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墨書 Inktalez
The entire night in Bianhe was a night of dazzling lights, with painted boats connecting and the sounds of orioles and swallows dancing.
That painted boat was quite ordinary, no different from those drifting day and night in Bianhe. Although it had the unique atmosphere and elegance of Tokyo and Kaifeng, it could not be compared to the luxurious painted boats made for the amusement of nobles and aristocrats.
A remarkably beautiful woman sat by the window.
Pang Yuanying looked through the misty water and felt a sense of daze.
In such a night, even with brilliant lights and from such a distance, what could he really see? Yet for some reason, just seeing a glimpse of her figure made him realize it was that person.
"Is that her?" The young man holding a folding fan pushed open the window to take a look, curiosity evident on his face. He casually called out, "Quick, let’s get closer. I want to see what kind of beauty she is..."
Before he finished speaking, as the two boats crossed paths, the beauty tilted her head slightly and smiled. He immediately froze, almost dropping the folding fan from his hand.
Perhaps for convenience, the beauty was dressed in men's clothing, merely wearing a simple blue outfit. Her hair was casually tied up in a dark style, and she wore no makeup on her face. Her natural beauty instantly made all the other beauties in Bianhe lose their luster.
You might not know how beautiful she was, but no matter where she stood, you would feel that the so-called beauties in the surroundings either lacked some spirit or charm.
"No wonder!" The young man glanced at Pang Yuanying, who was frowning deeply, and laughed, "Didn’t you invite the beauty to join you? It seems now that there’s a protector for her."
Gao Feng stood at the bow of the boat. Today he wasn’t wearing his dazzling armor; wearing armor at night would be quite disappointing. Unlike Pang Yuanying, who seemed eager to wear a brocade robe woven from clouds to show off his noble status, Gao Feng wore a simple blue outfit that seemed somewhat loose-fitting. He didn’t wear a crown or tie up his hair; instead, he casually bound it with an embroidered handkerchief that emitted a faint fragrance.
He stood sideways with one hand holding a wine cup and the other holding a treasure blade, looking exceptionally carefree.
Pang Yuanying glared fiercely at this general in plain clothes; if looks could kill, Gao Feng would have been dead hundreds of times over.
Sensing Pang Yuanying's gaze, Gao Feng raised his cup towards him with a smile in his eyes, exuding friendliness. Qin Yaru appeared calm and unbothered, her expression relaxed.
Lord Pang couldn’t help but be taken aback; the current situation was clearly different from what he had imagined. In his mind, Qin Yaru should have been tearful and pitiful, filled with sorrow. He had planned to mock her coldly first, then comfort her gently while promising to help her—telling this woman that Gao Feng was just a military general. Even if he was powerful in the borderlands, once he arrived in Kaifeng, he would still have to behave himself.
This Kaifeng was Pang Yuanying's territory; with Qin Wenyuan imprisoned in Kaifeng Prefecture's jail, Gao Feng would definitely not be able to intervene.
But upon seeing her today, even though her own brother was imprisoned and her future uncertain, Qin Yaru remained composed and unruffled, even having thoughts of engaging with men.
In fact, Gao Feng and Qin Yaru would not have the leisure to discuss love as he imagined. Gao Feng appeared relaxed on the surface, but inside he felt a bit tense.
"Wen Yuan's identity has been exposed."
Qin Yaru's expression darkened. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so eager to see him, perhaps it wouldn't have happened so quickly."
Her identity was not a secret. With Chen Wenyue around, Xiangyang Wang could not possibly be unaware that Qin Yaru was the daughter of Qin Yizhi. However, she was a woman and knew nothing about the events of the past, so Xiangyang Wang naturally would not take her seriously.
But Qin Wenyuan was different. He was already older at that time and the only male heir of the Qin Family. Qin Yizhi did not hide his actions from him, and he knew much more.
After he was exiled, he faced several assassination attempts. If it weren't for his own martial arts skills and the support of his father's former students, he wouldn't have survived. Later, taking advantage of the Liao People's siege, Qin Wenyuan successfully escaped and joined Gao Feng, remaining cautious and low-key in the military. Very few people knew his true identity.
Unexpectedly, upon arriving in Kaifeng, his identity was exposed. If it weren't for the fact that someone had already discovered who he was, no one would dare to risk offending Gao Feng to frame him.
"It's not your fault. Wen Yuan was too hasty. Recently, he's been making a lot of moves. Xiangyang Wang and Pang Chunzhi are not fools; they wouldn't fail to notice. A few of my informants have gone silent, but Xiangyang Wang and Pang Chunzhi probably just think that the recent investigations into their backgrounds are all due to Qin Wenyuan's actions and haven't guessed it's me yet. For now, they are still in the open while I am in the dark; there's no need to worry."
Gao Feng, after all, was the son of the Gao Family. Unlike Qin Wenyuan, who grew up in Kaifeng, even if he had been away for a few years, neither Xiangyang Wang nor the Pang Family would think that this general would oppose a powerful prince out of personal grievances against his subordinates.
Qin Yaru smiled. "How can I not believe your pretense?"
Recently, there were rumors in Kaifeng that Xiangyang Wang had a very favorable impression of General Gao. If it weren't for concerns about General Gao's military power, it would be inappropriate for a prince to get too close; otherwise, Xiangyang Wang would likely be very willing to recruit him as a son-in-law.
