Chapter 216 Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
Liu Zhaoxue knew full well that cooperating with the Five Poisons Sect was like asking a tiger for its skin.
However, her current circumstances no longer allow her to wait for other opportunities.
Unless she is willing to accept her father's arrangements, just like her aunt Liu Xiangning.
—Marry into other powerful families, or simply marry into the royal family.
But Liu Zhaoxue refused.
Therefore, she could only let her ambitions swell before she got married.
Either die for the cause, overcome all difficulties, and become the ruler of the Liu family in Jingzhou.
Either die...
Death is better than her being used as a tool for political marriage while bearing the title of the most beautiful woman in Jingzhou.
Liu Zhaoxue was already aware of this.
However, her plan has just begun, and the situation in Shu Prefecture is unclear, so she has to be careful.
Especially during this period, the Liu family from Jingzhou came to Shuzhou and lost two sons of the eldest branch, which is enough to prove the power of the Xiao family in Shuzhou.
Leaving aside Liu Jing, who was not valued by the Liu family, his abilities, temperament, and skills were far inferior.
But Liu Wen is different.
He was not only the second son of the eldest branch of the Liu family, but his mother also came from a prominent family in Jingzhou, and he had no shortage of money, resources, or people.
Furthermore, he is quite clever and has considerable talent in martial arts.
Liu Wen's unexpected death in Shu Prefecture made Liu Zhaoxue realize for the first time that things were beyond her control.
Therefore, she set three rules for herself.
We must not be greedy for quick success and act rashly, avoid direct conflict with the Xiao family, and be wary of the Five Poisons Sect's misdeeds.
Liu Jingchu was reckless upon his arrival, ordering Mingyue Tower to plunder the Xiao family's medicinal herbs, and he deserved to die.
Liu Wen died outside Tiebi Town because of a direct conflict with the Xiao family, which also caused his third uncle, Liu Hong, to be punished by the emperor.
Thinking about all this, Liu Zhaoxue whispered a reminder: "Try not to cause any unnecessary trouble, it's better to be careful."
Yan Fusha grinned, a hint of ruthlessness appearing on his rugged, disguised face. He said, "Don't worry, I won't do anything foolish before the great cause is accomplished."
"I mean, clean up the mess properly, so I don't get dragged into it."
After Liu Zhaoxue finished speaking, she turned and left with her entourage.
Yan Fusha watched her walk away, a deep look flashing in his eyes, before he gestured to a corner to the side.
"Follow her and keep a close eye on her."
After the two men dressed in long gowns and disguised as ordinary Confucian scholars left, Yan Fusha squeezed into the crowd as if no one else was there.
Originally, he only wanted to test the waters and see how the son-in-law of the Xiao family fared.
But after seeing the girl from the mountain tribe, he changed his mind.
"Grandma Mountain, let's start with your granddaughter to begin this decades-long blood feud."
On the other side, Liu Zhaoxue was well aware of the feud between the Five Poisons Sect and the Mountain Clan, and naturally guessed Yan Fusha's plan.
Even if she wanted to stop it, she was powerless to do so.
After all, she still needs to rely on the evil and heretical sects of the Five Poisons Sect to carry out her duties.
Just as Liu Zhaoxue was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a voice calling, "Zhaoxue."
She looked in the direction of the voice, her strange expression vanished, and she bowed respectfully: "Third Uncle."
The visitor was none other than Liu Hong, the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shu Prefecture.
Although he was dressed in casual blue clothes, his strong physique gave him an air of authority.
Looking around, Liu Hong waved to Liu Zhaoxue and said with a smile:
"Let's go check out that exhibition hall before the poetry gathering starts."
A look of surprise flashed in Liu Zhaoxue's eyes. Without asking if she could enter the exhibition hall, she answered and followed beside him.
Two strong and powerful guards followed closely behind.
Several other close associates stood guard around them, vaguely obscuring the figures of Liu Hong and Liu Zhaoxue.
Not long after.
The group arrived at the exhibition hall located next to the academy's library.
A refined middle-aged man in a light blue long gown was already waiting at the entrance.
Upon seeing Liu Hong, the man approached from afar, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Lord Liu."
Liu Hong raised one hand and said with a smile, "Mr. Lingchuan, there's no need to be so polite. I'll just take a look and come right out."
