94: First meeting with Zhan Pianpian! Reappearance of the negative value of the conspiracy! (33

Chapter 94: First Meeting with Zhan Pianpian! Negative Power and Strategy Reappears! (33, Please Subscribe!)

Prince Chang'an told Emperor Qing about Yang Xiouqing's method of playing a charlatan. Emperor Qing first frowned in disdain, but then quickly accepted it.

The disdain was because he thought the method was a bit crude, but upon closer thought, no one in history had ever done such a thing.

He was able to accept it quickly because this method was originally created by schemers, and Emperor Qing felt a sense of camaraderie with them.

The influence of religion on imperial power in this world is not insignificant.

In Prince Chang'an's previous life, no religion had an influence comparable to that of the Divine Temple in the Joy of Life World.

Because the Divine Temple truly changed the development of the entire world, and the emperors of various countries could not ignore its existence.

Therefore, in an era where religion has such a strong presence, playing a charlatan will definitely be effective.

"Your Majesty, all the officials of Great Qing will cooperate with this matter. As for whether Northern Qi and Eastern Yi City will believe it, that is not important."

"We only need the people present to cooperate, and this matter will be successful."

The old schemer, of course, understood Prince Chang'an's words. This matter was like Si Gu Jian killing Lin Gong; seemingly absurd, yet it could be made a reality.

"Negotiations haven't started yet, and it will take some time to haggle once they officially begin."

"During this time, I will have the Supervisory Council thoroughly investigate the backgrounds of these envoys.

I refuse to believe that there are many clean officials."

As long as the Supervisory Council can get a handle on some foreign officials, they can force them to cooperate with Prince Chang'an's act.

Regarding the matter of shaping Prince Chang'an into a Celestial Vein Holder, he was very willing.

At first, he didn't care, just treating it as jumping around like a shaman in public, but after his cultivation soared, Prince Chang'an had new ideas.

Prince Chang'an will definitely Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm. At that time, when his Grandmaster identity is revealed, some people will inevitably connect Prince Chang'an's rapid advancement in cultivation with being a Celestial Vein Holder.

Perhaps by then, Emperor Qing himself will be startled and suspect that Prince Chang'an is truly a Celestial Vein Holder.

Therefore, establishing a Celestial Vein Holder identity early now will greatly help in boosting his prestige.

Moreover, from a factual perspective, Prince Chang'an, as a Transmigrator, is on a much higher level than the Celestial Vein Holders of this world.

Half a month later, the Northern Qi Delegation and the Eastern Yi City Delegation arrived in the capital.

Among the Northern Qi Delegation, Master Zhuang still came. Although he was still a member of the delegation, he did not participate in the specific negotiations.

Because the Junshan Society is a high-level organization, even Shang Shanhu was not qualified to trade with Li Yunrui.

Furthermore, it was Master Zhuang who proposed exchanging Xiao En with Li Yunrui, so he naturally had to personally come and explain to Li Yunrui how they planned to destroy Fan Xian.

Only after Master Zhuang and Shang Shanhu's method received Li Yunrui's approval would Li Yunrui sell the information about Yan Bingyun's undercover mission to Northern Qi.

Then, the Northern Qi Delegation could exchange Yan Bingyun for Xiao En.

What was slightly different from the original plot was that Master Zhuang's welcome to Southern Qing this time was much weaker.

After all, since Prince Chang'an became famous, Southern Qing had been continuously raising Prince Chang'an's prestige through the Supervisory Council's Eighth Bureau.

Later, Prince Chang'an's calligraphy and painting skills reached their peak, and he left dozens of excellent works during his travels across the world.

Now, Prince Chang'an is already known as the "Three Sages of Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting" in Southern Qing.

At least in Southern Qing's own propaganda, Prince Chang'an's status in the literary world was on par with Master Zhuang of Northern Qi.

However, Prince Chang'an knew that the poems he copied did not touch upon the absolute top masterpieces, so the System's literary ranking was also in the third place.

Prince Chang'an felt that reaching the top in literature required an opportunity to convince the Northern Qi people wholeheartedly.

