Chapter 96 Her Painting

Chapter 96 Her Painting

After saying that, Shen Nanzi lifted her skirt, revealing her moon-white embroidered shoes, and stepped onto the carriage.

Qinghe, dressed in plain blue clothes, also sat on the edge of the carriage.

With a crack of the whip, the wheels of the carriage carrying Shen Nanzi rolled, making the bluestone pavement creak.

Xie Yan watched her carriage leave, then sullenly stepped onto his own carriage.

Wu Ying muttered to himself in confusion, "Who is Princess Jing going to settle accounts with?"

Thinking of something that happened yesterday evening, he turned his head to the carriage and said, "Your Highness, last night I heard from Shi Tou that the young prince had a fight with Prince Hong Rui at the academy."

"Princess Jing wouldn't have deliberately said she was going to East Street, but actually went to Pear Courtyard to settle scores with the Second Princess, would she?"

Xie Yan recalled the knife attack on East Street last night. The perpetrator had not yet been caught. He tightened his grip on his knees. "Follow her."

Wu Ying was surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, aren't you going to the morning court?"

"It's alright to go a little later."

Wuying understood and immediately instructed the coachman to do so.

The horse turned its head and headed in another direction.

＊

The Chongde Hall is spacious and solemn.

Emperor Xie Yuan sat on the dragon throne, his expression unchanged. Only those who paid close attention could notice that the emperor seemed to have lost some weight.

Below the main hall, all the officials stood in formation.

"Begin the proceedings!" The Emperor was in good spirits, his voice booming.

Officials from all walks of life began to report various urgent problems that needed to be solved.

The emperor gradually showed signs of fatigue.

If some issues were debated for too long, he would simply wave his hand and ask them to be shelved.

Shen Minghan stepped forward, holding the imperial tablet, and said, "Your Majesty, something unexpected happened yesterday."

“The small country of Cangjue dared to kill my envoy from Yunhan.”

The emperor, whose face already showed signs of fatigue, slammed his fist on the dragon throne in annoyance. "This Cang Jue, how dare he!"

The voices of the ministers below also came through: "Your Majesty, the Cangjue are too hateful, provoking us time and time again. Let's just go to war with them and take back our lost territory."

Immediately, someone jumped out to object, "It's easier said than done. Now that the Cangjue Kingdom possesses that strategically important place, it's not something that can be taken back so easily."

“If Cangjue were easy to attack, the late emperor would not have lost such a large piece of land. Including what the second prince lost, we lost one-tenth of Yunhan’s territory.”

The emperor frowned, clearly displeased.

"The Cangjue have provoked us several times. We can no longer tolerate this. If we don't make an example of them, other neighboring countries may follow suit."

Observing the Emperor's expression and confirming his guess, Shen Minghan said, "Everyone, please calm down. Panlong Ridge is easy to defend but difficult to attack. We need to plan carefully."

"Now, we need to rest and recuperate, and wait for the right opportunity to strike back."

Shen Minghan looked up and, seeing the approval in the Emperor's eyes, continued, "The Cangjue have repeatedly disregarded diplomatic etiquette, frequently provoking us; their actions are despicable!"

"Such barbaric acts are a disgrace to our nation. I beseech Your Majesty to appoint an envoy to exert pressure and make the Cangjue pay a heavy price as a warning to others."

The Emperor looked around and said, "Then let Prince Jing go!"

After the Emperor finished speaking, Prince Jing did not step forward to receive the order for a long time.

The Imperial Censor stood with Xie Yan every day. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing has not attended the morning court session today."

Why hasn't His Highness Prince Jing come?

“Prince Jing never misses a show, rain or shine.”

"Could something unexpected have happened?"

"When I arrived at the morning court, I happened to encounter Prince Jing's carriage on the road. It was heading in the direction of East Street."

"East Street is far away; I'm afraid I won't be able to get back before the morning court session."

The officials discussed it.

Shen Minghan looked worried. "Your Majesty, we must immediately send an envoy to bring our messenger back."

The Emperor had no choice but to ask, "Are there any other ministers willing to go?"

This thankless and arduous task was always undertaken by Prince Jing.

With Prince Jing, Zhu Yu, as an example, if things go well, great; if they go poorly, it will be a loss.

Immediately, someone suggested, "Your Majesty, since Prince Jing is not here, then another prince should be sent. If the prince's status is too low, then the small country of Cangjue will probably make things difficult for you again."

"Yes, yes!" Many voices immediately echoed. If it were a matter that could bring great merit, everyone would probably flock to it.

The fourth prince, Xie Zhuo, and the fifth prince, Xie Heng, remained silent.

Secretly, however, they were seething with hatred; these old foxes were all incredibly cunning.

For a moment, the hall was completely silent.

Just as the emperor was about to speak, a figure in dark blue entered the hall.

He wore a small black crown and a black jade belt, and strolled over.

When the officials saw who it was, they were all astonished and watched him walk to the front of the hall.

