Chapter 43: Taking a Loss? That Kid Chen Yan—He

The next day.

Morning.

Tian Guan Fu.

"Big brother!"

Yuwen Heng strode in with a disregard for kin, needing no clerk's report, and pushed the door straight into the main hall.

"You don't go to the office to handle official business, yet you come to my Tian Guan Fu—what for?"

Yuwen Hu buried his head in the documents, flipping through the papers delivered today without raising his eyes, and asked casually.

"Isn't there something…"

Yuwen Heng walked to the table and stopped, twirling the Jade Ruyi Ornament on it, and asked eagerly, "Do you know who I met last night at Chunman Lou?"

"Who?"

Yuwen Hu, lacking enthusiasm, replied absentmindedly, set down the reviewed document, and without pause picked up a new one.

"A Ze, and A Tang's child…"

Yuwen Heng didn't beat around the bush, saying directly, "They and Zhao Wuji, whom you transferred back from Yuanzhou, had a little dispute!"

Then Yuwen Heng recounted in detail everything he had witnessed last night.

It also included Chen Yan's poem interception and his beating of Zhao Lingyi.

"Hmm."

Yuwen Hu showed no emotional change, responding blandly with a single "Hmm."

His hand kept moving, using the Red Ink Brush to annotate the document.

Yuwen Heng was taken aback, looking at the indifferent Yuwen Hu with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Big brother, what's that reaction?"

"Are you not at all surprised?"

Yuwen Heng was completely thrown off by his brother's reaction.

In fact, as the most favored nephew's second uncle, Yuwen Heng wasn't there to tattle; on the contrary, he came to protect the two.

After all, such matters can't be hidden; learning it from him is better than from other channels.

With him muddying the waters a bit, at least he can persuade a little and keep the situation under control.

But at this moment it exceeded Yuwen Heng's expectations.

Given his brother's temper, hearing they went to the Qinglou should have made him angry, even raging, yet up to now there's not a spark of fury…

How strange!

"If they went, let them go."

Yuwen Hu lifted his tea bowl, took a sip, and said lightly, "As long as those two children aren't shortchanged…"

In fact, Yuwen Hu had known this long ago.

Because before leaving, Chen Yan had already exchanged Qi with him.

He also approved sending A Ze out to see the world.

As a man, one should experience and try everything…

"Suffering a loss?"

Yuwen Heng smiled, rubbing the Jade Ruyi in his hand, teasing, "That kid Chen Yan, is he the type who can take a loss?"

"He beat Zhao Wuji's son and extorted ten thousand taels of silver as a loss fee…"

"A bunch of stuff I don't understand…"

"He left Zhao Wuji without a hint of temper!"

"Hahaha!"

Having said that, Yuwen Heng laughed uproariously.

His words were full of admiration for Chen Yan.

That kid's way of acting matched Yuwen Heng's temperament perfectly.

He doesn't take any loss, doesn't accept any insult, and even salts the wound.

"When the children grow up, let them handle it…"

Yuwen Hu set down his tea bowl, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, and said, "With A Yan leading him, I can be much more at ease!"

If Yuwen Ze were taught by a literary Confucian, Yuwen Hu would still worry his son would become a stubborn, pedantic, mediocre weakling.

But placed beside Chen Yan, there's no fear of going crooked; what he gets is that rogue aura, which will later let him assume his own role.

Otherwise, a weak, mediocre heir would be devoured by the wolves and tigers of the power vortex…

"Chen Yan is quite interesting!"

Yuwen Heng wholeheartedly agreed, smiling, "When you have time, let a few of my kids get to know him more…"

Yuwen Heng was also greatly inspired.

His own few sons, though of average talent, even if they never become geniuses, can learn a few of Chen Yan's skills and won't be easy to bully later.

Yuwen Hu seemed to recall something, tapped his finger, and laughed, "By the way, let Zhao Wuji stay put and have A Yan handle it himself…"

"That kid has plenty of tricks!"

"We don't need to intervene…"

Whether Yuwen Hu or Yuwen Heng, moving against Zhao Wuji is just a phrase, yet it holds no meaning.

It would be better to leave it there, letting Chen Yan take Yuwen Ze as a training package, which also counts as experience…

"Understood."

Yuwen Heng nodded, a knowing smile, "Then I'll head back to the Summer Office first…"

Since his own brother not only didn't get angry but welcomed it, he saw no need to stay longer.

"Wait!"

Yuwen Hu called out to Yuwen Heng, pulled out an official document concerning military affairs, and said in a deep voice, "Since you're already here, the two of us might as well discuss the reorganization of the imperial troops…."

