Chapter 270 Painting
study.
Xiao Yuan, "How long has the princess been in this state?"
Mo Xiang knelt down with a plop, tears streaming down her face. "My Lord, this has only happened in the last few days. Sometimes she forgets small things that happened in the last few days, and sometimes she forgets things that happened a few years ago. Recently, I have tried to find out that even the princess can't remember all the things from her childhood."
"Why don't you report it?" Xiao Yuan's eyes were cold.
"The princess didn't allow me to tell you, saying that I was too tired these days and I just need to rest up. My husband is busy with government affairs, so I won't bother you with it."
Xiao Yuan closed his eyes tightly, and the tearing heartache and self-blame slowly spread in his chest.
After a long while, he ordered in a hoarse voice, "Go back and take the inkstone with you. Don't let her know anything. Even if she forgets something, don't mention it in front of her. Just report it to me."
"Yes." Mo Xiang retreated with tears in her eyes.
Xiao Yuan's straight back slowly bent down. He sat in the chair, holding his face with both hands, and did not move for a long time. Crystal clear drops of water slipped from between his fingers and dripped onto the ground.
＊
Shen Anan stayed in Wutong Garden for a whole day, without going out or moving. She just sat on the couch, looking out the window, watching the sun move westward and slowly fall into the horizon.
Mo Xiang was extremely worried, but no matter how much she was persuaded, she refused to go out for a walk.
Shen Anan knew that she had forgotten some things, just like threads were pulled out of her mind, her heart was empty, and she was filled with anxiety and panic.
She didn't dare, nor did she want to see Xiao Yuan, for fear of conveying her anxiety and fear to him, and afraid that he would see through her clues and affect the current situation.
The court was changing rapidly, and he no longer had the energy to be sad.
Mo Xiang had been with her since she was a child, so she naturally understood her thoughts. She took small steps forward and said in a hoarse voice, "The painting skills of the princess were taught by the old lady herself. If you are bored, you can paint to kill time."
Shen Anan's eyes lit up slightly.
Yes, painting can kill time and also preserve forever those things that she doesn't want to and is afraid of forgetting.
In the next few days, she stayed at her desk almost all the time, and a thick stack of rice paper accumulated.
Xiao Yuan was busy with government affairs and would not be back until the evening. When she heard footsteps in the courtyard, she hurriedly put away the painting and chatted with Xiao Yuan as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, he was busy with government affairs and did not notice anything.
That morning, she looked at the medicine that Mo Xiang brought again and frowned, "Why are you drinking medicine again? Haven't you been drinking it for several days?"
Xiao Yuan coaxed her gently, "The doctor said that you need to drink ten doses to get well."
"I'm fine." She looked reluctant and turned her head away from the bitter medicine that made her tongue numb.
Xiao Yuan took the medicine from Mo Xiang, put his arm around her waist, and said in a gentle tone, "Be obedient, and get well before we can have a baby."
child? Shen Anan's almond-shaped eyes widened and she glanced at Xiao Yuan in disbelief.
"You, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"...Madam, you promised me a few days ago that you would have a child. Don't you remember?" He concealed the pain in his eyes and said in a teasing tone.
Did she say that?
I don’t remember again.
Shen Anan lowered her eyes, afraid that Xiao Yuan would notice that she had forgotten, so she quickly took the medicine bowl from him, pursed her lips and drank it down, "I was just talking, but you took it seriously."
"Really," Xiao Yuan hugged her from behind, his voice low and hoarse, "Whatever the madam says, your husband will take it seriously."
She grimaced in pain and had no time to respond to him.
"Madam, you have nothing to do in your room all day. Why don't you accompany me to the study to handle official documents?"
Shen Anan immediately refused and forced a smile, "Those official documents are convoluted and boring, I don't want to go."
"Don't let the lady see. Just stand beside me and grind for me. I want to watch you."
Shen Anan raised her eyes to meet Xiao Yuan's soft black eyes, and finally nodded and agreed.
There were not many official documents in the study. When Xiao Yuan was dealing with them, Shen Anan would stand beside him and grind them for him. If a minister came to discuss politics, Xiao Yuan would move the armchair and let her sit beside him and listen.
It actually helped to divert Shen Anan's attention, so that she no longer had to worry about her increasingly empty mind every day.
On this day, when they finished their government affairs, it was still early, so Xiao Yuan held her hand and painted on rice paper.
Shen Anan followed the strength of his hand and heard him ask, "Madam, what do you think of my husband's painting skills?"
"The brushstrokes are clear and vigorous, penetrating deeply into the wood."
"Haha." Xiao Yuan suddenly laughed softly.
"What are you laughing at?" She didn't understand and her wrist was tightly grasped. He said slowly.
"I still remember that last year, Madam compared my calligraphy and paintings to a pile of rags. Later, at the banquet at the Princess's residence, Madam and the third daughter of the Duan family competed in painting. I gave my painting as a prize to the Princess. Madam really won the first prize. She got my painting, which Madam called rags, as a prize. Madam was very angry and wished she could turn her eyes into knives and stab me with thousands of holes."
When he finished speaking, they both laughed.
