Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 162 The Princess and the Building’s Owner’s Past, Divine-Level Painting! 【2 More】

Chapter 162: 162 The Princess and the Building’s Owner’s Past, Divine-Level Painting! 【2 More】

In Jianghu, satisfaction and grudges were resolved solely with fists and feet.

Whoever possessed superior martial arts could claim the seat of the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch.

So ever since he witnessed the tragic death of his parents at the age of three, he picked up the blade and embarked on a path of slaughter.

Whoever defied him would be subdued through combat, beaten until they harbored no thoughts of resistance.

Yet within the Imperial Court, there were many constraints; one had to be circumspect, plan meticulously, and being in a high position meant that even trivial matters would be magnified greatly.

Not to mention, Princess Yongning had secured the position of the Crown Prince with her female identity.

Although there were precedents of women serving as officials before the Ning Dynasty, and even the Eternal Female Prime Minister Shen Mingshu emerged from Ning, no daughter had ever been directly designated as the heir to the East Palace.

At first, she too faced considerable pressure from the public, and during that time, everyone around him was discussing Princess Yongning.

Some said that it was difficult for a woman to become truly capable, while others said that women have always been the downfall of empires; these critics loudly condemned Ning Zhaozong for appointing Princess Yongning instead of the King of Yan.

He remained silent on the matter because many things can only be discerned with the passage of time.

And sure enough, Princess Yongning then took charge of Fengyuan and aided King Qin in winning three wars.

She reformed the land in Yan City, making the northwest habitable.

She even ventured thousands of miles to Mount Penglai to bring back techniques for cultivating medicinal herbs...

This was just within a short span of eight months, and her subsequent deeds and hard work proved that she was more than capable of fulfilling her role.

King of Yan also made it known that he would not vie for the throne but would only help stabilize the empire for Princess Yongning.

He had also tried putting himself in Princess Yongning’s position, but upon reflection, he realized he indeed fell short of her.

Princess Yongning was truly a talent fit for governing, and no one could refute that.

"Did the main character say that? Did the Master of Highest Heaven Tower ever utter these words?" Rong Yu was taken aback, then immediately denied it, "Impossible, absolutely not, if he had said it, it would definitely be recorded in the history books, and if it’s not recorded, how would you know?"

Yan Tingfeng said casually, "Yes, how would I know."

"You must be making it up!" Rong Yu huffed, "I knew it, you fans of these historical figures, heated by your adoration, blur the lines of reality. Let me tell you, unless I see the two of them fight in front of me, only then can I judge who is stronger."

Yan Tingfeng spoke indifferently, "I would like to see that."

He wondered if Princess Yongning had a body capable of channeling inner strength, perhaps there would also be legends of her in Jianghu.

She and the King of Yan shared the same mother, but she never stood in his shadow.

Yet, he had never crossed swords with the King of Yan, and it was uncertain whether his blade was faster or the King’s sword sharper; this became a regret.

Life, after all, is composed of regrets.

Seeing Yan Tingfeng heading outside, Rong Yu asked, "Hey, where are you going?"

"Miss Ye hasn’t had dinner yet, and she might need to finish her work first," Yan Tingfeng said, tilting his head slightly. "I’m going out to buy some of her favorite food."

If there were regrets in the past, then the present should be lived to the fullest.

**

Inside the room, Cheng Qingli triumphantly posted what Ye Wanlan had said on the internet.

As expected, the opponent was left speechless and even sent her a friend request.

He praised her for being magnanimous, beyond compare, admitting that Princess Yongning was also formidable.

He suggested that since both sides loved history so much, they should become friends and learn from each other in the future.

This pleased Cheng Qingli, "Sister Lan, that was brilliant, turning an enemy into a friend without any bloodshed. I have much to learn from you."

"Mm, you can," Ye Wanlan pulled out a painting scroll and set it up, then took out brush and ink.

"Sister Lan, what are you planning to paint?" Cheng Qingli knew she was entering an international youth art competition, "The preliminary round shouldn’t be hard for you; surely a casual painting would suffice."

"Mm, but I can’t just paint casually," Ye Wanlan said, holding her brush lightly. "Every painting I present to the public must have significance."

Cultural revival cannot wait.

She couldn’t afford to make any wrong moves, even if it meant exerting great effort.

"How about painting Fengyuan City?" Cheng Qingli suggested thoughtfully, "Fengyuan itself is an ancient capital of a thousand years, with both Shun and Yong dynasties having established their capitals there. After palace upheaval, Ning Zhaozong proclaimed ’The emperor guards the nation’s gates’ and returned the capital to Fengyuan. Now, Fengyuan is a tourist city, and while it has entered modern society, it hasn’t regained the status of being the world’s foremost power from a century ago."

"Good," Ye Wanlan suddenly said, "I know how I want to paint it now."

"Huh?" Cheng Qingli was even more delighted, "Did I inspire you, Sister Lan?"

Ye Wanlan’s smile was faint, "Yes, thanks to you, or else I wouldn’t have known how to compose it."

Cheng Qingli watched as Ye Wanlan began to paint, and after some time, she realized that unlike other painters, Ye Wanlan wasn’t depicting Fengyuan City in its centuries-old glory.

The canvas was divided into three equal sections by Ye Wanlan. The first part depicted Fengyuan City during the Lantern Festival—peaceful and prosperous. The second part showed the city overrun by foreign forces, strewn with corpses.