Pei Fu.

Back Garden.

In Great Zhou, besides the Eight Pillar States, aristocratic families also wielded decisive influence.

Especially the Six Surnames of Guanzhong—Wei, Pei, Liu, Xue, Yang, and Du—serve as representatives.

And the surname Pei here refers to the He Dong Pei Clan.

"Miss, Miss Du has arrived!"

Pei Suiwan stood in the pavilion, admiring the spring scenery blooming throughout her manor, when a maid came to report.

That Miss Du was Pei Suiwan's close confidante, the legitimate daughter of the Jing Zhao Du Clan, Du Shuying.

"Oh?"

Pei Suiwan heard the words and turned her head to look.

"Suiwan!"

Du Shuying lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried toward her friend, a retinue of close maids trailing behind, lest their mistress should fall.

"Run more slowly; why such haste?"

Pei Suiwan gently waved the Jade Fan, a smile at the corner of her mouth, and said softly, "No one behind you is chasing you…"

Saying that, she took light, lotus-like steps forward to meet her.

"I've just acquired a new poem and came especially to share it with you!" Du Shuying seized Pei Suiwan's hand and said impatiently.

"Oh?"

Pei Suiwan heard this, lightly pressed her red lips together, and said meaningfully, "It can't be the verse 'Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty; spring breeze brushes the railing, dew blossoms richly,' can it?"

"Eh?"

"How do you know?"

Du Shuying, whose line had been stolen, was startled and asked in confusion.

She paused, then excitedly said, "It's exactly that poem; it's truly wonderful…"

Half an hour ago, Du Shuying was still dressing in the manor, thinking of inviting her close confidante for a spring outing.

Upon hearing the poem, she could no longer sit still and came straight here to look for her.

"How could I not know?"

Pei Suiwan took Du Shuying's hand, entered the pavilion and sat down, laughing, "This poem 'Little Phoenix Nest' gifted to Jiang Li has probably already spread throughout Chang'an by now…"

"I truly don't know where this poet Cao Kun, Young Master Cao, sprang from?"

Du Shuying smiled faintly and sighed, "I've never heard of him before; we have such a figure in Chang'an…"

Because she comes from a distinguished family and is a talented woman, many of the capital's young elites have become acquainted with Du Shuying; even those who have never met him have at least heard of him.

But the name Cao Kun was truly new to her.

"Who says it isn't?"

Pei Suiwan nodded and said softly, "Rumor has it he is a junior of the Grand Marshal…"

She paused again and guessed, "Perhaps he is a relative of one of the Grand Marshal's concubines…"

The fame that exploded was not only the 'Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty' line, but also Cao Kun's dashing anecdote of charging his crown in a fury for a beloved beauty.

Such dramatically charged stories are the ones most relished by people.

Of course, it also includes the Grand Marshal's final support, which likewise sparked countless speculations about Cao Kun's identity.

Pei Suiwan knew the few sons of Yuwen Heng, none of whom possessed poetic talent, so she surmised he must be a nephew from a concubine's family.

"If only this Cao Kun could compose a poem for me…"

Du Shuying's pretty face was full of imagination as she laughed, "Not to speak of leaving a name in the annals, having one that reverberates through Chang'an isn't really a problem…"

Because of her talent, she understood even better the value of that line 'Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty.'

It is a height that countless scholars, even after a lifetime of study, can never attain.

One poem, plus that dashing anecdote, is enough to be sung for many years…

"Go court Young Master Cao as a husband; doesn't your beauty already enchant him to the point of losing his soul? Whatever you want later will be easy, won't it?" Pei Suiwan blinked her beautiful eyes and teased.

"Ah!"

Du Shuying's cheeks flushed crimson as she cooed, "Suiwan, you actually mock me?"

"I would never marry such a dashing talent; who knows how many concubines I'd have later…"

She spoke of refusal, yet in her heart she was already calculating future harem matters.

"Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty, spring breeze brushes the railing, dew blossoms richly!"

Pei Suiwan rose, gazed at the garden in full bloom, and exclaimed, "Exquisitely unparalleled!"

"It can be called a timeless masterpiece!"

"Using clouds and flowers as a metaphor, it captures traces and sketches the peerless elegance of the Flower Courtesan…"

"Clouds and flowers, the most beautiful existences in nature, here become footnotes that accentuate the Flower Courtesan's beauty—a truly divine brushstroke!"

Du Shuying listened quietly, gauging her friend's expression, and teased, "Suiwan, you've praised him to the heavens; could it be that your heart already leans toward him?"