Chapter 169 The Fairy in the Painting

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Princess Pingle’s red skirt spread out like clouds.

The Queen Mother leaned on the soft brocade cushion, narrowed her eyes slightly, glanced at the densely packed scriptures on the embroidered scroll, and nodded gently.

“It’s hard for you to be so filial.”

Empress Dowager Chengqing has always disliked Pingle’s arrogance, but it was obvious that this birthday gift was thoughtfully put into it, and it was hard to find any fault with it.

Empress Xie glanced at it and smiled, “The stitches are as fine as hair, the lines are smooth and natural, and there is not a single flaw to be found… Pingle’s embroidery skills have really improved a lot.”

Pingle’s lips curled up slightly.

She could certainly hear the hidden meaning in the Queen’s words.

“Mother, you are so kind. Pingle has been preparing for the Royal Grandmother’s 70th anniversary. Every stitch and thread is filled with Pingle’s respect for the Grandmother… I only hope that the Medicine King Sutra will protect the Grandmother, and she will be healthy and live a long life…”

She spoke very clearly.

The Queen Mother was delighted and glanced at the Queen with displeasure.

“Your filial piety is commendable! I will hang it in my bedroom and worship it every day, praying for the safety and succession of my descendants, so as not to let Pingle down.”

“Thank you, Grandmother, for your kindness.”

Pingle kowtowed again respectfully, and signaled eight maids in plain palace clothes to carry the embroidered scroll of the Medicine King Sutra to the back hall and place it properly…

Then she moved lightly and gracefully, taking her seat, her eyes vaguely sweeping over Wen Jia.

Wen Jia sat upright with her eyes lowered, twisting the handkerchief tightly with her fingers – every stitch and thread on the embroidery scroll carried the hard work of her, her mother, and Dong Xu, and Ping Le could lie with his eyes open.

Xue Sui sat next to Xue Yuechen, taking in the whole scene, as if he was watching a crude farce, with a smile on his face that he could hardly conceal.

Xue Yuechen came closer and whispered in her ear.

“Wen Jia spent three months embroidering the Medicine King Sutra, but it became her birthday gift to win the Queen Mother’s favor. Ping Le’s behavior is really unscrupulous…”

She knew about this matter and sounded very angry.

But she would not expose Pingle in public. After all, the princess who had been under house arrest twice and committed such a heinous crime but was still standing here safely was a treasured person by the emperor, and no one would easily cause trouble for her.

“Grandmother, Wen Jia has also prepared a birthday gift.”

Wen Jia’s voice broke the bustle in the hall.

Everyone looked at Wen Jia.

This princess is the least conspicuous one among the royal family members and rarely gets to show her talents.

It was only because she beat the drum in the street that day and the recent rumors in the capital that she seduced Prince Consort Lu and caused Pingle’s divorce that attracted attention.

“You have a heart, so show it to me.”

Empress Dowager Chengqing nodded slightly, smiling and speaking politely, but everyone could see that she didn’t care too much about the gift for her granddaughter.

Wen Jiaying stood up.

She wore a lilac-colored skirt today, with only a simple bodhi hairpin in her hair, which made her look more elegant than usual.

She walked slowly into the hall, and with the help of two maids, she carefully unfolded the painting of “Fairy Offering Birthday Celebration”…

The whole hall was in an uproar.

The immortal in the painting had kind eyes and a cinnabar mole on his forehead. The charm between his eyebrows and eyes was 70% similar to that of the empress dowager…

Wen Jia said softly, “This painting is called Fairy Offering Longevity. It is the original work of the former painter Ye Fuzhou. It has been worshipped in Penglai Pavilion for three hundred years. My granddaughter obtained it after much effort. I wish that grandma will be like the fairy in the painting and live as long as heaven and earth.”

The Queen Mother leaned forward slightly, and a bright light flashed in her cloudy eyes.

“Is it really the work of a painting saint?”

Wen Jia bowed respectfully, “My granddaughter dare not lie to my grandmother.”

Empress Dowager Chengqing glanced at the eyes of everyone in the hall and pointed at the painting and said:
“Look, look… Does the immortal in this painting look a bit like me?”

