Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 305 Murong Xue'er Asks for a Calligraphy

With her pregnant belly swollen, Wang Qingci arrived at the study door with the help of her maid. She was looking for Lu Chen to tell him that she was about to give birth and did not have the energy to manage Tingyu Tower, so she wanted to temporarily hand it over to the other sisters of the Wang family.

However, as soon as she reached the study door, she saw that the maid standing there had a flushed face. The maid then said, "Madam Wang, His Highness and Madam Lin have important matters to discuss and it is not convenient for them to see anyone else at the moment."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingci instantly understood what was going on.

Although Wang Qingci still exuded a seductive charm despite being pregnant, she had gained more maternal instincts due to her pregnancy, and she no longer felt jealous of Lu Chen doing such things.

Hearing faint sounds coming from the study, Wang Qingci stroked her large belly and said to it, "You mustn't be like your father in the future. That wicked man can't live without women all day long."

At this moment, Lu Chen was already stuck in the mud and couldn't get out. Although he had sensed that Wang Qingci was outside and had something to ask him, he still couldn't leave.

Wang Qingci didn't wait at the study door any longer. She believed that Lu Chen would know she had come, and that he would probably come to find her after he finished his business.

After Wang Qingci left, Lu Chen was busy for an unknown amount of time before Lin Wanyun, with her hair disheveled, finally emerged from the study carrying her torn dress.

Lin Wanyun felt that she should be more wary of Lu Chen from now on. Even if there was something, she would try not to come to the study to discuss it with Lu Chen.

This study is not a good place. Back then, Wang Qingci used to spend every day fooling around with Lu Chen in the old Prince's study. It's obvious that Lu Chen likes to do bad things in the study.

After Lin Wanyun left, Lu Chen called a maid and asked her to clean the study. Then he stayed in the study and wrote a memorial to the court.

Time flies, and three days is just a blink of an eye for Lu Chen.

Today is the day Murong Xue'er is holding a poetry gathering at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Many talented scholars have already gathered in the Hundred Flowers Garden.

In order to win the heart of the talented Murong Xue'er, they all displayed their talents.

Although Murong Xue'er had been serving as an envoy in Yancheng for several months, most people knew that she was a key minister by the side of the Empress of Dayue and the most trusted person in the Empress's life. Sooner or later, the Empress of Dayue would call her back.

In addition, many scholars and talented men had heard that Murong Xue'er was a dissolute woman, and that the reason she was banished to the Northern Kingdom by Emperor Yue was because she kept male lovers.

This gave the talented men hope. In their view, as long as they could win Murong Xue'er's favor, they might be able to become her intimate companions. Therefore, the talented men in the Hundred Gardens became even more eager to show off.

At this moment, Murong Xue'er, dressed in a white dress with black trim, walked to the second floor of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and glanced at the talented men below.

Murong Xue'er was dressed as usual today, but her simple and elegant attire only accentuated her aloofness and talent. Her temperament attracted all the scholars and literati in the Hundred Gardens, and people's eyes couldn't help but fall on her.

At this moment, Murong Xue'er spoke up: "Thank you all for attending the poetry gathering I am hosting. Today's gathering has several themes, and I have specially invited the Poet Immortal Wei Li to appreciate the poems of all the talented scholars."

Upon hearing this, the crowd stirred.

People were surprised that Murong Xue'er had even invited Wei Li, who, like Zhuge Chongguang, was an object of admiration for scholars throughout the land.

However, Wei Li has hardly had a fixed residence in recent years. People can see him in any dynasty, and Wei Li almost never accepts invitations from major dynasties, nor does he participate in any activities.

The poems by Wei Li that people know are all from before he became famous; Wei Li has hardly produced any new works since then.

Of course, this does not diminish Wei Li's revered image in the minds of literati.

Just then, an elderly man with white hair walked up to Murong Xue'er, and the crowd stirred again.

"It really is Senior Wei Li!"

"This is the first time I've heard of Senior Wei Li attending a privately organized poetry gathering like this?"

