Chapter 80 [VIP]
"Young master, Lord Song has arrived," Tengluo said, lifting the curtain.
Their original plan was to detour through Suzhou, but Song Fangting clearly guessed their intentions and insisted on meeting them. This Song Fangting was Song Zhao's cousin and the head general of Suzhou. Her cousin was a renowned minister close to the emperor, and her maternal family was a prominent family in Suzhou. Since entering the court, Song Fangting had gained power and control over Suzhou, as well as the official roads leading to Suzhou.
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman entered from the corridor. She was tall and slender, clad in light armor, her back straight as a pine tree. Her ponytail was tied behind her, with two strands of hair falling down her temples, framing her cool and beautiful face. Her features bore a faint resemblance to Song Zhao's. It was clear at a glance that these two cousins were from the same school, sharing a similar air, both possessing a cold and aloof demeanor.
"Your subject Song Fangting greets Lord Lu." Song Fangting clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed to him.
Lu Xuejin: "No need for formalities. Lord Song has come from afar, thank you for your trouble. I originally did not want to trouble you, Lord Song. The forces in Dingzhou City are like a spider web, and I am trapped here. It is thanks to Lord Song's arrival that we might still be in the city."
"Lord Lu, you flatter me. I wasn't of much help. I was just doing some errands along the way and received the token from you. Since it was my cousin's order, I was duty-bound to do it even at the cost of my life. I am late, though. I heard that Lord Lu was injured on the way." Song Fangting paused slightly as he spoke, his gaze sweeping across the hall to make sure no one was hiding there.
Lu Xuejin noticed that this girl seemed a bit more straightforward; she didn't beat around the bush with him. She had come openly with a purpose—she was looking for someone. He replied, "My injuries are mostly healed; thank you for your concern, Lord Song."
"What brings Lord Song to Dingzhou?"
“Some personal matters,” Song Fangting said. “I recently heard that a painting dealer from Luzhou is selling some obscene items on the black market. I came here specifically after receiving the news.”
As they were talking, a commotion arose on the ground floor of the inn. Song Fangting looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of women coming out of their rooms in twos and threes. These women were all wearing bamboo hats and carrying drawing boards, paints of various colors, and red brushes of different materials on their backs.
Since the previous dynasty, Emperor Liang had vigorously encouraged the creation of poetry, painting, music, chess, calligraphy, and other arts. Every two years, both the south and the north held imperial examinations for poetry and painting. These grand examinations were always bustling with activity, attracting painters from all over the country, each with their own distinct style. Even after Xue Yi ascended the throne, these poetry and painting events continued, though they hadn't been scheduled for this year, and various regions were still awaiting notification from the court. This group of women traveled between the north and south, making a living by painting. Some copied portraits for the powerful and wealthy, creating exquisite rock paintings to hang in palaces; others painted family portraits for the common people, landscapes for poets, and even comic books. These were the very works His Highness often visited.
Scripts involving court officials were explicitly forbidden, yet this practice persisted despite repeated prohibitions. Anything untouchable and forbidden, the more valuable and prestigious, the more it tempted people to overstep their bounds. Song Fangting had discovered these scripts about officials and came to investigate their source. And this official was none other than herself.
She heard that someone had paid a high price to commission her book, and yet, someone reckless actually accepted the order. She had suspects, one of whom was Fu Lian. This woman had spent some time at the same academy as her, but they had no contact, only having met each other. While studying, she focused on the etiquette taught by her mother's family, but she had also heard of Fu Lian's exceptional painting skills.
Among the storybooks she found, she was depicted as obscene and sycophantic, yet the style of the illustrations seemed strangely familiar.
Thinking of this, Song Fangting changed the subject, saying, "I received news that someone saw the Ninth Prince beside Lord Lu. The Emperor has now issued a bounty on the Ninth Prince, so I hope Lord Lu will be lenient. After the search is completed, I will personally escort Lord Lu to Liancheng."
Liancheng is only twenty miles away from here, a journey that takes only half a day. Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin replied, "Of course. This matter will not be difficult for Lord Song. I only have a young guard by my side; perhaps the messenger was mistaken."
"Lord Song, please search as you see fit. If you can find the Ninth Prince, it will fulfill His Majesty's wish."
Song Fangting bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."
Then, the guards filed in behind her. Lu Xuejin sat with Tengluo and Ziyan, who were knitting new clothes together. A few days ago, Ziyan had already knitted a rabbit scarf, which Tengluo was now wearing around her neck, and the two buns were also braided by Ziyan. Tengluo's big eyes blinked, her cheeks were rosy, and she was holding milk tea, looking very cute.
