The invitation sent by the Guangping Prince to the Crown Prince was a mere formality because of their family relationship. However, the Crown Prince did not treat him as a stranger at all and attended all the banquets. The Crown Prince waved his hand, indicating to those around him to rise, and escorted Prince Guangping inside.
As they passed Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan, they exchanged only a casual greeting, not as cordial as before.
Chu Xinian watched the Crown Prince’s figure as he walked away, deep in thought. He reckoned that although the Crown Prince was reckless and impulsive, he still had some wit and knew how to keep up appearances.
Although many people knew that Xie Jingyuan supported the Crown Prince, it was not good for the Crown Prince to become intimate with Court officials, as he might be seen as forming factions. If the Imperial Censor found out, the next day there would be heaps of accusations against the Crown Prince on the Imperial desk.
On a day like today, with many important figures present, it would be best to keep one’s distance on the surface.
Xie Jingyuan regarded such occasions with disdain, the corners of his lips curved with a hint of mockery. It seemed to him that those scholars reciting their sour poems were like geese on the lake shouting at the top of their lungs. Quite ridiculous.
“General, let’s go. The banquet has already begun.” Chu Xinian took his hand and walked towards the Golden Scale Pavilion, dressed in white with a paper fan, exuding a refined and extraordinary aura, surpassing those literary men.
Xie Jingyuan lowered his eyes and looked at Chu Xinian holding his hand, thinking that if this person wanted to recite poetry, he could reluctantly listen and show his support. Chu Xinian did not have that sour air.
The Golden Scale Pavilion was located in the middle of the lake, surrounded by water. Apart from having a boat to cross it, there was only a walkway on the shore. Thousands of golden carp swam in the lake, showing their tails. Those with exceptional talent might be able to “jump through the dragon gate.”
As a junior prince, Prince Guangping should have taken the seat of honor, but considering the Crown Prince’s position, he followed proper etiquette and said, “Please, Your Highness, take the seat of honor.”
The Crown Prince casually found a seat at the lower end, right next to Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan. And said, “We are not in the Palace, there is no need for excessive politeness. I can sit here, discussing only talents and not ranks.”
These words were spoken beautifully, not as something that would come out of his mouth.
Chu Xinian surveyed those present with great interest. His gaze swept over the renowned scholars and young talents, and he could not help but notice many young noblewomen seated among them, adorned with hairpins and exquisite clothes, adding charm to the Golden Scale Pavilion.
Xie Jingyuan noticed Chu Xinian’s gaze on the women and looked over there as well. He laughed softly and asked with a hint of mockery, “What do you think, do you find them attractive?”
Chu Xinian held up the folded fan and lightly tapped his palm in response, smiling, “Vibrant and beautiful, naturally attractive.”
He was not fixated on their looks but on their youthful spirit. Among those present, if they were lucky enough to be noticed by a discerning eye, they would climb a rung on the ladder of success. They might become officials, renowned scholars or achieve great fame in the future.
When Chu Jiaoping assumed an official position, he once took part in a debate during the Talent Banquet. He eloquently debated against numerous literary masters, which brought him great fame in the Capital. As a result, he was welcomed by Prince Jin.
This gathering of distinguished scholars was both a stairway to heaven and a stage to become famous. Chu Xinian found it very interesting to experience such an event in person. However, perhaps it was just an illusion, but Xie Jingyuan always had the feeling that he was looking at beautiful women. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, what have you observed?”
Chu Xinian replied with only two words, “Quite a few things.”
Prince Chang and Prince Ping were also present today. They saw the Crown Prince, their elder brother, but instead of going to pay their respects, they focused solely on befriending literary figures. It was evident that they had no respect or fear in their hearts, and even showed a hint of contempt. They were not willing to pretend.
Prince Chang wanted the support of the scholars and engaged in conversation with Yan Conghe, a literary authority, raising his glass and trying to win him over. Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong target. The Yan Family had never been involved in power struggles and had always focused on their studies. From Yan Conghe’s indifferent appearance, it was clear that Prince Chang’s efforts were wasted.
