Chapter 1442
Taken
Chapter 1442 Taken
Shangguan Yan was taken aback, then straightened up, her smile fading slightly.
"I don't understand what the Sixth Young Master is saying."
Lin Hao stood up, a full head taller than her. They looked like a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
"You summoned me here today, ostensibly to discuss Fifth Brother's affairs, but secretly to see what kind of person I am."
"If I had truly lost my composure because of your words, you could have used that to your advantage and gained more leverage in the upcoming negotiations!"
At this point, Lin Hao paused, then continued calmly, "Unfortunately, I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Shangguan Yan's expression changed, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
She did indeed have this plan. Ever since she met Lin Hao yesterday, she felt that this sixth young master was not simple.
I summoned him alone today specifically to test his abilities.
If he's really a novice, a few words can throw him off balance, and then things will be much easier to handle.
But to my surprise, he saw things more clearly than anyone else.
"Sixth Young Master is indeed extraordinary!" She abandoned her languid demeanor and said seriously, "Then I won't beat around the bush."
She turned and walked to the window, her back to Lin Hao, and said in a weary voice:
"Danchuan suffered from floods and has not yet recovered. Jingjing married into Xinchuan, supposedly as a marriage alliance, but actually she was also asking for help."
"As her older sister, I want to protect her, but I can't abandon the people of Danchuan!"
She turned around, looked at Lin Hao seriously, and said, "You're right. My fickleness is indeed unbecoming of a leader of the Chuan family."
"But if I don't do this, after they go back, who in Xinchuan will still remember Danchuan? Who will still remember that Jingjing has family backing her?"
"I understand Lord Danchuan's good intentions!" Lin Hao was silent for a moment, then sighed and said in a gentler tone:
"But what you're doing will only make things more difficult for Shangguan Jing. Whether she's doing well in Xinchuan or not doesn't depend on how much anger you've avenged for her, but on whether she and Fifth Brother can live a good life together!"
Shangguan Jing sat down next to Lin Hao, reached out and pinched his chin, slowly approaching him and said:
"Then it depends on whether you, my poor little sister, are willing to help her!"
Lin Hao walked up to Shangguan Yan, approaching her step by step, and said earnestly:
"If Lord Danchuan truly wants to help Shangguan Jing, he should let her make her own decision. If she wants to stay in Xinchuan, that is her choice!"
"If she wants to go back to Danchuan, as her brother-in-law, I can put in a good word for her. Of course, I won't just stand by and watch her suffer!"
Shangguan Yan stared at him blankly for a long time before finally speaking: "You...you said...what did you say? What brother-in-law?"
Shangguan Yan has already offered herself to him, so why should he be polite?
"Of course, he's her sister's husband!" Lin Hao smiled, then picked Shangguan Yan up and placed her on the table.
"You—how dare you!"
"Don't speak, you don't want the people around you to...!"
······
Although Lord Danchuan doesn't have any male concubines yet, it's not his own bicycle after all, so Lin Hao will definitely stand up and pedal.
With Shangguan Yan's half-hearted resistance, Lin Hao and she consummated their relationship. Lin Hao also gave in to her wishes at her initiative.
Seeing Shangguan Yan staring blankly at the ceiling, Lin Hao straightened her clothes before saying with satisfaction:
"Don't worry, from now on Shangguan Jing will be my sister-in-law, and I'll be her support and take care of her for you!"
"However, let me make this clear from the start: if Shangguan Jing wants to go back, that's her business!"
"But if you want to make a fuss about this, then I, Xinchuan, am not someone to be trifled with!" These words were polite, but the meaning was very clear.
Shangguan Yan stared at him for a while before snapping out of her daze. Then she suddenly smiled and said:
"I never expected the Sixth Young Master to be such a domineering person. I will grant your request!"
He lay back in the chair, then looked at Lin Hao with a relaxed expression, subconsciously licking his lips as he said:
"People like the Sixth Young Master, who are intelligent, decisive, and courageous, are becoming increasingly rare these days!"
"How about I let you marry into my Danchuan family, and I'll give you the position of Danchuan Lord?"
"Don't worry, as long as you marry into my Danchuan family, I can refrain from taking male concubines, and I might even allow you to bring your own concubines. What do you think?" Shangguan Yan's eyes grew brighter as she spoke.
Upon hearing this, Lin Hao was both amused and exasperated, and said:
"Lord Danchuan, I'm worried about your sister's affairs, and you're already plotting against me?"
"What, is that not allowed?" Shangguan Yan took a sip of tea and glanced at him sideways. "We women of Danchuan, we take whoever we fancy, we don't hide it!"
At this point, Shangguan Yan sat up straight and said tentatively:
"If Sixth Young Master ever feels dissatisfied with Xinchuan, he is always welcome to come to Danchuan and come to my place. I will definitely save a place for you!"
