visit
The following day, Mu Qing went to Prince Qing's residence to visit Princess Duanjing.
Since the young prince left Weizhou, she would go to the prince's mansion every two or three days to accompany Princess Duanjing in copying scriptures and taking walks.
The Buddhist hall built by the Prince's Mansion, compared to Xuan Yin Temple, is less rustic but more solemn. The Guanyin statue and the altar are almost integrated, made entirely of ebony, smooth and exquisite. The offering table is full of fresh flowers, fruits, and refreshments, showing the sincerity of the worshippers.
Mu Qing accompanied the princess to copy scriptures for half a day, and finally finished copying the last part of the Ksitigarbha Sutra. He then quietly stretched.
She started learning calligraphy after entering the Lu family and practiced for two years, but her skills were not very good. Recently, she copied several scriptures and it seems that her skills have improved. She took a look at them and thought they were quite good.
Princess Duanjing saw her lower her head and smile slightly, and couldn't help but smile as well, "Finished copying?"
Upon hearing the question, Mu Qing immediately sat up straight and said gently, "This one has already been copied. Which scripture will you copy next?"
Seeing her like this, Princess Duanjing recalled a time when she was young and tried hard to be dignified. She picked up her pen and thought for a moment, then asked, "Did you go out to play during the Shangsi Festival?"
Seeing that the Princess Consort was in the mood for conversation, Mu Qing was somewhat flattered.
Every time she came to the Prince's mansion, she would exchange a few polite words and then start copying scriptures; she had almost gotten used to it.
Surprised, she nodded with a smile and said, "That day, I went to Bihuazhou with my cousin and other young ladies. There we met Miss Zhen and Elder Zhen."
He then recounted his daytime experiences on Bihua Island.
Princess Duanjing listened, her smile gradually fading. "So it turns out that Grand Secretary Zhen also dotes on his granddaughter."
Mu Qing sensed something was off, glanced at Ning Gu beside her, and didn't dare to agree casually.
Seeing her lost in thought, Princess Duanjing smiled again and said, "Going out for a walk is not bad. When I was young, I loved riding horses and enjoying the spring scenery."
"You can ride a horse?" Mu Qing was quite surprised.
"It's not just about being able to ride."
Princess Duanjing frowned, and only after Mu Qing hurriedly apologized did she smile mischievously and say with emotion, "Back in the capital, there were few among my peers who were better riders than me."
Mu Qing listened with great interest and asked her to say a few more words, and before she knew it, she had grown somewhat closer to her.
Hearing the princess say that the past is gone and that she is now old, she retorted: "Your Majesty is clearly still young and in the prime of her life."
She spoke sincerely, which pleased Princess Duanjing. She smiled and said, "I say I'm getting old because I don't sleep as well as before. Fortunately, I have the agarwood incense you sent, and I've been able to get a few peaceful nights' sleep lately."
Mu Qing was naturally pleased and thought that he would go to Chengranzhai again another day to buy more agarwood.
On the way back, she didn't forget her question and asked Ning Gu, "Why did Her Highness the Princess seem unhappy when she mentioned Grand Secretary Zhen?"
Ning Gu had spent many years in the capital with the Third Madam and knew a lot about the matter. She simply said, "Back when the Princess Consort's family was in the capital, they didn't get along with Grand Secretary Zhen. However, that's all in the past. The Princess Consort hasn't let it go yet. Miss, just go to the Zhen family less often in the future. Anyway, you don't get along with Miss Xiangling from the Zhen family."
On Bihua Island, she noticed that the young lady from the Zhen family had made a mistake in her hospitality, but thinking that her own young lady should meet different people and broaden her horizons, she didn't say much. Now, taking advantage of the conversation, she casually offered a few more words of advice.
Upon returning to the Lu residence, Mu Qing heard melodious zither music while passing through the garden. She stopped to listen for a while and was quite moved. She then asked Shi Yu to inquire who was playing the zither in the residence.
Soon, Shiyu ran back and said with a smile, "It's the musician from Wutong Lane next door who's come to visit. The Third Madam knows the musician and is listening to her play the zither."
In the past, those who came to visit the Third Madam were all older ladies from other families.
Mu Qing couldn't help but ask in surprise, "That musician is said to be quite young, yet he's on friendly terms with my mother?"
Shiyu was still excited, "Miss, would you like to go take a look?"
Mu Qing shook his head, "I don't know anything about the zither, why should I rush over and just stand there like a wooden stake?"
In the flower hall, the white plum blossoms in the vase have been replaced with spring apricot blossoms, with red buds waiting to bloom and white flowers opening, creating a beautiful and elegant scene. The copper stove used for heating has been removed and replaced with a zither table.
A woman dressed in plain clothes with a veil covering her face sat at the table, her eyes lowered and her hands casually playing the zither.
The Third Madam sat in a round-backed chair not far from her, her long crimson cloud-patterned gold-embroidered dress trailing on the ground. She was listening with rapt attention until the music ended, at which point she snapped back to reality.
"Miss Xi'er, what is the name of this piece of music?"
Lu Xier looked at the Third Madam and said softly, "This is a new song, and it has not yet been named. Would you be willing to bestow a name upon it, Madam?"
The third wife's smile faded slightly. She guessed that the woman had come to visit with a request. If it was a song title, she might be willing to give it to her.
"This piece sounds distant, as if it's in the clouds, yet also seems so close. The warmth it contains is subtle yet deeply touching. If I were to name it, I would call it 'Listening to the Heart,' because listening to it is like listening to an unspeakable deep affection."