Prince Ping was chatting happily with a young man surnamed Jin. They were about to treat each other as brothers. Although this Jin seemed ordinary and frivolous, his father held the position of Inspector of the Ministry of Finance, overseeing trade throughout the kingdom. As it was difficult to win over the old fox in person, Prince Ping addressed his offspring instead, showing his greater wisdom.
Xie Jingyuan muttered disdainfully to Chu Xinian, “Pretentious.”
As they spoke, more and more people arrived. Among them, when a young man in a blue robe entered the Golden Scale Pavilion, he attracted the most attention. It was none other than Chu Jiaoping.
Prince Guangping was pleased to see him and rose personally to greet him, saying, “Brother Jiaoping, I have been waiting for your arrival. You are late, so you will have to punish yourself with three drinks.”
“So, it is Young Master Chu. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Your reputation precedes you. Indeed, you are extraordinary.”
It was evident that Chu Jiaoping had an excellent reputation among the noble families of the Capital, and many people rose to pay their respects. In comparison, Chu Xinian remained quiet and unobtrusive, but his remarkable appearance attracted all sorts of curious glances.
“I am late and I apologize to everyone.”
Chu Jiaoping, dressed in a blue robe, was serene and elegant. After apologizing with a smile, he sat down in the crowd. Coincidentally, his seat was directly opposite Chu Xinian. When he looked up to find his younger brother there, he couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Chu Xinian raised his glass, waving at him from a distance, and smiled in the glow of a gentle breeze and a bright moon.
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Conspiracy theories began to rise in his heart. After all, sibling rivalry was common among noble families. Xie Jingyuan looked at Chu Xinian and curved his lips slightly, intentionally asking, “Do you desire the position of Crown Prince?”
Chu Xinian was momentarily dumbfounded, not understanding why he was being asked such a question. After realizing the intention behind it, he smiled and asked quietly, “If I do, would the General be willing to help me obtain it?”
Without hesitation, Xie Jingyuan did not even need a moment to think. Fiddling with the cup in his hand, he smiled enigmatically and said, “If you want it, I’ll help you obtain it. Does it matter?”
“…” Chu Xinian looked deeply at Xie Jingyuan upon hearing his words but saw that he didn’t seem like he was joking. He couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart. After a moment of silence, he gently pressed Xie Jingyuan’s hand and earnestly said, “I was just joking with the General.”
What would he need the Crown Prince’s position for?
When Chu Xinian’s fingers brushed against the cold back of Xie Jingyuan’s hand, he unconsciously stroked it with his fingertips and did not withdraw his hand for a while, lost in thought.
Xie Jingyuan felt the warmth covering his hand and hesitated for a moment, but did not pull his hand away.
The banquet was beginning and the hall was filled with lively discussions. People were quoting classics, reciting poetry, and composing essays, creating a boisterous atmosphere. The Crown Prince, uninterested in listening, turned his head and saw Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan holding hands under the table. Seizing the opportunity when the others were not paying attention, he quietly approached them with an incredulous tone, “What are you two doing?”
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind, startling them.
Both Chu Xinian and Xie Jingyuan were startled and jerked their hands away as if they were frightened. They felt a little uneasy for some reason. Seeing that it was the Crown Prince, Chu Xinian casually changed the subject, “Your Highness, why have you come?”
“Eh…”
Before the Crown Prince could think of a reply, Xie Jingyuan had already grabbed a nut from the tray and hurriedly tossed it to his forehead, smiling coldly at Chu Xinian, “What can he do? Naturally, he is here to admire beautiful people just like you.”
The Crown Prince covered his head and sat back down.
Chu Xinian did not know how to explain that he was not interested in women. Casually glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Prince Guangping was already arranging to share his precious painting with everyone. With a slight wave of his folding fan, he pointed directly at the box containing the painting and smiled, “General, I’ve come to admire the painting.”
