He took out the painting inside, unfolded it on the spot, pushed it in front of Yue Jiang, and poured out his heart as if no one else was around.
"I was truly in love with Princess Yuejiang and thought that a marriage was just around the corner, but I never expected to miss out on her."
"This is a scene of Princess Xishi in the Moon Palace. I was so captivated by it that I couldn't forget it after returning to Anguo. On a whim, I painted this humble work."
"I had intended to bring the princess back to the capital and present her to her, but unfortunately, the opportunity has passed."
"As the Crown Prince of Anguo, I cannot do anything to harm Anguo. I have ultimately failed the princess, so I offer this painting as an apology. I hope the princess will be well in Jingguo in the future."
"I will never forget the princess. If the princess ever needs me in the future, please do not hesitate to ask me for help."
Following An Chenghuan's words, Jing Yan's gaze fell on the painting. The painting was magnificent and had a strong Yue Kingdom style.
A woman was gracefully dancing among the flowers. He recognized her at a glance as Yue Jiang. The woman in the painting was so lifelike, and her every smile and frown was radiant and captivating.
No matter how skilled an artist is, they cannot create a painting without close observation, not even someone as renowned for their exceptional skills as Ahn Seung-hwan.
An Chenghuan had previously said that he had changed his appearance and gone to the Moon Kingdom, but he was able to admire the beauty of the Moon Kingdom princess in the Moon Palace without any scruples, and he could etch her into his heart with just a few glimpses.
Is that possible?
Yue Jiang: "..."
Is Ahn Seung-hwan sure that if he said that, he would still be alright?
So you're all playing dirty tricks, huh? Jingyan took advantage of her "amnesia" to sow discord between her and An Chenghuan.
An Chenghuan, disguised and living in anonymity, went to Anguo that day to retrieve a painting and express his deep regret that they were destined to be apart.
Such deep affection and loyalty—anyone who didn't know better would think they had made some kind of eternal vow.
Yue Jiang admitted that she had met An Chenghuan a few times in the Moon Palace. At that time, although he was called a painter, the people of An Kingdom treated him with great respect.
She guessed that it belonged to a noble person in Anguo, perhaps someone who had come to select a concubine for their crown prince.
At that time, Yue Jiang was deeply troubled by the dissolute young prince of Yue Kingdom. In order not to become the young prince's concubine, she naturally wanted to find a more secure place to rely on.
He then set his sights on the Crown Princess of Anguo and deliberately tried to impress An Chenghuan, who was in disguise.
However, in the Moon Palace, Yue Jiang only saw appreciation and satisfaction in An Chenghuan's eyes; she saw no affection whatsoever.
Moreover, the scene depicted in the painting on that day included not only Yue Jiang, but also other beauties from the Yue Kingdom who were enjoying themselves in the palace as princesses.
At that time, An Chenghuan claimed to be a painter. The marriage alliance was under discussion. The King of Yue wanted to cast a wide net, so he asked him to paint under the pretext that An Kingdom would bring the beauties in the paintings back to An Kingdom for the Crown Prince to see.
Unexpectedly, after painting a group portrait of beautiful women that day, he painted another one separately after returning to Korea.
Yue Jiang definitely prefers looking at Jing Yan right now; his eyes are far cleaner and more honest than An Chenghuan's.
She could see joy and anger in them, their depths were unfathomable, and even in ordinary times they were hard to fathom, yet ultimately those eyes were shallow.
Yue Jiang could find a way to put herself in the situation without any reservations, just like before, and see clearly what she truly meant to Jing Yan.
Jing Yan simply regarded her as a woman.
An Chenghuan's eyes were unfathomable to her. He was just like her, wearing a mask of pretense for too long. It seemed that she had entered his eyes and could touch his heart.
Actually, he wanted you to know that he had feelings for you, but it didn't mean that he truly had feelings for you.
After the initial glance, the first step is to treat Yue Jiang as an object that can provide benefits. If you want an object to continuously generate value, you must first treat it like a precious gem.
It's quite remarkable that An Chenghuan was willing to marry her as his crown princess, and even prepared a painting in advance to show his deep affection.
Now that he can't have her, he wants to use the old painting to drive a wedge between her and Jingyan, and put them to death.
Right now, it seems wrong for Yue Jiang to say whether she wants it or not. If she wants it, she'll feel nostalgic for the past. If she doesn't, is she just leaving An Chenghuan with something to miss?
While hesitating, Jing Yan raised her arm and took the painting from in front of An Chenghuan as a token of gratitude.
"I had long heard that the Crown Prince of Anguo was a master painter, and seeing it today, I can confirm that it is indeed extraordinary. I will accept it for Jiang'er."
An Chenghuan said calmly, "Of course."
An Chenghuan could not agree to Jing Yan's demands, and ultimately there was no room for negotiation. Both sides had to leave the border area.
As they came out of the room, there was only one staircase on the second floor of the inn. Jing Yan and An Chenghuan walked to the staircase together, but both of them looked down silently, unable to walk side by side.
An Chenghuan broke the ice by waving his hand and inviting, "When I came in, His Highness Jingguo asked me to go first, so I will return the courtesy and His Highness Jingguo will go first."
He easily explained his earlier act of bowing when he entered the inn as a sign of Jing Yan's hospitality.
Jing Yan looked at An Chenghuan's expression as if he wanted to regain his face, and remained noncommittal. He then turned to Yue Jiang and extended his hand.
“This inn is old and dilapidated. The stairs were unstable when we came up, and it’s even more dangerous to go down. I’m holding Jiang’er’s hand to prevent her from falling.”
Ignoring the somber atmosphere around her, Yue Jiang extended her hand to Jing Yan: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Immediately, Jing Yan helped Yue Jiang up. He took the first step, and Yue Jiang followed behind. The two walked slowly downstairs hand in hand, and the soldiers of Jing Kingdom also retreated in an orderly manner.
Chu Lu stared at the Jing soldiers who were gradually withdrawing, and at Jing Yan and Yue Jiang who were walking hand in hand. He felt a surge of anger that was hard to quell.
"The men they brought are evenly matched. It's hard to say who will win in one fight," he said sharply, drawing half of his blade.
"Your Highness, why don't we fight Jing Yan right here, teach them a lesson, snatch back Princess Yue Jiang, and head straight back to An Kingdom?"
Chu Lu was using Yue Jiang's name not because he wanted to steal Yue Jiang, but to regain face today.
His voice wasn't low; it was deliberately raised as a show of defiance.
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