In the King Song Residence, Lu Ting, the old butler, and Wang Chong were gathered together. Surprisingly, King Song wasn’t present.
Wang Chong had instructed Lu Ting in advance that if Consort Taizhen were to send any letter, he had to intercept it before anyone else and inform him. On top of that, King Song must not find out about it.
“Chong gongzi, what did you write to Consort Taizhen?”
Seeing the letter Consort Taizhen sent, Lu Ting and the old butler stared at one another.
“Why would the letter write ‘Lord, why has modesty replaced your arrogance’?”
The only content on this letter was this short sentence, which was filled with unembellished mockery. It wasn’t bizarre that Consort Taizhen would send such a letter to ridicule King Song.
Given King Song’s vehement opposition against her before, it wouldn’t be surprising even if Consort Taizhen were to send several pages worth of criticisms to berate him.
After so many matters had occurred, the relationship between the two couldn’t be any worse. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that they were archenemies.
Just the fact that Consort Taizhen was willing to write back was already beyond the expectations of the duo.
Without a doubt, Wang Chong’s strategy was working. They were curious to know what kind of method he used to reconcile the relationship between Consort Taizhen and King Song.
“Hehe, I didn’t do anything. All I did was to send Consort Taizhen a poem.”
Wang Chong chuckled, making use of this timely opportune to showcase the temper of a youngster. He didn’t want Lu Ting and the old butler to think that he was too mature.
“Poem?”
Lu Ting and the old butler stared at one another in confusion. They couldn’t understand what kind of poem Wang Chong could have written to wield such effects.
Unknowingly, even the old butler began to trust Wang Chong completely.
Even so, to send a poem to one’s enemy? This was something that no one could have thought of.
“However, why can’t His Highness know of this matter?”
The old butler asked doubtfully.
Wang Chong had said in advance to not let King Song learn of this matter. But at the same time, he wasn’t particularly stern about the matter either. The old butler found it hard to keep up with Wang Chong’s thoughts.
“You all have seen Consort Taizhen’s letter as well. If it is possible not to trouble King Song, it’s best to do so to lighten King Song’s burden. Thus, I decided to offer my services to accomplish this matter for him. After all, it is only normal for us to help him when he requires it, isn’t it?”
Wang Chong laughed heartily.
Hearing Wang Chong’s words, the old butler chuckled as well. For some reason, he suddenly felt a surge of goodwill for this child.
“We’ll do as you said then.”
The old butler had a skeptical personality, and he tended to distance himself from others. He didn’t even hold much trust for Wang Chong’s father, who was a close alliance mate of King Song.
But for some reason, he wasn’t able to raise any hostility against Wang Chong, and he found himself incapable of doubting him either.
This was just the feeling that Wang Chong gave him.
“Lord Lu, I’ll be depending on you.”
Wang Chong glanced at Lu Ting.
“I really don’t understand how you found out that I am able to imitate King Song’s handwriting.”
Lu Ting smiled bitterly as he stared at Wang Chong as though the other party was a wily old fox.
He was extremely close with King Song, and there was more than a decade to their relationship. After so many years of fellowship, especially given the fact that Lu Ting had assisted King Song on many affairs by the side, he unwittingly learned to imitate King Song’s handwriting.
Very few people knew about this, but somehow, Wang Chong learned of this matter.
“Lord Lu, please.”
Wang Chong simply smiled as he urged Lu Ting. Lu Ting wasn’t just capable of imitating King Song’s handwriting. Wang Chong knew that this Academic Lu was incredibly talented, and he held astounding aptitude in imitating the handwriting of others.
As long as he saw three different works of a person, he would be able to imitate that person’s handwriting to seventy percent semblance. If he were to put in more effort into the matter, then even the person in question would be unable to differentiate his handwriting from Lu Ting’s.
Without a doubt, the number one calligraphy impersonator in Great Tang was this person, but it was a pity that Lord Lu was also known for keeping a low profile.
Lu Ting shook his head, but he still placed the paper neatly on the table, ground the ink slab, and raising his brush.
Even though he was still joking casually a moment ago, as soon as he picked up his brush, both his and the old butler’s face immediately turned grave. It was just a simple letter, but the most important matter that swept over the entire royal court as though a hurricane was at stake.
Whether King Song would be able to come back to power and lead the royal court; whether King Qi and the Yao Clan would be stopped from laying their demonic claws on the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments; whether the fracture between King Song, Sage Emperor and Consort Taizhen could be repaired; the effects of this incident on the officials of the royal court…
All of these were dependent on this simple letter.
The duo knew that it was already amazing for this seemingly irresolvable conflict to be fixed to this point.
And this was all Wang Chong’s credit.
On this matter, they had no other ideas so they could only pin their hopes on Wang Chong. Making Consort Taizhen to speak up for King Song was nothing more than a daydream under the current situation, and they wouldn’t have dared to harbor such thoughts.
‘A newborn calf doesn’t fear the tiger’. Only Wang Chong, an inexperienced youngster, could think out of the box and come up with such an inconceivable idea.
“Chong gongzi, what should we do next?”
Lu Ting turned around and looked at Wang Chong.
To think that a great academic of the royal court would actually consult a child who was much younger than him. This sounded unbelievable, but it was happening at this very instant.
He might not have noticed himself, but in the depths of his heart, he had already trusted and relied deeply on this ‘child’.
‘Lord, why had modesty replaced your arrogance?’. These were Consort Taizhen’s words.
They didn’t know what Wang Chong had written to Consort Taizhen, but without a doubt, it was definitely words of flattery. However, Consort Taizhen’s letter wasn’t easy to reply to either.
