Chapter 124: The Erotic Illustrations in Wang Wei

At that moment, the most renowned Flower Courtesan in Chang'an felt utterly crushed....

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!"

Chen Yan raised his hand, wiggled his finger, and said seriously, "This is not a simple erotic picture, but what is called the Guang-style Thirty‑Six Forms!"

"Any single page of it is worth ten thousand gold, not for exchange!"

Every page of this illustrated book is pure essence.

It is based on Chen Yan's recollections, narrated for the artist to record countless pioneering practitioners' continuously refined top‑tier projects.

Calling it the spring palace picture in Wang Wei's poems would not be an exaggeration!

"Ten thousand gold, not for exchange?"

Jiang Li froze, murmuring the question, "Cao Lang, aren't you trying to fool me?"

Even though the lover swore solemnly, she still expressed deep doubt....

How can this thing be worth ten thousand gold?

Isn't that overly exaggerated?

"If Miss Jiang Li doesn't believe..."

Chen Yan curled a mischievous smile and said playfully, "Then let's try it and see whether it's truly worth it?"

Saying that, he hoisted Jiang Li in a sideways embrace.

As the saying goes, come from practice, return to practice, and test truth through practice.

One must subdue others with a single stroke.

"Ah!"

Jiang Li startled, hooked her left hand around Chen Yan's neck, tapped his chest lightly with her right, and whispered, "First, a bath....."

One hour later.

"Huh~"

"A feeling long missed!"

"Dreaming of heaven and earth!"

Chen Yan let out a long sigh, his whole body relaxing as he lay on the bed, and he exclaimed.

The service industry of this era is terribly poor.....

Now that's the real enjoyment!

Although Jiang Li was a bit inexperienced and still had much room for improvement, Chen was already quite satisfied.

"You are truly wicked!"

"Where did you come up with these pieces!"

Jiang Li, clad in battle armor, even had reddened ears, clenched a pink fist, and pounded at the contented man.

Shame, it's far too shameful!

Even she, the battle‑scarred Flower Courtesan, felt especially ashamed.....

Chen Yan, with his Sigma male aura, returned to the pre‑battle question, "Now you believe any page is worth a thousand gold, not for exchange, right?"

"That's a money‑shaking tree!"

Back when Guangdong was still called Guangdong, this was an industry worth trillions at a whim!

One must trust the choices of the masses.....

"Believe it, believe it...."

"Stinky man!"

Jiang Li pursed her lips and said softly.

"Oh?"

"Woman, you still seem a bit unconvinced, don't you?"

Seeing this, Chen Yan did not hesitate and lunged straight at her.

Another hour later.

Fully convinced, Jiang Li nestled in Chen Yan's arms, tracing circles on his chest with her fingertips, and softly said, "I heard that Grand Administrator Da Zhong granted the authority over Chang'an's Qinglou to that Poet Immortal....."

"I wonder if there will be a chance to meet Lord Chen Yan in person?"

Her words were full of yearning.

That lord has never shown himself, and Jiang Li truly wishes to see his true face.

"Why do you want to see Chen Yan?" Chen Yan, upon hearing this, raised an eyebrow, suppressed a smirk, and asked playfully.

He inexplicably understood a bit, realizing where the thrill of those later‑era female‑oriented pseudonym stories lay....

"Because he is the Great Zhou Poet Immortal!" Jiang Li blurted out without hesitation.

She paused briefly, then continued, "Drunken Duke Xie penned 'Shuying slanting across clear shallow water, faint fragrance drifting under the moonlit dusk'....."

"He also wrote the Poet Immortal who asked, 'Why shouldn't a man wield the Wu hook to seize fifty prefectures of the Pass Mountains?'"

"What an astonishing poetic talent!"

When recalling the verses and praise, the poetry‑loving Flower Courtesan's expression was one of indescribable reverence.

Even in those few dozen characters, she could feel the man's brilliance.

Chen Yan felt a secret thrill, but feigned displeasure and said softly, "Praising another man like that in bed seems inappropriate, doesn't it?"

"Are you jealous?"

