Die vollständige Sammlung der Geistersärge des Gelben Flusses

Kapitel 8

Tears continued to stream down her cheeks without restraint. She said somewhat resentfully, "Leave me alone."

The princess grabbed her sleeve and pulled her out from behind the flower bushes. "What's wrong with marrying into Siam? It's better than marrying into the Turkic Khaganate!"

She pouted, "They're all equally awful, so why can't I marry the newly appointed top scholar?"

Princess Qianjin chuckled and gently patted her cheek: "The imperial examination is still a year away. By then, you will already be the Queen of Siam."

Princess Dongting remained silent, still blaming her brother for listening to the new empress in everything.

Princess Qianjin sighed softly, "Don't think about these things anymore. Come with your aunt for a walk outside!"

Princess Dongting nodded indifferently, feeling that everyone else was happy, and only she was the most miserable.

Riding through the market in the princess's black carriage, the princess's casual chatter filled the air. She leaned listlessly against the window, her eyes indifferently sweeping over the market vendors' stalls. Soon, she would be going to a completely different place, and she had no idea what the market there would be like.

Suddenly, a stall selling books and paintings caught her attention. Her gaze swept over it only briefly, but she felt she had seen something. She quickly told the driver to stop the carriage and jumped down. After leaving the palace, she always became much more cheerful; in that palace, if you took a wrong step, someone would point it out.

---janeadam

Reply [16]: Her eyes slowly swept across the calligraphy and paintings on the stall. What attracted her attention was a portrait of a peony fairy. The woman in the painting had flowing skirts and graceful figure, but unfortunately, the painting only showed her back.

She picked up the painting and examined it closely. Although the person in the painting was only showing their back, they were still so beautiful that she couldn't bear to put it down.

"Young lady, do you want this painting?"

Princess Dongting looked up and saw a scholar in plain clothes standing behind a painting stall, staring intently at her. She blushed involuntarily; the scholar was very handsome, with a face like jade.

She lowered her head slightly and asked in a low voice, "Why is this painting only of a back view?"

The scholar smiled and said, "To be honest, I originally wanted to draw the front view, but no matter how I drew it, I felt that it was not right and could not match the peony's elegance and beauty. So I had no choice but to draw the back view."

She nodded, noticing that the painting was signed by Liu Yi of Huzhou.

She then asked, "Mr. Liu, you paint such excellent paintings, yet you live among the common people. Why don't you take the imperial examinations and seek fame and fortune?"

Liu Yi replied, "I came to the capital this time to participate in the imperial examination, but unfortunately my family has nothing of value. I arrived in the capital penniless and have to sell my paintings every day to earn some travel expenses."

Princess Dongting was taken aback. So he was a poor man. Without hesitation, she replied, "I'll buy all your paintings. How much silver do you want?"

Liu Yi was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Please give me some money, young lady!"

How much silver would it cost? She had no idea. She remembered that the palace allowance was two taels of silver per month. If she wanted to buy so many paintings, it would probably cost three to five hundred taels! "How about five hundred taels?"

Liu Yi was taken aback: "Five hundred taels?"

Princess Dongting hurriedly said, "Then seven hundred taels!"

Liu Yi quickly shook his head: "If you're willing, please give me five taels!"

"Five taels!" Princess Dongting exclaimed in surprise. Was everything in the world really that cheap? In the end, she still gave Liu Yi fifty taels of silver. She let the coachman take the other paintings, but kept the Peony Fairy painting in her hand.

Feeling unsatisfied, hesitantly asked, "Sir, could you paint another frontal portrait of the Peony Fairy?"

Liu Yi nodded: "Of course."

Princess Dongting smiled and said, "After you finish painting, could you please send it to my residence? I will certainly reward you handsomely."

Liu Yi laughed and said, "Why talk about reward? My paintings usually can't even sell for a few coins. It's rare that you're willing to spend so much money to buy these worthless things."

Princess Dongting smiled slightly, took the paper and pen and wrote down the address of the Princess Qianjin's residence, then turned and got into the carriage.

Seeing the princess smile and remain silent, she couldn't help but feel guilty and explained, "I just think his painting is very good."

The princess laughed and said, "I didn't ask you anything."

She peeked out and saw Liu Yi still standing there, watching the carriage drive away. A slight pang of sadness stirred in her heart; only the Tang Dynasty, a land of outstanding heroes, could produce such a person!

She stayed overnight at Princess Qianjin's residence. The next day, she got up at the crack of dawn to put on plum blossom makeup and apply pale yellow powder, but then felt it was too exaggerated, so she quickly washed it off. She then lightly applied white powder to her face, but still felt it was inappropriate. After fussing for a while, she was finally satisfied, but Liu Yi did not come.

After waiting for three days, at noon on the fourth day, the gatekeeper finally came to announce that Scholar Liu had arrived.

Princess Dongting was secretly pleased, but she couldn't help feeling resentful, making them wait for three days.

---janeadam

Reply [17]: I entertained Liu Shusheng in the small pavilion in the garden. When I saw him walk in with the maid, he had a bright smile on his face. All the resentment in my heart was completely dispelled. It must take several days to paint a picture!

As expected, Liu Yi bowed and apologized as soon as they met, saying that he had drawn it and revised it repeatedly, and it had taken a long time to complete.

She smiled and said, "That's how it should be."

Liu Yi took out the painting and unfolded it on the table. It was still full of beautiful flowers, but the woman in the painting was even more radiant and dazzling. Her face was clearly that of the Princess of Dongting.

Her cheeks flushed, and she asked with a smile, "Why are you teasing me, sir?"

Liu Yi solemnly replied, "Last time at the market, I was unaware that it was the princess who was there, and I was quite negligent. I used the princess as the subject of my painting because I truly believe that only the princess's beauty can be worthy of the title 'Peony Fairy.' I cannot think of anyone else but the princess."

Feeling embarrassed by the seriousness of the words, she picked up the jade bowl on the table and said, "It's hot, so I had the servants prepare some chilled plum soup. Please try it, sir."

Liu Yi then picked up the jade bowl. The small, emerald-green bowl was covered with many large and small water droplets, like tears. He took a sip; it was refreshingly cool. Only royalty had the privilege of drinking chilled plum juice in the sweltering heat of summer.

She glanced at him discreetly and said in a low voice, "I would like to ask you for a favor. I have had portraits painted by artists before, but none of them have been satisfactory. If you have the time, I hope you can paint a portrait for me."

Of course I have time, but not today. The portrait will have to wait until tomorrow.

If I draw it today, what excuse will I have to come tomorrow?

They sat in the pavilion chatting about poetry and literature, then took a stroll in the garden. As the sun was about to set, they reluctantly said goodbye. The scholar didn't understand the princess's intentions, and the princess didn't understand what she really wanted either.

So he came back the next day and painted very slowly, taking three or four days to complete one portrait. The princess looked at it and said with a smile that she was still not satisfied, so he painted a second one.

Then he painted the second one, and after finishing the second one, he painted the third one.