Lin Hao shook his head helplessly, not responding to the question, but simply cupped his hands and said:
"I appreciate Lord Danchuan's kindness, but for now, let's settle things regarding my fifth brother and Shangguan Jing."
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yan put away her joking expression and thought about it seriously for a moment.
After a long silence, Shangguan Yan finally spoke:
"Tomorrow, Jingjing and I will be at the drill ground, practicing archery with the soldiers!"
"Let Yin Qi wait at the training ground. Let them talk about their own affairs!"
Lin Hao nodded and said, "That's excellent!"
Shangguan Yan glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Sixth Young Master, aren't you afraid that I'll change my mind again tomorrow?"
Lin Hao smiled, stood up, and straightened his sleeves.
"Lord Danchuan is a smart man; he wouldn't do something so foolish." Lin Hao said, turning to leave. After taking two steps, he stopped and turned back, saying:
"Oh right, Master Danchuan just said he'd save me a seat!"
Shangguan Yan raised an eyebrow at him, her eyes full of anticipation.
Lin Hao's lips curled slightly, and he said with a hint of mischief in his tone:
"I appreciate Lord Danchuan's kindness, but next time you say something like that, you'd better ask Shangguan Jing first whether her sixth sister-in-law is someone to be trifled with!"
After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Shangguan Yan standing there stunned.
After a while, Shangguan Yan came to her senses and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Hmph~, you slippery one!"
She picked up her teacup, gazing towards the doorway, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
She does admire or have some affection for Lin Hao, but it hasn't reached the point where she'd offer him any help.
However, when Lin Hao was holding her, her body seemed to offer no resistance for some reason.
No, not only that, she was extremely excited, which made her reluctantly give in to Lin Hao.
Outside the window, the sun was setting in the west, casting dappled light and shadow inside the Lanyue Pavilion.
Shangguan Yan leaned back in her chair, savoring the lingering feeling of the moment. The smile on her lips gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.
The problem was solved, but this sixth young master was much more troublesome than she had imagined.
That's good. With someone like that around, Jingjing shouldn't suffer any injustices in Xinchuan.
······
After Lin Hao returned to the inn, Yin Qi immediately inquired about the situation.
Lin Hao omitted some unimportant details and briefly recounted how he persuaded Lord Danchuan.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, as things hadn't gotten much worse, and they were incredibly impressed by Lin Hao's persuasive skills.
next day
When Lin Hao arrived with Yin Qi and his group, they just happened to see Shangguan Jing shoot an arrow, which hit the bullseye.
Then, two arrows, three arrows, all hitting the bullseye.
"Clap clap clap!" The guards applauded and cheered from the sidelines. "I didn't expect her to be so amazing!" Yin Qi murmured in admiration.
"Aren't you amazed? Don't you regret not treating her better before!" Li Wei said, standing up for her best friend.
"I'm so glad she only used about 30% of her strength when she hit me before, otherwise I bet I'd be dead by now!" Yin Qi said, looking terrified.
The next second, Lin Hao saw Shangguan Jing draw her bow and nock three arrows.
"Thud thud thud!" The three arrows hit the bullseye.
"Clap clap clap!" The crowd applauded again.
After shooting the arrow, Shangguan Jing tossed the bow to a guard beside her and left expressionlessly.
Yin Qi hurriedly chased after him, and upon seeing this scene, Dan Chuan Zhu signaled to Situ Jin to stop him.
So what did Situ Jin do? He simply took out a crossbow and shot it.
Hearing the sound of the arrow flying towards them, Shangguan Jing pulled Yin Qi aside and caught the arrow with her left hand, which then bled.
Seeing this, Yin Qi felt extremely distressed and quickly tried to bandage her wound, but he was too weak to do so.
The sleeves couldn't be torn apart; it was Shangguan Jing who tore them.
"Sister, don't scare him like that, he can't handle being frightened!" Shangguan Jing said with dissatisfaction as she walked towards Shangguan Yan while bandaging her hand.
Li Wei jogged over to Shangguan Jing's side and asked with concern, "Jingjing, are you alright?"
Shangguan Jing shook her head and said, "It's nothing, just a scratch!"
At this moment, Shangguan Yan and Lin Hao also walked over. Upon seeing Shangguan Yan, Yin Qi questioned her:
"What are you trying to do? Aren't you going too far? I just came to see her, what? Didn't you already agree? Do you want to kill me?"
Shangguan Yan retorted domineeringly, "Do you think you can just see the princess of Danchuan whenever you want?"
The next second, the tone changed: "Unless you pass our test."
"Come on!" Yin Qi stepped forward abruptly, indicating that he was not afraid of anything and was ready to come at him.
"Let's have an archery contest!"
