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墨書 Inktalez
Regardless of whether it is true or not, looking at Li Xin does not seem like he is joking! After making up his mind to stay close to Big Shopkeeper, he really needs to be more cautious! While feeling lucky, he reached into his pocket to touch the two gold ingots. It was fortunate that he didn't do any favors for the two brothers earlier; otherwise, he would have been too ashamed to face them if something happened.
Feeling the warmth of the two ingots, which seemed to whisper in sorrow, Chang Yu couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness. This was the reward earned with the lives of him and his brother Changsheng, yet they would never have the chance to fight side by side again. If there is Heavenly Compassion, he would rather not have wealth and instead be with his like-minded poor brothers.
Since receiving his reward, Chang Yu had not had the opportunity to send anything back to his parents. He had planned to take a few days off after the Shangdang Campaign to return home, but due to subsequent busy official duties, he crossed Taihang Mountain and arrived in the capital of Zhao. At this moment, as he reminisced about people and things, his eyes suddenly became blurry.
On the brightly lit streets bustling with people, it was certainly inappropriate for a grown man to stand there crying! In a moment of distraction, Chang Yu hurriedly loosened his grip on the ingots to break away from his sorrowful thoughts. Then he shook his head vigorously to adjust his mindset and quickly walked into Silver Shop...
In Handan City, there was indeed no sign of war; on the contrary, it appeared very lively. After Luzi and others settled in the city, they learned that the Talent Show had entered its final season. It was said that this year's Oiran was none other than the beauty Shishi from Xiaoyue Tower, and the odds were extremely high.
As for how beautiful Shishi really was, Cai Youdao from Prosperity Record had a sketch called Beauty Sketch in hand. However, whether she looked as enchanting as in the painting was hard to say. After all, few had seen her true appearance; it seemed rather pointless to make claims based solely on this drawing.
It was rumored that Miss Shi was a child from a wealthy family who excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song. Unfortunately, her father offended a certain minister in court for no reason and ended up causing their family to fall apart. The young men were conscripted into military service while their wives and children were sold into official establishments in brothels.
However, this was merely an external rumor; the truth was quite different. Cai Youdao from Handan branch was also quite perceptive. Seeing that Luzi seemed very interested in Miss Shi, he shifted his tone and revealed the truth. His investigation into this matter wasn't out of curiosity or boredom but because Shishi had already gained fame in the capital before her debut.
Shishi originally had the surname Ji. Her father was Ji Liao, an official in Zhao State who belonged to an outsider family. Due to gratitude towards Lin Xiangru for recognizing his talent, he moved his entire family to settle in Handan.
During Ji Liao's tenure, he worked diligently and feared disappointing Prime Minister Lin's expectations. He managed a department effectively and was considered one of the few upright officials. Because of his familiarity with the Chancellor and being favored by Prime Minister Lin, he survived several waves of political purges.
He had one daughter who was already a stunning beauty at twenty-seven years old. She was revered by many young masters from ministerial families as if she were a celestial being descending to earth; every day suitors crowded at her door. They even made bets among themselves about who could marry her for various rewards. It became a lucrative deal combining wealth and beauty—how could it not attract attention? Initially just playful banter among young masters turned into a fierce competition over what should have been an ordinary marriage.
In everything, one need not fear bad luck but rather fear bad people. Thus began an undercurrent of trouble that remained hidden beneath the surface. The reason for their continued restraint lay in Lin Xiangguo holding up the situation. Offending anyone else might be acceptable, but offending this deity who returned from Shenchi with accolades was unacceptable. Anyone with ears knew that this Lin deity dared to scold King Zhao of Qin directly. In today's world, could there be anyone more formidable than King Qin? Compared to him, the ministers within their own country were merely small fry!
Finding trouble for no reason? Or should one just stay where it's cool and do good? Thus, the ministers would rather let their sons suffer at home for her sake than seek out misfortune.
Luzi quietly listened to Cai Youdao speak, but his heart was filled with questions. As a young lady from a prominent family, she usually never stepped outside. How did the outside world know the details about Shishi? Ji Daifu even circulated a sketch of his daughter outside; wasn't this just a prelude to trouble? It was truly perplexing! With this thought, he couldn't help but shake his head. He reached for the painting he had tossed on the table and began to examine the person in the artwork seriously.
Everyone has a desire for beauty. The painting technique was simple yet elegant, showcasing the artist's skill. The strokes were straightforward but highlighted the key features of the subject. The depiction of the person in the painting was remarkably lifelike. Although Luzi was not interested in women, he was still a healthy man. As he took another look at the scroll, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of admiration. However, that thought was limited to this; this was truly the highest realm of appreciating beauty.
Cai Zhanggui observed the situation and saw Big Shopkeeper nodding repeatedly while looking at the painting, thinking that Luzi was praising the subject. So, he simply stopped talking and waited for the expected answer. It wasn't until Luzi cast a questioning glance that he curiously continued to recount Miss Shi's background.
The root of this trouble was indeed infuriating and lay entirely with Shishi's father, Ji Liao (Ji Daifu). He often fancied himself a dandy and enjoyed writing poetry. One day, in a moment of inspiration, he decided to have his daughter copy a painting. That would have been fine if it had remained in their home and not been seen by outsiders.
However, one day while Ji Liao was drinking with colleagues in a brothel district, he drunkenly boasted about having a daughter who was exceptionally beautiful. He claimed that while everyone thought these courtesans were charming, they had yet to see his little girl!
What started as a joke in a tavern unexpectedly caught the attention of someone present. They took advantage of this and mocked Ji Liao for being frivolous. Being a literary man, Ji Liao couldn't stand it any longer amidst their laughter and finally sent someone home to fetch the copied painting to show them.
If they were to see her in person, it would be inappropriate given their relationships as uncles and elders; even if they were lecherous, it wouldn't be right to visit another man's home. But just from the painting, everyone was already amazed.
It seemed that everything ended happily there. The next day, everyone returned to work without mentioning it again. This allowed Ji Liao, now sober, to completely relax without realizing that his careless words had already caused trouble.
Everyone knew that the ruling king of Zhao particularly loved beautiful women and sometimes neglected state affairs because of it. This national selection held every three years was merely a whim of this Brother's. However, what people didn't know was that Zhao Wang Dan's interest only extended to enjoying the spectacle without any intention of involvement. In his own words, there were plenty of beauties in the world! If one were to pursue every beauty they liked, it would be a sign of mental instability.
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