Feng Yu Jiu Tian - Volume 10 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Both of them were fooling around for some time until they hugged each other contentedly while sleeping.

This time Feng Ming was able to toss and turn freely in his sleep and obediently rested in Rong Tian’s arms. He slept until noontime. Chiu Yue and Chiu Xing came to help him dress, they were laughing and whispering.

CX: I wonder how Chiu Lan’s night went yesterday.

CY: Wait until your consummation night and you’ll know. CX: Chiu Yue, watch as I hit you!

Feng Ming watched the two sisters as he placed the jade ornaments around his waist. He began muttering, “Next time, I will not drink a lot of wine. Every time I wake up, I have a massive headache. This time, it’s even worse. Not only does my head hurts, but my jaw is aching as well.”

He had a strange feeling about this, Feng Ming looked up at Rong Tian in puzzlement. “Why are you laughing so suspiciously?”

RT: Laughing is laughing, what’s so suspicious about it?

Of course Rong Tian would not tell him what happened last night. While sneaking a laughter, he turned his head as if pretending to look at the scenic riverside.

Just then, a knock was heard coming from outside the door.

CY: It must be Lie Er, this guy refuses to walk normally and will always jump up and down.

She was right indeed, it was Lie Er outside the door. It seems that he has something interesting to tell them as he let out a mischievous smile.

LE: That Lie Zhong Liu is stirring up trouble, it’s still early in the morning and he already went to bully the bride.

FM: How’s that?

LE: Yesterday, Lie Zhong Liu promised to draw a painting for Chiu Lan. Today, he went to knock on her door, saying that he wants to draw a painting.

CY: Is the painting very ugly?

No one knows what Lie Zhong Liu drew, but it caused Lie Er to laugh out while clutching his stomach.

RT: Stop laughing and clearly tell us what happened.

LE: It’s not that his painting is ugly, but it’s very realistic. Even the small pimple on Chiu Lan’s face and the bite mark Rong Hu left on her earlobe were drawn. A portrait artist would usually modify a few things. Chiu Lan’s nose is a bit flat, but any artist would deliberately paint it a bit straighter. That arrogant Lie Zhong Liu drew everything. After Chiu Lan finished looking at it, she almost cried out.

Now everyone was finally able to understand the situation.

CY: Of course, that’s obvious! Every female wants to look beautiful in a portrait. This Lie Zhong Liu deserves to be punished; he dares to draw Chiu Lan’s flat nose and pimples.

RT: Is the painting still in Chiu Lan’s hands?

LE: I took the painting before Chiu Lan agreed to it, just in time to show it to Your Majesty and Duke Ming.

Reaching inside his clothes, he took out the painting. Everyone took a look at it. Once Feng Ming glanced at it, he exclaimed with appreciation.

FM: This is just like a photo, it looks exactly like the real person!

CX: But the little zits are drawn, it really doesn’t look good...No wonder no one is willing to hire him. Judging by his work, it’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t get beaten up all day.

Rong Tian was quiet for a while before saying, “Ask Zi Yan to come here.”

Zi Yan soon followed Lie Er in.

RT: What is Lie Zhong Liu doing right now?

ZY: Since he painted a picture like that, he was lambasted by everyone so he ran to the deck to lie down. Does Your Majesty want me to call him here?

RT: Where is he sleeping?

ZY: He and my subordinates share a small room in the lower deck. With so many people on board, that room could hold the majority of them.

Not sure what Rong Tian had in mind, but he glanced around the room and seemed to have come to a decision. He turned around towards Chiu Yue and Chiu Xing, “You two go and prepare a different room.”

“For Lie Zhong Liu to stay in?”

RT: No, Duke Ming and I will stay there. Lie Zhong Liu will stay in this room. “What?”

“Your Majesty...”

RT: Don’t say anything more, this is the King’s order. Send the order down, everyone should be absolutely respectful of Lie Zhong Liu. Do not be even slightly rude to him; anyone who does not listen will be executed. Zi Yan, prepare an outfit for him. As long as it is something Lie Zhong Liu wants, then give it to him.

ZY: (frowning) Yesterday, he spotted the Black Jade Bowl...but I think he was 80% drunk at that time.

