"That's true, but how can one easily give up on a dream in their heart?" Bo Ren sighed deliberately—he spoke these words with great familiarity. He had already said them several times before, when recruiting Nishihira Kojiro, and when Miyazawa and Takamoto had their genitals crippled by Chen Xiao. Now, saying them was naturally effortless, and even the changes in his expression became more and more smooth and natural.
He looked at Chen Xiao with sincere eyes: "Your Excellency, the martial arts masters I have ever met are naturally the foremost among them. It's just a pity that Master Takeuchi Bunzan has a special status. He can only personally instruct His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness the Crown Prince is my uncle. Naturally, I cannot ask Master Takeuchi Bunzan to personally instruct me... As for the other royal swordsmen, in my opinion, none of them can compare to you!"
Chen Xiao's expression was strange, but he still spoke up.
Seeing that Chen Xiao's expression seemed to have softened somewhat, Bo Ren quickly pressed his advantage. He suddenly sat up straight, placed his hands on his knees, bowed slightly, and said in a firm and deep voice, "Teacher Chen Xiao! Please, considering my sincere desire to learn martial arts, please accept me as your disciple and teach me swordsmanship! I beg you!!"
Well?
Chen Xiao was stunned.
Becoming an apprentice?
A thought struck him, and he immediately realized that he had probably misunderstood before... Hmm. Good, it seems that this Bo Ren is not gay. Chen Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, and his expression immediately became more peaceful.
But... becoming an apprentice?
This Prince Hirohito is probably a bit older than me!
“Your Highness…I am Chinese.” Chen Xiao said, feigning difficulty, implying: How could we possibly pass on the essence of Chinese martial arts to foreigners?
But Bo Ren shook his head, his words earnest: "Teacher Chen Xiao! You have already accepted Qian Yezi as your disciple, so it wouldn't hurt to have one more, would it? Do you think I'm too dull and therefore refuse to teach me? I, Bo Ren, am eager to learn. As long as you accept me as your disciple, I will definitely work hard to cultivate! I will never let you down!"
Chen Xiao sighed. He had never taken Princess Sato as his disciple. It was just that the princess and Tang Xin had conspired together to produce that fake document yesterday. Although he did not openly refute it in person, it had already become a settled case.
Chen Xiao looked somewhat troubled, racking his brains for a solution. He wondered how to refuse... A direct refusal seemed too impolite. The best approach was to stall. Once in Kyoto, he could find Zhang Xiaotao and take her away from Japan. This Hirohito couldn't possibly chase her all the way to China to become his apprentice. Once in China, he wouldn't have to worry about causing trouble by refusing him.
Seeing that Chen Xiao's expression seemed to soften a bit, yet he hesitated again, Bo Ren already had experience in this kind of "recruiting talent." When he saw the other party hesitate, he thought there was a chance. However, this was the most crucial moment. The other party seemed interested but was still hesitant. At this time, you either agree immediately or refuse.
In such situations, it's better not to pressure the other party to make a decision immediately. Instead, it's better to delay and wait until you've done your best to win them over further, making them more likely to agree. Then, when you ask for their help again after some time, you'll have a much better chance of getting their approval.
Seeing that Chen Xiao was about to speak, Bo Ren preemptively put on an understanding expression and sincerely smiled, "I understand. For a master like Teacher Chen Xiao, accepting a disciple is not a decision he can make easily! He must put me through some tests first! I dare not force him, but I will definitely move his heart with my sincerity! Please watch my performance!"
Chen Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. It would be best if you didn't force me to make an immediate statement; then let's just drag it out.
So he smiled, deliberately making an expectant expression, and looked at Prince Boren with a smile.
Bo Ren was overjoyed and said, "Teacher Chen Xiao, I have prepared a gift. Please accept it!"
As he spoke, he took out an antique-looking long box from a drawer under the seat next to him. When he opened it, there was a scroll inside, which looked like it had been carefully mounted.
As it slowly unfolds, it reveals itself to be a Chinese landscape painting!
Chen Xiao had no expertise in calligraphy and painting, but he could still tell that the brushwork in this landscape painting was quite extraordinary, and it exuded a refined air! Beside the landscape, there were also two lines of ancient poetry.
A journey through mountains and rivers, my body travels towards the Yuguan Pass, seeking out the lights of a thousand tents at night.
The wind blows once, the snow falls once more, shattering my homesick dreams; such sounds are not heard in my hometown.
The marks on the scroll clearly indicate that it's an antique!
The item that this Japanese imperial prince could produce was certainly not a fake. Chen Xiao's expression changed upon seeing it.
