Yan Boxi's voice was cold and magnetic, like a clear mountain spring, which made people yearn for it. He nodded slightly as a greeting, then lowered his head and continued to concentrate on his painting.
Seeing him so young, handsome and extraordinary, Li Yunting couldn't help but feel a strange feeling in her heart.
"Mr. Yan is truly talented. I wonder when this painting, 'A Thousand Pines in Spring Mountains', will be completed? Will I have the pleasure of seeing it then?"
She opened her red lips slightly, her voice gentle and sweet, completely different from her arrogant and domineering appearance just now, showing her gentle side.
Yan Boxi curled up the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing his indifference and unwillingness to say more. The brush in his hand did not stop, and he was fully focused on the scroll in front of him.
"My favorite challenge is those wild horses that are difficult to tame." Li Yunting raised her eyebrows slightly, with a hint of provocation in her words, and then she turned lightly.
"Cousin, can you send him to my house?" she suggested with a smile.
Li Longjing frowned slightly, his tone revealing a protective tone: "Don't be rude to Mr. Yan. He is the staff member I finally got, and he is someone who will lend me a hand... Don't you have Huai En? What? You're tired of him after such a short time?"
"Don't mention that useless thing," Li Yunting curled her lips in disdain. "He broke his hand while outing, and now he just cries all day long, and I have to bother to comfort him."
She has always been fickle when it comes to male favorites, and now that Huai En can't serve her, the novelty will naturally wear off faster.
Li Longjing sighed lightly and shook his head helplessly: "I'll ask someone to go to Jiangnan to pick some better ones for you, and then send them directly to your house." Although he did not approve of his cousin's debauchery, he always followed her wishes.
When Li Yunting heard this, a greedy glint flashed in her eyes: "If you can sit on that chair, cousin, then whatever I want will be easily obtained, right?" As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously drifted towards Yan Boxi.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Li Longjing's face darkened and he glared at her sternly.
This rebuke was like a fire, igniting the madness in Li Yunting's heart. "I'm talking nonsense? Isn't that what you really think? Grandfather Emperor valued Seventh Uncle more back then. If it weren't for those ministers clamoring about the order of seniority, who knows who would be sitting in that position now!"
After she finished speaking, she laughed unbridled, her voice echoing throughout the entire hall: "Cousin, you didn't win this first round of the Spring Examination, but that one didn't lose either!"
Li Longjing's face gradually became gloomy. He picked up a grape from the newly served fruit plate with a deep look in his eyes.
"If it were really that easy to win, the Great Zhou would have been ravaged by bloodshed decades ago. However, this Spring Examination did allow many people to stand out and show off their skills."
"Oh? Who?" Li Yunting moved closer curiously.
"Li Fang is naturally one of them. The people in the Imperial Household Department were all trained by him. I didn't even have the chance to plant a spy. And that Chen Jin, he became the emperor's confidant in just a few years. He should not be underestimated."
"Eunuchs are just a bunch of rootless guys, they are nothing to be feared! But those old foxes in the cabinet, you have to try to win them over, cousin." Li Yunting had a look of contempt on her face and spoke in vulgar language, which made Li Longjing on the side couldn't help but frown slightly.
"There's no need to rush. They're just some civil officials... who are very good at changing their stance according to the situation." Li Longjing said calmly. Before he finished speaking, a spy from the Linjiang Palace came hurriedly and handed over a letter.
Li Longjing did not take it personally, but nodded slightly, indicating that he should hand the letter to Yan Boxi.
This move surprised Li Yunting. "Cousin, do you trust Mr. Yan so much?"
"Of course," Li Longjing's tone revealed deep conviction, "He was originally going to die in the imperial prison, but I gave him a second life."
Yan Boxi heard the two people talking about him, but ignored them and continued to focus on the task at hand without changing his expression.
More than a month ago, when Chen Jin came to the imperial prison, he mentioned to him a possible second way out.
At that time, Yan Boxi thought Chen Jin was just bluffing, but unexpectedly, just a few days later, a jailer used the body of a death row prisoner to take him away from the imperial prison without anyone noticing.
At that time, he truly admired Chen Jin's ability to foresee things, and the mastermind behind the scenes really showed interest in him.
It was not until he entered the Linjiang Palace that he realized that this operation was actually the work of Li Longjing, and the other party actually wanted to recruit him under his command.
Although Yan Boxi knew very well that it was the Eagle Claw Liu, the shopkeeper of King Linjiang, who framed him, he acted loyal in front of Li Longjing.
He even admitted that his official career was hopeless, and instead of struggling in difficulties, he would rather follow Li Longjing wholeheartedly and seek a good future.
Li Longjing was very impressed with Yan Boxi's attitude. Not only did he treat him as a distinguished guest, he also solemnly promised that once his great cause was accomplished, he would be granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister.
The letter presented by the spy described in detail the rampant banditry at the Longxi border, and also included a passage of incomprehensible Western Rong language.
Yan Boxi calmly took a piece of paper and, relying on his profound language skills, quickly and accurately translated this foreign text into Chinese.
After finishing, he walked steadily towards Li Longjing and handed the paper and letter to the other party.
Li Longjing took the letter and quickly glanced at its contents, learning that banditry was rampant at the Longxi border. He then turned his attention to the Xirong text Yan Boxi had translated, carefully studying it word for word.
"Not long after Marquis Xingyuan passed away, the Western Rong began to stir." He said in a deep voice.
Hearing the three words "Marquis Xingyuan", Li Yunting and Yan Boxi were slightly stunned.
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