Chapter 8 A Hundred Flowers Bloom Under the Moonlight The night is filled with the fragrance of jade-like blossoms and the shimmering moonlight...
As soon as Princess Yongjia finished speaking, the expressions on the faces of the people in the hall varied. Some were solemn, some were worried, some were calm, but most were waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Shen Yujiao simply sat there, her eyes slightly lowered, seemingly unaware of the gazes upon her from all over the hall. No one could discern her emotions, and because she did not respond, the hall fell silent.
With her fingertips lightly stroking the rim of the wine glass, Chen Yu smiled enigmatically at Princess Yongjia. Putting aside the fact that her elaborate Crown Princess palace attire made dancing inconvenient, she was now the Crown Prince's Consort. To ask her to dance in public was either a sign of disrespect or a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for her.
Silence continued to spread in Changqing Palace, and the scene became awkward. It was the Empress who broke the heavy atmosphere. She spoke like a loving mother scolding her youngest daughter, with a hint of doting in her tone: "Your fifth sister-in-law is indeed very talented, but she has been calm and composed since childhood, unlike you who are so lively. Yongjia, since you are prepared, go to the back to change your clothes."
One sentence made Princess Yongjia's already frozen smile even more twisted. The Empress's ability to praise openly but belittle in subtle ways has improved. Does she think she has gained such an outstanding daughter-in-law? But today, she is determined to make Shen Shi lose face!
"Your Majesty is joking. Today is the New Year's Eve family banquet. Even if my sister-in-law is not good at dancing, she knows other things. As a child, she can perform to entertain her elders. I thought my fifth sister-in-law would be willing. Or is it that my sister-in-law did not prepare in advance and is blaming me for inviting her in public?"
Her words were utterly rude to the Empress, leaving her no room for embarrassment. Shen Yujiao remained silent until, after a long while, she saw that both the Empress and Princess Yongjia's expressions had changed, and then she smiled and said, "How could that be? I know Yongjia's feelings, so why would I hold it against you?"
After saying that, Shen Yujiao stood up and curtsied to the person above her. "Tonight is the eve of the Lunar New Year, a day for family reunion. Your subject wishes to present a painting as a gift to Father and Mother. However, I did not bring any painting tools with me when I entered the palace today. I would like to trouble Mother to have someone fetch one for me."
The Empress was extremely uneasy at this moment. She thought that the Crown Princess was someone who could withstand provocation. With all the royal relatives in the hall watching, it would be better not to do it at all if she didn't do it well. But since Shen Yujiao had already spoken, she had no choice but to agree. She then ordered her subordinates to prepare writing materials.
Seeing that Princess Yongjia still had that arrogant and condescending expression, Chen Yujiao calmly said, "Sister, you don't need to worry. When the painting tools arrive, I will paint here and will not disturb your dance performance."
"Alright." Princess Yongjia smiled brightly, as if she could already see the Crown Princess being forced into this situation and then being unable to back down.
Princess Yongjia had come prepared today. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she re-entered the hall dressed in a magnificent dance costume. Princess Yongjia stood in the center of the hall and caught a glimpse of palace servants carrying a desk with a full set of writing brushes, ink, and paintings on it. She scoffed, thinking that it would be good enough if Shen Shi could only sketch an outline in the time it takes to perform a soft dance.
As the music began, Princess Yongjia's pink and white dance dress swayed with her movements. The music was melodious and long, and the girl's waist was supple as she twirled in the center of the hall. Her dance was graceful and impressive, which explained her confidence in her provocative actions.
"Stop looking." Jiang Chen reminded her in a deep voice. He raised his hand to roll up Shen Jiang's sleeves, then laid out the Xuan paper for her. After everything was ready, he stood beside her.
Shen Yu rested her delicate hands on the table, slowly closed her eyes, and quickly sketched out the image she wanted in her mind. When she opened her eyes again, she abandoned the paintbrush, quickly diluted the paint with water, and then splashed it onto the rice paper one by one. The colors overlapped and blended, and at first glance, they seemed to have no rules.
Princess Yongjia, who was dancing, happened to glance to the side. Her eyes swept over the painting and she saw that the painting had been spilled. She was even more pleased with herself and almost lost her steps. Fortunately, she adjusted in time and regained her rhythm with the next beat.
She picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and licked the brush in one smooth motion. Shen Yujiao's eyes followed the strokes of the brush, her expression focused, her movements fluid, as if she had everything under control without needing to think.
Jiang Chen watched this unfold, then stepped forward and took the ink stick from the palace maid's hand. He worked diligently with Shen Yujiao to grind the ink. Although he didn't say a word, Jiang Chen knew from Shen Yujiao's glance whether she wanted ink or paint.
As the music and dance music shifted from high-pitched to low and gentle, the music gradually stopped after Princess Yongjia's spin. Shen Yujiao timed it perfectly, finishing her writing at the same moment Princess Yongjia stood up.
"Good! Good! Good! Yongjia's dancing skills have improved a lot. Well done, she deserves a reward!" The emperor was very satisfied with his beloved daughter's dance and said "good" three times in a row.
Princess Yongjia, pleased with the praise, curtsied and thanked the emperor for the reward. After a few sweet words to the emperor, she turned to the crown princess standing to the side and asked, "Sister-in-law, can you finish your painting?"
"nature."
Shen Yujiao met Princess Yongjia's gaze with a calm expression, then turned slightly to the side. Only then did everyone see that the Crown Princess had actually created a painting of a hundred flowers during the time it took to perform a soft dance.
The painting depicts a scene of vibrant flowers blooming under a bright moon, with a background of ink and a backdrop of ink. Among the various flowers, the peony in the center stands out the most, a unique and noble flower that, under the Crown Princess's brush, lives up to its reputation as a flower of unparalleled beauty and fragrance.
