Chapter 5 A small window: sincerity and wealth—you must have one in your hands…

A moment later, a kind-looking eunuch entered and bowed.

"Wang Xu kowtows to wish the Imperial Concubine a speedy recovery."

Consort Xue stopped what she was doing and said with a faint smile, "Yunyu, please take a seat."

"Your Highness, there's no need for you to take a seat." Wang Xu quickly declined, smiling, "This servant is here on His Majesty's orders to deliver some things, and I must return to His Majesty's side. I dare not delay for too long, so I thank Your Highness in advance."

After saying that, he presented the box.

"Of the several inkstones recently acquired from the region, His Majesty has selected two to present to the Empress."

Consort Xue looked at the ink and said, "This is the fifth time this year that I've sent you writing brushes and ink. The ones I sent before haven't even been used up yet. Why doesn't His Majesty keep them for himself?"

Wang Xu bowed and smiled, "Your Majesty, do you not know His Majesty? When there are some good things, you are the first person I think of."

Consort Xue nodded slightly: "In that case, please ask the eunuch to thank His Majesty on my behalf."

Wang Xu said, "His Majesty said that there is no need for words of thanks; Your Majesty only needs to use this pen and ink to reply with a few words."

Yunyu immediately fetched paper and pen, and Consort Xue wrote it down before handing it to Wang Xu.

Wang Xu put the items away, still smiling, and said, "The things have been delivered, and this servant will go back to serve you. His Majesty will be coming tonight, so please prepare in advance."

"In that case, I won't delay any longer. Yunyu, see Eunuch Wang off." Consort Xue smiled faintly.

When Yunyu returned, she saw the Imperial Concubine lying lazily on the couch.

She entered the palace in the same year as the Imperial Concubine, and even lived in the same place. They had been together for over a decade, and she knew that the Imperial Concubine was unhappy at this moment.

Yunyu sat down beside her and said softly, "I know you've always been unhappy about His Majesty's arranged marriage, but the marriage has already been decided and can't be changed..."

Consort Xue opened her eyes and smiled faintly.

“When the Empress wanted to bestow a marriage upon me, I disagreed. I cried to the Empress, and she took pity on me and gave up. But he just had someone announce the decree directly.”

Yunyu comforted her, saying, "Haven't you always respected Her Majesty the Empress? Putting aside personal feelings, the Jiang family is also very good in terms of family background. Although the young man from the Jiang family is not like his elder brother, he is still of excellent character and temperament. He is always respectful and polite to you whenever he sees you."

Consort Xue lazily stroked her temples: "How can they be the same? If he were just the Empress's nephew, I would certainly like him very much. But my Qiaoniang is engaged to him, and they will be husband and wife in the future. How can the standards of being a husband and a father be the same as those of looking after a child?"

"This is how my life is going to be, but I still hope she can be alright."

"At least, you have to be better than me."

Anything she can afford, she'll give.

You must have either sincerity or wealth.

Yunyu asked softly, "Do you still think about the past?"

"Whether I think about it or not, so many years have passed. I enjoy the gold, jade, brocade, and fine clothes." Consort Xue paused for a moment, then calmly said, "I have no regrets. I have made my choice, and I will not think about what would have happened if I had done it that way. I will only think about how to get what I want in the future."

Yunyu sighed inwardly.

"His Majesty has showered you with favor over the years. Even when the Empress was alive, she advised you against being too stubborn in front of His Majesty. Not for any other reason than for the Empress's sake, you should also show respect to His Majesty..."

Consort Xue interrupted coldly: "He is him, and the Empress is the Empress!"

Helpless, Yunyu could only change the subject: "But this marriage has already been bestowed, and His Majesty will never take it back. Since the imperial decree cannot be disobeyed, it would be better to go with the flow and ask for some favors and honors for Miss Xue."

As expected, Consort Xue looked up at her.

"You, you."

Yunyu smiled deeply, turning her head to look at the parrot jumping in the cage, when Consort Xue's lazy voice reached her ears.

"Then instruct the palace servants to fetch Zhou Fu's 'Spring Outing for Pleasure' painting from Fangchun Pavilion."

"yes"

Consort Xue closed her eyes for a short rest, and Yunyu withdrew from the palace.

After noon, when Xue Chan woke up, she saw the painting "Spring Outing for Pleasure" that the palace servants had brought.

Overjoyed, she held the painting and kept telling Cheng Huaizhu, "This is Zhou Fu's work! An authentic piece! An authentic piece!"

Cheng Huaizhu was shaken dizzy, and before she could even stand up straight, Xue Chan laid out paper and picked up a pen in front of the desk.

