Chapter 30

 

After using the medicine that Qingtou brought for several days, the swollen ankle finally healed and gradually returned to normal.

Although Song Bokang did not urge her, Xuyu herself did not want to be absent, and she also wanted to go back early.

If the accident had not happened a few days ago, they would have gone to Zhaowen Pavilion as originally planned.

It was the largest library in the palace, and in addition to the numerous volumes of classics, history, and anthology books from all over the world, it also specially housed various paintings from past dynasties collected by the imperial family. But as far as she knew, due to the suppression in the early years of Qiande, there should not be many paintings of Grandfather in the library now, so they soon moved to the Hanlin Academy.

The collection of books and paintings in the Academy was not as large as that in the Zhaowen Pavilion, but it still had a portion of them. So for this reason, she was able to come and go.

Besides looking up books, she had another purpose in going there that no one can know.

Hongwen Pavilion and Jixian Hall were both within the second palace wall, and this area was still only the area where officials were on duty.

The Hanlin Academy was located behind the third palace wall.

That was the real inner court, where the emperor held court and lived. The Purple Cloud Palace where the emperor now lived in seclusion, as well as the moon-rising waterside and misty flower forest in her dreams, were all there.

During the days when she recuperated from the injury, for some reason Qingtou had not shown up. Originally listening to his tone before he left on the first day of delivering medicine he would come again. However, the Amu who delivered the meals was still come.

After seeing her off in the evening, Xuyu told her not to come again tomorrow.

She was a Hu person and could not speak the language of the Central Plains, but she could still understand. She pointed at Xuyu’s feet and muttered something. Xuyu said that her injury had healed and she would return to the palace tomorrow.

The Hu woman nodded and bowed to leave. Xuyu hesitated and called her again.

“What time does Master Pei usually come back?”

After she asked, she picked up the brush she had been using to practice painting these days and quickly drew two simple scenes on the paper: the moon rising over the willow branches and the moon hanging in the middle of the sky.

The Hu woman tilted her head and looked at it. She smiled and pointed at the moon hanging in the sky and nodded continuously.

It’s too late, it’s not appropriate.

She had no choice but to give up and watch the woman go downstairs.

Nothing happened that night. Early the next morning, Xuyu dressed neatly and went into the palace and came to the painting department as before.

Song Bokang was very concerned about her foot injury. He was relieved to learn that it had healed. He took her and another apprentice, Wang Chunlei, to Hongwen Pavilion that day.

As Xuyu thought, there were only seven or eight original paintings of Grandfather in the library now, and it was said that they were collected later or donated by the public. The rest were all imitations of the original paintings or copies of the murals. Unfortunately, the old emperor forbade the long scroll of Celestial Beings and The Capital to be copied in order to make it unique. Therefore, after the fire, if they want to reproduce it now, they could only rely on the memories of those who saw the murals and the painters’ own imagination.

Under the supervision of the clerk on duty at the Hongwen Pavilion, Song Bokang and his two disciples washed their hands and burned incense, then carefully unfolded the invaluable scroll and analyzed this authentic work.

In fact, after a careful look at these “authentic works”, Xuyu felt that most of them were probably imitations, but she would not say that, and there was no need to.

She followed Song Bokang and was listening to him teaching her and Wang Chunlei the exquisiteness of her grandfather’s paintings. But then word came in from outside that Eunuch Cao had sent the palace eunuch to look for Ye Xuyu.

Xuyu’s first reaction was that what happened in the garden that day was exposed.

Could it be that she was seen?

Song Bokang was even more puzzled. Eunuch Cao was a harsh person, and he was afraid that his new disciple would be troubled, so he interrupted everything and also came out.

Sure enough, there was a man sent by Eunuch Cao, but when asked what was going on, he said he didn’t know and was just ordered to call the people.

Xuyu went back to Jixian Hall, as Eunuch Cao was in the painting department.

To her surprise, this person was uncharacteristically friendly today. He looked at her and asked, “Are you Ye Xuyu?

“I remember now. The last time meeting the Crown Prince, you were also there.”