Xie Yu smiled and looked at the Emperor on the dragon throne. "Father, Prince Jing is not here. Please let me handle this matter concerning the envoy!"

As soon as he said this, everyone immediately understood that the sixth prince wanted to get involved in court affairs.

At this crucial moment of establishing a crown prince, his appearance inevitably aroused suspicion among everyone.

Was it the Sixth Prince's own intention, or was it secretly instructed by the Emperor?

If it was authorized by the Emperor, then the struggle for the crown prince has already shown clear signs.

Everyone was observing the emperor's expression, but the emperor remained expressionless, and no joy or sorrow could be seen in his eyes.

After a long silence, the Emperor finally spoke, "Then let's set off immediately!"

The emperor's approval was like opening another door to this silent battlefield, allowing another contestant to enter.

Xie Yu cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject obeys."

Shen Minghan kept his eyes closed, making it impossible for anyone to read his expression.

＊

Inside the Harmony Palace, Consort Wei was packing her belongings, her expression showing reluctance.

"It's cooler over there, don't catch a cold."

"I understand, Mother. The journey will not take long, so please do not worry."

Although Xie Yu was already an adult and had his own residence outside the palace, his mother would occasionally make an exception and let him stay overnight in the Hele Palace.

In the words of Consort Wei, "If you don't get married, you're still a child."

Now that her mother is in charge of the harem, and the emperor is happy to see her, no one dares to object.

"You've never left your mother's side, how can your mother be at ease?"

Consort Wei carefully placed the clothes into the wooden box. "I asked you to take up a post in the court before, but you said no. The Emperor was happy to have some peace and quiet, so no one in our Wei family has any real power."

"You've suddenly changed your mind, it's all too hasty. You don't even have a capable person by your side, how can your mother be at ease?"

Consort Wei's feelings were mixed, because Xie Yu was determined not to get involved in the factional struggles, and she was living as she pleased.

There was no need to worry about his future, and so many years have passed like this.

He suddenly changed his mind some time ago, catching her off guard, so she had no choice but to use her savings to support him.

Now that he has to go out on business, she regrets it!

It would be better to let him be a carefree prince and live a peaceful life!

After saying goodbye to his mother, Xie Yu embarked on his journey.

＊

Meanwhile, in the musical instrument shop in Dongcheng, Shen Nanzi was looking at the account book with Xiao Wan.

"That's right, this year's profits should be even better than last year's."

"Your Highness, you don't know, we have already made a good reputation. Now, when people mention our musical instruments, they are second to none."

Xiao Wan spoke with a great sense of accomplishment, as if she were witnessing the growth of a child she held in the palm of her hand.

Xie Yan listened from the outside room. He had come here with her since early morning, and now it was past noon. She and Xiao Wan seemed to have endless things to talk about.

During the reconciliation, they would occasionally exchange a few words, discussing everything from children to jewelry, and from jewelry to clothing, including cosmetics.

Xie Yan didn't seem bored at all; he listened quietly from the outside.

Wuying quietly reminded him, "Princess Jing knows we're outside and is deliberately stalling for time, isn't she?"

Xie Yan remained silent, his eyes filled with gentleness. After so many years of hard work, sitting here relaxed like this seemed quite nice.

"I'm hungry! I'm leaving now!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Yan stood up and gestured to the waiter not to make a fuss.

As Shen Nanzi stepped outside, she caught sight of the vanished crimson hue.

"Now that the matter is settled, let's return to Prince Jing's residence!"

Qinghe immediately followed.

Returning safely to the courtyard, Shen Nanzi received news that Xie Yu had already accepted the order to leave the city, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Sitting under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, he said to Qinghe, "You must have had a hard night stealing. Go and rest!"

Qinghe accepted the order and went to rest.

The great-aunt held up the painting she had brought back yesterday. "Your Highness, should we keep it or hang it up?"

"Let it hang up!" Ye Shuyin's painting skills were solid, and he painted her too beautifully; she herself liked looking at it very much.

Two days later, Xie Yan came to her courtyard again.

He stood with his hands behind his back in her room, looking at the painting of a beautiful woman hanging on the wall.

Shen Nanzi took Cheng'er to the back garden to practice shooting. When they returned, she saw that tall and straight figure inside the house.

Then she handed Cheng'er over to her great-aunt.

Cheng'er turned her head to look at the people inside, and the smile on her face instantly disappeared.

Her great-aunt tried to pull him away but couldn't, so she had to pick him up and coax him gently.

"Your Highness, don't worry, Qinghe is guarding outside."

"Your Highness has made your favorite honey sesame paste, chilled. This old servant will take you to try it."

Shen Nanzi entered the room, and the maid followed her in with cold water.

She then washed her hands and wiped the sweat from her face.

Once he felt refreshed, he said to the maid, "It's so hot! This awful weather, the sun shines so brightly every day, when will it ever end?"

The maid said, "I'll go get some ice cream for Your Highness to cool you down and make you feel more comfortable."

The other maids who were serving also left, and were about to close the door when Shen Nanzi stopped them.