Lu Xuejin's two maids were very well taken care of; they didn't look like maids at all, but rather like sisters who had grown up together.
During the search, Song Fangting watched as Lu Xuejin helped two maids tidy up their yarn and was asked for help by the maids without complaint. They seemed like a harmonious family, which made Song Fangting stop and watch.
"Young master, would you like some milk tea? I just brewed it today. It tastes much better with less milk!" Tengluo said.
As she inquired, Tengluo's eyes darted downstairs. That was the advantage of leaving the capital; they had seen so many people along the way, and their movements were so secretive that even a thorough investigation would take forever. Who would have thought His Highness was downstairs right now?
Downstairs was none other than Fu Lian, who had come to meet the painters. Fu Lian had arranged to travel to Suzhou with this group of women from all over the country to attend a poetry and painting gathering. Song Fangting had even checked the official silver ingots one by one, confirming that the amount had not changed, and they were escorting them all the way to Liancheng.
“If you like it, burn some extra and put it in a thermos along the way,” Lu Xuejin said to Tengluo, then turned to Song Fangting and said, “Now that Lord Song has finished his search, we will be heading to Liancheng. Since Lord Song is worried, why don’t we go together? That way, the official silver will arrive in Liancheng smoothly, and we can both be at ease. This year, we can ensure that the people of Liancheng have a good New Year.”
Song Fangting couldn't figure it out, but she had no choice but to follow along, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."
Given the other party's attitude, she had no choice but to treat him with courtesy. Not to mention that this person was valued by the emperor, the fact that he had sent the Song Zhao family heirloom token showed that her cousin also cherished him very much... If this person's abilities were above average, how easy would it be to capture him after knowing her purpose? The task her cousin had entrusted to her was extremely troublesome.
As they came downstairs, they ran into Fu Lian, who was the only one among the group of women who wasn't wearing a bamboo hat. Fu Lian saw an acquaintance and hesitated, unsure whether to greet her. Her gaze shifted between Song Fangting and other directions.
Seeing Song Fangting's cold face, Fu Lian said, "Lord Song... how have you been?"
Song Fangting pretended not to hear and did not respond to Fu Lian. She just glanced at the women behind Fu Lian, who were wearing dresses of various colors and looked casual and carefree, just like the woman's personality.
"Someone come here... check their tokens to see if they have any documents authorizing them to enter the city," Song Fangting said.
Watching from behind, Lu Xuejin sensed for some reason that Song Fangting was in a bad mood; perhaps this Miss Song disliked the painter. Without proper documentation, one is naturally not allowed to enter the city, and now it seemed as if she had come specifically to cause trouble.
The guards quickly stepped forward, led by Fu Lian, and the group of women all presented their documents. In the far corner stood Murong Yue, wearing a bamboo hat and women's clothing. His Highness was too tall, so he found a corner to sit in, thus not standing out in the crowd. With easels and many tools providing cover, His Highness naturally drank milk tea and ate peanuts with the woman opposite him, making it impossible for anyone to detect anything amiss.
Lu Xuejin recognized him at a glance. Seeing the boy seamlessly blending in with the group of illustrators, discussing comic books together, with the same lazy and unrestrained demeanor, he couldn't help but want to facepalm.
The more dangerous the moment, the more the dangerous part of his personality emerges; the more unrestrained and capricious he becomes, the calmer he appears, thus escaping the inescapable net. With the help of benefactors, even the judge beside Yama, the King of Hell, would find it difficult to discern where His Highness is hiding.
After Fu Lian presented the documents, he said to Song Fangting, "Lord Song, are you heading to Liancheng? We are also going to Suzhou. I brought with me the documents issued by the Prefect of Luzhou regarding the poetry gathering. We still need to discuss this matter with you. Since we are going the same way, would you please take us with you, Lord Song?"
Looking at the woman, Song Fangting was naturally unwilling to accept her shamelessness. She quietly said, "I'm sorry. I have official duties to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't see Miss Fu off."
“Since there are many of you, I can have the guards escort you to Suzhou first,” Song Fangting said, looking at the group of women whose faces were not clearly visible. “After I have escorted Lord Lu, please wait for me at my residence for two hours. I will return to Suzhou before dark.”
Since we can't find the person, we might as well leave them here for now, since we'll need to settle accounts with Fu Lian and others anyway.
Fu Lian replied, "In that case, I will trouble Lord Song."
