Chapter 89: Never Do That Again

After the morning audience ended, Song Yan took a carriage back to the General’s Residence.

In this world, entertainment was pitifully scarce. Aside from cultivating and training, there was little else to do for amusement but enjoy the company of beautiful women.

As soon as he stepped into the inner courtyard of the General’s Residence, he heard a burst of feminine laughter from within. One of the voices, however, sounded utterly unfamiliar to him.

When he entered and took a look, he discovered that, besides Qin Nongyu, there was actually another unfamiliar woman in the courtyard, and she seemed to be on very intimate terms with Qin Nongyu.

“You’re back, husband.” Qin Nongyu rose to her feet, joy bright on her face.

“Yes.” Song Yan nodded, his gaze settling on the unfamiliar woman.

She wore a jade-green gauze dress and was tall and slender. More importantly, she possessed a face of breathtaking beauty no less stunning than Qin Nongyu’s, and there was an air of pure, ethereal grace about her.

Noticing Song Yan’s gaze, Qin Nongyu smiled and took the woman’s hand, introducing her. “Husband, this is my younger sister Qinxin.”

“Qinxin?” Song Yan paused, then said, “Could you be one of the Four Great Beauties, Qinxin?”

“Qinxin greets her brother-in-law.” Qinxin smiled sweetly and curtsied.

“There’s no need for such formality, Miss Qinxin.”

Song Yan composed himself and replied with a smile, though inwardly he was turning things over. Although the appearance of yet another of the Four Great Beauties had stirred a faint excitement in him, he also felt wary; after all, Qinxin was a member of the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace.

Her arrival here might not be for innocent reasons.

Qinxin’s eyes glimmered as she said, “Brother-in-law, I grew up with Sister Yu’er. Though we are not blood sisters, we are closer than sisters, so there’s no need for you to be so polite to me. Just call me Qinxin.”

“In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.” Song Yan nodded. “You sisters probably have much to talk about after not seeing each other for a while. I still have some official matters to attend to...”

“Please do as you wish, brother-in-law.”

Song Yan found an excuse to leave the courtyard, but instead of returning to his study, he summoned Lingling and asked about Qinxin.

He had a feeling that Qinxin’s arrival was not so simple. She might be visiting Yu’er on the surface, but in truth, her real purpose was probably him.

The royal families of both Yan and Zhao had deep and tangled ties to the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace, yet now Yan and Zhao had both been annexed by the State of Qi. Could the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace truly remain indifferent?

Song Yan did not believe that for a second.

Besides, Ji Liao and Yu’er had each attempted to assassinate him in turn. Ji Liao was now one of his people, and Yu’er had even become his wife. Would the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace simply let it end there and retreat without a fight? That was unlikely.

Now Qinxin had come, openly claiming to be visiting Yu’er.

Song Yan could not easily do anything to her. Moreover, his mission was to win the hearts of two of the Four Great Beauties. Ji Yuxi was far away in the State of Qin, and Su Xin’s whereabouts were impossible to pin down. Since Qinxin had come to him of her own accord, why should he search far and wide when she was right here at hand?

Soon, Lingling arrived at his summons.

Although Lingling’s status in the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace was lower than that of Yu’er and Qinxin, she was still a true disciple and knew quite a lot about the palace’s secrets.

“Greetings, Master.”

Song Yan waved a hand, indicating that she need not be so ceremonious, and asked, “How much do you know about Qinxin?”

“Replying to Master, Qinxin has a temperament as gentle as water. She is accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her relationship with Senior Sister Yu’er is excellent. Her cultivation has also reached the sixth level of the Earth Realm.”

Song Yan nodded. “What is her standing within the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace?”

“Only below Senior Sister Yu’er. However, now that Senior Sister Yu’er has married Master, Senior Sister Qinxin should be the highest-ranked among the true disciples, and she is very likely to inherit the position of palace master in the future!”

Hearing this, Song Yan narrowed his eyes slightly.

So that was it. After he had taken Yu’er away, Qinxin had become the highest-ranking disciple of the Sea and Mountain Divine Palace. In order to prove her capabilities, she was quite likely to perform several great deeds that would satisfy the palace master.

And what sort of deeds would please the palace master? Naturally, eliminating him, the great threat in the way.

Thinking of this, Song Yan asked again, “By the way, does Qinxin have a man, or someone she loves?”

“I have never heard of one,” Lingling said, shaking her head.

“Good. You may go.”

“Yes, Master.”

After dismissing Lingling, Song Yan lowered his head in thought. Since Qinxin had come for him, she might well intend to kill him. If so, she would certainly take the initiative to approach him, which also meant she had given him the chance to pursue her.

Girls in this age were conservative in thought. The joining of man and woman was likely still governed largely by parental command and matchmaker arrangements. As for Qinxin, she was a girl who had never been in love. That would make pursuing her considerably easier.

At once, all manner of romantic strategies for wooing a woman flashed through Song Yan’s mind.

In the modern world, such tricks might already be overused, but in this world, they were absolutely one of a kind.

Thinking of this, Song Yan could not help but grin with satisfaction. Oh, Donghuang, since young master has already taken Yu’er, and since you’ve sent Qinxin to me this time, I’ll make sure you lose both your beauty and your battle.

Only in the days that followed did Song Yan’s confidence begin to waver, because Qinxin never took the initiative to contact him.

Could she be playing hard to get? Hmph, young master does not care. Since that is how it is, then I shall take the initiative myself!

Having made up his mind, Song Yan summoned the finest craftsmen in the State of Qi to construct a mysterious musical instrument, and at the same time he personally set to work making a set of Go and chess.

This world had neither Go nor chess, only a kind of military board game somewhat like the war chess of the modern world.

Compared with war chess, however, Go and chess were far more interesting and far more enjoyable. In simpler terms, they just had a higher level of sophistication.

After Song Yan’s guidance and adjustments, a fully handmade piano was finally completed several days later.

Pianos were generally either entirely handmade or mechanically produced. In comparison, a handcrafted piano was far more valuable than a machine-made one.

But if one were to speak of value, the piano Song Yan had commissioned would be unimaginably expensive if brought back to the modern world.

For the keys were all made from an extremely precious white jade. The quality of this white jade was no less than that of the finest emeralds in the modern world, and what was even rarer was that it contained wisps of spiritual energy.

If carved into jade ornaments and worn over time, it could nourish the body and calm the mind.

In addition, the soundboard, pedals, and other parts were all made from the finest materials this world had to offer.

So if this piano were taken back to the modern world, even if someone offered one billion, Song Yan would not sell it.

“General, what is this thing?”

Looking at the completed piano, Chunhe asked in curiosity. Qiu Xiang did not ask aloud, but the curiosity in her eyes was no less than Chunhe’s.

“This is a musical instrument. For the time being, let us call it a piano.” Song Yan explained with a smile. Then, an idea struck him. “Chunhe, Qiu Xiang, shall I play you a piece?”

“That would be wonderful. This servant can hardly wait,” Chunhe said, clapping her hands.

Song Yan nodded and had a servant bring over a wooden stool. Then he sat down before the piano. His fingers brushed over the smooth, warm white-jade keys, and a tremendous sense of familiarity surged through him. Although he had not touched a piano in more than a year, the imprint carved into his bones had not faded with time. On the contrary, after more than a year away from it, Song Yan had come to understand the piano anew.