Chapter Eighty-Seven: Sketching

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  A person who has lived through an era will inevitably bear the mark of that era, and it is difficult to completely erase such a mark from oneself. You will unconsciously carry the scars of that era with you.

  Qing Jin carefully considered and reconsidered before solemnly saying to the Empress Dowager, "Your humble servant's daughter is not talented, but she humbly requests to paint a picture for Your Majesty."

  "Your meaning is to paint a portrait for me?" The Empress Dowager asked with interest upon hearing Qingjin's words.

  Qing Jin nodded solemnly at Empress Dowager.

  "Grandma, can the second sister paint? Why has Yao'er never seen the second sister paint before? Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday, won't it be inappropriate for the second sister to do this?" Qingyao immediately spoke up with concern in her eyes, addressing her grandmother Shen Shi beside her.

  Upon hearing Qingyao's worried words, Shen's face, which had been smiling, suddenly fell. She too had never seen her granddaughter paint before and hoped that she wouldn't...

  "Qingyao's niece, since your second sister brought up painting for the empress dowager, she must have the skills to create a good painting. Although Jiner can be a bit willful at times, she is still very sensible at critical moments." Junshi spoke calmly from the side after hearing Qingyao and Shen Shi's conversation.

  Shen's uncertainty and worry dissipated, the eldest sister-in-law was right. Although she had never seen her granddaughter paint before, this granddaughter had grown up on her own since childhood, except for that one time at Yang Fu's place, this granddaughter had always been very determined, thinking about it, in such a situation, this granddaughter wouldn't be reckless, saying something like that shouldn't be nonsense. Thinking so, she looked at Qingjin with full confidence.

  Seeing that Shen was clearly agreeing with Eldest Maternal Aunt, Qingyao immediately looked at Jun with a wronged expression: "Eldest Maternal Aunt, ...Yao'er just...just worried about Second Sister..."

  "Of course, Auntie knows that Qingyao is worried about you, Qingyu. As sisters of the same clan, your fortunes rise and fall together. It's only natural for Qingyao to be concerned about your second sister. However, you must also have faith in your second sister. And after Yu'er finishes performing, it will be Qingyao's turn, so she should get ready!"

  "Eldest sister-in-law, Yao'er is just worried about her second sister..." Su Shi couldn't help but speak up when she saw Jun Shi's attitude towards her daughter.

  Jun looked at Su with a puzzled expression: "What did San said, I knew that Qingyao's niece was worried, so she wanted Qingyao's niece to prepare well!"

  After finishing speaking, he didn't look at Qingyao and Su Shi again, turned his head around, and looked confidently in the direction of Qingjin.

  Su was blocked by Jun's words, which were neither light nor indifferent. Her eyes, filled with inquiry, looked at Jun, seeing her matter-of-fact expression, and couldn't help but suspect that Jun's previous words were just superficial, and she had overthought it. Thinking this, she withdrew her gaze.

  She had someone bring her the things she wanted, and since she didn't understand ancient paintings, but could do sketches, she had someone bring charcoal and began to sketch on paper, a rough image of the empress emerging.

  After finishing the painting, Qing Jin rinsed her hands in the clear water beside her and handed the painting to the eunuch standing next to her.

  The eunuch respectfully took the portrait from Qingjin's hand, lowered his eyebrows and scanned the portrait painted by Qingjin, saw the vivid Empress Dowager on the paper, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and his hand trembled slightly.

  As the eunuch walked towards the empress with the portrait painted by Qingjin, people who had just seen Qingjin asking for strange things immediately stood up and stretched their necks to see the portrait in the eunuch's hand. When they saw the portrait of the empress painted by Qingjin in the eunuch's hand, they couldn't help but widen their eyes in astonishment.

  The empress dowager originally didn't think much of the portrait, but seeing everyone's reaction, she couldn't help but give a slight nod to the eunuch. The eunuch immediately understood and hastened his pace to hand the portrait over to the empress dowager.

  The empress dowager took the painting and looked at it, a faintly discernible look of surprise flashing in her eyes. Then she handed the painting to the imperial nurse standing beside her, gazing at Qingjin who was lowering her head: "It's not bad, quite some skill."

  "It's just a small trick, I'm afraid it's not worth Your Majesty's praise." Qing Jin said hastily, trying to be modest after hearing the empress's words of admiration.

  Seeing Qingjin's attitude, the Empress Dowager's eyes were filled with even more praise, and she shifted her gaze from Qingjin to Shen Shi, Qingjin's grandmother, who was sitting in the seat of the Anji Hou Mansion. She spoke to Shen Shi: "The Anji Hou Mansion has taught its daughter well, praiseworthy——"

  Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Qingjin's grandmother, Shen Shi, stood up excitedly from her seat and bowed to the Empress Dowager: "This old servant thanks Your Majesty on behalf of the Anji Marquis Manor for your gracious gift."

  The empress dowager nodded her head in satisfaction at Shen's words.

  Qing Jin retreated from the middle of the venue back to her seat in the Anji Marquis's mansion. Qing Yao looked at Qing Jin with a hurt expression and said, "Second sister, when did you learn to paint? Why didn't I know that?"

  "It's just a casual doodle in my free time, I'm not proficient in painting at all. Now it's the turn of the fourth sister to go and offer birthday gifts to the empress dowager!" Qing Jin said lightly, successfully stopping Qing Yao from asking further questions.

