Chapter 12 Springtime

Bearing this sudden arranged marriage, Huiyi lost all interest in going out and having fun. She stayed in Xunfeng Palace for several days, and even lost interest in playing cards.

Finally, it was De'an who mentioned that Baixifang had recently released new shadow puppets, which piqued Huiyi's interest.

She enjoys watching shadow puppet shows and collecting all sorts of exquisite shadow puppet figures, which she keeps for her own enjoyment.

Over the years, she has bought quite a few shadow puppets in Xunfeng Palace, but she can never resist the temptation of the endless stream of new ones, which makes her fickle and cause her to buy them wave after wave.

Fortunately, her grandfather is now successful, so her little bit of willfulness isn't a big deal.

Baixifang was the largest shop in Chang'an selling shadow puppets, string puppets, masks, and other trinkets of various traditional Chinese operas. It had the most and most fashionable items, and Huiyi loved to buy things there the most.

Thinking that she couldn't let her miserable marriage with Lin Er ruin her life, Huiyi tidied herself up and went out to play the next day.

She wore a green shirt and a red skirt, her hair styled in a lily bun, with several jade hairpins adorning her temples, a golden sparrow hairpin in her hair bun, and finally a jade-faced peach blossom and pink peony hairpin. Her attire was no different from that of a wealthy young lady from Chang'an.

Once outside the palace gates, she would put on a veil to conceal her face and entire body.

She was, after all, a princess. Except for certain necessary occasions, when Huiyi strolled through the streets of Chang'an, she needed to keep a low profile, like other ladies, wearing a veil to conceal her figure and face, so that no one could recognize her wherever she went.

The veils were also beautiful, with cat's-eye stones inlaid on the brim and a lifelike blooming peony silk flower on top. As the gauze curtains fluttered, the beautiful woman inside could be faintly seen.

After leaving the palace, Huiyi first went to the East Market to select some beautiful hairpins, bought two pairs of gold armlets, and then saw some nice pieces of bluish-white jade in the shop and bought two pieces to take back.

De'an was a master jade carver. When Huiyi was sad and upset when she first came to Chang'an, it was De'an who carved a jade rabbit to comfort her.

In addition to small animals like cats, dogs, and rabbits, De'an has also learned to carve flowers, plants, rockeries, and pavilions over the past five years, and this year he even learned to carve human figures.

Huiyi wanted De'an to sculpt a little lady in her likeness.

Huiyi was delighted just thinking about it.

After leaving the East Market, Huiyi immediately headed to the West Market, but was stopped by some novelties on her way to the Hundred Plays Hall.

Unlike the East Market, the West Market has a more vibrant, down-to-earth atmosphere and also offers many strange and unusual items from the Western Regions.

Huiyi's gaze was drawn to a small, bright green parrot.

It was a five-colored parrot. Although it was called five-colored, the female of this parrot was red and blue, while the male was emerald green.

It must be because it eats well every day that it has a round body and a round head, making it very endearing.

But what's captivating is its intelligence and wit. No matter what word its owner says, as long as it's repeated three times, this little guy can learn it. It's an exceptionally clever little parrot.

Some people suspected that the parrot had been trained by its owner beforehand, so they went up to it and said new words, but the little parrot was still able to learn them, which completely dispelled their doubts and made it even more popular.

The owner was clearly there to sell the parrot, and the price wasn't the condition, leaving Huiyi with nowhere to throw her money.

"I'm not selling this bird. I'll give it to any guest here who can paint a picture that satisfies me."

Bartering was common, but exchanging paintings for parrots added an extra layer of elegance, attracting not only many skilled painters and gentlemen, but also many onlookers.

Huiyi saw a familiar face and immediately sensed something was wrong.

After peeking through the white veil and confirming that the person was Xie Sanlang, Huiyi was somewhat troubled.

Xie San was a gentleman skilled in the Six Arts, and it was said that he was also an excellent painter, having been praised by the renowned painter Shangguan Fei.

Although her teacher praised her for having some talent, she had only been learning to paint for less than five years, and her skills were not yet top-notch. She was afraid that Xie San would beat her.

She liked the little parrot and even planned to teach it a few insults to Lin Er when she got back, not wanting to miss out.

Unwilling to give up, Huiyi gritted her teeth and went on.

She lost, so be it. There are other clever and cute parrots in the world. She went back and begged her grandfather to find her another one.

Besides, she's wearing a veil today, so even if she loses, no one will know who she is, and she won't lose face.

With that thought in mind, Huiyi continued listening.

"Please give us the topic quickly so we can begin writing."

Some scholars and wealthy young men who loved keeping birds couldn't wait to ask in a low voice.

The old man in the blue robe stroked his beard, shook his head and smiled, "With 'Spring' as the theme, everyone, please feel free to wield your brushes!"

The old man in the blue robe, surnamed Lü, had a lifelong passion for painting, especially the scenes of the four seasons. However, he had recently become stuck on the subject of spring, unable to grasp the essence of it, and his paintings became increasingly unsatisfactory.

So he stepped out of his room and came to the bustling West Market, using the five-colored parrot as bait, hoping to find someone destined to enlighten him.

Having received the subject of the painting, everyone sat down one by one at the simple table prepared by the old man in the blue robe and began to paint.

There were only four tables available, so only four people could go at a time. Huiyi waited patiently.

She finally managed to squeeze into a spot on the side, and just as she sat down, she caught a glimpse of Xie Sanlang sitting down next to her.

Truly, a gentleman is like jade, refined and polished, like jade being cut and carved.

But now Huiyi has no good feelings towards him whatsoever; she feels that being with this person is bad luck.

Following Lin Er, here's another one who's just annoying to look at.

