38 Engagement
◎Your Highness, what do you think of Lord Gu?◎
Gu Ningwan frowned slightly. This masterpiece handed down from the previous generation of painting master was really too expensive to be used as a gift between peers.
"But... the person on the other side is His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Since he's willing to give it to me, I'm afraid he won't be happy if you return it."
There are countless rare treasures in Prince Zhao's palace, and perhaps this scroll does not mean much to him.
Gu Ningwan looked at her melancholy sister and said, "You should know Prince Zhao's character better than I do."
Gu Ningxi remained silent, and Gu Ningwan consoled her, saying, "Never mind. Haven't you always loved Li Sidao's paintings? His Highness Prince Zhao generously gifted it to you. Just consider this landscape painting destined for you."
The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously.
Gu Ningwan asked her sister for permission to appreciate this rare masterpiece carefully under candlelight.
Gu Ningxi cut a piece of wick and made the candle flame brighter.
The river was vast and misty, surrounded by mountains in the distance. Gu Ningwan was filled with admiration for the master's brilliant strokes.
She wanted to share it with the people around her, but she saw that Xier seemed absent-minded.
Gu Ningwan smiled and said, "How can you still be lost in thought with such a famous painting before you?"
This gift from His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is obviously to please Xier.
Gu Ningxi forced herself to concentrate. This painting felt too familiar to her. She knew every detail of it, so she had no interest in looking at it.
As the daylight faded, and there was no one else in the room, Gu Ningxi asked, "Sister, do you know my identity, Gu Ningzheng?"
Gu Ningwan withdrew her gaze from the scroll and straightened her expression: "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"I'm afraid that one day my identity will be discovered by outsiders."
Just like in the dream of the previous life, how did His Royal Highness Prince Zhao see through her identity?
Only with clues can we prevent problems before they happen.
Xi'er's worries were not without reason, Gu Ningwan pondered. The only people in the family who initially knew Xi'er's identity, besides her grandfather, father, and Madam Meng, were a few slaves who had signed death indentures.
Even my mother, who had been in charge of the inner house for many years and often paid attention to the movements in Qinlan Courtyard, could only find some slight evidence and dared not draw a conclusion.
Gu Ningwan was absolutely certain, "He probably doesn't know. With his personality, how could he possibly hide such a huge secret if he knew it? As for my mother, don't worry, she's not stupid. She wants to preserve the century-old glory of the Xuanping Marquisate and won't do anything that would harm the Marquisate."
On this point, the two sisters had the same thoughts and must be on guard against Gu Ningzheng.
As the candlelight flickered, Gu Ningwan said, "I heard that the Duke of Qi and his son returned with their army the day before yesterday. The three commanders of the Black Armor Army are all in Kyoto, and they've all sided with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. I'm afraid the Eastern Palace will make some moves."
"yes."
They didn't shy away from discussing political affairs, but Gu Ningxi hadn't been involved in Eastern Palace affairs for a long time. Over the past few months, the situation in Kyoto had become increasingly unpredictable.
It was getting late, so after admiring the scroll, Gu Ningwan said goodbye and went back to her own courtyard to rest.
Gu Ningxi sent her sister off and carefully put the scroll back into the box.
The moonlight was as light as water. In a long-lost dream, another famous work by the painting master Li Sidao was hung in front of the desk in the hall.
A young woman in a pale yellow palace dress was absorbed in copying. Spread across her desk was precious white Xuan paper, reserved exclusively for imperial use. Beside her was the renowned Lanting inkstone, one of only two in the entire palace. A maid meticulously ground ink for the Empress. The newly imported ink, a fine, rich, dark, and lustrous ink, was a favorite of the Empress's for painting.
It was quiet during the day, and a maid lifted the pearl curtain and said, "Your Majesty, Chief Steward Sun wishes to see you."
"Please ask him to come in."
The girl didn't stop her movements when Sun Jing entered and greeted her: "Your servant greets the Imperial Concubine. Please dine at the Taiji Palace tonight."
"Okay." Her expression was calm, and her voice was even more emotionless.
Sun Jing smiled and said, "Your Majesty's painting skills are getting better and better."
