Chapter 176 Human Heart
Three days before the Qianqiu Festival, Bi Yue'er went out and brought back the framed paintings.
"The painting has been framed. Please take a look, Madam."
Feng Qingsui took the rosewood box with a gold-painted pattern of sea water, river cliffs and clouds and the word "longevity" that she handed him, opened the lid, took out the scroll, and asked Zi Su and Iris to hold one end each and unfold it to take a closer look.
The backing paper is as smooth as a mirror, the axis head is as smooth as jade, and the color of the silk complements the painting, leaving no room for flaws.
"Your grandfather's mounting work is really good."
Feng Qingsui praised.
“It’s absolutely flawless.”
Bi Yue'er said proudly, "My grandfather's painting mounting skills have been honed by several generations of the Tang family. He is known as a master in the industry."
“No wonder.”
Feng Qingsui praised the painting a few more times before putting it away.
"Second Master has been urging me for two days. Now it's time to relax."
Bi Yue'er lowered her eyes, a hint of sarcasm passing across the corner of her lips.
Not even knowing that death is approaching, how... pitiful.
After she left Polangxuan, Feng Qingsui handed the rosewood box to Wuhua. Wuhua checked it carefully but found no mechanism or hidden weapon.
Feng Qingsui tested the toxicity again and found nothing wrong.
"It seems the secret lies in the painting."
Feng Qingsui said, holding his chin.
Wuhua nodded: "Maybe it's calligraphy or painting that will only appear when exposed to heat or water."
Feng Qingsui deeply agreed with this.
When Ji Changqing returned home, he took the painting box and went to his study to find him.
After explaining her and Wuhua's speculation, Ji Changqing smiled and said, "It's not difficult. We'll know once we give it a try."
He immediately ordered Baifu to light a few pots of charcoal fire and place the scroll painting in the circle formed by the pots of charcoal fire.
When the scroll paper becomes slightly warm, take it to the table and spread it out to check.
Seeing the words "Dragon Falls into the Nine Abyss" appear in the blank space on the screen, he sneered, "As expected."
Feng Qingsui's eyes flickered slightly: "Second Master, who do you think is behind this?"
"Anyone could be."
Ji Changqing sat down on the armchair and said nonchalantly.
"There are many people who want me to fall."
Feng Qingsui: “…”
This person must have done it on purpose.
Knowing that she was hinting at the Queen and the Crown Prince, he talked about something else.
"I think it's most likely the Queen. The Crown Prince's shadow guard bases have been destroyed time and time again, so he must be furious and unable to calmly think of a countermeasure."
She got straight to the point.
"The Queen is very cunning and is very good at starting from the rear quarters. This incident is most likely her doing..."
Ji Changqing looked at her long eyelashes trembling slightly as she spoke, and his heart felt as if it was gently brushed by a small brush, causing a slight itching.
His fingertips unconsciously stroked the armrests of the armchair, and his thoughts wandered unconsciously.
What would these eyelashes feel like?
As soft as a baby bird's down, or as flexible as wolf hair?
"Second Master?"
After Feng Qingsui finished speaking, he noticed that the person opposite him seemed to be in a daze, so he called out softly.
Ji Changqing came to his senses and the tips of his ears suddenly felt hot.
"Baifu." He coughed lightly, "Put out the charcoal fire. The room is a bit stuffy."
Feng Qingsui: (_)ノ
Could it be that the redness on the face was caused by the charcoal fire?
The weather was already hot, and there was a charcoal fire in the room, so it was not surprising that his face was flushed.
Ji Changqing shifted his gaze to the painting box to stop himself from having any more random thoughts.
"Do you have any ideas?"
He said as if nothing had happened.
Feng Qingsui smiled slightly and asked, "Second Master, do you know what birthday gift the Queen plans to give to Your Majesty?"
Ji Changqing had already planted a hidden stake in Fengyi Palace, so he naturally knew about it and replied, "An embroidered screen with two phoenixes facing the sun."
"Will it be displayed at the birthday party?"
