sjar Chapter 51 Did Princess Pingle know the secret of this painting?
Chapter 51 Did Princess Pingle know the secret of this painting?
The carriage was running smoothly on the streets of the capital, but Liu Yunniang's heart could not calm down.
From time to time, she stole a glance at Xiao Mu who was sitting opposite her, but found that he had a stern expression and seemed to be thinking about something.
Liu Yunniang sighed secretly in her heart. She admitted that she had said those words on purpose, but it was not easy for her to explain anything at this time.
After a while, the carriage finally arrived at the gate of the palace.
The towering palace and the solemn guards made Liu Yunniang nervous again.
They got off the carriage and, led by the eunuchs, slowly walked into the palace.
The buildings in the palace were magnificent and splendid, which made Liu Yunniang marvel at the majesty of the royal family.
They walked through corridors and courtyards and finally arrived at the palace where the emperor was.
Liu Yunniang waited outside the palace to be summoned, her heart so nervous that it seemed to jump out of her throat. She held the box tightly in her hand.
After a moment, the eunuch's shrill voice sounded: "General Xuan Xiao enters the palace, Liu enters the palace."
Liu Yunniang took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
Xiao Mu glanced at her inconspicuously and motioned her to follow.
She understood what he meant and followed Xiao Mu slowly into the palace.
The palace is solemn and dignified, and the magnificent decorations are dazzling.
Liu Yunniang lowered her eyes, not daring to look directly at the emperor. She just knelt down respectfully with Xiao Mu and performed the great ceremony.
Emperor Jingxuan sat high on the dragon throne, looking majestically at the two people below.
"Be flat."
Emperor Jingxuan's voice was steady and powerful.
Liu Yunniang and Xiao Mu stood up, lowered their heads slightly, and waited for Emperor Jingxuan's questions.
Emperor Jingxuan looked at Liu Yunniang and narrowed his eyes slightly.
This Liu is different from what he imagined!
He thought Liu would be an ordinary young woman, but when he saw her, he was stunned by her beauty.
Her skin is as white as snow, delicate and smooth, her face is exquisite and beautiful, especially her bright eyes, like two dazzling gems, sparkling with charming light.
She has a slender and graceful figure, with exquisite curves, exuding a unique charm. It can be said that such a woman will become the focus of everyone's attention wherever she goes.
If a woman like this had not had her marriage disrupted by Princess Pingle, she should have been able to live in harmony with her husband, right?
Emperor Jingxuan looked at the woman in front of him and felt a rare sense of sympathy for her.
"Liu, General Xiao has already reported to me the improved formula of gunpowder and weapons that you presented. Your move is a great achievement for both the country and the people."
Liu Yunniang quickly knelt down again and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I know that the gunpowder formula is of great importance. I dare not hide it privately. I specially present it to Your Majesty. I only hope to share Your Majesty's worries and do my part for the country."
Emperor Jingxuan nodded slightly, with admiration in his eyes.
"I am very pleased with your loyalty. I have decided to reward you handsomely."
Liu Yunniang felt nervous and kowtowed to express her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
Emperor Jingxuan thought for a moment and said, "I will give you a thousand taels of gold, a number of jewels and jewelry, and a hundred rolls of silk and satin. In addition, I will give you a mansion in the capital for you and your family to live in. Are you satisfied?"
Liu Yunniang was very excited and kowtowed again, saying: "Your Majesty's reward is generous. I am grateful to you with tears. However, this reward is too generous. As a woman, I really don't deserve it."
Emperor Jingxuan waved his hand and said, "Stand up. You have provided the formula for gunpowder and proposed a method to improve catapults and crossbows. You have made an invaluable contribution to the Wei Dynasty. I reward you with all these, and you deserve them."
Liu Yunniang raised the box in her arms with both hands, bowed her head slightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise, and I am ashamed to accept your honor. I dare to present these three paintings to Your Majesty, hoping to add some elegance to Your Majesty."
Emperor Jingxuan nodded slightly, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"Send it over."
The eunuch stepped forward, took the box from Liu Yunniang's hand, and presented it to Emperor Jingxuan.
