Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Hearing the coachman's voice, Du Shiniang quickly straightened the wrinkles in her disheveled dress, blushing with embarrassment as she pushed Lin Chong away. Lin Chong glanced at the woman, chuckled, and whispered in her ear, "I'll climb over the wall to your room tonight, and we'll continue!"

Du Shiniang got off the carriage first, instructing her maid to prepare a brazier for Lin Chong to step over so as to ward off bad luck. She then busily instructed Steward Liu Guangfu to prepare wine and food, and to have the guards and stewards of Zixiang Pavilion accompany Lin Chong to enjoy a meal after his journey. Lin Chong felt a sweet warmth in his heart as he watched the woman bustling about for him, sweeter than if he had drunk honey.

After Lin Chong finished bathing, he asked Du Shiniang about Wu Song. Du Shiniang told him about the love-hate entanglement between Wu Song, Du Rushuang, and Zhang Ruowen. She also said that Wu Song learned yesterday that he had been released by imperial decree and returned to Zixiang Pavilion today. Lu Zhichen also returned with Wu Song.

Lin Chong was surprised to find that so much had happened during the ten-plus days he had been captured. He sighed and said, "It seems that our women's Cuju team has fallen apart. Your plan to form a women's Cuju team to compete against the Jin Kingdom's women's Cuju team is probably going to fall through."

"It's more than just a hot spring bath; I think Du Shiniang and Brother Lin have gotten themselves into trouble after their failed attempt at a tryst!" A rough voice came from outside the door. Lin Chong and Du Shiniang looked out and saw Lu Zhichen swaggering in with his monk's staff, followed by Wu Song in a plain white, fitted short-sleeved shirt.

"Brother Lu, Brother Wu, please sit down! We are just about to have dinner." Du Shiniang warmly greeted Wu Song and Lu Zhichen. "Steward Xu, go and ask Steward Liu to add a few more good dishes. Also, go and bring the good wine I hid in Wangyue Tower for Brother Wu and the others to drink."

Xu Gui agreed and went to Wangyue Tower in the north to find Liu Guangfu. Wu Song and Lu Zhichen sat down and started chatting with Lin Chong. Lin Chong picked up where they left off and said to Lu Zhichen, "Brother Lu, Du Shiniang and I were really hurt by the Wolf King's assassination attempt on the Jin envoy. Fortunately, you helped us guard Zixiang Pavilion and even found out some information related to the Wolf King."

"It wasn't us. Your safe release was all thanks to Du Shiniang. No, wait! There's also Chen Jinhuan. She's beautiful, and that dog of an emperor took a liking to her and she went to the palace to become a concubine. My junior sister even went to the palace and met Chen Jinhuan." Lu Zhichen said sarcastically, "I heard that Du Shiniang went to the palace to present that star map, and that's why she asked the emperor for a reward and had you released."

“Brother Lu, Miss Chen is now Consort Luo, you can no longer address her by her given name. Besides, I was able to leave Dali Temple prison safely thanks to Consort Luo,” Lin Chong said to Lu Zhichen in a serious tone.

"I don't care about empresses or anything like that, and I don't like those delicate and weak women. I only like someone like my junior sister who is gentle yet strong and has a Buddhist nature." Lu Zhichen said to Chai Nianci with a lovestruck expression, his eyes shining with a hint of pride, as if he were praising his own daughter.

"Brother Lu, your junior sister is already taken. She's Shen Daoyuan's fiancée. I think you'd better not be a toad. Be careful, or Shen Daoyuan will give you a hard time again!" Lin Chong earnestly advised Lu Zhichen.

"Brother Lin is right. Brother Lu, stop talking nonsense here. If you're so capable, go and say it to Shen Daoyuan." Wu Song, not wanting to miss an opportunity, urged Lu Zhichen on. Lu Zhichen was furious and stood up, wanting to run out the door. Lin Chong quickly grabbed his staff and loudly persuaded him, "Brother Lu, don't be ridiculous! Let's sit down and have a drink."

Seeing that Lin Chong and his two brothers were behaving inappropriately, Du Shiniang tried to persuade them, "Brother Lu, if Miss Chai finds out that you've been acting foolishly again, she'll definitely chant a calming mantra in your ear. Do you want to listen?"

"No! It's so annoying! I'd rather sit down and eat meat and drink wine." Upon hearing Du Shiniang's words, Lu Zhichen recalled how Chai Nianci had asked him to recite the Heart-Cleansing Mantra in front of him in the past. He immediately softened his tone, sat down, picked up the wine glass on the table, and drank a glass of wine.

Lin Chong finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glared at Wu Song, who knew he shouldn't have tried to anger Lu Zhichen. Feeling guilty, Wu Song picked up his wine cup and toasted Lin Chong. Then, he put his arm around Lu Zhichen's shoulder and challenged him to a drinking contest.

Seeing that the three men had finally sat down to drink quietly, Du Shiniang summoned three dancers to entertain them and also called Zou Xiaoyan to play the pipa. Zou Xiaoyan, seeing Lin Chong safely released from prison, bowed to him. Lin Chong smiled and nodded, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Remembering that Zou Xiaoyan was Gao Can's woman, Lin Chong didn't want to give her a friendly look.

How could Zou Xiaoyan not see that Lin Chong didn't like her? She was a little embarrassed, and her pipa playing fell short of expectations. Her rendition of "Song of Everlasting Regret" sounded like a broken bead falling into a copper basin, her voice hoarse and lacking any flowing or graceful charm or tender sentiment.

"Zou Niangzi, what kind of garbage are you playing? I can't understand it, it's awful!" Lu Zhichen said to Zou Xiaoyan with drunken eyes after drinking too much.

Seeing that even Lu Zhichen, who usually didn't appreciate the pipa, could tell that Zou Xiaoyan's playing was subpar, Du Shiniang approached Zou Xiaoyan and gently patted her shoulder to comfort her: "Madam Zou, are you feeling unwell today? Why don't you go back to Tingyuxuan first?"

Zou Xiaoyan's eyes filled with tears of grievance. Holding her pipa, she was about to get up and leave the room when she saw a familiar figure walking in. Her depressed and cold heart instantly warmed up. It was her lover, Gao Can.

Today, Gao Can was dressed in a lake-blue robe, his posture upright, and his expression serious. Gao Can walked straight to Zou Xiaoyan's side, put his arm around her slender waist, and then looked at Lu Zhichen angrily and said, "Who was it that said that Madam Zou's pipa playing was not good? I think Madam Zou is just playing the lute to a cow."

Enraged by Gao Can's mockery, calling him an ox, Lu Zhichen picked up his staff from the ground and swung it at Gao Can's lower body. Gao Can quickly pulled Zou Xiaoyan aside to dodge, and Zou Xiaoyan cried out in fright, "Brother Lu, what are you trying to do?"

Lin Chong quickly reached out and grasped the handle of Lu Zhichen's staff, loudly advising him, "Brother Lu, don't act rashly! Master Gao was just joking with you." After saying this, he stared into Lu Zhichen's eyes, repeatedly gesturing for him not to do anything further. Lu Zhichen gritted his teeth, didn't even glance at Gao Can again, and sat down to drink.