Shen Anan raised her eyes and glared at him, "How can a prince be so shameless?"
Xiao Yuan was not ashamed but proud of it. "That was all because I kidnapped my wife. If she wasn't so shameless, she would have run away with that scholar long ago."
Shen Anan's pen tip paused slightly, leaving a small ink stain on the rice paper.
Xiao Yuan smiled faintly as usual, held her hand and dipped it in ink, and drew around the ink stain. After a while, a vigorous and straight pine tree appeared on the paper, without any trace of being stained by the ink.
"I don't know what the lady saw in that dead scholar at that time. He was a weak and frail pretty boy. If it weren't for my great means and repeated threats, how could she have won him over so easily?"
Shen Anan curled her lips in silence, listening to his complaints quietly.
When the painting on the table was finished, she suddenly realized that the scene in the painting was very familiar. It seemed to be the window frame of Wutong Garden, and the pine tree was also the one outside the window frame.
The room was filled with red silk and red candles flickering. She and Xiao Yuan stood side by side in red wedding gowns, and fireworks exploded in the sky.
She remembered that it was their wedding night. He was very happy. He set off fireworks for a long time and held her in front of the window to watch.
"You still remember it so clearly." She stroked the drawing paper with emotion. It was when she first got married, and it had only been a short year since then, but her state of mind was completely different.
But now, what she feared most was that she would forget him one day.
"Tomorrow I will ask Qing'an to frame the painting and hang it in Wutong Garden so that Madam can look at it every day and never forget the kindness of her husband."
He took the pen from her hand, bent down slightly and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I just said a few days ago that I wanted to have a baby. It's getting late, so don't delay it."
Shen Anan turned her head and glared at him, "You talk about it every day and never forget it."
This incident almost became the opening remark before their daily rest. It was repeated day after day and she couldn't forget it even if she wanted to.
Xiao Yuan smiled softly, picked her up by the waist and walked towards the bed. Shen Anan immediately refused, "Don't."
"Um?"
Shen Anan hesitated for a moment before looking away with a red face, "Then, that bed is too hard, it hurts my waist."
Xiao Yuan chuckled, "Then let's go back to Wutong Garden. The bed there is big and we can do whatever we want."
Shen Anan wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, bury her head in Xiao Yuan's arms, and let him carry her back through the corridor in front of everyone.
＊
Shen Anan didn't know how he could be so energetic. He didn't show any signs of fatigue even after working day after day. Instead, he became stronger...
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Yuan pulled her out, pressed her into his arms, and asked softly.
Shen Anan kept her head down, and didn't want to talk much because of the torment.
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes and chuckled, "Didn't Madam say that she wanted a child? Your husband has worked so hard, and Madam is not happy?"
Shen Anan covered his mouth, "Stop talking."
Who wants to have a child like this? Doing it day and night, will there be problems with the quality of the child? She had wild thoughts in her mind.
"An An."
"Um."
"I want to go to Xiangjue Temple in a few days. Will you come with me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he clearly felt the person in his arms stiffen, and even her breathing became lighter. He couldn't help showing the heartache in his eyes, and gently stroked her back.
"You know, my mother's tablet has been kept in Xiangjue Temple. I haven't been there for many years. I want to go and burn some incense for her."
Shen Anan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, nodded and agreed, "Okay, then when you are not busy, I will accompany you."
＊
On the third day, Qing'an really brought the framed painting. Xiao Yuan personally chose a location and hung it in a place where he could see it from the center of the room.
In two days, the two of them made another one, which is now being framed.
Shen Anan flipped through her thick stack of rice paper, her eyes showing tenderness. The rolls of paper had already curled up due to her daily flipping through them.
Whenever she realized she had forgotten something, she would look through those paintings and her empty heart would be filled a little.
When she came to the study, Qing'an was reporting something. When Xiao Yuan saw her, a smile immediately appeared on his cold face, and he waved his hand to let Qing'an leave.
"But what happened?"
"Good news," Xiao Yuan stroked her hair and held her on his lap, "News came from the border that my brother won the first battle."
Shen Anan was slightly startled, then she remembered that her eldest brother had gone to the war, which was recorded in her paintings.
"Really? That's really a good thing. My parents will definitely be very happy to know about it."
"Well, you were worried about your pregnant sister-in-law a few days ago. You can send someone back to inform her later so that she can be at ease."
Shen Anan, "If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten about it. I want to let my sister-in-law know first, so that she won't have to worry about it day and night, which is not good for the child."
After saying that, she stood up and went out to instruct Mo Xiang. Xiao Yuan stared at her back without moving his gaze even a little.
When she came back, he immediately smiled and took her into his arms. Shen Anan felt that he was becoming more and more clingy recently.
"There will be a banquet at Duke Li's mansion the day after tomorrow. Do you want to go out for a walk?"
Shen Anan wanted to go. She had been staying in the mansion for these days and it was really boring. But she was worried about meeting someone she used to be familiar with, or Xiao Yuan’s political enemies. Her memory was confused, and if something went wrong, it would be bad if it caused trouble for Xiao Yuan.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