"I have nothing to do, just killing time."
She stamped her personal seal at the end of the scroll, and after Sun Jing conveyed his instructions, he bowed and took his leave.
After nightfall, the lights in the bedroom of Taiji Palace were dimmed early.
The gorgeous brocade skirts fell to the ground layer by layer, and the pearls and jade inlaid on them shimmered softly under the moonlight.
The brocade curtains were dropped, filling the room with beauty.
The night was as cool as water, and Gu Ningxi woke up from his dream.
Although she was still sleepy, she got up, put on her clothes, fumbled to light a candle, and wrote down the signature of the scroll in her dream.
On the seventh day of September, the first year of Tianguan, the new emperor ascended the throne.
…
The autumn weather was clear and refreshing, and several jades were placed on the rosewood imperial table, all of which were precious treasures.
Emperor Mingde always liked seal carving, and the pieces of beautiful jade in front of him were perfect for carving into personal seals, which made Qi'an wonder.
When the army broke through Luoyang, most of the jade in Wang Xingman's private storehouse was confiscated, and Lu Jing selected a lot of it and sent it to the palace.
Two days ago, while browsing the treasures in the royal treasury, he stumbled upon these new jades. He took the opportunity to bring them to his father today while visiting the palace to pay his respects.
Emperor Mingde was quite pleased with it, and immediately sent one to the Supervisor of the Imperial Household, ordering him to quickly carve a private seal for it.
The jade was soft, smooth, and delicate. Emperor Mingde smiled and said, "Why are you rummaging through the storehouse when all is well?"
Lu Jing was originally drinking tea, but he paused after hearing this: "Your son... I have nothing to do."
Emperor Mingde smiled inwardly, knowing exactly where this boy's mind came from. He presumably wanted to give a gift to his beloved, and while eagerly searching through several storehouses, he only thought of his father.
"What was chosen in the end?"
Lu Jing didn't change his words: "I just looked at the collection in the library and picked out a painting to give to a friend."
"Which friend?"
"Yuan Le, Gu Yuan Le."
Emperor Mingde smiled but said nothing. It was the young master of the Gu family again. Qi'an was making excuses, not knowing how to change people, always using him as a shield.
After thinking it over carefully, Emperor Mingde came back to his senses after looking at Lu Jing who was calmly drinking tea.
This kid has something in mind. Could it be that he wants to use the treasures and wealth of Prince Zhao's Mansion to make another married woman change her mind?
Emperor Mingde sat up straight. As the saying goes, attacking the city is inferior to attacking the heart. Qi'an's military tactics are very useful.
The emperor hesitated to speak. Could it be that this was really the case?
Lu Jing was already feeling a little guilty, so he just lowered his head to admire the jade.
Emperor Mingde thought about it and decided, forget it, it was not uncommon for women in this dynasty to divorce and remarry.
As long as he doesn't take up the position of Princess Zhao, let him go.
"Your Majesty," Li Jitong announced, "Prince Qin is outside requesting an audience."
Qin Yu cleared the battlefield in Hebei and returned to Beijing three days ago. Today he officially entered the palace to deliver the victory report.
The attendants cleared the imperial desk, and Lu Jing did not need to leave and attended the court session with them.
In fact, he had received Yan Ming's military report a few days earlier, but he pretended not to know.
Emperor Mingde was in a good mood when he summoned the meritorious official: "Let him in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The door to the imperial study opened, and the young general entered, bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty, I, Qin Yu, pay my respects to you. Long live your Majesty."
Emperor Mingde ordered Li Ji to personally help the Prince of Qi up and give him a seat.
The victory report was presented and Emperor Mingde read it one by one.
Hebei was originally Zhao Jianan's territory. Although Zhao Jianan was captured alive and his main force was routed in the Battle of Sishui Pass, and most of his generals surrendered, some of his former subordinates in Hebei still established Zhao Jianan's son as their own and stubbornly resisted.
Qin Yu led his troops to suppress the rebellion, which took nine months. All the cities in Hebei Province were equipped with the flags of the Great Jin Army.
Emperor Mingde said "good" three times in a row. The prince of Qi State had achieved fame at a young age and was known as the "general who always won" on the battlefield. Although he was still inferior to his Qi An, he was still a military talent that was rarely seen in a century.
