask him for some pointers. After all, I'm a member of the Duke's mansion; how could I not learn the Chu family's spear technique?"