Xie Pinghuai felt terrible now.
“Eldest Sister! How could you agree to such an unreasonable condition? Are you dumb?!” Xie Pinghuai almost rushed to Orchid Courtyard and dragged Xie Qiao out to yell at her.
Xie Qiao frowned. “Speak properly.”
Where was his demeanor? He was like a grasshopper jumping around.
“Eldest Sister!” Xie Pinghuai was pissed. “Don’t you know that Yuan Bin is shameless? He’ll do as he said. He’ll really pick you up on a sedan chair by then. If you don’t go with him, he’ll let everyone in the Imperial City know that you go back on your words after losing a bet. Will anyone still want to marry you by then?!”
“My dear brother, it’s just a bet. It doesn’t matter if I lose. However, we can’t lose our dignity. He said that you wouldn’t become a disciple. That’s just too much.” Xie Qiao looked angry.
“But I really can’t make it, can I?! Teacher Xiao didn’t see me today, nor did he speak to me!” Xie Pinghuai was aware of his own abilities. “Eldest Sister, there’s no need to challenge him like this?”
Xie Pinghuai was really worried.
After all, his eldest sister had even given him a welcome gift, though it had been taken away…
Also, although she would bully her, she was pretty. All of his family members were lacking in wisdom. It was rare that there was a young lady whose beauty suppressed everyone in the family. How pitiful would it be if they lost her…
After all, his eldest sister really looked weak and innocent while he was a man. If he dragged her into his trouble, he would actually feel upset.
Xie Pinghuai looked panicked.
“Don’t worry. I think it’s quite interesting.” Xie Qiao nodded. “Moreover, why don’t you believe that bad things would happen to him?”
“How are you so calm when such a thing has happened!?”
He panicked!
His eldest sister’s temper…
Ah… Xie Pinghuai was panicking, but Xie Qiao was still… so relaxed as if the bet had nothing to do with her!
Xie Pinghuai felt horrible.
Xie Qiao was not listening to him. It made him feel like he was punching a bag of cotton. He fell into a daze from the confusion and panic.
It was his first time having such an emotion since he was born!
There was nothing that he could do about Xie Qiao. He could not hit her, nor did he dare to scold her. He still had to butter up Teacher Xiao.
A day had passed, but he did not even see the teacher.
Xie Qiao’s bet became a laughingstock for the people at the academy. She was labeled as naive and foolish now. Everyone would smile at the same time every time the Xie family was brought up. It was sarcastic.
Xie Qiao did not panic at all.
A big part of the bamboo forest at the East Courtyard had been chopped. Xie Qiao was too busy, so she handed the blueprint to an imperial guard outside the courtyard and left.
The forest was huge. After the bamboo forest was chopped, the ventilation was much better now. The plants’ fragrance lingered in the air now.
The Crown Prince took over the blueprint and glanced at it. He would have to dig a drain and build a few tiny bridges. The trees in the courtyard would have to be replaced with mahogany trees, peach trees, and cypress trees. There were only a few willow trees drawn next to the drain.
To put it simply, the blueprint did not look good. Fortunately, a few parterres were vacant. He should be able to plant some flowers over there.
Zhao Xuanjing did not reject the blueprint after looking at it. “Just do as Young Lady Xie drew. Nobody is allowed to change it. Where’s she?”
“She has left.” Imperial Bodyguard Zhou was direct.
Zhao Xuanjing looked down, and his voice was deep. “I heard a commotion when I went out today. Talking about a concubine or something…”
“Your Highness, it was Young Lady Xie who stood up for her brother and argued with Young Master Yuan. They somehow made a bet. If Young Lady Xie loses, a sedan chair will be sent to bring her to the Yuan family to become a concubine.”
