Chapter 79

In the midst of the luxurious inner hall, two figures slowly emerged.

One of them was dressed in a brocade robe with cranes and pines, resembling official attire, with a deep red hue, the proper attire for a birthday celebrant. The top of the hat was adorned with jade, embroidered with cloud patterns, and the white hair reached his eyebrows, his face glowing with health. This was none other than Zhang Changling, the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

The other figure was supported by two maids, one on each side, as they簇拥ed out, closely following Zhang Changling. This woman, though not young, was well-preserved, exuding a graceful charm. She wore a purple-red robe, which highlighted her dignified and solemn presence. A vivid phoenix was embroidered on the purple-red robe, a symbol of royal identity.

This person was none other than the current Emperor's elder sister, Lady Zhou Yunyun, the wife of Zhang Changling, the Grand Princess.

When Lady Zhou Yunyun was young, she was known for her beauty, being the most beautiful woman in the country. She later married Zhang Changling and became his wife. Due to Zhang Changling's leadership in the literary world, he was later personally bestowed the title of "First Lady" by the Emperor, making her influence in the south second only to the Emperor and his younger brother, the Seventh Prince.

"Let everyone wait for a moment."

The old birthday celebrant was no ordinary person, ranking just below the Emperor and above ten thousand others. Even the Seventh Prince usually held him in high regard. How could the crowd dare to be impolite?

Seeing them emerge, everyone bowed and then prostrated themselves, greeting the Grand Princess...

Zhang Changling and Lady Zhou Yunyun exchanged a glance, then held hands and gestured for everyone to rise, before walking towards the crowd.

"Minister Chen, Minister Sima... thank you for your efforts... oh, Minister Li..."

Zhang Changling nodded as he walked, acknowledging the greetings. He then asked, "What's so lively? Let's all share in the joy..."

Wang Chongde, a disciple of Zhang Changling, quickly approached and said, "Master, just now, Young Master Feng from the Shangguan family amazed us with his 'sketching' skills. We are currently admiring his masterpiece..."

"Feng Jun?" The Grand Princess was taken aback.

Wang Chongde said, "Shangguan family, Feng Jueyu..." As he spoke, he called out loudly, "Quickly, bring the masterpiece for Master and Mistress to admire..."

The crowd parted, and Shangguan Ruomeng, feeling honored, pulled Feng Jueyu forward.

Approaching, Shangguan Ruomeng quickly tugged at Feng Jueyu's sleeve, indicating that he should kneel, and then presented the painting: "Shangguan Ruomeng greets the Grand Princess and Minister Zhang."

"Rise." Lady Zhou Yunyun did not say much, gesturing for them to stand.

Zhang Changling unfolded the painting and observed it with a smile, pointing out the exquisite parts to Lady Zhou Yunyun. Everyone remained silent, but anyone could tell that Feng Jueyu was about to become famous after today...

Shangguan Ruomeng was anxious, as he had an important matter to request from Zhang Changling. It was difficult to even catch a glimpse of him before, and now he had this opportunity. Moreover, Zhang Changling seemed to like the painting Feng Jueyu made for him, making him even more nervous.

After finishing the painting, Zhang Changling returned it to Shangguan Ruomeng and said, "Good painting, very good. Keep it well..."

Shangguan Ruomeng nodded, a bit excited, and said, "Minister Zhang, this is..."

Just as she was about to introduce Feng Jueyu, Zhang Changling spoke first, addressing the Grand Princess Zhou Yunyun: "Yunyun, let me introduce you. This young man is the Feng Jun I've been telling you about. What do you think? He is quite talented, isn't he?" Zhang Changling spoke warmly, holding Feng Jueyu's hand affectionately.

This scene stunned all the guests and officials...

Everyone knew who Zhang Changling was. All the civil officials in the court were his disciples, and in the wild, he was a free and easy hermit. Although he was usually kind and gentle, he was the husband of the Grand Princess and a contemporary great scholar, personally bestowed the title of Grand Marshal by the Emperor. In his presence, almost everyone felt inferior, even figures like Sima Wen and Wang Chongde had to address him as "Master." Few could stand on equal footing with him...

Precisely because of this, Zhang Changling's overly warm behavior towards Feng Jueyu drew the attention of all the officials and nobles.

From Zhang Changling's demeanor, it was clear that Feng Jueyu was not a junior in his presence but rather an old friend, close and unpretentious, even more so than when he met the officials and nobles...

