ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 96
After the dispersal of the Grand Princess’s banquet, it was not until the afternoon that Xiao Yan brought Xiao Rulei over. As soon as they entered the mansion, Xiao Rulei ran towards Li Zhizhi like a bird released from its cage. She cheered and hugged Li Zhizhi, and the two almost rolled onto the couch, laughing and playing.
Xiao Yan mocked, “Even when meeting your own mother, you’re not this enthusiastic.”
Xiao Rulei stuck her tongue out at him and curiously looked at the scroll on the table, asking, “What was sister doing just now?”
Li Zhizhi slowly unfolded the painting to let her see more clearly. “Appreciating art.”
“This painting is strange,” Xiao Rulei wrinkled her nose, looking puzzled. “Why is it all dark?”
Most of the painting was indeed dark, with varying shades and random lines, lacking any order. It couldn’t even be considered a proper painting; a child’s doodle would be more interesting.
Xiao Yan only glanced at it, feeling a vague sense of unease. A long time ago, he had seen a similar style in another painting. He asked, “Who gave this?”
Li Zhizhi replied, “It was Young Master Su Qingshang.”
As expected, Xiao Yan became vigilant, but he kept his composure. Staring at the painting for a while, he couldn’t discern anything and asked Li Zhizhi, “What do you see in it?”
Li Zhizhi was also clueless, running her fingertips over the lines, frowning, and shaking her head. “I don’t understand.”
That’s good. But before Xiao Yan could feel comfortable, he heard her say with great interest: “But since it was painted by the second young master, there must be something mysterious about it. Maybe my knowledge is shallow and I can’t understand it.”
Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a little disgusted in his heart, and said coldly: “It’s just a mystery.”
At that moment, a maid entered, addressing Li Zhizhi, “Concubine Rong from the palace has sent someone to invite you to the palace.”
Li Zhizhi was surprised, and Xiao Yan frowned, asking, “Why does she want to see you?”
He further inquired of the maid, “Did she mention what it’s about?”
The maid shook her head blankly, “No, Concubine Rong’s messenger is still waiting.”
Li Zhizhi stood up and said, “I’ll go with him.”
“Wait,” Xiao Yan, feeling uneasy, spoke without much thought, “I’ll go with you.”
Li Zhizhi thought for a moment and politely declined, “It’s not appropriate. I have no grievances with Concubine Rong, and besides, she sent a gift today to congratulate us. If you go with me, it might make her feel that we are guarding against her, which would be counterproductive.”
The use of “we” in Li Zhizhi’s statement lifted Xiao Yan’s mood slightly. Feeling that Li Zhizhi’s reasoning made sense, he nodded slightly and cautioned, “In that case, be careful on your own. I’ll have someone wait for you at the palace gate.”
…
Half an hour later, Li Zhizhi followed the person sent by Concubine Rong into the imperial palace. Similar to the previous occasion, a young eunuch in green led her through long palace corridors, passing several palace gates, before arriving at Concubine Rong’s chamber.
The sky was gradually darkening, and as the evening birds returned, they glided over the palace walls, emitting melodious chirps before disappearing behind the numerous towers. A palace attendant went inside to inform, and shortly after, emerged to respectfully inform Lady Li Zhizhi, “The Princess is requested to enter for a conversation.”
Li Zhizhi nodded and followed her inside. The hall was not particularly large, but it was adorned with exquisite decorations, displaying opulence in every detail. Near the couch were two ice basins, emitting a refreshing coolness that dispelled the summer heat.
Concubine Rong was seated by the cool couch, engrossed in something in her hands. Upon seeing Li Zhizhi, she smiled gracefully, “Oh, the esteemed guest has arrived.”
Her delicate appearance, enhanced by the smile, was as beautiful as spring flowers. Li Zhizhi approached and performed a courteous gesture, but Concubine Rong quickly reached out to assist her, saying, “No need for formalities. Please, have a seat.”
Li Zhizhi sat down beside the couch, only then noticing the various pots and containers arranged in front of Concubine Rong, along with a small jade pestle. Concubine Rong was busy grinding Fengxian flower juice, sitting in a relaxed manner with her legs crossed, seemingly carefree.
“What is Consort doing…”
“I wish to dye my nails a purple color,” Concubine Rong interrupted, focused on her task. “It gives a more imposing look.”
Apparently, she had faced several failures, as she frowned in frustration. Li Zhizhi, noticing the array of dyes nearby, pointed to a shade of deep blue and suggested, “Perhaps you could try this.”
Concubine Rong followed the suggestion, adding a bit to the flower juice, and indeed, it turned into a deep purple. She showed delight, saying, “Ah, this is precisely what I wanted.”
After adjusting the color, a palace maid assisted in dyeing Concubine Rong’s nails. Concubine Rong praised Li Zhizhi with a smile, “You know quite a lot, even about this.”
Li Zhizhi smiled slightly and humbly said, “Most people who can paint are familiar with color matching. I only have a superficial understanding.”
“That’s still better than me,” Concubine Rong smiled and said, “By the way, I invited you to the palace today to discuss the matter of that painting. A few days ago, I asked County Princess Xiao Man about it. I asked her who painted that painting, and guess what she said?”
Li Zhizhi had already anticipated this, but she pretended not to know and said, “I don’t know. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”
“Do I even need to explain?” Concubine Rong sighed and pointed, saying, “She naturally took credit for it, claiming that she painted it herself.”
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes turned slightly, and she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice, “She even said that in front of the Emperor.”
Li Zhizhi and she locked eyes for a moment. Concubine Rong smiled again, blew on her newly painted nails – a deep purple color that accentuated her porcelain-like skin, and asked Li Zhizhi, “Is it beautiful?”
