Leng Changxi thought the reason why Qin Yunuan agreed to dance was that she learned this before. But he was stunned when she started to rise and dance gracefully.
Following the music, she waved the long sleeves made of white silk, making them into soft snakes some time and wintersweet blossoms the other time. Her light dance steps enchanted people, and they couldn’t move their eyes away.
All guests were immersed in it and didn’t realize this until the music stopped.
“This piece of Serenade Of Peaceful Joy sounds not good. Let me play another song.” Sun Baozhen suddenly stopped playing, and there was sweat on her forehead.
“If so, please pardon me not to dance the second time.” Qin Yunuan rolled up sleeves and said calmly. “I said before that I only dance once.” Although noticing that Sun Baozhen looked angry, Qin Yunuan didn’t care and left the banquet after curtsying to Old Madam and Madam Sun to get changed.
Qin Yunuan learned the wintersweet dance which stunned all guests just by accident. In the previous life, Sima Ray loved this dance most. So, after getting married, to please him, Qin Yunzhuang invited good dance teachers, including Xiao Fengxian, the best dancer in Qi, to teach her this wintersweet dance.
Qin Yunuan remembered everything she saw. She had seen this dance once when she sent embroideries there. Then she remembered all and key dance steps. When getting tired from embroidery, she just danced for a while and saw it as a kind of workout which warmed herself up. She never deemed it as a talent, so she didn’t tell anyone about this.
When Qin Yunuan came back, guests were still praising her for this.
“Infanta Ping, I know you are pretty and kind, but I didn’t know you were also good at dancing. I have never seen such a beautiful dance before.”
“Me neither. This is also my first time to see such a novel dance.”
Qin Yunuan smiled and said humbly, “It’s merely a kind of normal dances. In comparison, Miss Sun’s zither skills are way more unique.”
Then it was time for them to send birthday gifts to Prince Ning in turn.
“Father, we have prepared a couple of Ruyi for you. We wish everything will go as you like and, you can enjoy double joy every time.” Leng Chang’an and Ruan Ruyi said together. The shiny and transparent jade in the brocade box was of good quality, and they two must have spent much on getting this present.
“Nice. It really represents a good omen.” Prince Ning smiled so happily that he almost closed his eyes. Presents were not what he valued most, but the thought behind.
Compared with Leng Chang’an’s gift, what Leng Changxuan and Qin Yuwan sent seemed less valuable.
It was a pair of writing brushes made of weasel’s hair. They were also hard to get but indeed less valuable than the jade. Seeing her grandchildren presenting their gifts one by one, Old Madam suddenly thought of Leng Suxin who was not here. Although she deserved what she got, she, after all, accompanied Old Madam for years. The latter couldn’t help feeling lonely.
“Grand Young Master really sent an expensive gift.” Maner said while she poured the fruit wine for Qin Yunuan. “I heard that the jade was sent from the southwest. The freight plus the money used to buy it are equal to the whole mansion’s expenditure in a year.”
Qin Yunuan took a glance at Concubine Tang who sat in the opposite and saw her happy look. “Concubine Tang may find a new backer. Otherwise, how could they earn so much money in such a short time, given their low monthly allowance and low shop earnings?”
“Should I investigate this?”
“No need.” Qin Yunuan glanced at Sun Baozhen who looked back then. They two just smiled at each other. “Isn’t it very clear who is her new backer?”
When she finished, Concubine Tang smiled and asked, “Third Young Madam, what do you prepare? You have a prestigious family and earn the infanta title from Queen Mother. I guess you must have the most valuable and rare present, right?”
Concubine Tang knew well that the more praise one got, the more irony he would receive once he made a mistake.
Putting on a light smile, Qin Yunuan exchanged glances with Leng Changxi and said, “The folklore goes that, if family members embroider a crane painting for the elder as a birthday gift, the elder will be blessed and enjoy a long life. So I prepare an embroidery for father. But I’m not good at this, so narrowly finished it last night. I’ve asked people to frame this painting, and it will be sent here soon.”
Leng Changxi also smiled and echoed, “To embroider this painting, Nuan hasn’t had a good sleep for half a month. Father, she really pours much energy into this, regardless of the painting quality.” He was reminding Prince Ning not to say anything bad if the embroidery was not pleasant or he disliked it.
Prince Ning laughed brightly and said, “It’s already rare that Yunuan takes time to prepare this. Moreover, everyone knows she is good at embroidery skills. I just can’t wait to see it.”
