Chapter 47 Going Down to Yangzhou 4

Seeing her like this, Fushou understood that she had found something delicious outside, and quickly washed his hands and sat down. ...

Seeing her like this, Fu Shou understood that she had found something delicious outside, so he quickly washed his hands and sat down.

Looking at the pile of delicious-looking food, I praised it as I ate.

Emperor Kangxi, standing to the side, felt he couldn't bear to watch.

Chen Guanxue ate a little with him, taking only a bite or two of each dish. But with so many different kinds, she finished everything and was full.

"Mother, my second brother and I have found quite a few good things these past few days." After finishing his meal, Fu Shou wiped his mouth and told his personal eunuch to fetch the items.

Chen Guanxue was curious about what it was, but when the eunuch brought it over, she looked at it and then felt a little disgusted.

It's a lump, and it doesn't look like anything delicious.

"Mother, don't be fooled by its appearance, it tastes delicious." Fu Shou picked up a knife and took out the contents of the lump, which were small, about the size of soybeans.

Fu Shou quickly peeled back the skin, revealing the pure white fruit inside.

"This is fox nut. It's delicious whether stir-fried or stewed in soup." Fu Shou only showed it to her before ordering someone to take it away and have the kitchen peel it and cook it.

Chen Guanxue had heard of this thing before, but had never eaten it. He never expected that Fu Shou would actually find it.

The mother and son talked about food for a while before ending their conversation. When Fu Shou left, Chen Guanxue saw Kangxi sitting there drinking tea with a somewhat melancholy expression.

“Fu Shou has been studying for several years, but he is still not steady.”

Chen Guanxue raised an eyebrow, sat down next to him, and comforted him, "He's still young, and the Emperor doesn't restrict him much, which is why he can tell us whatever he wants."

When he got angry, Chen Guanxue naturally had to coax him.

"Besides, how could Fu Shou not be steady? He always follows his older brothers around and is never disliked."

After saying a few words, Kangxi softened his expression before she could express her frustration.

The dishes that Fu Shou ordered were prepared for the afternoon.

Fresh water chestnuts were indeed delicious, with a light and sweet aroma. The two, who had never eaten them before, ordered someone to buy some the next day after trying them.

Back on the ship, Kangxi set up his ceremonial entourage and moved into Yangzhou.

The place where the emperor was to stay was no ordinary place; it was the estate of the Lin family, the richest family in Yangzhou.

This estate is even better than an ordinary mansion; it covers a large area, with carved beams and painted rafters, and contains many rare and exotic plants.

"If the Lin family weren't innocent, this manor alone would be enough to land them in jail."

Chen Guanxue looked at the various orchids in the courtyard and talked to Runxi.

“It’s because our ancestors produced some capable people,” Runxi chimed in.

Indeed, if it weren't for the fact that one of their ancestors was a high-ranking official, a house of this standard wouldn't have been preserved.

As for the ancestral home becoming a manor, it was merely a result of internal conflicts within the Lin family.

Chen Guanxue looked at all the different kinds of orchids in the courtyard, many of which couldn't be grown in the capital.

When she returned to the capital and couldn't see it, she became interested and asked someone to bring a table, chairs, brushes, and ink, and started painting in the corridor.

She has mastered the art of painting.

Chen Guanxue picked up the paper, admired it for a while, and then became quite pleased with himself.

He wasn't satisfied with just watching it himself, so he also caught Emperor Kangxi and asked him to praise it.

“When it comes to painting orchids, the masters are equally matched!” Kangxi said with a serious expression, earning her a punch in return.

He took her slender hand in his, kissed it, and then glared at her, saying, "You're just saying things to lie to me."

Kangxi simply smiled.

A few days later, Kangxi took her by boat to a painting studio. This time, he also brought Fu Shou with him. The three of them sat for half a day and received a painting.

Chen Guanxue liked it very much and specially had it framed, intending to take it back to the capital to hang it up.

There were many things to do and eat in Yangzhou. During her time at the Lin residence, she went out a lot. Some of the things she brought back were displayed in the house, while others were put away and stored in chests.

Even as she was about to leave Yangzhou, she was still looking at the newly made clothes.

"Are we going back already?" she asked.

Kangxi nodded, "At most, wait another two or three days."

Chen Guanxue then went out alone with his men once, and returned with two small seals.

Seeing that she had taken the paper with great interest, Kangxi took the inkpad.

The small seal wasn't big, about the same size as the small seal he gave her.

She dipped her brush in ink, pressed it firmly onto the paper, and carefully peeled it off.

The small red portrait, like a paper cutout, falls onto the snow-white paper.

As Kangxi gazed at the lifelike portrait, his eyes stung with tears. He subconsciously tilted his head back, only to be brought back to his senses by the tugging of his sleeve every now and then.

Two thumb-sized human figures were stamped on the paper, one with a gentle smile and the other with an arrogant head held high. They were not clear, but they were similar in spirit.

"How is it?" She had asked the Lin family servants; there weren't many people who could handle both seal carving and portraiture, so this was already the best she could get.

Kangxi touched the paper, which was still damp from the ink, and said lightly, "Not bad."

Chen Guanxue was satisfied. She took his hand and together they stamped countless seals on the paper.

When Chen Guanxue had dinner with Fushou that evening, he gave him one of the printed copies.

It didn't say what it was.

When Fu Shou returned home and opened the package, he cried his heart out, but the next day he acted as if nothing had happened.

The trip to Yangzhou was quickly coming to an end, and the journey back to the capital began.

While on the ship, Chen Guanxue painstakingly organized the paintings he had made during that period, and upon returning to the capital, he had them bound into a book.

[Author's Note]

I apologize to the readers who enjoy this book. I don't know what to write next, so I'll write a long side story to fill in the gaps in the setting.