sjar Chapter 464 One painting
Chapter 464 One painting
Meng Shu was painting by the window when she heard this. She looked up and smiled, "That's quite intriguing."
"But so be it, it's broken. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor might not blame us." She pondered for a moment, then picked up her pen and pointed towards the door. "What's in that box?"
"It was given to Shushu by Old Madam Han." Donggua then remembered the important matter and put on a silly smile. "One box contains fox fur and sable fur from the Northern Frontier, and the other box contains some snow ginseng and dried venison. Each of the ladies in the palace received a share. Miss Han said that my dishes were well-cooked and that the milk tea was refreshing, so she insisted on rewarding me with a wolf tooth."
Green Willow smiled and said, "This errand wasn't a waste of time; I even got a novel reward."
Upon hearing this, Donggua chuckled and reached into his pouch at his waist, then opened his palm.
"Why are there two?" Green Willow asked curiously.
“I got an extra one,” Donggua said, stuffing the smaller one into Lvliu’s hand. “This one looks a bit more docile; I’ll give it to you to ward off evil.”
Green Willow held the wolf tooth, still warm from her body, her fingertips stiffening slightly. After a long while, she put it into her sleeve with a wry smile: "...Thanks."
Donggua scratched his head, then suddenly leaned closer to the desk, lowering his voice: "Shushu, I think that Miss Han is a bit too straightforward. At the banquet, in front of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, she spoke frankly about the scenery of the northern frontier, which is one thing, but she also said that she often goes hunting with several close friends, and chasing wolves for dozens of miles is a common occurrence. By the way, she shot that wolf fang herself."
"Didn't Madam Han stop it?" Meng Shu put down her pen and asked.
Donggua shook his head. "Not only did they not stop us, they even smiled and responded. The old lady was very kind. She specially summoned me to the banquet and, after hearing about the origin of the spicy eggplant, praised the Tang family business for its efficient work. She said that Manager Fan, on the orders of the Marquis, personally led people to plant several hundred acres, and the military households in the northern frontier have all followed suit this year."
Upon hearing this, Meng Shu hummed in agreement, a knowing glint in her eyes.
"Take the boxes to the storeroom. Be careful with the dried meat and the like, and distribute them to the palace servants later."
After saying that, she lowered her head and focused on painting. On the left side of her desk was a completed painting. The woman in the painting had gentle features and, upon closer inspection, bore a resemblance to Consort Chun, but was actually the face of Consort Yun.
The one I'm drawing at first glance is the outline of Xiuyun, but upon closer inspection, it reveals subtle differences.
If Granny Yu were here, she would be speechless with astonishment. Because the woman's eyebrows and eyes in this unfinished portrait bore a striking resemblance to the eldest daughter of the Qing family, about seven or eight parts.
Halfway through her painting, Meng Shu glanced at the sky. Since it was still early, she stopped painting.
According to the Emperor's habit, he would arrive around 5 PM.
After painting two pictures in a row, her wrists started to ache. She rubbed her wrists and got up to walk towards the inner courtyard.
The sky was high and the clouds were light, and the evening breeze swept away some of the summer heat.
At this time last year, she and Consort Chun were enjoying the summer vacation at the imperial palace, a tranquil place with lush trees and babbling brooks. Unlike this palace, which, as far as the eye could see, was a vast maze of towering palaces and halls, with red walls and yellow tiles stretching as far as the eye could see.
Hongyu hurriedly returned from outside, passing through two corridors and heading straight for Cuiyu Hall. Upon seeing Meng Shu, she curtsied and reported, "Your Majesty, just now this servant saw Eunuch Jing leading Miss Han to Shujing Palace, followed by a group of eunuchs carrying several camphor wood chests."
“It must be something the Shen family asked her to deliver. It’s been more than half a year, the gates of Shujing Palace should be open by now.” Meng Shu was not surprised.
Hongyu added, "Zhixue, who serves the Empress, also went along. As for the rest of the news, I haven't found out yet."
