Chapter 58 Contest: What I can't do, you shall do.
Seeing Mu Lexiu staring intently, Wushuang smiled faintly, sipping her fragrant tea in silence. Mu Lexiu stroked the painting countless times, reluctant to let go, holding onto it tightly. Then, as if remembering something, he picked it up again, his fingertips carefully caressing the figure. Wushuang chuckled, and Mu Lexiu's handsome face flushed slightly as he squeezed out a question: "Judging from this painting, it shouldn't be painted with ordinary pigments... the coloring is sandy, could it be... mineral pigments?"
"Your Highness is truly remarkable; you even know about mineral pigments." Wushuang put down her teacup and examined the painting inch by inch. "Does Your Highness also know what mineral pigments were used to paint this picture?"
Mu Lexiu, unfamiliar with minerals, naturally couldn't answer. Stumped by Wushuang's question, he felt a rare surge of embarrassment and annoyance. He turned away from Wushuang's gaze, and upon seeing someone entering the hall, hurriedly put down the scroll, "Crown Prince Brother..."
"This painting has a blue steel color when viewed from afar. If I'm not mistaken, you used Kunwu stone, didn't you?"
Mu Chenbi, dressed in a dark blue satin robe embroidered with gold dragon patterns, with a black jade dragon pendant at his waist and cloud-patterned boots on his feet, walked briskly towards the main hall. His brows revealed arrogance, and his demeanor was imposing, like that of a god.
"Have you not greeted the Crown Prince yet?" Mu Lexiu rose to greet him, reminding Wushuang in a low voice.
Wushuang showed no fear and stood up unhurriedly. On the sword-testing platform, the faces of the observers could not be seen from afar. Today, when they were close at hand, Wushuang realized that the two brothers, Mu Chenbi and Mu Lexiu, did not look alike. Mu Lexiu was elegant and graceful, while the Crown Prince of Jin, Mu Chenbi, who was approaching, was imposing and full of imperial bearing, making people dare not look directly at him.
"Wushuang greets His Highness the Crown Prince."
“No wonder they said the Kunwu Stone was missing.” Mu Chenbi picked up the scroll on the table. “So someone ground it into color.” He then glanced coldly at Wushuang’s composed face. “Did you do it?”
Wushuang remained neither humble nor arrogant, and nodded slightly, saying, "Steward Shen said that everything stored in the inner workshop can be used by Wushuang. I think Kunwu stone is rare, and it is a pity to leave it in the warehouse to collect dust. This stone is hard and difficult to melt, but it is not difficult to grind. Kunwu stone has a beautiful color, so I had the idea of grinding it into color for painting. Once the painting is finished, I will invite the Second Prince to come and take a look."
“This painting is really good,” Mu Lexiu agreed. “I like it very much too.”
"When did you become interested in the inner quarters?" Mu Chenbi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and the bloodline suppression made Mu Lexiu's thin body tremble. "When you were a child, you cried and begged not to come. Could it be that you've changed your nature?"
Mu Lexiu was already somewhat timid and fearful, and after being questioned by Mu Chenbi, he couldn't open his mouth anymore. Seeing that his younger brother was at a disadvantage, Wushuang calmly said, "Perhaps the Second Prince has grown up. Things that he was unwilling to do when he was young, he is now willing to try. Jin Kingdom values martial arts. Now that the Second Prince has come to his senses, shouldn't the Crown Prince, as his older brother, be happy for him?"
Wu Shuang's seemingly gentle words were so sharp that Mu Chenbi couldn't refute them. Luo Yichen's heart pounded in his throat. Luckily, the Kunwu Stone was meant to be a painting, but it was meant to be forged into a sharp sword, which would be aimed directly at Wu Shuang's throat in the next moment.
"When did my family affairs with my brother become a matter for an outsider to interfere with?" Mu Chenbi's face was gloomy, but she did not lash out. Wushuang's swordsmanship was outstanding, and Kunwu stone was harder than ordinary iron ore. To think of using it to make materials for painting and to destroy the stone to cover up the evidence showed that she must have hidden skills. She was not only a swordsman but also knowledgeable about various minerals. Power should not suppress talent, and craftsmen should be respected. No matter how displeased Mu Chenbi was, she would not lose her composure. "You can make the most of Kunwu stone and even use it to please the Second Prince. You are far superior to those useless people in the inner workshop. Wushuang? Where did you come from? And where did you learn swordsmanship and mining skills?"