Yin Qi, who was originally quite manly, went limp when he heard about the shooting contest. He had no idea how to do it, so he took a step back and looked to Lin Hao for help.
After some wrangling, Lin Hao, representing Yin Qi, competed with Dan Chuan in a test shooting contest on a ship target.
What is a boat target? It is a target placed on a boat. Since Tanchuan Palace was built on water, boats were usually used to travel back and forth.
However, boats on the water are always moved by the wind and rise and fall with the water, which greatly increases the difficulty of hitting them.
Moreover, this target is different from the usual ones, with a jade pendant hanging on it, and a small hole in the middle of the pendant.
The archer doesn't need to pierce the hole; hitting the jade pendant is enough to win.
In addition, there is a bell under the jade pendant, and during the competition, the participants must be blindfolded and rely on sound to locate the target.
The next moment, Shangguan Yan took the bow and arrow and had her subordinates take out red silk strips to blindfold her.
After drawing her bow, Shangguan Yan began to listen to the sound of the bells. After a moment...
"Whoosh!" The arrow struck the jade pendant, splitting it in two.
Looking at the stunning and dashing Shangguan Yan, Lin Hao had to admit that she was incredibly handsome and captivating.
A guard standing on the ship in the distance waved his flag, informing everyone that Shangguan Yan had hit the target.
In fact, she didn't need to say anything; the admiration in everyone's eyes said it all.
At the same time, a look of worry appeared in everyone's eyes; this was simply too difficult.
Shangguan Yan removed the blindfold from her eyes, handed the bow to the guard beside her, and then looked at Lin Hao and said:
"Sixth Young Master, please!"
"Heh!" Lin Hao chuckled, and as he took the bow and arrow from Shangguan Yan's hand, he casually slashed her palm.
Before Shangguan Yan could even react, a tingling, electric-like sensation shot from her palms into her heart.
"You—!" Suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, she glared at Lin Hao with her almond-shaped eyes and said, "Hurry up and shoot!"
After teasing Shangguan Yan, Lin Hao smiled, picked up a red silk cloth to cover his eyes, casually raised his bow, and shot an arrow without much effort.
Before anyone could even react, the arrow was shot out at a slow speed.
At this moment, everyone was filled with doubt. How could the Sixth Young Master be so casual? Was he serious about shooting that arrow so lightly?
"Whoosh!" Just then, the seemingly weak arrow pierced through the jade pendant perfectly.
However, due to insufficient force, the arrow broke down halfway through the shaft and got caught in the middle of the jade pendant.
"Wow~~~~!" Everyone was amazed when they saw the arrow hanging in the middle of the jade pendant.
"how is this possible?"
"How could this be?"
Shangguan Yan and Situ Jin both showed expressions of utter astonishment.
"If Lord Danchuan hits the jade pendant, and I also hit it, at best it will be a draw!"
"So, the outcome is clearly decided!" Lin Hao said calmly.
Shangguan Yan looked at the jade pendant with some disbelief, at the arrow shaft that had been pierced halfway through.
He then stared at Lin Hao for several moments before nodding incredulously and saying:
"Of course!"
As Lin Hao said, if both shots hit the target, it shows that the archery skills are superb, but it can only be considered a draw.
To shoot an arrow into the center of the jade pendant and have it hang perfectly in the middle of the hole requires immense confidence and skill in archery.
"Clap clap clap!" Li Wei and the others clapped and cheered happily.
Lin Hao, who had been displaying his divine prowess in front of everyone, felt extremely proud as he looked at the admiring eyes of the crowd, but then put on a nonchalant and indifferent expression.
Shangguan Yan grabbed Lin Hao with a flushed face and said, "Sixth Young Master, I have lost!"
"You flatter me, Lord Danchuan!" Lin Hao was unusually modest, then said with a smile:
"In that case, could you let my fifth sister-in-law return to Xinchuan with my fifth brother?"
Looking at the tall and imposing Lin Hao, Shangguan Yan instinctively recalled her public declaration of love with him yesterday, and her face immediately flushed.
She looked at Lin Hao with tender affection, feeling even more reluctant to part with him, and then pretended to ponder before saying:
"I am free to make my own arrangements."
Therefore, although Lin Hao won, Shangguan Yan did not make a decision on the spot. She simply said that she was free to make her own arrangements and then left.
After the competition, everyone surrounded Lin Hao and praised him profusely, especially Yin Qi, who excitedly said:
"How are you so good? You must have been practicing behind my back. Did you take all the riding and archery lessons I missed?!"
Lin Hao said, somewhat speechless, "You're blaming me for not working hard yourself?"
"Congratulations, young master!" Li Wei said excitedly.
"Sixth Brother, that's really something!" With Yin Qi praising them all the way, the group returned to the post station.
However, Li Wei was pulled away by Shangguan Jing to eat some good food.