Chapter 142: Wei Ziyuan

"Remember this, Chu Junhan can only like me!" Liu Yan'er said with a serious expression and an earnest little face.

"But... My Lady is the designated Crown Princess. Master said... said he would betroth you to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." The maid shrank her neck. Even out of fear, she had to fulfill her duty as a maid to remind her mistress.

Liu Yan'er sneered, no longer striking the maid. What Crown Princess? That was merely her father's intention...

"If I can marry Chu Junhan, father might not necessarily continue to support the Crown Prince."

At this thought, a fierce look flashed in the young girl's eyes. She, Liu Yan'er, was not some commodity for Liu Shuming to trade back and forth. She would prove that the Chu family was the right choice!

Inside the General's Manor, Chu Junhan had no time to spare for external gossip and rumors, focusing intently instead on diagramming the poems within a book.

"Mengmeng's seventh string corresponds to Wei, and the third string corresponds to Zi..."

Half an hour passed, yet the young man still held the poetry collection in his left hand and a brush in his right, humming a little tune while writing vigorously in a sweeping, dragon-flying style across the paper.

Tang Chen stood to one side, completely enthralled. He never imagined that the dashing young man before him was not only well-versed in the art of war, but also proficient in acoustics and rhythm, capable of transforming Fang Meng's musical score into a secret code.

"Done." Chu Junhan set down the writing brush and the books, clapping her small hands together with a look of undisguised triumph on her youthful face.

Tang Chen leaned in close, inspecting the few lines of sweeping, vigorous calligraphy on the desk, and could not help but praise the youth's exceptional penmanship: "Junhan's handwriting is truly magnificent."

The corners of Chu Junhan's lips curved into a faint smile. Her title as the foremost talented woman of Pingzhou in her past life was certainly not undeserved. She wondered if Liu Yan'er fancied this title?

"Lord Jiuling is none other than Wei Ziyuan, the ninth young master of the Pingzhou Wei family estate." Tang Chen held the slip of paper, his face full of perplexity. "Just a young master from an ordinary farming estate?"

"Investigate further. I refuse to believe his background is this simple. How could the son of a mere merchant stir up the currents of the entire realm?" Chu Junhan's expression turned solemn. The Jiuling Commerce Firm had lingered in the shadows for far too long; it was time to drag it out into the light.

Tang Chen acknowledged the order and departed with the paper.

Meanwhile, Chu Junhan walked out into the courtyard to practice archery. Arrow after arrow struck straight into the bullseye, drawing rounds of cheers from Yunyi.

"General, the eldest daughter of the Liu family, daughter of Chancellor Che, requests an audience."

The youth opened and closed her eyes, sighting the center of the target, pulled the bowstring taut with force, and released her hand carelessly as the arrow flew forth. "What is she here for?"

"Unknown, Miss Liu did not say." The soldier shook his head.

"Very well, let her in!" With that, Chu Junhan picked up another arrow, nocked it onto the bowstring, and aimed intently ahead.

A moment later, a graceful and slender young maid stood delicately before the youth, blocking the path to the target, her large eyes filled with a pitiful expression.

"Junhan..." Liu Yan'er stood there at a loss, twisting her hands together.

"Step aside!" The youth's voice was cold and detached, utterly devoid of any tender affection for the fair maiden.

Taohong stood behind Liu Yan'er, wanting to step forward to protect her mistress, but the memory of the slap she received earlier made her swallow her temper, fearing she might displease her mistress further.

Liu Yan'er stood at her wits' end. She had anticipated that her abrupt visit would be met with coldness from Chu Junhan, but she had never expected the youth's temperament to be so chillingly indifferent.

"Whoosh!" The sound of air being torn apart echoed. The youth's delicate hand relaxed, and the arrow grazed past Liu Yan'er's strands of hair, piercing deep into the target behind her.

Liu Yan'er's pupils dilated in terror as she collapsed limply to the ground.