As they passed Song Fangting, Fu Lian slightly raised the corners of her lips and said to Song Fangting, "We will wait for Lord Song's return at the mansion. It would be best if Lord Song returned soon. There are many affairs in Suzhou City, and we all rely on Lord Song."
The group then parted ways; Lu Xuejin and Song Fangting headed to Liancheng, while Murong Yue and Fu Lian went to Suzhou. As the carriage slowly drove out of sight, Murong Yue and Fu Lian were in the same carriage. At this moment, Murong Yue lifted his bamboo hat, revealing his true face.
"I've troubled you with this matter, and you must already know my identity... Aren't you afraid?" Murong Yue asked.
Fu Lian took out the album she had drawn earlier, and there was a picture of Song Fangting's face on it. However, the woman in the album had a completely different face, and she was obviously different from the real Song Fangting.
"Hmm... I wouldn't say I'm scared. This is a new booklet I drew. Do you think my drawing skills have improved?"
Upon hearing this, Murong Yue picked up the booklet, carefully flipped through it, and gently stroked the paint on it. He also took out the little picture book that Fu Lian had drawn for him last time, which looked even more exquisite.
"You've definitely made great progress. The colors look much richer, and the expressions on the figures are much better. Have you been painting a lot lately?" he couldn't help but ask.
“Of course,” Fu Lian said, “Although my profession is shady, it’s something I genuinely enjoy doing. The day you came to see me last time… I took on a lot of work that I didn’t want to do.”
Fu Lian: "I used the money you gave me to buy a house in Dingzhou and took in many of my sisters there... which also gave me the opportunity to go to Suzhou to participate in the poetry and painting gathering. I think we are quite destined for each other, don't you think?"
“Of course,” Murong Yue said. “I am very satisfied with the booklets you gave me, so it can’t be considered that I have helped you in any way. With your painting skills, it’s only a matter of time before you earn that kind of money by finding work for wealthy families. You have helped me today, and I will continue to write to you after I arrive in the capital.”
“Our meeting was purely by chance. The money belongs to your talent, not to my charity. You would have met a similar benefactor even without me, but you have genuinely helped me today. I cannot repay you now, but I will keep this kindness in my heart,” Murong Yue said earnestly.
“I… Your Highness is being too modest,” Fu Lian scratched her head. She wasn’t very good at expressing herself and spent most of her time painting. Her eyes were slightly dark, and she looked at the boy opposite her with a calm and serious expression.
"So, in that sense, we're friends now. Um... His Highness's reply to me was quite long-winded, but it gave me a lot of encouragement. Since we're friends, helping each other out is nothing. If His Highness asks me to paint again in the future, I'll give him a slightly lower price."
"Thank you very much then," Murong Yue picked up the book and began to read. The story was also very well drawn; it was about a female general. He said, "If you have any extras after you finish drawing them, you can send them to me to take a look. I will write to you after I have read them. I have never drawn anything, but I have read many stories and can give you some advice."
Fu Lian smiled upon hearing this, "I understand. If Your Highness needs anything, you can write to me. I have nothing to do in Dingzhou except paint, so I am very happy to know about Your Highness's experiences."
Murong Yue: "The stories I've experienced are all things far removed from real life. You'd better go and see more for yourself. I still think other people's stories aren't worth writing. It's good if they can give you inspiration, but the stories you truly want to express should come from within. Hmm... this is what I read in a book."
“Your Highness is right. I do need to go out more. After meeting Your Highness, I saw Lord Lu and realized that I should go out and see more of the world,” Fu Lian said.
Murong Yue: "...Brother Changyou?"
“Hmm,” Fu Lian said, “It made me realize something. Some people can live in more than just their own world. For example, I’m good at painting, and I always thought about making a living from it, making it my whole life. But after meeting His Highness and Lord Lu, I suddenly realized that skills are just tools for making a living, and I can also try to do other things. For example, to see the people of Liancheng, to see if there are really people who are obsessed with feelings they’ve only met once, and to try to accept some feelings that I can accept.”
"Anyway... if you like doing it, then go ahead. In my opinion, you're already quite remarkable. I can neither draw nor do I have your thinking ability, but I do have things I want to do... I like my brother, he's very handsome, and I want to make him a pair of shoes," Murong Yue said.
Murong Yue: "If one day I fall in love with making shoes for the people I love, and I spend my whole life making shoes just because I'm obsessed with my fetish, would that be considered fulfilling in some way?"
He already had the answer in his heart, and the answer was affirmative. All actions become abundant and full in love, far removed from worldly utilitarianism, leaving only pure aesthetics.
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