Chapter 265: The Calculator

While the master and servant were talking, there was a knock on the door.

"Has the Concubine Yi rested?"

"Is it Eunuch Yin?" Song Zhao asked Xiao Fuzi to open the door and welcome Xiao Yinzi in.

When Xiao Yinzi came, he was all smiles, bowed respectfully to Song Zhao, and said:

"I thought the Majesty was taking a nap, and I was disturbing her if I didn't open my eyes."

Song Zhao said, "Why is Eunuch Yin here at this time? The emperor went to the Jiufang Riverbank, shouldn't you be accompanying him to take care of him?"

Xiao Yinzi smiled and said, "The matter of the Jiufang River embankment has been dealt with, and it is considered complete. The emperor is very pleased. Today, when I have some free time, I want to ask the queen to go for a good stroll in Suzhou City with me."

Song Zhao was also delighted, "But now is the time for the concubines to take a nap, why not wait for them..."

Xiao Fuzi hurriedly said, "Too many people are making a lot of noise. The emperor only invited you and the imperial concubine to go with him. Others don't have this blessing."

Song Zhao knew it now, "Please allow me to change my clothes and go with you immediately."

After leaving the island in the middle of the lake by boat and arriving at the main street, Song Zhao could see from a distance that several guards in disguise were protecting Xiao Jingheng and Concubine Chen who were chatting and laughing.

Xiao Yinzi led her forward and said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yi is here."

Song Zhaoyi bowed and went down, "Greetings to the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine."

"I'm here." Xiao Jingheng held Song Zhao's arm, exempting her from the formality of saluting, and looked at her with a smile in his eyes.

On the other hand, Concubine Chen looked unhappy.

She looked Song Zhao up and down and said unhappily, "Why are you here too?"

Xiao Jingheng said, "I finally have some free time today, so I thought of calling you and Concubine Yi, and we can go for a walk together."

Concubine Chen said coquettishly: "Your Majesty! If you want to tour the city, I will accompany you. Concubine Yi has to take care of Chengyu, so how can she have time?"

Xiao Jingheng said casually: "Suzhou has many authentic calligraphy and paintings by ancient people. The noble concubine doesn't know much about this, so Concubine Yi can follow and help me gain some insights."

Hearing this, Concubine Chen's eyes darkened and she gave Song Zhao an impatient look, "If that's the case, then you can come along."

After saying that, she held Xiao Jingheng's arm affectionately and deliberately quickened her pace to leave Song Zhao behind, for fear that Song Zhao and Xiao Jingheng would get too close.

Concubine Chen was used to having a bad temper, and Song Zhao didn't want to compete with her on such a matter, so he just followed quietly behind her.

When they entered a calligraphy and painting gallery, they saw a painting of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains hanging in the middle of the gallery. The owner kept boasting that it was an authentic work by Wang Ximeng. Xiao Jingheng was very interested in it and stopped to appreciate it carefully.

"Zhao'er, come and take a look?"

Song Zhao walked forward leisurely, but before she could open her mouth, she heard Concubine Chen talking nonstop.

"It is really a good painting. There are continuous mountains, vast rivers, and numerous scenes, which are depicted delicately and vividly. The composition of this painting is dense and orderly, and the momentum is coherent and unpredictable. Although there are many mountain and river scenes, there are also mountain streams, tiled houses, thatched cottages, strong bamboos and pines, red flowers and green willows dotted in between. It is majestic and magnificent, but also has details everywhere."

She became more and more pleased as she spoke, pointing at the bean-sized figures in the painting and saying:

"Look, sir. Although the people in this painting are as small as dots, if you look closely, you can see that they have different expressions and are very realistic. Wang Ximeng's brushwork emphasizes both solidity and lightness. Although the picture is static, it seems like a dynamic scene, which is amazing. The layout of this painting is also very particular. The deep, high and flat three-dimensional composition shows the magnificent and majestic mountains and rivers from different perspectives. It is really wonderful."

Concubine Chen spoke wittily and made a very clear analysis. Even the shopkeeper couldn't help but praise her:

"You have good taste, and you hit the nail on the head everywhere!"

