"Didn't you send money? Why are you improving the goods?"
Looking at the pile of brocade boxes that Sui Mo and Mo San brought in, Qin Zhaoyue couldn't help but ask a question.
"It was given by the Prime Minister's wife, who said it was to repay His Highness for saving Young Master Pei's life."
Qin Zhaoyue raised an eyebrow slightly; such a good thing had happened.
As the saying goes, "Do good deeds and don't worry about the future." See, the rescue wasn't in vain!
Seeing her beaming with joy, Suimo touched his forehead.
With Her Highness's intelligence, Sui Mo didn't believe she couldn't understand the implied meaning; she just didn't care.
"Quickly take it out and let's see how much the life of the eldest son of the Prime Minister's family is worth."
There are five brocade boxes in total, all containing old medicinal herbs.
The Broken Ink had not been opened beforehand, and this was the first time it had been seen, so it subconsciously squinted its eyes.
Mo Shier, standing to the side, took a step forward to examine the medicinal herbs up close.
"Don't just stand there, tell me how much it's worth."
Mo Shier is the most qualified to speak on this matter, since medicine and poison are inseparable.
She first pointed to three of the brocade boxes in turn, "These three plants are all over a hundred years old and in excellent condition."
According to market prices, it's roughly two thousand taels per plant, but this stuff is very rare and almost never seen in circulation.
Qin Zhaoyue nodded; the more precious something is, the higher its price.
Medicinal herbs from this period are of exceptional quality; to sell them elsewhere would be a waste.
"As for the remaining two... they should be over five hundred years old."
Qin Zhaoyue was startled; what a grand gesture!
"I recognize this one, it must be the King of Ginseng. What about the other one?"
Mo Shier couldn't help but swallow. "Selaginella, also known as the Nine Deaths Resurrection Grass."
Legend has it that as long as there is a breath left, the illness can be slowed down, buying time for treatment.
Furthermore, it is said to help one break through from the fourth rank to the divine martial realm.
All eyes were focused on Sui Mo, since the Divine Martial Realm was still far from the Mo Group's level.
The knowledge and experience of a commander of the Azure Phoenix Guard differed from that of an ordinary guard.
Even Mo Twelve, who was well-versed in pharmacology, had never seen such a precious medicine.
Sui Mo nodded. "That's a common saying."
Whoosh! Qin Zhaoyue's eyes lit up instantly.
"How much silver is this medicine worth?"
Seeing how worthless his master looked, Suimo sighed.
"It's priceless and unavailable, Your Highness, so don't even think about selling it."
When we achieve another great feat, we might as well ask His Majesty for a prescription.
Alternatively, they could provide medicinal herbs so that the pharmacists of the Xuanji Guard could refine elixirs, which might help in breaking through to the Divine Martial Realm.
Qin Zhaoyue thought to herself that it was unnecessary, but she couldn't tell anyone about this.
It certainly won't be cheap, and releasing it will inevitably cause a scramble among the martial arts families.
Or... ask Meng Jian? His family can definitely afford it.
Qin Zhaoyue was in a great mood. "Quick, let's see what's left."
In addition to the five brocade boxes, there were also two scrolls.
I carefully opened the first document and found it contained the character "副".
Qin Zhaoyue was knowledgeable; she didn't even look at the content, just the signature.
"Zai Zhi? Who is Zai Zhi? Is he famous?"
Broken Ink: ...
Ink Group: ...
Everyone looked at him strangely. His Highness really didn't care about the court; he didn't even know this.
"Stop staring at me like that, say something!"
“Your Highness, Zai Zhi is Prime Minister Pei’s courtesy name.”
Hmm... that was indeed a little inappropriate.
Skipping over the awkward little topic, Qin Zhaoyue got straight to the point, "Is it valuable?"
"Well..." Suimo thought for a moment, organizing her thoughts.
"Prime Minister Pei's calligraphy is certainly good, but it is not to the extent that it is unparalleled throughout history."
Normally, the value of this calligraphy would be around a hundred taels, at most a thousand taels.
But he is Prime Minister Pei, the only prime minister to have served in the Fengge Terrace for fourteen years during the Taiwei era…
Qin Zhaoyue immediately understood.
If someone wants to ask Old Man Pei for a favor, or if his disciples want to curry favor, the value of this calligraphy is hard to say.
"The fifth floor of the Treasure Pavilion isn't full yet, so hang it there."
"By taking advantage of the popularity of the imperial examinations, we can give it a good promotion and sell it for a good price."
With only one scroll remaining, everyone's curiosity was piqued.
Slowly unroll the scroll, and you'll see a painting.
A fine horse was tied to a stake, its mane flying, nostrils flared, eyes darting around, head held high, neighing.
Its form suggests that it is poised on all fours, as if trying to break free from its restraints.
Qin Zhaoyue didn't understand art appreciation, but the painting was simple in its brushwork, with delicate yet vigorous lines, and it looked like it was no ordinary work.
As is customary, after glancing at the artwork, one should immediately look at the signature.
There was no signature, only a stamp.
Qin Zhaoyue examined it carefully, but couldn't recognize a single word.
"The Divine Steed!"
Just then, Mo Wu stepped out from the crowd, staring blankly at the painting.
He reached out his hand tremblingly, but never dared to touch it.
"Don't just stand there, quickly tell me about this picture."
Mo Wu finally came to his senses, but instead of looking at Qin Zhaoyue, he kept his gaze fixed on the painting.
"Your Highness, please look. Although it is tethered to a stake, it is a wild and untamed horse."
"Round and bright eyes, a neighing and howling expression, a high-raised buttocks, exaggeratedly widened nostrils, even the mane standing on end when angry..."
Mo Wu, who usually can't utter a word for half a day, becomes incredibly talkative when discussing his paintings.
Qin Zhaoyue's first impression of the horse in the painting was that it was handsome and had a good intuition, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
After Mo Wu's explanation, I also figured out some of the tricks of the trade.
It was indeed a spirited horse, its entire body seemingly radiating boundless power.
Although it was tethered, it felt as if it were speeding through the vast sky, giving one a certain feeling:
It will not passively accept its fate or be content with whatever comes its way.
Mo Wu rattled off a series of explanations, and when he came to his senses, he found the surroundings eerily quiet.
Looking back, she found that everyone's eyes were on her, and she suddenly felt flustered.
Qin Zhaoyue whistled and began to speak with great interest.
"I didn't realize you were an artist."
Hearing His Highness's teasing tone and the surprised looks from his colleagues, Mo Wu's face flushed bright red.
He stammered and couldn't utter a single word, then reverted to his usual self.
Qin Zhaoyue wasn't surprised at all; after all, it's just a person, what's the big deal?
Social anxiety doesn't manifest in all situations.
It's not surprising that someone can talk at length when they're with someone they know very well, or when they're in a field they're very good at.
"So, whose painting is this, and is it valuable?"
This time, everyone's attention was focused on Qin Zhaoyue again.
Sui Mo's expression was strange.
I didn't know that Prime Minister Pei's courtesy name was already outrageous enough, but after listening to Mo Wu's detailed explanation, he still managed to ask this question.
She even suspected that His Highness had learned something from the tutor in the palace, and that he had become somewhat like the rumored incompetent and unlearned person...
"It was created by Lu Tingzhou, a painter of extraordinary talent from a hundred years ago."
Qin Zhaoyue nodded. "I see."
She turned to look at the shards of ink, "Who?"
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