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On that side, the tea drinkers vividly recounted Ye Xiaohan's miraculous survival story, adding many details that Ye Xiaohan herself was unaware of.
For instance, they claimed that Ye Xiaohan had scolded Liu Yun, Lord Liu, so fiercely that he was left speechless, bowing his head to apologize to her.
They also said that Ye Xiaohan had imprisoned the Liu couple in the Prison and ordered the jailers to beat them mercilessly.
As the tea drinkers spun their tales, they became increasingly outrageous, yet they listened with great interest.
One person suddenly realized something and said, "Wait a minute, if that's the case, Ye Xiaohan is too arrogant. She's just a commoner; how could she dare to oppose the Government Office? And how could she command the jailers?"
"You don't know the half of it! There's more to this than meets the eye!" one tea drinker teased. After being urged by others, he lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I heard that Ye Xiaohan has a connection with the Flying Dragon General!"
"Is that true? You can't just say things like that!" The tea drinkers were astonished; how could an ordinary woman possibly have ties with such a renowned general?
Ye Xiaohan felt her eyes rolling so hard they might cramp. These people were fabricating stories with such creativity; they could conjure up anything. What nonsense! She hadn't even seen a single hair on the Flying Dragon General!
As Ye Xiaohan contemplated whether it would be better to flip their table or secretly slip some poison into their tea, she overheard another peculiar remark from the group of tea drinkers.
"What do you know?" one person scoffed. "Do you think the Flying Dragon General is just anyone? He was Ye Xiaohan's husband before—Liu Bei!"
At this revelation, shock rippled through the room as everyone leaned in to hear more.
"The Flying Dragon General was young and accomplished, achieving great feats at a young age and being awarded the title of Grand General. Later, for reasons unknown, he vanished into the countryside, no longer concerned with worldly affairs. He took on the name Liu Bei and lived as a recluse in the mountains, seeking a carefree life!"
The speaker narrated this tale with smooth logic and compelling words, leaving listeners in a daze.
It was excellent material for a story. Ye Xiaohan decided she would first applaud him before slipping him some medicine—something that would keep him silent for three months—to teach him a lesson about speaking recklessly.
However, among the tea drinkers, someone remained skeptical: "If the Flying Dragon General is indeed Liu Bei, then it makes sense for him to support Ye Xiaohan. But if he is her husband, why not publicly acknowledge their relationship? I heard that the Flying Dragon General is staying at a temporary residence and hasn't been to Liu's Mansion."
The man, who spoke eloquently, quickly replied when questioned, "Everything I said is true. If you don't believe me, go investigate for yourself; you'll find out soon enough."
He continued, "As for why the Flying Dragon General hasn't returned to Ye's family, isn't it obvious? The general has chosen to live in seclusion on a whim. When he was with Ye Xiaohan, he was her husband, but now he is the Flying Dragon General. How could he possibly still be entangled with a common woman?"
"No wonder," someone exclaimed, suddenly enlightened. "I heard that although the Flying Dragon General helped Ye Xiaohan out of this crisis, he never showed his face throughout the ordeal. Even during the court hearing, he sent his deputy instead."
The crowd found this reasoning convincing and sighed in agreement. "What can be done? She and Ye Xiaohan are from different worlds; she can't just fly up to become a general's wife. It seems she is destined to be abandoned."
The tea drinkers discussed this topic at length, finding it an entertaining diversion from their mundane lives, savoring it as a subject that could be revisited multiple times without growing tiresome.
After what felt like an eternity of their chatter finally shifted to other matters and they dispersed, Ye Xiaohan settled her bill and left the teahouse.
She did not believe the gossip from those tea drinkers; how could Liu Bei possibly be the general? Although he was indeed suspicious—sometimes meeting mysterious figures in black and knowing influential people far beyond the reach of common folk—none of that proved Liu Bei was the Flying Dragon General.
Ye Xiaohan decided she needed to see for herself, using the pretext of expressing her gratitude for his help in saving her.
Finding out where the Flying Dragon General lived was not difficult. While pretending to chat casually on the street, she managed to gather specific information about his location. To her surprise, it turned out to be very close to the Ye family residence—just across a street.