It was snowing outside, so Cheng Huaizhu couldn't go out to play. She simply sat by the window reading a book, while Xue Chan was diligently practicing her painting.

Before long, sighs echoed from inside the room.

"well...."

Cheng Huaizhu had flipped through more than half of the book in her hand when she looked up.

Xue Chan put down her pen, rested her chin on her hand, shook her head, and sighed.

She got up, walked over to her, and picked up the paintings.

"Isn't this drawing quite good? Why have you been sighing all afternoon?"

Xue Chan said, "No, no, not good at all. Compared to others, I'm still far behind."

Cheng Huaizhu picked up a painting from the vat, looking at it from left to right: "I think it's pretty good. You're just too demanding of yourself. In this life, it's already rare to be able to do something to the extreme. You're so young, you have a long future ahead of you, why be so hard on yourself?"

Xue Chan rested her face on her hands and let out a long sigh.

"well"

Xue Chan switched to a different pen and began to sketch and render in a haphazard manner.

With just a few strokes, the orange-red daylilies on the paper are vibrant, the rocks are solid, and the butterflies are lively.

"Oh, the two young ladies are busy right now," Yunyu said with a smile as she entered.

Xue Chan stood up: "Sister Yunyu, has Your Majesty come here? What are your orders?"

Yunyu curtsied and walked to the desk: "Have you finished drawing, Miss?"

Xue Chan nodded, and Yun Sheng handed the finished drawings to Yun Yu.

Yunyu took it and looked at Xue Chan with admiration.

"Are these patterns acceptable as embroidery designs?"

"No wonder Miss Cheng always thinks of you whenever she enters the palace. You are truly exceptionally talented. If it weren't for an excellent embroiderer, these paintings would probably have been overlooked."

Xue Chan smiled and said, "Sister, you flatter me."

Yunyu: "You're too modest, young lady."

Cheng Huaizhu jumped in and said, "She's not humble at all."

Yunyu smiled at Cheng Huaizhu and said, "The plum blossoms in the plum garden are blooming beautifully these days. Would you please ask Miss Huaizhu to pick a few branches for Her Highness?"

“Great!” Cheng Huaizhu agreed without hesitation. “Perfect. I’ve been sitting here all afternoon and I’m getting bored. It would be quite interesting to carry a lantern and look at the white snow and red plum blossoms at night.”

She asked Xue Chan, "Are you going?"

Xue Chan shook her head. It was the dead of winter, cold, and once it got dark, she couldn't see anything. She didn't want to go out and was too lazy to walk.

Cheng Huaizhu had an "I knew it" look on her face. She skipped out with light steps, muttering something as she went.

Only after listening carefully did people realize that it was half a poem.

"Slender as jade, fragrant as snow, deep as sandalwood. I regret that I'm late again this year in seeking plum blossoms..."

Snow falls, the sky is cold, under the lamplight by the latticed window, a beautiful woman bows her head.

Consort Xue sat with her head down, looking at the painting, while Yunyu gently combed her hair.

"The Imperial Concubine is truly a subject worthy of being depicted in a painting."

Consort Xue looked up and saw the Emperor standing behind the beaded curtain, smiling at her.

"His Majesty has been here for so long, yet no one has informed him. Yunyu should be the one to punish them."

The emperor chuckled and sat down opposite her: "It was I who forbade them to spread the word, otherwise how could we have witnessed such a captivating scene? In my opinion, she should be rewarded, not punished."

Consort Xue smiled and said, "This is what His Majesty said. I have remembered it for them. They are not allowed to go back on their word."

"The emperor's word is as good as gold; he has no reason to go back on his word. You can rest assured."

He called out loudly, "Wang Xu!"

Upon hearing the voice, Wang Xu entered: "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

"The entire Fu Ning Palace is to be rewarded."

He paused in his bowing and asked, "Why are you rewarding me?"

The emperor rested his chin on his hand and smiled, "If I'm happy, I'll reward you as I please. If I need to come up with a reason for you, then what's the point of keeping you by my side?"

Wang Xu's heart sank, and she hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "This servant deserves to die."

"His Majesty is getting older and older, but he is becoming more and more willful." Consort Xue said with a hint of complaint. She sighed and scolded him, "He is too lazy to even think of a reason for rewarding you, and he even blames Wang Xu. If Eunuch Wang really dies, people will say that I am abusing my favor."

"I did nothing wrong, yet I have to take the blame for such a huge mistake. It's truly an injustice."

The emperor couldn't help but laugh when he saw her acting like a rogue.

"Putting everything else aside, how can you be wronged for being spoiled, arrogant, and willful?"

