Song of Silent Promise

6. Friendship

Runexi's notes:

Uhh... it has been a while m(_ _)m

I hope it will be more constant from now on. I amended a few details for the past chapters (you might not even be able to tell I changed anything. Ha~)

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Duke Qin was the Left Prime Minister's brother. The two siblings, along with the current Emperor, were as harmonious as real brothers during their younger years. The older Qin, the Left Prime Minister, had changed his surname after he married the Imperial Family's Royal Princess, the current Emperor's own younger sister.

Although the society normally felt pity towards men who had to bear their wife's family name, no one thought the Left Prime Minister, Min Lizhang, brought dishonor to the Qin clan by changing his surname.

Duke Qin had a pair of Di son and daughter from his main wife. Qin Zhe was the older brother and the heir of the Qin clan. Currently at sixteen years old, he was an accomplished youth and was in close relationship with his cousins from the Left Prime Minister, as well as the current Princes of Taishan.

Qin Zhe's courtyard was as scrupulous looking as the owner. The small garden, the building style, color scheme, and the ornaments used projected subdued and simplistic approach. The lanterns were plain in color, there were no flowers planted, even the servants of the courtyard wore muted colored attire. The paths were just brown gravels, the paint used for the buildings were either black, grey, or brown.

Nobility in Taishan normally liked to use red paint on at least the pillars of their buildings, to symbolize good fortune.

Although she disliked anything opulent, even Xu Yejing thought the courtyard looked overly somber. Her own courtyard was also simple-looking, but she still had some feminine touches to her abode. She loved softer reds and purples, and practically chose such colors for most of her furnishing. Perhaps a nobleman's tomb would have more colors and decorations than Qin Zhe's courtyard.

The kindest term Xu Yejing could come up with about Qin Zhe's style was 'steady' or 'restrained'.

The butler bowed towards Xu Yejing and Fu Chun, before retreating.

Fu Chun did not let her guard down, but she still relished in the atmosphere, nodding in satisfaction, "That Qin Zhe boy has a good taste."

Xu Yejing, "...... ." For a female, Fu Chun had a unique taste.

The owner of the courtyard, Qin Zhe, finally came out of his room. His gaze rippled a little as he saw the two female guests. There was a trace of delight on his usually expressionless face, even his usually furrowed brows smoothed out somewhat.

"Miss Fu Chun, Sister Yejing, you've finally arrived." He bowed lightly towards the two females. Xu Yejing avoided his greeting by stepping sideways slightly. After all she was younger than him and the Xu clan was also not higher in status than the Qin's. But Fu Chun let the young man - the very youth a lot of young girls were fighting for to be engaged with - bow deeply towards her. She merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Qin Zhe was an outstanding looking young man, even in the Xinlu city where good looking people were like pebbles by the river side. Smooth fair skin, jet black hair, symmetrical facial features, high nose and cheek bones projecting a stalwart and strong personality.

His accomplishment however, was to be the uncontested winner of Taishan's younger generation's literary arts ranking, ever since he came of age. Rumors said, he even triumphed over the well-educated and respected Princes of Taishan. Although the princes did not participate in such rankings any longer due to their age, they were quite close to Qin Zhe and supposedly had also exchanged ideas about various scholarly and political topics with him.