Chen Ke avoided Lu Changfeng's gaze and said vaguely, "This student isn't quite sure either. Perhaps someone is coveting the treasures in the exhibition hall."
Lu Changfeng looked at Chen Ke suspiciously, but didn't ask any further.
He just intuitively felt that Wu Jiutian's sudden letter to him seemed to be related to Chen Ke.
Chen Ke had his reasons for not speaking, or perhaps he simply knew nothing.
"Master Mo Lin's notes are in the third display case on the left," Lu Changfeng said, turning and leaving.
The exhibition room quieted down. Chen Ke walked to the third display case, put on white gloves, and took out a thin bound volume of manuscripts.
The contents of the manuscripts were very interesting, mostly about illustrations and appreciating stones, elegant and witty.
Chen Ke read with great interest, unknowingly reaching the last page.
With his extraordinary photographic memory, reading was memorizing simultaneously, as natural as eating and drinking, as natural as breathing, almost an instinct.
Chen Ke picked up another notebook and began flipping through it with great interest.
This one was about sword forging, from the selection of materials and preparation before forging, to the various steps of sword forging, and the consecration and decoration after forging—it was a bit verbose.
It seemed that when Master Mo Lin recorded these notes, he was still exploring the art of sword forging, hence the less rigorous and concise language.
After patiently finishing it, Chen Ke picked up a third notebook.
In the quiet showroom, only the rustling sound of Chen Ke turning the pages could be heard.
Time passed quietly, and before he knew it, dusk had fallen.
Chen Ke put down the notebook and rubbed his slightly throbbing temples.
He had already read more than half of Master Mo Lin's notes; there were no unexpected surprises, but Chen Ke had also gleaned some true insights from them.
It's hard to describe in words. For Master Molin, any exploration and experimentation, any "unorthodox" pursuit, was a path to finding the Great Dao.
Master Molin hid his insights and understandings in these texts, some lengthy, some witty.
"It seems I'll have to come more often," Chen Ke thought.
He had to come often; only by seeing Master Molin's own writing could he feel the flow of that spirit and find the opportunity for enlightenment.
No copy was useful; even if Chen Ke memorized the content perfectly, it wouldn't matter. The spirit was what mattered most.
"Oh dear, I have a banquet to attend tonight!"
Chen Ke suddenly remembered something, put down the notebook he had just picked up, tidied the display case, and hurriedly went outside.
Night fell, and the lanterns were lit. The gates of the Third Prince's inn were brightly decorated.
One after another, magnificent carriages drove from the alleys, and one after another, splendid nobles alighted from their carriages and entered the magnificent inn.
The banquet was held in the main hall of the post station. In the vast space, hundreds of small tables were neatly arranged, and many people were already sitting cross-legged at them, whispering with the nearby dignitaries.
Chen Ke arrived neither early nor late, and the moment he entered the banquet hall, he clearly felt the atmosphere turn cold.
This was understandable; when Chen Ke was escorting exiled dignitaries, he had made some remarks that caused a huge uproar in the capital.
Countless young men were eager to join the army, and even the Crown Prince was misled. Countless brothels and restaurants were vandalized, especially the red-light district by Xuanwu Lake, which was almost completely razed to the ground by impetuous patriotic youths.
Most of these properties belonged to the dignitaries; not only did they suffer financial losses, but their entertainment industry also suffered a heavy blow.
Now, even if the dignitaries wanted to go out and indulge in debauchery, they had to do it secretly; what should have been a glamorous and romantic affair had become like that of a thief.
What the powerful and wealthy were most intolerant of was that the new emperor, too, had been misled by Chen Ke and insisted on guarding the nation's borders and personally leading the army.
How could the powerful and wealthy remain indifferent to the emperor's personal command?
Naturally, they encouraged their younger relatives to join the emperor's personal guard.
Although this was an opportunity to get close to the emperor, war always meant death, and the powerful and wealthy were understandably worried.
This worry and inner conflict naturally led them to blame Chen Ke.
Furthermore, they already looked down on nouveau riche like Chen Ke, so how could they possibly give him a friendly look?
Chen Ke didn't care about any of this. Ignoring the strange looks from the powerful and wealthy, he was led by a servant to his small table.
As expected, his seat was on the far side; any further and he'd be out of the way.
The cushion was old, with greasy stains, clearly revealing its owner's pettiness.
Chen Ke, of course, didn't mind. He took a futon from his ring space, placed it on the table, and sat down.
"The Prince of Guangyang has arrived!"
"The Duke of Lu has arrived!"
"The Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy has arrived!"
"Elder Yifan has arrived!"
"The Princess of Qin has arrived!"
More and more guests arrived, their ranks rising higher and higher, much to the delight of the nobles who had arrived earlier.
Everyone repeatedly stood up, bowing respectfully to the dignitaries. The arrival of the Princess of Qin, in particular, invigorated the younger nobles, who wished they could grow three feet taller to catch her eye.
It was a pity, however, that although the Princess of Qin wore a magnificent long dress, her face remained veiled, preventing anyone from glimpsing her stunning beauty.
The princess's demeanor was naturally elegant and noble, her aura powerful and undeniable. Wherever she went, everyone bowed respectfully; even the most senior figures set aside their airs and nodded in greeting.
Then, everyone gradually realized something was amiss. Wasn't the princess's seat at the very front, next to the Third Prince? Why had she gone to the very back?
Oh no, this is bad! The princess has gone to Chen Ke!
This... wasn't this a blatant slap in the face to the Third Prince?
Amidst the astonished gazes of countless people, Princess Qin indeed walked up to Chen Ke and smiled slightly: "We've arrived."
"We've arrived." Chen Ke nodded with a smile, his gaze lingering for a moment on Princess Qin's alluring figure.
"Flirtatious!" Princess Qin's face flushed red, she glared at Chen Ke angrily, and turned to leave.
Chen Ke felt half his body go weak, grinning from ear to ear, completely ignoring the countless murderous glares directed at him.
When Princess Qin sat down in her designated spot, everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they had no right to interfere in Princess Qin's marriage, they were unwilling to see the princess openly slap the Third Prince's face.
The Third Prince of the Purple Eagle Dynasty was now one of the strongest contenders for the throne and was likely to become the King of the Purple Eagle Dynasty in the future.
It was precisely for this reason that the important figures of Great Xia City had accepted the invitation, as if offering an extra incense stick.
"The Third Prince has arrived!"
The announcer's drawn-out voice rang out, and the Third Prince, Yin Tianzheng, dressed in magnificent robes, strode confidently into the banquet hall.