Empress Xie readily followed suit and smiled softly, “More than a resemblance, this immortal is clearly the Empress Dowager’s true form…”

Empress Dowager Chengqing was overjoyed. “I remember that Ye Sheng was best at painting clouds and mist. The ink rhyme of the Penglai Fairy Mountain is exactly the same as Ye Sheng’s brushwork…”

Queen Xie nodded in agreement, and then several other ladies spoke up and said some auspicious words.

“The painting saint has been gone for more than 200 years, but he was able to sketch the true appearance of the Empress Dowager. It can be seen that there is a divine will in the dark…”

“This is truly a sign of good fortune from heaven.”

“The Queen Mother is compassionate and her virtue matches heaven and earth, so she could obtain this divine painting…”

Empress Dowager Chengqing smiled happily upon hearing this.

“Like, really like… someone come here!”

She raised her hand, signaling the maid in the palace to arrange Wen Jia’s seat below her, and said affectionately: “Good child, come and sit down and talk to grandma about the origin of this painting. Is there anything wonderful about it…”

The Medicine King Sutra that Pingle presented just now was enough to consume his energy and fully demonstrate his filial piety, but he did not receive such a reward…

Obviously, Empress Dowager Chengqing liked Wen Jia’s gift more.

Immortal fate and longevity are the blessings that an elderly empress dowager desires most.

No gold, silver, jewelry, silk or satin can compare to it.

Empress Xie stood up gracefully, raised her cup, held up her wide sleeves and said with a smile: “I am also offering a toast to the Queen Mother – I wish that the prosperity of Daliang will be like the fairy mountains in the painting, and last forever.”

All the ladies stood up and raised their glasses.

Amidst the peaceful sounds, only Pingle’s unhappy sneer could be heard.

“Isn’t it possible that the imperial sister has been deceived?” She glanced at everyone arrogantly, looking down at the painting with a haughty attitude, and questioned it mercilessly.

“Although I don’t know how to appreciate paintings, I know that Ye Sheng must use the private seal of ‘Fuzhou Sanren’ when he paints—”

She suddenly opened the scroll and flicked it hard. “The color of this ink looks like it was just applied. If you want to fool people, you should find a smarter way…”

She raised her eyes slightly again, her eyes full of contempt, “Sister Wenjia, you are so bold that you dare to copy a fake painting to deceive grandmother. What are you thinking?”

Her sarcastic voice did not frighten Wen Jia, but it made Empress Dowager Chengqing’s face darken instantly.

The auspicious sign of longevity that had just been obtained was broken…

How is this different from cursing her a short life?

There were whispers at the table, and several ladies from the royal family exchanged meaningful glances.

Pingle raised his chin slightly and pointed at Wenjia.

“Grandma, Wen Jia used such a lowly thing to win your favor, passing it off as real, disregarding your happiness and longevity. This is truly a heinous crime…”

Faced with her aggressiveness, Wen Jia subconsciously shrank back.

That was the fear she had developed from being bullied by Pingle for a long time. But for only a moment, she straightened her back and looked at Pingle, and under Xue Sui’s encouraging gaze, she slowly knelt down towards Empress Dowager Chengqing.

“My granddaughter dares to guarantee with her life that this painting is authentic. Princess Pingle has made trouble for no reason and lied to me. I hope that my grandmother will give me justice…”

Her words were strong and powerful.

Empress Dowager Chengqing’s complexion looked much better.

“I naturally believe in Wen Jia. Pingle, don’t talk nonsense…”

“Whether it is true or false, how can we let my imperial sister make an unfounded judgment?” Ping Le stroked the golden hairpin on her temples with a cold smile, “Today is my grandmother’s birthday. There are many experts in painting in the palace. Why not invite them to appreciate it together? It will also add color to the birthday banquet…” Having said this, Empress Dowager Chengqing had to agree no matter how reluctant she was.

She pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.

“Someone, go and ask Elder Lu and Master Lu to come over.”

The Old Lu that Empress Dowager Chengqing mentioned is the old Prime Minister Lu Jing who had retired long ago. He was Lu Youan’s grandfather and a loyal minister during the reign of the previous emperor. He was highly respected and trustworthy.