Consort Xue snorted coldly and pondered for him: "This also requires favor to become spoiled. So where does this favor come from? Isn't it because His Majesty is willing to dote on and indulge you? How could I refuse His Majesty's favor?"

She stood up, walked to the emperor's side, and cut off a section of the lamp wick.

"The root of the problem clearly lies with Your Majesty, how can you blame me?"

Consort Xue glanced down at Wang Xu, who understood and silently withdrew.

The emperor leaned back lazily and said, "After saying all that, you haven't done anything wrong, yet it's all become my fault."

"Otherwise what? Isn't it all your fault?"

"Since that's the case, then I will no longer favor her, and naturally there will be no more gossip. What do you think, Consort?"

Consort Xue walked away from him, tilted her head and smiled, "Are you willing to part with it?"

The emperor gazed at her face, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I can't bear to part with her."

He also stood up and walked behind Consort Xue, following her around the screen.

"Let them say what they want; I will take responsibility for everything."

Consort Xue walked a little slower, and the Emperor walked up to her. The two sat side by side under the lamp by the small window.

"This was painted by your elder brother, wasn't it?" The emperor looked up and saw the painting hanging on the side that had not yet been taken down.

"Your Majesty recognized him at a glance; you truly dote on my elder brother."

"I only admire talent. Xue Chenghuai is humble, honest, and his calligraphy and painting are superb. I am very pleased that such a person is the brother of the Imperial Concubine."

Consort Xue paused as she picked up the painting, her eyes reddening slightly, but she still smiled when she turned around.

"My elder brother resigned from his post due to a leg ailment, yet His Majesty still bestowed upon him an official title. Isn't that showing favoritism towards me?"

The Emperor took the painting and examined it closely: "Xue Chenghuai was injured in the leg by a rolling stone while working to control the floods and relieve the suffering of the people. I commend him for his dedication to his duties as an official and his compassionate heart. Consort, this is not because I am biased towards you."

He was looking at it intently, so Consort Xue remained silent and simply sat to one side looking at the small picture drawn by Xue Chan.

The emperor glanced at it, picked up a painting from the small table, and it was the daylily painting.

"You haven't painted in a long time, why did you decide to pick up a brush today?"

"But these few paintings have a bright and elegant style..." the emperor blurted out with a laugh, then looked up with a puzzled expression and asked, "What, could it be that the Imperial Concubine has received guidance from an immortal in her dreams these past few days, which has given her such exquisite skills?"

The Imperial Concubine chuckled: "His Majesty clearly saw that it wasn't me who did it, yet he still had to make a joke about it."

"This painting bears a resemblance to your elder brother's character. If it's not you, then who is it?"

Consort Xue took the painting from his hand: "Although I have been taught painting skills by my brother, my talent is really just average. My brother has only one daughter, who is quite talented and has been carefully taught by my brother and sister-in-law for many years. Her painting skills are naturally several times better than mine."

Upon hearing this, the emperor said, "I remember now, your niece entered the palace today."

The emperor reached out and took the other paintings from Consort Xue's hands, examining them closely. After a moment, he nodded approvingly: "Such painting skills at such a young age shows that Xue Chenghuai has done a good job of educating his daughter."

Consort Xue smiled gently.

"My brother and sister-in-law were deeply in love, but Heaven was merciless. My sister-in-law died in childbirth upon hearing the tragic news, leaving behind only this daughter. My brother cherished her like a precious jewel, passing on all his knowledge and wisdom. It is her good fortune to receive Your Majesty's praise now."

She looked sorrowful as she recounted the past.

The emperor touched her hand: "Since she came to the palace to accompany you, why haven't I seen her?"

"Your Majesty, I ordered someone to fetch Zhou Fu's 'Spring Outing for Pleasure' from Fangchun Pavilion. He is currently copying the painting in the west side hall."

She slightly raised her eyes and said softly, "His Majesty has always favored Zhou Fu, and now he has taken it without permission. His Majesty, you won't be angry, will you?"

The emperor laughed heartily: "She appreciates Zhou Fu, so why would she be angry? Since she's come to the palace, I'll meet her too."

Consort Xue lowered her eyes and said, "Then let someone summon them."

The Emperor said, “No need. Since she is focused on painting, the Consort may come with me.”

A note from the author:

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Note:

①“Slender as jade, fragrant as snow, deep as sandalwood. I regret that I'm late in visiting the plum blossoms this year.” — Li Qingzhao, Song Dynasty, “Tender Beauty: Feeling Inspired by the Plum Blossoms at the Back Pavilion”