Emperor Jingxuan nodded, and the eunuchs beside him slowly opened the box, took out three scrolls, and unfolded them one by one. The exquisite landscapes, flowers and birds on the scrolls were lifelike, with delicate brushstrokes and bright colors.
Emperor Jingxuan, who originally thought it was just an ordinary landscape painting, stood up from the dragon throne excitedly when he saw the three paintings unfolded.
This painting?
Is this a painting by Master Xingyun?
Emperor Jingxuan looked up at Xiao Mu the first moment, and when he saw him nod in confirmation, he immediately understood.
That’s great! This Liu is indeed a meritorious person. He actually presented three of the mountain paintings he had been looking for for a long time at once.
But why is there one picture missing?
He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Liu, do you know that there were originally four paintings on this mountain? Do you know the whereabouts of the missing one?"
Liu Yunniang answered truthfully, "Your Majesty, there were indeed four paintings originally. My father found them by chance and gave them to me as a dowry to take to the Ye family. However, one of the paintings was secretly taken away by my ex-husband Ye Wenbo and brought to the capital when I was at the Ye family. I only discovered it when I was preparing to divorce him. Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I did not keep it well."
Emperor Jingxuan frowned slightly. It was Ye Wenbo again, the fiancé of Princess Pingle?
This name has been appearing quite frequently lately.
He had already learned from Xiao Mu that Princess Pingle had ordered people to kidnap Liu's mother and daughter yesterday. He heard that Princess Pingle was deliberately making things difficult for Liu in order to get her dowry.
dowry?
She is a princess, yet she still covets other people's dowry. Maybe she knew about the painting in Liu's hand from Ye Wenbo!
How could it be such a coincidence? Did Princess Pingle know the secret of this painting?
A fierce look flashed in Emperor Jingxuan's eyes, and his whole body exuded a cold aura. He was silent for a moment, and the suspicion in his heart grew stronger.
If Princess Pingle really knew the secret of the painting, then it would explain why she wanted to make things difficult for Liu and her daughter for Liu's dowry. As for how she knew it, it is still unknown.
Emperor Jingxuan looked at Liu Yunniang with a more scrutinizing look in his eyes.
"Liu, do you know the secret of this painting? Have you told Ye Wenbo?"
Liu Yunniang knelt down quickly, looking terrified.
"Your Majesty, I didn't know what secrets these paintings had before, so I naturally wouldn't tell Ye Wenbo. I didn't dare to deceive Your Majesty. It was Princess Pingle who sent someone to threaten me to go see her yesterday. It was only after we met that I realized that these paintings were what the princess wanted. The one in Ye Wenbo's hand had been pawned for silver. I guessed that it must have been in Princess Pingle's hands, so the princess forced me to hand over these three paintings. Fortunately, General Xiao saved me and my daughter. Although I don't know the significance of these paintings, I can sense that this matter is not simple. I dare not hide it, so I decided to present the paintings to Your Majesty and ask for Your Majesty's protection."
Liu Yunniang's sincerity matched Xiao Mu's report yesterday. Emperor Jingxuan nodded slightly, and felt a little more admiration for Liu Yunniang's honesty.
"You have done very well. I will take care of the matter of Princess Pingle. Since you have contributed greatly to the painting, I will confer upon you the title of First-Rank Lady, grant you ten thousand taels of gold, countless jewels, a mansion in the capital, and a hundred servants. In addition, I will send people to protect you and your daughter to ensure your safety."
Emperor Jingxuan looked at Xiao Mu again and said, "General Xiao, you have also made contributions by escorting Liu to the palace to present treasures. I will reward you with a thousand taels of silver and a hundred fine horses as an encouragement."
Xiao Mu knelt down to thank him and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. I will continue to serve Your Majesty and defend the country."
Emperor Jingxuan waved his hand and asked the eunuch beside him to escort Liu Yunniang out of the palace. As for Xiao Mu, there were still things he needed to discuss with him.
Liu Yunniang respectfully left the palace and followed the young eunuch out of the palace, her heart full of emotion.
She knew that from then on, her and her daughter's fate would change completely.