Chapter 297 - 216: No Turning Back (Part 2)
Chapter 297: Chapter 216: No Turning Back (Part 2)
Especially the signatures at the end: Chen Yi, Chen Qingzhou.
Every stroke flowed as smoothly as clouds and water, dazzling to behold.
Seeing the complete work only deepened Liu Zhaoxue’s inexplicable apprehension and suspicion toward Chen Yi.
Just then, Liu Hong asked without turning his head, "Zhaoxue, what do you think of this calligraphy?"
Liu Zhaoxue came to her senses and said after a moment’s thought, "It’s good. Extremely good."
Describing a new style of calligraphy at the Perfection Realm with a simple ’good’ felt rather inadequate.
But since Liu Zhaoxue didn’t understand her third uncle’s reason for asking, she gave a guarded reply.
Liu Hong chuckled softly. "Good calligraphy. It is indeed a fine piece."
"This new script is in harmony with the world itself. The characters are full and powerful, yet contained. It’s clear the artist has studied their craft deeply."
"And its Mental Realm is so ethereal..."
Liu Hong turned his head to look at Liu Zhaoxue, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. "Faced with such a magnificent, surging Mental Realm, what did you think of?"
A chill went down Liu Zhaoxue’s spine. She feigned contemplation before answering, "Riding the wind and breaking the waves... advancing ever forward?"
Liu Hong’s reaction was noncommittal. He turned back to stare at the calligraphy piece, saying nothing more.
Liu Zhaoxue watched him out of the corner of her eye, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over her.
She felt like prey being targeted by a powerful predator.
The air grew heavy, suffocating...
A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her smooth forehead, and the hand holding the oil lamp began to tremble.
The lamplight wavered.
Liu Hong’s voice was calm when he spoke. "A Calligraphy Dao Realm is tied to one’s disposition and nothing else."
"A domineering person writes in a domineering style, a free spirit in a free style, and a person of rigid principles in a rigid style. It’s as simple as that."
"This Chen Qingzhou’s Calligraphy Dao is seamless and natural, yet it’s not hard to see his disposition."
"The primary trait of his disposition is ’spontaneity.’ The strokes vary in size according to his whim, showing he dislikes being bound by convention."
"Then there’s the poem... ’Riding the wind and breaking the waves’ is certainly in there."
"But what I see is a rainbow after the storm, the calm that comes after weathering the tempest."
Liu Hong paused and asked, "Doesn’t this feel like a reflection of what happened to the Xiao Family the other day?"
Liu Zhaoxue started. "Third Uncle, are you referring to the attack on the granaries in the Three Towns?"
Liu Hong turned to face her, his tone icy. "I’m referring to you, Liu Wen, Liu Jing, and the main branch of the family!"
The color drained from Liu Zhaoxue’s face. "I..."
Liu Hong raised a hand to cut her off. "I know perfectly well what you’re up to."
"You’re just unwilling to be manipulated by the family, to be used as your father’s pawn."
"I understand that you want to break free, but you shouldn’t have plotted against Wen’er."
"Third Uncle, why would you suspect me of such a thing?"
"The Fengchun Building."
Hearing those three words, Liu Zhaoxue’s heart sank. ’He knows.’
Liu Hong continued, "That day at the Fengchun Building, you invited Xiao Wan’er, then feigned carelessness as you let the news slip to your second brother, all to orchestrate what would appear to be a reasonable ’accident.’"
"If not for that, I doubt Wen’er would have taken such a desperate gamble and run off to the outskirts of Iron Wall Town."
Liu Zhaoxue rushed to deny it. "That wasn’t my intention! I just wanted to help Second Brother achieve his heart’s desire."
Liu Hong remained unmoved. He began to cover the calligraphy with a red cloth as he spoke.
"I don’t want to know what your intentions were. I came to you today to tell you one thing, and one thing only."
"If you don’t want to end up like Wen’er, then get out of Shu State. Go back to Jing State."
"Third Uncle..."
"Don’t call me that. I can’t afford to be your ’Third Uncle’."
"Person after person from the main branch of the Liu Family has come to Shu State. I know better than anyone what you’re all after."
At this, a sneer touched Liu Hong’s lips. "But search your heart and ask yourself: does your father—my dear older brother—truly have the capability?"
"Look at what he’s done. He raises his children to be ambitious and treacherous. He taught his sister only how to manipulate her husband with pillow talk. And he himself does nothing but cower in Jing State."
"Tell me, do you think he’s content to sit back and watch the clouds roll by, or does he actually want to sit at the board and play the game?"
At this, Liu Zhaoxue fell silent.
She finally understood the reason behind her third uncle’s words.
Ultimately, it was because she, Liu Wen, and the others had meddled too much in Shu State’s affairs, causing their third uncle to be punished by the Holy Emperor.
"I have learned my lesson."
Liu Hong shot her a look, then turned to leave. "You’d do well to remember that."
"I don’t want to have to clean up the bodies of anyone else from the main branch!"
Liu Zhaoxue watched him until he was gone, then silently performed a bow.
She had thought her actions were completely covert, never expecting her third uncle to see right through her.
But upon reflection, she found she could accept it.
After all, her third uncle, Liu Hong, might be the Chief Steward of the Liu Family’s third house, but in practice, his was little more than a collateral branch cut off from the family’s center of power in Jing State.
Otherwise, her father wouldn’t have sent people to Shu State time and time again.
Aside from his designs on the Xiao Family, her father also had plans for Liu Hong and his third house.
It just seemed that now, her father’s schemes were about to fall through yet again.
Thinking of this, Liu Zhaoxue took one last look at the red cloth covering *Post-rain Reflections*, then extinguished her oil lamp and left the hall.
’Her third uncle was right about everything.’
’But once the bow is drawn, the arrow cannot be recalled.’
’How could she possibly give up now?’
......
Running into Liu Zhaoxue was unexpected, but not entirely surprising.
She was from the Jing State Liu Family and the niece of Liu Hong, the Left Governor in the Shu State Governor’s Office. It was entirely plausible that she would have an invitation to Guiyun Academy.
Thus, Chen Yi didn’t give it much thought and simply led Xiao Wan’er and the others to Mr. Yue Ming’s courtyard.
After a brief chat, he figured out why Mr. Yue Ming had summoned him, and he couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
"Dean, it’s just a few more people today. You don’t need to be so worried, do you?"
Mr. Yue Ming looked abashed and laughed wryly. "I’m not normally like this, of course, but... but things are different now."
"This poetry competition will have guests not only from the prominent Noble Families of Shu State, but also from academies in all the other states."
"It would be one thing if a student from Shu State won the title of Poetry Champion."