Chapter 007: General

The man let out a cold grunt, forcefully pushing aside the quilt in front of Fan Qinqin. The heavy force caused her to stagger back several steps before she managed to steady herself by holding onto the table

Her heart felt as if it had been fiercely grasped by something, making it difficult to breathe in an instant

The man said fiercely, "What kind of person do you think you are? I don't need you to point fingers at me!"

The man at the forefront took two steps forward, his face full of excess flesh appearing quite unsettling

Before he could finish speaking, he was abruptly interrupted by the man in the black robe, "Do you remember the military law of the Western Army?"

No one moved, no one picked up the tables and chairs that had fallen to the ground. Everyone was looking at the imposing man standing in the center of the hall, and then they exchanged glances, utterly at a loss as to what to do.

Chu Mu Lian coldly laughed and said: "I do not know where you came from, but you have come to wreak havoc at Tianyin Tower. I will say it again, our Tianyin Tower has its own rules; in the morning, the young ladies do not take the stage and do not perform. If you wish to listen to music, please come back in the evening"

"Chu Niang!" An Keluo exclaimed, just as she was about to step forward to block, but she saw the man's hand being forcibly held in mid-air by someone.

The men began to shout in unison, some even impatiently tugging at the tables beside them, as if they were ready to overturn a few more if their demands were not met

Chu Mu Lian worked hard to force a smile, yet she did not know how to respond appropriately. After her lips moved for a long time, she finally said, "If that is the case, I must trouble you... General."

Her fingers tightly gripped the edge of the table, her nails slightly sinking into the cork, as if only in this way could she calm the shock and disbelief within her

Then she suddenly saw nothing and heard nothing, with only those captivating black eyes before her, and in her ears, only the words "General Weichi ... ..."

Her heart suddenly began to race like it did the previous night at the sight of those pitch-black eyes, the feeling of panic returned to her, and as she looked at him, she found herself unable to utter a single word

Fan Qinqin ignored Chu Muliang, merely offering a slight bow of courtesy to the group of military officers, smiling gently as she addressed the man: "This esteemed military officer, you may not be aware, but that sister upstairs, although she resides in the Tianyin Tower, is truly unable to play the zither or sing. How about I sing a few songs for you gentlemen today?"

He raised his chin, and the sunlight streaming in from outside fell upon his wheat-colored skin, enveloping him in a faint halo of light

Oh? If Tianyin Tower is capable of such matters, I shall not decline. Please, General, go ahead.

The man in the black robe lifted the hem of his garment and slowly walked in, taking large strides step by step. He then stopped, with his hands gently clasped behind his back

Although he only shook his raised hand slightly, she clearly saw the flash of emerald light that passed between his fingers

He raised an eyebrow and said, "I have an unreasonable request." He reached into the narrow sleeve of his robe and then extended his hand out again

With a loud thud, the leading troublemaker knelt on one knee, the sound resonating harshly in the quiet hall

Chu Mu Lian could no longer hold back and, casually picking up the metal tongs used to tend to the copper brazier that were placed on the ground, swung them forcefully, striking the man's forearm.

The man at the forefront's eyes flashed with brilliance as he raised his hand to point at An Ke Luo, saying: "That little girl upstairs is quite good, bring her down to sing a song for us old men!"

Those dark and profound eyes caused Anke Luo's memories to explode like a thunderclap. The chiseled face, the heavy scent of alcohol, the solid chest, and the tight feeling of panic in her heart all surged into her mind in an overwhelming wave.

"Decisive Commander!" The man shouted forcefully, and this voice echoed in the quiet hall of the Tianyin Building, startling everyone.

Chu Mu Lian was taken aback, "Qin Qin, what are you trying to do..."

He smiled at Chu Mu Lian and said, "I apologize for the earlier incident. I will have someone come to compensate for the damaged items on the ground. Those who caused the disturbance will be held accountable with severe penalties"

Ankelo tugged at his own clothes, "Shu Yun, let go!"

The crowd kneeling on the ground froze, then slowly stood up and gradually walked out of the Tianyin Building. As they passed by him, they slightly turned to the side, and not a single sound was made thereafter

None of the kneeling individuals stood up, and the man in the black robe did not utter another word, instead turning his gaze towards Anke Luo, who was by the table

Once again, a series of thundering sounds echoed, and the other men also knelt on one knee, the resonant sounds merging into a single chorus.

His smile shone in her eyes as if a thousand-year-old iron tree had blossomed

Ankelo was also taken aback, unable to fathom that he would ultimately utter such a statement

Their tugging and pulling attracted the attention of the man downstairs

Then roll back to the Beijing West Camp and go to General Xie to accept your punishment. The tone was as cold as the unmelted snow on a glacier

Others, upon seeing it, were immediately filled with astonishment and turned to look as well

"Is there really no one to sing?" A man with thick eyebrows raised one in question, standing before Chu Mu Lian like a bear.

