Yue Zhuo heard the word "fragrance" and remembered the website:. However, on the surface, he didn't make a sound, but just glanced around the room and asked: "There is only one loom in this house, and the tools seem to be only one set. How can we two people use it?"

  Nie Boyi smiled and said proudly, "Miss Ye doesn't know that there are ten rooms like this here, all built by our master for us to focus on practicing carving. Usually, when brothers invite each other to compete, we light incense, lock the door, and when the time is up, we take out the carved works and go to the rest hall for everyone to judge. Miss Ye can rest assured that I chose two rooms that are rarely used today, not my usual room, so I won't have an advantage over you. This competition has Zhang Shidi and Zhao Shidi as witnesses. In a moment, we will enter these rooms alone, and when the time is up, we will come out. No one is allowed to disturb us in between, and we are equal."

  "That won't do." Ye Zhuo flatly refused, "Zhang Gongzi and Zhao Gongzi are both your fellow disciples, and this is also a place you're familiar with. A competition like this would be very unfair to me."

  "What's unfair? You really are measuring others by your own standards!" Nie Weiyue couldn't bear to see Ye Zhuo showing no respect to the Nie family, and couldn't help but speak up. "My fifth brother is third among my father's many disciples in terms of skill, with exceptional craftsmanship that you can't compare to. Does he need to cheat to win against you? And what about last time, how did you manage to win against him?"

  "I won't engage in such a verbal dispute." Ye Zhuo glanced at Nie Weiyue with disdain, then turned his head to stare steadily at Nie Boyi: "If Master Nie insists on using this method to compete, then I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you. When Master Nie returns, I will pay my respects and formally invite Master Nie to a rematch, to see who is superior. At that time, you will know that I won against Master Nie with my true abilities. Farewell!" With that, he turned around and left.

  "Wait." Nian Weiyue hurriedly said, not caring about Ye Zhuo's disdainful glance, while exchanging a look with Nian Boyi. "You already agreed to the match earlier, now you're saying no? Are you just playing us for fools? Talking about fairness or not, I think you're just afraid of losing to my fifth brother."

  "Alright, alright, big sister. Let's hear what Miss Ye has to say." Nie Bao couldn't just let Ye Zhuo go like that, so he hastily added, "Miss Ye, since you said this trial is unfair, then tell us, what would be considered fair?"

  Ye Zhu stopped in his tracks, turned around and said: "Mutual surveillance is the right way to do it. I'll send my maid to watch you carve; Niece can also stay here to monitor me while I carve. Otherwise, if I win later, you'll say that I brought a piece of jade with the same material and color as the jade to cheat."

  "Let me be the judge, do you have a big face?" Nie Weiyue finally had the opportunity to retaliate against Ye Zhuo's disdainful glance earlier, looking at Ye Zhuo with contempt. "Since you sent someone to spy on my fifth brother, I will naturally send someone to spy on you." After finishing speaking, she called out, "Liu Ming."

  "There is a small person." A male servant ran out from behind her and bowed to her. He was about 40 years old, with a sturdy build, small eyes, and a collapsed nose bridge. His appearance was slightly ugly. Moreover, while bowing to Nie Wei Yue, he couldn't stop stealing glances at Ye Zhuo. Those beady eyes, one look and you could tell he wasn't a very reliable person.

  "You stay here and keep an eye on Ye, don't let her leave until the incense has finished burning, and also don't let anyone else in to disturb her." Nian Weiyue instructed.

  "Yes." Liu Ming responded with a nod, raised his head and glanced at Ye Zhuo, the smile on his face grew even brighter.

  "Autumn Moon, let's go back. We can't compare." Ye Zhuo called out to Autumn Moon and turned around to leave. This time, unlike before, he didn't walk normally, but instead walked very quickly, as if there was a deep-seated anger in his heart that couldn't be calmed.

  Ye Zhuo was indeed very angry at this time.

  Ning Weiyue's plan, she can probably guess it now. It was to lock her in this house and then ignite the aphrodisiac incense. When the medicine takes effect, let someone enter the house and take away her chastity.

  She didn't expect Nie Weiyue's heart to be so cruel, not even wanting people like Zhang Ziqing and Zhao Song, but instead choosing Liu Ming, a middle-aged lecherous uncle who is also a servant of the Nie family!