Upon hearing his words, Liu Zhaoxue looked at the person in front of her, and her heart stirred; she already knew his identity.
Mr. Lingchuan, Zhu Lingchuan, is a member of the prominent Zhu family of Shuzhou.
Although this Mr. Lingchuan was not well-known, his elder brother Zhu Hao was the deputy commander of the Shuzhou Military Command, in charge of the salt and iron management in Shuzhou.
Thinking it over, she bowed slightly and said, "Zhaoxue greets Mr. Lingchuan."
Mr. Lingchuan nodded to her, then stepped aside, pointed, and said:
"There are many people coming and going at today's poetry gathering. In order to avoid disturbing Lord Liu's refined enjoyment, I will not go in with him."
Seeing his serious expression, Liu Hong did not try to persuade him, but only invited Liu Zhaoxue to accompany him.
After the two went inside, Mr. Lingchuan casually closed the door and stood motionless outside with his hands tucked into his sleeves.
The remaining guards stood watch at the four main routes.
Inside the exhibition hall.
The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the lights were dim, making the room somewhat dark.
Liu Zhaoxue, being skilled in martial arts, was naturally unaffected.
Liu Hong frowned slightly and gestured for her to light an oil lamp.
Liu Zhaoxue did as he was told, lit the oil lamp with a tinderbox, held it in her hand, and stood beside him, looking around the spacious exhibition hall.
The arrangement was rather simple, with only a few dozen trays holding calligraphy scrolls on all four sides, each covered with a red cloth.
A faint light could still be seen through those red cloths, like the strokes of writing.
Liu Hong glanced around, ignoring the scattered calligraphy scrolls, and went straight to the calligraphy scroll directly opposite the door.
He lifted it with one hand.
The imagery immediately came to mind—
Golden characters rise up, mountains rise and fall, a city stands on the mountaintop, and a small boat drifts leisurely into the distance.
Liu Hong looked up at the poem and the scenes depicted, his expression calm.
Liu Zhaoxue, however, was not as calm as him.
Although she had heard many rumors about the song "Thoughts After the Rain" over the past two days, none of them were as shocking as seeing it with her own eyes now.
Especially the signature at the end—Chen Yi, Chen Qingzhou.
Each stroke flows smoothly and is dazzling.
This deepened Liu Zhaoxue's already inexplicable fear and suspicion of Chen Yi, who had witnessed the whole situation.
At this moment, Liu Hong asked without turning his head, "Zhaoxue, what do you think of this character?"
Liu Zhaoxue came to her senses and, after a moment's thought, said, "Good, excellent."
The new characters representing the state of perfection seem somewhat impoverished when described with just the word "good".
However, Liu Zhaoxue did not understand the purpose of her third uncle's question, so she answered relatively cautiously.
Liu Hong chuckled and said, "Good calligraphy, indeed a good piece of calligraphy."
"This new font is in harmony with the universe, full and powerful within a small space, which shows the depth of the writer's study."
"Furthermore, the artistic conception is ethereal..."
Liu Hong turned his head to look at Liu Zhaoxue, and asked with a half-smile, "What comes to mind when you see such a magnificent and turbulent scene?"
Liu Zhaoxue's heart skipped a beat, and she pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Riding the wind and waves... forging ahead without hesitation?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong turned around without comment, staring directly at the calligraphy scroll, and said nothing more.
Liu Zhaoxue glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and a bad feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
It was as if they were being targeted by some domineering force.
Suffocating, heavy...
A fine layer of sweat appeared on her smooth forehead, and even her hand holding the oil lamp trembled slightly.
The light flickered.
Liu Hong calmly said, "The artistic conception of calligraphy is only related to a person's temperament."
"A domineering person writes the word 'domineering,' a free person writes the word 'free,' and a law-abiding person writes the word 'law-abiding.' That's roughly how it is."
"Chen Qingzhou's calligraphy is naturally perfect, but it is not difficult to see his temperament."
"His temperament prioritizes 'acting according to one's nature,' and the fact that his strokes can be large or small as they reflect his heart shows that he dislikes being bound by rules."
"And speaking of this poem... it does indeed contain the image of riding the wind and breaking the waves."
"But what I saw was a rainbow after the rain, the calm after the storm."
