Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 75

I paused, unsure whether to feel sorrow or joy, and continued, "Why does the princess still look so sad?"

Jia Ning gazed at the rippling river in the distance, tears slowly welling in her eyes, yet she remained silent. I didn't press her, so I patiently sat there. Just when I almost thought she would never speak and was about to take my leave, she suddenly said, "I don't know why I'm sad. Is it because my brother forced me to become a spy for Jin Yao? Is it because when he looks at me, it's as if he's looking through me at someone else? Or is it because he holds me and murmurs 'Yao'er'..."

I stared wide-eyed in surprise, and it took me a long time to realize what Jia Ning meant. Jun Wuhen liked her only because he saw her as a substitute for someone else, and Yang Yi wanted her to marry someone else only because he valued the benefits she could bring him? The imperial family is indeed the most ruthless.

I sighed and said slowly, "Princess, would you be willing to listen to my words?"

Jia Ning finally turned to look at me, nodded gently, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Princess, you can try to love Jun Wuhen well, but never forget to love yourself first. If his heart is always filled with someone else, then you might as well give up this love. Without love, there is no jealousy; without jealousy, there is no hatred. That way, you can live more easily in the cold harem. As for the Emperor's demands, you should obey them, but you cannot obey them.”

Seeing her looking at me with a puzzled expression, I explained, "I am well aware of the princess's sincere devotion to Jun Wuhen, and I also understand her genuine desire to prevent the emperor from planting spies among his dowry. However, the princess also understands that no matter how much she insists, and no matter how much the emperor truly loves her, this is a political marriage between two countries, and the emperor's decree cannot and will not be changed. In that case, why should the princess break ties with the emperor for no reason?"

"My reason for saying we cannot comply is that since the princess has married into Huoling, she will have no relatives or friends left. If the princess continues to carry the burden of Jinyao Kingdom on her shoulders, one day even Jun Wuhen will begin to doubt her, and then the princess's life will become extremely difficult. Rather than being caught in the middle, the princess should try to please neither side. Whatever the emperor and Jun Wuhen want to do or what their motives are, the princess can pretend not to know. Isn't it better to be blissful to play dumb?" I stood up, bowed respectfully, and said, "Princess, that's all I can say. I only wish the princess a smooth and happy life. I take my leave."

When I had walked about ten steps away, my superhuman hearing allowed me to hear Jia Ning's voice, so soft it was almost inaudible: "Thank you, Lin Yu."

On the 18th day of the third month of the 766th year of the Wanli reign, the envoy from the Fire Feather Kingdom officially arrived at the Jin Yao Kingdom's palace. Emperor Yang Yi of Jin Yao sent Prime Minister Qin Luo to receive them, with Han Ning (courtesy name Xiuru) assisting. A grand banquet was held, filled with singing and dancing, and everyone wore smiles, yet their eyes held a variety of emotions. After all, days like this, where important officials from the Jin Yao, Fire Feather, Wind Chant, and Water Mist kingdoms gathered, were rare.

I sat in the main seat and quietly yawned, having absolutely no interest in the sight of these beautiful women, their clothes half-revealed, their waists swaying as they danced. I was genuinely startled when I first saw Qin Gui; I hadn't expected him to be such a young boy, looking two years younger than Qin Wu and the others. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me, a cute dimple appearing on his cheeks as he smiled. I twitched my lips and gave him a polite smile before quickly averting my gaze to avoid arousing suspicion.

To my surprise, that kid took advantage of my kindness and brought me a full glass of wine, a smile of reverence on his face. Unfortunately, the cunning in his eyes betrayed him. "Won't I die if I drink that big glass?" I wondered. Just as I was agonizing over this, I suddenly saw Qin Gui's smile freeze, replaced by a frightened yet pitiful expression as he downed his drink in one gulp and slunk back to his seat. I turned to look at Yi Han, who had somehow appeared behind me, and gave him a slight, charming smile.

Another song and dance performance came to an end, and the master of ceremonies announced from outside: "Grand Tutor Liu of the Fire Feather Kingdom has arrived—"

I slammed down my wine glass and clutched my chest, which was throbbing and aching involuntarily: I was finally going to see him, finally going to see the Grand Tutor of the Fire Feather Kingdom who had made me feel like I was dying, someone who was both familiar and strange to me.

The hall suddenly fell eerily silent, a silence so profound you could hear a pin drop. Even the dancers who were about to leave were stunned, staring blankly at the entrance. All eyes were focused on one point: a man in a simple, moon-white robe who slowly walked in.

I stared at him, and only I was able to clearly observe him and scrutinize his every expression, because the tingling pain in my chest reminded me of the terrible poison hidden beneath this man's beautiful exterior.

He had the same light blue, watery eyes as me, his eyebrows like distant, serene mountains, and a slight, captivating smile that seemed to hang perpetually at the corners of his lips. A dark red earring adorned his left ear. His cascading black hair covered the earring, but couldn't conceal the unrestrained flow of dark red. In terms of appearance, Liu Cenfeng wasn't more outstanding than Han Jue, but he possessed a strange, alluring quality that made people unconsciously want to be captivated, to get closer, even if it was nothing more than a moth drawn to a flame.

I looked at him, and he looked at me, his gaze tinged with a hint of inquiry. The moment he sat down on my right, his slightly narrowed eyes opened, and a radiant, icy blue light appeared. He leaned back lazily in his chair, legs crossed, his long hand propping up his head as he looked at me: "Lin Yu, we meet again."

I frowned as I looked at him, my heart pounding so hard that the veins in my fingertips throbbed. In my mind, I asked, 'Zimo, what should I do? He really seems to know Lin Yu.'