FM: The Black Jade Bowl?

This man sure has great taste.

Not even the royalties would dream about that item.

Rong Tian was speechless for a moment until he clenched his teeth to say, “Tell Luo Deng to take it out and give it to him.” He looked over at Feng Ming and whispered, “Feng Ming...”

Feng Ming placed his hand out to stop him from further saying anything.

FM: You don’t have to say anything, what’s mine is yours, just take it.

RT: You’re really considerate.

Feng Ming made a face at him, “I just know that you never a made a bad business choice.”

That same day when the King’s order was passed down, the room exchange was done, with the new bedspread in place, the maids were urgently called out to sew clothes for Lie Zhong Liu. However, that Lie Zhong Liu was not appreciative about all the new gifts and privileges; he just felt that they were all things he deserved.

When he found out that he could freely request for treasures, he went as far as ordering a number of guards to follow him into the treasure storage room and spent half an hour selecting various valuable items to place in his new room.

Along with that, he also wanted to eat a variety of dishes, the cook on board must follow strict instructions in accordance to his written recipes to make his meals.

Less than a day and he made the men on the whole ship hustle about. Even Rong Tian’s bodyguard, Mian Ya, who passed in front of him was called on to demonstrate some moves to help relieve his boredom.

At around three in the morning, Lie Zhong Liu found a broken-stringed qin and began playing it like a mournful ghost, making tons of noise, not allowing anyone to have a peaceful sleep.

Feng Ming was completely horrified, even with the doors and windows closed he could still hear the annoying sound of Lie Zhong Liu’s playing. Half laughing, half crying, he exhaled a long breath, “Luckily, Empress Dowager is not on the same ship as us. Otherwise, even she would not be at peace.”

Rong Tian couldn’t sleep because of the noise but he continued to endure the suffering as he sat up in bed. He leaned in behind Feng Ming who was lying next to the window.

RT: Your patience has grown a bit. I thought that before three, you would not endure it anymore and would have asked me why I wanted to please Lie Zhong Liu.

Feng Ming wrinkled his nose, “Well, why do I have to ask you? Can’t I figure the answer myself?” RT: Oh? You found out the answer?

FM: You want to please Lie Zhong Liu because he can draw very well. He’s like a manual camera; anything he sees can be re-draw onto a painting. This is a very essential skill to have. If you can appease him and win him over, you can easily track down a prime suspect without being mistaken. How is that, did I guess it right? Don’t think that you’re the only one who knows how to identify a talent. I, Duke Ming, am not just here for fun.

Rong Tian looked at the triumphant look on Feng Ming’s face, he couldn’t help but give him a kiss. RT: I did want to appease him because of his painting but what you guessed is not completely right. FM: Ha? Where am I wrong?

Rong Tian is so hateful, he refused to give an immediate answer and deliberately changed the subject. Looking out the window, he frowned, “Lie Zhong Liu’s playing is really terrible, it seems that no one will be able to sleep tonight.”

FM: Rong Tian, you still haven’t answered my question.

RT: Come, lie down and I’ll answer you.

Rong Tian recaptured Feng Ming back onto the bed; the two of them snuggled under the blankets.

RT: I’ll satisfy your curiosity but I have to receive something in return.

Feng Ming did not fully understand. His hand was held by Rong Tian and was led down below.

The waist belt was untied and the hot object was placed in Feng Ming’s hand, with the sudden intense pulsation Feng Ming could feel his heartbeat at that time.

“Pervert!” Feng Ming scolded him in embarrassment.

RT: Use your pretty hands to stroke it gently and as you caress it, I’ll answer you.

Rong Tian brazenly laughed, “Xi Lei King’s manhood is both thick and large, this toy is not only a great pastime but it is also Duke Ming’s favorite item.”

Feng Ming could not stand his poker face, he almost jumped up and hid under the bed. Still blushing, he said, “Who said it is Duke Ming’s favorite item?”

In the middle of his talking, the manhood in his hand suddenly stood up as if about to pop out of it. A shocked Feng Ming hastily wrapped both hands around it.