As for Taifu Lu Kefu, he was even more knowledgeable and a famous connoisseur of calligraphy and painting.

In short, these two are both great scholars of our time and experts in painting appreciation.

No one in the court dared to dissatisfy.

In just a few minutes, two white-haired old men had hurried over, stood in the hall with their heads bowed, and greeted Empress Dowager Chengqing.

Empress Dowager Chengqing said kindly, “Please stand up, my dear friends.” She then signaled the palace maid, “Show us the painting so that we can take a look at it.”

She did not tell the origin of the painting, and everyone remained silent tacitly.

The two old men bowed and walked towards the ancient painting.

Lu Jing has been in charge of the Secretariat for more than ten years. Although he has retired, his eagle eyes are still as sharp as a blade. He stroked the texture of the paper and examined it carefully under the bright candlelight. He examined the brushwork, seals, and ink color one by one, and suddenly sighed.

“I didn’t expect that Ye Sheng, who was obsessed with ink-splashing landscapes all his life and almost never painted figures, could come up with such a brilliant stroke…”

After a while, Lu Jing bowed deeply.

“Reporting to the Queen Mother, this painting is undoubtedly the authentic work of Ye Fuzhou.”

Pingle’s face turned pale and he staggered back half a step.

“Impossible, the ink has new colors…”

Lu Jing said: “I will never make a mistake.”

Luke Fu stared at the painting, nodded frequently, and said in amazement:

“The painting paper is a plum blossom version from the Baohuitang of the previous dynasty. The ink has penetrated into the texture for at least 200 years. The cinnabar on the fairy’s forehead is made from ground pigeon blood stone from the Western Regions. The unique technique of overlapping colors has been lost for a long time and cannot be imitated by others. As for this private seal…”

He and Lu Jing looked at each other, then raised his eyes and looked deeply at Wen Jia.

“The year of the seal is indeed later than the painting, but the seal text is exactly the same as the record in the Ye family painting album. Twenty years ago, I also saw this seal in Suzhou. Although the seal button is damaged, it is not difficult to distinguish the real one from the fake. I guess that later generations must have found Mr. Ye’s real seal and re-stamped it, so it is not a fake.”

When Empress Dowager Chengqing heard the voice, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out.

“When I was young, I loved Ye Sheng’s calligraphy and paintings the most. I never thought that I would get such a treasure on my 70th birthday. It can be said that I have a wonderful fate with Ye Sheng after 200 years. Wen Jia, come closer——”

She took off the emerald green bracelet on her wrist and put it on Wen Jia’s wrist, with a soft light in her eyes.

“You are filial, and I will remember it.”

Wen Jia knelt down at the empress dowager’s feet and held the old woman’s hand in her palm. “My granddaughter heard that my grandmother had dreamt of traveling to Penglai when she was young… This painting has been in front of the Buddha for a hundred years. I think the Buddha appreciated the empress dowager’s piety and gave her this opportunity.”

“This painting must be a fake!”

Pingle suddenly spoke coldly, ignoring Empress Dowager Chengqing’s expression, and glared at Wen Jia.

“My sister is always short of money. Where did she get the money to buy such a precious painting? And where did she buy it from?”

Wen Jia spoke calmly and leisurely.

“It’s quite strange. This painting didn’t cost my granddaughter a penny. It was obtained by chance when I was staying at Puji Temple. At that time, a poor scholar saw my granddaughter praying devoutly under the Bodhi tree and came forward to give her the painting. My granddaughter saw that he was wearing shabby clothes. She wanted to give him some money, but he refused to take a penny. He left the painting and floated away…”

“My granddaughter thought it was a copy, but she didn’t abandon it because the immortal in the painting resembled her grandmother. Unexpectedly, she had a dream at night. The strange scholar said to her granddaughter, ‘I present this painting to you to wish you peace and prosperity.’ Then my granddaughter asked someone to appraise the painting and learned that it was Ye Sheng’s original work. She was very surprised. Wasn’t this for my grandmother’s 70th birthday?”

This tense scene, after she described it, became full of legendary color.