Liu Hong paused for a moment and asked, "Don't you think this description sounds a lot like what happened to the Xiao family a few days ago?"
Liu Zhaoxue was slightly taken aback. "Third Uncle, are you referring to the attack on the granaries in the three towns?"
Liu Hong turned to look at her, his tone cold: "I am referring to you, Liu Wen, Liu Jing, and the eldest son's wife!"
Liu Zhaoxue's expression changed drastically, "I..."
Liu Hong raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "I know perfectly well what you're trying to do."
"It's nothing more than being unwilling to be manipulated by the family and become your father's pawn."
“I understand that you want to get rid of this, but you shouldn’t have schemed against Wen’er.”
"Third Uncle, why do you doubt Zhaoxue so much?"
"Fengchun Tower".
Upon hearing these three words, Liu Zhaoxue's heart sank; her third uncle actually knew.
Liu Hong continued, "That day at Fengchun Tower, you invited Xiao Wan'er, and then pretended to casually mention it to your second brother, creating a seemingly reasonable accident."
"If it weren't for that incident, I don't think Wen'er would have taken such a risk and run away to the outskirts of Iron Wall Town."
Liu Zhaoxue quickly denied it, saying, "Zhaoxue had no such intention. Zhaoxue only wanted to help Second Brother fulfill his wish."
Liu Hong remained unmoved, covering the calligraphy scroll with a red cloth as he said:
"I don't want to know your intentions. I've only called you here to tell you one thing."
"If you don't want to end up like Wen'er, don't stay in Shu Prefecture, go back to Jing Prefecture."
"Third Uncle..."
"I am not worthy of being called your third uncle."
"Several members of the Liu family's eldest branch have come to Shuzhou one after another. I know better than anyone else what their purpose is."
At this point, Liu Hong's face showed a sneer, "But ask yourself honestly, does your father, my good elder brother, have that ability?"
“Look at what he has done? His children are all wolves in sheep’s clothing, his sister only knows how to whisper sweet nothings in his ear, and he himself just stays in Jingzhou.”
"Do you think he wants to sit back and watch the clouds drift by, or sit at the chessboard and make his moves?"
Seeing this, Liu Zhaoxue fell silent.
She had figured out why her third uncle said those things.
Ultimately, it was because she and Liu Wen interfered too much in the affairs of Shu Prefecture, causing her third uncle to be punished by the emperor.
"Zhaoxue, I have learned a lot."
Liu Hong glanced at her, then turned and walked out, saying, "You'd better remember this."
"I have no intention of collecting the corpses of your eldest son's family anymore!"
Liu Zhaoxue watched him walk away and silently bowed.
She thought she had gotten away with her actions without anyone noticing, but her third uncle saw right through her.
But upon closer reflection, she could accept it.
After all, her third uncle, Liu Hong, was said to be in charge of the third branch of the Liu family, but in reality, he was only equivalent to a collateral branch that was outside of Jingzhou.
Otherwise, her father wouldn't have sent people to Shu Prefecture time and time again.
Besides plotting against the Xiao family, Liu Hong from the third branch was also one of her father's schemes.
But now it seems that her father's plan is going to fail again.
Thinking of this, Liu Zhaoxue took one last look at the poem "Thoughts After the Rain" covered with a red cloth, then extinguished the oil lamp and left the exhibition hall.
Uncle San is right.
Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back.
How could she easily give up?
...
Meeting Liu Zhaoxue was both an accident and not entirely unexpected.
She was born into the Liu family of Jingzhou and was the niece of Liu Hong, the Left Provincial Governor of Shuzhou. Therefore, she could indeed have an invitation to attend the Guiyun Academy.
Therefore, Chen Yi did not think much of it and led Xiao Wan'er and the others to the residence where Mr. Yue Ming lived.
After chatting for a while, he figured out why Mr. Yue Ming had summoned him, and couldn't help but feel a little amused and exasperated.
"Dean, there are just more people here today, you don't need to worry about it so much, do you?"
Mr. Yue Ming looked embarrassed and chuckled dryly, "I am not usually like this, but... but times have changed."
"This poetry gathering not only includes prominent families from our Shu Prefecture, but also guests from academies in other prefectures."
"It would be fine if the poetry champion were to be won by a student from Shu Prefecture."