Being exposed to this burning and pulsating object, his body, which often accepted this part of Rong Tian could not help but erupt in a tingling sensation. Feng Ming’s breathing became irregular, he leaned his head against Rong Tian’s chest, refusing to let Rong Tian see his face.

While enjoying the subtle pleasure provided by the slow pace of Feng Ming’s hands, Rong Tian exposed a content grin and whispered, “When looking at the painting by Lie Zhong Liu closely, you will notice that he is a superb painter. Every stroke he painted, there was no hesitation in them and yet all of them were accurate.”

Feng Ming focused all his energy on the burning erection and it seemed to grow larger under his ministrations. Not having the energy to care about other things, his face was a nice shade of red and his heart was pounding fast as he answered casually, “I already said that he is a very good painter.”

Seeing Feng Ming in that state, Rong Tian couldn’t hold back his laughter as he finally pulled Feng Ming closer.

RT: Let’s not worry about Lie Zhong Liu anymore, let us start doing more enjoyable things. Rong Tian’s fingers made their way into Feng Ming’s pants.

Feng Ming had secretly reached a state of arousal under Rong Tian’s skillful caresses. His fingertip gently scraped the tip causing a wave of pleasure to travel from Feng Ming’s waist towards his spine.

Feng Ming released a low groan.

Being disturbed by Lie Zhong Liu’s playing, Rong Tian had already realized that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight and he still wanted Feng Ming to stroke his lower half. Even though he’s busy on the other end, he still continued to fondle Feng Ming’s arousal.

RT: How many times should I hold Duke Ming? If it’s too few, then Duke Ming won’t be satisfied. If it’s too much, then I’m afraid Duke Ming’s injury hasn’t fully recovered.

Feng Ming’s body started heating up under Rong Tian’s touch, his breathing uneven as he resisted, “I should be the one holding you.”

“Your back is not even healed, how can you hold me?” Rong Tian looked at him, revealing a coaxing smile, “Come here, let me see how warm your body is inside.”

Under the moonlight, Feng Ming’s long black hair was blown by the wind outside. Rong Tian’s eyes sparkled like the stars, his laughter was alluring.

After seeing that, Feng Ming was ecstatic as if he was drunk. His whole body was burning hot as it loosened up. He really didn’t have much energy to take the initiative. Also, Rong Tian’s intense lovemaking is not bad, without been able to hold back anymore, he whispered, “Don’t hurt me...”

RT: I will definitely make Duke Ming satisfied!

Rong Tian was extremely aroused, he was about to enjoy a great meal when footsteps were suddenly heard outside the room, interrupting the wonderful atmosphere.

“Your Majesty, I have something to report.” Outside the room, Zi Yan’s serious voice could be heard. This was like a cold bucket of water suddenly poured onto the two lovers.

This person, why does he always choose the most crucial moment to appear?

Feng Ming and Rong Tian’s expressions were the same, in pain and helpless.

Rong Tian’s erection was throbbing painfully, he wanted to quickly send Zi Yan away and said, “Lie Zhong Liu can do whatever he likes, just listen to him. If there’s anything else, just take care of it. If there’s nothing else, don’t come and bother me.”

ZY: Replying to Your Majesty, this matter is not related to Lie Zhong Liu. The Aman River seems to haves obstacles up ahead. The ship in front ran aground.

RT: What?

Rong Tian realized that he had guessed wrong. Glancing at Feng Ming, they both knew that tonight’s entertainment is over. They had to fasten their belts and put on a cloak.

RT: Zi Yan, come in.

Hearing the order, Zi Yan pushed the door open and walked in.

ZY: It’s very strange, it is now spring and the snow has already melted. Aman River should be deep enough for a large ship like ours to pass through. In my opinion, I believe that someone is secretly using underhanded methods.

While thinking about what to do, several footsteps were heard outside the door. Lie Er, Rong Hu, and Luo Deng all received the news and came awaiting for orders.

LD: I just heard that the riverway up front has met with resistance, we have immediately dispatched two of the most experienced sailors to check upon the matter. They reported that a section of Aman River is filled with huge stones. The draft of the ship is deep so the stones scraped the bottom and there is no way of sailing across it.

RT:How long will it take to clean up the river stones?

