This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 348 I am a Chu person, a barbarian, I do not understand poetry and songs.
The palace was unusually lively today. Even from two streets away, you could see crowds of people, a huge, packed mass, making it impossible to move.

Then more vendors arrived after hearing the news, creating a cacophony of noise that made it even more lively than a temple fair.

Among the crowds, many were dressed as scholars and intellectuals.

Most of them were true scholars, dressed in blue robes and turbans, with elegant bearing and refined manners in every gesture.

Among them, there are three, six, and nine grades.

Some stood with their hands behind their backs, gently waving folding fans, dressed in gorgeous clothes, with arrogant eyebrows, clearly from noble families, highly educated, and frequenting high society;
Some gathered in groups of three or five, reciting poems and composing couplets. Their eyes were clear and upright, and they had a strong sense of righteousness. Although they came from humble backgrounds, they were well-read and had a wealth of knowledge.
Others are harder to judge in terms of quality. They huddle together chattering away, with one person loudly reciting a new work, immediately drawing cheers from the surrounding crowd. Regardless of the quality of their writing, the hired shills are certainly putting on a good show.

The other half is a fake scholar. At first glance, he is also dressed as a scholar, but due to his physique and other factors, he looks awkward no matter how you look at him.

Several burly men, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with swallow-like chins and tiger-like beards, lion-like noses and wide mouths, leopard-like heads and bulging eyes, clenched their fists so tightly they creaked, clenched their teeth like steel plates, lifted their buttocks and pulled in their chests, and recited a few lines of romantic poetry in a high-pitched voice.

There were also a few with voices like thunder and momentum like wild horses, who had the air of martial arts champions. Instead of tearing people apart in the training ground, they shook their heads and pretended to be refined. When they opened their mouths, they made the eardrums of the people next to them hurt.

What was most unbearable to look at were several fierce-looking men with menacing faces, each taking up the space of three people. Their stature made even the tall and strong Northern Qi people stand out like cranes among chickens. They pretended to be weak and said that they were too weak to even kill a chicken.

These roughnecks from the martial arts world try to act sophisticated, but they don't quite pull it off. They're like a bunch of tigers in sheep's clothing, revealing their claws after just a few steps.

You lecherous bunch, why are you blocking the gate of the Liu clan instead of the gate of Miss Jiang?

I'm planning to volunteer myself as a retainer, join the professional bodyguard team, and accompany them all the way, hoping to take advantage of my proximity.

I think you're all just dreaming!
Xiang Yuan's face darkened. He reached out and grabbed a collar, pulling it up in front of him. With a glare, the other person's fierce eyes cleared up.

After the question-and-answer session, Xiang Yuan had even more dark lines on his forehead.

There's no other reason than that Miss Jiang is staying at the imperial palace and has been arranged to stay here. If she visits Yuanda at night and time it right, she has a very high chance of bumping into him while he's taking a bath.

What does this mean? Are you using a honey trap?
Xiang Yuan shook his head slightly, offering no comment on Liu Che's arrangement, intending to first see what the beauty looked like before offering his opinion.

If it were just an ordinary person, forgive his foul mouth, but he would have verbally abused Miss Jiang until she cried and ran back to Bozhou on the spot.

"Make way, hot water!"

"Oh no! Someone's farting! Everyone take a deep breath!"

"Master Jiang escaped through the back door."

Xiang Yuan overcame numerous obstacles and easily passed through the human wall. In front of the palace, he saw the Imperial Guards and tried using facial recognition. He found that his face was indeed useful and he could enter and exit the palace freely without verification. In front of a group of literati, he ignored the main gate and climbed over the wall into the palace.

"..."xN
The leader of the Imperial Guards' eyes twitched, realizing something was wrong.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, the whole street erupted in chaos.

"Are you blind? That kid climbed over the wall and got in!"

"Judging by his quick and skillful movements, he must be a repeat offender. You guys hurry up and go in to arrest him!"