"But if those outsiders snatch it away, wouldn't that diminish the reputation of our Guiyun Academy?"
Chen Yi shook his head and said helplessly, "Dean, it's just a poetry gathering. Whoever wins the 'Poetry Champion' title will win. It's all about their skills."
"Furthermore, I was not born in Shu Prefecture, but in Jiangnan Prefecture."
"If I were to win the title of 'Poet King,' I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to convince the public."
"That's...that's true."
Mr. Yue Ming was certainly aware of this.
However, having finally gotten the chance to develop and expand Guiyun Academy, he wanted to do his best.
However, seeing that Chen Yi was not revealing anything, Mr. Yue Ming had no choice but to give up.
Then he took a letter from the table and handed it to Chen Yi, saying, "Mr. Juyi from Jinling Academy just sent over a few letters."
"One of the letters was written specifically for you."
Chen Yi stepped forward and took it, about to open it to take a look, when he heard Mr. Yue Ming continue:
"The poetry gathering is about to begin; it's not too late to read the letter when I get back."
Chen Yi subconsciously squeezed the envelope and saw that there seemed to be something else inside besides the letter, so he casually stuffed it into his collar and put it away.
He didn't know much about his nominal teacher, Mr. Juyi, and couldn't guess why the other party had sent a letter at this time.
Fortunately, it was only half a day, so he could wait.
They didn't stay long.
The group left the courtyard together and, in the dim light, followed a stone path illuminated by lanterns toward the poetry gathering.
By this time, most of the people who had come to participate in the poetry gathering had arrived, filling the specially decorated study room to capacity.
The central positions were naturally occupied by important officials from Shu Province, such as Liu Hong and Yang Ye, with several highly respected Confucian scholars standing nearby.
Mr. Yue Ming, Mr. Zhuo Ying, Mr. Ling Chuan, and Mr. Zhang Ping of Yuelu Academy, among others.
Compared to them, Liu Si, the prefect of Shuzhou, could only sit in a corner.
Not to mention Chen Yunfan, Li Huaigu, and others.
Chen Yi glanced around and, instead of sitting at the head of the table with Mr. Yue Ming, led Xiao Wan'er and the others to sit down next to Chen Yunfan.
Shen Huatang then took Xiaodie to the other side of the study, where they stayed with a group of maids and servants.
After exchanging a few pleasantries and greetings,
Chen Yunfan leaned closer and said, "Why did you bring this little tiger girl along? She won't poison anyone again today, will she?"
Perhaps because the memory of being drugged by Pei Guanli at the last poetry gathering at the academy was too vivid, he still felt lingering fear.
Especially after learning Pei Guanli's identity, he felt somewhat wary.
Chen Yi chuckled, "Brother, you're worried about that?"
He knew very well how deep Chen Yunfan's martial arts cultivation was hidden, so he naturally didn't believe that Chen Yunfan would be afraid of Pei Guanli.
How could I not worry?
"That girl even dared to poison the old Marquis's birthday banquet; she's utterly lawless..."
Chen Yunfan caught Pei Guanli looking over out of the corner of his eye, quickly sat up straight, and coughed:
"The academy has invited many courtesans today, Yi-di, don't miss out on this beautiful scenery and music."
Chen Yi was slightly taken aback, but then noticed the gazes of Xiao Wan'er and the others, and replied, "Brother is joking."
"How could you joke? I..."
Before Chen Yunfan could finish speaking, Cui Qingwu quietly tugged at him, begged for mercy from those around them, and whispered some idle chatter to him.
Xiao Wan'er looked at Chen Yi, who had an innocent expression, smiled, and said:
"I heard that several courtesans who sent you invitations before are also here today. You should definitely take a good look and listen carefully."
Chen Yi muttered to himself, "That's an old, forgotten story from so many years ago."
While he was inwardly complaining, he also noticed the situation around him—Chen Yunfan and Cui Qingwu were being affectionate, Li Huaigu and Yunniang were being lovey-dovey, Xiao Wuge and Pei Guanli…
Their eyes were practically glued to the surroundings, looking around with obvious curiosity and wonder at everything.
After thinking about it, Chen Yi had no choice but to pair up with Xiao Wan'er.
"Big sister, are you settling in alright?"
