Suddenly, Song Yinghuai said coolly, "Who taught you how to write?"
Caiyu looked at him blankly, stunned by his sudden question.
It took her a while to remember to answer, "… When I was a child, my family was poor and couldn't afford a tutor. So my father taught me himself."
Song Yinghuai nodded. "No wonder. Your calligraphy is clumsy, rough, and as childish as a kid's."
As expected of the daughter of a bodyguard. Her knowledge couldn't be compared with that of a noblewoman.
It seemed that her identity was indeed real.
At this thought, Song Yinghuai felt a twinge of pity. His expression softened and he became more patient.
Caiyu's mouth twitched slightly at the comment.
Although she was beautiful, she had never been fond of make - up since childhood. Instead, she liked to ride horses, shoot arrows, and study mechanisms with her father and brothers.
She only learned a smattering of the four arts of the Chinese literati under her mother's coercion.
Her careless father even said proudly, "My Yu'er is the daughter of the Marquis of Yongchang. Even if she can't read a single character, which future husband would dare to bully her?"
Fortunately, it was just as well. Her false identity as the daughter of a bodyguard now matched her handwriting.
Song Yinghuai originally wanted to find out whether Caiyu's destruction of the mechanism was accidental or deliberate. But after seeing her handwriting, he couldn't be bothered to ask.
This girl obviously didn't like reading. Being from a bodyguard's family, no matter how good - looking she was, she could only be exposed to swords, guns, and mechanisms.
Song Yinghuai sighed and waved to her. "Come here and continue copying."
Caiyu: …
Seeing her indignant face, Song Yinghuai couldn't help but find it funny. "I didn't want to make things difficult for you anymore, but your handwriting is really too ugly. You need to practice more…"
He picked up a wolf - hair brush, thought for a moment, and wrote a regular - script version of the Heart Sutra.
This was the most suitable font practice for Caiyu's current level.
He waved to Caiyu. "My Prince Yan's Mansion is of royal blood. Even the vulgar maids and the kitchen maids in the backyard must be able to read and write a simple letter. Your handwriting is no better than theirs, and you even copied several characters wrongly…"
Song Yinghuai rubbed his temples in annoyance. "My top - ranked maid should be proficient in all the four arts of the literati, embroidery, cooking, classics, and accounts. How can she be like you?"
He decided that no matter what Caiyu's purpose was in approaching him, teaching this girl could be an interesting way to pass the time during his boring days of cultivating Buddha.
Caiyu stepped forward reluctantly, but was immediately attracted by the characters written by Song Yinghuai.
She didn't understand the techniques of calligraphy, but she could tell that the font was slightly thin but full of strength, like a frost - covered forest without leaves, natural and perfect.
Even though the strokes were straight and neat without any meandering, she still felt that it was smooth, harmonious, and a combination of hardness and softness.
Song Yinghuai handed her the purple - hair brush, motioned for her to come closer, and spread out a new piece of rice paper. He said,
"Before you start writing, you need to calm your mind and steady your spirit…"
Caiyu was impatient. She swiped the brush across the rice paper vigorously, leaving a thick black mark on it.
"I can't calm down," she complained, biting her lips. "I've been kneeling for half the night. Your Highness has drunk all the tea, and even my saliva has been taken by Your Highness. Now I'm so thirsty. How can I calm down?"
Song Yinghuai was almost driven wild by her blatant provocation.
He quickly picked up the teapot, only to find that the tea had been drunk up.
"I'll go and make some tea," Song Yinghuai stood up and instructed, "Don't be lazy."
Caiyu watched his straight back and snickered.
A simple blatant provocation had made him forget that he was the master and even go to make tea himself.
She had discovered a new way. It seemed that Song Yinghuai was susceptible to this kind of thing.
She had learned the four arts of the literati superficially, but she had heard a lot about military strategies from her father and brothers.
The art of war emphasized attacking the enemy's mind rather than just the city.
Since seducing him with her body had failed several times, she should consider a different approach -
Attacking his mind.
When Song Yinghuai came back with the tea tray, his expression had returned to normal. He kindly poured a cup of tea for Caiyu.
Caiyu took it without hesitation and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing her gulping the tea, Song Yinghuai frowned. There was not a trace of the graceful and charming appearance of a Yangzhou courtesan as rumored.
"A woman should sit like a willow and walk like a lotus in bloom. Every sip and bite should be full of elegance…"
"Your Highness, if you were locked in a firewood shed for three days and three nights without food or water, when you were finally released, you wouldn't care about elegance. Even if you were given a moldy bun, you would swallow it in one bite without any dignity," Caiyu interrupted him. "I've heard that Your Highness has led troops for many years and fought on the battlefield, walking through a sea of knives and blood…"
"Would Your Highness still pay attention to etiquette on the battlefield?"
Song Yinghuai was stunned and looked at Caiyu in surprise.
He had forgotten again. This girl had once fallen into the world of Yangzhou courtesans. With her unyielding nature, it must have been extremely hard for her to become so obsequious.
Caiyu continued, "Or has Your Highness been cultivating Buddha for so many years and living a self - cultivating life in the Prince Yan's Mansion that you've forgotten the filth, dirt, and blood on the battlefield?"
"But the Buddha sees the world equally and saves all sentient beings. Whether vulgar or noble, aren't they all just common people?"
Song Yinghuai silently poured another cup of tea. "… Drink it."
Caiyu drank it all again. This time, Song Yinghuai didn't criticize her for her behavior. Instead, he turned his attention to the rice paper where she was copying.
At a glance, he was almost speechless.
"Why… are you writing my name?" Song Yinghuai felt his temples throbbing.
On the snow - white rice paper, there were the words "Yinghuai" written in various sizes and directions.
Every stroke seemed to be teasing his nerves.
Caiyu pouted. "Your Highness, copying the Heart Sutra is so boring. I was so annoyed that I wanted to write something else."
Song Yinghuai was about to order her to change it back seriously, but she preempted him.
"Your Highness wants me to practice calligraphy. Whether it's calligraphy practice or reading, we should teach according to the individual's aptitude. We should choose the content that I like to teach so that we can achieve twice the result with half the effort, right?"
"Your Highness is so noble and talented. You must be very experienced in teaching. You surely won't force a bull to drink water, right?"
Song Yinghuai was speechless for a while. Finally, he coughed lightly. "… Continue practicing."
Anyway, he had drunk too much tea tonight and couldn't sleep. He would just watch how this girl would act.
Caiyu happily wrote another "Yinghuai" in a bold and unrestrained manner.
The way she held the brush was like a chivalrous woman wielding a sword, valiant and heroic, which didn't match her charming appearance at all.
But every stroke she made seemed to carve a light mark on Song Yinghuai's heart.
He gritted his teeth and watched her write again. Finally, he reached out his hand and held her right hand that was holding the brush.
Caiyu was stunned. Then she was encircled from behind by Song Yinghuai. His hot skin was pressed tightly against her soft back.
Her fingertips trembled slightly. She remembered their passionate kiss before and almost forgot how to provoke him.
Song Yinghuai said, "What you said just now makes sense, but I really don't want to see my name written in such a mess. Such a good name is being ruined by your brush."
Caiyu came to her senses. "… Oh, then…"
Just now, she had made Song Yinghuai's heart pound. But now the situation had reversed. Caiyu was once again fascinated by the man's aura.
Song Yinghuai said, "Concentrate. Calligraphy is a perfect combination of a brush, ink, inkstone, a person, and a mind. Within a single stroke, there should be fluctuations at the tip of the brush. Within a single dot, there should be changes in the brushstroke…"