The third part showed the Fengyuan City of today, reconstructed with towering skyscrapers.

While these three sections seemed independent, they were seamlessly integrated into a complete narrative.

By the time the final stroke was drawn, Cheng Qingli was speechless, staring at the painting scroll on the table as if she had seen a ghost, "Lan, Sister Lan, you..."

This was no longer merely a painting; it was history.

It was the history of Shenzhou from its peak to its downfall and resurgence to glory.

Through this painting, one can see the blood of countless martyrs and the efforts of numerous descendants.

Ye Wanlan put down her brush, stepped back, and nodded slightly: "It’s passable, and won’t end up in the trash bin."

"What? Trash bin?!" Cheng Qingli jumped up, "Who would dare to do such a thing? I won’t allow it!"

Ye Wanlan raised an eyebrow: "Don’t worry, I think this one is quite good, don’t you?"

"How can you call it quite good?" Cheng Qingli was furious, "It is simply unique and unparalleled in the world; such a painting should only exist in heaven!"

"Don’t flatter me so much, I might get carried away," said Ye Wanlan as she dried the ink and rolled up the painting scroll, placing it in a box, "It’s perfect, as I’ll pass by Chairman Tao’s place tomorrow."

Cheng Qingli hesitated: "Sister Lan, I think you might scare him."

Ye Wanlan paused in her actions: "Hmm, I don’t think so, but since you’ve mentioned it, I should be a bit prepared."

Before viewing the painting, it is better to let Chairman Tao first drink a cup of tea to steady his mind.

**

In the evening, at Lin Family Old House.

The dinner at Lin Family tonight was clearly marked by many distracted minds.

Lin Qin and Lin Woyu were wondering if something was truly wrong with the world, while Madam Lin was continuously searching for an opportunity to act.

Only Lin Huaijin was thoroughly enjoying his meal, oblivious to the off atmosphere.

After dinner, Lin Weilan called Ye Wanlan to the study.

"You scared your aunt and cousin today?"

"Not at all," said Ye Wanlan nonchalantly as she sat down beside Lin Weilan and picked up a pastry, "I’m just helping my aunt and cousin build a strong mindset—they will have to face such things sooner or later."

Lin Weilan gave a half-smile and sighed: "I’ve always been reluctant to let Qinqin learn the Heavenly Music Method precisely because, although it is powerful, it can also harm the body. Without a solid foundation in basic performance, learning the Heavenly Music Method could backfire."

"I understand grandma’s concerns, but sooner or later we will have to return to our main family and face many people," said Ye Wanlan, locking eyes with her seriously, "So I assure you, cousin will not suffer the backlash of the Heavenly Music Method."

Lin Weilan was momentarily stunned.

As the successor to the Heavenly Sound Sect, the Lin Family’s heritage was actually better than that of the Taiyi Palace successor, the Su Family. However, even now, the Heavenly Music Method was only an incomplete version, missing a crucial element.

That was to ensure that women who learned the Heavenly Music Method wouldn’t suffer from backlash.

Perhaps the current Elders Council of the Lin Family had already mastered this technique, although she truly didn’t know.

Then how could her granddaughter...?

Lin Weilan seemed to have realized something, her eyes taking on a probing look.

"Grandma, what you need to do is take care of your health," said Ye Wanlan, massaging her grandmother’s shoulders, "As long as you recover, I’ll have peace of mind too."

Lin Weilan paused, then smiled: "Alright, grandma promises you."

But her health...

With the Rong Family’s divination, she knew she would never get better.

But now with Ye Wanlan around, she could leave this world in peace when her time came.

**

The next day, in the morning.

Jiangcheng Art Association.

Chairman Tao was entertaining a guest, who came from the Global Center.

"Old Mr. Tao, let me introduce you, this is Mr. Ai Er, who works for the World Cultural Heritage Center," said the middle-aged man, "He will be in charge of our future cooperation with the Jiangcheng Art Association."

Mr. Ai Er nodded indifferently, saying little.

At that moment, an assistant came in and whispered a few words to Chairman Tao:

Chairman Tao’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly got to his feet: "The painting has arrived? Don’t just stand there, let her in!"

"What painting has Chairman Tao so excited?" Mr. Ai Er finally spoke up, "Why not let us have a look too?"

Nowadays, Western paintings dominated the art world, and Shenzhou’s traditional paintings had long been outdated.

If it weren’t for his superiors’ request, he wouldn’t have deigned to discuss any cooperation here.

The assistant led Ye Wanlan in.

"You finished it so quickly? Don’t you rest at all?" Chairman Tao greeted her personally, "Let me see it quickly."

But Ye Wanlan said, "Chairman, have a cup of tea first."

"Why should I drink tea?" Chairman Tao was utterly perplexed, "I’m not thirsty; I can drink it later."

"The tea is to stabilize your mind," Ye Wanlan explained, "Viewing the painting carries risks, and I think some caution is necessary."

"Ah?" Chairman Tao was stunned, his hand trembling.

Could it be that this painting would scare him?

Chairman Tao was not afraid, slapping his chest and proclaiming: "Wanlan, rest assured, I’ve seen it all, nothing can frighten me. Let’s look at the painting directly."

"I’ve never heard of any risks associated with viewing a painting," scoffed Mr. Ai Er, "How bad can a painting be to warrant this mystery?"