Song Bokang asked on behalf of his disciples what happened, and said that he was just leading people to do some work in Zhaowen PavilionIt turns out Zhaowen Pavilion and Hongwen Pavilion is actually the same, it used to be Zhaowen but later it changed name into Hongwen.

“The start of the main hall’s painting is still some time away, and Ye Xuyu has other tasks for now. The matters here can be put on hold.”

Song Bokang was taken aback, and Xuyu was equally puzzled.

“May I ask, Eunuch, what is the reason for this?” Song Bokang asked again.

“Shizi of County Prince Xiping Mansion is seeking blessings for his deceased mother and has obtained a place of offering at Ci’en Temple. Your disciple here will go and create the painting.”

The practice of seeking blessings had existed since the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Initially, it involved making donations to monks and nuns to recite scriptures for deceased parents and family members. Over time, it became a widespread practice with more diverse methods. For instance, the Da’en Temple that Xuyu went to on the day she met Song Bokang was a temple built by Prince Ning Mansion to seek blessings for the deceased.

County Princess Consort Xiping had passed away for many years, but the shizi had never forgotten his mother’s grace. When he came to the capital this time, he heard that Ci’en Temple was the most famous temple in the world, where the relics of many eminent monks were enshrined, and that there was an offering room in the pagoda cave on the back mountain where blessings could be sought for the deceased. So he recognized one of the rooms to seek blessings for his mother.

Song Bokang stopped talking and just looked at Xuyu.

When Xuyu heard the words “Shizi of County Prince Xiping Mansion”, her heart skipped a beat.

“I am new to the painting department, and my painting skills are mediocre. How dare I paint for such an important matter as Shizi seeking blessing for his mother? I ask Eunuch Cao to choose someone else, who may be more appropriate.”

Eunuch Cao waved his hand and said, “No need to say more. This is the order of Supervisor Yuan. He told you to go, so just go!”

Not to mention the two famous painters of the time, Yao Xu and Fang Shanjin, in the painting department, Song Bokang, Yang Jiming and others were all painters who had served the court for many years, and they were all very familiar with this kind of painting. Eunuch Cao actually didn’t know why the County Prince Mansion didn’t use anyone else this time, but only wanted this newcomer who had just entered department.

But this was Yuan Zhi’s order, so how could he dare to ask more questions? He just had to do as he was told.

“Get ready and go quickly!”

It was obvious this shizi was a ruthless person who was not easy to talk to. Eunuch Cao was afraid that he would be blamed if things were delayed, so he urged the person on.

Xuyu had no choice but to agree.

After eunuch Cao Huan, Song Bokang asked her whether she had recommended herself to anyone before entering the palace.

There were often unknown painters who try every possible means to find ways to get their paintings in front of powerful people or well-known scholars in order to win their favor and support.

Xuyu did not want to arouse his excessive suspicion, so she admitted that she had indeed tried to find a way out before and had sent her paintings out for appreciation.

This makes sense. Maybe her painting caught the eye of the County Prince Mansion and they were quite impressed, so they specifically asked for the person this time.

Song Bokang had also heard a little about what kind of person the shizi of County Prince Xiping Mansion was. He repeatedly reminded Xuyu to be careful, to ask for the requirements first before start painting, and to obey the wishes and not offend the other party.

“If you need help, just tell me. Go early and come back early!”

Xuyu agreed, thanked him and left the palace.

She knew the approximate location of the Jinzouyuan residence of local official or vassal state’s envoys when they came to the capital to pay homage to the emperor or handle other matters, which was not far from the imperial palace. When she arrived, she found herself standing before an expansive and grand courtyard.

There were many similar residences in this area, all of which were Jinzouyuan for various regions set up in the capital. Along the way, she saw many people dressed as soldiers riding horses and rushing back and forth on the street.

Behind this black lacquered copper-nailed gate was the Jinzouyuan of County Prince Xiping Mansion.

She knocked on the gate, introduced herself, and asked to see shizi. The man looked her up and down, told her to wait, and slammed the gate.

Xuyu was waiting outside the gate, thinking about the chance encounter with Yuwen Zhi outside the city on the first day of her arrival, and also the accident a few days ago.

