Qiao Feng laughed heartily: "Hahahaha, I, Qiao, am but a martial artist, yet I never expected to become sworn siblings with the Great Song's foremost talented woman. This is truly Qiao's good fortune."
Qiao Feng and Li Qingzhao became sworn siblings?
This was quite unexpected...
Only after asking did Tang Bohu understand the origin of the matter.
It turned out that after Qiao Feng attended the Buddhist assembly, he once again encountered Li Qingzhao, who was out sightseeing.
When two people who love wine meet, it's inevitable that they would compete again.
But in three consecutive rounds, Qiao Feng lost... Before the fourth round could even begin, Li Qingzhao offended a hooligan from the local Yongjia City.
What kind of person was Qiao Feng?
Even if he didn't know Li Qingzhao, he would still act righteously and stand up for justice.
What's more, this was the only woman in the Great Song who could defeat him in drinking; she was a woman Qiao Feng deeply admired!
After Qiao Feng easily resolved this trouble, Li Qingzhao also felt that Qiao Feng was a straightforward man, so she proposed becoming sworn siblings.
Qiao Feng naturally agreed without hesitation. The two immediately pricked their fingers, drank the blood wine, and became sworn siblings.
After Li Qingzhao explained, she added: "Originally, You An was also supposed to come, but he had a sudden matter and couldn't accompany me."
"Let's go, Bohu, we'll see you to the examination hall."
Li Qingzhao and Xin Qiji's generosity, traveling all the way from the Great Song, even though one hadn't arrived, still deeply moved Tang Bohu.
Everyone quickly arrived at the examination hall. After a few pleasantries, Tang Bohu entered.
The imperial examination lasted a total of three days, but if one finished their essay and submitted it early, they could also leave beforehand.
Tang Bohu knew that even if he wrote nonsense, he would still pass as the top Scholar of this year's metropolitan examination, but he still diligently wrote his essays and policy proposals.
This policy proposal detailed the current Disadvantages of the Great Ming, the calamity of the maritime ban, and the hidden dangers of the Wokou and the northern Jurchens, among other things.
Tang Bohu wrote for two days and two nights, only submitting his paper and leaving the examination hall on the morning of the third day.
As soon as he stepped out of the examination hall's main entrance, his two Wives came to greet him from a distance.
"Husband!"
"Husband, you're finally out. How did you do on the exam?"
Tang Bohu didn't answer, but instead looked at his Wives and asked: "You two haven't been waiting outside the examination hall this whole time, have you?"
Yue Yao softly hummed: "We, your concubines, missed Husband and wanted to see him as soon as he came out, so we..."
Alas, with such Wives, what more could a husband ask for?
Tang Bohu felt both touched and pained, and taking his two Wives' hands, he turned back.
In fact, with Yue Yao and Nie Meiniang's cultivation, not sleeping for ten days and ten nights would be no problem at all.
But Tang Bohu just felt sorry for his Wives!
What if their cultivation was profound? What if their internal energy was deep?
Not sleeping for two days and two nights would always have an impact on the body, wouldn't it?
Upon returning to the courtyard and entering the room, he deliberately put on a stern face and said: "You two, go to bed and rest immediately!"
Yue Yao: "How can this be?"
"This concubine still needs to cook for Husband."
"Cook what?"
"Even if you are martial artists, you shouldn't exhaust your bodies like this!"
"Go back to bed and sleep!"
One, the Palace Master of Yihua Palace, and the other, the Saintess of the Demonic Cult, could only obediently comply at this moment, lying down on the bed.
Only then did Tang Bohu smile with satisfaction, get up, and leave the room.
Then he carried a vegetable basket and headed straight for the market.
With his two Wives being so thoughtful, he naturally had to show his appreciation as well.
He bought ingredients, returned to the courtyard, plunged into the kitchen, and meticulously began preparing the meal.
By evening, Yue Yao and Nie Meiniang slowly woke up.
As soon as they opened their eyes, they smelled a rich aroma.