He himself couldn't have imagined that this opportunity would be delivered by Master Zhuang himself.

When Master Zhuang came to the capital, Prince Chang'an did not visit him, nor did Master Zhuang visit Prince Chang'an.

Both were literary titans of their respective countries, and if either one proactively paid a visit, it would be a loss of Face.

Prince Chang'an, being the host, used the most formal etiquette to invite Master Zhuang to Yi Shi Inn, the best restaurant in the capital, for a meal.

Master Zhuang readily agreed and even sent a letter in return to express his gratitude.

Old Zhuang was a gentleman, and Prince Chang'an could see his desire to make friends from the lines of his writing.

Although Prince Chang'an's Net was well-informed, it had not yet received definite news on how Master Zhuang and Shang Shanhu planned to deal with Fan Xian.

After all, the Junshan Society in the original work was unknown even to the entire Supervisory Council, which shows its high status and strong secrecy.

On the appointed day, Assistant Minister Ji of the Ministry of Rites specifically came to pick up Prince Chang'an for the banquet.

The higher-ranking Minister of Rites, Guo Youzhi, was likely picking up the guest, Master Zhuang.

After getting into the carriage, Assistant Minister Ji respectfully said to Prince Chang'an,

"Your Highness, the dining place was chosen by you, but the rules of this banquet were set by Master Zhuang."

Prince Chang'an couldn't help but sigh, "These human relations, ah, even a nuclear war can't erase them."

"Master Zhuang doesn't like socializing much in Northern Qi either, so he suggested dining alone with you, only discussing poetry and culture, and not national affairs."

Upon hearing this, Prince Chang'an's eyes lit up. "This is good news! This Prince dislikes elaborate formalities the most."

Although this was a private meeting between the two, it concerned national prestige, and Emperor Qing decided who would accompany them.

However, Old Zhuang was used to being assertive, ignoring whoever made the rules and simply not giving Face.

Assistant Minister Ji said, "Master Zhuang said that he and you each bring one servant to serve tea and water, and just enjoy a quiet meal."

Prince Chang'an understood. "Presumably, this Prince's servant won't be a real servant either, right? Who did His Majesty choose?"

How could an ordinary person get a chance to show their Face in such a good deed of serving a literary master?

Assistant Minister Ji said, "Crown Prince recommended Young Master Guo Baokun, a famous scholar in the capital and son of Minister Guo."

"But His Majesty said it was inappropriate, and it would be better to find someone who understands diplomatic etiquette, preferably chosen from the reception team."

With the two foreign delegations visiting, Southern Qing also formed a reception team, and Fan, the Harmonizer naturally joined it.

As Prince Chang'an guessed, Assistant Minister Ji said, "Later, His Majesty said to find someone not too old, and only Fan, the Harmonizer was the most suitable."

At this stage, Emperor Qing was truly sparing no effort to cultivate Fan Xian and elevate his qualifications.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Yi Shi Inn, Prince Chang'an saw a large group of people, all dressed in various official robes.

Master Zhuang and Prince Chang'an were dining, so the Northern Qi Delegation couldn't not come, and the officials of the Southern Qing Ministry of Rites also couldn't not come.

Although all these people were refused by Master Zhuang to join them at the table, they could eat their own meals, so they simply arranged their working lunch at Yi Shi Inn.

Amidst a chorus of greetings, Prince Chang'an immediately spotted Wei Bi.

The maternal uncle of the young Emperor of Northern Qi, the chief envoy of this delegation, ennobled as Marquis of Changning, known in the Jianghu as "Asshole" Marquis.

This fellow's hatred value had risen from fifty to eighty, yet he still had to respectfully bow in greeting.

"Your humble servant Wei Bi pays his respects to Your Highness Prince Yong!"

Prince Chang'an's deeds over the years were widely circulated in Northern Qi. Although Wei Bi was displeased, he dared not provoke him in the slightest.

"Marquis of Changning, it has been more than ten years since we last met. This Prince misses you greatly!"

Wei Bi's eyelids twitched. He didn't miss Prince Chang'an at all.