  If she were truly an innocent little girl, once she fell into the trap today, either she would be so humiliated that she would rather die than submit to Liu Ming; or she could only marry Liu Ming as his wife with shame and humiliation, becoming a lifelong servant of the Nie family who couldn't hold her head up. What deep hatred did she have towards her? How could Nie Wei Yue humiliate her to such an extent!

  Nie Bo Yi saw Liu Ming, slightly startled at first, then furrowed his brow, looking somewhat disapprovingly at Nie Wei Yue without making a sound.

  "Ye Zhuo, stop right there!" Nie Wei Yue shouted as she saw Ye Zhuo walk a zhang away in just a moment. Seeing that Ye Zhuo didn't seem to hear her and didn't slow down at all, she turned to glare at the maids beside her, "You're all dead, why aren't you hurrying to stop Miss Ye?"

  Two strong women hurried up and stopped Ye Zhuo.

  "What do you want to do?" Ye Zhuo turned around, her eyes almost spitting fire.

  "I haven't finished speaking, where are you going? This competition, you have to compete whether you want to or not. Today you've become a turtle hiding in its shell, don't come to me for guidance in the future." Nian Weiyue was typically someone who would yield to softness but resist hardness, seeing Ye Zhuo's firm attitude, she raised her chin and glared at him with intimidating eyes.

  "I won't kowtow, can't I just go home? Now that I'm here, you're allowed to humiliate me like this? Two days ago, you poisoned me and didn't succeed in killing me; today, you're planning to lock me up with a male servant and humiliate me again. Niece Nie, do I have a deep grudge against you? If you want me dead, just strangle me with a rope directly, why bother with this charade?" Ye Zhuo was indeed furious!

  As soon as these words came out, everyone present changed their expression.

  Nie Wei Yue had been drugging people, and although this was secretly circulating among the lower-ranking servants in the mansion, everyone was too afraid to speak out due to Nie Furen's formidable power. Zhang Zi Qing and Zhao Song were even more unaware of this matter, thinking that Ye Zhuo was just not used to the local water or had eaten something bad for his stomach. Now Ye Zhuo had torn open this layer of window paper in front of so many people. There were also many servants from Bi Yuan who were present, and Nie Wei Yue's notorious reputation spread even further. Adding to that, she wanted to lock Ye Zhuo together with the male servant, her notorious reputation rose to another level, and the servants didn't know how to discuss or sympathize with Ye Zhuo.

  "You... you..." Nie Wei Yue didn't expect Ye Zhuo to have such audacity. She dared to say everything out loud, and was so angry that she was half dead, but didn't know how to refute her. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Ye Zhuo, unable to speak for a long time.

  "Yeh, what are you talking about?" Nie Bo Yi had already known that Nie Wei Yue was going to marry Ye Zhuo off to Liu Ming, and he didn't want to get involved in this matter anymore. But since he couldn't avoid it, he had to speak up: "You're just having a stomachache, who would poison you? You said so yourself, we have no grudges against you, even if we wanted you dead, it's just a matter of a rope. Why would we poison you? As for the competition, if you're not satisfied, just say so, why make a fuss? If people find out, your reputation won't be good either. How about this: since you've made that request, let Zhao Song supervise you, and have one of the maids from Big Sister's side follow you too. That way, there shouldn't be any problems, right? We're craftsmen, we don't have so many taboos. If we really go to participate in the competition, even women will have to stay with a big group of men in one room, that's the rule, can't talk about the ladies' chastity."

  Ye Zhuo smiled lightly, with a hint of mockery in her smile: "If that's the case, I have no opinion. But can Mr. Nie Wu's words be trusted?"

  Nie Wei Yi's face suddenly showed a hint of anger. However, he quickly adjusted his expression and turned to look at Nie Wei Yue. Although Ye Zhuo's words were very impolite, they were indeed the truth. His words couldn't be counted as valid unless Nie Wei Yue nodded in agreement.

  If it were the usual temperament of Nie Weiyue, based on what Ye Zhuo just said, she would definitely not let him off easily and would have to slap him a few times or hit him with a few slaps before she was satisfied. However, no matter how many slaps or hits, it's not as satisfying as seeing Ye Zhuo being forced to marry the male servant in shame. So she suppressed her anger and nodded slightly at Nie Boye with a stiff face.

  "It's settled then, Big Sister has agreed to your request, let's just do it this way." Nie Bao said easily. No one thought of asking what Zhao Song's opinion was.