"Let me in, I want to protect Grandma Jiang."

"I am the son of the prime minister, who dares to stop me!"

"I am a member of the royal family. I want to see my cousin!"

In front of the palace, a dense crowd surged forth, rushing towards the main gate like a tidal wave. At the command of the Imperial Guard leader, they first seized the prime minister's son, then the imperial relatives.

After arresting a few ringleaders, the crowd quickly calmed down.

We need to stay calm. That guy who claimed to be the prime minister's son just had his legs broken.

With their idol in front of them, the power of the fans was limitless. A few fearless individuals stepped forward to question why the flower thief was allowed to scale the wall and enter the palace. They threatened that if the matter wasn't clarified today, they would dare to lead another raid, even if it meant eating their New Year's Eve dinner in the prison.

The Imperial Guard leader pretended not to hear. His superiors had said that even if Xiang Yuan were to climb over the wall and enter the courtyard, or even if he were to rush into Jiang Yingjun's boudoir in the middle of the night, the Imperial Guard would have to shout for half an hour to drown out Jiang Yingjun's cries for help.

The leader of the Imperial Guards couldn't reveal who the person above was, as he was kneeling and receiving orders at the time and hadn't noticed the other person's appearance.

Inside and outside the wall are two different worlds. Xiang Yuan climbed over the wall into the courtyard, dusted himself off, and shook his head as he walked: "Junior brother, really, why is there so much dust on the wall? Doesn't he know that Master's true nature is to climb over walls into the courtyard?"

Inside the palace, as usual, apart from Xiang Yuan, there was not a single man. The palace maids who came and went were all quite beautiful, and when they saw him approaching from afar, they all bowed and paid their respects.

I saw it with my own eyes: this pretty boy was arm in arm with His Majesty, and although His Majesty clearly disliked him, he still tolerated it.

Several newly arrived maids of the Jiang family did not recognize Xiang Yuan, but seeing the palace maids bowing respectfully, they roughly guessed that he was the Liu clan member. After bowing in return, they indicated that Jiang Yingjun had been waiting for a long time and asked if Xiang Yuan had time to be summoned.

Empress Jiang Wang and Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che) had been married for many years, treating each other with respect and affection. Emperor Wu had tried out many concubines before, but ended the trial period hastily and eventually returned to Jiang Wang's embrace. Therefore, the Jiang family of Bozhou was the most powerful maternal relative in the dynasty.

As Jiang Wang's younger sister, Jiang Yingjun has the title of princess. Coupled with the prestige of Wuyou Valley and her own large fan base, it is no exaggeration to say that she is the apple of Northern Qi's eye.

Even so, Xiang Yuan's status as a member of the Liu clan still put her at a disadvantage. The proper etiquette of respect and hierarchy could not be reversed, and it was right for her to pay respects to Xiang Yuan.

Otherwise, if she dares to act like a diva today, the palace maids will dare to spread rumors tomorrow, and if the Jiang family genealogy is disturbed, she will be the first to suffer.

Involving royalty and aristocratic families, there are too many rules and intricacies involved. Xiang Yuan doesn't understand these things and is too lazy to bother with them. His main concern is simply to make himself happy. He tells the maids not to bother asking where Jiang Yingjun is, and he can just go there directly.

With a kind and gentle demeanor, the elders of the Liu clan immediately established themselves.

At least in the eyes of several maids, Xiang Yuan was a highly respected master and elder.

Xiangyuan embodies the concept of following the natural way, and the energy level can be high or low, just like an elevator. It can stop at whichever floor you want, from Grandmaster to Qi Refiner, depending on the situation.

He is currently on a floor where he is at the Nascent Soul stage.

The skill level is mediocre; a grandmaster is needed!

The maids, whose cultivation levels were average, could not discern Xiang Yuan's cultivation level. They only knew that their master had been persuaded to return by the Empress and that with the Liu clan members present, no one could harm a single hair on Jiang Yingjun's head.