"I didn't expect Miss Murong to be able to persuade Senior Wei Li to join the Great Yue Dynasty. Could it be that Senior Wei Li is already planning to join the Great Yue Dynasty?"

"Didn't Senior Wei Li say in the past that he would not join any dynasty?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's tired of traveling around and is planning to settle down somewhere."

……

Amidst the murmurs and whispered to Murong Xue'er, "Miss Murong, are you sure the Northern King will attend this poetry gathering?"

Murong Xue'er smiled faintly and then said, "The Northern King has already agreed, and he will definitely come today."

Wei Li said, "Then I'll leave my matter to you."

Murong Xue'er said, "Senior Wei Li, rest assured, I will definitely find out about Senior Zhuge for you."

Wei Li and Zhuge Chongguang are considered two sacred mountains in the hearts of literati, but Zhuge Chongguang's reputation has always surpassed that of Wei Li.

For decades, Wei Li was unwilling to be inferior to Zhuge Chongguang, so he tried every means to surpass him. However, no matter what he did, Zhuge Chongguang remained the literary sage in people's hearts.

In the presence of Zhuge Chongguang, a literary sage, the title of "Poet Immortal" was nothing but a joke to him. Wei Li eventually gave up and began traveling to various countries, trying to find a way to break through before Zhuge Chongguang.

Unexpectedly, Zhuge Chongguang broke through to the next level before him, which dealt a heavy blow to Wei Li.

Both he and Zhuge Chongguang followed the path of attaining enlightenment through literature, so he constantly compared himself to Zhuge Chongguang. Zhuge Chongguang was the first to break through to the Celestial Realm, which was something he could not accept no matter what.

However, he recently heard that Zhuge Chongguang did not seem to have really broken through. There were rumors that Zhuge Chongguang had only entered the pseudo-Celestial Realm and was still far from the Celestial Realm. This gave Wei Li renewed hope of surpassing Zhuge Chongguang.

Just then, Murong Xue'er found Wei Li and invited him to her poetry gathering. After guessing Murong Xue'er's purpose, Wei Li wanted to use her to find out about Zhuge Chongguang's current situation from the Northern King. He really wanted to know if Zhuge Chongguang had not broken through to the Celestial Realm.

Soon, the poetry gathering began. In order to win Murong Xue'er's heart, the scholars and poets of the Hundred Gardens did their best to show off their talents.

Unfortunately, Murong Xue'er's attention was not on them at all. Although she had been sitting on the second floor, her mind was still preoccupied with whether Lu Chen would come.

As the poetry gathering passed its halfway point, Murong Xue'er went from being certain that Lu Chen would come to becoming somewhat worried. The Northern King had clearly told the person who delivered the invitation that he would come, so why hadn't she seen Lu Chen by this time today?

Could it be that something happened in the Northern Kingdom, or that there is a major operation in the Northern Kingdom, which prevents the Northern King from coming?

At this moment, the scholars and literati in the Hundred Gardens noticed that Murong Xue'er's expression seemed rather unpleasant, and she appeared somewhat unhappy. They assumed that their performance had been poor, which had displeased Murong Xue'er.

Come to think of it, although it's rumored that Murong Xue'er is somewhat dissolute and likes to keep male concubines, she is, after all, of such a high status and position, that the men she chooses must all be very outstanding, and her requirements would naturally be particularly high.

In order to make Murong Xue'er smile, the scholars and literati in the Hundred Garden tried even harder to show themselves off. After an unknown amount of time, Murong Xue'er looked at the group of men in the Hundred Garden who were trying so hard to show themselves off, and couldn't help but sigh slightly.

The poetry gathering was almost over, but the Northern King still hadn't arrived. It seemed unlikely that he would be returning today.

If we want to get close to the Northern King, we'll probably have to find another opportunity.

At this moment, Wei Li said from the side, "It seems that Miss Murong miscalculated today."

Just as Wei Li finished speaking, a voice suddenly came from the entrance of the Hundred Flowers Garden, "The Prince has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Hundred Flowers Garden was stunned.

Prince?

