The Bamboo Road Guide

Blurb:

County Princess Taizhu glanced at the finely crafted wooden sword and gave Ludan a look.

Ludan understood that her county princess wanted her to ask some questions. She cleared her throat. “Ahem. The estate has people who do woodworking. Can you do anything else?”

“I can read, write, and do arithmetic. Does that count?” Dong Luqi asked the County Princess Taizhu directly, cutting across Ludan.

County Princess Taizhu let out a cold laugh. Holding a cleaver, she stood on a stool and glanced at Dong Luqi's dark head. “Plenty of people can read, write, and do sums these days. What's so special about that?”

Dong Luqi didn't take her cold laugh to heart. Instead, he continued asking with a polite smile, “What about literary and martial arts?”

“You know martial arts, too?” At the words “martial arts,” Ludan's eyes lit up.

“I know a little,” Dong Luqi replied modestly with a nod.

Ludan shouted to County Princess Taizhu, “He knows martial arts! What do you think, Princess?”

“Can you do anything else?” County Princess Taizhu asked, raising her languid eyes to look at Dong Luqi.

Ludan thought it was great that Dong Luqi knew martial arts, but the County Princess still wasn't satisfied. She grew a little anxious on his behalf.

“What would you like me to know how to do, Princess?” Dong Luqi asked calmly, raising an eyebrow and looking straight into County Princess Taizhu's eyes.

County Princess Taizhu was taken aback. She really hadn't thought about it. She'd only asked out of curiosity. After a moment's thought, she blurted out, “What women know how to do!”

A little guide to enjoying this little snack:

1. Historical romance

2. An alternate setting

3. Short story

Theme: May Zhulu lead to Qitai's peace!