  Those who can be accepted as apprentices by Nie Zhongkun are not ordinary people, but rather those with exceptional intelligence and cleverness. However, the intelligence of Zhang Ziqing and Zhao Song differs. Although Zhang Ziqing likes jade carving, he is more concerned with external matters and human relationships, whereas Zhao Song is almost completely obsessed with jade carving, rarely paying attention to external events.

  Therefore, when Nie Boyi, Nie Weiyue, and Ye Zhuo had this conversation, especially when Ye Zhuo mentioned that Nie Weiyue had been poisoned, Zhang Ziqing felt a sense of unease, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. On the other hand, Zhao Song knew that Ye Zhuo didn't get along with Nie Weiyue and Nie Boyi, but he thought this was none of his business. What concerned him was who had the higher level of jade carving skills between the two.

  Being asked to supervise Ye Zhuo suited him just fine - if Ye Zhuo could indeed surpass Nie Boyi through fair means, then her jade carving skills must be exceptional. Being able to witness her carving process firsthand was a rare opportunity for him. As for other matters, he didn't even consider them.

  So this decision came out, Zhao Song didn't raise any objections at all.

  "Qian Niangniang, you stay and accompany Ye Gu'niang." Nie Weiyue said.

  The eyes of Qian Gu were dim. Nie Wei Yue had her mind set on dealing with Ye Zhuo's matter, she couldn't stop her and was afraid that Nie Wei Yue would cause trouble, so she reported the matter to Lady Nie. This matter somehow got known by Nie Wei Yue, who has been even colder towards herself these two days. Now being asked to stay behind, this must be a punishment for her? It's clear that Ye Zhuo's matter will definitely blow up. When the time comes, those who will be blamed are the servants who carried out Nie Wei Yue's orders to harm Ye Zhuo. And she, having raised Nie Wei Yue and wholeheartedly doing good for Nie Wei Yue, now ends up in a situation where she is abandoned.

  Forget it, help her finish this thing and then go back to the countryside to retire.

  The old lady's heart was filled with disappointment and despair.

  "I want this maid to stay." Ye Zhuo pointed at a maid wearing a blue dress.

  Everyone was stunned, looking at the maid, staring until the maid's face was full of panic, retreating again and again.

  "No way." Nie Weiyue's face sank, "It was just Qian Yaya." The maid Ye Zhuoxuan had chosen was a third-class maid in her courtyard, usually doing some rough work in the outer courtyard; this time she followed, only bringing two pieces of clothing, which Qian Yaya had feared would make her cold and specially instructed to bring along for her to add at any time. Such a maid didn't know about her plan today. If something went wrong because of her... wouldn't she be laughed at by her mother? Could she not even handle the matter of disciplining a woman of humble origin properly?

  "I want her! As for the poisoning, Niece Ning might have forgotten, but I haven't. Qian Yini is Niece Ning's confidant, and I don't feel at ease with her by my side. It's better to have a little maid who doesn't know anything." Ye Zhuo said.

  "You..." Nie Weiyue finally couldn't bear it anymore. Pointing at Ye Zhuo, she shouted, "Guards, come and slap this cheap woman's mouth for me. See if she still dares to spout nonsense."

  "Go ahead, beat me to death then." Ye Zhuo wasn't afraid. Rather than having to guard against being poisoned later on, it was better to be beaten once and for all. Being beaten once and for all, she could still make a scene and leave the manor. She was at a disadvantage, there was no way around it, this kind of suffering, she would have to endure it eventually.

  Nie Wei Yue was just temporarily angry and didn't really want to hit Ye Zhuo. If she had hit her, the next match wouldn't have been able to proceed. She still preferred Ye Zhuo to marry a middle-aged male servant of the Nie family. So after the two quarreled, she waited for Nie Bo Yi to come and mediate, but didn't expect that after waiting for a while, Nie Bo Yi didn't make any moves, and Qian Hua's heart was also chilled by what had just happened. She didn't even feel like speaking. Nie Wei Yue was left awkwardly suspended in mid-air, unable to get down from her high horse.

  "And first, take note of this beating, so you won't use injury as an excuse not to compete with my fifth brother." She had no choice but to find a way out for herself. Originally wanting to quietly instruct Qian Yuzhen to say a few words to the maid called Qing Zhu, she couldn't do it because Qian Yuzhen kept her head down and didn't look at her, while Ye Zuo was watching with piercing eyes from the side, so she had to give up.

  Nian Wei Yue fell silent, and Nian Bo Yi added, "Since you're leaving two people to keep watch here, I'll have Zhang Shidi and this girl keep watch on my end. Once everything is ready on my end, someone will come over to give you incense."

