Yao Huang had just finished discussing with Feiquan a way to make Madam Zhu keep her mouth shut when Aji came over from the west courtyard, carrying the breakfast that had been kept warm for the princess for a long time.
Even though Feiquan slipped away quickly, Yao Huang still blushed. It must have been the chicken-head ginseng from the past two days that had overly nourished Prince Hui. He had pestered her twice yesterday afternoon, and at night he had actually managed to make it a full five times. If it weren't for Madam Zhu's constant nagging, Yao Huang probably would have slept until noon.
Aji had stuffed cotton balls into her ears last night and slept quite soundly. Seeing the princess looking drained, Aji smiled and said, My mother went and bought two more black-bone chickens. She just butchered one and will stew it into soup for you and the Second Master at noon. There is still plenty of chicken-head ginseng left. My father says the soil in Lingshan is excellent, so the chicken-head ginseng grown there is even more nourishing.
Yao Huang: ...You are certainly calling him with more and more familiarity.
Aji: I have to be familiar. Every time I go out to wash clothes, a lot of people gather around me. If I don't practice more, I will definitely give ourselves away when the time comes.
Yao Huang: Then where is your husband?
Aji: ...He went to the Qi family's house with your husband.
The master and servant joked around for a while. After the meal, Yao Huang took Feiquan and went out.
Although the Qi family was a prominent household in the town, they did not employ any servants. They probably did not have any place for servants to live anyway; the two-courtyard estate, complete with wing rooms, was packed to the brim with their own sixteen family members.
The men of the family were waiting in the main hall to be painted, while Squire Qi's second wife, Madam Lu, sat in the shadow of the screen wall. Hearing footsteps at the door, she peeked through the crack and saw those two figures indeed heading toward their house. Madam Lu glanced at her husband sitting upright in the main hall, curled her lip, and got up to walk to the door.
Recognizing the Liao family's vixen-like scholar's wife, Madam Lu's eyes flickered slightly. She smiled and opened the door: Little Yao, you must be here looking for your husband. Come in, come in, he has already started painting!
Yao Huang had never told the neighbors her full name, only saying her surname was Yao, so the older aunts and grandmothers all called her Little Yao.
Yao Huang said, feeling a bit embarrassed, Sorry to intrude. It's just that my husband has a somewhat peculiar temper, and he is only easier to get along with when I am by his side, so...
The main hall directly faced the main gate, so the princess's casual chatting voice reached the ears of Prince Hui, who was currently painting, loud and clear.
The brush he had just raised hovered in midair for a moment before landing on the paper again.
Madam Lu let Yao Huang and Feiquan in, while she continued to stand guard at the door.
Yao Huang bypassed the screen wall and saw the Qi family's grandfather and grandsons inside the main hall. Prince Hui's easel was set up outside the door of the main hall, and the glaring sunlight was shining right on his head.
Yao Huang looked at Qingai, who was standing to the side, and pointed at the top of the prince's head while Prince Hui was focused on painting.
Qingai smiled bitterly and shook his head. He had suggested holding an umbrella for the prince, but the prince had rejected it.
Yao Huang softly told Feiquan to go back and get an umbrella, and then said to Qingai, Brother, you should go back. Sister-in-law has something she needs your help with.
Qingai suppressed the urge to bow and salute, and walked away with his head held high and his chest puffed out.
There was a total of twelve people from three generations in the main hall. Squire Qi and his three married sons strictly remembered the Liao family scholar's rules for painting, neither speaking nor moving around. However, a few of the younger ones among the eight grandchildren could not help but turn their heads, curiously sizing up the beautiful lady from next door.
Seeing that Squire Qi wanted to scold the children but held it in, not daring to speak, Yao Huang smiled and waved her hand at the restless little children, signaling them to turn back around.
Prince Hui's posture remained motionless, and his brush did not stop.
Yao Huang walked to Prince Hui's side, perfectly blocking the sunlight for him.
Zhao Sui saw the silhouette of his princess cast diagonally in front of him, noticing a long hairpin tucked into her hair bun. After a brief distraction, he continued painting.