If he was deliberately looking for trouble, hiding was not a long-term solution.

As for why this shizi despise her, it was a long story, and it stemmed from an old incident a few years ago.

At that time, Grandfather took her traveling on Jiannan Road of Shu. They had just finished visiting Yizhou, where the provincial capital was located, and were preparing to head east. One day, when they were leaving the city, they met many women and children supporting each other and crying on the road. Grandfather asked and learned that the County Prince Mansion was building a pagoda in memory of the County Princess Consort who had passed away many years earlier. When the pagoda was almost completed, the structure unexpectedly tilted and the construction was forced to stop.

The youngest son of the mansion, Yuwen Zhi, who was deeply attached to his late mother, was furious and demanded that all the craftsmen to be executed. Grandfather rushed over, inspected the pagoda, and promised to straighten it. He then led the craftsmen to repair it, and indeed the pagoda was straightened. He even personally painted the walls of the pagoda, creating a masterpiece that was both majestic and resplendent. The supervisor from county prince mansion had nothing to say and let the craftsmen go.

The matter was resolved and the craftsmen expressed their gratitude profusely. When Grandfather was about to leave with Xuyu, they were seen by a close confidant of the county prince.

During the reign of the old emperor, County Prince Xiping also served as an official in Chang’an and met Ye Zhongli many times at palace banquets or various occasions. The confidant had also seen Ye Zhongli and felt that the person in front of him looked a bit like him, but he was not sure, so he reported his doubts to county prince.

At that time, Grandfather had already set out with Xuyu, but the county prince unexpectedly pursued them on horseback for hundreds of miles. When he finally caught up and recognized them, he was overjoyed. The county prince dismounted and earnestly pleaded with them to stay, explaining that a watchtower was being constructed nearby to defend against bandits and that he wanted her grandfather to inspect the work and ensure its completion.

Unable to refuse such a sincere request, Grandfather reluctantly agreed to return to county prince mansion with Xuyu. However, after the watchtower was completed, and despite the agreement that they would only stay as guests for a few days, the county prince refused to let them leave. He continually found excuses to delay their departure, while lavishing them with feasts, performances, and rare treasures, clearly intending to keep Grandfather with him for a long time.

At that time, Yuwen Qing, the shizi of County Prince Mansion, led his troops to Xifan to participate in the war. One of his concubines was lonely and noticing Xuyu’s refined and handsome appearance, she attempted to seduce him under the pretense of having her portrait painted. However, Xuyu quickly realized her intentions and firmly rejected her advances.

She thought the matter was over, but she didn’t know that another concubine of Yuwen Qing found out and reported it to Yuwen Zhi. The concubine was terrified and retort back, saying that Xuyu seduced her first.

Yuwen Zhi was one year younger than Xuyu. Although he was only fifteen or sixteen years old at that time, his temperament was already very cruel. He did not take human life seriously, and killed this concubine with a sword then acted as if nothing had happened. He did not make the matter public.

His father forced Ye Zhongli to stay, and did not reveal his identity to the outside world. Yuwen Zhi was also unaware of this. He already disliked Xuyu, and because of the concubine, he thought it was a humiliation to his brother, and he also wanted to kill her.

Not long after, taking advantage of the opportunity when her father invited Ye Zhongli to go out, he secretly ordered people to capture the sleeping Xuyu in the middle of the night, send her to the back mountain and bury her alive as a punishment. If anyone asked, he would say that she went out on her own and did not come back.

Not only that, in order to clear himself of suspicion and make this arrangement, he followed county prince and Ye Zhongli out together.

Xuyu was lucky that the incident was discovered by a servant in the mansion. The person was a relative of the craftsman who was rescued earlier. He was grateful for Ye Zhongli’s kindness and came to tell Xuyu after dark to let her escape. Then, fearing that Yuwen Zhi would know about it and take revenge, he also fled with his family overnight.

Grandfather would not be back until the next day. Xuyu had no choice but to leave the courtyard to avoid disaster, but was discovered by Yuwen Zhi’s men, who chase her closely.