After she left, Meng Shu asked Lü Liu alone, "Has any news come from Chunxi Palace?"
Green Willow shook her head: "There hasn't been any special news yet. Apart from still going to Renming Hall to pay her respects every day, Consort Qu stays in her bedchamber the rest of the time and hasn't even been to the Imperial Garden. However, a few days ago, because of her pregnancy, the Empress Dowager bestowed upon her several bolts of tribute satin, and she made a few small garments, which she had the palace servants send to Consort Qi's palace for the eldest princess."
"Counting the days, she's been pregnant for over three months now."
Green Willow replied, "Previously, Physician Sun would go to check on the baby's pulse every other day, but these past few days he has changed to going every three to five days, which suggests that the pregnancy has stabilized."
Meng Shu pondered for a while and instructed, "Let's hold back for now. The matter that I asked Madam Yun to handle outside the palace should have already been started."
Green Willow bowed and replied, "Yes. Then this servant will refrain from meeting with those people for the next few days to avoid attracting attention."
Meng Shu nodded and said no more.
......
Renming Hall.
The Empress lightly tapped the gilded gift list on the table with her fingertips.
Madam Han sent many things to the palace during her trip back to the capital, but the one delivered to Renming Hall was particularly valuable. Given her relationship with Uncle Han, she and Madam Han, grandmother and granddaughter, should naturally be closer.
But the words her mother said a few days ago, under the pretext of visiting, were like a thorn in her heart, making her unwilling to let Han Shuyi step into the palace.
"Shuyi, to outsiders, is the daughter of your Uncle Han's adopted deputy general," the mother said in a very low voice, "but your father investigated back then. It was a foolish thing Han Guangbi did to the wife of his deputy general while drunk! Shuyi's biological mother died in childbirth, and that deputy general died in battle two years later, so Han Guangbi naturally adopted her..."
Han Shuyi was actually Uncle Han's biological daughter.
Fortunately, Madam Han did not reveal any intention to send her granddaughter to the palace during her conversation today, and Han Shuyi herself did not seem to have such a thought either.
But she couldn't fathom the Emperor's thoughts at all.
If he insists on taking Han Shuyi into the palace... can the Han family defy the imperial decree?
At the banquet in Cining Palace just now, Consort Shu broke two glass cups. The Emperor not only did not blame her for her impropriety, but also smiled and said, "Children of the Northern Frontier are not bound by such formalities." Even the Empress Dowager looked at Consort Shu with a hint of indulgence and affection.
Upon thinking of this, the Empress became restless.
Inside the Fu Ning Palace, the Emperor was engrossed in state affairs, having spent two hours straight reviewing documents since returning from the Ci Ning Palace.
Jingming glanced at the water clock, which pointed to the hour of You (5-7 PM), coughed lightly, and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, it's almost the hour of You. Should dinner be served at the Funing Palace, or...?"
"Set up the carriage at Lingcui Palace."
The emperor did not raise his head; his gaze remained fixed on the memorial.
......
Lingcui Palace, Cuiyu Hall.
Meng Shu was also looking at the sky. Seeing the sun setting in the west, she estimated that it was about time, so she turned around and went back to her study.
She had just settled down at her desk when she heard familiar footsteps coming from outside the courtyard. Her hand holding the paintbrush paused, then she pretended to be engrossed in painting, the tip of the brush delicately outlining the patterns on the hem of her clothes on the silk.
As the emperor stepped into the palace, he immediately spotted the figure at the desk. He gestured for Green Willow to be quiet and walked straight to the desk.
On the table was a completed portrait. He reached out and picked it up, about to tease Meng Shu for only resembling Consort Chun in two ways. But upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but laugh. It turned out to be a portrait of Consort Yun. The two cousins did indeed look somewhat alike.
He put the portrait back in its place and went around behind Meng Shu to see who she was drawing.
But after just one glance, their steps faltered.
The woman in the painting has a very strong and elegant appearance, yet she also has a hint of indescribable tenderness.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he almost subconsciously uttered a soft voice: "Zhitong."