In contrast, Xie Xi did not share that mindset.

After sitting down, Xie Xi smelled a sweet, light fragrance coming from the woman on his right.

He had noticed her long ago. Although she was wearing a veil, it was very beautiful. The white veil vaguely concealed the girl's slender figure, but it was still possible to tell that she was a young and beautiful woman.

"Do not look at what is improper," Xie Xi muttered to himself before turning his head to concentrate on his painting.

But the occasional swaying of her snow-white wrist in the sunlight as the person beside her painted would occasionally distract Xie Xi.

He took a deep breath and forced himself not to pay attention to his surroundings.

He was so rude today.

Separated by a veil, Huiyi was unaware of Xie Sanlang's chaotic thoughts; she was now completely absorbed in her painting.

She was thinking about how to create the best "Spring".

Red flowers and green willows, lush and verdant, the mountains and fields are covered in greenery, and hundreds of flowers are in full bloom.

This is the most straightforward spring in people's eyes, but it is also the most common spring.

But if everyone is the same, then who will win the favor of the elder?

She's not the most skilled painter, so her chances of winning in this competition aren't very high.

Actually, there is a very simple and foolproof way to get the parrot: use power to obtain it.

Just mention her name, and even someone with the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard would have to obediently offer it up.

But Huiyi didn't like bullying an old woman like that; it was no different from Li Xiuyun's behavior.

With this in mind, she could only continue to rack her brains, hoping to find a clever and unique way to succeed.

As she looked down in a daze, she suddenly noticed the embroidery on the hem of her skirt, which resembled forsythia.

This gave her a sudden inspiration, and she immediately picked up her pen to sketch it out.

Time passed, and the hustle and bustle of the West Market still lingered in his ears, but Huiyi, who was painting, remained immersed in silence.

Xie Xi was skilled in painting and quick-witted, and was the first to finish his painting on the spot.

He handed it to the old man in the blue robe, who nodded with a look of appreciation.

Fortunately, Huiyi was still preoccupied with her own affairs, otherwise she would have been anxious upon seeing this scene.

A moment later, Huiyi finished applying the last stroke of pale yellow, let out a soft sigh, and rubbed her wrist.

Biqing picked up the painting belonging to the noble master, blew on it, and handed it to the old man in the blue robe.

As he passed by Xie Xi, he glanced at him quickly, paused for a moment, and then his eyes showed admiration.

The old man in the blue robe smiled as he accepted the painting, but his gaze immediately stopped after scanning it.

Having seen too many spring blossoms and lush flowers, before seeing this painting, only the words of the white-robed Xie Langjun were pleasing to the eye.

In early spring, the pond is clear and blue, stretching as far as the eye can see. Willows sway gently on the banks, and the grass and trees are lush and vibrant.

Its refined and tranquil style brings a sense of peace and serenity.

He even considered that if the rest of the time the flowers and foliage remained uninteresting, he would give the parrot to this Mr. Xie.

But by sheer coincidence, a unique and exquisite piece came along, immediately catching his eye.

There were no clusters of flowers, no lush grass and soaring birds, and it was nothing like the magnificent scenery of Chang'an.

It's just a small world.

In an unnamed, dilapidated corner, the snow had just melted, the grass and trees were withered, and the whole place exuded an air of desolation.

This has nothing to do with spring, but in this desolate corner, a slender and supple forsythia blooms first, its bright yellow sweeping away the desolation in the picture.

I know from afar that the fragrant blossoms are near; the first branch of spring has arrived.

The delicate forsythia is the first splash of color in early spring, blooming among the myriad things and marking the beginning of spring.

In the eyes of the old man in the blue robe, this was undoubtedly full of dynamism and novelty, which was exactly what he was looking for today.

The most basic spirituality was forgotten by him in the past.

Lu Daofei was so excited that he shouted "Good!" and immediately named Huiyi's painting as the winner.

"Please forgive me, everyone. I am truly grateful for the painting of this lady. Thank you all for your hard work in creating this work."

Everyone present was knowledgeable in painting; they only needed to glance at the painting to appreciate its artistic conception and ingenuity. They had no further opinions and left with expressions of regret.

Huiyi won first place and smiled brightly under the veil, signaling Biqing to immediately go and get the little parrot.

“Young lady, you are exceptionally talented; this bird is rightfully yours.”

"However, could you leave this painting to me? I am willing to pay a high price for it."

Huiyi shook her head. It was just a painting; it was worth it to get a little parrot she liked in return.

"No need, sir, you're too kind. The painting is all I need for you."

The two chatted politely, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

As Huiyi turned to leave, she saw someone chasing after her, making her feel somewhat uneasy.

"I am Xie Sanlang. I admire your talent in painting, madam. May I ask where you are from? I have a painting that I would like to ask you for your guidance."

Xie Xi swore that this was the first time in his life that he had spoken to a young woman solely for his own selfish reasons. Knowing his own intentions, he was inevitably embarrassed when he spoke.

He was afraid that people would think he was being presumptuous, and he was also afraid that people would ignore him.

As soon as he spoke, Xie Xi suddenly noticed an odd silence from the other party and their servants, and he even inexplicably sensed the maid's unfriendly expression.

Just as Xie Xi was feeling uneasy, the woman who had been hiding her face and figure with a veil reached out and lifted the white veil, revealing a beautiful and familiar face.

"Xie San? What do you want to do?"

Just one sentence, one surprised expression, nothing more, but that was enough to leave Xie Xi's mind blank for quite a while.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word, and his face turned pale and then red.

Before Xie Xi could react, Huiyi lowered the veil and turned to disappear into the crowd.

A note from the author:

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