At the head of the table sat a middle-aged man, who was none other than the current Marquis of Wu'an, Qin Yunhai!
Although Marquis Wu'an Qin Yunhai was older, he was well-maintained, still possessing charm and vigor.
Qin Yunhai raised his cup in thanks, then asked with a chuckle, "My old friends have traveled far. Why not have a few drinks?"
"Brother Qin is too kind. I'll drink first," an elder with white hair and beard raised his wine bowl, tilted his head back, and downed it with a look of satisfaction.
"It is a great honor to be able to attend Marquis Wu'an's birthday today!"
"Haha, Brother Xu is indeed forthright. As expected of a great merchant from the eastern prefectures. Come, come, let's drink!"
Under Marquis Wu'an's introduction, many old friends stepped forward to toast him. The scene was lively and joyful.
"Huh? Where is Marquis Wu'an?" Suddenly, Elder Xu put down his wine cup, looked around, and found that Marquis Wu'an was not there.
"Shouldn't Marquis Wu'an be sitting here?"
"Could it be that Marquis Wu'an fled the scene?" Everyone was a little puzzled. Given Marquis Wu'an's status in Wu'an City.
He should have been the focus of attention and should not have been absent.
"Father must be resting in his room," Qin Yunhai said with a smile. He was in a good mood.
Because it was his birthday today, he had prepared many treasures to celebrate, so he had not shown his face.
"I think I just saw a little thief break into the restaurant, beat up the fat steward, and steal the banknotes."
Someone in the crowd pointed at the ruins of the restaurant lobby with a strange expression.
"That little thief is truly arrogant to dare to cause trouble in the Marquis Wu'an's mansion. His courage is not ordinary."
Everyone shook their heads, feeling that the Marquis Wu'an's mansion had lost face today. Not only had they lost face, but they had also lost fifty thousand taels of silver. They estimated that the Marquis Wu'an's mansion would go crazy.
Qin Yunhai's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this, and he snorted coldly, "Which scoundrel is so blind?"
"It is said to be a bumpkin from a remote small town, named Chu Chen, looking like a pauper," someone whispered in the crowd.
"Chu Chen?" Hearing these two words, Qin Yunhai's pupils contracted, and his face instantly turned grim, his eyes filled with infinite rage!
"Father, what's wrong?" Qin Feiyu noticed Qin Yunhai's abnormal reaction and asked curiously.
"It's nothing, just encountered a mad dog. Don't bother with him!" Qin Yunhai waved his hand, signaling Qin Feiyu not to ask further.
In his heart, however, he gritted his teeth and thought, "Chu Chen, oh Chu Chen, since you dare to appear on my territory, I will give you a great gift!"
"Qin Feiyu, go and find out where this Chu Chen lives immediately. I, this Marquis, want to see who exactly he is.
Who has eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard to dare to cause trouble on my territory!" Qin Yunhai said coldly.
"Yes, your son will go now." Qin Feiyu cupped his hands in response.
The next day, Chu Chen got up early, washed, dressed neatly, and then walked out of the room, stretching his limbs.
Before heading to Chu Wang City, he needed to make thorough preparations, the first of which was to buy a suitable set of clothes.
In Wu'an City, various shops were crowded, and the streets were bustling with people, very lively. There were many small vendors setting up stalls by the roadside, shouting their wares.
Attracting many passersby to stop. At this moment, Chu Chen's figure appeared in a shop.
The decoration and layout of this shop were extremely luxurious. The walls were hung with many paintings, depicting beautiful women and handsome young men.
Each scroll was lifelike, as if it were about to break out of the paper. The people or beasts in the scrolls seemed to be living creatures, exuding spiritual energy.
"Young man, buy a painting of ink bamboo, and I guarantee you'll make a fortune." The boss greeted with a smile.
Chu Chen looked up at the shop's plaque, on which were written three golden characters, "Wu'an Zhai," in a flowing calligraphy.
"Wu'an Zhai, quite imposing," Chu Chen murmured.
The boss smiled, "Young man, you have a good eye. That's right, this shop is an industry under the Marquis Wu'an's mansion. Every piece is meticulously crafted by the Marquis's craftsmen."
"Oh? Is that so?" Chu Chen chuckled, "Then I'll just pick one at random."
As he spoke, Chu Chen walked forward, picked up a painting of ink bamboo, and examined it carefully. After a moment, he threw it back on the table and said indifferently.
"Ink bamboo is not suitable for me, and this painting is not good either."
"This..." The boss was stunned, his expression stiff, and his mouth twitched.
"Hmm? This painting of yours is fake and shoddy, not worth any money," Chu Chen added.
"Nonsense!" The boss was furious. "Do you know that this 'Landscape' was purchased by the Marquis at a great price.
And a high-level craftsman from the capital was invited to create it. How can you insult it?"
"I say it's fake, and it's fake," Chu Chen said indifferently, his tone unquestionable.
"Alright, you say it's fake, then I'll see what you have to support your claim," the boss sneered. He didn't believe that a young man understood painting.
Moreover, he insisted it was a fake, which was simply absurd!
"This was personally painted by Marquis Wu'an himself, worth a thousand taels of gold! You dare to say it's fake. Do you know that deceiving a court official.
Is a crime punishable by extermination of the nine generations of your clan!" the boss questioned aggressively.
Chu Chen glanced at him calmly and said, "I am not lying. I say it's fake, and it is fake."
Seeing that Chu Chen was adamant, the boss was too lazy to argue with him. "Since you believe this painting is fake, then I have nothing more to say.
This painting was specially commissioned by Marquis Wu'an. Now that you call it fake, I will naturally report it to the Marquis."
"Feel free to do so. I'll be waiting," Chu Chen said fearlessly, his gaze fixed on the boss. "However, I hope you will remember your promise."
"Hmph, this shopkeeper keeps his word. I will let the Marquis judge it later," the boss snorted coldly and then turned to leave.
Chu Chen stood in place, his expression as calm as ever, not worried about any danger to himself.
"Young master, how did you know it was a fake?"
"Yes, didn't you say this painting was a fake?" Several maids beside him asked doubtfully.
Chu Chen explained, "Marquis Wu'an is skilled in painting, especially ink bamboo, which is why he ordered his subordinates to create such a 'Landscape' painting.
He deliberately advertised his fondness for ink bamboo, hoping to win the admiration of the crowd."
"Young master, that 'Landscape' painting is indeed fake, but why did you say it was fake?"
Liu Mengdie's pretty face showed confusion. She didn't understand why Chu Chen did this.
"Marquis Wu'an and I have a grudge. This painting is a gift I gave him, so of course it's fake," Chu Chen said calmly. He had already anticipated Qin Yunhai's reaction.
He would probably fly into a rage, become enraged, and then send assassins to kill him. This would be exactly what Chu Chen wanted.
Not long after, a powerful and vast aura emanated from outside.