"All land under heaven belongs to the king, why does Your Highness ask me where I come from?" Wushuang laughed like a silver bell. "I am Your Highness's subject. The Great Jin Dynasty hides its skills among its people. Wushuang is nothing special. I'm afraid the two princes will look down on my little tricks."
"What a fine example of hiding one's skills among the people." Mu Chenbi's gloomy expression softened. "Thanks for your kind words, if this is truly the case, it would be a blessing for the Great Jin Dynasty. Then how did you end up at Shiya Pavilion?"
Wushuang picked up the scroll and gently put it down again. "Hiding your skills is useless. To truly shine, you need to be seen. Only by coming to Rongdu, to the most bustling place, to be seen by the most people, to get the rarest opportunity, and to walk the most radiant path, can I go anywhere else but Shiyage?"
With just a few words, Mu Lexiu's stagnant heart was stirred. He had been suppressed by his elder brother since childhood, and the limit of his retaliation was to tattle a few bad things. Wushuang, whom he had only known for a short time, had actually become his mouthpiece. With just a few words, she left Mu Chenbi speechless with anger, and even made it sound quite reasonable. Mu Lexiu was thrilled. His timid expression disappeared, and he boldly picked up the painting that Wushuang had drawn for him. As he became engrossed, he felt that the woman in the painting was as pure as the clouds and sea, with a natural charm. He was even more impressed by Wushuang's wonderful brushwork.
"The inner workshop never accepts people of dubious origin." Mu Chenbi's sharp eyes seemed to see through the woman before him.
"Of dubious origin?" Wushuang suppressed a laugh, her dimples appearing and disappearing. "Besides Your Highness and other nobles, how many people in this world have a clear background? Are all the people from Xingguo Ward well-connected? A hundred years ago, Pei Chong was just a wandering swordsman with no traceable origins. Even if my ancestors had a story, I have no relatives or friends, I am all alone. If Your Highness wants to investigate further, there is nothing to find out." Wushuang spread her hands. "I tested swords for the Inner Ward to see what Xingguo Ward was really made of. If Xingguo Ward's swords are nothing special, then so be it, Your Highness. Why does it seem like you're going to hold me accountable for something I did wrong?"
"Xingguo Workshop cannot bear the title of 'Blade Control'," Mu Lexiu said at the right moment. "If it weren't for Wushuang, Father and my brother would have been deceived by Xingguo Workshop. We don't know how that Meteor Sword was forged. Perhaps it was also a deception of the emperor?"
"Enough." Mu Chenbi reached out to Mu Lexiu. Mu Lexiu was startled, then quickly handed over the painting. Mu Chenbi ran his fingertips over it; the mineral pigments were delicate and the colors pure. It was indeed an extremely rare item. Mu Chenbi closed his eyes and remained silent for a while, then suddenly opened them and stared directly at Wushuang. "It seems you are an expert. As an expert, you must know the properties of the iron ore like the back of your hand. My Kunwu stone was ground and used up for painting at this time, not too early or too late. It is not in vain that the sword of Xingguo Workshop was broken by you."
"Steward Shen has treated me well, and the Second Prince is also on my side. I am truly willing to serve the Inner Palace and the court, so I will do my best." Wushuang's clear yet unfathomable eyes stared at the woman in the painting, causing Mu Lexiu to stare in a daze, unable to look away. The figure in her eyes was flamboyant and passionate. Wushuang said that she was all alone and had nothing to investigate, but the deep pool in her eyes made it difficult to look at her. Such a person is not someone who has nothing to investigate, but someone whose beginning is unknown.
Seeing the silence, Wushuang looked around at the Mu brothers, chuckling as she revealed her dimples. Mu Chenbi's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly thought of Guan Ye. Did Guan Ye know of Wushuang's existence? Wushuang knew what Guan Ye knew, thought what Guan Ye thought, and even seemed to know and know more than Guan Ye... She was just like Guan Ye's shadow, a shadow cast behind the sun, superimposed on Guan Ye.
"What?" Wushuang chuckled. "The Crown Prince also likes this painting? It's a pity that Kunwu stones are so hard to find. If only we could acquire another one..."
Mu Chenbi put down the painting. "Kunwu Stone is not what I desire. The painting's form and color are strange and unsettling, which I do not like."
"Does the Crown Prince like the Meteor Sword?" Wushuang pressed.
Mu Chenbi's deep-set eyes were unfathomable, his gaze sharp as a knife, sending chills down one's spine. He silently turned and left. Wushuang stopped seeking answers and beckoned Mu Lexiu to continue the painting.