Prince Guangping had casually acquired a long-lost masterpiece from the previous dynasty, Meng Xiting’s ‘Banquet of King Chen’, his last work. He treasured it as his life, and others had no opportunity to contemplate it. Today he dared to bring it out for the whole world to appreciate, which was rare indeed.
“Last year, I traveled to Jiangzhou and spent a fortune to acquire this painting of an old Taoist. Today, I bring it here so that everyone can appreciate it and witness Meng Xiting’s true masterpiece. Please…”
When Prince Guangping finished speaking, he took out a scroll from the delicate box held by a servant girl and slowly unfolded the approximately two-meter-long painting in front of everyone. The meticulous brushwork of the painting depicted ‘The Banquet of King Chen’, with the officials raising their cups. The scene was exquisitely portrayed, realistic, and full of life, making it a rare masterpiece.
“Exquisite! Exquisite!”
“Wonderful, wonderful indeed!”
The crowd marveled and came over to watch. Chu Xinian, of course, could not squeeze in with them to marvel together. He poured himself a glass of wine and leaned back in his chair, lost in his thoughts.
Xie Jingyuan gave him a puzzled look and asked, “Didn’t you come to see the painting? Why don’t you look at it now that it’s been taken out?”
“General, you don’t know.” Chu Xinian took a sip of wine, smiling cryptically, “That painting is fake.”
Xie Jingyuan paused upon hearing this, finding it hard to believe. How could Prince Guangping bring out a fake painting for everyone to admire? He narrowed his eyes and asked, “Have you seen the real work? How do you know this painting is a fake?”
Chu Xinian shook his head, “I have not seen the authentic work, but ‘The Banquet of King Chen’ belongs to the previous dynasty, at least 150 years old. At that time, renowned artists often used blue silk, which gave a bluish tint to the paper. However, the painting in Prince Guangping’s hands is on red silk with a slightly pinkish hue, the craftsmanship of Shaojiang Prefecture from eighty years ago.”
Being in a closer position, they could see more clearly.
Chu Xinian watched carefully for a while and discovered more flaws. He smiled softly and used his fan to point from a distance to Xie Jingyuan, lowering his voice, “This painting is mounted on an ancient ivory scroll, but the pattern engraved on it is the popular phoenix and magpie motif of our dynasty. How could the imperial paintings of the previous dynasty bear this motif?”
After coming to this conclusion, he said, “It is full of loopholes.”
It was enough to deceive those who had never seen the authentic work.
Xie Jingyuan was confused, “Why would he do such a thing?”
Chu Xinian shook his head, unable to understand, “Let’s enjoy the show.”
Little did they know that the Crown Prince was eavesdropping nearby and overheard their conversation.
Prince Guangping stepped aside and saw that everyone had admired the painting enough, so he ordered someone to slowly roll it up again. However, he did not seem happy to possess this famous painting. On the contrary, he showed a worried expression, as if he had encountered some difficulties.
Someone asked, “Why is the Prince worried? Nowadays, witnessing this famous painting is a great fortune in one’s life.”
Prince Guangping shook his head with a sigh, “Extraordinary treasures bring great trouble. Although I have a meager reputation, I cannot bear the weight of this painting.”
Everyone rushed to ask the reason.
Prince Guangping said, “I don’t know if you are all aware, but in recent days there have been rampant thieves in the Capital. There is a notorious thief called the Ghost of a Thousand Faces who excels in the art of disguise and possesses extraordinary skills of lightness. He sneaks into houses at night and steals numerous treasures, but remains on the loose.”
At the mention of this, everyone felt pity. No wonder, for this thief had robbed many influential families. Among those present, eight out of ten had had their homes robbed.
There was the Shen Family’s White Jade Pendant, the Jin Family’s Nine-faced Buddha, the Changwang Mansion’s Millennium Ink, the Pingwang Mansion’s Shining Cup, and countless other items.
