Although Yao Youqing didn't know about the pills back then, Mama Zhou and Steward Ding did, and they would definitely not let her touch anything sent from the palace casually.
The person delivering the food couldn't possibly force Yao Youqing to eat anything right in front of them, otherwise the action would be too obvious, and if the King of Qin found out, they would lose more than they gained.
Wei Chi can't do anything to the King of Qin for the time being. He doesn't dare to be so blatant. Otherwise, he wouldn't have specially made that kind of undetectable poison last time. Instead, he would have used other more convenient poisons.
The butler thought it made sense and felt a little relieved, waiting for a reply from Shangchuan.
...
After Wei Hong and Yao Youqing returned to the Prince's Mansion, Yao Youqing came to the front yard on her own initiative for the first time, carrying a long wooden box in her hands.
"What's this?"
Wei Hong asked.
Yao Youqing smiled and put down the wooden box: "This is a picture of pastoral scenes by Master Feng, a return gift for the Prince."
"...No need, this painting is very precious, you should keep it yourself."
Yao Youqing shook her head: "Actually, I don't have much interest in calligraphy and painting, so there's no use for me in keeping them."
"As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero, and a beautiful woman to a beauty. Rather than keeping it with me, I'd rather give it to someone who truly understands, likes, and appreciates it. However..."
She frowned slightly and whispered, "This painting has a small flaw. Your Highness, please don't be angry when you see it later."
flaw?
Wei Hong frowned: "How could that be? When I first saw it, it was perfectly intact, without a single problem."
After saying that, seeing Yao Youqing's embarrassed expression, he realized: "You didn't keep it safe?"
Yao Youqing forced an awkward smile: "You'll know once you open it."
Wei Hong took out the painting with some confusion and unfolded it in front of him. At first glance, there seemed to be no problem with it, but when the scroll was half-unfurled, his gaze suddenly froze.
This painting was created by Feng Dajia after he resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown. It depicts his simple houses in the countryside, a few vegetable gardens enclosed in the yard, and a few chickens and ducks that he raises casually in the yard.
Wei Hong had copied this painting countless times, and knew exactly how many leaves each vegetable in that plot of land had, not to mention how many chickens and ducks lived in the yard.
The number of vegetables, chickens, and ducks is correct, but the only thing that's wrong is that there's an extra rabbit next to them!
A rabbit...
The rabbit is drawn in a clumsy style, clearly by a young child. You can barely make out its shape, and there's no point in mentioning its spirit or charm.
Wei Hong's eye twitched: This is what you call a tiny flaw? A tiny flaw?
He looked up at Yao Youqing: "...You drew this?"
Yao Youqing nodded awkwardly: "My father liked this painting very much after he bought it, and he often put it on the table to admire."
“Once I went to his room to play with him, but he had to leave suddenly and left without putting the painting away.”
“I was young and ignorant at the time. I saw a painting on his table, so I climbed up the chair to take a look, and then… then I saw that there were chickens and ducks in the painting, but no rabbits, so… so I just added one.”
Wei Hong raised his hand and pressed the corner of his eye to prevent his eyeballs from jumping out.
"Your dad didn't..."
He was about to ask if your dad was angry enough to die, but he changed his words at the last minute: "Your dad isn't angry?"
Yao Youqing's smile became even more awkward: "Father was so angry that he couldn't eat. He barely ate anything for three days, but... since things were already like this, there was nothing he could do. So he just... let it go and told me not to scribble on his paintings anymore."
If it were my two sons who did this, they would definitely get a beating.
But Yao Youqing was his daughter, and his youngest daughter at that. He looked at the painting several times, then at that pitiful little face that knew she had done something wrong and was filled with guilt and fear. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Wei Hong's eyes twitched violently; he thought to himself, what if this was his child...?
As he thought about it, he looked up at Yao Youqing again and sighed silently.
He didn't know what to do.
Chapter 30 Ignorance
If the scroll only has some minor flaws due to improper storage, Wei Hong might be able to find someone to try to repair it.
But if someone adds a few strokes directly to the painting, there's really nothing you can do about it.
After Yao Youqing left, he looked at the painting for a long time, trying to modify the eye-catching rabbit to make it less conspicuous.
But no matter how many methods he tried, it didn't work. The brushstrokes for the rabbit were completely out of place with the rest of the painting. He picked up the brush several times but put it down each time. He sighed and couldn't even eat dinner. He felt that Yao Youqing might as well not have given him the painting at all.
Seeing a masterpiece ruined by an ignorant child's scribbling, he felt no less heartbroken than Yao Yuzhi.
But when he thought of how Yao Yuzhi was so angry and helpless, and how she hadn't eaten for three days, he suddenly felt quite relieved, and the rabbit didn't seem so annoying anymore.
Wei Hong smiled and had the painting hung on the wall of his study. He would occasionally look up at it while eating or working, and after a while, he found it quite nice.
When Feng Dajia painted this picture, he originally wanted to express the leisure and rural charm after resigning from his official post. Although Yao Youqing's painting of the rabbit was simple and unrefined, it did not contradict the original intention and even carried the unique innocence of a child.
