Chapter 31 About Embroidery
Over the next two or three days, Wen Wanyu would often run into Lady Yang. The probability was so high that Wen Wanyu felt it was no coincidence.
Lady Yang went from nodding to her at the beginning to pulling her aside to talk to her and chat about everything.
But it was usually Lady Yang who took the initiative, while Wen Wanyu just stood aside, humming and laughing.
A cool breeze blew slowly across the river, creating ripples on the surface. The breeze felt refreshing and pleasant on her face. Lady Yang kept staring at her.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Lady Yang?" Wen Wanyu couldn't stand such a straightforward look and raised her eyes unnaturally.
Lady Yang smiled: "I'm just curious."
"Curious? Curious about what?"
Lady Yang took a few steps closer and whispered, "You've been to my bed many more times than we have. Why isn't there any movement in your belly?"
Wen Wanyu paused and said, "I can't say for sure."
After saying that, he lowered his head and deliberately showed a shy smile.
"After all, Concubine Yu and Concubine Fang are really lucky. They got pregnant after just one or two times in bed." Concubine Yang said with a smile.
Wen Wanyu smiled but said nothing. Speaking of pregnancy, it reminded her of something: she had been in the palace for two months, and she'd been taking the contraceptive pills her mother had given her every three months. It was almost time.
Although her mother had said that ordinary doctors couldn't diagnose anything unusual, Wen Wanyu was still worried. Before taking the second pill, she wanted to find a way to have the most skilled physician in the Imperial Hospital take her pulse, just to be sure.
Seeing that she remained silent, Lady Yang asked, "What is Lady Wen thinking about?"
Wen Wanyu came back to his senses and shook his head: "Nothing."
Lady Yang continued, "You don't have to be too anxious. You're so favored, are you still worried about not getting pregnant?"
Normally, she and Lady Yang had very little interaction. But these past few days, he had been acting out of character, talking to her and specifically about offspring. Something was amiss.
Everyone in the palace couldn't hide their thoughts. Wen Wanyu forced a smile: "Yes. Lady Yang is right."
Wen Wanyu stared at the ground. She had managed to survive Concubine Wan's oppression until she was sixteen. Concubine Yang was incredibly patient. She was Concubine Wan's half-sister, and her actions since entering the palace spoke volumes about her ambition.
Moreover, Lady Yang's ambitions were well hidden.
"I heard that Lady Wen is proficient in needlework. I happen to have one or two things I don't understand. Could you please teach me a thing or two?"
"Okay!" Wen Wanyu agreed without hesitation. She was indeed proficient in needlework. In the first two years after she traveled through time, she found life boring and monotonous, so she learned needlework from her sister who ran a ready-made clothing store. This back-and-forth helped her improve her skills a lot.
"Then let's go to my Changlixuan!" She wanted to see what Lady Yang was going to do.
"Forgive me for bothering you then." Lady Yang envied Wen Wanyu's voice. It had the typical gentleness and grace of a Jiangnan woman. Every utterance seemed moistened by water, tinged by the misty rain outside the window, and swaying like a weeping willow.
Even a woman like her would like such a voice, let alone the emperor?
Lady Yang grew up on the border. Her voice wasn't rough, but it wasn't gentle either.
On the way back to Changlixuan, he met Jin Fangyi who had just come out of Defei's Qixiang Palace.
Jin Fangyi looked indifferent.
"Greetings to Jin Fangyi."
"Get up. Where are you going?" Jin Fangyi asked casually.
Concubine Yang replied, "There is one thing I don't understand about embroidery. Concubine Wen happens to be an expert in needlework and often goes to the Pear Pavilion."
Jin Fangyi glanced at Lady Yang, then at Wen Wanyu. She was puzzled. How could these two, who had never met before, be together today? Not only were they chatting and laughing, but they were also going to Changli Pavilion to discuss needlework and embroidery?
Even though she had doubts, Jin Fangyi didn't show them. "Yeah. Go ahead."
Looking at the two people's backs, Jin Fangyi felt a little uneasy. Concubine Wen was already good friends with Concubine Cheng, and if she joined forces with Concubine Yang...
Then she...
She regretted following Concubine De. Concubine De was a quiet, uninhibited woman, content with her lot, always saying, "Wait," "Wait a little longer." She wasn't favored, nor did she seek it. If she couldn't even protect herself, how could she possibly help her?
Jin Fangyi kicked the ground in frustration.
Changlixuan
Lady Yang took out a sachet from her sleeve and handed it to Wen Wanyu. "This is the sachet I made. Lady Wen, could you take a look at it for me and give me some pointers?"
Wen Wanyu took it. The bright yellow, golden-threaded sachet with a flying dragon was clearly a gift for the Emperor.
"For the Emperor?"
Lady Yang nodded shyly: "Hmm..."
Want to give the sachet to the emperor, and be willing to show it to her and give her some advice?!
Wen Wanyu looked up with a half-smile in her eyes. Lady Yang looked calm and eager to learn, and she didn't seem to think anything was wrong.
This sachet was meant to be given to the Emperor, but Lady Yang was willing to take it out and ask for her advice. That could only mean that Lady Yang—
I did it on purpose for her to see.
Wen Wanyu smiled, "Miss Yang's sachet is very well made. I don't have anything I can do to help you."
As he said this, he handed the sachet back to her.
"Lady Wen is too modest. My sachet is just ordinary, not even half as good as yours." Lady Yang said.
Wen Wanyu took a sip of tea and took the opportunity to observe Lady Yang's expression. What was Lady Yang's intention in deliberately showing her the sachet? What was her plan?
Putting down the teacup, he said, "Miss Yang, please don't underestimate yourself. The sachet is so exquisitely made, the emperor will definitely like it."
"Lady Wen, I've always liked to embroider the dragon whiskers very long. Don't you think it looks bad?" Lady Yang handed it to her. "Besides, I don't like to put eyes on dragons. Whether it's a dragon or any other animal, I don't like to embroider eyes on them. Without eyes, wouldn't it look... bad?"
The finishing touch is the key to any work. No matter how well it has been done, if the crucial step is not done well, everything may be equal to zero. The same is true for embroidery. The dragon's eyes are the finishing touch. Without these two points, the work may be dull and lackluster.
No one will let the best of their hard-earned work be lost.
The finishing touch, it turns out to be this “finishing touch”.
"The finishing touch." Wen Wanyu said: "A 'dragon' without eyes really lacks color. But it is also very distinctive."
"Yes. Lady Wen is absolutely right." Lady Yang nodded and smiled, "But habits aren't so easy to change."
"Miss Wen, can I see your embroidery?"
Wen Wanyu declined politely, "I've been lazy lately and haven't been embroidering much. My previous embroidery is still a little immature."
Lady Yang did not force it too much.
Although Wen Wanyu and Lady Yang were in the same room, they each had their own concerns.
…………
"My lady, I don't understand. Why did you ask Lady Wen to look for you? Why did you let Lady Wen see your sachet?"
Lady Yang raised her head and smiled: "She will be my witness."
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