The next morning, in a certain main hall within the Imperial Palace.
Chen Fan knelt respectfully on the ground, holding the box Xuan Yingxue had given him above his head, cradling it in his palms.
"Your Majesty, this is what the Princess Your Highness asked me to deliver to you."
Facing this man, Chen Fan dared not show the slightest disrespect; he felt his palms lighten, knowing the item had already reached Xuan Qianming's hands.
Xuan Qianming did not speak, but slowly opened the box.
There was nothing valuable inside, only a slip of paper.
He reached out and picked it up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
What is this girl sending a piece of paper for?
Unfolding it, he finally saw the words clearly and read them softly: "The roc rises with the wind in a single day, soaring ninety thousand miles!"
"Good!"
Xuan Qianming's eyes lit up, and he loudly exclaimed, "Good!"
This poem pleased him greatly.
"What a Third Prince of Da Yan!"
A smile appeared on his stern face.
"I am increasingly looking forward to what you will show..."
Below, Chen Fan's heart also trembled.
He kept repeating these two lines in his mind, feeling an indescribable emotion surge within him.
He was shocked.
Not only was he shocked that Shangguan Chen could compose such a poem, but also that his poem could make the Emperor Xuan smile and praise him personally.
After so many years in the palace, this was the first time he had seen the Emperor Xuan praise a young man so highly, especially a Prince from an enemy nation; he truly couldn't understand it.
Chen Fan hesitated, unsure whether he should mention the Princess acting as that Third Prince's maid.
After some thought, he gritted his teeth and decided to speak; if he didn't, and was blamed later, he wouldn't be able to bear it.
He looked up and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, there is one more matter I am unsure whether to speak of..."
"Speak."
"The Princess Your Highness seems... seems to be acting as the Third Prince of Da Yan's maid..."
"Oh? Is that so?" Xuan Qianming truly did not know this, but he was surprisingly not angry; the two lines of poetry had given him a good impression.
"Yingxue has always been intelligent and acts with discretion; for her to do this, she must have her reasons, so there's no need to worry."
"Ah?" Chen Fan was shocked again, speechless for a long time.
He was already thinking, what is so special about this Third Prince of Da Yan?
The Princess aside, why is even the Emperor Xuan like this?
Could it be that this boy has some unknown secret?
Or is he actually the Emperor Xuan's illegitimate son?
Hiss~
The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was possible; otherwise, how could it be so absurd?
As if some major secret had been uncovered, Chen Fan's heart was incredibly excited.
But he dared not show it on his face, merely saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, then I will take my leave."
"Go." Xuan Qianming waved his hand casually, then picked up the paper again and examined it carefully.
"Soaring ninety thousand miles, wonderful! How wonderful!"
...These two lines of poetry put Xuan Qianming in an excellent mood early in the morning.
Who wouldn't wish to be like that great roc, rising with the wind and soaring ninety thousand miles?
Especially for a ruler of a nation like him, full of ambition, who hopes to achieve a monumental feat.
These two lines of poetry truly spoke to his heart; the more he looked, the more he liked them.
Two lines of poetry brightened his entire day.
Many ministers noticed during court that the Emperor Xuan was much gentler today, with a faint smile on his lips.
Even when ministers reported matters that would usually make him angry, he did not lose his temper, and his attitude was much better.
This made the ministers secretly wonder what good news had occurred to make the Emperor Xuan change his usual demeanor today.
No matter how much they thought, they couldn't have imagined that what made Xuan Qianming happy was merely two lines of poetry.
After court, all the way back to his bedchamber, Xuan Qianming still had a smile on his lips.
"What's wrong with my husband today? So happy, has something good happened?"
Inside the bedchamber, a beautiful palace-dressed woman was a little surprised, stepping forward to gently massage his shoulders.
"Hongzhi indeed has a Wisdom Eye." Xuan Qianming smiled and said, "Today I received something good."
"Oh?" Qin Hongzhi's beautiful eyes flashed, and her hands paused slightly, saying with some surprise, "What could it be that makes my husband so happy?"
"Just look." Xuan Qianming stood up, walked to a clear wall, pointed his finger, and spiritual Qi surged out.
His fingers continuously waved in the air.
Qin Hongzhi watched from the side, her eyes shining with wonder.