Emperor Mingde, who was always generous with his rewards, granted Qin Yu the right to inherit the Duke of Qi at a later date, in addition to his fiefdom and wealth. This matter was handed over to the Ministry of Rites for preparation, and the Duke of Qi was hereditary, so the Qin family's descendants did not need to lower their ranks to inherit the title.
"I thank Your Majesty for your great grace. Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Mingde was very satisfied that all the land in Hebei belonged to the Jin Dynasty and could be used to build a barrier against the Xiongnu.
However, the people of Hebei were known for their resilience, and the late Zhao Jianan still held popular support. How to completely conquer Hebei was a matter for further discussion within the court.
At noon, Lu Jing and Qin Yu took their leave together.
In the evening, a banquet was held at the Prince Zhao's mansion to welcome Qin Yu. The army friends had not seen each other for a long time, so they drank until they were drunk.
After leaving the imperial study, Lu Jing asked, "Didn't they say we could reach the capital in early July? What delayed us on the way?"
Qin Yu said, "There is nothing serious going on in the military. However, when we passed through the cities of Huaiyang, I saw that the local people were busy building dikes to prevent flooding. I led the army to stay for three more days. Since we didn't want to be delayed for too long, I didn't send any more messages back to the capital."
Lu Jing nodded. With the war over, the people urgently needed to rest and recuperate. Of the six ministries within the Secretariat, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were particularly crucial.
Since the evening banquet was only an hour away, Lu Jing and Qin Yu went straight back to Prince Zhao's Mansion, and the two chatted in the study.
After brewing a pot of tea, Lu Jing asked, "Is everything alright at home?"
The Duke of Qi's mansion was a small one. Ever since the Qi family's grandfather died in battle with the Duke of Qi, only Qin Yu and Qin Ying remained in the Qin family. Qin Yu had been away fighting, leaving Madam Qin and her daughter alone at home.
"Thank you for your care, Your Highness. Everything is fine." Qin Yu said with a smile.
He returned home the day before yesterday and first visited his grandfather and father's graves to offer his condolences to their souls. His mother was overwhelmed with emotion and said she would open the ancestral hall again after she inherited the title.
Qin Yu had another important matter at hand: his younger sister was seventeen, reaching the prime of life. With their father's passing, her marriage was naturally the responsibility of his older brother.
His sister was too embarrassed to speak in front of him, so his mother told him privately that his sister already had a lover.
Lu Jing held the teacup tightly without saying a word and looked up.
Qin Yu had nothing to hide in front of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
"Your Highness also knows about the changes in my family."
My grandfather and father were defeated in the war, lost a large amount of territory, and were buried on the battlefield.
When the battle report reached the capital, the Qin family was thrust into the spotlight. Although His Majesty had been gracious and retained the title of Duke of Qi, the Qin family was left with only an orphan and a widow, placing them in an awkward position in the capital.
My sister is a gentle and soft-hearted person, and because her family fell into decline, she has no choice but to be bullied.
Especially in Huiwen Hall, my sister suffered a lot of grievances and ridicule. The two or three noble ladies who were originally on good terms with her also distanced themselves from her, and no one spoke to her.
He accompanied His Highness on the expedition, and his family only reported good news, not bad news. During those three years, it was Master Gu who protected his sister. Victory and defeat were commonplace in the military, and the Qin family's ancestors fought bravely and died for their country, doing nothing wrong to the people of Great Jin.
Lord Gu taught his sister how to paint, how to treat people, and how to deal with problems.
The sister he saw these days was more lively than before, and there was a confidence in her eyes.
His mother was very concerned about this marriage and sent him several letters in succession, fearing that her good son-in-law would be snatched away by another family.
Qin Yu had already found out the news about the Xuanping Marquis' Mansion and knew that the second son of the Gu family had never been married.
Since they were in Prince Zhao's mansion, and since His Highness Prince Zhao and Lord Gu were old acquaintances, Qin Yu asked, "Your Highness, what do you think of Lord Gu?"
【Author’s words】
Xiao Lu (pointing to himself): Ask me???
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