Standing on the upper floor, An Ke Luo looked down, her brows furrowed. She leaned against the ornate railing, ready to descend, but as she turned, she felt someone tugging at her clothes. Turning back, she saw Yun, biting her lip, tightly gripping the hem of her garment, and softly saying: "Miss, please do not do anything foolish..."

In that moment, she felt her head begin to spin

A faint sigh escaped the lips of the man in the black robe, "General Xie has gone to great lengths to discipline the Western Army in vain." He lifted his eyelids, his gaze slicing through the kneeling crowd like a knife, his voice dark and hoarse, "All of you, roll back to the Western Camp in the capital."

A robust laughter erupted from the man's chest, causing the eardrums to tremble. He turned to look at the others and exclaimed loudly, "Did you hear that? This woman says she wants to go to the yamen to report to the authorities"

Grandma, why is this woman so talkative

At the entrance of Tianyin Tower, a man dressed in a narrow-sleeved black robe with a belt around his waist stood there firmly, backlit, making it difficult to see his face

General Yuchi! The robust man kneeling on the ground gritted his teeth and spoke, "General, my brothers have been outside for a full four years, and we have finally returned to the imperial capital once..."

His gaze swept over Anke Luo, looking deeply and shallowly into her eyes, and with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor entirely devoid of it, he said, "I would like to ask this young lady to play a piece of music for me."

The one holding his hand was a subordinate who had been following him closely. A flicker of astonishment passed through the man's eyes, which quickly transformed into a furious glare, "What the hell are you doing! Let go of me!"

The man at the forefront retracted his smile, glaring at Chu Mu Lian, and said: "Who do you think I am? I, along with these brothers, have survived from the edge of the battlefield in the Northwest! Each one of us is a newly conferred noble by the Emperor yesterday! The Imperial Capital's government office? Hmph, do you think those bastards can support you?"

She stood there, watching him walk in through the door, observing as these men knelt before him one by one, listening to them call out, "General Weichi..."

That subordinate, however, showed no intention of loosening his grip; instead, he pulled tighter on the man's arm, his tightly pressed lips quivering slightly, while his gaze was directed behind the man

He looked at her, suddenly smiled, and then raised his right hand to gently wave at her

The tassels on her skirt trailed along the ground, the ornaments on her body jingled softly, and a gentle fragrance wafted behind her.

The man at the forefront opened his mouth wide and let out a deep laugh, "This little girl is quite perceptive! Haha! Look at that slim waist... Tsk tsk, come over here and let grandpa take a look!" The man took two steps forward and reached out as if to grab An Kelu.

Everyone in Tianyin Tower was taken aback. In the capital, everyone knows that Miss An of Tianyin Tower, despite her extraordinary beauty, has never performed on stage. However, Wei Chi Jue had just returned from the northwest and was presumably unaware of this. Yet, he is the newly appointed General of Huaihua by the Emperor; who would dare to say "no" to his request at this moment

The figure in the black robe trembled slightly, clearly shaken by the phrase "decisive commander." To lead troops into battle, to fight bloodily on the battlefield, to share life and death together. Those kneeling on the ground are all brothers who have survived alongside him from the edge of the enemy's blade

Shu Yun, however, bit her lip tightly and refused to let go

The hall is utterly silent.

... ... remember

Chu Mu Lian's hand clenched tightly, her beautiful long nails digging deeply into her palm. Just as she was about to speak, Fan Qin Qin hurriedly walked over from beside the screen and stood in front of her.

Upon seeing this, An Keluo fiercely tugged at the corner of the garment from Shuyun's hand and rushed down quickly, urgently calling out: "Qin Qin... are you alright?"

The men in the hall fell silent in an instant, even the burly man who had been leading the commotion lowered his arms, his face displaying a look of shock, his mouth agape, yet no sound escaped, only the sight of his lips trembling.

... ... ... ...

They all lowered their heads, their hands resting on their knees trembling slightly, and finally someone spoke: "General Yuchi ... ... "

His gaze swept over the group of men in silk armor in the hall, and then a ripple of a smile, neither fully smiling nor fully serious, appeared at the corner of his mouth

This sentence caused the expressions of the people in Tianyin Tower to change abruptly

The men behind him followed the direction of his raised arm, each momentarily stunned, and then they all began to shout, "Damn, I didn't expect there to be such a beautiful girl in the imperial capital!"

The man let out a painful roar, and two fiery gazes shot towards Chu Mu Lian. He quickly stepped forward and raised his other hand to slap Chu Mu Lian's face.

After a long while, he finally said: "Although the war has subsided, it should not be taken lightly. Do not force me."

The other men also burst into laughter, their arrogant demeanor instilling fear.

Chu Mu Lian took a step back, her lips turning pale, "If this continues, I will send someone to the yamen to report it to the authorities"

It is not easy to settle down in the capital for two days, yet even the desire to listen to a piece of music is being disturbed by someone