Soon, two lines of poetry appeared on the wall, precisely the ones Shangguan Chen had written.
"What do you think of these two lines of poetry, Hongzhi?" Xuan Qianming asked with a smile.
Qin Hongzhi stared at the two lines of poetry, deeply shaken, and couldn't help but part her red lips to say, "This poem is grand and majestic, expressing the state of mind of countless Cultivators; it is simply too well written."
"Hahahahaha." Xuan Qianming threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Indeed, we Cultivators, who among us doesn't wish for an opportunity, an opportunity to soar ninety thousand miles!"
"I wonder who composed this poem; this person's literary talent is extraordinary!" Qin Hongzhi exclaimed.
At this, Xuan Qianming became interested again, unable to resist teasing her: "Guess who this person is."
"Could it be... Chancellor Zhou's son? It is rumored that he is proficient in poetry and prose, a famous Genius in the Imperial Capital." Qin Hongzhi thought of him.
Xuan Qianming shook his head, evaluating without hesitation: "Chancellor Zhou's son does have some literary talent, but he couldn't compose this poem; he is still a hundred and eight thousand miles away."
"It's not him?" Qin Hongzhi frowned, thought carefully again, and said, "Then is it... King Chu's son?"
"Him? Heh heh, even less likely." Xuan Qianming snorted coldly.
"Then I truly don't know." Qin Hongzhi admitted defeat, her heart also becoming a little curious as to who could write such a poem.
Seeing that she really couldn't guess, Xuan Qianming stopped playing coy and smiled, "Someone you wouldn't expect."
"I'm even more curious." Qin Hongzhi's face showed a look of wonder.
"Hongzhi, do you still remember the Third Prince of Da Yan who came to the Imperial Capital a few days ago?"
"It's him?" Qin Hongzhi was somewhat surprised.
"Indeed." Xuan Qianming nodded slightly, his tone full of admiration: "That fellow Su Wu thought he had given my Great Xuan a good-for-nothing, little did he know, he might have misjudged, and perhaps, he has given my Great Xuan a true Genius."
"My husband's evaluation of him is so high, but he is, after all, a Prince of Great Yan." Qin Hongzhi frowned, a little worried.
"I know what you're worried about, but this person was personally recommended by your daughter; do you not trust Yingxue?"
"Yingxue? She recommended him?" Qin Hongzhi's tone was somewhat surprised, her beautiful eyes showing shock.
"Not only that, Yingxue is currently serving as his maid." Xuan Qianming smiled faintly.
"Serving as a maid?" Hearing this, Qin Hongzhi's expression changed, and she said with slight anger, "What kind of behavior is this? A Princess of my Great Xuan actually goes to be a maid for a Prince of an enemy nation?"
"Husband, you just let her go? Yingxue too, she's usually so intelligent, how could she suddenly be so foolish? It must be that Third Prince of Da Yan used some trick to deceive her!"
"Hey, Hongzhi!" Xuan Qianming frowned slightly, patiently explaining: "Have you seen Yingxue show any interest in any man over the years?"
"There are many Geniuses within my Great Xuan, and countless suitors, but has she ever taken a liking to anyone? If he didn't have something special, how could he make her look at him with new eyes?"
"You also know Yingxue has been intelligent since childhood; how could an ordinary person deceive her?"
"Furthermore, the relationship between this Third Prince of Da Yan and Great Yan is not particularly good. If he truly is a rare Genius, and Yingxue is interested in him, what's wrong with making him my Great Xuan's imperial son-in-law?"
"If he is not a Genius, or if he still has special feelings for Great Yan, then even if Yingxue objects, I will not let him off lightly!"
Xuan Qianming said a great deal, making Qin Hongzhi realize that she had been a bit too agitated.
Since he hadn't lost his temper, it meant he had his own judgment.
And as she thought it over carefully, she felt that Xuan Qianming's words made sense, so she bowed slightly and said, "My husband is right; I was too impulsive."
Xuan Qianming put his arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Yingxue is my most beloved daughter; how could I let her suffer? Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion."
"It was I who momentarily lost my reason; it's not my husband's fault."
"Hongzhi... it's been a while since we've done that, hasn't it?"
"Hmm... but it's daytime now..."
"What does daytime matter? I'm happy today!"
"Then, as my husband wishes..."