In the previous dynasties, the appearance of this phrase usually symbolized a stark ridicule to the other party, and it was a sign that negotiations were going to break down.
It was difficult to offer a proper reply to these words.
It was difficult to change Consort Taizhen’s opinion and attitude toward King Song.
This wasn’t an easy matter at all.
However, Wang Chong didn’t seem to be as perplexed as everyone thought he would be. Rather, it felt as though he had already expected Consort Taizhen’s reply and prepared an answer in advance.
Walking over to Lu Ting, Wang Chong whispered.
“AH?!!”
Hearing Wang Chong’s words, Lu Ting stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Surely this isn’t a good idea?”
“What’s bad about that? In any case, it isn’t really King Song who is writing the letter, so surely it doesn’t matter?”
Wang Chong laughed heartily. Lu Ting had always been jumping between him and King Song, and this was a rare chance to get back at him.
“Lord Lu, I need to practice my martial arts, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”
After saying those words, Wang Chong left with a delightful chuckle.
Lu Ting was left with a long face in his wake.
“Lord Lu, what did that child say?”
The old butler asked curiously.
“Sigh, I finally know why did that child call me here without informing King Song.”
Lu Ting smiled bitterly as he repeated Wang Chong’s words to the old butler.
After hearing those words, the old butler also burst out laughing. Not only did he not side with Lu Ting, he even spoke in Wang Chong’s defense.
“That child is right, it isn’t appropriate for His Highness to deal with this matter. Academic Lu, you should shoulder some of His Highness’s burden. We will be depending on you on this matter.”
Flinging his sleeves, the old butler left as well, leaving behind Lu Ting alone in the cold main hall.
Lu Ting smiled bitterly.
Silence loomed in the main hall, and after a moment of contemplation, Lu Ting eventually decided to go along with Wang Chong’s plan. Imitating King Song’s handwriting, he wrote a letter.
“Send this letter to Yuzhen Palace.”
…
“To Your Highness:
Your Highness’s beauty is as ravishing as a fairy and as astonishing as a deity, a rare and perfect occurrence in the world. Chengqi’s previous abruptness was due to my unawareness of Your Highness’s elegance, so I plead for your forgiveness.
His Majesty is a legendary emperor while Your Highness is a legendary beauty; such a perfect duo is rarely seen in history. Chengqi believes that given His Majesty’s legendary feats, only Your Highness is worthy of standing beside him.”
“Chengqi’s only wish is for Your Highness to use your talents to assist His Majesty. Only when the dragon and phoenix calls in unison will prosperity be brought to the world.”
“Chengqi had offended Your Highness in the past, and even if Your Highness assigns blame, Chengqi has nothing to say. Chengqi’s only wish is for Your Highness and His Majesty to last to a ripe old age together in the royal palace!”
“With respect, King Song Li Chengqi.”
Reading through the letter King Song sent in Yuzhen Palace, Consort Taizhen was dumbstruck. Even though the previous letter she sent was short, it was dripping with mockery.
Consort Taizhen thought that King Song would surely fly into a rage. She didn’t think that he would reply with such a letter.
“Little sister, what did King Song write?”
Outside the tent, Yang Zhao saw the letter in the flabbergasted Consort Taizhen’s hand, and he felt as though a cat was clawing at his heart. Ever since Her Highness had received the letter, she had been sitting blankly at the same spot, not moving or saying anything.
Yang Zhao was dying to know what King Song had written for his cousin to fall into such a state.
“Take a look for yourself!”
With a jerk on her hands, Consort Taizhen passed King Song’s letter over.
“This, this…”
After reading King Song’s letter, Yang Zhao was dumbfounded.
“Is this really written by King Song?”
“It is!”
Consort Taizhen replied deeply. She recognized King Song’s handwriting, and without a doubt, this letter was written by King Song Li Chengqi.
She wasn’t surprised by her Cousin Yang Zhao’s surprise. Even she herself was astonished after reading through the letter. If the poem before was a compliment, then this letter from King Song was stark flattery.
Upon this letter, Consort Taizhen couldn’t help but wonder if the sudden change in the royal court had occurred due to her appearance.
It was precisely due to the extremely earnest tone of this letter that Consort Taizhen had no choice but to doubt this.
Furthermore, the notion that she had changed the attitude of the entire royal court through her beauty could be considered as a huge compliment for her. After all, men were different from women.
Praising a woman’s beauty was the greatest compliment one could offer. No woman didn’t take pride in her appearance, and Consort Taizhen was no different.
She carried many dissatisfactions with King Song Li Chengqi, but at this moment, she found herself unable to hate the other party anymore.
‘One doesn’t slap a smiling person’. Toward a person who praised her, how could Consort Taizhen continue hating him?
“However, speaking the truth, his words aren’t excessive at all.”
After a moment, Yang Zhao calmed down. Even though there was a clear tone of flattery in King Song’s letter, Yang Zhao didn’t think that King Song’s words were exaggerated.
Her cousin had been a ravishing beauty from young, and it slowly matured along with her age as though a marvelous wine. Even the other members of the Yang Clan couldn’t help but be moved by her appearance.
But ever since the mysterious seer came knocking on their door, all of the Yang Clan members knew that cousin had ‘the life of a phoenix, the disposition of a queen’.
Everyone guarded her well, not allowing her to come into contact with outsiders.
Thus, probably even cousin herself didn’t know about her beauty.
Back then, when he last saw her, she was only twelve to thirteen. But even so, she was already ravishing. After marrying into the King Shou Residence, Yang Zhao had never seen her again. In fact, he didn’t even know what his cousin looked like at this moment.
The tent was like a huge wall, and even Yang Zhao didn’t have the fortune to see her!