LD: It should take at least two to three days. Clearing the river underneath is not the same as on shore. The sailors must hold their breath to swim underwater to do the work. The entire bottom of the river is filled with rocks. If it wasn’t there, then the ship wouldn’t have run aground.

LE: This must be the doings of the new Yong Yin Prince – that bastard Yong Quan must have done it. He has always been on good terms with Tong Er. When Tong Er ascended to throne, he even ordered people to send special gifts to him. It seems that he is worried that if Your Majesty is restored to your position, you will resolve the matter with him. Therefore, he united with Tong Er in order to prevent Your Majesty from returning home.

RT: First off all, let’s not worry about Yong Quan. Feng Ming, what do you think we should do now?

FM: The river is really deep, cleaning it up will not be an easy task. Ah, it’s so troublesome with underdeveloped transportation, if there was air...ahem, this...Are we going to abandon the ship and continue on the road instead?

Feng Ming felt a bit disappointed as he sighed loudly. They have finally boarded a ship and he thought he would be able to enjoy a few days of comfort, but he didn’t expect it to end so soon.

Zi Yan thought for a moment before respectfully answering, “I don’t want to refute Duke Ming but there are large mountains and tall trees on both sides. The morning route will be extremely difficult.”

RT: Bring the map here.

Lie Er quickly brought the map over and spread it out on the table for everyone to see.

“We are right here, if we follow straight along the Aman River and disembark here, we will reach Xi Qin (capital of Xi Lei) very easily. But if we disembark right here, the two sides of Aman River are an inaccessible barren land with not many people passing by. We might even encounter checkpoints in Yong Yin along the way, it will be troublesome.”

“Your Majesty, how about we temporarily stop for three days and wait until the the stones are cleared?”

Everyone looked at Rong Tian to see if he had come to a decision.

Rong Tian had already made his decision, revealing a sly smile he ordered someone to bring over a brush and ink. He called Feng Ming over and wrote a few strokes on his soft palm. Besides Feng Ming, no one knew what he had written.

Lie Er was curious and stretched his neck out to take a peek. Instead, Rong Tian wanted Feng Ming to hide his hand. Looking around the room, he chuckled.

RT: I already wrote my decision on Feng Ming’s hand, but before I say it, I want to hear the opinion of another person. Zi Yan, go and tell Lie Zhong Liu about this situation, ask him what his decision is.

Upon hearing Lie Zhong Liu’s name, Chiu Yue and Chiu Xing rolled their eyes, but because they were in front of Rong Tian they didn’t dare to say a word.

After receiving the order, Zi Yan left. A short while later, he came back to report, “When Lie Zhong Liu finished hearing about the situation, he didn’t think too much and said to come ashore. He also said that if Your Majesty doesn’t want to come ashore, then let him disembark.”

After Rong Tian finished listening, he smiled brightly.

FM: Sure enough, he has the same thought as you.

Feng Ming opened up his palm to reveal to everyone the two words Rong Tian wrote – come ashore.

RT: Cleaning up the river channel is futile. Aman River is very long and throwing boulders is easy, but for us to retrieve them we will waste a lot of energy. It’s not wise in case we encounter enemies. Even if we clean up the river this time, there will probably be similar obstacles up ahead. Because of that, our whereabouts would be fully exposed and our enemies will know which direction we will be headed. That would be a huge disadvantage for us.

Feng Ming finally understood his reasoning.

Rong Hu was still puzzled. “If Your Majesty has already reached a decision, you could have ordered everyone come ashore. Why do you have to take Lie Zhong Liu’s opinion into account?”

Everyone on board the ship had been disturbed by Lie Zhong Liu’s terrible playing. Chiu Yue and Chiu Xing’s eyes were bright red. They did not know why Rong Tian valued Lie Zhong Liu so much. It was rare for Rong Hu to have the audacity to question him. Everyone gave their utmost attention to listen to Rong Tian’s reply.

Before Rong Tian answer, he asked Lie Er, “Do you still have the painting of Chiu Lan on you?” “I do.” Lie Er pulled out the painting of Chiu Lan.

This painting can be called “a masterpiece,” but Chiu Lan was determined to not accept it. Instead, the painting fell into the hands of the naughty Lie Er and was brought out for everyone to admire earlier.

