The smile on Tang Xin's face was still warm. Although a trace of pride flashed through her eyes, she still kept a polite look on her face and turned to look at Prince Boren: "Your Highness, the three competitions have ended..."
Boren snorted and stood up. Although he was unhappy, he was a member of the royal family after all, so he still had some grace. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said slowly: "Today's competition was really exciting. Mr. Chen Xiao's skills Extraordinary and amazing. It’s a pity that today I didn’t get to see the unique skills of the sword master of the Shangchen family.”
He said this lightly, but he also put his mind into it, deliberately drawing a line between Chen Xiao and the Shangchen family. The implication is: This Chinese boy is the winner, and it is not your Shangchen family who is the winner.
Tang Xin didn't care, just smiled and didn't refute. Anyway, word spread that three sword masters came to challenge Xiongjiujiu, but they were defeated in despair - such rumors were enough. The Shangchen family is already prosperous enough, and they don't care about adding another record. However, in the current position of the Shangchen family, they can't lose, they can't afford to lose, as long as they don't lose today.
As for Prince Boren asking for some verbal concessions, he is a prince of the royal family, so it is up to him.
Boren had slowly walked down the inner hall. When he passed by Tang Xin, he paused slightly, as if he wanted to say something more, but finally held it back. However, there seemed to be a vague look in his eyes as he glanced at Tang Xin. He glanced at his heart, and then strode down the steps of the inner hall.
The sword masters of the Shangchen family below immediately fell to the ground and saluted, but Chen Xiao was the only one who still stood there.
"Mr. Chen Xiao." Prince Boren walked to Chen Xiao, then stopped and looked at Chen Xiao kindly. He knew the name "Nohara Shinnosuke". Chen Xiao was talking nonsense. As a prince, he naturally would not follow Chen Xiao's nonsense, so he directly called Chen Xiao by his real name. His expression was very kind and he actually walked over. He gently patted Chen Xiao on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Today, Your Excellency allowed me to see the superb martial arts of China. It is really amazing. If you have the opportunity, please give me some advice."
Give me some advice
People in the martial arts world, when it comes to belittling the opponent's "teaching", are probably challenging the opponent. But Prince Boren certainly didn't mean this. Chen Xiao was slightly startled, but the other party continued to smile: "I am quite interested in Chinese studies. I have read many Han classics since I was a child, and I have also read a few Buddhist scriptures. Yes. I am also very interested in the martial arts of China. When I say 'don't hesitate to teach me', I am not saying it politely. If there is an opportunity, please ask Mr. Chen Xiao to teach me. Although I am stupid, I will not be more stupid than Chiba. No. Chiba has found an excellent kendo teacher like you, and I’ll share it with you. Please don’t refuse!”
After saying that, he actually nodded to Chen Xiao.
It's really arrogant to openly poach someone in front of others. But he is a royal prince after all, and he has the qualifications to be so arrogant.
It's just that his original kendo teacher was Nishihira Kojiro. Today Nishihira Kojiro lost, and his value in Boren's eyes immediately dropped. Looking around Japan, there are not many first-class kendo masters who can surpass Nishihira Kojiro. However, those who are truly great masters, such as Takeuchi Fumzan, look down on Boren. Boren wants to overpower the Kamichen family. , seeing Chen Xiao showing such amazing abilities, he decided to target Chen Xiao.
As for Chen Xiao being Chinese, Boren had no worries. The Japanese royal family had always studied Sinology, and it was normal to hire a few private Chinese teachers. Besides, even Qianye Ye has already officially learned swordsmanship from Chen Xiao, so it’s not too unusual for him to do so.
This is why he firmly insists that Chen Xiao is a "Chinese master" and never mentions "a disciple of the Shangchen family".
Chen Xiao smiled faintly and did not answer. Boren was not angry either. On this occasion, in full view of everyone, he had an aloof status and openly recruited Chen Xiao. Naturally, others could not speak against him. But Chen Xiao couldn't answer, and he understood that. He just thought it was not convenient for Chen Xiao to speak. Anyway, he kept an attitude and would just send someone to contact him privately afterwards.
After saying that, he strode out of the yard without saying hello.
