Qin's Moon: I'm really not the Holy Lord of the Demonic Sect

Chapter 74 The Empress Dowager's Curiosity

"Excellent, excellent, excellent! Envoy Han's painting skills are unparalleled in the world. Perhaps in the near future, there will be another painter among the Hundred Schools of Thought. The painting is excellent, and the people in the painting are even better."

Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, an elderly man dressed in magnificent robes stepped out from behind the curtain, clapping his hands and laughing, showering Yang Che with praise.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister." Gan Luo immediately stepped forward and bowed upon seeing the newcomer, and the other envoys from various countries also bowed to him.

For the envoys of various countries, with the King of Qin not yet in power, Lü Buwei was more capable of determining the war and peace of their respective countries in the coming years. Therefore, no envoy dared to be negligent in the face of Lü Buwei, not even the unyielding Zhao or the stubborn Chu.

"No need for formalities, everyone. This is a private banquet hosted by me, so there's no need to stand on ceremony," Lü Buwei said with a smile.

He was quite old, with many wrinkles on his face. His gaunt appearance made his nose appear even more prominent, and his eyes, which seemed to see right through people, made him look like an eagle. Though old, he was even more majestic.

"The envoy's memorial text was already exceptional, and his painting skills were also superb. Korea is truly a land of outstanding people and resources. Speaking of which, I was also born in Korea and grew up in Yangdi," Lü Buwei recalled.

"So it turns out that Your Excellency is from Yangdi. I also grew up in Yangdi, right by the Ying River," Yang Che said in a friendly tone, as the two were from the same hometown.

However, this kind of hometown sentiment is useless when it comes to serious matters. Back then, Zhang Yi of Wei never hesitated to deal with Wei.

"The Ying River, I used to fish in it back then, but now that I think about it, it's been many years since I last saw it," Lü Buwei sighed.

When the envoys from the various states saw that Yang Che and Lü Buwei were chatting about their hometowns, they didn't dare to interrupt. The key point was that they couldn't get a word in edgewise anyway. However, they did feel envious of Yang Che's circumstances. With this connection, it would undoubtedly be much easier for Yang Che to act in the Qin state.

With Lü Buwei's arrival, the banquet was drawing to a close. After some pleasantries, the banquet finally ended late at night.

Despite Lü Buwei's earnest entreaties, Yang Che had no choice but to stay overnight at the Prime Minister's residence. At this point, it was clear to everyone that Lü Buwei intended to win over Yang Che.

The Prime Minister's residence covered a vast area, and Yang Che, as the envoy of the State of Han and a guest personally invited by Lü Buwei, naturally received the highest level of treatment.

With servants waiting for him and maids greeting him, Yang Che could even have singing and dancing girls warm his bed if he wished. Unfortunately, Yang Che was not interested in these women used to entertain guests in the Prime Minister's residence. He simply washed up and went to sleep peacefully.

While the young Yang Che had already gone to bed early, the elderly Lü Buwei was still working hard.

"Your Excellency, why are you treating that Han envoy with such courtesy?" In the spacious study, Gan Luo faced Lü Buwei with a puzzled expression.

Their original plan was to expose Yang Che's lies, but at tonight's banquet, Lü Buwei confirmed Yang Che's innocence.

That eulogy had already gained considerable fame thanks to the efforts of Lord Chang'an's faction, and its fame would only grow even greater after tonight's banquet, which was clearly contrary to their expectations.

"I changed my mind as soon as I saw that painting," Lü Buwei said thoughtfully. Gan Luo's probing of Yang Che at the banquet was originally at his behest, but as things unfolded, he changed his mind.

"Why is that?" Gan Luo asked, puzzled. He was still a young man, and what he cared about was winning or losing, not profit.

"His eulogy may benefit Lord Chang'an, but Your Majesty is also the grandson of Empress Dowager Xia. What good would it do us, or Your Majesty, to insist on proving that the eulogy is fake? Besides, we now have this painting, which is the best painting I have ever seen in my life."

Lu Buwei looked at the peach blossom painting that was already hanging in front of him, and even though he had admired it for a long time, he still couldn't hide his amazement.

"With this painting, proving the memorial is genuine would undoubtedly be much easier, so why choose the difficult path instead?"

"This trend has already started, and it's too troublesome to stop it. What's more in our interest is to take advantage of this trend to our own benefit."

As Gan Luo listened to Lü Buwei's account, he pondered deeply, constantly reflecting on the profound mystery within.

He was not only the youngest son of the prime minister's family, but also practically a disciple of Lü Buwei, who was willing to explain these things to him.

"So, Your Excellency is planning to help the Han envoy gain fame?" Gan Luo said suddenly, then felt a little envious. Although he had won the title of genius at a young age, it was precisely because of this that he cared more about fame. At this moment, he had already guessed Lü Buwei's plan, and naturally felt envious of Yang Che.

"Indeed, there are clever people on Chang'an Jun's side who know how to promote the memorial text, but they have forgotten that this memorial text was written by Yang Che. Chang'an Jun's side started with the memorial text, so we will start with the owner of the memorial text. Tomorrow I will send this painting to the Empress Dowager's palace and use the Empress Dowager's connections to spread the fame of this painting."

"At that time, everyone will associate the eulogy with this painting, and then think of Yang Che, who will be one of our men," Lü Buwei said.

"In that case, it's actually a good thing for Envoy Han," Gan Luo said with a hint of envy.

"This person is extraordinary. Even if he cannot become a famous minister, he is enough to become a famous scholar. South Korea is a land of culture and civilization. Although the country is small, every ten years a person will appear who will become famous throughout the world."

Yang Che was unaware that Lü Buwei had decided to help him make a name for himself, but this made his plan go much smoother.

The fastest way for an artist to gain fame is to rely on the power of those in power. This was true in the state of Korea, and it was also true in the state of Qin. However, compared to the small stage in Korea, the stage in Qin was much wider.

With the support of the Qin rulers, the name of the Flower School will spread throughout the seven kingdoms in a very short time.

The stage determines the height, and the height determines the speed at which fame spreads.

The next day, Yang Che was invited by Gan Luo to visit the Prime Minister's residence. Through Gan Luo's introduction, he met many of the Prime Minister's retainers, including several famous figures.

Lu Buwei, meanwhile, took Yang Che's painting of peach blossoms to the Qin palace early in the morning to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager Zhao Ji.

"This painting is so lifelike!" When the palace maid presented the Peach Blossom Painting to Zhao Ji, the wealthiest woman in Qin couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Women love beauty the most, and even an empress dowager is no exception.

Especially as she grew older, Zhao Ji, nearing forty, could clearly feel her appearance fading. If only she could record her appearance...

Thinking of this, Zhao Ji was already itching to try it, and quickly asked Lü Buwei, "Who painted this picture? How come I didn't know that there was such a skilled painter among the retainers of the Prime Minister's mansion?"

Lu Buwei looked at Zhao Ji, who was only admiring the beauty of the painting but not asking about its meaning, and felt somewhat helpless. Zhao Ji was not qualified to be the empress dowager, but on the other hand, it was precisely because Zhao Ji was not qualified to be the empress dowager that she was easier to control and his power could be more stable.

Therefore, faced with Zhao Ji's curiosity and questioning, Lü Buwei could only reply, "It was written by Yang Che, the envoy from Han."

"Yang Che, is that very—"

Zhao Ji suddenly understood, but when she tried to describe it, she was speechless and couldn't find the right words. After a while, she finally uttered a few words: "A handsome young man."

She was clearly present at Zhiyang Palace that day, but she had a deeper impression of Yang Che himself than of the eulogy.