Chapter 64 – Elegant Gathering at Haishui (Part Four)
Feng Jin’s eyes brightened, and he continued to pry, “Is there anything else besides these?”
Jiang Pengji sneered, “You came out from the same building; how could you not know? Just now, you were hugged on both sides, and there was even one leaning in your arms feeding you snacks—living a carefree life. To make it sound worse, you even had a few rounds of battle and rushed over after tidying up.”
Feng Jin’s fair face flushed red, feeling even more awkward, his entire being tense.
Why did he have to hate it so much? Knowing that Liu Lanting had no mercy with his words, yet he still went up to be bullied.
Jiang Pengji glanced at the young masters who were still chitchatting, discussing poetry and songs.
No matter how beautiful their outer appearances, in her eyes, they were just a pile of weak, inadequate bones, weak enough to make her sick.
Jiang Pengji disdainfully tossed aside her teacup, “Boring! Ta Xue, Xu Ke, follow me!”
Getting up, she bypassed the approaching Wu Ma Jun, completely ignoring the awkward frozen expression on the other’s face.
From a distance, Wu Ma Jun spotted Feng Jin having a lively conversation with a remarkably graceful young master and intended to approach them. However, he was taken aback when the other party suddenly got up and left, such a drastic change of expression made the suspicious Wu Ma Jun ponder more.
Feng Jin shook his head with a smile, indirectly giving Jiang Pengji an out, “Lanting isn’t good at prose; it seems he got annoyed.”
Wu Ma Jun took a seat, feeling a bit of his displeasure dissipate but still slightly bothered.
“Who is that young master?”
Neglecting everyone else, he went to the Noble Girl’s side, seeming to be having a great time, and he felt someone like him was unlikely to become a great figure.
Feng Jin smiled as he introduced, seemingly unaware of Wu Ma Jun’s dissatisfaction, “Liu Zhongqing, second son of the Liu governor.”
In all of Dongqing, the only one named Liu Zhongqing who’s also a governor is Liu Zhi.
Of course, that title of Liu governor would soon require some upgrading.
Wu Ma Jun’s expression softened significantly, even showing a hint of enthusiasm. Although Liu Zhi wasn’t in the court, and his official position wasn’t prominent, no one dared to truly ignore him; not everyone had the ability to revive a dying region and turn it prosperous like it is now.
That governor’s territory collected taxes that could rival two states; it was the major grain-producing county of Dongqing!
Wu Ma Jun’s suspicion hadn’t cleared, “So he’s from the Liu governor’s family, but why did he leave just now?”
“Lanting loves martial arts and seems quite interested in adventurous spirits; he’s very impatient with poetry and literature, so how can he play along?” Feng Jin remained gentle, but there was a hint of exasperation, “He’s only twelve, young and restless, just let him be.”
Wu Ma Jun understood Feng Jin, who always preferred discussing complicated topics, probably thinking that’s why Liu Lanting got irritated.
Assuming he found a reason, he finally revealed a gentle smile and said, “Hua Yu too; since Liu Young Master doesn’t like such discussions, why not switch topics instead of driving people away? I heard Liu Zhi dotes on his son, and this year he’s the chief examiner, aren’t you afraid?”
Every three years there’s an examination. Liu Zhi, though just a governor, holds a status comparable to a regional governor. This year’s evaluations are particularly favorable.
If he offended Liu Zhi at this moment, he should watch his head fly!
Feng Jin replied dismissively, “Liu governor is upright and honest, a true person of light and splendor; how could he care about such childish conflicts?”
The bureaucratic world of Dongqing isn’t all about camaraderie and shared interests, right?
Only Liu Zhi and Liu Zhongqing represent a refreshing current.
In the past, when he was dispatched to Hujun, it was apparent that it was a sinister plot against him, suffering a hidden loss.
Hujun is a massive area, comparable to a state, but it’s a place of inhospitable mountains and bad waters, with boisterous folk, rampant bandits, local gentry exploiting, and perennial floods—disasters abound.
In such a place, nine governors prior to Liu Zhi had died either in office or on their way to assume their positions. It was expected that Liu Zhi would become the tenth unfortunate soul, yet he had the means to turn the tide!
Now Hujun, despite still carrying the suffix “county,” flourished like other affluent states of Dongqing, its grain production relieving nearby two states of their disasters, effectively stabilizing Dongqing’s declining momentum. Who among the court dared to say they didn’t know Liu Zhi?
Jiang Pengji wasn’t aware that her somewhat eccentric father had such amazing abilities; she was only bothered by another matter.
Could someone please get that stubborn Shangguan Wan off her back?
With each sentence, “Lanting brother doesn’t care about Wan-er,” and “Lanting brother doesn’t cherish Wan-er,” made her seem like the big villain.
“What do you want then?”
Jiang Pengji thought she was being foolish; why did she come here to do nothing? Might as well go irritate Feng Jin instead.
“Teach Wan-er how to ride a horse, a tall steed, not that small foal.”
Wan-er pouted, pleading, her hair braided bouncing back and forth.
“It’s hard to serve; in this outfit of yours, how will you ride a horse?”
Jiang Pengji rubbed her forehead but acknowledged Shangguan Wan’s good intentions. Don’t be fooled by this little girl’s age; she was pretty sharp. Given her age, it was still too early for her to come to such gatherings, yet she stubbornly showed up, actually considering Liu Lanting.
Shangguan Wan probably already noticed Wei Jingxian’s intentions and now was trying to regain her pride in front of everyone.
“If only I knew Lanting brother would say this, I would have made preparations sooner.”
Saying this, she mischievously squinted her eyes.
Alright, I’m convinced by this girl.
Jiang Pengji had no choice; just as she was about to leave, she paused and turned to ask Wei Jingxian, whose face showed a complicated mix of guilt and embarrassment.
“Jingxian, are you going?”
Wei Jingxian’s exquisitely made-up face turned pale, shaking her head slightly.
Shangguan Wan walked ahead, her outfit today specially altered, very suitable for horseback riding.
“Lanting brother shouldn’t blame sister Jingxian; today’s business, even she only found out last night.”
They led Liu Lanting’s horse to a place where others could see but couldn’t hear them.
“Why would I blame her? The invitations from Wei residence were secretly jammed with her flower notes, with hidden meanings inside. Come on, let’s give it a try.”
Jiang Pengji tiptoed and gently stroked the horse’s neck, outwardly to calm the horse’s anxiety when meeting strangers, but in reality, she was exerting her aura to pressure the horse. It had dared to stomp its hooves before, but now it wouldn’t even dare show a bit of temper.
Liu Lanting’s body and Shangguan Wan were both kids, while the horse was a fine Northern steed, taller than both of them by several heads; however, now the legendary wild horse was as obedient as a lamb.
“It’s too high… I can’t get up…”
Shangguan Wan tried several times, unable to even step into the stirrup, her small face scrunching into a ball.
Seeing this, Jiang Pengji couldn’t just pick her up, so she discreetly signaled the horse with her eyes, using mental suggestion.
Then, Shangguan Wan saw Jiang Pengji gently patting the horse’s body, causing the horse to obediently lower itself down.
“Such intelligence!”
Jiang Pengji smiled, leading the reins while Shangguan Wan nervously clutched onto the saddle, “You can get up now.”
