Chapter 390 Western Painters
Huo Lin comforted the two frightened people, gave Mingzhu a few more instructions, and then left with Shen Yi to deal with unfinished government affairs.
Jiang Huan and Mingzhu, supporting each other, returned to Weiyang Palace with lingering fear. They each drank a cup of hot tea to calm their nerves and then spent a long time complaining about the Empress Dowager's strange kindness before they gradually recovered.
In the afternoon, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy arrived at Weiyang Palace on time to take Jiang Huan's pulse as usual.
After carefully examining the pulse, the imperial physician stroked his beard and said cautiously, "Your Majesty's pulse is steady, the fetus is healthy, but..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat, and she sat up straighter: "What is it? Imperial Physician, please speak freely."
Please, please don't let anything go wrong; her fragile heart can't take a fright.
The judge carefully considered his words and slowly said, "Your Majesty is carrying twins, which is more energy-consuming than for ordinary pregnant women and makes them more prone to premature birth. Now that you are four months pregnant, the pregnancy is stable, but you still need to rest and recuperate. You must not overexert yourself, and your emotions should not fluctuate greatly."
Jiang Huan's heart tightened upon hearing this, and she subconsciously touched her lower abdomen.
Twins are indeed more delicate; it seems I really have to behave myself as a fragile item from now on.
Huo Lingang had just finished dealing with some official business when he walked in and happened to hear what the imperial physician had to say.
He strode to the bedside and looked at the imperial physician: "Can you ensure that everything is foolproof?"
The imperial physician bowed and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, as long as Her Majesty follows the doctor's orders and takes good care of herself, I will ensure that Her Majesty and the two princes are safe and sound. However, twin births are inherently dangerous and require extra care. We must not be careless."
Huo Lin's expression was solemn as he nodded: "I understand. You may leave. Use only the best medicinal herbs, without fail."
"I obey the order."
After the imperial physician left, Huo Lin looked at Jiang Huan and, seeing her somewhat listless appearance, ruffled her hair.
"Did you hear that? You must not act recklessly again in the future. Your health is the most important thing."
The risks of twins are so great; it seems we need to keep a closer eye on her, and not make a single mistake.
[She absolutely must not touch those messy things again.]
Listening to his inner monologue, Jiang Huan felt both touched and helpless, and muttered, "Okay, okay, I'll just lie in bed every day from now on until I give birth, alright?"
It felt like being in prison, but I endured it for the sake of my babies!
Huo Lin looked at her reluctant little face, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. Just as he was about to say something more, Wang Degui came in to report: "Your Majesty, the Western painter is waiting in the side hall. Should we summon him now?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan blinked curiously: "A Western painter?"
Huo Lin then remembered this and explained, "Well, it is said that his painting skills are quite unique, and he excels at realistic portraiture. He was recommended by the Ministry of Rites, but I have no particular interest in him..."
He paused, his gaze falling on Jiang Huan's curious face. Then, his mind raced, and he changed his words, saying, "However, since he's here, let him come over. Let's paint a portrait of us together and hang it in the hall. That would be a good pastime."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan's eyes lit up immediately.
Western paintings were not unusual in her time, but they were definitely a novelty here.
I wonder if the painting style of this era is different from that of modern times.
She immediately responded enthusiastically: "Great! I've never seen a Western painter paint before, it must be very interesting."
Seeing this, Huo Lin waved to Wang Degui, who immediately understood and went to inform him.
Soon, a Western painter with a thick, curly beard entered, accompanied by an interpreter.
Huo Lin instructed that a painting table be set up in the warmest and most well-lit pavilion of Weiyang Palace.
The painter deftly set up the canvas, mixed the paints, and respectfully invited the emperor and empress to sit down, carefully adjusting their postures.
Huo Lin sat upright in a large armchair, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his face stern and imposing, as if he were born to be a model for portraiture.
Jiang Huan was arranged to sit next to Huo Lin. At first, she found it novel and tried her best to cooperate and maintain the posture.
But after a while, Jiang Huan couldn't take it anymore.
Pregnancy already makes it easy to experience back pain and fatigue, and having to stay in one position is practically torture.
She couldn't help but subtly move her shoulders and secretly twist her slightly stiff waist.
"Don't move." Huo Lin's voice rang out above her head, but the hand around her waist tightened slightly, giving her a more stable support.
Jiang Huan grimaced and complained softly, "But I'm so tired, my back aches, and my neck is stiff..."
She looked up at him pitifully, trying to gain his sympathy with her eyes.
Huo Lin lowered his eyes and met her gaze; his cold, hard lips softened for a moment.
He sighed softly, adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable leaning against him, and lowered his voice.
"Just bear with it a little longer, it will be over soon."
There's just no way to deal with her, but being pregnant with twins is always tough.
[Alright, if she's really in pain, then let the artist paint her another day.]
The Western painter was quick-witted and astute enough to capture the moment when Huo Lin looked down at Jiang Huan.
The icy expression that usually graced the emperor's face seemed to melt away in the warm spring sun, and his deep eyes were filled with doting affection.
Jiang Huan nestled beside him, her face, slightly fuller due to her pregnancy, adding to her gentleness, while the liveliness and charm in her eyes were precisely captured by the paintbrush.
The painting process was interrupted several times by Jiang Huan's occasional fidgeting, but she finally finished it before her patience ran out.
When the artist stepped back to indicate that the masterpiece was complete, Jiang Huan almost immediately wanted to jump up and stretch her muscles, but Huo Lin gently held her down.
The palace attendant stepped forward and turned the painting towards the two of them, revealing a lifelike oil painting of two people.
The painting features rich and vibrant colors, distinct layers of light and shadow, and the skin texture and fabric texture of the figures are so realistic that they are astonishing.
In particular, the natural warmth between the two is far more vivid and lifelike than the portraits painted by the court painters.
"Wow!" Jiang Huan couldn't help but exclaim in amazement. Ignoring her aching back, she leaned closer to take a closer look. "It really looks so much like it."
As Huo Lin looked at the two people leaning on each other in the painting, a touch of warmth quietly crept into his eyes.
[Hmm, this artist is quite skilled; they captured her essence perfectly.]
He remained expressionless, only saying, "Thank you for your trouble, sir. Wang Degui, please give me a reward."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" The painter bowed happily and took his leave.
The palace servants carefully carried the huge oil painting away for proper handling, and after it dried, it would be hung in Weiyang Palace.
The hall returned to silence. Jiang Huan was still savoring the magic of the painting, rubbing her slightly sore neck.
"It's really well drawn, but it's so tiring, my neck is almost stiff..."
Huo Lin watched her small movements, reached out and gently massaged the back of her neck, and said in a calm tone, "Hmm, not bad."
He seemed to be merely commenting on something ordinary, yet Jiang Huan clearly heard the voice resonating within him once more.
Not just good, it's excellent, truly superb!
It's such a pity that such a large painting can only be hung in the hall.
[No, that won't do. I need the painter to secretly paint another small, solo portrait of her, with her smiling. I want to carry it with me and look at it every now and then.]
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