ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 115
After Xiao Man left the imperial palace and returned to the Prince Sheng’s residence, she first instructed someone to summon the steward of the shop. She prepared a gift list to be sent for Consort Rong’s approval and then asked, “Has the landscape painting by Master Lian Shan arrived in the capital yet?”
The steward quickly replied, “It arrived yesterday afternoon and has been sent to the shop for re-mounting.”
Xiao Man fell silent for a moment, as if lost in thought. The steward, puzzled, looked at her and asked, “Does the lady have any other instructions?”
“Nothing,” Xiao Man waved her hand. After a moment, she instructed, “Send someone to find a few painters.”
“Painters?” The steward asked in confusion, “Don’t we already have two painters at our Mo Xiang Zhai?”
Xiao Man replied, “Their work is not good enough.”
After a pause, she added, “Make sure not to look in the capital. Go to other places. Do it as quickly as possible and find several painters, especially those skilled in painting birds and flowers. It’s best to find them within half a month.”
The steward agreed, “Yes, I’ll get right on it.”
Xiao Man stared at him intently and lowered her voice, saying, “You must handle this personally and ensure no word of it gets out.”
…
Grand Princess’s residence.
Li Zhizhi had just entered the flower hall when she heard voices from inside. One of them belonged to the Grand Princess, while the other was somewhat familiar, though she couldn’t immediately recall the identity of the speaker. She heard her say with a laugh, “This is truly a match made in heaven! I can’t imagine a more suitable pair.”
The Grand Princess laughed and said, “It still depends on her own feelings…”
Li Zhizhi took a few more steps forward, rounding the screen. Several attendant maids greeted her with bows, and she finally saw the guest’s face clearly. It was a woman, dressed and adorned in a refined and luxurious manner, exuding an air of elegance. Li Zhizhi had seen her before; she was the Duchess of Yiguo.
The Duchess, upon seeing Li Zhi, showed a delighted expression and said, “Ah, the Princess has returned.”
“Zhizhi, come over here,” the Grand Princess beckoned with a smile, introducing her, “This is the Duchess of Yiguo. You should have met her before.”
Li Zhi naturally recognized her. It was the Duchess who had organized the spring banquet at Qionglin Garden. She smiled politely at the Duchess and said, “Greetings, Duchess.”
“Good, good,” the Duchess replied with a beaming smile, appraising her, and then praised her to the Grand Princess, “The first time I saw the Princess, I thought she was excellent, with a refined and intelligent demeanor. She is truly beautiful, and there isn’t a second like her in the entire capital.”
The Grand Princess, pleased by these compliments, did not modestly downplay her daughter’s qualities as some parents might. Instead, she proudly said, “Our Zhizhi is naturally exceptional, skilled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She is gentle by nature and exceptionally understanding.”
She then went on in detail about how obedient and considerate Li Zhizhi was in her daily life, how endearing she was, and how filial she was, praising her to the skies. The Duchess could only nod in agreement, eventually running out of words to praise her with.
After the Grand Princess had finished a round of compliments and the tea had been refilled twice, the Duchess of Yiguo looked at Li Zhizhi with even more kindness and affection. Everyone said the Grand Princess treated this adopted daughter well. Not only had she been granted the title of Princess, but the Emperor had also issued an edict that completely disregarded the Li family. Which noble girl in the capital could boast such luck?
Now, although Li Zhizhi still bore the surname Li, she was truly a little golden phoenix. With such good looks, many people were eyeing her secretly, hoping to marry her into their family.
After a round of flattery, the Duchess of Yiguo’s mouth was dry. She then joked with a smile, “With such good character, the Princess is highly sought after. It’s your good fortune, Grand Princess, to have such a wonderful daughter. If I had another son, I would certainly try to climb the high branch of your household. It’s truly a pity.”
After a brief pause, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and continued with a smile, “Speaking of which, I came here today on someone else’s behalf. The Minister of War’s wife was very insistent, hoping I could successfully convey her wishes.”
Li Zhizhi glanced at her, a bit puzzled, wondering in her heart. The Duchess of Yiguo then asked, “Does the Princess know the young master of the Minister of War’s household?”
