Chapter 1079 - 1079 The Meaningful Maple-leaf Painting
1079 The Meaningful Maple-leaf Painting
Madam of Duke Cheng’en knew her husband had something weighing on his mind.
It was related to the Empress Dowager.
At that time, he failed to live up to his expectations and couldn’t support his sister. So, although his sister was the legal wife, she had been suppressed by a woman whom her husband favored. Whenever he thought of it, Duke Cheng’en felt sorry for his sister. Therefore, he devoted his energies to searching for red items for his sister. Since he had no strength to support his sister strongly, he kept sending her items that could display her dignity as a legal wife.
He was more than happy to lend her moral support.
Duke Cheng’en always felt sorry for his sister. Because he had never achieved anything significant and couldn’t be his sister’s robust backing, she was often upset by some unkindness. Yet, he seemed to have forgotten his sister was the Empress Dowager now. Besides, the current Emperor was not the Empress Dowager’s husband but her biological son, who had to show enough respect for her.
The Empress Dowager no longer needed bright red clothes and ornaments to show her dignity and nobility as a legal wife.
Madam of Duke Cheng’en could see these things more clearly than her husband, so she repeatedly persuaded him to stop buying. However, he was bigoted and stubbornly believed that his sister would like everything he chose for her.
Since the Empress Dowager was happy with that, he made great efforts to get more to please his sister.
He was incompetent, but at least he could provide his sister with fine clothes and ornaments.
“His Grace thinks his sister had some hard times in the past!” Madam of Duke Cheng’en explained with a bitter smile.
Shao Wanru understood it and turned to look at these objects helplessly, setting her eyes on the scripts and paintings aside. Today, she didn’t come here for the things in these brocade boxes.
Seeing that, Young Madam of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion hurriedly took out a scroll and opened it. A landscape painting appeared in front of them, which seemed to be an authentic one.
Young Madam of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion placed the painting before Shao Wanru and opened another painting named Cold River Night Fishing.
She put down the one in her hand and opened another.
One after another, these scrolls were unfolding. There were various paintings of beautiful scenery, different people, prosperous cities, and journeys.
Shao Wanru’s liquid eyes drifted over these paintings and finally stopped on a few similar ones.
Most of these paintings were about mothers and sons: children playing, a mother and her sons having fun together, and a mother sewing new clothes for her sons.
These pictures varied but showed the same theme — the mother and sons living in harmony.
“These paintings… are almost the same!” Shao Wanru said softly as her fingers glided over a few paintings of mother and sons playing around.
“Father thinks it was best to prepare these pictures for Her Majesty. He has been searching for a picture reflecting the harmonious relationship between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Besides the Emperor, he wants all the Empress Dowager’s children to be on one painting.” Young Madam of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion, a middle-aged woman already, was pretty intelligent.
When noticing Shao Wanru’s figures sliding across the painting, she understood what she was thinking and quickly explained with a smile.
Everyone present knew the reason for Duke Cheng’en’s choice.
“Which one does His Grace think is the best?” Shao Wanru’s eyes fell on the painting, and she asked gently with curiosity that matched her age, fluttering her long eyelashes a few times.
“He said every piece was good, but none fit the feeling he imagined.” Young Madam of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion shook her head. “No painting satisfied him. I heard he had asked painters in the Palace to draw one for him, but he couldn’t pick up one he thought was the most suitable.”
Madam of Duke Cheng’en could do nothing about it when Duke Cheng’en insisted on doing this, and Young Madam of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion was also under much pressure.
“Is there the most suitable one among these paintings?” Shao Wanru asked meaningfully, “Hasn’t Duke Cheng’en found one that satisfied him?”
As she spoke, she casually lifted one painting to see, put it down, and picked up another one.
Her words reminded Madam of Duke Cheng’en, who thought for a moment and said, “There is one. He just got a painting and thought highly of it, but I didn’t take it seriously and didn’t look at it. I heard it was made of maple leaves. Is there anything like that among these paintings?”
With this, she came over to check but did not find the painting. Then she turned around and said something to the old maid behind her. The old maid nodded and left. After a while, she came back with a box.
Judging from the box’s exterior, Shao Wanru could tell this painting must be more exquisite than the previous ones.
Opening the box, Madam of Duke Cheng’en carefully spread the painting and showed it to Shao Wanru, saying, “I forgot it. His Grace had mentioned this, saying that if he couldn’t find a better one, he would choose this one and present it to the Empress Dowager before all the officials. Even the Emperor could feel her deep affection for her sons at that time!”
The whole picture gradually appeared before them, which gave a vivid description of a mother and three sons. One son was lying on the bed, seemingly ill. Her mother was taking good care of this sick eldest son. Another son was leaning against her affectionately, looking at the Eldest Brother on the bed. Near them, their ignorant youngest brother played happily and didn’t notice what was happening with their mother and two elder brothers.
It was a hot and harmonious picture. Even though Shao Wanru was mentally prepared, she didn’t find anything unusual.
“It’s made of maple leaves. This… is so ingenious!” Rui’an Great Elder Princess stepped over and murmured in appreciation.
With maple leaves as the base, the painting was artfully tailored. There were only a few strokes in the blank space, making the mother and sons more vivid. Even veins of leaves were ingeniously arranged impressively.
