GTB Chapter 17

“Take these snacks and distribute them!”

“Yes.”

Mu Feng respectfully took the food box from the desk, thinking to himself, this Miss Yu Qin probably doesn’t know that His Highness doesn’t like sweets! Indeed, apart from them and a few others close to him, His Highness’s preferences are not very clear to others.

Xiao Tao, who was waiting at the courtyard gate, was a little curious to see Yu Qin come out so quickly. Seeing that the food box was no longer in her hands, she asked softly, “Miss Yu, did His Highness try them?”

“I don’t know. I came out after His Highness accepted it.”

Yu Qin walked outwards, turning her head to say, “Don’t always call me ‘Miss Yu,’ it sounds very distant. Since the steward has assigned you to serve me, you are my personal maid.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Xiao Tao quickly responded. She knew that as long as Miss Yu was in the residence, she would be by Miss Yu’s side.

And Miss Yu was the first lady His Highness brought back to the residence, perhaps she would become His Highness’s person in the future. She would naturally share her honor and disgrace.

“Miss, now that the *qin* has been brought here, why not take the opportunity to play a piece for His Highness?”

“Perhaps another time.”

Yu Qin replied casually, but a profound and unfathomable look flickered in her eyes.

Although the Seventh Prince seemed to have no intention towards her for the time being, there must be something different about her since he had brought her out from Mo Feng Pavilion.

In that case, she would proceed slowly and deliberately. If she rushed forward impatiently, she might create aversion instead, and how would she be any different from the other women?

Moreover, she felt that the Seventh Prince didn’t seem to be as A playboy and amorous as the rumors suggested. Perhaps the rumors were wrong, or perhaps… it was just his facade.

On Mu Feng’s side, he had just distributed the pastries to the hidden guards in the courtyard when he received a letter sent over by the gatekeeper.

Inside the study, Shí Yan leaned against the back of his chair, his slender fingers plucked the letter from the envelope, opened it, and quickly scanned it. A hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He had originally thought that Mo Feng Pavilion would keep the favor from last time for other uses, but he never expected they just wanted a painting.

He opened a drawer to the side, which was filled with paintings he had made on a whim when he was bored. He rummaged through them, found one with a scroll, opened it, took a glance, then closed it and handed it to Mu Feng.

“Send it to Mo Feng Pavilion.”

“Yes.” Mu Feng stepped forward to take it, realizing only then that Mo Feng Pavilion had sent a letter to ask for his Highness’s painting.

………

The spring breeze was warm, and in Crabapple Courtyard, Jiang Jiuchu was lying on a recliner in the courtyard, her face covered with a picture book, as if she had fallen asleep.

The afternoon sun shone on her light pink dress, and her black hair fluttered gently in the wind. Although her face was hidden under the book, she still looked even more delicate than the half-open crabapple blossoms in the courtyard.

Suddenly, the gatekeeper, A’Lai, ran in quickly, “Green…”

He had just opened his mouth when he was stopped by Greenery’s silencing gesture. Only then did he notice the pink figure lying under the crabapple tree behind Greenery.

“A’Lai, what’s the matter?” Greenery went to meet him and asked, her eyes falling on the long brocade box in A’Lai’s hand.

“Just now, a little maid came from outside the residence, saying that it was a gift from her master to Miss, saying that she was an old friend of Miss’s.”

The gatekeeper handed the brocade box in his hand to her and said, “I saw that she didn’t say her master’s specific name, so I asked her to wait outside the residence first. You can take it to Miss and see.”

“Oh.” Greenery took the brocade box with some puzzlement. An old friend of Miss’s? Could it be that Miss Zhang from An Yang County has come to Kyoto?

As she thought, she walked quickly to Jiang Jiuchu’s side. Before she could speak, Jiang Jiuchu, who was in a light sleep, was awakened by Greenery’s footsteps.

She reached out to remove the book from her face, squinted her eyes, and slowly turned her head to look at Greenery beside her, “Why are you running?”