"Your Highness's remembrance is an honor to your humble servant. Your humble servant also misses Your Highness very much!"

Prince Chang'an showed a relieved expression. "Fortunately, it's remembrance, not resentment!"

Wei Bi, who was filled with immense resentment, could only obediently smile and, along with a group of officials, escorted Prince Chang'an to the largest private room in Yi Shi Inn.

When Prince Chang'an arrived at the door, he saw Fan Xian, dressed in new clothes, with a fake smile on his Face.

From his current emotional value of zero, it could be seen that this Young Master probably didn't want to come at all, but he couldn't resist Emperor Qing's decree.

Fan Xian gritted his teeth and knelt in salute. Prince Chang'an casually said, "Fan, the Harmonizer, keep up the good work!"

"When you reach the Fourth Rank, you won't have to salute this Prince anymore. Otherwise, kneeling is too tiring."

Fan Xian rolled his eyes inwardly. If you truly found it tiring to watch, why couldn't you just say "You may rise"?

In the largest private room of Yi Shi Inn, the huge round table had been specially replaced, leaving only a small square table.

The owner of Yi Shi Inn, surnamed Cui, was one of the Imperial Treasury's distributors, controlled by The Eldest Princess.

Therefore, Prince Chang'an was not at all surprised by the sound of breathing from the eavesdropper next door.

Not long after Prince Chang'an arrived, Master Zhuang also came to the private room with a female Disciple.

Master Zhuang's hair and beard were white, and he was over seventy, but he exuded a very wise feeling, as if even the wrinkles on his Face held knowledge.

"Your Highness Prince Yong, this old man has admired you for many years and finally gets to meet you in person."

Prince Chang'an politely said, "Master Zhuang's fame spreads far and wide, a lofty mountain to behold!"

The two exchanged pleasantries and then took their seats. Fan Xian and the female Disciple began to busy themselves skillfully.

Master Zhuang took out a thread-bound book and said with an almost obsessive look, "Your Highness, these are the annotations this old man made for your poems. Please review them."

The poems Prince Chang'an had copied over the years, though not the most top-tier from his previous life's cultural history, still contained a large number of masterpieces.

Prince Chang'an flipped through the annotations, feeling a surge of admiration. "The old man truly has perseverance!"

"Master Zhuang is truly thoughtful, worthy of being a role model for scholars across the world!"

As soon as Master Zhuang spoke of poetry, he seemed to become engrossed, beginning to ask in detail about the meanings of certain phrases.

Prince Chang'an also provided some answers based on the original poet's circumstances at the time.

No wonder Master Zhuang didn't want officials to accompany them. Dining with those people, how could they discuss poetry? They'd probably be full just from flattery.

As they spoke, Prince Chang'an kept feeling that Master Zhuang's female Disciple was constantly looking at her.

Because of Master Zhuang's enthusiasm, Prince Chang'an hadn't carefully looked at the female Disciple until now.

Upon closer inspection, the female Disciple was dressed in a heart-collared silk robe, with a slender figure and elegant, dignified demeanor.

Most striking were her bright, clear large eyes, which kept secretly peeking at Prince Chang'an.

Her Face was somewhat stiff. Prince Chang'an, skilled in the art of disguise, knew at a glance that she had been disguised.

However, her eyes were too large to be completely concealed by the disguise.

She was holding a plate of roast duck, but she couldn't help but swallow her saliva, looking like she was about to give in.

This female Disciple's skill in serving dishes was far inferior to Fan, the Harmonizer's.

Name: Zhan Pianpian

Age: 19 years old

Realm: None

Talent: Poetry (Sixth Rank)

Abilities: Power and Strategy (Negative First Rank), Poetry (Seventh Rank), Calligraphy (Sixth Rank), Qu Fu (Sixth Rank)

Emotion: 60

The most beautiful woman of Langya Pavilion, The Eldest Princess of Northern Qi, had actually disguised herself as Master Zhuang's female Disciple and secretly came to Southern Qing.

