Spring Studio Hermit

Imperial Preceptor Zhang Lanhe's voice was pleasing and beguiling, like heavenly music rising from the strings of a zither.

To everyone listening, however, it sounded like a death warrant.

Why had the Imperial Preceptor come here?!

This was a horror story.

Everyone present visibly stiffened, watching helplessly as Zhang Lanhe approached. They stared at one another, at a loss for words.

The air at the hunting grounds suddenly grew heavy and suffocating.

This felt less like a hunting ground than an execution ground where they had come to await beheading.

At the sight of Zhang Lanhe, they screamed inwardly, Hasn't the Imperial Preceptor always disliked crowded gatherings like this? What is he doing here? Surely he hasn't come to shoot one of us at random because he doesn't like the look of us?

They recalled all the monstrous rumors about Zhang Lanhe circulating in Capital City and suddenly felt that they might not be groundless.

The Imperial Preceptor really was capable of something like that.

He had personally executed several rebellious princes. What wouldn't he dare do?

Who knew what madness had possessed the emperor to insist on supporting this lineage of Imperial Preceptors through successive generations, making their position unassailable? Now he had nearly gambled away his empire over it.

This Imperial Preceptor had a mad streak, very much like his predecessors.

Had they known he was coming, they would have stayed away.

Everyone present turned resentful eyes on the Eighth Prince, Xie Tingchun, their glares practically carving him up.

You bastard, you set us up!

Have you been sick of us for ages? Did you invite us all here while the Imperial Preceptor was in a foul mood so he could wipe us out in one go?!

They had best be wary of such an insidious villain. Whichever prince they supported, it could not be the Eighth Prince.

For the first time in his life, Xie Tingchun, who had committed every kind of misdeed, felt utterly wronged. He had been saddled with an enormous blame for nothing.

He had never intended to invite the Imperial Preceptor. He was planning to assassinate Xie Huizhou-wouldn't bringing the Imperial Preceptor here just make trouble for himself?

The Eighth Prince felt wronged, yet could not speak up in his own defense.

After turning it over in his mind, he decided this was still Xie Huizhou's fault. If not for his scheme against him, he would never have held the Spring Hunt, and none of this would have happened today.

A scourge like that could not be allowed to remain. He was a Calamitous Lone Star, born to oppose him.

Besides that, the Eighth Prince was also curious about why the Imperial Preceptor had come to a gathering at the hunting grounds.

Imperial Preceptor Zhang Lanhe had never liked crowded places, let alone an event for giving gifts to one's beloved. It did not suit his solitary ways.

Back at the National Preceptor's Residence, he had remembered a colleague mentioning that the elusive, mysterious youth seemed to enjoy lively gatherings. With a little luck, he might run into him.

Zhang Lanhe had nothing else to do anyway, so he had simply come to join the fun. Perhaps there would be an unexpected delight.

And so he had appeared.

When no one spoke, Zhang Lanhe asked a question he already knew the answer to, his smile thoroughly malicious. "Why is no one speaking? Am I someone frightening? How remiss of me to spoil everyone's fun."

His lips spoke of his own fault, but the murderous intent in his eyes said otherwise.

With Zhang Lanhe having said that, no one present dared actually leave him hanging.

Someone racked his brains and came up with a plausible excuse. "We were discussing some paintings. We feared such indecent matters would sully Your Excellency's ears, so we hardly dared say much."

"What is wrong with the paintings?"

Zhang Lanhe wondered what paintings in the world could possibly be indecent. This was plainly an excuse made up on the spot.

He pressed further, determined not to stop until he had forced them to explain themselves.

Zhang Lanhe had grown accustomed to watching people obey him despite their terror during his dull days. It counted as a pastime.

Even if it sent his already precarious reputation crashing down still further.

Who cared?

He was not human, after all. He had no human moral constraints and cared nothing for something as intangible as reputation.

"They're Spring Palace Paintings by an artist called Spring Studio Hermit. Please don't ask any more, Your Excellency. Spare us juniors a little dignity!" The man blushed and stammered for quite some time before reluctantly admitting it. "Disreputable stuff. We only look at it occasionally."

Spring Studio Hermit was a renowned painter whose reputation in Capital City was mixed.

His painting was exquisitely accomplished and full of spirit. To those who knew the craft, he was born to wield a brush, and many famous painters in Capital City would offer praise upon seeing his work.

Unfortunately, he never painted anything respectable. He devoted himself entirely to Spring Palace Paintings and had strayed down the wrong path.

No one had ever known who Spring Studio Hermit was. Looking at his work, some thought he was simply an impoverished artist short of money, hiding in some dilapidated house and painting to make a living.

They all chimed in, "Yes! That's who we were discussing."

"Spring Studio Hermit?"

Zhang Lanhe had heard that name from his colleagues and had a rough idea of what it referred to, but he had never had much interest in Spring Palace Paintings.

Hearing so many people discuss the matter piqued his interest. He was interested in all intriguing new things. Later, he would have his subordinates buy some for him to look at.

Even if he disliked them, he could keep them. Someone was bound to like them someday.

Xie Huizhou, who had been hiding in a tent enjoying the spectacle, began looking shifty the moment he heard the name "Spring Studio Hermit."

"Why are they talking about me again?"

Spring Studio Hermit was one of Xie Huizhou's aliases.

After all, much of what he drew consisted of erotic tales. As someone who cared somewhat about his reputation, Xie Huizhou truly did not dare use his real name and used a whole assortment of pseudonyms instead.

Spring Studio Hermit was the more refined one. The others were so bizarre and outrageous that no one could possibly connect them to him.

Fortunately, they only discussed it briefly, and Xie Huizhou finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Huizhou noticed that everyone seemed rather afraid to meet Zhang Lanhe's eyes.

Xie Huizhou was not intimidated in the slightest and could not resist taking a few extra looks. He stared at his silver hair for so long that even Zhang Lanhe noticed the burning gaze behind him.

"The Imperial Preceptor doesn't like people staring at his hair and eyes. Don't go looking for trouble." Li Xu dragged back Xie Huizhou, who had been peeking with outrageous audacity. "I never imagined you were so brazenly lustful. You even dare covet the Imperial Preceptor."

The Imperial Preceptor was indeed a great beauty, but most people could think of nothing but running for their lives when they saw him.

Zhang Lanhe was different from ordinary people, and many regarded him as a monster. There were even rumors in Capital City of sightings of a monster roaming about. Had he not been the Imperial Preceptor, those rumors would have grown ever more rampant.

Silver hair and unusual eyes-inauspicious.

People liked belonging to a group and instinctively rejected those around them who were utterly different.

Zhang Lanhe disliked the strange looks people gave him. He had gouged out the eyes of many who had shown him expressions of disgust.

People in Capital City firmly believed the claim that the Imperial Preceptor was a monster who brought harm to others.

"You all think he's a monster, but I happen to think he's an auspicious sign." As a lover of silver hair, Xie Huizhou disagreed. Relying on the fact that everyone in the tent was on his side, he began airing his opinions. "His silver hair is beautiful, like a waterfall cascading down a mountain amid clouds and mist. His eyes are the most beautiful jade."

Xie Huizhou was enthusiastically singing his praises when everyone around him suddenly fell silent, making faces to signal that he should stop talking recklessly and look behind him.

Xie Huizhou's heart lurched.

This is bad.

He turned to find Zhang Lanhe standing behind him with an unreadable expression. Zhang Lanhe stared at him and smiled.

"So this is how you see me, Ninth Prince."