“Miss, someone from outside the residence has sent something to Miss, saying that she is an old friend of Miss’s.”

Greenery bent down and handed over the brocade box in her hand, and looked at the gatekeeper standing not far away, “A’Lai didn’t know who sent it, so he didn’t let the little maid who sent the things leave.”

“Huh?” Jiang Jiuchu looked at the brocade box in Greenery’s hands, and sat up in confusion, old friend? What old friend, which old friend?

She opened the brocade box with curiosity, and inside was actually a scroll. She picked it up and was just about to open it when she heard Greenery’s voice, “Miss, there is also a note in this box.”

Jiang Jiuchu was stunned when she heard this, looked at the bottom of the box, and quickly placed the painting on her lap, picked up the paper and opened it. She saw written on it: To make up for yesterday’s opening gift, next time, won’t you be too stingy to even hesitate to invite me to sit down!

At the end, there was also a sentence: Once sent, it cannot be returned.

After reading it, how could Jiang Jiuchu not know who it was? A sense of embarrassment instantly appeared on her face, but when she saw the last sentence, she couldn’t help but have some guesses.

Since Brother Fu was afraid that she would return it, it must be something precious. She lowered her eyes and glanced at the painting on her lap. Could it be………

After folding the paper, she picked up the painting and slowly unrolled it. Although she already had a guess, she was still surprised when she saw the famous name in the lower right corner.

It was indeed a painting by Yun You Gong Zi, Brother Fu really had some skills, she did not expect that after selling one last time, he still had one.

“Is it really Miss’s old friend?”

The maid Greenery saw that her young lady had looked at it almost enough, so she asked.

“Yes, let the gatekeeper go and reply!” Since Brother Fu didn’t want to take it back, then she would find an opportunity later to give Brother Fu a return gift!

Jiang Jiuchu lowered her head and carefully looked at the painting in her hand, wanting to see why it could be worth a thousand gold?

However, the wild geese flying alone in the landscape painting in front of her made her slowly attracted by the artistic conception of the painting as she looked at it.

At first glance, under the wild geese, there is a feeling of overlooking mountains and rivers, as if everything is underfoot.

Looking at the wild geese above, there is also a feeling of no desire to remember mountains and rivers, soaring high in the sky.

Finally, looking at the wild geese themselves, it gave her a feeling of lonely arrogance.

One painting with multiple artistic conceptions, although there are no words, there are still words.

Jiang Jiuchu carefully rolled up the painting, and in her eyes, the value of Yun You Gong Zi’s paintings was no longer just the superficial value of a thousand gold.

As night approached, on a street far from the bustling center of the imperial city, a tall man in black clothes and a silver mask walked quickly into an inconspicuous pawnshop.

The pawnshop owner took the jade pendant from the man’s hand and looked at it and said, “This thing is precious, please come inside for a detailed talk, sir.”

Song Fuge nodded, and responded lightly as usual, then followed the shopkeeper into the back room.

The shopkeeper entered the back room, gently turned an inconspicuous wood carving on the side, and then a secret door opened. Passing through the aisle, inside was a huge discussion hall.

Eight leaders from various regions immediately bowed their hands to Song Fuge, “Greetings, Sect Leader.”

“Get up! Sit down and talk.” Song Fuge said, then sat on the square chair at the head, looking at the few people who sat down one after another and said, “The reason I have gathered you here today is to tell you something important.”

He looked at the few people with puzzled expressions, gently groping the Xuan Iron Bracer on his wrist, and said calmly:

“Although our Shadow Gate exists in the martial world, we are placed in the midst of various powerful and dangerous people. What we seek is nothing but wealth. On this point, I have already solved it when the former Sect Leader was alive. Otherwise, just based on my identity as an adopted son, I would not be able to sit on the position of Shadow Gate Sect Leader.”

After he finished speaking, his eyes swept over the few people lightly, “Now, I have been in office for more than a year, and some rules should also be changed.”