For princesses like Zhan Pianpian, who stayed out of court affairs and lived in seclusion, the Supervisory Council and the Net only paid attention to major events.

For example, regarding Zhan Pianpian, Prince Chang'an only knew that she rarely left the palace, but like Zhan Doudou, she was a Disciple of Master Zhuang.

In other words, she was originally Master Zhuang's Disciple; she had merely concealed her astonishing beauty and not used her true identity.

Her artistic abilities were also quite good, but her Power and Strategy ability was somewhat appalling.

Power and Strategy Negative First Rank!

However, the excessively naive Zhan Pianpian's Power and Strategy ability was still one rank higher than Guo Baokun's!

Prince Chang'an glanced at Zhan Pianpian, which startled her, causing her eyes to dart away in a panic, and the roast duck in her hand almost fell to the ground.

"Master Zhuang, this Fan, the Harmonizer is a rising star of our Great Qing, the Junior Martial Champion."

"His Majesty intends to cultivate him, so he let him meet Master Zhuang to absorb some poetic and literary Qi."

Speaking of which, Master Zhuang and Shang Shanhu secretly made a trip to Eastern Yi City and settled the matter of dealing with Fan Xian, but they had never met Fan Xian.

He glanced at Fan Xian, a trace of regret in his eyes. "Qing Kingdom rose through martial arts, and a Junior Martial Champion will surely have a boundless future."

After speaking, he introduced his female Disciple. "Your Highness Prince Yong, this is a female Disciple this old man took in many years ago."

"Her name is Xiao Pian, and she has dabbled in poetry, prose, and Qu Fu. She also came this time to witness Your Highness Prince Yong's demeanor."

This name was not entirely false. Zhan Pianpian, hearing Master Zhuang directly reveal the truth, showed unconcealed shyness in her eyes.

Her snow-white earlobes and the back of her neck also turned crimson, but her disguised Face remained white.

"Master Zhuang, without those common folk present, let's not bother with any boring rules."

Then he turned to Fan Xian and said, "Fan Xian, have you eaten?"

Fan Xian naturally replied, "No, I've been waiting at Yi Shi Inn for an hour."

Prince Chang'an said, "Then let's eat together. And you too, Miss Xiao Pian."

"It's not often you come to Qing Kingdom; how can you miss Yi Shi Inn's roast duck?"

Prince Chang'an clearly saw Zhan Pianpian swallow several times, looking pitifully at Master Zhuang.

Master Zhuang nodded. "Your Highness Prince Yong, despite being a royal, shows no airs. Xiao Pian, you may join us."

When Zhan Pianpian sat down, Fan Xian, opposite her, had already eaten two rolls of roast duck, his mouth glistening with oil.

She happily rolled up a piece of roast duck, sniffed it at her nose, wanting to eat it in big bites but feeling too shy.

Seeing her adorable appearance, Prince Chang'an couldn't resist teasing her.

"Master Zhuang, I find this Miss Xiao Pian so lovely that a poem suddenly came to my mind!"

Hearing Prince Chang'an's words, Zhan Pianpian's slightly opened mouth instantly closed.

Should she continue eating? Prince Yong was about to write a poem for her—this had been a dream for many years!

Should she not eat? Her saliva was about to drip onto the table!

Master Zhuang, however, completely ignored her embarrassment. "Xiao Pian, get the brush and ink, write it down! Quickly!"

Zhan Pianpian reluctantly put down the roast duck, turned to get the brush and ink, tears visible in her large eyes.

There was both the disappointment of missing the roast duck and the excitement of receiving Prince Chang'an's poem!

"After the dream, the pavilions are high and locked; after the wine, the curtains hang low. Last year's spring sorrow returns again. The fallen flowers stand alone, the light rain, swallows fly in pairs.

I remember the first meeting with Xiao Pian, wearing two layers of embroidered robes. On the pipa strings, spoke of lovesickness. The bright moon was still there, it once shone upon the returning colorful clouds."

"Clang!"

As Prince Chang'an finished reciting, the brush in Zhan Pianpian's hand fell to the ground; she was utterly mesmerized.