In the Northern Kingdom, the only person who would directly address someone as "Prince" is the Northern King, since the Northern Kingdom is the Northern King's fiefdom. If other vassal kings came to the Northern Kingdom, they would address them by their titles. For example, if the Prince of Qi came to the Northern Kingdom, people would definitely shout "The Prince of Qi has arrived."

Isn't the Northern King always busy?

He was either busy governing the Northern Kingdom or indulging in pleasure in his Northern King's Palace.

Why is he interested in attending this poetry gathering today?

But then again, the poetry gathering is almost over, so what's the point of the Northern King arriving now?

A short while later, a tall and handsome man dressed in white with a single ponytail entered the Hundred Flowers Garden.

Upon seeing Lu Chen appear, Murong Xue'er breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally come; she had thought he wouldn't be coming today.

As soon as Lu Chen entered the Hundred Flowers Garden, a maidservant rushed up to him and said, "Your Highness, my young lady invites you to a gathering on the second floor."

Hearing this, Lu Chen looked up at the second floor and met Murong Xue'er's gaze. Murong Xue'er smiled at Lu Chen.

Upon seeing this, the scholars and literati of Baihuayuan were instantly displeased. They had been trying their best to make Murong Xue'er smile, but she hadn't done so.

On the contrary, when the Northern King arrived, before he had done anything, he only glanced at Murong Xue'er, and a smile appeared on Murong Xue'er's face.

At this moment, Lu Chen followed the maid to the second floor.

Upon arriving on the second floor, Murong Xue'er immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Prince of the North."

Wei Li also said, "This old man pays his respects to the King of the North."

Lu Chen nodded and said, "No need for formalities."

Lu Chen then smiled and continued, "Miss Murong, I'm really sorry, something came up at the Prince's Mansion, so I'm late. I hope you don't mind."

Murong Xue'er said, "I don't mind at all. I am already honored that Your Highness could attend the poetry gathering I am hosting. How could I possibly mind?"

Just as Murong Xue'er finished speaking, a man below the Hundred Flowers Garden couldn't hold back any longer. He directly addressed Lu Chen on the second-floor balcony, saying, "Your Highness, I've heard that you are extremely learned and proficient in poetry, lyrics, and prose. I wonder if we would have the honor of witnessing Your Highness's talent today?"

Upon hearing this, Murong Xue'er was about to speak up for Lu Chen, but Lu Chen simply said, "Extensive knowledge?"

"Who told you that I am so learned?"

"As far as I know, in the eyes of the common people, I have always been an uneducated and lustful person."

Lu Chen's words left the person who had just spoken speechless.

At this moment, another man spoke up, "Today is a poetry gathering hosted by Miss Murong. Since Your Highness is also attending, why doesn't Your Highness compose a poem?"

People thought to themselves that the Northern King was an unlearned and incompetent person. What kind of poetry could he possibly write? If the Northern King couldn't write any poetry later, or if the poetry he wrote was utter nonsense, perhaps it would change Murong Xue'er's opinion of the Northern King.

Just as people were thinking this, Lu Chen said with a smile, "I came to the poetry gathering today, not to compose poems."

Immediately, someone from another dynasty said, "If Your Highness came to the poetry gathering not to compose poems, then what is it for?"

Upon hearing this question, Lu Chen turned to look at Murong Xue'er, a slight smile playing on his lips. "His true intentions are not in the wine, but in the beauty herself."

Upon hearing this, the crowd in the Hundred Gardens was instantly furious. Although they had also come for Murong Xue'er, they had at least followed the rules and hadn't directly expressed their thoughts. But the Northern King came and said such a thing.

Vulgar! Utterly vulgar!

Although the Northern King was vulgar, they dared not say anything about driving him out, after all, this was in the Northern King's fiefdom, and the Northern King was not a pushover. Those scholars and literati could only swallow their anger.

Lu Chen said, "Alright, I'm just here to watch the fun. You can continue your poetry recital."

Upon hearing Lu Chen's words, Murong Xue'er said, "Next, write a poem with snow as the theme."

As soon as Murong Xue'er finished speaking, the talented scholars continued to compose poems. Although they felt that the Northern King was somewhat of an eyesore, they had no choice but to continue.

