"No, Madam, please just ask. I will do my best to help if I can."
"The old man in the family is getting on in years and has become a bit confused lately. He keeps muttering the old lady's name."
Madam Xie sighed, "But the old lady has been gone for several years. I would like to ask the princess to make a painting, which may be able to comfort the old master's illness."
Pei Zhi hesitated and said, "I have never met the old lady, and I am afraid that the painting will be very different from the real person."
Madam Xie sighed, "I really have no other choice. Whether it works or not, I want to give it a try."
"But the old gentleman is seriously ill, and I cannot leave the palace..."
Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately replied, "It's alright, I will make the arrangements at that time."
Naturally, Madam Xie was overjoyed. After agreeing on a date with Pei Zhi, she expressed her deepest gratitude to the Empress.
Pei Zhi exclaimed in admiration, "It's rare to see a daughter-in-law so sincere towards her elders."
Madam Xie's expression just now showed genuine worry.
"Old Master Xie was your father's teacher. Countless students have received his guidance. Even your father still has to bow to him when he sees him now."
The Empress subtly advised Pei Zhi, "If you can truly improve Old Master Xie's condition, not only your father and the Xie family, but also many important officials in the court will remember your favor."
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I will do my best."
The Empress remembered that Pei Zhi had an older brother, and her expression turned colder. "Alright, you may leave. I am tired too."
Pei Zhi bowed respectfully and then withdrew.
The personal maid asked with concern, "Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale?"
"I just miss the princess."
The old woman could only comfort her, saying that the princess would be able to return in a few years.
In a few more years, when will that be?
Naturally, once the third prince ascends the throne, the princess can stay in the capital for a long time.
Pei Zhi had Chunhua pack her things, and then people from the Empress's palace came to take Pei Zhi out of the palace.
Pei Zhi, dressed in simple attire, exited through a side gate. With the Empress's token, she passed through without hindrance.
On the carriage, Chunhua couldn't help but look out the window; everything seemed new and exciting to her.
Pei Zhi closed her eyes to rest, seemingly uninterested in the outside world.
"Princess, this street is so bustling."
"How does it compare to the imperial palace?"
Chunhua quickly replied, "Of course, it can't be compared to the imperial palace."
As they were talking, the carriage stopped in front of a grand mansion.
Madam Xie led the female relatives to welcome Pei Zhi, which was considered a great honor for Pei Zhi.
Pei Zhi remained composed and was led inside by Madam Xie.
After exchanging a few polite words, Madam Xie brought out several paintings for Pei Zhi.
"This was painted by someone in the household, but it's still far inferior to the princess's painting."
Pei Zhi took the painting and examined it carefully, saying, "I think I know what the old lady looks like now."
This painting is very well done, but to an outsider it might seem a bit perfunctory.
But Pei Zhi only needed to observe the eyebrows and eyes of the person in the portrait.
"I wonder what kind of clothes the old lady liked to wear when she was still alive? I want to recreate them."
A young lady from the Xie family asked curiously, "Does a portrait need clothes?"
Madam Xie had seen Pei Zhi's painting, so she immediately sent someone to retrieve it.
"When the old lady passed away, her clothes were originally going to be burned, but the old man couldn't bear to part with them and wanted to keep them as a memento. Otherwise, they would be really hard to find now."
After the clothes were laid out, Madam Xie and the others went out first, giving Pei Zhi a quiet environment so that she could paint.
"Sister-in-law, is this really feasible?"
Madam Xie took a sip of her tea. "Trying anything as a last resort, what other options do you have?"
The second madam quickly shook her head, "What I'm saying is, even if Aqi draws it herself, it's completely useless. How much spirit could a princess possibly capture in a painting?"
The painting that Madam Xie just handed to Pei Zhi was painted by Xie Qi.
Even when Xie Qi showed the painting he made himself to the old man, the old man didn't react at all.
How could a princess, who had never even met the old lady, capture the old lady's spirit in her painting?
Inside the room, Pei Zhi had already begun painting.
Pei Zhi had just asked Madam Xie a lot about her personality and style of doing things when the old lady was still alive.
In Pei Zhi's mind, an image of a kind and decisive lady who was loving towards her juniors had already emerged.
Once you have an image in your mind, you can draw it quickly.
Draw the general appearance of the person, then refine and color it.
Madam Xie noticed that it was getting late, and lunchtime had already passed.
They didn't dare go in to disturb her, for fear of ruining the princess's mood while she was painting.
As Madam Xie hesitated about whether to knock on the door and let the princess rest so she could continue painting tomorrow, the door opened.
Pei Zhi, whose clothes were stained with paint, said, "It's finished. Madam, please take a look."
"Is it done already?" Madam Xie was a little hesitant. It was so fast?
She thought it would take the princess at least three or four days to complete a painting.
The princess finished in just a few hours?
Madam Xie walked at the front, holding up her skirt, with the other ladies and young women following behind her into the house.
Pei Zhi took the water brought by the maid and washed the dirt off her hands.
When Madam Xie saw the painting hanging in the room, she was shocked and took two steps back.
Madam Xie said, "My goodness, at first glance, I thought my mother-in-law was still alive. I almost collapsed from exhaustion."
As everyone stared at the painting, they couldn't help but admire it.
"No wonder my sister-in-law invited the princess over. I never imagined that the princess would have such abilities."
After viewing the painting, Madam Xie went to entertain Pei Zhi.
After finishing her painting, Pei Zhi prepared to take her leave.
Madam Xie naturally couldn't let Pei Zhi leave like this. "The princess has been busy since she came here, without eating a single grain of rice. If the princess leaves like this, I will feel so guilty that I won't be able to sleep at night."
If Madam Xie has already said so, it would be too disrespectful of Pei Zhiru to insist on leaving.
Madam Xie had already had the meal prepared, just waiting for Pei Zhi to come and enjoy it.
Madam Xie had someone serve her and apologized to Pei Zhi, saying she wanted to send the painting to the old man for a look.
Chunhua served Pei Zhi her meal, saying, "Princess, I've heard how wealthy and powerful the Xie family is, but seeing this Xie residence today, it's nothing special."
Pei Zhi was painting, and Chunhua was waiting outside. With nothing to do, she looked around for a while.
It is said that the Xie family is the head of the clan, but looking at the Xie residence now, there is nothing special about it.
Pei Zhi looked up at Chunhua but didn't say anything.
The Xie family isn't nouveau riche; are they going to display all their precious possessions?
Moreover, one should not judge a family's heritage by these external factors.
For example, when Pei Zhi was painting, all the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones in the room were precious items.
The bird's nest she's currently consuming is also extremely precious in the palace.
This bird's nest is of even better quality than the ones used by the noble ladies in the palace.
Moreover, Pei Zhiguan believed that the proper relationship between Madam Xie and her sisters-in-law, and the harmonious family dynamic, were the foundation of a successful family.
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