RT: Feng Ming, do you remember what I told you earlier?

FM: Ah. You said that his painting skill is superb. Every stroke he painted is made without hesitation and yet very accurate.

Zi Yan came in to take a closer look, he also admitted, “You’re right. Looking at his strokes, they indeed show no signs of hesitation, without the slightest alteration. It is very rare to find someone with such a vision.

LE: This person does have a gifted talent in drawing.

RT: Lie Er, you are wrong. This type of skill does not rely on gifted talent alone, it’s not easily acquired. Lie Zhong Liu must have gone through a huge amount of training to sharpen his skills. Not only does he keeps drawing, he trained himself over the years to finally draw a precious painting like this.

LE: Even if the result is just like the real thing, not many people would like these kind of paintings. Even Chiu Lan cried over it.

“Your Majesty, I’m still not clear. Why does Your Majesty think that this painting of Lie Zhong Liu is precious?”

Rong Tian was about to open his mouth when he heard a heavy gasp right beside his ear as if someone suddenly thought of something and got very shocked.

He turned around and saw Feng Ming’s strange expression.

RT: It seems that our Duke Ming has figured it out.

Everyone’s attention suddenly concentrated on Feng Ming.

FM: Because Lie Zhong Liu’s talent is not in portraits, but in topographic maps.

“That’s right!” Zi Yan is a general so he’s very familiar with topographic maps. He was the first to react as he clapped his hands in excitement.

ZY: Only drawing topographic maps would require such detail and accuracy. Mountains, cliffs, quicksand pits, etc... During wartime, generals have to make their decision by relying on topographic maps. If the maps are not accurate, it will lead to a lot of deaths.

FM: So if we want to have a topographic map drawn, we need to find Lie Zhong Liu. It seems like my gift of the Black Jade bowl was worth it.

Rong Tian shook his head, “If he only had a little talent like that, it is not enough to be given the Black Jade bowl. The reason why I valued him is because he already possessed a huge amount of information on the geography of every kingdom.”

FM: How do you know?

This time, it was Rong Hu who reacted first, “Because His Majesty noticed that Lie Zhong Liu is a seasoned artist in drawing maps. In order to have this kind of skill, he must have painted numerous topographic maps. In other words, he must have traveled to many different countries and memorized the location of everything by heart. God, if this is the case, this person is more precious than a whole city.”

Just thinking about it can make anyone’s blood boil in excitement.

Li Kingdom, Fan Jia, Yong Yin...knowing the suitable location to place a trap, the suitable place to order an assassination, the best place to overtake, the place with fast flowing water with quicksand...All of these are valuable information during times of war.

In an era where transportation is undeveloped, enemy information is more important than anything else. Every country is also very careful in protecting their territory. Having a complete topographic map of other kingdoms requires the need to secretly dispatch numerous spies and accumulate the information after several long years. Even though Rong Tian was currently using his map, it was due to the hard work of the Late Xi Lei King who completed majority of it after many years.

FM: I knew you won’t do business without gain. Congratulations, you got another effective right hand man.

Rong Tian quietly looked at him, but was not as jubilant as the others. He smiled faintly.

RT: It’s too early to say if this person is willing to be under my command. This is still a problem. When he said that, everyone’s high spirits subsided.

ZY: Your Majesty gave your room to him, all the valuable treasure for him to choose, everyone respected him, would he get better treatment than this in other places? If Lie Zhong Liu doesn’t choose Your Majesty, then he can’t be considered an intelligent person.

RT: Let us put this aside for the time being. Zi Yan, please pass this message, have the crew prepare to disembark early in the morning.

LD: Young Master, how about me...

FM: You and your subordinates don’t need to follow us. All four ships can continue onto the original path that’s been decided. If you come across stones in the river along the way, just slowly clean them up. View it as a trip to enjoy the Aman River scenery. If you run across someone blocking the way, do not try to be brave. Just tell them that Rong Tian and I are not on board. If they don’t believe you, then let them search the ship.

LD: Young Master, rest assured. Master Xiao’s ships have never been intercepted. We are honest ship merchants, as long as there are no one involved with court affairs, no one would deliberately make things difficult for us.