After leaving the courtyard, by the mountain path outside the Heart Sword Studio, many of his attendants were already waiting there. When one of the attendants saw his master coming out, he immediately came over respectfully: "Your Highness, Master Takamoto and Master Miyazawa. He has been sent down the mountain to recover from his injuries..."
Although Boren was angry at the two useless people, after all, the two were injured in the competition. If he didn't care, he would inevitably leave a mean and unkind tone, so he nodded, suppressing the impatience in his heart, and said warmly: " The two swordsmen have worked hard and sent people to the hospital to accompany them. Please be sure to ask the hospital to take good care of you."
The attendant was a little confused, and he asked rashly: "And... Master Nishihira Kojiro, he has already brought someone down the mountain first... "
Boren had already walked down the mountain path. After hearing this, a layer of frost suddenly appeared on his face, and he said coldly: "What a master! Humph, is that kind of trash worthy of being a master of the royal family?"
Originally, the teachers hired by the royal family were divided into master teachers and guest teachers. In order to show respect for the teacher, all "master teachers" who are responsible for teaching the children of the royal family will be respectfully called Master Fan. This "Master Fan" is not a formal title, but an informal honorific.
However, Takeuchi Fumzan's "Kendo Master Fan" is the "Master Fan" with the official title registered by the royal family.
Seeing the prince getting angry, the attendant was so frightened that he quickly shut his mouth. But he thought in his mind: Before coming, His Highness was very respectful to Nishihira Kojiro. He spoke "Master Nishihira's example" when he opened and closed his mouth, and he even personally performed the disciple ceremony. Now that Xiping has lost, he has become a "waste" in His Highness's eyes.
Accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. This principle has been true throughout the ages, both at home and abroad, and it is also true in Japan.
The current servant did not dare to say any more and followed him obediently, but did not dare to say another word about Nishihira Kojiro.
After reaching the bottom of the mountain, Prince Boren paused and looked back at the mountain. Beyond the cherry blossom forest, the Heart Sword Studio on the mountain was faintly visible. He pondered for a moment and ordered: "Tonight, take one. My name is, go pay a visit to that Chen Xiao and be polite. I remember that you are good at Chinese, so I will leave this matter to you, make sure it is done well!"
Then my heart moved, and I was worried that the weight was not enough. I touched it from my arms and took out a folding fan. This folding fan was a tribute from the royal family. It was of exquisite texture and it was a work of art. The fan bone was made of ivory and was beautifully carved.
He thought for a while and said casually: "Pen!"
He is a prince and the most likely heir to the throne. Wherever he goes, he is surrounded by a group of entourage, and the pomp is much greater than that of Prince Satouchi. Among the accompanying entourage, there were always people preparing various items. As soon as Boren opened his mouth, someone immediately held a wolf-hair brush dipped in thick ink in his hands.
Boren opened the folding fan and pondered for a moment. The attendant next to him immediately understood and hurriedly walked to the front, bent down, and flattened his back to serve as a desk table for His Highness the Prince.
Boren was indeed very accomplished in Sinology. He pondered for a moment and wrote two lines of ancient Chinese poetry on the fan:
But for your sake, I still ponder it.
This poem was written by Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It turns out that the poem mainly expresses the desire for a gentleman with both talents and virtues, which coincides with the meaning of the courtesy and virtuous corporal. It's just that it has been spread in China for thousands of years, and with the changes in culture, these two poems have gradually evolved into a flavor with a bit of affection between men and women.
However, Boren took these two lines from the poem here, but they also meant corporal courtesy.
He has a good foundation in calligraphy, and the two lines of poetry he wrote are smooth and powerful. It is obvious that he is also quite accomplished in calligraphy, and he is not some idiot.
After drying the ink, Boren took it in his hand and looked at it again. With a satisfied smile on his face, he handed the folding fan to the attendant: "This is my gift. Please help me give it to Chen Xiaojun."
The valet who always followed Prince Boren took the folding fan in his hand respectfully, thinking that when His Highness recruited Nishihira Kojiro, he also gave him a folding fan, but there was no inscription in his own hand. This time, he gave it to the Chinese and wrote two words in his own hand. A Chinese poem, it seems that in the eyes of His Highness, the weight of this Chinese is much higher than that of Kojiro Nishihira.