Jiang Li heard this, propped herself up, cupped Chen Yan's face with both hands, exhaled warm breath from her delicate mouth, her peach‑blossom eyes hazy, and said softly, "My heart and eyes are filled with you, Cao Lang..."

"Is that so?"

"I don't know how much of this is true and how much is false....."

Chen Yan blinked and said teasingly.

"Everything is true!"

Jiang Li's red lips brushed Chen Yan's forehead, and she said with confidence.

She paused, then continued, "I, the Flower Courtesan, am only curious about Lord Chen Yan...."

"Cao Lang, between the Great Zhou Poet Immortal and you, whose poetry is superior?"

Jiang Li truly wants to see the wishful gentleman duel verses with the Great Zhou Poet Immortal....

What a spectacular scene that would be!

"Actually, you've already met Chen Yan....."

Chen Yan gave a half‑smile, said meaningfully.

"How could that be?" Jiang Li snorted lightly, "That Duke is so busy with official duties, yet has never come to Chunman Lou!"

Having seen the Great Zhou Poet Immortal, could Jiang Li possibly have no impression?

As she knows, that Lord has been extremely busy: just returned from a great victory quelling rebellion in Qinzhou, then organized the Meng Clan treason case, and even sealed the Wangchuan Dufang....

Chen Yan leaned close to Jiang Li's ear, gently blew warm breath, and grinned mischously, "The Great Zhou Poet Immortal has shared his teachings with you countless times; how could you still not have met him?"

"You're still wearing the robe he gave you?"

She said, her fingertips brushed across the spring light.

"That's impossible!"

As soon as Jiang Li finished speaking, she sensed something off, "Hm?!"

"You... he... Cao Lang, don't tell the Flower Courtesan that you are the same person?!"

At that moment, the Flower Courtesan's complexion changed dramatically....

She was utterly stunned.

"Doesn't it look the same?" Chen Yan's mouth twitched upward as he retorted.

Jiang Li wrapped her arms around the man's neck, a little dazed, sitting blankly on the bed, murmuring, "Alright, alright, how could two sensational poets appear in Chang'an within such a short span?"

"Your departure from and return to the Capital, and his, are almost identical....."

Having two unprecedented poetic prodigies emerge at once is itself a bizarre occurrence....

Their timelines could even align further when considering Cao Kun's connection with the Grand Marshal.....

Previously, Jiang Li had never considered this angle.

Cao Kun is Chen Yan, and Chen Yan is Cao Kun!

"How about it?"

"You slept with... the Great Zhou Poet Immortal, surprising, right?"

Chen Yan raised his hand, pinched the bewildered woman, his mouth curling slightly as he teased.

"You... deceived me so painfully... ah!"

"Terribly bad!"

Jiang Li bit her red lips, looking like a shattered little dog, and said softly.

Both sad and delighted.....

"If I'm not bad... how could..."

Chen Yan embraced the woman, laughing.

He paused, then continued, "But there is one thing I really must give..."

Chen Yan, of course, is not a sentimental person.

The reason he concealed his identity was to let Jiang Li train the girls of Chunman Lou....

Using Chunman Lou as a pilot for advancing the Guang-style.

He also instructed that a ten‑day evaluation be conducted.

Two days later.

Mingjing Office.

Zhuque Tang.

While Chen Yan was preparing to visit Pei Fu, wondering which gifts to bring, someone silent beside him stared at him until his scalp tingled, and couldn't help but speak, "Li Tan, what are you up to, kid?"

"Why are you looking at me with that kind of stare?"

"You damn well must be into both men and women, right?"

At that moment, Chen Yan began to doubt Li Tan's sexual orientation again....

That guy entered without saying a word, just stared, for more than half a minute.

"Brother, be honest: were you the one behind the Wen Family affair?" After a long silence, Li Tan finally asked meaningfully.

"Wen Family?"

"What happened?"

Chen Yan heard that, frowned, and asked in confusion.

"You don't know?"

"You really don't know?"

Li Tan, half‑believing, half‑doubting, clasped his hands to his chest and counter‑questioned repeatedly.

"What am I supposed to know?" Chen Yan said without looking up.

Li Tan paused word by word, "An anonymous tip‑off letter of unknown origin!"