  "Alright." This time Ye Zhuo answered very succinctly, without haggling.

  Nie Bo Yi let out a sigh of relief. He led a group of people to leave hastily, as if afraid that Ye Zhuo would make another request if they were late. Qiu Yue looked at Ye Zhuo with great unease, saw Ye Zhuo nod slightly at her, and remembering that she had promised Du Nian to secretly protect Ye Zhuo, she could only grit her teeth and turn around to follow Nie Bo Yi away.

  Ye Chou walked into the room. From inside to outside, he looked around and saw that the room was not very big. Inside, there was a lathe and some jade carving tools; near the door outside, there was a table and several chairs, with a screen dividing them into two areas. Apart from this, there were no other objects. All the windows were closed, but fortunately, the spring light outside was bright, and the sunlight shone through the thin window paper, illuminating the room, so the lighting inside was not dim.

  Ye Zhuo pushed the window, but it didn't budge. She turned to Zhao Song and said: "Zhao Gongzi, I like plenty of light when I'm carving. I want to open this window. Go outside and see if there's anything blocking it. I just need to open one panel."

  Zhao Song heard this and without saying another word, went out the door, walked around to the outside of the window, and pulled out a small wedge that was holding the window in place. Ye Zhuo used a bit of force from inside, and the window opened.

  "Alright, close it first. I'll open it again when I need to," said Ye Zhuo.

  Zhao Song didn't ask either and casually closed the window again before walking back into the house.

  The girl called Qing Zhu just looked on and didn't say a word.

  "Has Master Zhao been studying jade carving here for several years? Does Master Nie guide your practice every day?" Everything was proper, and Ye Zhuo chatted with Zhao Song.

  She felt a little guilty in her heart towards Zhao Song. After all, she would soon use him and Qing Zhu to test the medicine, using facts to prove that Nie Wei Yue had tampered with the fragrance, wanting to harm her. But she couldn't help it. This was Nie Wei Yue's fault, not hers, Ye Zhuo. At this time, she could barely protect herself, let alone sympathize with others. Besides, after this incident, Zhao Song might gain a beautiful concubine, and looking at Qing Zhu's gaze towards Zhao Song, it seemed like she had intentions for him too. This matter might turn out to be a good thing for the two of them.

  "I've been studying for seven years now, and Master is usually very busy. He only gives us guidance a few times a month. If the senior brothers return, they will take over to teach and check our homework. Usually, we just practice on our own." Zhao Song replied honestly.

  Ye Zhuo nodded and was about to ask Qingzhu a couple of questions when she heard footsteps outside. She closed her mouth and waited for the person outside to come in.

  Soon, Qian Aya walked in, first sweeping her eyes around the room, seeing that all the windows were closed, she took out a stick of incense and handed it to Qing Zhu, instructing: "Light it up and put it in the inner room where Ye Gu Niang can see it."

  "Yes." Qing Zhu took over the incense, lit it and inserted it into the censer, placing it on a small table beside the loom.

  "Miss Ye, you can start now." Qian Yigu saw that Ye Zhuo was still standing there and hadn't followed Qingzhu in, so she said again.

  "Hmm, I'll wait until Madam Qian leaves before going in. Of course, if you have any instructions for Qingzhu, you can give them, but you must say it in front of me." Ye Zhuo gazed at Madam Qian with a hint of a smile.

  Qian's face changed, but she eventually sighed and didn't say anything. She glanced at Qingzhu and turned to leave.

  She was disheartened and didn't instruct Qing Zhu about this matter. When she returned, she didn't tell Nie Wei Yue either.

  "Shut the door." Ye Zhuo nodded at Zhao Song and turned around to enter.

  Thank you for the rewards from An Ye Po Yue, Qin Mu Jin, Lost Ring, Kang Xiao Huai, He Xi, Guang Han Gong Zhu A. Thank you for the votes from Ye Yun Xuan, Extreme Fish, Little Devil 0106, Happy Jade Fish, Ning Ning 71, You You Miao, Tian Ai Yi Huang, Magi, Zjy2012, Wu Tian O, Aki, Wang Qiang's Xiao Deng Deng, Book Friend 110114081248254, Yan Yi Luan, Lost Ring, Entanglement Three Lives, Not Big Not Small Just Right, Bing Wei Ning Shan, Bi Hai Ning Bo!

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