Shu was a mountainous area with a complex environment. She was not familiar with the surroundings. In addition, it was dark and there was a heavy rain that night. Although she finally got rid of the people, she was completely lost in the mountains.

The next day, Grandfather came back and found Xuyu missing. Yuwen Zhi followed the county prince and Grandfather as if nothing had happened. Grandfather was extremely worried when he found the note Xuyu left for him before she left. The county prince was furious and asked his son about Xuyu’s whereabouts. Seeing that the truth was revealed, Yuwen Zhi was still acting tough and insisted that he didn’t know. He also argued that Xuyu had seduced his elder brother’s woman first and deserved to die.

The county prince was half-believing and half-doubting him. Grandfather had no choice but to dismiss the servants and told them that she was a girl.

Since she was a girl, how could she possibly have an affair with the women in the mansion?

Yuwen Zhi was completely stunned, and then he told the direction of the pursuers and went into the mountains to look for them himself.

At that time, Xuyu had already been wandering in the mountains for several days. During the day, she survived by eating wild fruits, and at night, she would take shelter in whatever cave she could find, lying awake while listening to the distant roars of wild beasts, waiting for the break of dawn. Finally, when the weather cleared, she used the knowledge of the stars her grandfather had taught her to roughly determine her direction and managed to find her way out of the mountains. It was on the way that she encountered Yuwen Zhi and his search party, who had been looking for her, and thus she was finally saved.

Afterwards, the county prince was furious. He ordered his son to kowtow to her grandfather and apologize, and even drew his sword to kill his son.

Whether it was truly a fit of rage or a display for Ye Zhongli, how could the county prince’s son really die for such a thing? After much persuasion from the people around him, the county prince finally put away his sword, but he also ordered his son to be whipped forty times, until the little bastard’s back was covered in blood and he fainted. This was, at least, a gesture to appease Grandfather.

With such a sudden change, the county prince felt too humiliated to continue keeping them, so Grandfather was finally able to take Xuyu away from Jiannan Road.

Many years had passed since this incident, and Xuyu had long forgotten it, but she did not expect to meet him again during this trip to the capital. Now he had become the shizi, but he was still as domineering as ever.

At this time, there was a noise behind the gate, and it opened again. Yuwen Zhi appeared and stood inside the gate. He looked his usual self, dressed in brocade, but on one side of his lip and cheek, one could still see some scars from the fight with that Hu person, Chengping, a few days ago.

He had an indifferent expression, staring at Xuyu on the steps outside the gate without saying a word.

Xuyu climbed up the steps and greet him, “I heard that your esteemed residence wants me to go to Ci’en Temple to paint a merit mural dedicated to seeking blessing?”

Only then did Yuwen Zhi respond calmly with a “yes”.

“I am using this to pray for my mother’s blessing. Only you are allowed to paint it, and not a single stroke is allowed to be done by others!

“I heard that when Ye Zhongli was at the height of his fame, he painted for a temple in Chang’an, and each painting cost three million taels of silver. I will pay you the same price,” he added.

“I thank Shizi for the high regard, but precisely because this is for seeking blessing of the late princess consort, I worry that my limited experience might be insufficient. Among the painters in the painting department, there are——”

Yuwen Zhi suddenly stepped out, walked around Xuyu slowly, and finally stopped beside her. He leaned a little closer, snorted in her ear, and said in a low voice: “You think I want you? Aren’t you just Ye Zhongli’s granddaughter? My mother’s blessing painting is only suitable for him to paint. You are indeed not qualified. But compared to others, I can only ask you to make up for it.”

Xuyu turned around and saw him staring at her with a strange light in his eyes.

“If you don’t go…”

His eyes dropped slightly, passing over her neck and shoulders.

“You know it yourself.”

He straightened up and took a step back.

“It’s decided, you quickly go! There are people waiting for you in Ci’en Temple. Whatever you need, you tell them.”

After he said that, he put his hands behind his back, turned around and walked in briskly, and his figure disappeared behind the gate again.

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Translator’s note:

Here comes the second male lead! You know some people, a small percentage of readers, always liking the second male lead no matter how good the male lead is, it’s like they were programmed to like the other guy. I think they will like this second male lead.