“It’s amazing. Great… It’s wonderful indeed. Not only is it suitable to be a birthday present, but it shows ingenuity. This piece is an invaluable asset.” The longer Rui’an Great Elder Princess appreciated it, the more she liked it.
It was the Empress Dowager that the mother with three sons was referring to!
In the painting, the mother looked at her eldest son lovingly, and the second son was leaning against her side tightly. As for the third son, who was little and innocent, he was playing cheerfully by himself near them.
“It’s indeed good. I didn’t pay attention to it and haven’t seen it before. Sometimes, my husband will do some improper things. I didn’t expect this piece to be so appropriate. Impressive!” It was the first time Madam of Duke Cheng’en had seen this painting. Duke Cheng’en rarely made her pride, and she smiled with pleasure.
Shao Wanru looked through the painting. An extraordinary piece of art indeed! Making a painting with maple leaves was a marvelous idea. No wonder it would be sent to the Palace to please the Empress Dowager.
It would be presented to the Empress Dowager and slowly unrolled right before the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, officials, and all their family members…
This painting was a decent and appropriate birthday gift for such a grand scene. Though the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion was an aristocratic family without real power, it was the Empress Dowager’s parents’ home. So, it would do them no good when Duke Cheng’en often sent priceless treasures as if the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion were fabulously wealthy.
Only scripts and paintings like this were both elegant and prominent.
The Empress Dowager would love this ingenious painting with maple leaves. If Shao Wanru hadn’t known a little about the painting in her last life, she wouldn’t have used maple leaves as the backing and added a few brush strokes to make the image more outstanding.
But no matter how she viewed it, she didn’t feel anything wrong with the painting.
But because of it, the Empress Dowager was confined to her bed with a severe illness. How could such a painting do that and become the source of the rebellion launched by Prince Zhou?
As Shao Wanru held the painting in her hand, her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes became more penetrating and thoughtful.
“Zhuozhuo, why are you so interested in this painting?” Rui’an Great Elder Princess saw that Shao Wanru was absorbed in her thoughts and looked at it over and over again as if she was reluctant to let it go. She couldn’t help laughing.
“Grandma, please don’t tease me,” Shao Wanru said coquettishly, reluctantly putting down the painting. Remaining calm and collected, she cast a meaningful glance at Yujie, who was standing quietly beside her.
Yujie understood what her master meant. Immediately, she took a step forward and whispered in surprise, “It looks so similar to the painting prepared by my master.”
She spoke in a low voice to herself and didn’t intend to interrupt their conversation, but everyone heard her words clearly since they were standing nearby.
“Zhuozhuo, have you also made a painting with maple leaves?” Rui’an Great Elder Princess smiled and asked.
Shao Wanru nodded shyly and said with a little embarrassment, “It can’t compare with this one from the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion. I made it with maple leaves by myself.”
“What a coincidence! May I see it?” Madam of Duke Cheng’en was also interested in it and asked with a smile.
“Of course!” Shao Wanru readily agreed with a nod. Then she nodded at Yujie. Before she came here, she had intended to watch this maple-leaf painting and let others know about her artwork.
Shao Wanru drew her painting with the same purpose.
Yujie turned around and went out. After a while, she took out the prepared painting from the carriage and put it in a box. Then she came back to everyone, opened the box, and cautiously took out the painting inside.
When Rui’an Great Elder Princess and Madam of Duke Cheng’en saw the work of art inside, they nodded repeatedly. It had a decent artistic conception, which could show Shao Wanru’s remarkable painting skills. The unique thing was the incomparable originality it displayed.
“Your Highness is clever and deft.” Madam of Duke Cheng’en couldn’t help complimenting repeatedly.
The painting of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion was purchased outside, but the one of the Prince Chen’s Mansion was made by Princess Chen herself. It was clear which one was better. For the Empress Dowager, a gift made by her granddaughter-in-law would be more meaningful than an item sold in the market. In comparison, the painting of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion paled.
Since it was a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager that would be shown to the Emperor and all the officials, it should be special. There were two paintings with the same style, and the one from the Prince Chen’s Mansion was more outstanding, so Madam of Duke Cheng’en wanted to give up the one from her mansion.
Though this painting was exquisitely made, it was not by a famous artist. Its originality made it remarkable. But now, even its marvel design was no match for Princess Chen’s. It was better not to send this painting; otherwise, it would humiliate the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion.
Two cunning pieces of artwork with similar creative ideas shouldn’t show up simultaneously. It was nothing shameful for the better one but was bad for the inferior piece.
“Princess Chen’s painting is striking, and you made it yourself. Her Majesty will like it.” Young Madam of the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion repeatedly praised.
Shao Wanru blushed and replied with a few polite words. After that, she asked Yujie to put away the painting. When it was almost time to go, she thanked Madam of Duke Cheng’en and left.
Madam of Duke Cheng’en and Young Madam walked them to the door together. Seeing them get on the carriage and leave, Madam of Duke Cheng’en returned to her courtyard by holding Young Madam’s hands. After sitting down, she ordered her trusted old maid to wait for Duke Cheng’en at the study’s door. As soon as he was back, she should invite him over to discuss something important…