Qin Yunuan raised her hands, and then Xi’er and Ting Xue each holding one side of the painting walked towards Prince Ning and unfolded the painting before him. Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan both stood up and knelt on one knee to express their blessing to Prince Ning in front of the painting.
The crane in the painting looked alive and so pretty. Prince Ning nodded with satisfaction. Right at this time, someone said among guests, “Why do the crane look fierce?”
Qin Yunuan was in a trance and then heard more people talking about this.
This simple sentence stirred up a heated discussion among guests.
“Indeed. Look at its eyes. They are sharp and fiery. Take a glance, and you may think that is a vulture, not a crane.”
“Ah, it’s really not appropriate to send people a birthday gift which signifies a bad omen. Does Infanta Ping make a mistake in embroidery? Or does she intend to do this to curse Prince Ning?”
Concubine Tang took this opportunity to scold Qin Yunuan. “Oh, Chang’an, Ruyi. You two, take a look. I also think the crane is a bit too fierce. It is like a raptor, not a bird of luck.”
Leng Chang’an pulled her by her sleeve and said a low voice, “Mother, don’t get in.”
“What happens?” Prince Ning frowned. Nanny Cui near him immediately went downstairs and looked up at Qin Yunuan. She said in a low voice, “Third Young Madam, pardon me.” Then she put her hands on the painting and reported, “Your Highness, this painting is fine.”
“If it is not the problem about the embroidery, it must be the thread.” Second Madam in East house sneered, “Third Young Madam, how scheming you are. You should send such a painting to Prince Ning. If he really hangs it in the hall, he will bear the curse from day to night?”
After finishing this, she covered her mouth and wore a silly smile, “Alas, how do I say it out?”
“If you don’t know, just shut up.” Leng Changxi said in a cold voice. “Today is my father’s birthday. How can you say that?”
“How dare you scold me?” Second Madam got angry at once and said, “You should respect your seniors. How can you scold me?”
Leng Changxi glanced at her, “If you were not my senior, I would directly ask people to kick you out.”
Second Madam became speechless. Old Madam just looked up at Qin Yunuan and said, “Yunuan, give us an explanation.”
Qin Yunuan didn’t say anything to disprove the crane looked like a raptor. She just turned around and ordered Maner, “Get me some water.”
Everyone was confused. Then, Maner held a bowl of water and poured it to the painting as Qin Yunuan hinted.
“What are you doing!” Second Madam, who was closest to the painting, saw her sleeves wet. She was not very near the painting. Glaring at Maner, she knew Maner was deliberate to make her wet.
Instantly, everyone was drawn by the changes on the painting. The crane which sat on the pine branch with one leg suddenly spread its wings and then flew to the air. It looked alive, and when everyone thought the crane would fly out of the painting, it stopped in the blue sky, with wings spread. It looked peaceful.
“What’s that?”
“Gosh, it’s amazing.”
“It’s not. That’s just a small trick.” Concubine Tang disdained.
“This is Phantom Magic.” Madam Sun who said nothing in the banquet before suddenly spoke, “There is a kind of phantom powder which can be added to pigments. Use such pigments to draw different postures of birds or animals layer by layer on the same painting and sunbathe it. Then those layers will fade, and only the last one is left. Later, pour water to the painting, and those different layers of painting will appear one by one to make it a motion graph.”
Qin Yunuan smiled gently. “Madam Sun, you’re really knowledgeable.”
From the expression in her eyes, it could be said that Madam Sun appreciated Qin Yunuan. She said, “I’m not as good as you. I merely saw people used the phantom powder in paintings, and this is my first time seeing a phantom-powder-made embroidery. You must have poured so many efforts into it. Those who thought the crane looked fierce really know nothing. How pathetic.” Madam Sun sounded sharp, but she felt free to directly say this out because she was in charge of the whole Sun Family and was granted with a title of the first rank.
Prince Ning also nodded and praised, “This gift is the best. Yunuan, you must have made so many efforts to finish this complicated crane embroidery.”
Qin Yunuan became humbler. “Father, as long as you like it, it’s fine for us no matter how hard this embroidery is.”
Then, all guests were talking happily again. But a servant girl of Sun Baozhen walked away in secret and got out of the yard to a quiet alley near the mansion. A short beggar in rags was waiting here. Seeing the servant girl, he wore an ingratiating smile and welcomed her, “How’s everything going?”
That girl slapped him fiercely and scolded in a cold voice, “Everything went in a completely different direction. Go tell that bitch. If she wants money and glory, show her sincerity before working with us.”