Yao Huang saw Prince Hui's profile slightly flushed from the sun, and the layer of fine sweat beads floating on his forehead. On the rice paper, the body contours of Squire Qi and his three sons were already drawn, their poses and postures set. The brush was currently focused on the eight grandchildren kneeling in four rows.
Squire Qi had hoped to have himself and his three sons painted with clear facial features, while a mere view of the grandchildren's backs would suffice. Prince Hui indeed only painted eight backs of varying heights, but he painted them with great care, practically transferring the children's profiles and the subtle movements of their fingers onto the paper. For instance, although the two oldest grandsons in the front row were both kneeling respectfully, the one on the left had his lips pursed, exuding a mature and steady demeanor, while the right one's lips were turned up, revealing a hint of joy.
Kneeling at the very back were the Qi family's only seven-year-old granddaughter and the newly three-year-old Seventh Son. Under Prince Hui's brush, Seventh Son was tilting his head talking to his older sister, and the sister also turned her head, her gaze a bit fierce, as if warning her little brother to behave.
Feiquan brought the umbrella. Yao Huang opened it, enveloping both herself and Prince Hui under its shade.
Zhao Sui did not let his princess toil for too long. Two quarters of an hour later, he stopped his brush and said to Squire Qi, The children's portion is finished. I will come back to paint you and your three sons after the afternoon rest.
The youngest children cheered and stood up, only to be stopped separately by Squire Qi and their three fathers. Afterward, Squire Qi quickly stepped out of the main hall, having already assumed a bowing posture to express his gratitude. However, his subconscious glance toward the drawing paper glued his entire being to the spot. Standing stiffly for a long time, tears rolled down Squire Qi's eyes as he choked with emotion and continued to bow, Thank you, virtuous nephew! Thank you, virtuous nephew!
Squire Qi did not know what else to say. Such an excellent painting was already a priceless treasure, at least to him. Any amount of words of gratitude would be too light.
Zhao Sui looked at Feiquan.
Feiquan ran over to help Squire Qi up. Zhao Sui then said, I will leave the painting tools here for now. I will come over again at five quarters past the hour of Wei.
Squire Qi repeatedly agreed. Leaving his children and grandchildren behind, he alone escorted the scholar's party, who disliked noise, out the door. Upon returning, he saw his sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters all gathered around the easel, whispering among themselves, and someone was actually about to reach out and touch it. With a sharp shout, Squire Qi drove everyone away. Out of caution, he even inspected the various brushes and pigments the scholar had brought with him.
In the east courtyard, Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair into the main hall. Looking at Prince Hui's sun-reddened face, she said, Helping out is one thing, but why did you have to paint under the scorching sun? When I asked the Second Master to paint, I couldn't bear to let you suffer this hardship.
Zhao Sui: Didn't you complain that I was kept indoors until I was too pale?
Yao Huang widened her eyes: I was just saying that casually. Besides, if you want to get some sun, you should wait until dusk. Who sunbathes at this hour?
Zhao Sui: There is still half an hour until noon. Even if you hadn't come, I would have stopped painting.
Yao Huang dampened a towel and let him wipe his face.
After Prince Hui had regained a refreshing appearance, Yao Huang asked, The Second Master still hasn't answered me from yesterday. Why do you want to help Squire Qi?
This was, after all, an aloof and lifeless prince who lived in seclusion in the bamboo courtyard and even picked specific days just to see his own princess!
Zhao Sui looked at her and explained, My current identity is that of a commoner scholar. As a man of letters with free time, how could I refuse a sincere request for a painting from a kind, sixty-year-old neighbor?
Could it be that Second Master thinks all scholars are gentlemen? Yao Huang asked. Not to mention the distant past, just looking at those notoriously corrupt and wicked officials, which of them wasn't a Jinshi who passed the imperial examinations? Then there are those Xiucai and Juren who, after reading a few books and gaining some merit, look down their noses at ordinary commoners. Even if they haven't committed any great evil, they have accumulated a bunch of flaws and have nothing to do with being true gentlemen.
Zhao Sui fell silent.
Yao Huang walked around to the back of his wheelchair, leaned over to hug his shoulders, and praised, So, my Second Master is a true gentleman.
Zhao Sui replied, Not exactly. We still have to live here for over a month, and it would not be good to earn an arrogant reputation.