  Upon hearing Qing Jin mention that it was her turn to present the birthday gift, a fleeting look of panic flashed across Qing Yao's eyes as she thought about the gift she had prepared...

  "I'll talk to Second Sister later." After finishing speaking, she stood up from her seat and walked to the middle of the hall, following the rules, handing over the prepared birthday gift in her hand to the eunuch beside her to present to the Empress Dowager.

  The Empress Dowager took over the Buddhist scriptures handed over by the eunuch, opened the Buddhist scriptures and looked at them, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Both hands turn plum blossom seals?"

  Everyone heard the empress's astonished voice and was in an uproar, instantly focusing their attention on Qingyao.

  Qing Yao felt the surrounding gaze gathering around her, calm and composed, with a dignified demeanor, standing there unflinchingly for all to see.

  The empress dowager lifted her head from the Buddhist scriptures: "Is this what you copied?"

  "I reported back to the Empress Dowager, my daughter heard that Your Majesty believes in Buddhism, so she copied this Buddhist scripture as a birthday gift for Your Majesty, hoping that you will like it." Qingyao looked at the Empress Dowager sincerely and replied clearly.

  "You're thoughtful, I like that." The empress looked at Gu Qingyao's elegant and poised demeanor, recalling her previous conversation with the emperor, and nodded in satisfaction.

  "It's good as long as the Empress Dowager likes it, I was worried that my gift wouldn't compare to those of the other sisters... Hearing the Empress Dowager say this, I am truly... May I still present the copied Buddhist scriptures to the Empress Dowager in the future?" Qingyao looked up at the Empress Dowager with hope.

  "Good! Good! Good! The Duke of Anji's household is indeed a place that teaches people, one and all are so pleasing to the eye, yet so filial..."

  "My daughter thanks Your Majesty's kindness!" Qing Yao heard the Empress Dowager's words and immediately bowed to thank her.

  "Not bad, not bad, what talent will you present for our family?"

  "In response to Her Majesty's words, my daughter has recently learned a special birthday song. My daughter will play this song for Your Majesty!"

  Upon hearing Qing Yao's words, the Empress Dowager nodded her head with joy.

  Qing Yao made a bow to the Empress Dowager and walked to the side of the guqin seat, her slender fingers lightly plucking the strings, producing a clear and melodious sound that filled the grand hall. With Qing Yao's exceptional skill, everyone in attendance was enchanted, including the Empress Dowager, whose benevolent gaze shone with utmost satisfaction as she watched Qing Yao play until the last note faded away.

  Qing Yao walked out from the piano seat, slightly bowed to the people present, wearing a white dress, noble and elegant, warm and gentle.

  The empress dowager looked at Qingyao with satisfaction, beckoning her to come over. Qingyao saw the empress dowager's gesture and hurriedly walked in front of her with elegant steps, paying respects: "Empress Dowager..."

  "Come on, come closer, let me take a good look at you."

  After hearing the empress dowager, Qingyao calmly walked to a position within the empress dowager's reach. The empress dowager stretched out her hand and patted Qingyao's hand, carefully sizing her up from head to toe. "Still a beauty!"

  Qing Yao, who had always been elegant and composed, finally couldn't help but blush slightly when she heard the empress dowager's praise, and opened her mouth with a hint of shyness: "Empress Dowager——"

  "Alright, from now on, you'll stay by the side of the Dowager Empress at banquets!" As soon as she finished speaking, those around her couldn't help but cast envious and jealous glances at Qingyao.

  Everyone was praising Qingyao, saying that she had a noble and dignified air about her, and just by looking at her, you could tell that she was a lucky person.

  Hearing the crowd's unceasing praise, Qingyao smiled shyly beside the empress dowager, but her body exuded an increasingly otherworldly and refined demeanor.

  By now, Qing Jin's painting had been completely overshadowed by Qing Yao's brilliance, and the banquet was also entering its climax.

  There were constantly people surrounding the Empress Dowager and Qingyao, saying all sorts of good things. The seats at the Anji Marquis's residence also became lively immediately because Qingyao had gained the Empress Dowager's favor. Everyone came over to offer congratulations and flattering words to Shen Shi, Qingyu's grandmother. Shen Shi's eyes shone with satisfaction, while Third Aunt Su Shi was even more proud, enthusiastically chatting with the noblewomen who came and went.

  Next, everyone followed the empress dowager and changed locations several times, watching as the time for this day flew by.

  Finally, it was the evening banquet, which was held in the grand hall. The scene of the banquet was filled with people coming and going, chatting and toasting each other. Seeing the Empress Dowager's appreciation for Qingyao, everyone turned to her and spoke words of praise.

  Qing Jin looked at Qing Yao, who was standing beside the Empress Dowager with an unruffled expression, and her eyes were filled with admiration. She could follow the Empress Dowager for a whole day without getting tired, still full of energy and smiling graciously. Just this endurance and ability alone made Qing Jin feel inferior to her!

  Taking advantage of Mother Jun's vacant time, Qingjin whispered a few words to Mother Jun beside her and then quietly left the grand hall.

  Qing Jin had just walked out of the main hall when she heard a soft voice behind her: "Miss..."