"Yes. If the empress presents a large birthday gift such as a screen or a painting, it will usually be displayed in the banquet hall for your majesty, the officials, and their families to see, to honor the empress's virtue."
Feng Qingsui's eyes flickered: "I have an idea..."
After listening to her, Ji Changqing smiled and said, "This isn't difficult. I'll have someone arrange it. Just wait and see."
After Feng Qing finished his work, he was about to leave.
"You don't want to look at paintings anymore?"
Ji Changqing called her.
"My painting has been framed."
Feng Qingsui's eyes lit up slightly: "Where?"
A moment later, seeing the authentic painting that Ji Changqing brought out, she exclaimed in admiration, "This one is indeed even better, and the mounting is far superior to Tang's."
Ji Changqing's lips curled up slightly.
Just as he was about to promise her a painting, he heard, "If you put it up for auction, it will probably fetch twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver."
Ji Changqing: (￣ー￣)
What kind of painting do you want?
Once the painting falls into her hands, I'm afraid she will send it to the pawnshop and it will be lost within three days.
He rolled up the scroll expressionlessly.
"This is a birthday gift."
Feng Qingsui sighed slightly: "It's great to be an emperor, to own the most precious treasures in the world."
Ji Changqing: “…”
He talks about silver when he opens his mouth and treasures when he closes his mouth. He is a money-grubber. If he wants her to look at him more, he probably has to replace the jade crown on his head with a golden crown.
But it's just thought.
——The golden crown is not something that ordinary people can wear. According to the laws of Daxi, except for special grants from the emperor, wearing a golden crown privately is a serious crime.
"Your Majesty possesses more than just the greatest treasures in the world."
He said in a deep voice.
"All under heaven belongs to the king; all the people in the world are his subjects. The whole world belongs to your majesty."
"Second Master, what you said is not right."
Feng Qingsui squinted his eyes and chuckled.
"There is one thing in this world that may not belong to your Majesty."
"What do you mean?"
“The human heart.”
Feng Qingsui said, covering his chest.
"At least my heart is not your Majesty's."
Ji Changqing: “…”
He was silent for several breaths before he spoke with difficulty: "Whose heart is yours?"
Feng Qingsui glared at him: "Is there any need to ask? Of course it's your eldest brother..."
Ji Changqing: “…………”
Even though he knew it was nonsense, his heart still twitched violently.
But then he heard the person in front of him continue: "There are also calligraphy, curly hair, three yellow, salt-baked chicken, spicy fish, eel rice noodles..."
Ji Changqing: (; one_one)
After Feng Qingsui finished speaking, he walked out of the study with light steps.
Ji Changqing was left holding his forehead and sighing.
People are worse than pets.
People are not as good as vegetables.
In the blink of an eye it is the Millennium Festival.
The whole world celebrates and there is amnesty.
The concubines, royal relatives, officials and their families, dressed in gorgeous clothes, gathered in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to attend the emperor's birthday banquet.
The queen led the concubines in the harem and was the first to present birthday gifts.
The emperor ordered people to display the large birthday gifts in the hall, and ordered people to put the small birthday gifts aside.
The embroidered screen with two phoenixes facing the rising sun given by the empress was placed on the right side of the imperial throne, in front of the right side of the seats for the female members of the royal family, with a floor-standing palace lantern placed on each side.
The phoenix on the screen is lifelike, as if it will take off into the sky at the next moment.
The female relatives were all impressed.
"This embroidered screen of Her Majesty the Queen truly embodies the beauty of a phoenix."
"It must have been embroidered by everyone."
"It looks like the long-lost Gu family embroidery art. Your Majesty has managed to find the descendants of Gu embroidery!"
…
The queen took in all the praises and just smiled.
Her mind was on Ji Changqing who was presenting a gift to the emperor. When she saw that what he presented was indeed a painting box, she felt relieved.
When the eunuch opened the painting box, took out the scroll painting and displayed it in front of everyone, the heavy stone in my heart finally fell.
It was the painting that the secret guard reported to her.
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