Xiao Jingheng was also quite surprised, "Wan'er has never been interested in these things?"

Concubine Chen looked shy and said softly, "I am accompanying you, sir. Whatever you like is what I like, so I have to learn everything. I know I am not talented enough, and I can only make up for it with hard work."

Hearing her words, Xiao Jingheng nodded repeatedly with a smile on his face.

Song Zhao also smiled faintly and did not express any of her opinions on the painting.

After everyone left the gallery, Concubine Chen didn't understand why Xiao Jingheng didn't buy the painting even though he liked it so much, so she asked:

"Your Majesty just looked at the painting for a long time, why not buy it? Although the price is a bit high, it is fair."

Xiao Jingheng smiled but did not answer. He pointed at Song Zhao and said, "Ask Concubine Yi."

The tenderness in Concubine Chen's eyes disappeared instantly, and she stared at Song Zhao with disgust, "What?"

Song Zhao bowed slightly and replied, "The rocks in the painting just now are blue."

Concubine Chen said, "So what? When I was reading Ruyi Zhenji, I saw it said that the reason why the rocks are blue is because the ink on them has faded over time. Isn't it great that it is blue?"

Song Zhao replied: "That's right. But the blue color on the painting just now was newly added by insect pigments. It is blue in itself, and there is a slight difference between it and the indigo formed by the fading of mineral pigments..."

Song Zhao had seen the fading of mineral paint, and Xiao Jingheng had also seen it.

Only the imperial concubine crams for the exam at the last minute, showing off what she has learned from books.

Although every word seems to be full of wisdom, in fact, it does not contain any of the author's own opinions.

After hearing Song Zhao's analysis, Concubine Chen felt embarrassed and snorted:

"You are really well-informed and knowledgeable!"

She turned around to talk to Song Zhao, but was bumped into by a reckless woman and almost knocked down.

Upon seeing this, the guards quickly surrounded and captured the woman.

Xiao Jingheng supported Concubine Chen and asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"

Concubine Chen shook her head, then glared at the sweaty woman and said uncomfortably, "What are you in such a hurry to do? Don't you care about the road?"

The woman knelt down in front of everyone and cried for mercy.

"Please forgive me, I didn't mean it! My son...is seriously ill and fainted from convulsions. Today, I happened to meet the Immortal Tan who opened the temple, so I hurried to pray to him to see if he could save my son's life..."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Chen's expression softened a little. "Since the child is sick, you should go find a doctor. Why go find a charlatan?"

The woman explained: "How can we afford to hire a doctor? My son's illness has dragged on for two years, and our family savings have long been used up. The head of the family went up the mountain to dig ginseng and accidentally fell, leaving us an orphan and a widow. What else can we do..."

She cried bitterly. Concubine Chen saw that she was in tattered clothes and was so thin that she was just skin and bones.

So he couldn't bear it and told Liu Yue to give twenty taels of silver to the woman.

"Take this money and treat the child first, and stop thinking about those nonsense."

The woman thought she had seen a living Buddha, and she kowtowed to Concubine Chen repeatedly, wiping her tears and crawling back home.

While Concubine Chen was handling the matter, Xiao Jingheng watched from the side without saying a word.

Only after the woman left did he say, "Wan'er has become more gentle now."

Concubine Chen blushed and smiled sweetly, "I am already a mother, so I can't stand this."

Jamel Xiao took her hand and gently stroked the back of her hand, showing his affection.

Then he asked Jiang Deshun, "I often hear Suzhou people mention the Immortal Tan. Who is he? Why do people here flock to him so much?"

Jiang Deshun said: "I have inquired privately. This person's name is Tan Yuezhi. He is proficient in divination and calculation. He does have some skills."

As he spoke, he pointed to a temple not far away that was full of incense.

"The Wuzi Temple in front was built by the people of Suzhou for their donors."

Xiao Jingheng looked at the crowds of people in front of the temple, which was even more lively than a market, and he became interested.

"Let's go and have a look at the fun."