Yao Huang nodded, Mhm, Second Master is not only a gentleman, but also very modest.
Prince Hui then stopped talking.
After the couple took their separate afternoon naps, when it was time for Prince Hui to go to the Qi family to paint, Yao Huang followed along again, continuing to hold the umbrella for him.
At this time, only Squire Qi and his three sons were in the main hall.
Eldest Qi and Second Qi sat on the left, while Third Qi sat on the right.
Yao Huang had heard from A'ji that the forty-year-old Eldest Qi was born to Squire Qi's first wife, while the early-thirty-something Second Qi and the even younger Third Qi were born to his second wife, Madam Lu.
Eldest Qi was honest and simple, a good hand at farming. Second Qi and Third Qi had some business acumen and opened a grocery store together in town. Because they earned more, they seemed more promising than Eldest Qi.
Squire Qi treated his three sons impartially and fairly enough, but Eldest Qi's eldest son was eighteen this year and studying at the most famous academy in Lingshan. He had already passed the county and prefectural exams. If he could also pass the college exam in August this year, he would become the Qi family's first Xiucai scholar, so he was highly valued by Squire Qi.
Yao Huang had heard more gossip from the women chatting in groups, learning that Squire Qi's family was clearly divided into three factions: Eldest Qi's family was one faction, Madam Lu and her two sons were another, and Squire Qi, caught in the middle, formed a faction of his own. Eldest Qi himself was clumsy with words, but he married a shrewd and capable wife. It was entirely thanks to this wife that their family was not bullied too harshly by Madam Lu and her sons.
Various open and secret struggles meant that while Squire Qi appeared to have the blessing of a prosperous lineage, in reality, he swallowed an unknown amount of bitterness and helplessness.
Take this painting session, for example. Squire Qi deliberately arranged for Eldest Qi and Second Qi to sit on the same side, but Yao Huang had been here twice today, and Eldest Qi and Second Qi had not even exchanged a single glance. The blood brothers acted like complete strangers.
At dusk, the entire painting was finished. Squire Qi was endlessly thankful, and unable to give out the payment, he earnestly begged the Liao family members to come to his birthday banquet on the twenty-ninth. He was so sincere that it looked as if he would block the road and not let the scholar leave if he did not agree.
Just as Yao Huang was about to step forward to deflect Squire Qi's enthusiasm, Prince Hui, who had been silent for a long time, actually agreed, Alright, we will certainly come to offer our congratulations.
Squire Qi was overjoyed. Yao Huang looked at Feiquan, and Feiquan also had a look of shock on his face.
After returning to the East Courtyard, Yao Huang asked doubtfully, Second Master agreeing to attend the banquet at the Qi family has nothing to do with being a gentleman or not, right?
From Mid-Autumn Festival last year to the Dragon Boat Festival this year, Emperor Yongchang had held several palace banquets, none of which Prince Hui attended. Yet, Squire Qi succeeded with a single invitation. Was Prince Hui not worried that if the news reached the palace, it would displease his imperial father?
Zhao Sui answered, Courtesy demands reciprocity. Only if I go will his mind be at ease.
With the act of gifting the painting, the Liao family could not well refuse the Qi family again. If he did not go, the Princess Consort would have to stay behind to take care of him, coldly and quietly listening to the liveliness next door.
Yao Huang said, Then does Second Master know how noisy folk banquets can be? Especially on the male guests' side, there are always some drunkards who like to pressure people into drinking. Once they get intoxicated, they will toast two bowls to anyone, whether they know them or not. I am afraid such people will offend Second Master's eyes.
Zhao Sui said, With Qingai, Feiquan, Zhang Yue, and Wang Dong here, those kinds of people will not be able to get close to me. I will just have a simple meal and leave the banquet early.
Yao Huang imagined the scene and realized there was indeed nothing to worry about.
However, for Prince Hui to agree to Squire Qi's two requests so easily, did it mean he was already somewhat accustomed to appearing in front of everyone in a wheelchair?
With progress in her plan, Yao Huang happily went over and hugged Prince Hui again.
Zhao Sui then knew that the Princess Consort really wanted to attend the banquet after all.