“What does this have to do with the Prince?” Asked someone.
Prince Guangping pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve, showing it to everyone: “Don’t you know that before every robbery, this thief always leaves a message for the victim, indicating what he is going to steal? Three days ago, I received a message from this thief next to my pillow, indicating that today he would take the painting.”
At these words, the crowd erupted in commotion. Prince Guangping’s complexion turned pale, “This thief is truly cunning. I have no way of dealing with him and have spent sleepless nights worrying. Today, I have taken out this painting, hoping to share it with other enthusiasts and appreciate Meng Xiting’s final work. Even if it is stolen… I wouldn’t regret it too much.”
Chu Xinian seemed to know what he was going to do. Amidst everyone’s confusion, he slowly waved his fan and said to Xie Jingyuan, “This painting is about to be destroyed.”
The Crown Prince looked at him skeptically, “Are you sure?”
Before anyone could react, a sudden sound of paper tearing echoed in the hall. Everyone turned their heads to see Prince Guangping holding a dagger out of nowhere, and in one frantic motion, he tore and slashed the painting into pieces, scattering them all over the floor.
“Prince, you can’t!”
“Prince! This is Meng Xiting’s ultimate masterpiece! Stop, stop!”
Prince Guangping showed no remorse. Those who recognized the value of the painting shed tears of grief, rushing to stop him, but it was too late.
Before everyone’s gaze, Prince Guangping forcefully threw the dagger to the ground and proclaimed, “Even if I destroy this painting today, I cannot allow a precious jewel to fall into the hands of thieves!”
The Crown Prince found this quite interesting and turned to Chu Xinian, amused, “You got it right.”
Chu Xinian smiled but remained silent.
Xie Jingyuan leaned back lazily in his chair, thinking that this year’s Banquet of Talents was much more interesting than the previous ones. Today’s performance was quite lively.
While others mourned the destruction of the famous painting, only the three of them sat in a corner, smiling with glee. An old scholar with piercing eyes came trembling up to them and, pointing angrily at them, said, “Today a renowned painting has been destroyed and we can no longer contemplate the beauty of Meng Xiting’s meticulous brushwork. We are all deeply saddened. Why do you three find it amusing?”
The old scholar was somewhat annoyed.
They could cry if they wanted to. Why worry about whether the others were laughing or not? As soon as his voice sounded, everyone’s gazes turned to them, looking at them one after another.
The Crown Prince, who had never been scolded by anyone before, laughed scornfully and said, “It’s only a fake painting. It doesn’t matter to smash it up. Why cry over it?”
Prince Guangping had a slight change in his expression on hearing this, his demeanor became tense, as did the others.
The old scholar was filled with doubt and uncertainty as he said, “Crown Prince, why do you say such a thing? This painting is an authentic work of Master Meng. Would Prince Guangping deceive us? If you don’t explain, I swear I will not give up!”
These esteemed elders were of high moral standing, and the princely status did not influence them. A conflict would be unfavorable.
While Chu Xianian was thinking about how to defuse the situation, he suddenly saw the Crown Prince nonchalantly pointing at him and saying, “Chu Xianian, you have a sharp eye. You were the first to recognize that this painting is a fake. Explain it to him.”
As soon as he uttered these words, the Golden Scale Pavilion fell silent. They all looked at each other in disbelief. Had they heard it right? Was Chu Xinian, that fool, claiming that the painting was a fake?!
If Chu Jiaoping had said so, there would be some credibility, but coming from Chu Xinian, they simply could not believe it. Chu Xinian had a reputation as a troublemaker in the Capital, a frequenter of brothels and gambling halls. He did not know poetry or classical art and could not identify ancient paintings.
The old scholar became furious and waved his sleeves, pointing at Chu Xinian, “You insolent brat! Don’t you know where you are? How dare you spout such nonsense?”
Xie Jingyuan narrowed his eyes at this, his gaze dangerous. If it weren’t for the other party being an elder, he would have knocked his teeth out. His tone was ominous, “Elder, repeat that and see what happens.”