Ye Xiaohan was somewhat taken aback; she had expected the general would reside in a more lavish place. How could Liu Yun, who was so adept at currying favor with superiors, not have invited him to stay at Liu Residence?
Upon arriving at the location, she spotted the courtyard from a distance. Two guards stood at the small entrance, one on each side. Unfortunately, the entrance was so small that their imposing presence diminished significantly as they stood close together.
Just as Ye Xiaohan approached within a considerable distance from the entrance, she was stopped by one of the guards.
"Stop! This area is temporarily requisitioned by the Flying Dragon General. Unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from entering. Leave immediately!" The guard brandished his spear as a warning.
Ye Xiaohan smiled and said, "I'm not a suspicious person. My name is Ye Xiaohan. Thanks to the Flying Dragon General's intervention, I was saved from peril. I'm here specifically to express my gratitude to him."
The guard shouted, "No matter who you are, the general has ordered that no one is to be seen. Leave quickly, or face military punishment!"
The guard was indeed diligent in his duty. Ye Xiaohan didn't want to force her way in; after all, the Flying Dragon General was her savior, and that would be too impolite.
"Brother Guard, please just pass on a message for me. I only want to thank him in person; it won't take up much of the general's time. Just ask him for me; he might be willing to see me."
Ye Xiaohan spoke kindly, trying to reason with him, but despite her efforts, the guard remained unmoved.
"Stop this nonsense! If you don't leave now, I'll have to arrest you!" The guard stepped forward, his expression serious.
Ye Xiaohan quickly took a step back. "Let's talk calmly; there's no need for violence. I'm leaving now, alright?"
With that, she turned to leave, making her stance clear through her actions.
Was Ye Xiaohan really going to leave? Of course not; she wouldn't give up so easily. That would be too out of character for her.
She wasn't unfamiliar with this area. After circling around, she found the back garden of the courtyard. There was a small dog door—small enough for her to see inside.
The courtyard was quite secluded. Unless the Flying Dragon General stayed locked in his room all evening, he would likely come out here to enjoy the cool air and scenery. She needed to see his face before she could go back.
Her guess proved correct; there was indeed someone in the courtyard. Through a lush trellis of grapevines, she couldn't see much—only two legs were visible.
But just seeing two legs didn't help her figure out what the person's face looked like. Moreover, she couldn't be sure if this person was the general; from the fabric of their clothing, they appeared quite ordinary.
However, since the Flying Dragon General lived in such a courtyard, it was entirely possible he dressed down a bit.
Ye Xiaohan crouched down and watched for a while. The person stood still, seemingly lost in thought. It seemed this method wouldn't work; it was all because of those grapevines planted right where they were—blocking her view at such a critical moment.
Just as she was about to get up and think of another way, footsteps came from the courtyard. She quickly lay down, ready to eavesdrop. She was incredibly curious about the Flying Dragon General; a savior who asked for nothing in return was truly a modern-day Lei Feng.
"Reporting to the General, Miss Ye has already left." From the voice, it was clear this wasn't the guard from before. No matter how much he tried to disguise himself as an ordinary person, his identity still showed through in the details.
It really was quite a spectacle that even passing a message required so many layers of communication, Ye Xiaohan thought.
Confirming that this person was indeed the Flying Dragon General, Ye Xiaohan's interest piqued. She decided to stay low and carefully observe what the General looked like; this could be the most prominent figure she encountered in this era.
While she waited anxiously, the Flying Dragon General seemed lost in thought, remaining silent.
After a long while—long enough for Ye Xiaohan's arm to grow sore—she cautiously shifted her position, afraid to make any sudden movements that might give her away.
Finally, the Flying Dragon General moved his foot slightly, taking a step before stopping again. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "How is she? Is she angry? You didn't hurt her, did you?"
His subordinate immediately replied, "We wouldn't dare forget the General's orders. We only drove her away and didn't harm her in the slightest. Please rest assured! Miss Ye didn't linger too long and left quite readily; she didn't seem angry at all."
"Is that so? That's good," the Flying Dragon General repeated. "That's good."
Once his subordinate withdrew, Ye Xiaohan tightly covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound. She was all too familiar with the sound of the Flying Dragon General; for many days and nights, that voice had been warm and comforting in her ears.
The person inside was none other than Liu Bei!
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