If you don't consider it a precious collectible, but just an ordinary painting, the rabbit added to it does have a certain charm.
He thought that if Master Feng had finished his own drawing and then seen the child add a few strokes, he probably wouldn't have been angry. Instead, he would have laughed heartily and remained calm and composed.
Of course, he may think about it, but if he really has his own children in the future, he will still carefully store his collection. Otherwise, he will be the next person who gets so angry that he can't eat for three days.
Thinking of his child, Wei Hong became lost in thought again.
Emperor Gaozong had many children, and there was no shortage of infighting and backstabbing among them. Even though he was favored in his youth, he was still bullied openly and secretly by others.
Such things are bound to happen even in large, aristocratic families with many children, let alone the royal family.
Perhaps for this reason, he has always been indifferent to having children, thinking that one or two is enough, and that having more would create rifts and cause trouble.
But now... he has none.
Wei Hong is already twenty-three years old this year. Many people his age already have children running around.
He had no children before because he had never married and never thought about having children born out of wedlock, so as to avoid a life-or-death struggle between legitimate and illegitimate children like he and his elder brother.
He's married now, but...
Wei Hong rubbed his forehead, then looked up at the painting on the wall again, recalling his last conversation with Yao Youqing about the child.
Even though his attitude was bad at the time and his words were unpleasant to hear, she really never thought about having a child with him, and even offered to register his child with another woman under her name.
That's really... generous.
What was the first thing he imagined his queen to be like?
Be virtuous, kind, generous, and proper; don't nag or nitpick over trivial matters all day long.
Looking back now, she really did it.
He was more than just generous; he was incredibly generous, to the point of being utterly selfless. He wouldn't even say a word to me. The last time he came to deliver a painting, it was the first time he had ever set foot in the front yard on his own initiative. After that, he never came back.
Wei Hong frowned, annoyed by all this messy stuff, when Cui Hao walked in.
He had just been looking at the painting, but upon hearing the noise, he immediately looked away, picked up the official document in his hand, and his ears involuntarily perked up.
When Cui Hao approached, he didn't say what he wanted to do directly. Instead, he handed over a visiting card first and then said, "Your Highness, Miss Ji has come to visit."
After he finished speaking, he clearly felt the prince's tense shoulders relax, a flash of disappointment crossed his eyes, followed by a hint of impatience.
Why hasn't she left yet?
Wei Hong asked in a deep voice.
It's been almost three months since Ji Yunwan arrived in Shangchuan. How can Ji Huai'an explain to outsiders that an unmarried girl has been away from home for so long?
Cui Hao lowered his eyes: "This subordinate does not know, perhaps... it's because I haven't seen Your Highness yet?"
Because they haven't seen him, they refuse to give up; because they refuse to give up, they are unwilling to leave.
Wei Hong didn't care about Ji Yunwan's affairs, so he never asked about them. Naturally, the servants wouldn't bother him with such trivial matters that he didn't care about. So he only knew that Ji Yunwan had come a few times, but he just missed her every time.
As for the rest, he was unaware of them and didn't care; those trivial matters were none of his concern.
But Cui Hao knew that Ji Yunwan had not only come, but had also argued with the gatekeeper because of her rude remarks, causing a commotion on the street.
He had missed her again and again, even been verbally humiliated, yet she kept coming to see him. He really didn't know whether to say that this Miss Ji was persistent or that she was... shameless.
Wei Hong frowned as he looked at the visiting card on the table, which bore the name Ji Huai'an.
In other words, it was indeed Ji Huai'an who sent her.
"Then let her in."
He said.
If she wants to see him, then let her see him. Once she's done seeing him, she can go back and explain things to her father, and get rid of this idea as soon as possible.
Cui Hao agreed and had Ji Yunwan brought in.
Ji Yunwan stayed in Shangchuan for three months and finally met Wei Hong, but the initial ambition and determination she had shown were gone.
She was thinner than before and looked much more haggard, but Wei Hong didn't notice. After she entered and greeted him, he had someone return the invitation to her.
Pan Xiang took the incense stick on her behalf. Ji Yunwan glanced at it and said, "My father asked me to visit the Prince on his way here and see how he is doing. Today I have finally fulfilled my father's wish."
Wei Hong: "I'm doing very well. When you get back, tell Lord Ji to rest assured."
go back?
Ji Yunwan sensitively heard those two words in his words, and her expression stiffened slightly.
Her father was indeed urging her to return to the capital immediately, or he would send someone to kidnap her.
But... she was not willing to give up.
She had to see the prince with her own eyes; otherwise, no matter what happened, she wouldn't believe that he truly had no feelings for her at all!
He was so good to her before... He treated her like an older sister.
But now, as soon as they meet, he tells her to go back.
Ji Yunwan forced a smile and started talking about other things, not responding to this topic.
"Where did Your Highness and Princess go before? Why haven't they returned for so long? The servants said you took Princess out for a stroll. Is there some nice place nearby?"
“There’s none nearby,” Wei Hong said. “They went far away.”
This acknowledges that he did indeed take Yao Youqing out to play, and that it was not a bandit suppression operation, nor was there any mention of using Yao Youqing as bait.