After morning court ended, Ian Song rode back to the Grand General’s Residence by carriage.
This world is starved for entertainment—aside from cultivation, the only real leisure is spending time with beautiful women.
Just as Ian stepped into the rear courtyard, he heard the sound of women laughing inside. One of the voices was completely unfamiliar to him.
Walking in, he saw that aside from Lila Quinn, there was a new, unfamiliar woman in the courtyard. She seemed extremely close to Lila.
"Husband, you’re back!" Lila Quinn stood up, her face bright with joy.
"Mm." Ian nodded, his gaze landing on the unfamiliar woman.
She wore a long emerald-green dress, her figure tall and graceful. Most importantly, her face was every bit as stunning as Lila Quinn’s, and she radiated a clear, refined aura.
Sensing Ian’s gaze, Lila Quinn smiled and took the woman’s hand, introducing her: "Husband, this is my sister Lyra Hale."
"Lyra Hale?" Ian was stunned. "Isn’t she one of the Four Great Beauties?"
Lyra smiled sweetly and gave Ian a polite bow. "Lyra greets her brother-in-law."
"Miss Lyra, there’s no need to stand on ceremony."
Ian composed himself and smiled in response, though inwardly he was deep in thought. Having another of the Four Great Beauties show up at his doorstep was exciting, but he couldn’t help feeling cautious—Lyra was also from Mountain-Sea Divine Palace.
Her visit here might not be as simple as it seemed.
Lyra’s eyes sparkled as she said, "Brother-in-law, I grew up with Jade—though we’re not sisters by blood, we’re even closer than real sisters. So there’s no need to be so formal with me. Just call me Lyra."
"Alright, I won’t stand on ceremony then." Ian nodded. "You two haven’t seen each other in a while and probably have lots of private things to catch up on. I’ve still got some official business to handle, so I’ll leave you to it."
"Please, brother-in-law, do as you wish."
Ian found an excuse to leave the courtyard, but instead of going back to his study, he summoned Rina to ask about Lyra.
He had a hunch that Lyra’s visit wasn’t so simple. She claimed to be here for Jade, but her real purpose was probably him.
Both the Yan and Zhao royal families have countless ties to Mountain-Sea Divine Palace, but now Qi has swallowed up those two kingdoms—would Mountain-Sea Divine Palace really just sit back and do nothing?
Ian didn’t believe it for a second.
Besides, both Lance Ji and Jade tried to assassinate him in the past—now Lance Ji has become his, and Jade is his wife. Would Mountain-Sea Divine Palace really just give up and withdraw? Not likely.
Now Lyra was here, and openly claiming she’d come to visit Jade.
Ian couldn’t just act against her directly. Besides, his mission was to win the hearts of at least two of the Four Great Beauties. Vivian Gee was far away in Qin, Serena Hart’s whereabouts were a mystery, but now Lyra had come to his doorstep—why look far when the answer was right here?
Rina soon arrived as ordered.
Although Rina’s rank in Mountain-Sea Divine Palace wasn’t as high as Jade’s or Lyra’s, she was still a true disciple and knew plenty of the sect’s secrets.
"Greetings, Master."
Ian waved her off, indicating she didn’t need to be so formal, and asked, "How well do you know Lyra?"
"Master, Lyra is gentle as water and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She’s especially close to Sister Jade, and her cultivation has reached Earth Realm tier six."
Ian nodded. "What’s her status in Mountain-Sea Divine Palace?"
"She’s only second to Sister Jade, but now that Jade has married you, Lyra’s probably the highest-ranked true disciple. She’s very likely to inherit the position of palace master in the future!"
Hearing this, Ian narrowed his eyes. So after he’d taken Jade away, Lyra had become the highest-ranked disciple in Mountain-Sea Divine Palace. To prove herself, she’d probably have to accomplish some major feats to earn the palace master’s approval.
And what would please the palace master? Naturally, eliminating him—their biggest threat.
With that in mind, Ian asked again, "By the way, does Lyra have a man or someone she loves?"
"I’ve never heard of such a thing," Rina replied, shaking her head.
"Good. You may go."
"Understood, Master."
After sending Rina away, Ian lowered his head in thought. Since Lyra had come for him, she’d probably try to get close—giving him the perfect chance to pursue her.
Girls in this era are pretty conservative; most marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers. Lyra’s never been in love, so chasing her should be easy.
For a moment, Ian’s mind raced with all kinds of romantic tactics.
These tricks might be played out in the modern world, but here they’d be absolutely unique.
Thinking of this, Ian couldn’t help but smile smugly. Donghuang, since I’ve already won over Jade, now that you’ve sent Lyra, I’ll make sure you lose both your beauty and your soldiers.
But in the days that followed, Ian began to waver—Lyra never tried to approach him.
Is she playing hard to get? Hmph, I don’t care—if that’s how she wants it, then I’ll make the first move!
With a plan in mind, Ian summoned the best craftsmen in Qi to create a mysterious musical instrument. He also made a set of Go and chess pieces himself.
This world had neither Go nor chess—only a kind of war chess similar to the military chess of the real world.
Compared to war chess, Go and chess are much more interesting and sophisticated—in short, they’re on a whole other level.
Under Ian’s guidance and adjustments, a few days later, a fully handmade piano was finally completed.
Pianos are generally divided into handmade and machine-made.
Handmade pianos are worth far more than machine-made ones.
But if you’re talking value, the piano Ian had the craftsmen build would be the most expensive in the modern world.
Its keys were all made from an extremely rare white jade, as fine as the highest-grade emeralds in the real world. Even more precious, this jade contained traces of spiritual energy.
If carved into jewelry and worn long-term, it could nourish the body and calm the mind.
The soundboard, pedals, and other parts were all made from the finest materials available in this world.
So, if this piano were brought to the modern world, Ian wouldn’t sell it even for a billion.
"General, what is this thing?"
Lily stared curiously at the piano. Autumn didn’t ask, but her eyes were just as curious as Lily’s.
"It’s a musical instrument—let’s call it a piano." Ian smiled as he explained. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Lily, Autumn, would you like to hear me play a piece?"
"Wonderful! We can’t wait." Lily clapped her hands in excitement.
Ian nodded, asked a servant to bring a wooden bench, then sat down at the piano. As he touched the smooth jade keys, a wave of familiarity washed over him. Though he hadn’t played in over a year, the skill was bone-deep—if anything, his time away had given him new insight into the instrument.