What else could this be but a grandmaster?

As for Xiang Yuan's young appearance, the maids subconsciously overlooked it. He was already a grandmaster; how could they judge him by his appearance? They couldn't just assume he was eighteen or nineteen because he looked like it.

Xiang Yuan followed several maids to the back garden, where, under the pavilion by the fish pond and rockery, he saw a beautiful woman surrounded by admirers.

The woman had flawless fair skin, her black hair cascading down her thin, wispy veil, delicate eyebrows and captivating eyes that seemed to radiate a gentle glow. She wore a pale yellow dress, her waist so slender it could be encircled with one hand. As she conversed with her maid, she glanced back with a fleeting smile, revealing two shallow dimples that were utterly enchanting.

Her delicate features and refined elegance made her seem like a figure in a painting, without a trace of coquetry.

Princess Wenying, also known as Jiang Yingjun.

True beauty lies in the bone structure, not just the skin; true beauty is when fragrance permeates the bones.

Jiang Yingjun is undoubtedly a beauty with exceptional temperament. Her profound knowledge of calligraphy and painting overshadows her bright looks and graceful figure, making people want to emulate her elegance and chat with her about art the moment they see her.

Xiang Yuan was not included in this list. Jiang Yingjun's outstanding temperament could not overshadow his unique style. He secretly thought that the beauty trap was quite ingenious and that his junior brother Liu Che had put in a lot of effort.

only……

This plan underestimates Xiang Xiang somewhat. If he simply pulls up his pants and leaves, how could Liu Che possibly bring him back to marry him?

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

Seeing Xiang Yuan approaching, Jiang Yingjun stepped forward, smiled without showing her teeth, and gave a slight bow: "Jiang Yingjun of the Jiang family greets her cousin."

"Cousin?"

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow: "I'm not surnamed Liu either. Is this how Liu Che introduced me?"

Furthermore, even if his real surname is Liu, he's still my cousin.

How old are you this year, young lady? I heard you debuted at sixteen and have been in the industry for ten years now, almost a full twelve years older than me.

"..."xN
The corridor was quiet. All the women, including Jiang Yingjun, kept their eyes down and pretended not to hear anything.

"I misspoke. After all, he is the emperor. I should address him as His Majesty Liu Che."

Xiang Yuan made a strong first impression, overpowering Jiang Yingjun's arrogance with his outstanding painting style. It was clear that this woman was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and she was aggressive in a calm and collected manner. If we didn't set the rules for our first meeting, who knows what kind of trouble she might cause on the way.

For example, she gets tired after walking only a few steps and insists that her bodyguard carry her and massage her feet.

For example, late at night in the middle of nowhere, someone suddenly shouts that they want to take a bath. They insist on using local spring water from Bozhou, collected by their bodyguard in the first rays of morning sunlight. Idols are all like that, so we have to set some rules, otherwise Jiang Yingjun might really dare to ride roughshod over him.

On the familiar track, Jiang Yingjun lost her temper as soon as they met.

Liu Che was just a nobody in his heart, someone his master and senior brothers could beat up at will. But in Northern Qi, especially in the Golden Palace, he had a chair under his butt, so speaking loudly was still very effective.

Xiang Yuan kept mentioning Liu Che, and Jiang Yingjun kept her head down the whole time, not daring to even smile obsequiously. The maids and servants around her were even more silent, not daring to utter a sound when they saw their young mistress being bullied by Xiang Yuan.

A moment later, Xiang Yuan finished establishing the rules and was very satisfied with Jiang Yingjun's performance. He patted his bottom and turned to leave, saying, "I promised His Majesty that I would escort Lady Jiang to the Western Chu capital. I have some influence there, so I can guarantee you a worry-free journey."

His own ass.

After Xiang Yuan left, the maids and servants raised their heads and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Jiang Yingjun gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly. Just as her Empress sister had said, this man was strong and vigorous.