What had happened?

Everyone stared at Feng Jueyu, suddenly realizing how mysterious he was. Despite being a well-known playboy in the south with unparalleled sketching skills, the strange thing was how he had met Zhang Changling and become so close.

The Grand Princess Zhou Yunyun observed Feng Jueyu, her face adorned with a gentle and charming smile. She exuded grace and dignity, surpassing even the Empress. After a moment, she said, "Master often speaks highly of you, praising your talent and wisdom, which has made me eager to meet you. Today, I see that you are indeed handsome and talented. It is a great fortune for Master, in his advanced years, to have a friend like you..."

These words praised Feng Jueyu to the heavens. "Talent and wisdom" were common phrases, but when spoken by the Grand Princess Zhou Yunyun, they carried immense weight.

Zhou Yunyun, the Emperor's elder sister, was even more prestigious than the Empress...

The crowd's expressions shifted from shock to astonishment, all feeling breathless. Normally, it would be impossible to even see these two, let alone receive their praise.

Feeling flattered by the praise, Feng Jueyu bowed and said, "Grand Princess, you flatter me. I am far from the excellence you and Minister Zhang described. I am truly unworthy..."

Seeing Feng Jueyu's modest and appropriate response, Zhou Yunyun nodded silently, clearly pleased with the young man...

At this moment, Zhang Changling said, "Oh, Feng Jun, you've never been this modest in front of me. That's not like you..."

Zhang Changling's public teasing of Feng Jueyu did not amuse the crowd; instead, their expressions became even more serious.

Not only did Feng Jueyu know Zhang Changling, but he could also be publicly teased by the foremost literary figure in the country. This was no small feat...

Feng Jueyu, showing no signs of being overwhelmed, responded calmly, "That's because I didn't know your identity, Minister Zhang. If you had told me earlier, I would have been too nervous to even approach you."

The same joke, but Zhang Changling laughed heartily, and Zhou Yunyun smiled gently, leaving the crowd speechless...

Then, the two began to chat...

"When did you arrive?"

"Long ago."

"Why didn't I know?"

"You were busy."

"Oh, I sent Qin Ling to pick you up." Qin Ling was Zhang Changling's personal guard that day.

"I didn't see him."

"I forgot to give you the invitation."

"I know."

"How did you get in?"

"I sneaked in..."

"Good, you managed to sneak into my residence. You have many tricks up your sleeve."

"You know, I always have many tricks..."

The crowd: "..."

The conversation between friends was simple and lacked substance, but anyone with a brain could tell that Feng Jueyu and Zhang Changling were more than just acquaintances.

Today was Zhang Changling's 70th birthday, yet he left everyone aside to talk to Feng Jueyu, clearly showing who he favored.

In the literary world of the south, figures like Xi Ruiyun, Ma Yuanru, and Shang Gongjin, even if they were top scholars, still had to address Zhang Changling as "Grand Master." They had always looked down on Feng Jueyu, which led to their previous humiliation in the painting competition.

They never expected Feng Jueyu to have such extraordinary sketching skills, nor did they expect that the playboy they once dismissed was now chatting amicably with Zhang Changling.

While they had to bow and call Zhang Changling "Grand Master," Feng Jueyu was on equal footing with him, chatting like old friends.

This stark contrast shattered their confidence and arrogance, leaving them envious, jealous, and resentful of Feng Jueyu.

Xi Ruiyun's pride had been completely eroded by the series of events. He sat in the pavilion, numb and indifferent. He had hoped to use this opportunity to meet Zhang Changling and impress him with his talent, thereby advancing his career.

However, he never expected this to be a disaster. Not only did he lose to Feng Jueyu in public, but he also lost the heart of the beauty. Seeing the relationship between Feng Jueyu and Zhang Changling, he realized that his previous actions were futile. How could he even think of impressing Zhang Changling now? It would only bring more humiliation.

Failure in love and career... everything was over. His life, dreams, ambitions, and future, even the woman he loved, were all lost...

One thought led to heaven, another to hell. Xi Ruiyun knew he had entered hell and could never return to heaven.

Looking at the tall figure that had defeated him, Xi Ruiyun's eyes were filled with overwhelming hatred: It's all your fault. Because of you, I lost everything I built over fifteen years, Feng Jueyu. I, Xi Ruiyun, will never let you off...

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