Chapter 592: Nanjing Cuisine (1)
As Chu Lian was speaking with Senior Servant Lan, they arrived at the circular arched door that lead to the inner court.
Senior Servant Lan called for a sedan. She helped Chu Lian in before two strong senior servants carried it into the inner court.
Princess Wei had already been notified and was waiting for her arrival.
Chu Lian wasn’t taken to Princess Wei’s courtyard. Instead, she was brought over to a pondside pavilion.
Princess Wei was currently drawing inside.
The warm sunshine shone on the surface of the pond water. A gentle breeze blew, causing the surface to glimmer as if a thousand silver snakes were dancing along the water ripples.
Half of the octagonal pavilion was covered by curtains, leaving only a single entrance. This was to keep the sunlight out while also maintaining air circulation. The scenery of the lotus pond was still visible from within as well. While the lotus pond was mostly covered in withered old plants, there were a few fresh green buds emerging beyond the surface of the water. The small lotus leaves stood suspended above, perfectly straight.
The sight of the calm, vibrant spring scenery lifted Chu Lian’s mood slightly.
She couldn’t help but walk faster towards the octagonal pavilion. Princess Wei seemed to have seen her coming, as she had already set down her paintbrush. She was in the middle of sipping some tea while seated at a stone table.
When Chu Lian was brought into the pavilion by Senior Servant Lan, Princess Wei smiled and said, “Jinyi, come and sit beside me.”
The corner of Chu Lian’s lips curved up, exposing the two faint dimples on her cheeks.
She always felt very relaxed whenever she was beside Princess Wei.
She bobbed in greeting towards Princess Wei before taking a seat beside her.
Princess Wei held Chu Lian’s hand in hers as they chatted. Chu Lian immediately noticed the incomplete painting on the easel beside them.
“Your drawing is amazing, Princess!”
When Princess Wei was younger, she had been famed for her talents within the capital. She was proficient in the four womanly arts: the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Although she didn’t paint as much now, her skills hadn’t deteriorated at all.
“It’s not that good. I didn’t have anything to do today, so I was just painting to pass the time,” Princess Wei said with a smile.
“It’s much better than my paintings,” Chu Lian genuinely complimented.
She only knew how to sketch with chalks and pencils, due to her profession as a designer back in modern times. However, she didn’t know anything about traditional Chinese paintings.
“Good child, you have such a sweet mouth. Duanjia has showed me your jewellery designs before. They were so real, it looked as if the jewellery had been sewn onto the paper.”
Chu Lian blushed. She had specially added color to her sketches so that the craftsmen could imagine the details more clearly…
“Why did you suddenly think of me today? It’s rare for you to take the initiative to come visit me,” Princess Wei said, giving her a glare.
The smile on Chu Lian’s face faded. “Princess Wei, I came to seek your help this time.”
“Oh?” Princess Wei lifted a brow and looked at Chu Lian, who was sitting beside her. The young lady was staring at her with big, clear eyes. She looked exactly like an innocent, naive little fawn. Princess Wei couldn’t resist pinching Chu Lian’s smooth and rosy cheeks.
“I knew it. You wouldn’t come visit me unless you needed my help.”
Chu Lian was embarrassed by her remark, but she told Princess Wei the whole story anyway.
On the other side of the lotus pond, two middle-aged men were strolling leisurely near some decorative mountains.
One of them was wearing a purple robe embroidered with the legendary animal, qilin. He possessed an elegant aura and tall stature. At this time, with a faint smile on his face, he was pointing out the scenery within the estate’s inner court to another middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue robe.
The man in the dark blue robe had a deep, piercingly cold gaze. His hands were clasped behind his back as he walked along the cobblestone path. From time to time, one could hear his jubilant laughter. “Ninth Brother, I haven’t visited your estate in a long time.”
Prince Wei, the man in purple, cheerfully laughed along. “Elder Brother is busy with the country’s affairs every day, unlike me. I’m just leisurely passing my days. I’ve renovated this garden twice already.”
The emperor and Prince Wei were full-blooded brothers. The emperor had doted on Prince Wei since their youth. Later on, when all the princes had been fighting for the throne, Prince Wei had supported his elder brother. Thus, the relationship between the two brothers became even closer.
Prince Wei was undoubtedly the one the emperor trusted the most within the entire imperial court.
The emperor was dressed in ordinary clothing. If one didn’t notice his imposing aura, he would seem just like an idle rich man at first glance.
The emperor rarely had the time to come out of the palace, so he didn’t want to think about annoying political affairs on his time off. He gazed upon the huge lotus pond, and then even farther into the distance.
He chuckled and said, “Younger Sister-in-Law seems to be in a good mood, drawing in the pavilion at this time. Is the young lady beside her Duanjia? That silly girl hasn’t visited the palace in a long time. Her imperial grandmother has mentioned several times that she misses her.”
Prince Wei looked towards the octagonal pavilion from afar and just happened to see the joyful smile on his wife’s face. Chu Lian’s back was facing them right now. From this angle, if Prince Wei hadn’t known that Duanjia wasn’t in the estate, then he might also have mistaken her for his daughter.
“Elder Brother, you’re mistaken this time. That’s not Duanjia. That silly girl, Duanjia, is likely still playing at Lanxiang Mountain and delaying her return.”
The emperor was somewhat shocked. “Oh? Then, who is she? When did you add another young lady to your estate? Is she a potential bride for Ah-Tai?”
Prince Wei didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. “Elder Brother, please don’t make random assumptions. That child is already married. She’s Marquis Anyuan’s wife, the Chu Family’s Sixth Miss.”
The memory of a pair of familiar eyes instantly flashed through the emperor’s mind. His brows creased slightly. “Jinyi?”
The smile on Prince Wei’s face faded. He nodded and said, “Yes, it’s Jinyi. Elder Brother, you know about the pain in my wife’s heart. Moreover, Jinyi saved Duanjia before, so she’s especially fond of that child.”
“There’s no harm in it, as long as it can comfort Sister-in-Law’s heart. Jinyi is not a child who lacks a sense of propriety.”
After hearing his imperial elder brother’s words, Prince Wei’s expression became better. He was actually somewhat worried that his imperial elder brother would blame them for this incident.
Prince Wei chuckled. “It’s quite a coincidence. That child is really Duanjia’s lucky star. She and Duanjia even resemble each other somewhat. Their heights are about the same too, so it’s no wonder that my wife has those thoughts.”
While Prince Wei was speaking, he didn’t notice that the emperor had already fallen into a trance. His gaze went beyond the surface of the lotus pond and fell upon that slender back. He seemed to be seeing someone else through that figure.
