Helian Qi walked straight to the desk, picked up the stack of paintings, and casually flipped through them. His already gloomy face became even more unpleasant.
Ning Wanyin curtsied and said, “Your Majesty, may you be well. This pond full of lotus flowers was a gift from Your Majesty to me. Therefore, I wish to paint a picture to keep as a memento.”
This was her honest opinion.
Something given to you by someone else; the more you show your appreciation and cherish it, the more the giver knows they haven’t made a mistake in giving it to the wrong person, and the more likely they are to give you something nice again next time.
Conversely, the giver won’t be in the mood to give gifts again.
Therefore, Ning Wanyin naturally wanted the Emperor to know how much she cherished it.
Receiving a gift isn’t the end of the story; how you handle the aftermath can bring you closer together.
However…
Ning Wanyin overestimated her abilities; she didn’t seem to have much talent for drawing.
Helian Qi was taken aback, and the coldness on his face dissipated slightly.
She actually cherished it so much…
He had simply given the order to dig a pond for her on a whim.
Ning Wanyin always cherished everything he gave her.
“You’ve put your heart into this.”
Helian Qi found the drawings much more pleasing to the eye and led the person to sit on the couch.
“Take a rest. Let me tell you about it.”
“Your Majesty, you are so kind…” Ning Wanyin smiled brightly.
She didn’t bother to subtly inquire about the reason for the Emperor’s sudden visit…
Ultimately, it was someone else who upset him.
Then let’s not mention anything that upsets him.
Not causing the emperor any trouble is a matter of self-cultivation for a favored concubine.
…
The following day is the fifteenth, so all the concubines gathered at Jingxi Palace.
“I heard that last night, His Majesty clearly chose Song Jieyu, but Ning Jieyu intercepted the Emperor halfway there.”
Zhang Zhaoyi stirred up trouble with a look of anticipation.
“Ning Jieyu has always been the most favored by the Emperor, so why would she have to compete with her less favored sisters?”
Tang Meiren immediately retorted, “My cousin didn’t steal it!”
“Zhang Zhaoyi, you’re mistaken. Ning Jieyu didn’t send anyone to invite His Majesty; His Majesty went to Lingxue Pavilion himself.” Shu Fei said with a half-smile.
“I see. Then it’s only because Sister Song wasn’t ambitious enough…sigh!” Zhang Zhaoyi feigned sympathy and mockery.
Many of the concubines looked at Song Qingzhi with schadenfreude.
Song Qingzhi sneered and gritted her teeth, saying, “It’s just that I usually only read the classics, unlike Ning Jieyu, who’s skilled with her bottom of the chest.”
‘The bottom of the chest’ has two meanings.
One is one’s specialty, one’s area of expertise. The other is the porcelain treasure kept at the bottom of a woman’s dowry chest, used to teach matters between men and women.
Her words were a double entendre, deliberately meant to disgust Ning Wanyin.
She was clearly implying that Ning Wanyin was skilled in bed, but if Ning Wanyin questioned her about it, she could turn the tables and say that Ning Wanyin’s thoughts were vulgar.
Ning Wanyin: …
If it were her, she would only make an excuse, saying that she had accidentally tripped and fallen the day before and was unable to serve His Majesty. She would never admit that the Emperor had been seduced by someone else in order to save face.
But Song Qingzhi would rather humiliate herself than not insult Ning Wanyin.
“I don’t have any special skills. I only know that serving His Majesty is the duty of a concubine. Some people can even make mistakes in their own duties. They should think more about their own shortcomings.”
Ning Wanyin deftly deflected the attack.
“His Majesty has always been wise and sagacious. It can’t be His Majesty’s fault that you and His Majesty haven’t been able to get along well, can it?”
“You—” Song Qingzhi choked up for a moment.
In her heart, she certainly felt that it was the Emperor’s fault, but how could she dare admit it?
“His Majesty is naturally without fault… It’s all your fault—”
Ning Wanyin interrupted her, “When His Majesty was at Mozhu Pavilion, he saw you, not me. How can you blame me? Did I anger His Majesty for you at Mozhu Pavilion? Blaming others for your own mistakes, such behavior, Song Jieyu, you shouldn’t claim to have studied the classics, lest you tarnish the reputation of the sages.”
“You, you, you…” Song Qingzhi almost fainted from anger.
Wei Yingya, who was racking her brains for words, thought: Goodness, I was still thinking about how to retort to her.
But was it all over already?
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sarcastisaurus On CFRFGC Chapter 90