Li Zhizhi, feeling somewhat surprised, instinctively looked towards the Grand Princess and shook her head, “No, I don’t know him.”
“Oh dear,” the Duchess of Yiguo clapped her leg and laughed, “Look at my memory. It’s my oversight. I haven’t introduced him to you yet. The young master of the Minister of War’s family is just a few years older than you. As for his family background, it’s well-known to everyone. His family has been in officialdom for three generations. Their ancestral home is in Huizhou, which is not far from the capital…”
The Grand Princess, who had been listening for a while, gently reminded her with a smile while holding a tea cup, “Let’s set aside the family background for now. It would be better if the Duchess tells her more about the young master himself.”
“Yes, yes, that was my oversight,” the Duchess of Yiguo immediately replied. “The young master is very handsome, with regular features like his father, thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking very blessed. He has a good temperament, unlike those foppish young men. He is diligent in his studies and writes excellent essays. His mother, whom the Grand Princess has met, is kind and generous, never having quarreled with anyone. If the Princess marries him, she will certainly live a blessed life.”
Li Zhizhi finally understood that the Madam of the State Duke was here to propose a marriage. For a moment, she felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. Unsure of how to respond, she could only look towards the Grand Princess for help.
Seeing this, the Grand Princess immediately gave her a reassuring look, placed down her teacup, and said, “I understand everything Madam has said. Please allow me some time to think it over carefully, and I will give you an answer in a few days.”
This was a polite way of seeing the guest out, and the Madam of the State Duke naturally understood. She smiled and said, “Very well, I will await your good news.”
After seeing the Madam of the State Duke off, Li Zhizhi let out a gentle sigh of relief. The Grand Princess couldn’t help but laugh, “I was just thinking, it’s a good thing you went to the palace and managed to avoid her. But who would have thought you’d come back so quickly and get scared by her?”
“Not scared, really.”
The Grand Princess didn’t believe her. “Not really?”
Li Zhizhi hesitated for a moment, then gestured with her fingers, “Just a little bit.”
The Grand Princess couldn’t help but laugh, gently patting her hand, “Don’t worry, mother is here to support you.”
Hearing this, Li Zhizhi felt a warmth in her heart. Holding hands with the Grand Princess, they walked and chatted. The Grand Princess carefully analyzed the son of the Minister of War for her, “If you want, you can get to know him. But I think he is somewhat foolish and may not be a good match for you.”
“Foolish?”
The Grand Princess looked at her and said, “The Madam of the State Duke praised his diligence and his good writing skills, but you don’t know that he hasn’t even passed the imperial examination to become a scholar. Isn’t that foolish?”
With a rather disdainful tone, the Grand Princess pointed out, “There are few truths in a matchmaker’s words. You need to take them with a pinch of salt. But don’t worry, your mother will be there to look out for you. They won’t be able to fool us easily.”
Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but laugh, her brows arching slightly. She replied, “Yes, I will listen to you.”
“That won’t do,” the Grand Princess sighed softly and said, “Silly child, you must truly like the person yourself. If you don’t, your mother can’t force you. Do you understand?”
Li Zhizhi nodded seriously, “Yes, I understand.”
…
The window was half-open, and below it grew a banana tree, its large leaves spreading out in lush green. A sparrow flew from somewhere and landed on the eaves, hopping around and chirping, unafraid of disturbing the peace.
Below the window, Li Zhizhi sat at her desk, sleeves rolled up, holding a brush and painting. Her maid, Hai Tang, was grinding ink for her. After watching for a while, Hai Tang praised, “Mistress, your painting is really beautiful.”
Hearing this, Li Zhizhi smiled and corrected her, “This isn’t my painting.”
Hai Tang was momentarily stunned and said in bewilderment, “But you’re clearly the one painting it…”
Li Zhizhi put down the brush, gently blew on the ink on the paper, and then smiled and said, “I’m merely copying someone else’s work. The original artist is someone else.”
After she finished speaking, she used a paperweight to press down the painting to let the ink dry naturally. At this moment, another maid came in to report, “Mistress, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Seventh Princess are here.”
Just as the words were spoken, a burst of footsteps was heard outside, hurried and cheerful. From the sound alone, it was clear who it was.
“Sister Zhizhi! A’yang has come to see you!”
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