"This is just a small token of my respect for Professor Chen Xiao, so please don't refuse it!"
Bo Ren gently turned the landscape painting sideways, a hint of pride on his face, and said with a smile, "Teacher, this is an authentic work by Nalan Xingde, a famous poet from your country's Qing Dynasty!"
"Oh?" Although Chen Xiao didn't understand calligraphy and painting, he had heard of Nalan Xingde's name.
"The history of this painting is also quite remarkable. I have a Chinese literature teacher whose father once stayed in Northeast China... Oh, back then, Northeast China was still called Manchukuo. That old gentleman was once sent by our country to serve as a tutor to His Majesty Emperor Puyi of the Qing Dynasty. This painting was a gift from His Majesty Emperor Puyi to that old gentleman. After returning to China, the old gentleman passed the painting on to his son, who is my Chinese literature teacher, and later the teacher gave it to me."
With that, Bo Ren sighed: "I am well aware of this. People in your country have a lot of prejudice against us Japanese. The war in the past brought great disaster to your country. But I personally admire Chinese culture very much. I only hope that you will not refuse my request because I am Japanese."
Whether what he said was true or false, the fact that a Japanese prince could say such things made Chen Xiao feel much more at ease with his words.
But should I take this painting or not?
Chen Xiao thought for a moment, "Why not take what's offered to us?"
These are originally Chinese antiques that ended up abroad. I took this opportunity to bring them back to China. Even if I don't want them anymore, I can donate them to a museum.
He immediately and without hesitation put it away.
Bo Ren was overjoyed to see Chen Xiao accept the gift, thinking he had succeeded in his plan. He became even more affectionate with Chen Xiao along the way, talking to her a lot more.
Prince Hirohito was indeed well-educated in the imperial family, possessing a wide range of knowledge, including astronomy, geography, classical Chinese literature, poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, and chess. He was also quite eloquent. As they traveled together, Chen Xiao gradually came to think more highly of him. It seemed that this young prince of the Japanese imperial family was not a spoiled brat.
The car quickly reached the vicinity of Kyoto. Kyoto, as the ancient capital of Japan, has always been the location of the Imperial Palace. However, Chen Xiao and his group did not enter the Kyoto Imperial Palace, but instead drove around Kyoto from a distance.
Knowing that Chen Xiao was going to see Princess Chiyoko, Bo Ren told Chen Xiao that Princess Chiyoko should be in her "Akiyoshi Palace" right now.
The car wound its way west past Kyoto, arriving at a place of breathtaking natural beauty. It must be said that the Japanese are far more committed to environmental protection than those in China, and Japan's forest coverage far exceeds that of China. While this displeased Chen Xiao, he couldn't help but admire the effort the Japanese have put into environmental protection.
The area surrounding this ancient capital is exceptionally elegant.
Prince Chiyoko's residence, "Akiyoshi Palace," is located next to a hill. Japan, an island nation, is mostly mountainous with few plains, and mountains of all sizes are scattered throughout the country.
From afar, the gate of Akiyoshi Palace appears elegant and serene, flanked by verdant bamboo groves. The central gate is remarkably tranquil, even more understated than that of Sennyu Palace.
When Chen Xiao and his entourage arrived outside Qiuji Palace, Prince Hirohito, a legitimate member of the royal family, was present. He casually announced their arrival and then led Chen Xiao inside.
Although called a "palace," Akikichi Palace was actually much smaller than Chen Xiao had imagined; it was more like a large mansion. The main buildings had two floors, both in the style of traditional Japanese houses, with an outer rockery and pond, and an inner garden. The two courtyards were quiet and elegant, and although not large, they were quite remarkable.
Prince Sato's residence was not swarmed with servants. As they entered, Hirohito and Chen Xiao hurried along, even skipping the messenger's return. Inside, only a few young and beautiful female servants passed by, and upon seeing Hirohito from afar, they quickly stepped aside and bowed in greeting.
"It seems my sister isn't in the palace. Hmm. At this time, she's probably taken some people for a walk in the back mountains. She's always had this habit. Let's just go inside and sit down to wait for her. There's a fine spring in the back mountains of Akikichi Palace. Tea brewed with this spring water is the best. We'll have to invite Teacher Chen Xiao to taste it later."
Because of Chen Xiao's changed attitude, Bo Ren was in a great mood and openly walked alongside Chen Xiao. His attendants followed only two or three steps behind, cautiously keeping up, but in their hearts they sighed. This prince really went to great lengths to win people over... He was even so polite to a Chinese person.