Princess Xiangsi - Chapter 20
At this moment, Feng Xue interrupted him, no longer meeting his gaze, "Your Highness, let's go."
Tonight, the sky is cloudless, and the stars around the moon twinkle faintly. These stars are so lonely; without clouds, they can only appear and shine their faint light, just like the woman in the empty room of the Prince of Pingyan's mansion.
Volume One: A Female Scholar's Perilous Encounter in the Study of a Commoner
After passing through the courtyard, walk through a few more corridors and around a few more corners, and you'll reach the study.
Situ Xingyun's study was filled with books. Several ink paintings from previous dynasties hung on the walls, and the Four Treasures of the Study and several scrolls were neatly arranged on the large rosewood carved dragon table. A small incense burner sat on a pear wood table next to it, emitting a faint fragrance.
"What is your opinion of my study, Princess?" Situ Xingyun asked, seeing that she had been observing for a long time without speaking.
"elegant."
“Elegant…?” Situ Xingyun seemed to be carefully considering the word, then suddenly the corners of his lips curled up slightly, “I like this word.”
Then he turned and walked to the desk, pointing with both hands to the several scrolls on the desk, indicating that she should open them and look at them.
Feng Xue casually picked up a scroll and opened it.
After carefully examining it, Feng Xue said, "Feng Xue believes that a book must have spirit, energy, bone, flesh, and blood. If any one of these five is missing, it cannot be considered a book. This calligraphy is written in running script and is still lacking in refinement. The person who wrote this must be someone who often forgets things."
"Oh? In Your Highness's opinion, what kind of running script would be pleasing to your eye?"
"I've heard that Your Highness enjoys running script and cursive script. Why don't you write a piece yourself?" Instead of answering his question directly, Feng Xue cleverly shifted the focus back to him.
Situ Xingyun raised an eyebrow. "Does the princess mean that she thinks my calligraphy is pleasing to the princess?"
Feng Xue said calmly, "Perhaps."
"When I entered the palace today, His Majesty said to me that few people in this world have calligraphy that can meet the princess's standards. If my calligraphy can meet the standards of the talented Princess Fengxi, then it will be my honor."
Situ Xingyun began grinding the ink. Once the ink was evenly ground, he sat down on the nanmu chair in front of his desk. He first concentrated and inhaled deeply, then casually dipped his brush in the ink and wrote the four large characters "逆水行舟" (Sailing Against the Current) on the pristine white scroll.
"Princess, how is it?" Situ Xingyun raised his head and looked at Feng Xue opposite him.
Feng Xue walked around the desk to his side, leaned down slightly, and looked at him intently. At first glance, Feng Xue was greatly alarmed.
From the beginning, the strokes, the transitions, and the ending, it's clear that Situ Xingyun is adept at concealing his true feelings. Such people are the most terrifying; they never reveal their true emotions to anyone, and no one can ever truly understand their thoughts. He always observes the world's actions from the shadows, like a spectator watching a play. The phrase "rowing against the current" further reveals his boundless ambition.
What was his real intention in inviting her to appreciate calligraphy and paintings?
Volume One: A Female Scholar Among the Common People - A Perilous Encounter in the Study 2
"Princess, how is it?" Situ Xingyun stared intently into her eyes, hoping to detect even the slightest emotion, but her gaze remained calm, and he could not glimpse her inner thoughts at all.
Meeting his eyes, Feng Xue slowly said, "Floating like clouds, the characters seem to fly. Beautiful calligraphy!"
"The princess has not yet revealed my personality." Situ Xingyun's gaze grew even more profound.
Lowering her eyes and then raising them again, Feng Xue looked at him steadily and said, "Your Highness is the Prince of Pingyan and a general, so your personality is naturally that of a prince and a general."
"Is that so? Is the princess sure?" A complex emotion flickered in her dark eyes.
"Absolutely certain, absolutely certain. Feng Xue rarely misjudges people." A resolute voice.
Suddenly, Situ Xingyun burst into laughter, "We'll see."
Hearing his laughter, Feng Xue's heart grew heavy. She rarely misjudged people. But Situ Xingyun was someone she couldn't see through, as elusive as the wind.
She shifted her gaze to the scroll on the table and changed the subject: "Your Highness, what about the officials' calligraphy and paintings?"
Situ Xingyun raised an eyebrow, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "Isn't that what's on the desk?"
"Does Your Highness think that a lowly official would offer inferior goods to curry favor with a superior?" The voice was calm, like the still surface of West Lake in summer. Suddenly, a ripple appeared on the lake, and Feng Xue's tone rose slightly, seemingly with a hint of amusement, "That calligraphy and painting just now belonged to the head steward, didn't it?"
The head steward of the Prince's mansion would show it to her every month, and the handwriting on it was similar to the painting and calligraphy she had just seen.
Situ Xingyun was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered. The paintings and calligraphy on the desk were indeed brought by the steward, but he hadn't expected the steward to bring his own calligraphy.
This princess is not to be underestimated!
Situ Xingyun smiled, "I just wanted to test the princess's eyesight. Since the princess has seen through my disguise, I will now use the real calligraphy and painting."
He got up, walked to a sandalwood cabinet, pulled out a shelf, and took out a painting. As he pushed it back, Feng Xue, standing there, could see that there was another inner shelf inside, and it was locked.
As Situ Xingyun turned around, Feng Xue immediately withdrew her gaze and shifted it to the scroll in his hand.
"Judging from how much the prince values it, it seems this time it's for real."
Situ Xingyun handed the scroll to Feng Xue, "I wonder if the princess can guess who wrote this calligraphy?"
Feng Xue slowly spread out on the desk.
On the pristine white paper, eight characters were written in flowing cursive script: "I do as I please, I am the only one who matters."
Feng Xuexin trembled. The black jade on her chest seemed to sense her emotions and became slightly warm, pressing tightly against her chest.
Situ Xingyun had a smile on his lips, a strange smile.
"Princess, what do you think of this cursive script?"