"It smells so good."
"It's coming from the main hall."
The two women quickly got up and walked into the main hall, where they saw a table full of sumptuous dishes, and a warm feeling simultaneously rose in their hearts... "Move aside, move aside."
Tang Bohu ran in from the kitchen, carrying hot soup, and laughed: "Wives, you're awake! Try your husband's cooking, how is it?"
Yue Yao and the other looked at their husband, who had been busy all day and was covered in the smell of cooking oil, and were so moved they were almost in tears.
And just then, the main door was pushed open, and a clear female voice rang out.
"Haha, Brother Bohu's cooking, ever since I tasted it once three years ago, I still savor the memory."
"Brother, today you and I are in for a treat."
Looking up, who else could it be but Li Qingzhao and Qiao Feng?
Tang Bohu quickly invited the two into the house.
The two put down the gifts they had brought, and Qiao Feng looked at the table of exquisite delicacies, laughing: "We people of the jianghu drink from large bowls and eat large chunks of meat."
"Although it's exhilarating, it's always hard to be considered refined."
"You Scholars are much more refined."
Tang Bohu laughed heartily: "Brother Qiao, you jest. Bohu also put in a lot of effort today to reward his two Wives."
Li Qingzhao laughed: "Brother Bohu dotes on his Wives; his two Sister-in-law are blessed."
"Oh, no, it should be all eight Sister-in-law who are blessed!"
Tang Bohu: "Yi'an, please stop. My Wives are shy. Come, come, both of you, please take your seats quickly."
After everyone was seated, Qiao Feng spoke: "Among Scholars, there are only two whom I, Qiao, admire."
"One is my little sister Qingzhao, and the other is you, Tang Bohu."
"The battle at Bian River back then truly opened Qiao's eyes, making him realize the excitement of literary sparring was no less than the duels of martial artists."
"Come, Bohu, Qiao will toast you!"
"Cheers!"
Tang Bohu drained his cup, eliciting a hearty laugh from Qiao Feng: "Hahahaha, I didn't expect Brother Bohu to be such a straightforward person as well."
"Good, cheers!"
After Qiao Feng finished drinking, he toasted Tang Bohu two more times.
Yue Yao, who was beside them, said: "You two are just drinking; eat some dishes."
Saying that, she picked up some dishes and placed them in her husband's bowl.
Li Qingzhao laughed: "Truly a loving couple, deeply devoted."
"Brother, why do I feel like we shouldn't have come tonight?"
Although Qiao Feng was a tough man, his intelligence and emotional quotient were not low!
Seeing that Yue Yao's pretty face was blushing from Li Qingzhao's remark, he burst out laughing: "Hahahaha, since we're already here, what's there to be polite about?"
"Come, little sister, how about we start our fourth round right here?"
"Alright." Li Qingzhao was not afraid of a challenge, picking up a jar and drinking it down.
At the dinner table, the atmosphere became even better.
Everyone exchanged toasts, discussed ancient and modern topics, and when they reached an interesting point, even the neighbors next door could hear their laughter.
Halfway through the meal, Li Qingzhao said: "With Brother Bohu's talent, becoming the top Scholar of this metropolitan examination is absolutely no problem. When he enters the Golden Imperial Hall in the future, he will even achieve the 'Triple Crown'."
"Qingzhao congratulates you in advance here."
Tang Bohu shook his head: "I don't plan to participate in the palace examination. The day after tomorrow, I will feign illness and stay in bed."
"Oh?"
"Why?"
"I participated in the provincial examination to fulfill my late father's last wish."
"Actually, this fame and official position are insignificant to me."
Hearing this, Qiao Feng praised: "Although I, Qiao, am but a martial artist, I deeply understand that achieving the 'Triple Crown' is a great honor for Scholars."
"To think, Bohu, you are so indifferent to fame and fortune?"
"I, Qiao Feng, admire you even more!"
Qiao Feng was just like that; he never stinted on praise for those he admired.