"It's so hot, and there's no ventilation. Won't you get heat rash?"

Only then did Shen Nanzi have time to pay attention to Xie Yan. She crossed her arms and walked to his side, tilting her head to look at his face:

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

Right under his nose, her fair cheeks still flushed from the heat.

Her eyes held her usual decisiveness, and even more so, a fearless confrontation.

“I checked, Cheng’er and Hongrui did have a brief argument, but they didn’t fight.”

"The knife case on East Street has also been dropped, and the story has been changed to a fight between husband and wife."

"You created these two things to deliberately send me away, just so that Xie Yu could go to Cangjue."

His tone was calm, yet he clearly described Shen Nanzi's subtle movements.

Where Shen Nanzi couldn't see, he had his hands behind his back, his fingertips white where his fingers were interlaced.

Shen Nanzi didn't expect him to find out the truth so quickly.

Xie Yan deliberately made up with her in front of her. She went to a dangerous place, and he wanted to prove himself, so he might go there too.

However, worried that he wouldn't fall for her trick, Shen Nanzi deliberately spread rumors in the mansion about Cheng'er getting into a fight, making him mistakenly believe that she was going to cause trouble for Xue Qingning.

With two clever tricks, the fish actually took the bait.

"Not bad, the reaction is not too slow, worthy of the title of Prince Jing."

It's unclear whether her words were a compliment or sarcasm.

Xie Yan's face hardened, his prominent Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed emotion.

Why did you help him?

Shen Nanzi thought to herself, "Isn't this a rhetorical question?"

I was prepared to be choked by him and face death.

However, after waiting for a while, we saw that his jaw was tense, the veins in his neck were bulging, and his arms did not move for a long time.

Shen Nanzi was suspicious. Was he really so angry that he had nothing to say?

A hot breeze swept through the outer hall, gently stirring the painting and making a rustling sound.

"Did he draw this for you?"

Xie Yan's abrupt change of topic caught Shen Nanzi off guard for a moment. She seemed unable to follow his train of thought and looked at him with a strange expression.

he?

He found out about Ye Shuyin on Changle Street?

No, it seems to refer to Xie Yu.

Shen Nanzi realized what was happening and shut her mouth. She didn't know why he was asking such a trivial matter; he must be furious!

Xie Yan looked at the painting; it was a full-body portrait of her.

On the painting, Shen Nanzi appeared calm and composed, her pink dress highlighting her snow-white skin.

The skirt was lifted by the breeze, like fleeting shadows of peach blossoms, and the fragrance of flowers was faintly carried between the fluttering hem of her clothes.

Only a single, lustrous, white pearl hairpin was inserted between her hair buns.

A touch of pale yellow was pasted on her forehead, like the finishing touch, making her look exceptionally beautiful.

Her eyebrows were lightly swept, and her lips were dotted with rouge.

It's so beautiful it makes your heart tremble.

Behind her was a sea of ​​flowers, with bright red, soft white, and light pink blooming in succession.

They bloom in the sunlight, their beauty beyond compare.

It leaves behind a lingering fragrance.

Only a painting that captures the heart can depict a person so vividly.

The artist is not trying to showcase the beauty of the flowers and people, but rather to convey a sense of appreciation and quiet attraction.

Have they really come to this?

They show absolutely no restraint!

Xie Yan felt an unspeakable humiliation, yet he was powerless to do anything about it and could only watch helplessly as others coveted Shen Nanzi.

This kind of sadness was even more indescribable to him than seeing Shen Nanzi and Shen Minghan standing beside Xie Yu.

Xie Yan turned around and left in a somewhat disheveled state.

Shen Nanzi watched him leave, touching her neck that had escaped injury. It seemed he was really angry and had even forgotten to pinch her.

A maid brought in a peach sorbet, and Shen Nanzi took a bite and was pleasantly cool.

"It's delicious!"

I quickly sat down and savored it. Nothing is more refreshing than eating an ice cream bar on a hot summer day.

After finishing the ice cream, Shen Nanzi washed the sweet juice between her fingers in the basin.

Qinghe entered the room, cupped her hands, and reported, "Your Highness, the County Marquis has passed away."

Shen Nanzi looked up, somewhat surprised as expected, "Finally dead."

Lin Ruyi finally got what she wanted; it was as if she had been waiting for this.

Considering that she tried to kill her at the Pingyang Marquis's residence, and that no evidence has yet been found to bring her to justice.

Shen Nanzi felt uneasy.

He lowered his eyes, pondered for a while, and sighed: "After all, he was a marquis who had made great contributions to Yunhan and had achieved numerous military exploits. I must go and pay my respects tomorrow."

"Your Highness, are you going with Prince Jing? I'll prepare the carriage for the journey," Qinghe asked.

"I definitely have to go with him to such a public occasion."

Thinking of his appearance just now, Shen Nanzi stroked her chin.

She was constantly being targeted and wanted dead, which made it impossible for her to eat or sleep properly!