“Could that person be Ye Sheng, who was painting through dreams…”

“It is rumored that before Ye Sheng became famous, he failed in the exams many times and lived a life of poverty and hardship…”

“Could it be that Ye Sheng later became an immortal and knew that the Queen Mother’s birthday was approaching, so he appeared on purpose to give her the painting?”

“The immortal has come to the world with auspiciousness. It is amazing.”

Everyone was talking about it, and they spoke of it in a mysterious way.

Wen Jia smiled modestly.

“I guess the immortal used me to present this painting to my grandmother. It’s because my grandmother was blessed and moved the gods. It shouldn’t be attributed to Wen Jia…”

This praise is subtle and unobtrusive, but it is what Empress Dowager Chengqing likes to hear the most.

Just as Xue Sui said, as long as the story is told well, it can turn decay into magic…

People in the hall were talking about similar anecdotes of encountering immortals and receiving guidance.

Empress Dowager Chengqing was even more delighted.

“I will offer it with sincerity, and live up to the immortal’s blessing. Tomorrow I will send the painting to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for worship, so that Daliang will have good weather, peace and prosperity for the country and the people.”

Pingle watched helplessly as the empress dowager showed favoritism to Wen Jia. He felt as if a huge stone was stuck in his throat, and suddenly he made up his mind.

She plopped down on her knees in the hall.

“Grandmother, just because Wen Jia offered gifts, seduced the prince consort, and disrupted your granddaughter’s marriage, can we write it off?”

This matter spread for a few days, and Empress Dowager Chengqing also heard about it.

Ping Le originally wanted to use the “Medicine King Sutra” to slap Wen Jia in the face, and then use the Queen Mother’s hand to marry Wen Jia far away to the northern border to cut off her contact with Lu Youan.

Unexpectedly, things went against his wishes. Wen Jia actually found a way to get Ye Sheng’s authentic works, which made the Queen Mother very happy and favored her…

When her plan failed, she simply broke up with him in public.

Rumors were everywhere, and she was not the only one who was ashamed. They should all be ashamed. Lu Youan wanted to be with Wen Jia, but after today, it would no longer be possible. Even the Queen Mother and the Emperor would not help them because of the face of the royal family…

“Pingle, what are you talking about? Has your old illness recurred?” Empress Dowager Chengqing slightly suppressed her smile and gave her a warning look.

Pingle bit his lower lip and shook his head with a wronged look on his face.

“Grandma, my granddaughter has been concentrating on embroidery recently. She is a little tired, but her mind is not confused…”

She stroked her chest and coughed twice, then stroked her belly. “Not only did Wen Jia seduce my granddaughter’s husband, she also colluded with him to murder the baby in my granddaughter’s belly… Today, in front of all the ladies, I ask my grandmother to make the decision for my granddaughter.”

Her head hit the ground hard.

Lu Jing’s expression changed slightly, but he said nothing.

Wen Jia was pouring wine for the empress dowager. When she heard the sound, she gently placed the glass cup on the table. She hurriedly lifted up her skirt and knelt down beside Ping Le, her voice soft and aggrieved.

“Grandmother, my granddaughter and Mr. Lu are innocent and have never had any affair. My royal sister is slandering me and accusing me of being a kind person. She is trying to kill me…”

“Good Wen Jia!” Ping Le sneered, “Do you think that by ruining my marriage, you can live with Lu Youan forever? Dream on!”

“Royal sister, please don’t wrongly accuse me anymore…” Wen Jia’s face turned pale. Suddenly, he pulled out the Bodhi hairpin on his head with a determined look and pressed it against his throat.

“If no one is willing to believe in Wen Jia’s innocence, Wen Jia is willing to die to prove his integrity!”

“This is simply nonsense!” Empress Dowager Chengqing’s voice trembled, and her tone was helpless. “I just wanted to have a good birthday. Are you trying to embarrass me?”

Ping Le dug her palms with her fingers and looked straight at the Queen Mother. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, allowing everyone in the hall to see the tears that were about to fall in her eyes.

“If you don’t believe me, please ask the imperial physician to examine me in court…”

Two in one, muah~