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墨書 Inktalez
Yan Ping wandered around the guest quarters for a while before heading to see Feng Lingjun. He thought that Lord must also want to see him at this moment, and such initiative should be greatly appreciated, right?
When he entered, Feng Lingjun was drinking tea. The green tea had a faint bitterness, but he liked that taste; after all, life has its bitterness before sweetness. The reason he enjoyed the bitter flavor was that he believed the sweetness that follows is even more delightful.
As he savored the tea, his gaze seemed to focus on the teacup, yet it appeared as if he was looking far beyond it.
Yan Ping knew his temperament; every time he drank tea, he would take at least an hour before stopping. Other Lords had their vices—some were fond of wine, others of women—but this one was utterly devoted to tea.
After a long while, Feng Lingjun finally finished his tea and slowly raised his head. Finding the room empty, he instinctively leaned down to look for Yan Ping, who was grinning like a blooming flower. When he crouched down, he resembled a slightly larger cat, easily overlooked. Every time Feng Lingjun saw him, he felt a surge of confidence and believed himself to be the most handsome man around.
Feng Lingjun asked, "How is the matter that this Lord instructed you on?"
Yan Ping bowed slightly and replied, "It is still in progress."
He continued asking, "What have you found out?"
"San Chun seems not to speak much." So usually it was him talking while she listened; he hadn’t really learned anything directly from her. However, if Qing heard this comment, she would probably laugh uncontrollably—if San Chun didn’t like to talk, then no one below would.
Yan Ping had little interest in San Chun but found Qing more intriguing. He possessed martial skills that rivaled those of Sword Masters, a noble and imposing demeanor, and a calm and reserved personality—truly a rare talent. He just didn’t understand why Lord was so concerned with the superficial San Chun while being indifferent towards him.
Feng Lingjun nodded slightly. "You need to hurry up; this Lord wants to know as much information as possible."
"Understood," Yan Ping responded and couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, "May I ask why Lord wants to investigate San Chun? Is there some doubt about her identity?"
Feng Lingjun pondered for a moment. "Follow this Lord."
He stood up and ordered someone to bring over a scroll made of fine silk. As the scroll unfolded, it revealed an exceptionally beautiful young boy.
The boy appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with a face seemingly sculpted with precision—handsome features, a delicate nose, and lips resembling cherry blossoms. The curve of his lips was perfect, as if he were always smiling.
His beauty was astonishing, but what impressed most was his smile; it seemed capable of breaking through clouds and illuminating everything with warmth and ease. That smile had a kind of magic that made people involuntarily open their hearts and become entranced by it.
Yan Ping took just one glance and couldn’t help but be captivated by that smile. After a moment of silence, he muttered, "Fortunately, he's a boy; otherwise, he'd definitely be an unparalleled beauty."
Feng Lingjun smiled. "Do you know who this person is?"
"I do not."
"You wouldn't know, but he was already in Chu when you hadn't even entered the palace."
His thoughts drifted as he recalled the first time he saw her; he was only ten years old then, yet she already showed signs of extraordinary beauty. He loved to smile, always displaying a grin whenever he met someone, captivating everyone in the Chu Palace. At that time, his father was still alive, the current King of Chu had not yet ascended the throne, and he was still the Prince of Chu. Strictly speaking, this person was also his cousin.
Just seeing him once drew him in, igniting an impulse to protect him. At that moment, he thought to himself that this truly was a remarkable person!
Among all the hostages in the Seven Kingdoms, everyone in Chu liked him, including his youngest brother, Jing Ren. The King of Chu praised him endlessly; he was loyal, filial, and virtuous, destined to become a wise king.
At that time, he already harbored ambitions and secretly pondered that many hostages who had been in Chu would eventually return home; some might even inherit the throne. These individuals had varying degrees of connections with Yan Dan and would naturally foster good relations with the Yan Kingdom.
As the Crown Prince of Yan, he too would have many supporters in the future. The Yan Kingdom would eventually become a dominant power, looking down upon other nations.
He had foreseen that the strength of Yan would surely surpass that of Chu and had even advised his father to eliminate him to prevent future troubles. However, the King of Chu did not agree and scolded him for his cruel nature and actions. He even lost his claim to the throne because of this.
He had harbored resentment towards him but regretted it later when jealousy consumed him; he left early and abandoned grand ambitions, allowing a mere child to become Yan Wang.
These events had long passed; every time he thought about them, he felt a sense of frustration—sometimes lamenting over lost lives and sometimes relieved that he died early, which spared him many troubles.
After a moment of contemplation, he softly said, "This is Crown Prince Dan of Yan."
Yan Ping was shocked. "Is this really the famous Crown Prince Yan Dan?"
It was rumored that Crown Prince Yan Dan was unparalleled in beauty, skilled in both literature and martial arts, an excellent musician who played beautifully on the qin and was renowned for his dancing skills. He once performed a dance called Hundred Plover Dance that truly attracted countless birds. Such a legendary figure had long been famous; however, very few had seen his true appearance. Today’s encounter made it clear that all rumors could not capture even a fraction of his likeness.
He excitedly rubbed his hands together and circled around the portrait three times before suddenly exclaiming, "Is this painting done by Master Ronghui?"
Feng Lingjun replied, "Yes."
Yan Ping became even more excited as he examined the portrait again and again, seemingly more interested in the painting than in the person depicted within it. It should be noted that Master Ronghui had long passed away; only a few dozen paintings remained in existence, each one a treasure difficult for noble ladies to acquire.
Feng Lingjun knew his temperament well and hurriedly closed the painting to prevent any drool from falling on it.
He said, "Do you think the person in the painting resembles San Chun at all?"
Yan Ping smacked his lips. "They look ninety percent alike; there's just one small difference."
"What is it?"
"Smile."
The smile of Crown Prince Yan Dan shone like the sun and moon competing for brilliance, resembling the clouds high above, ethereal and elusive. San Chun, on the other hand, was like the clouds that had descended to the mortal realm, grounded and possessing a sense of reality. He had seen her smile during his days in the residence, but that smile was forced and tinged with bitterness, starkly contrasting with the pure and radiant innocence depicted in paintings.
"It shouldn't be just one person."
"This Lord thinks so too." He sighed softly; how could the dead possibly come back to life?
The two remained silent for a moment before Yan Ping asked, "I wonder what Lord Jun plans to do?"
What else could be done? If someone could be utilized, they must be used to their fullest potential. As long as this person was in his hands, they could be used to win over the strong figures in the Seven Kingdoms. When the time came to borrow troops for assistance, his throne would be within reach. The only thing left was to carefully consider who to send her to.
He asked Yan Ping, "Do you have any ideas, my lord?"
Yan Ping had already guessed what he was thinking and smiled, "Among the heroes, the most powerful is none other than Chengyang Jun. However, he is also the hardest to deal with. If you misjudge the situation at that time, it could lead to a major disaster, and you would have to bear it yourself."
Feng Lingjun snorted coldly, "This Lord will bear it himself; if there’s a disaster, I’ll handle it myself. This Lord wants to learn from Mount Tai's peak..." He struck Yan Ping's head hard. "This Lord damn it, can you handle it?"
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