…
In the Heart Sword Studio, everyone from the Shangchen family has retreated. This time Chen Xiao came forward and defeated the three kendo masters who came to challenge him one by one. Suddenly, the sword masters of the Shangchen family looked at Chen Xiao very differently. They were full of hostility yesterday, but now they are much more affectionate, with a touch of respect and fear. The Japanese admire the strong, especially the three people who come to challenge are not weak. When Kojiro Nishihira takes action, it can be seen that he has made great achievements in kendo and has firmly entered the realm of top-notch swordsmen. Among the eight heroes of the Chen family, no one can reach that level.
And Chen Xiao, who defeated Xiping Kojiro, naturally made the eight heroes of Shangchen stand in awe.
Before Ito Dao left, he took a deep look at Chen Xiao, but his eyes were not friendly. It was obvious that although Tang Xin had vented his feelings about what happened today, he did not fully agree with it. It was just that the matter had reached this situation. , he couldn’t say much. Ito Kyo pushed Ito Dao out.
"Thank you, Chen Xiaojun." Tang Xin walked down slowly, still with a peaceful smile on her face, but she blinked, showing a bit of girlish naughtiness: "Or, I should call you, Nohara Mr. Shinnosuke?"
Chen Xiao chuckled, and then said: "I did you a favor, how can the Shangchen family thank me?"
Tang Xin took another look at Chen Xiao: "The matter is not over yet. If you want to get rewarded, you have to wait until the matter is finished."
Chen Xiao smiled and took a deep look at Tang Xin: "Aren't you afraid of seeking skin from a tiger?"
Tang Xin smiled: "I will go to the other courtyard tonight to teach you the basics of the Heart Sword Technique. As for how much you can understand, it depends on your understanding and talent."
Chen Xiao originally didn't have much interest in this kind of real martial arts. Today, he came to help mostly because he saw Tang Xin's face and felt sympathy for this poor girl.
However, after the battle with Nishihira Kojiro, my thoughts slightly changed - it seems that studying martial arts seriously is also quite beneficial. I have always relied on my powers to bully others, so when I meet a real master, I will inevitably suffer.
However, he didn't have much yearning for the Chen family's swordsmanship in his heart - there was a real master in the unfinished streets in China, General Tian. If he wanted to learn martial arts, he had to learn authentic Chinese martial arts.
After looking around and seeing no one around, Chen Xiao asked casually: "What's going on with Prince Boren? Mr. Takeuchi Fumzan is a master of swordsmanship in the royal family. Why does that prince seem to be so hostile to Senryu Palace?"
Tang Xin sighed and briefly introduced Boren's identity and status in the royal family.
Chen Xiao couldn't help but laugh after hearing this: "Ah! It turns out he is a person who may become the Emperor of Japan in the future! It's a pity that I didn't look at him twice just now. If he becomes the Emperor in the future, it will be difficult to get close to him. Such a person."
He made a joke, and then continued: "It's just that since he is such a special prince, why don't your Shangchen family get along with him? Is the relationship so tense?"
Tang Xin smiled bitterly: "Because... my grandfather."
Her voice was a little helpless: "My grandfather is the master of kendo in the royal family. In name, he is the kendo teacher of all the disciples of the royal family. He is responsible for teaching all the disciples of the royal family. Our Japanese kendo teachers do not just teach Swordsmanship also includes the 'way of the warrior', morals, principles, and many more. Moreover, as a master of swordsmanship in the royal family, my grandfather also has a certain say in front of His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty the Emperor occasionally. Meet with your grandfather and ask about the education of the royal children. If your grandfather says something good about someone, His Majesty the Emperor will naturally have a good impression of that person. On the contrary, if your grandfather says something bad about someone, then..."
Chen Xiao nodded: "I understand, it probably means a Taifu, but Takeuchi Wenshan is not a Wen Taifu, but a Wu Taifu. However, in this case, if that Boren is smart, he should make friends with you. That’s right, why are you so incompatible with Quanliu Palace?”