"My goodness! The Crown Princess's painting skills are so exquisite. If I hadn't seen her painting with my own eyes, I would never have believed that someone could create such a masterpiece in such a short time."
Originally, everyone thought that the Crown Princess's painting skills were only at the level of a noble lady, but who would have thought that the style of this painting was extraordinary and that the painting skills were something that could not be achieved without years of accumulation.
The Empress was clearly surprised that the Crown Princess had such abilities. Hearing everyone's compliments, her initial displeasure completely disappeared, and when she looked at Shen Yujiao again, she was even more satisfied with her daughter-in-law.
"Father, Mother," Jiang Chen stepped forward and bowed, "The Crown Princess's painting of a hundred flowers under the moon was created for tonight. I would also like to take advantage of this opportunity and compose a poem in response to the Crown Princess's masterpiece, as if I were offering a gift to the Buddha."
Since the Crown Prince had spoken thus, the Emperor and Empress had no reason to refuse. So, everyone watched as the Crown Princess stepped forward to gather the Crown Prince's sleeves, and the Crown Prince, using the Crown Princess's brush, wrote the poem word by word in the upper left corner:
"At night, the jade-like hue and the fragrance of a hundred flowers fill the air; the moon and dew shimmer as I gaze upon the cloud-like wine cup. I look afar at the golden stamens blooming on the bright terrace, but I cannot see the vermilion railings and the garden full of spring."
After writing the last word and putting down their brushes, the emperor and empress descended the steps. The crowd made way for them, and the emperor and empress stood hand in hand before the desk, carefully examining the painting of a hundred flowers under the moonlight.
The moment the emperor's gaze fell upon the painting, admiration was evident in his eyes. He had heard people below praising the Crown Princess's painting while sitting at the head of the table, and seeing it in person now was even more astonishing.
What surprised him even more was that the Crown Prince's calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, with smooth and flowing strokes. When compared with the Crown Princess's painting, it was a perfect blend of strength and gentleness. In such a short time, the two of them had created such exquisite calligraphy and painting. The Emperor was somewhat shocked.
"The Crown Prince's talent has improved again, and his handwriting has also greatly improved. Compared to the memorial you submitted before the New Year, it's like two completely different people."
“Yes,” Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao exchanged a secret glance, then Jiang Chen said, “The Crown Princess loves calligraphy and painting. These days I have been feeling unwell, so I often practice calligraphy with the Crown Princess at home. Perhaps it is thanks to the practice these days.”
"Indeed," the Emperor nodded in praise, "The Crown Princess is indeed a virtuous wife. However, practicing calligraphy is not something that can be accomplished in a day. Now that you have made progress, you must continue to maintain it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen nodded in agreement once more. The Emperor then glanced at Shen Yujiao, and after a moment, said in a deep voice, "The Crown Princess truly lives up to her reputation as the daughter of the Duke of Cheng. Reward her!"
Seeing that the two people's rewards were even more generous and valuable than her own, Princess Yongjia squeezed her soft dance dress until it was wrinkled. Her personal maid noticed this and quickly advised her. Hearing the reminder from the person beside her, Princess Yongjia slowly let go of her dress, straightened her appearance and expression, and then smiled.
The New Year's Eve banquet was not disturbed by this minor incident. After the palace servants put away the painting of a hundred flowers under the moon, the music and dance soon resumed, and the guests continued to drink and chat happily. The night passed quickly in laughter and conversation.
After the palace banquet ended, Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao went to the Empress's palace to pay their respects. As soon as they entered the hall, they saw that the painting of a hundred flowers under the moon had been simply framed and displayed. The Empress seemed to be in a particularly good mood tonight. She gave the two a few instructions on what to pay attention to during tomorrow's sacrificial ceremony, and then told them to kneel down and pay their respects.
The two walked out of Kunyi Palace under a sky full of stars, the hustle and bustle completely fading away, and the day finally came to an end.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath, letting the chilly night air fill his nostrils. He turned to look at Shen Yujiao, who also looked relieved. The two smiled at each other, ignoring their exhaustion, and walked side by side toward the palace gate in the night.
"How did you compose that poem? The Empress was so pleased when she saw it." After holding it in all night, Jiang Chen finally asked.
Shen Yujiao gave him a sly smile, shook her head, and said earnestly, "Don't try to guess what a woman is thinking. But since you wrote your calligraphy well tonight, I'll cook you something delicious later."
Jiang Chen almost burst out laughing when he heard her say that: "Shen Jiaojiao, come on, when have you ever stepped into the kitchen in your life? Uncle Shen said that he probably won't live to see his daughter cook for him again."
"Jiang Xiaochen, I think you're tired of living!"
Shen Yujiao had been holding back, but now she couldn't care less about being in the palace. The two of them pushed and shoved each other, chasing and fighting as they ran to the corridor.
Because her shoes were a bit high today, Shen Yujiao almost bumped into a child on the veranda when she went up the steps. Jiang Chen reacted quickly and pulled Shen Yujiao into his arms to protect her, thus preventing the two from crashing to the ground.
Feeling a little embarrassed for almost bumping into her, Shen Yujiao squatted down and asked softly, "Little sister, which palace are you from? Why are you standing here so late?"
The little girl blinked her dark, grape-like eyes, the warm light from the corridor reflected in her clear pupils. She looked at Shen Yujiao, then turned to look at Jiang Chen, and then called out in a clear voice, "Brother."
A note from the author:
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The poem was conceived on the spur of the moment, so please just get the gist of it. Please forgive any shortcomings.
The gist of the story is that the peony in the garden is likened to the empress, and the other flowers are likened to the concubines in the imperial harem.
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