There was no sound. I was startled and about to look up when I found Zimo standing right beside me. His brown eyes were coldly fixed on Liu Cenfeng, his pupils deep and turbulent, completely unfathomable. A chill ran through me, and I called out in my heart again, 'Zimo.'

He turned to look at me and said, in a tone more serious than ever before, "Don't go near him!"

A warmth warmed my heart, and I nodded hastily, thinking to myself: Even if you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have been foolish enough to approach such a dangerous person.

Zi Mo shook his head and sighed softly: "Galan, you'd better remember what I said: no matter who he is, don't get close to him."

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The singing and dancing resumed, and everyone finally came to their senses. However, everyone's eyes couldn't help but glance towards Liu Cenfeng and me. Well, that's understandable. After all, on the surface, we have two incredibly handsome men here, which is quite a sight to behold.

I summoned someone to serve tea to Liu Cenfeng, while also asking him some formulaic questions about the wedding. He remained as languid as ever, smiling at me. He answered each question I asked, and silently drank his tea when I didn't. How to describe that smile? Elegant and profound, enigmatic and unpredictable, like a bottomless black hole sprinkled with gold coins and flowers. You know that entering means eternal damnation, yet you can't help but be drawn in.

"Lin Yu..." His voice was deep and resonant, magnetic, like the bass notes of a piano, gently caressing my heart like a feather. But before he could finish speaking, a clear, resonant voice rang out from the other side: "Grand Tutor Liu, I have long heard of your mastery of music, your graceful movements, your sword dance—even Your Majesty is amazed. I wonder if any of us here today will have the honor of witnessing Grand Tutor Liu's extraordinary talent?"

The speaker was Qin Gui. I looked up and saw him smiling gently, with an adorable look of curiosity and admiration, like a delicate doll. Everyone had initially thought the speaker was trying to humiliate Liu Cenfeng, but upon seeing who it was, they abandoned that thought. They all forgot that Qin Gui was not just a handsome young boy, but also a powerful and favored minister of the Emperor of Fengyin Kingdom.

Everyone in the hall focused their attention on Liu Cenfeng, but he seemed oblivious, still turning his head slightly and smiling at me: "Does Lin Yu also want to hear?" That smile looked like blatant seduction.

My lips twitched, and I could only manage to utter four words: "It is an honor."

The smile on his lips deepened slowly. He flicked his sleeves and stood up. His deep, blue eyes, as dark as the sea, were clearly looking at me, yet there wasn't a trace of me in them. The smile on his lips was so deep and eerie that I couldn't help but shiver.

Someone had already gone down to fetch a seven-stringed zither, which Liu Cenfeng took and gently plucked before casually placing it on the table between our seats. I looked at him with some surprise, wondering how he could play the zither and practice swordsmanship at the same time. Suddenly, a large, handsome face loomed close to mine, and I instinctively leaned back, staring at him with astonishment and uncertainty.

Liu Cenfeng smiled slightly, his expression both alluring and provocative, his hot breath falling on my face: "Let me see who you really are."

My eyes widened suddenly, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of my chest. He tossed his head and walked toward the center of the hall, the ends of his black hair brushing against my cheek, tickling me and sending a shiver down my spine.

A pair of hands gently supported my trembling body, and a cool, indifferent aura immediately enveloped me, slowly dispelling my panic. I turned back and smiled at Yihan: "Don't worry, I'm fine!" It was just a subconscious fear. It must be.

Liu Cenfeng's gaze, a half-smile playing on his lips, shifted from me to Yi Han. His light blue, almost transparent eyes seemed like a bottomless abyss. The then-curling corner of his mouth was both provocative and knowing. His left hand reached for his waist, instantly drawing a soft sword, its blade gleaming and radiating a faint warmth. His right hand, however, was gently extended before his chest, revealing a fiery red maple leaf in his palm. With the gentle movement of his dark hair, the red maple seemed to come alive, spinning softly in his hand.

Liu Cenfeng gently extended his right hand toward my side, and with a clear clang, I turned around abruptly to see the red maple tree already standing on the strings of the zither, trembling slightly and producing faint notes, as if an invisible thread was pulling it.

The software snapped to attention, and Liu Cenfeng gave me a mysterious smile, his lips moving silently as he uttered, "You'd better see and hear this clearly, Lin Yu."

My gaze shifted from the vibrant red maple leaves on the strings to Liu Cenfeng. I saw his sword tip trace a line from top to bottom left, like the opening of a movie. His right hand lay flat on his right side, the gently spinning red maple leaves reflected in his fair, translucent palm, drawing attention. He moved, the zither played, the song was warm and melodious, but I felt a deafening roar in my head, and my face turned deathly pale.

Where is the end of the world?

One person and one pot of wine

Drifting in the wind and waves

Running through water and fire

The world is vast, I can roam freely.

His white robes fluttered, his black hair danced, and red maple leaves swirled around him. With effortless grace, like an immortal, he wielded his longsword in the murky, worldly atmosphere of the grand hall, the tip of the blade creating flashes of silver light as brilliant as fireworks. A song, carried by the sword, slowly filled every corner of the hall, like a seven-colored feather gently stirring your heart.

With a "bang," the teacup in my hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, splashing tea foam all over me, but I didn't even notice.

"Hey Yufei, why do you keep singing the same song, 'Flicking Sleeves'?"

"Because I sing the best!" A pair of chubby hands held a rolled-up book to their lips as they sang with relish, "Even if right and wrong are ignored, and grudges are disregarded, even heroes will be moved to tears..."

"You're so vain!" I spat at him, then laughed, "But you know, if your voice became more beautiful and you became more handsome, you might actually become a male singer!"

How many sorrows have there been in the world since ancient times?