However, when faced with this question, Tang Xin did not answer. She just smiled and said nothing, with a somewhat strange look in her eyes.
Chen Xiao saw that Tang Xin was silent and it was not convenient for him to ask questions, but he couldn't help but think in his heart: Looking at that Boren, the look in Tang Xin's eyes was a little weird. Could it be that he likes Tang Xin? Lao Zhuuchi disagreed, so the two families got married. Have you taken revenge? This is quite possible.
Tang Xin had already skipped the topic and changed her words: "Bo Ren and his grandfather have a bad relationship. If it is a child of the royal family, it doesn't care about the emperor's impression. It's just that Boren is one of the candidates who has a chance to aspire to the throne. Naturally, he hopes that someone will My grandfather had a lot of good words in front of the emperor. Not only that, but also the evaluation of the imperial children by the Imperial Household Agency, etc., etc., my grandfather was able to speak. Now that our two families are not on good terms, Borito is naturally worried that his grandfather will continue to sit in the imperial palace. Kendo master Fan is sitting in his seat. Even though he cannot shake his grandfather's status, he must find a way to weaken his grandfather's influence on the royal family. The most effective way is to weaken the prestige of his grandfather and Izumi Ryugiya in the Japanese martial arts world. His grandfather is Japan's No. 1 It is not easy for a grandmaster to defeat his grandfather. But it can be done by weakening the prestige of Quanliu Palace. Weakening the prestige of Quanliu Palace is tantamount to slapping his grandfather in the face, making him unable to speak in the royal family. I can’t be stubborn anymore.”
After hearing this, Chen Xiao nodded and had an idea in his mind.
…
During the day, Ito Kyo came over to accompany Chen Xiao for another day. He traveled around the mountains and rivers and wandered around Kobe City for a day. However, before the sun went down, Chen Xiao returned to the annex on the mountain of Senryu Palace early. I made an appointment with Tang Xin that Tang Xin would come over to teach him the art of heart sword in the evening.
After sending Ito Kyo away, Chen Xiao sat in the yard and waited quietly. Thinking of Tang Xin's late-night visit last night, he couldn't help but have some vague expectations in his heart. He couldn't help but laugh at himself slightly about his own mentality.
But the sun had just gone down when someone came to visit outside the yard, but it was not Tang Xin, but a strange young man.
The man behaved respectfully and was accompanied by two disciples from Senryu Palace.
The man walked into the courtyard gate, saluted Chen Xiao respectfully, then took two steps back, bowed slightly, and said in an extremely polite tone: "Mr. Chen Xiao, our Highness the Prince will meet with Your Excellency during the day. , I am greatly impressed by Your Excellency’s demeanor, and have specially sent me to pay you a visit to convey Your Highness’s respect for you.”
With that said, he solemnly took out a small wooden box and presented it with both hands: "This is a gift written by His Highness himself, please accept it with smiles."
This man didn't wait for Chen Xiao to reply. Anyway, Boren only told him to give gifts. He also understood that Chen Xiao was still living in Quanliu Palace and could not openly turn to him right away and come to give gifts to leave a good impression in the future. Goodbye is enough.
After sending away the person who came to give gifts for no reason, Chen Xiao closed the courtyard door and looked at the box in his hand.
This is a box made of fine sandalwood, which naturally emits a slight fragrance. When you open it, you will find a delicate ivory bone fan quietly placed inside.
Chen Xiao couldn't help but smile. Do these noble men all like folding fans? This is true for Ito Kyo, and so is Prince Boren.
I took out the fan and unfolded it, and I saw the two lines of poetry on it that were round and powerful. Chen Xiao was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but think in his mind: This Japanese royal prince is really good at Chinese calligraphy. If nothing else, I can't write this kind of calligraphy so well.
But I can clearly see the content of the poem above:
But for your sake, I still ponder it.
Chen Xiao read this poem, but immediately misunderstood it - this poem has been passed down to this day, and few people remember its original meaning of polite corporal, but it is often used to express love between men and women.
When Chen Xiao saw that Prince Boren actually wrote such a sentence on the folding fan for him, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart and couldn't help but shiver.
Depend on! Could it be that this Prince Boren looks like a human being, but is actually made of glass! !