Of course, any princess born of a concubine like Gentle Blue would certainly not qualify to marry Gao Feng; at the very least, she must be a legitimate daughter born of Xiangyang Wang's consort.
"Let's investigate Pang Yuanying's background later and see if this incident with Wen Yuan has anything to do with the Pang Family. Don't worry, Qin Yaru; if the Pangs don't come looking for you, I'll have to find them myself. For Wen Yuan's sake, I will have to make a deal with someone from the Pang Family."
Gao Feng's expression remained calm as he took a sip of wine. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an extremely luxurious boat approaching and smiled slightly. "What an impatient person! If Pang Yuanying is not an enemy, he's quite charming... Qin Yaru, I don't mind you teasing a pretty boy a little, but take it easy; don't let him take advantage of you. Otherwise, I'll skin him alive."
His smile did not change, but his voice turned ominous. Even Qin Yaru, who was filled with anxiety, couldn't help but chuckle at his words.
As soon as he finished speaking, their boats collided gently. Gao Feng's rather slender boat rocked slightly from the impact, but neither he nor Qin Yaru was annoyed—especially Qin Yaru—who looked up at Pang Yuanying standing at the bow with an expression that seemed to carry a hint of indulgence as if looking at a child.
Pang Yuanying's gaze suddenly became flustered, and he took a deep breath to steady his mind, not understanding why this woman could so easily stir his emotions.
Perhaps it was due to excessive excitement, or maybe the night was too cold; the Marquis's body involuntarily trembled slightly.
The spirited Lady-in-Waiting behind him quickly shook out her dark blue cloak and draped it over him.
In his blue attire, under the light, the Marquis's appearance overshadowed all other beauties, making them seem like mere chickens in comparison.
Even Gao Feng gasped in surprise and murmured, "Qin Yaru, are you really not moved? My heart is already stirred."
Qin Yaru angrily kicked out, viciously stepping on Gao Feng's foot.
Gao Feng was trying to praise the beauty with his actions on the boat, but in her eyes, it was nothing more than flirtation that was utterly inappropriate and infuriating.
He exhaled heavily in frustration and said harshly, "Isn't this Consort Qin? Your brother is imprisoned and you have no idea if he's alive or dead, yet here you are enjoying the Brothel Management Office's flower show with a rough Warrior. You really have some nerve."
At this moment, he forgot that he himself had personally sent an invitation for the beauty to join him.
Qin Yaru smiled slightly and ignored him. She beckoned to the soldiers Gao Feng had brought along to use wooden planks to connect the two boats, extending her delicate hand invitingly. "Marquis, please come over for a chat."
Pang Yuanying paused, his sword-like brows furrowing. His expression turned cold as he felt a strong urge to turn around and leave disdainfully. However, looking at Qin Yaru's face under the moonlight, he found himself unable to voice a single word of refusal. His body uncontrollably stepped onto the plank and walked towards the shabby boat he would have never glanced at before.
The young nobles beside him nearly had their eyes pop out in shock.
"It's over. Our Lord Pang has spent all day chasing after wild geese, but this time he's been pecked blind by one. He’s bound to fall!"
There was a hint of schadenfreude in their voices. Although they were familiar with each other, these friends of Pang Yuanying were not particularly close; they probably even hoped for Pang Yuanying to stumble and bring embarrassment to the Pang Family.
Once on the boat, facing Qin Yaru, the Marquis lost some of his impatience. His expression calmed down as he didn’t even glance at Gao Feng. He merely reined in his hostility and looked gently at Qin Yaru.
"Consort Qin, I’ll say it again: if you are willing to be with me, you won’t have to worry about clothing or food. All my money will be yours to spend as you wish. As for your brother’s situation, I will take responsibility for it. Even if your brother truly committed arson and murder, I will ensure he remains unharmed."
Do not be fooled by Marquis having the upper hand against Qin Yaru; his words at this moment were resolute, making it hard for anyone not to believe him.
Qin Yaru sighed. If this had been before her time travel, with her weak disposition, she would have been easily coerced by Marquis, likely responding in a flustered manner. But now, she understood all too well that Pang Yuanying had no grasp of the current situation. He did not realize that the Qin Family and the Pang Family might soon find themselves in a deadly conflict.
As her thoughts swirled, Qin Yaru smiled and said loudly, "General, I have a few words to share with Marquis, so please excuse yourself."
Pang Yuanying's eyes lit up as he looked at Gao Feng with pride.
Gao Feng was not annoyed; he merely raised an eyebrow and laughed heartily, "Don't take too long; my heart is feeling jealous." With that, he leaped onto the shore, his clothes fluttering elegantly.
Pang Yuanying frowned, secretly resenting that this person had to show off even after being dismissed. He glanced at Qin Yaru, only to see that she paid no attention to Gao Feng's departure. Instead, she gracefully approached and took the jug to pour wine for him.
Marquis was taken aback, his face suddenly flushed, feeling at a loss.
In their past encounters, Pang Yuanying had only experienced the cold detachment of Consort Qin. Seeing her so gentle now was a first for him, making him feel quite uncomfortable.
However, Qin Yaru's words caused Pang Yuanying to frown momentarily.
"Marquis, your kind invitation is something I cannot accept. This time I invited you aboard only to ask you to deliver a letter from my brother to your father. My brother wishes to make a deal with your father, which I believe he will find interesting." (To be continued)
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