The color seemed like poison, but Li Zhizhi nodded and complimented insincerely, “Beautiful.”
Concubine Rong was very satisfied and said, “I’ll give you this gift. Make sure to make good use of it.”
Just as they were talking, a palace maid entered respectfully and said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Emperor has arrived.”
Concubine Rong, upon hearing this, did not show joy on her face. Instead, she seemed startled and quickly got off the couch, instructing those around her, “Quickly, tidy up these things.”
Several palace maids hurriedly cleared the miscellaneous items from the table and brought brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone to cover it. As the footsteps outside approached, the imperial carriage had already reached the gate. However, there was still a plate of flower juice on the table that hadn’t been poured. In her haste, Concubine Rong grabbed it and threw it out the window.
With a clang, the sound reverberated just as Emperor Jing Ming stepped into the hall, and he keenly looked in their direction. “What was that sound?”
“In response to Your Majesty,” Concubine Rong replied with a hint of unease, lowering her head, “It’s, it’s nothing.”
Emperor Jing Ming frowned as he scrutinized her, his gaze falling on her fingers. Instinctively, Concubine Rong tried to hide her hands behind her back, but Emperor Jing Ming sternly commanded, “What are you hiding? Extend your hand.”
His tone was imposing, even causing Li Zhizhi to straighten her back involuntarily. She caught a glimpse of Concubine Rong extending her hand; all ten nails were dyed in a deep purple shade, appearing somewhat eerie in the refracted sunlight.
Li Zhizhi thought to herself that the color indeed carried a certain majestic aura.
However, Emperor Jing Ming’s brows furrowed even more, forming a crease in the middle. He said, “Are you poisoned?”
Concubine Rong, with a weak voice, attempted to explain, “Your humble servant applied Danluo.”
“You applied this all afternoon?” Emperor Jing Ming approached a few steps, glanced at the sheets of paper on the table, and picked one up. On it was a drawing of something bird-like yet not quite, with crude lines. Perplexed, he asked, “Is this a mountain chicken?”
Concubine Rong immediately clarified, “Your humble servant drew a peacock. Moreover, I specifically invited Princess Zhao Hua to seek guidance on painting techniques.”
She spoke while exchanging a glance with Li Zhizhi. Following that, Emperor Jing Ming turned his attention towards them. Even if his gaze didn’t carry any particular meaning, Li Zhizhi still felt her scalp tighten, listening as the emperor inquired, “Is that so?”
Li Zhizhi could only respond, “Yes, Your Majesty summoned this servant to the palace, indeed to discuss matters related to painting.”
Emperor Jing Ming sat by the couch, scrutinizing her for a moment before asking, “You also know how to paint?”
Consort Rong quickly spoke on her behalf, “Your Majesty, the paintings done by the Princess are exceptional.”
“I didn’t ask you,” the Emperor replied.
Concubine Rong immediately fell silent, looking at Li Zhizhi with hopeful eyes. Li Zhizhi, with a forced smile, said, “This servant… has some knowledge.”
Emperor Jing Ming nodded, pushed a sheet of paper towards her, and said, “Try it. Change this mountain chicken into a peacock for her.”
Li Zhizhi:…
With the Emperor’s command, she dared not disobey. She stared at the “mountain chicken” on the paper for a moment before finally starting to draw. With each stroke, she skillfully covered the crude lines, making the transformation into a graceful and free-spirited peacock.
Emperor Jing Ming’s expression gradually softened. Li Zhizhi put down the brush and cautiously said, “This servant has shown incompetence.”
Emperor Jing Ming picked up the painting again, examined it for a moment, then looked back at her, nodding, “Not bad.”
There was a hint of meaning in his eyes as he asked, “Who is your teacher?”
Li Zhizhi lowered her eyes and answered, “It’s Zhou Qing from Ming Garden, Mr. Zhou.”
Emperor Jingming nodded, set aside the piece of paper, and said, “Speaking of which, now that you have been titled as a Princess and adopted daughter of Grand Princess Yong Ning, I should reward you with something more.”
Li Zhizhi quickly replied, “I dare not. Your Majesty has bestowed the great grace of conferring me as a Princess; I dare not accept further rewards.”
Emperor Jing Ming waved his hand, and Concubine Rong, understanding his temperament, smiled at Li Zhizhi, saying, “If the Emperor rewards you, just accept it. Constantly declining might displease the Emperor.”
Only then did Li Zhizhi express her gratitude. Emperor Jing Ming suddenly said, “Since you understand the art of painting, you will now be in charge of teaching Concubine Rong how to paint.”
Li Zhizhi was startled, but Concubine Rong happily agreed, “This concubine has been feeling dull and worried about taking up your Majesty’s time. If the Princess is willing to teach, it would be the best.”
As it was the decree of the Emperor, Li Zhizhi had no choice but to agree. Emperor Jing Ming and the others continued to chat, and he stayed to watch Li Zhizhi teach Concubine Rong how to paint. During this time, he never left.
When the palace attendants came to inquire about the dinner, Li Zhizhi suddenly realized that it was already dark outside. She quickly asked to take her leave, but Emperor Jing Ming casually said, “Have your meal before leaving the palace.”
Concubine Rong looked at him, then at Li Zhizhi, and thoughtfully scratched her chin with the end of her brush. Smiling, she advised Li Zhizhi, “Since the Emperor said so, Princess, stay and have dinner with us.”
Li Zhizhi felt somewhat uneasy but didn’t know how to refuse. Just then, a palace servant came in and respectfully reported, “Your Majesty, Crown Prince requests an audience.”
Emperor Jing Ming didn’t even lift his eyelids and said, “What is he doing coming at this time? Is he here for dinner too?”