In their view, Murong Xue'er's smile at the Northern King was perhaps simply because the Northern King was the ruler of the Northern Kingdom, and it was understandable that she would be polite to him on the land of the Northern Kingdom.

Moreover, Murong Xue'er invited the Northern King to the poetry gathering only to make the gathering more famous; Murong Xue'er had no good feelings towards the Northern King at all.

How could someone as vulgar as the Northern King possibly win the heart of the talented Murong Xue'er? They're just overthinking it.

Thinking about it this way, the scholars and writers felt much better, and the poetry gathering continued.

However, the poetry gathering ended quickly, and to the disappointment of the talented men, Murong Xue'er did not keep any of them.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen was invited to a room on the third floor. At this time, Murong Xue'er had not yet arrived on the third floor. Lu Chen sat in the room and glanced at the room's decorations.

The room is filled with flowers and plants, and the walls are covered with ink paintings and calligraphy, giving the whole room a scholarly atmosphere.

Lu Chen sat down at the table. A moment later, a maid entered the room with a pot of hot water. She poured Lu Chen a cup of tea and said, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. Our young lady has gone to take a bath and will be up soon."

Lu Chen smiled faintly and said, "Let your young lady take her time washing, there's no rush."

The maidservant replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

After pouring tea for Lu Chen, the maid said, "This servant will take her leave."

After the maid left, Lu Chen glanced at the teacup in front of him and guessed that there must be something in it.

Without hesitation, Lu Chen picked up the teacup and drank it down in one gulp. The next moment, he felt all the spiritual energy in his body concentrate in his dantian, and the water he had just drunk began to evaporate rapidly.

Lu Chen is now able to analyze the ingredients of the drug in a simple way. He immediately determined that it was a kind of aphrodisiac. Once a man takes this drug, he will most likely lose control of himself.

It seems that Murong Xue'er is planning to use her beauty to seduce her directly, and she is already prepared to offer herself to him.

A short while later, Murong Xue'er entered the room. Lu Chen was looking at a painting when he heard the door open. He turned to look at Murong Xue'er.

Murong Xue'er was dressed the same as before, still wearing a white dress with black trim, and her aloof temperament remained unchanged.

Seeing Lu Chen looking at the painting, Murong Xue'er smiled and asked, "Does Your Highness also desire an ancient painting?"

Lu Chen said, "I wouldn't say I like it, I'm just somewhat interested in it."

Lu Chen then said, "Miss Murong invited me to the poetry gathering; there must be something on her mind, right?"

Upon hearing this question, Murong Xue'er smiled faintly and then said, "I saw that Your Highness is vigorously promoting education for all citizens, enabling all children in the Northern Kingdom to read and write. I thought Your Highness was someone who liked poetry and literature."

Lu Chen said with a smile, "It seems that I have disappointed Miss Murong."

Lu Chen then said, "However, to be honest, I don't have much interest in poetry and literature, but I do have some interest in calligraphy."

At this point, Lu Chen walked to a calligraphy scroll hanging in the room.

Murong Xue'er then walked to Lu Chen's side, glanced at the calligraphy in front of him, and said, "If Your Highness likes this calligraphy, I will give it to you."

Lu Chen said, "I can't accept this."

Murong Xue'er said, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. During my time in Yancheng, I received your care and assistance. A piece of calligraphy is nothing to me."

Lu Chen said, "Alright then."

At this moment, Murong Xue'er suddenly thought of something and said, "Since Your Highness likes calligraphy, your handwriting must be quite unique. I would like to ask Your Highness to write a piece for me. Is that alright?"

Lu Chen said, "No problem."

Murong Xue'er then said, "Then I will grind the ink for Your Highness myself."

Then Murong Xue'er went to the desk in the room and began to grind ink for Lu Chen. Murong Xue'er bent over slightly, and from Lu Chen's angle, he could see Murong Xue'er's buttocks.

Seeing this, Lu Chen was slightly taken aback. This Murong Xue'er really knew how to flirt with men.

(End of this chapter)