"He's gone." Mu Lexiu couldn't hide his pride and gave people a rare thumbs up. "I've never seen my brother like this before in all my life."
"If he silently remembers this, he'll report back to me one day..."
Mu Lexiu shook his head fiercely, "Absolutely impossible. My brother prides himself on being a gentleman. He would never harbor any intention to harm others or do anything petty. Even if he is furious, he would still win openly and would never retaliate against you."
"Your elder brother seems to have a great fondness for Xingguo Fang. Judging from his resentment, is he angry that I defeated the swordsman from Xingguo Fang?" Wushuang looked at Mu Chenbi's receding figure.
Mu Lexiu didn't even bother to lift his eyes. "He doesn't favor anyone in particular, he just thinks the inner quarters are all a bunch of good-for-nothings. It's just a pity that after today, the inner quarters will have more than just good-for-nothings."
Wushuang smiled knowingly and led Mu Lexiu to touch the strange colors on the painting. "Does Your Highness also find this painting eerie?"
Mu Lexiu stroked the painting with obvious delight, saying, "I think it's absolutely beautiful. The ethereal beauty of the figure in the painting is captivating. Grinding the mineral pigments must have been extremely difficult. How did you manage to do it?"
"If you want to do it, you can do it naturally. If Your Highness wants to learn, you can do it one day too."
Mu Lexiu's eyes showed a lazy look. "I can't learn it. Luckily you're here. You can do what I can't do."
The golden bell rang again, signaling to Mu Lexiu that Mu Chenbi had already left by carriage. The foundry's furnaces were ablaze, emitting a strong aroma of charcoal fire—a smell that Mu Lexiu once loathed, but now he was captivated by it. A deep sniff made his blood flow smoothly, and after a few days without it, he craved it like an addiction. The figure in the painting was slender and graceful; though her face was not visible, it perfectly matched Wushuang's ethereal beauty. Mu Lexiu had no intention of delving into her past; he only knew that Wushuang's story had only just begun.
Xingguofang
It is said that people are in high spirits when they have good news. When Ajiu brought back the emperor's edict, everyone was more motivated to work. Pei Yuan, who was still unsteady on his feet yesterday, actually took a tour of the neighborhood early this morning. When he saw Guan Ye and Ajiu working in the foundry, his expression was not very good, but he still suppressed his anger.
Pei Yuan had barely returned to his room when Pei Bi arrived at the east wing. He looked around at the group, called out Xiao Ma's name, and said that he would be accompanying him to the money exchange in the city that afternoon.
"What are you going to the money exchange for?" Ji Fang asked, puzzled. "Could it be that the owner has some silver stored there?"
“If I’m not mistaken, they should be going to exchange for silver.” Xiao Ma looked at his best clothes. “Since they can stay in Xingguo Fang, they are considered to be waiting for imperial orders. The court may summon them at any time. When the Pei family left the capital, they must have exchanged all their property for large ingots of gold and silver to carry with them. Now that they are back, large ingots are inconvenient to use for shopping, so they need to go to a money exchange shop to exchange them for small silver and copper coins.”
Ji Fang suddenly realized, "No wonder they looked for you. Everyone knows you're good at math, and Manager Pei was afraid of being cheated."
Feng Shisan sullenly grumbled, "Why didn't you include me in such a good thing?"
Xiao Ma pulled out his most treasured dark green new clothes. Before leaving the island, Pei Yuan had ordered that two more sets of clothes be made for the swordsmen. They were made of Suzhou brocade, which had been treasured for many years. The Pei family had not taken many bolts of Suzhou brocade with them when they left the capital. They had all been made for the head of the family to tailor clothes. As soon as Xiao Ma touched the fabric, he knew that Pei Yuan had not fooled everyone. The feel and the luster of the fabric were something that could not be spun on the island.
"I'm asking you." Seeing that Xiao Ma only had eyes for the clothes, Feng Shisan became even more annoyed. "Why didn't you take me with you?"
“You can’t even read many characters, of course I won’t take you.” Ji Fang reached out to touch Xiao Ma’s new clothes.
"Stupid." Lou Cangyu couldn't stand it anymore, lying in bed against the wall. "Pei Bi can capture Xiao Ma, but if you and Xiao Ma go together, Pei Bi will be no match for you when the two swords are combined. It's not that he doesn't want to take you, it's that he's afraid you two will run away with the money, do you understand?"
Ji Fang's hand froze in mid-air. He withdrew it and began to scratch his head. Lou Cangyu's words made sense. Why hadn't he thought of that?
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