Upon arriving in the capital, Jiang Wang dismissed the Jiang clan master and indicated that a member of the Liu clan would protect Jiang Yingjun. The latter, being extremely intelligent, immediately realized that something was amiss.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Jiang clan master is family, so why not use a member of the Liu clan instead?

After some questioning, Jiang Yingjun suspected that she had been set up on a blind date and raised her doubts, which made Jiang Wang cover his mouth and chuckle.

What are you thinking? Would your sister ever harm you?
You wouldn't like this man, let alone fall for him!

The Empress is sharp-tongued and has a negative opinion of Xiang Yuan because of his flirtatious remarks. In addition, her master, Miao Qiong, has been detained in Benxindao, and the rumors circulating outside are quite bad. It's impossible to expect her to say a few words of praise when describing Xiang Yuan.

Besides, she couldn't find any good points to praise, describing Xiang Yuan as having a very energetic appearance, just like a real person.

From a subjective perspective, it explains the objective facts.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yingjun immediately had an idea. In order to prevent being bullied by the Liu clan members on the way, she prepared to take the initiative and overwhelm Xiang Yuan in terms of momentum.

The result wasn't good; Xiang Yuan kept mentioning Liu Che, and she couldn't even keep up with the conversation.

Feeling that this journey had been difficult, Jiang Yingjun sighed softly and decided to go to the palace to ask if she could exchange her for a member of the Liu clan.

It's definitely not possible to replace it.

On the night Xiang Yuan arrived at the palace, Liu Che and Jiang Wang arrived in plain clothes. Xiang Yuan pulled the former to a corner to whisper to each other, while the latter accompanied Jiang Yingjun, showing their sisterly affection.

"Junior brother, what's going on? I only helped you out of consideration for our fellow disciples. How could you bear to use your beauty to seduce me?"

Xiang Yuan put his arm around Liu Che's shoulder and exerted a little force, making Liu Che unable to move.

Those who reach the level of a grandmaster possess innate superhuman strength and further refine their skills.

After Xiang Yuan demonstrated his strength, Liu Che realized that Xiang Yuan was no longer the same as before, and asked in surprise, "Senior Brother, you have attained the power of the spirit realm?"

Such a good senior brother, yet Northern Qi couldn't use him. The more Liu Che thought about it, the more upset he became, and the more determined he became to prevent Western Chu from using him.

"Don't change the subject. I've inquired, and Jiang Yingjun is your sister-in-law's younger sister. You're using her as a honey trap; aren't you just harming your own family?"

At this point, Xiang Yuan changed the subject and asked curiously, "Junior brother, how did you persuade your wife? Tell me, and teach your elder brother a couple of tricks!"

"Senior brother is joking. I have no intention of using a honey trap. As you know, the prerequisite for a honey trap is that the beauty takes the initiative to get close to me."

Liu Che smiled slightly: "Wen Ying is proud by nature and has entered the Dao through music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Senior brother, you... are capable of shouldering the responsibility of the country. She will not lower herself to take the initiative to get close to you."

"That's a misconception. There are many ways to use a honey trap. For example, you can do the opposite. I was attracted to her by her aloof and dismissive attitude. That's a possibility too," Xiang Yuan retorted.

Liu Che looked at Xiang Yuan quietly: "There have been women who treated me like this before, but I have forgotten what they looked like."

The top-tier domineering CEO says that such plots are all lies. Those in power don't like this kind of contrast; they prefer to keep their distance and not block the next batch of people from entering.

Xiang Yuan's face fell. He admitted that Liu Che's words made sense, but now that things had come to this point, he would continue to argue even if it meant going back on his word: "Brother, I am not only strong, but I am also quite knowledgeable in calligraphy and painting, especially in poetry, which I am very talented in."

Liu Che smiled but didn't reply, his eyes filled with contempt.