Chu Jiaoping quickly stepped forward to mediate, “Senior, please calm down. My younger brother did not mean to offend you. It was an unintentional remark.”
Chu Xinian looked meaningfully at Prince Guangping but remained silent. After all, he broke the fake painting. If the real painting was lost later, he would have nowhere to look for justice or relief. He could only swallow his complaints.
Today’s performance was obvious: Prince Guangping created a fake painting to protect Meng Xiting’s real work. He deliberately tore it up in front of everyone to dispel any idea that the Thief of a Thousand Faces might steal it.
It was a smart move, but unfortunately, the forgery was poorly done.
Although Chu Xinian thought this method might be unreliable, he would not expose it. He took the opportunity to stand up, smiled apologetically to everyone, and said politely, “I spoke without thinking and made you all laugh. Please don’t take it to heart and go on with the banquet.”
The old scholar did not pursue the matter, but scolded in a stern tone, “Young people should be more mature. Many talents from the Capital have gathered here today. Don’t make a fool of yourself.”
Laughter filled the surroundings, and Chu Xinian joined in, unaffected, and went back to sitting quietly. The Crown Prince rolled up his sleeves, unwilling to accept it, and whispered, “Chu Xinian, why are you afraid of them!”
Chu Xinian motioned for him to calm down, implying something with his words, “Your Highness, don’t get involved in unnecessary trouble.”
Xie Jingyuan raised his eyelids and spoke in a cold tone, “I’ve said it before, these pretentious scholars are all annoying.”
Prince Ping sat opposite, discreetly looking at Chu Xinian. Unable to gauge his depth, he seemed even more inscrutable than Chu Jiaoping.
As soon as the commotion had died down, Prince Guangping ordered the area to be cleared and everyone to return to their seats to continue the banquet. However, just when they had calmed down, a sudden shout rang out. A noblewoman from a prestigious family pointed in fright at the back row and exclaimed, “Something’s wrong! A dead person! A dead person!”
“Ahhh!”
The whole room was startled.
Everyone followed her gaze and saw the young master of Jin Manor leaning his head on the table, apparently asleep. There was a red hole in his temple, and dark red blood dripped onto the table, forming a small puddle on the floor.
“Ugh…”
The people around him instinctively recoiled, creating a void around him. Some, too frightened, covered their mouths and vomited. They wanted to run away, but the servants at the door prevented them.
“Don’t panic, don’t leave your seats!”
Prince Guangping rushed forward to appease everyone. However, before he could speak, a servant suddenly entered the room and whispered something in his ear.
Whatever he said, Prince Guangping turned pale at the sound. He staggered backward and grabbed the servant’s collar in shock, “What did you say, they stole my painting!”
As another wave of chaos rose, Prince Ping involuntarily asked, “Painting? What painting?”
The servant trembled and replied in grief, “It is the ‘The Banquet of King Chen’. When I opened the box, it was empty. It has disappeared without a trace.”
Now, everyone was even more confused, “Didn’t it tear?”
Prince Guangping trembled with rage. In desperation, he blurted out the truth, “The one I tore was fake! It was fake! Hurry, bring me the real one!”
The servant quickly obeyed the order and ran out in panic. The remaining people in the room were dumbfounded – the painting was a fake?! How was that possible?
Many looked unconsciously towards Chu Xinian, only to see him sitting calmly in his seat, pouring himself a drink, seemingly unfazed by the whole situation. Not even the death of a person could disturb him in the slightest.
Dang, it’s one mystery after the other! But didn’t that prince ping was being goody goody with that young master jin? I’d say the prime suspect is him! and that thief is definitely amongst the guests of the banquet 🤔
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Thanks for the chapters!!
Also, Xie Jingyuan saying he could give Chu Xinian the crown prince’s position if he wants 🤭
I’m loving this book! Thanks for the translations ❤️