Xiao Wan'er subconsciously pulled her cloak tighter around her, half her face hidden under the white downy fur, and softly hummed in agreement, "It's alright."
She was somewhat unaccustomed to it.
She had only heard of poetry gatherings before, but had never witnessed one.
She only realized today that this kind of occasion was not suitable for her.
There are too many unfamiliar people, so I need to say a lot of polite things.
She also had to be mindful of her demeanor and status, and endure the occasional whispers of criticism and some rude glances.
All of this made her feel out of place.
If Chen Yi and the others hadn't been sitting beside her, she probably would have already made an excuse to leave.
Chen Yi noticed something was wrong, smiled and offered a few words of comfort, then started telling some interesting stories to distract her.
However, while Chen Yi was chatting quietly, things were much more lively elsewhere.
The students of Guiyun Academy sat together, and the aristocratic families also gathered in their own small circles, as did the guests from other prefectures.
Although they had no connection with each other, their conversations and jokes somehow overlapped.
"There has been a lot of trouble in Shu Prefecture recently, which is truly a laughing stock for the whole world."
"Yes, who would have thought that the perpetrators of the attack on the three towns were not barbarians or people from Vashyapa, but came from..."
A young scholar with a long face gestured toward Liu Hong on the high platform and said, "That one."
Sitting in the middle of the group, Ma Guan interrupted, "Brother Yuanlin, say less, lest the gentlemen hear you."
"If he can do it, why can't we speak out?"
"Gossiping behind someone's back is not the behavior of a gentleman."
"If Brother Yuanlin is willing, he might as well go up on the stage and have a long talk in front of Lord Liu."
The long-faced scholar pointed at Ma Guan: "You..."
He could talk about it in private, but if he were actually standing in front of Liu Hong, the Provincial Governor of Shu Prefecture, he probably wouldn't be able to utter a single word.
Seeing this, someone nearby tried to smooth things over, saying, "The gentlemen are all watching."
"Alright, let's talk about something else..."
At another table, Pei Zhaoye from Yuelu Academy was also arguing with someone.
"Who would want him to take me in?"
"There are countless people in the world who have perfected the art of calligraphy, even those who have reached the saintly level. Even if I didn't become a disciple of Chen Qingzhou, I would still have other famous teachers."
A scholar in blue robes, about the same age as him, grinned and questioned, "Then why did you become his disciple on the spot?"
"Who worshipped him?"
"Isn't that right? Several teachers from Guiyun Academy can testify to that."
"I heard Mr. Qingzhou also said 'I can't teach you,' haha, is that true?"
"How can this be possible!"
Pei Zhaoye's face turned red with anger, and he said with a stiff neck, "Today is a Mid-Autumn Festival poetry gathering, a time to make friends through poetry, not calligraphy."
The scholar in blue robes said "Oh," and then added, "So, Brother Pei intends to compete with Mr. Qingzhou in poetry?"
"Let's compete!"
Perhaps his voice was too loud, it was hard for Chen Yi not to hear it.
He was chatting idly with Xiao Wan'er and didn't bother with the surrounding gossip.
Not long after.
The poetry gathering proceeded as scheduled.
The courtesan made her appearance, and the banquet, complete with music, dance, and flowing water, created an atmosphere that could be described as "elegant."
After several rounds of drinks, Mr. Yue Ming gave a speech and then discussed a problem with the gentlemen around him:
"Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with the theme of the bright moon."
It was a timely and appropriate poem topic, which pleased many well-prepared scholars.
Even Chen Yunfan looked eager to try.
"Brother Yi, I'll write first later, don't rush to do it."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded. It didn't matter if he didn't write it down, let alone the order in which it was written.
However, when he looked around, a look of confusion suddenly appeared on his face: "Where did Pei Guanli go?"
Xiao Wuge stared at the girls on the stage and subconsciously replied, "Sister Guanli said she needs to go to the outhouse."
Xiao Wan'er patted him lightly and scolded him, "Mind your manners and don't use vulgar words."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi thought for a moment, then stood up and said, "Please sit for a moment, I'll go out and take a look."
He was still somewhat uneasy and didn't want that little tiger girl to poison him here.
"Brother Yi, hurry back. Once I finish writing, it will be your turn."
"know……"
(End of this chapter)
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