"My lady understands my musical sentiments; from now on, this piece will be called 'Listening to the Heart'."
As Lu Xier spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly lowered her head to wipe them away.
The third madam knew of her talent and intended to promote her, but she didn't expect her to be so moved. She quickly handed her a silk handkerchief, saying, "You were talking so well, why are you crying?"
After wiping away her tears, Lu Xier's damp veil clung to her face.
The third wife couldn't help but ask, "Is it uncomfortable to have the veil on your face?"
Lu Xier touched her veil but remained silent.
The third wife continued, "My daughter is about your age. She developed a rash a few days ago and always wanted to wear a veil to cover it up. I often advised her to take it off, as covering it up for too long would do more harm than good."
Hearing this, Lu Xier raised her head and said, “I wear a veil because it is inconvenient for me to show my face in public, and I have to go out often. In front of a noble lady like you, Third Madam, there is no need to cover your face. If you do not find me ugly, I can take it off.”
“You are in the prime of your life, how could you be ugly?” the Third Madam laughed. “I can only envy your youth.”
Lu Xier lowered her eyes and slowly removed her veil.
When the Third Madam saw her face, she was stunned for a moment, and a trace of regret flashed through her heart.
I saw her wearing a veil before, and she looked like my daughter, but with an even more ethereal quality. I never expected that she would lose some of her beauty when she took off the veil.
But appearances can be deceiving. My own daughter doesn't have her talent, nor does she have her composure and tact.
The third wife thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "You look very kind."
Really?
Lu Xier couldn't contain her joy. She looked up at the Third Madam, but when she saw that the Third Madam's smile was polite and had no other meaning, she calmed down.
During the subsequent conversation, she remained calm and composed, behaving with even greater poise.
It wasn't until she returned to Wutong Lane from the Lu residence and entered the rented courtyard that she began to feel uncomfortable.
The walls, built of gray and white stone bricks, were covered with large patches of ivy, lush and verdant. They looked lovely when I first arrived, but after seeing the meticulously maintained flowers and trees of the Lu family, they seemed rather crude in retrospect.
The tables, chairs, cabinets, and curtains that were bought temporarily for the house seemed pleasing to the eye yesterday, but now they look cheap.
Lu Xier sat down at the table, touched her forehead, and lowered her head.
Aunt Man, who was standing beside her, placed the zither she was carrying on the zither table and poured her a cup of tea. "Xi'er, what's wrong?"
The tea is top-quality Tieguanyin, a housewarming gift from Yiyeju.
Looking at the clear, bright golden tea, Lu Xier asked, "Godmother, is the Third Madam really my mother?"
“Of course,” said Aunt Man. “You are the Third Madam’s true daughter, your godmother guarantees it.”
Even if one had considered the possibility that a kind-hearted person might secretly replace Lord Lu's daughter before the nobleman took her, that nobleman was not unfamiliar with Lord Lu. If he wanted to harm his daughter, wouldn't he have confirmed it first?
Just by thinking about how insidious that nobleman's attitude was, she was certain that Lu Xier was the true heiress of the Lu family.
Just then, someone knocked on the brass ring outside the courtyard gate.
Aunt Man went to open the door and saw a young man carrying several packages squeeze through the door.
"Painter Lu, what brings you here again?"
Two days ago, after moving in, Lu Xier played the zither in her room for a while, and this man fell into their courtyard. When they tried to arrest him and report him to the authorities, he begged for mercy, saying that he was a painter living next door. He had only heard the zither music and couldn't help but want to hear it more clearly, so he climbed the wall, but accidentally lost his footing and fell in.
Aunt Man had inquired about the neighbors beforehand and knew that the painter living next door was a righteous person, so she let him go.
Who would have thought that he would come back today with bags full of things, saying he wanted to apologize, and I managed to get rid of him.
“Aunt Man, those yesterday were to apologize, and these today are to show our welcome as neighbors.”
The young man who squeezed through the door had a handsome face and spoke with an innocent and righteous air, so Aunt Man couldn't bring herself to scold him.
Lu Xier said from behind, "Godmother, let him come in and sit down."
Aunt Man glared at the young man at the door, "How can this be?"
Lu Xier said, "They are all people who make a living with a skill, and I would like to learn more about them."
The young man at the door smiled and agreed, "That's right, Miss Lu is a musician, and I am a painter, so we can chat."
The young man, who introduced himself as Lu Jiu, hurriedly handed the package he had brought to Aunt Man. He sat down in the courtyard and was quite polite, but when he looked at Lu Xi'er, his eyes were fixed on her, and he praised her zither playing as heavenly music.
Seeing his simple clothes, Lu Xi'er guessed that he was not a famous painter, but still said, "Since Young Master Lu makes a living by painting, he must have some masterpieces."
Lu Jiu nodded and said, "I painted a picture by the Wei River the day before yesterday. Once it's framed, I'll bring it here for you to see."
"Perhaps this is a bit presumptuous," Lu Xi'er said hesitantly, "I would like to ask how much a painting you are worth, and whether making a living is difficult?"
Lu Jiu gave an awkward smile, "To be honest, my paintings haven't sold for a good price yet, and I'm just barely making ends meet."
He loves to paint scenes of everyday life, but these paintings are the least valuable. Selling paintings on the street is just a pretense; what he really makes money from are erotic paintings and the "Collection of Outstanding Works" he painted a while ago, but he can't talk about those.
When Lu Xier heard that he was barely making ends meet, she didn't ask any more questions. She simply invited him to have tea and chatted with him for a few unimportant minutes.
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