He respected Xiang Yuan's martial prowess, and at the same time marveled at Xiang Yuan's exceptional talent for cultivation, having reached the level of a Grandmaster at the Tongyou stage at the age of eighteen, making him a unique genius throughout the world.

Similarly, Xiang Yuan devoted all his talent and energy to cultivation, so he had no time to study calligraphy and painting.
He even wrote a poem!
That's hilarious! Try making one yourself!
"This is outrageous! Who do you think you are? I'm doing this right now, right in front of you..."

Xiang Yuan was furious and was about to say to the emperor, "The truly great men are those of today," when he suddenly realized his mistake and thought to himself that he had almost fallen for Liu Che's provocation.

You scoundrel, you're truly a follower of the Daoist Heart, already plotting against your senior brother!

It's better not to create these poems!

“Junior brother, you are right. I am a Chu person, a barbarian, and I do not understand poetry and songs.”

On the other side, in the sisterhood group, Jiang Yingjun saw Xiang Yuan gripping Liu Che's neck with great force, seemingly murdering the emperor. Her eyelids twitched in shock, and she sent a telepathic message to Jiang Wang, asking if this was really okay.

"Don't worry, sister. If it were really regicide, I would have become the Empress Dowager not long ago. There would be no need for this now."

"..."

Sister, what are you saying? I don't understand. Can you speak in a way that a normal person can understand?

Jiang Yingjun's heart raced. As intelligent as she was, she deduced from the few words she gleaned that Xiang Yuan had indeed beaten Liu Che, and almost killed him.

She shook her head slightly, dispelling the disrespectful thought, and asked curiously, "Sister, why have I never heard of this member of the royal family before? Which senior member of the royal family is he, and why is His Majesty so afraid of him?"

"Not a senior, but..."

Jiang Wang stopped midway through her sentence. Liu Che disliked the identity of a disciple of the Benxin Dao sect, finding it unclean, and she disliked it as well, so they decided to drop the topic.

"Sister, say something!"

“He is a distant relative of His Majesty. His surname is Xiang and his given name is Yuan. He is eighteen years old this year, a few years younger than you.”

"???"

Eighteen-year-old grandmaster, sister, are you talking in your sleep?
Jiang Yingjun looked at him with disbelief, but after a moment she suddenly realized: "I understand what you're thinking, sister."

"What do you unserstand?"

“This man is exceptionally talented and has a bright future. If Yingjun were to become his wife, the Jiang family would be secure for a hundred years.”

"..."

Oh right, how come I didn't think of that?

No, little sister, you're overthinking it. I really have no intention of pushing you into a fire pit.

Jiang Wang smiled as he looked at Jiang Yingjun, whose face was resolute and seemed to have made up her mind. He transmitted his voice and said, "Can my sister tolerate talking to a brick wall, sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams, and having a husband who is full of foul language?"

Jiang Yingjun's expression froze, and she shook her head repeatedly, indicating that it was too difficult.

"Sister, I'll say it again, it's not a honey trap..."

Jiang Wang glanced at the distance and, though he didn't tell him the truth, he did remind him: "Just do as you please. Once you're in Xichu, pretend he doesn't exist."

"To be honest, if he had read a few books, even if he were to feign sophistication, his talent would be enough to win my heart," Jiang Yingjun told the truth.

Arrogance doesn't mean a lack of intelligence. Compared to an eighteen-year-old grandmaster, her achievements are nothing. If they weren't truly incompatible, forcing it would only lead to a dilemma. She herself is even considering using her beauty to seduce him.

"No, once he opens his mouth, you'll lose all interest."

"That's true."

Jiang Yingjun wholeheartedly agreed. She had seen Xiang Yuan speak, and his words had hurt her deeply. He was a standard person who didn't want to waste a single word on someone he didn't agree with.

Expecting someone like that to be eloquent and possess extraordinary talent to win her admiration and love is like hoping the sun rises in the west.

In short, it's impossible!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote for me at the beginning of the month!

(End of this chapter)