Chapter 106: First Volume, Chapter 106: Testing the Depths

First Volume, Chapter 106: Testing the Depths

From start to finish, the Chang Princess never so much as glanced at Qin Feng, wholly absorbed in embroidering a colorful phoenix handkerchief; had one not seen it with one's own eyes, who could believe that the Chang Princess, who lived in utmost nobility, served food and clothing without lifting a finger, possessed such a "hobby" reserved for Commoners?

From this, Qin Feng realized the Chang Princess's uniqueness, and he quietly grew cautious.

As she threaded the needle, the Chang Princess asked absentmindedly: "Qin Feng, answer me truthfully—was the poem 'Zui Hua Yin: Thin Mist, Thick Clouds, Endless Daytime' truly written by your sister Shen Qingci, or did you borrow her flowers to offer to the Buddha?"

Huh? You called me here just to ask this?

Qin Feng rolled his eyes inwardly.

If that were true, wouldn't he deserve a good reward for himself?

But then he reconsidered and dismissed the thought—if the Chang Princess learned the poem wasn't Shen Qingci's, trouble would surely follow. After all, the Hou Gong had countless rules and a long list of accusations; if the Chang Princess wished, she could pick any charge and crush him under it.

Besides…

Women's hearts are like the deep sea.

Who knew what the Chang Princess was really up to? In the Hou Gong, one must speak and act with utmost caution, or else one might be carried out through Aifeng's Back Door with no one to hear one's grievance.

Qin Feng scratched his head, putting on a harmless, innocent expression, and chuckled foolishly: "That poem, 'Zui Hua Yin'—the emotions woven through its lines clearly come from the delicate heart of a woman. How could a man like me possibly write such poetry? Those who don't know might think I'm a 'second chair.'"

"If Your Highness likes it, I'll go home and tell my sister to write seven or eight more poems to present to you. After all, my sister is the officially recognized talent of Jingdu—she certainly has this much literary grace."

This much literary grace? The one who wrote 'Zui Hua Yin: Thin Mist, Thick Clouds, Endless Daytime' could justly be called a genius unmatched in history.

Either this Qin Feng was pretending to be foolish, or he truly didn't understand the poem's significance.

But this boy was the one who composed the masterpiece 'Chu Sai'—how could he not know?

The Chang Princess's lips curled slightly upward; she understood, but did not press further.

"If you can produce several more poems of the same caliber as 'Zui Hua Yin,' not only will your sister be the First Talent of Jingdu—she will be the First Talent of Shedynasty. But I am not greedy; one poem to weigh down my paper is enough. After all, this poem touched my inner wound just right—too much of it, and I'd spend my days mourning spring and lamenting autumn."

As she finished speaking, a palace maid stepped forward and handed Qin Feng a small brocade box, her voice sweet: "This is the Chang Princess's gift—take it back to your sister."

Qin Feng's eyes lit up—this was an imperial gift, something even money couldn't easily buy.

Right before the Chang Princess and the Qiyang Commandery Princess, Qin Feng opened the box—and upon seeing its contents, he was deeply disappointed.

All this for that? The mighty Chang Princess of Shedynasty is so stingy.

Inside the box was a single crystal-clear glass bead—in plain terms, a glass ball; Qin Feng wouldn't even bother picking it up if it fell on the ground.

The Qiyang Commandery Princess had been about to scold Qin Feng for his rudeness—how dare he open a gift in front of the giver?

But seeing his disgusted expression, she grew curious instead and forgot to reprimand him, asking sweetly: "This is top-tier glass from the Western Regions, only three such beads exist in the entire Hou Gong. Qin Feng, you're not clueless about its value, are you?"

Qin Feng sneered, casually shoving the glass bead into his robe, and shrugged indifferently: "Don't flatter yourself—I could have as many of these as I want."

At this, the Qiyang Commandery Princess's face twisted in disdain: "You're lying without even trying! These glass beads come from thousands of miles away in the Western Regions. The Western Regions send envoys to Shedynasty only once every three years, bringing just one bead each time. Only when the Imperial Household pleases the Emperor does he grant one. Though it doesn't glow like a night pearl, such a transparent bead is exquisite beyond compare, worth a fortune."

Get real!

Qin Feng laughed inwardly—it's just glass. The sand to make it is everywhere; calling it cheap isn't an exaggeration.

As a top civil engineering student, Qin Feng had read countless extracurricular books in his spare time; the method of glass production was nothing difficult for him.

Had glass not been an extremely scarce commodity in this era, a top-tier luxury only the few could afford, Qin Feng would have already grown rich from making glass—why bother laboring over White Sugar?

Though the profit margin per bead is astonishing, the market is too small to be of real use. The more universal a product, the more money it makes—this is an eternal truth.

If the Qiyang Commandery Princess knew Qin Feng could produce as much glass as he wanted, she'd be stunned.

"Hehe, whatever the Commandery Princess says is right," Qin Feng said, smiling obsequiously.

The Qiyang Commandery Princess, orphaned since childhood and fiercely proud, took offense at Qin Feng's deliberate flattery and insisted on proving herself: "If you're truly that capable, produce three glass beads. No need for more—just three. You love money, don't you? I'll pay you Ten Thousand Liang for each. Deal?"

"Really?!"

Qin Feng's eyes sparkled—this was exactly what he'd been waiting for.

To refuse money is to be a fool.

Since the furnace equipment needed to make glass wasn't hard to prepare, Qin Feng swiftly agreed to the deal with the Qiyang Commandery Princess: payment and delivery would be exchanged at the Qin Residence in three days.

Seeing Qin Feng so agreeable, the Qiyang Commandery Princess couldn't help but doubt: "I heard this brat has deep skill in invention—could he really produce glass beads? No, no, no…"

She quickly shook off the absurd thought: "These are Western Regions Imperial Tributes—even in the Western Regions they're precious treasures. Qin Feng has no access to the Western Regions—how could he conjure glass beads out of thin air? If he can't produce them, I'll have leverage over him."

Watching Qin Feng and the Qiyang Commandery Princess argue, the Chang Princess made no move to intervene.

First, she was curious—would Qin Feng actually produce the glass beads?

Second, she was probing his true nature: clearly, though he appeared respectful, he didn't hold her in the slightest regard—otherwise, he wouldn't dare argue with the Commandery Princess right before her.

The Chang Princess continued embroidering her silk handkerchief, her tone calm: "I hear the war with the Di has been settled, with no room for reversal. Now that all preparations are complete, the army can march—was all this your doing?"

As expected, the Chang Princess had steered the conversation toward the Di war.

The gift was a ruse; her real aim was to probe his true strength.

Qin Feng had prepared for this—he shook his head like a rattle drum: "I merely calculated accounts for the Emperor. As for the campaign against the Di, I'm a lowly man with no voice—I'd never dare interfere in state affairs."