Hearing this, everyone started to cheer. Ji Yinxue couldn't refuse, and Princess Qinlian had already asked someone to lay out the painting paper, so she began to paint.
The painting process took some time, so Princess Qinlian had some people admire the chrysanthemums, or rest in the private room next door, or have the maids serve them some snacks. For a time, the host and guests were happy and in a harmonious atmosphere.
Ji Meiyuan watched Ji Yinxue paint while Ji Wushang gave her pointers. Feeling somewhat dissatisfied, she casually picked up a piece of osmanthus taro cake that a maid had just brought her and began to eat it slowly.
Two young men were secretly watching the women on this side, acting furtively, as if they were spying on something.
Ji Meiyuan had just taken three bites and a sip of tea when she suddenly felt as if her stomach was churning. A wave of nausea surged up from her stomach, and the discomfort made Ji Meiyuan frown. She quickly took another sip of tea, but felt even more nauseous.
"Second sister, what's wrong?" Ji Wuxia saw this and immediately went to support her. Seeing that her face was pale, she immediately leaned closer to ask what was wrong. Unexpectedly, Ji Meiyuan couldn't hold back any longer because of the smell of rouge that came from her. She vomited, and poor Ji Wuxia's entire dress was covered in vomit.
"Ah!" Ji Wuxia was startled and quickly stepped back, covering her mouth and nose. What she vomited was filthy!
Everyone's expressions changed immediately after they did this. How could this have happened out of nowhere?
Upon seeing this, Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward to support Ji Meiyuan, who was still feeling nauseous, and said to Princess Qinlian, "Princess, I don't know why, but my second sister is not feeling well. Please trouble you to ask the doctor in the manor to take a look. Also, please help both of my sisters change their clothes. I'm so sorry."
Princess Qinlian watched as Ji Wushang spoke for a long time before reacting. She immediately called out, "Xiaoyu, hurry, go to the clinic and fetch a doctor. I'll take the Second Miss to a private room to wash up first."
“How can we trouble the princess? I’m so sorry that today’s events have upset everyone. I’m so sorry that I, as the eldest sister, could do this… I’m truly sorry to everyone. Let us sisters go! You all continue painting and writing poetry,” Ji Wushang sighed. Princess Qinlian hesitated upon hearing this. Ji Wuxia looked on, resentful that Ji Meiyuan had ruined her clothes and that the stench had made her feel terrible. She wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. After a couple of moments, she stomped her feet and went to change her clothes.
Ji Yinxue, feeling embarrassed to continue drawing, put down her brush to stop, but Ji Wushang said, "Yinxue, Miss Shangguan is waiting for your drawing! The three of us are fine. Let's all keep having fun!"
Princess Qinlian nodded, "Xiaoyu, Xiaopei, take the eldest, second, and fourth young ladies to wash up."
Led by Xiao Pei, Ji Wushang and Xiao Yu supported the dizzy Ji Meiyuan on either side, while Ji Wuxia followed behind, before turning into the private room to change clothes.
After watching them leave, the female guests began to gossip. Princess Qinlian looked on, feeling ashamed, and said, "It's all my fault. Of all things, this has happened. I've spoiled everyone's fun. If Mother finds out, she will definitely scold me."
Ji Yinxue walked over and said kindly, "How can you blame the princess? It's my fault as the younger sister for not taking good care of my second sister. Sigh."
Princess Qinlian exchanged a few words with her after seeing her like this.
Ji Wushang helped Ji Meiyuan to the private room. Ji Meiyuan vomited quite a bit more along the way, so Xiaoyu and Xiaopei called several maids to help her wash up. Ji Wuxia, on her own, had Xiaoyu get her clothes and changed. After leaving the private room, she saw Ji Wushang sitting in the main hall and knew that Ji Meiyuan hadn't finished washing up yet, so Ji Wuxia went to sit down next to him.
Ji Wushang knew that she didn't look well, after all, she had embarrassed herself along with Ji Meiyuan.
When Xiaoyu came out, Ji Wushang stood up and said, "Sister Xiaoyu, I think Second Sister must have eaten something this morning. Please make some mung bean soup for Second Sister to drink. Maybe it will help her get better faster."
The medication I prescribed wasn't strong; she'll be fine after vomiting. The mung bean soup was to help warm and cleanse her stomach. I doubt she'd find any evidence of anything wrong with the doctor anyway. I'll just let her rest.
Xiaoyu listened and Nuannuan agreed. She was worried that the things in the Prince's mansion might not be clean, but thankfully, her eldest sister was sensible, so she could rest assured.
Xiaoyu quickly had someone prepare mung bean soup. After Ji Meiyuan drank the soup, the doctor examined her, and she lay down. Her stomach felt much better, and the doctor instructed Ji Meiyuan to rest well and then prescribed some medicine.
Exhausted, Ji Meiyuan could only close her eyes and fall asleep. Damn it, she had really made a fool of herself this time! She was thinking that the things in the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion were unclean, but she dared not say it. After all, this was a prince's mansion, not her own home. Ji Meiyuan could only swallow her resentment.
Ji Wuxia watched, inwardly annoyed. Why did she have to embarrass herself like this? She should have known better than to get close to her second sister!
Ji Wushang walked forward gracefully, "I'll stay with my second sister for a while! You go and watch them compose poems in the courtyard first. I'll go out after my second sister falls asleep."
This made the maids present feel that Ji Wushang was doing a very good job as the eldest sister, and they liked this young lady of the Ji General's Mansion even more.
Ji Wuxia glanced at it a few times, then went out with a maid.
After a while, Ji Wushang waited until Ji Meiyuan fell asleep before tiptoeing out.
Walking down the corridor and past the winding path, he saw someone standing there. Ji Wushang looked closely and saw that it was—
☆、050 Admiring chrysanthemums in autumn, I encountered a group of men again!
Beigong Minhao.
Ji Wushang was unsure whether to walk forward or turn back to the private room. Although it was in the corridor, being seen with a man would not be good for her reputation and would inevitably lead to gossip.
Before he could even hesitate, Bei Gongminhao stepped forward with a smile on his face. "Isn't that Miss Ji? It's been a long time." As he spoke, he walked forward.
Ji Wushang saw him with his jade belt fluttering, dressed in light purple robes, a gentle breeze blowing his hair, and sunlight shining on his flawless face, making him appear radiant with sunshine. His eyes were as bright as the moon.
For a moment, Ji Wushang thought it was his imagination, that some immortal had descended to earth. But when he stood before him, Ji Wushang immediately stepped back. It was best for a lone man and woman not to get too close. Wait a minute, this was supposed to be a private room for female guests to rest. Wasn't he supposed to be entertaining male guests in the front courtyard? How did he end up here?
Bei Gongminhao recalled her jade-like feet from that day and couldn't help but lower his gaze to look at them. Ji Wushang followed his gaze and immediately felt embarrassed. She quickly stepped back and looked at him warily. "Greetings, Your Highness. I have only just seen my second sister and will be leaving now. I am truly sorry for disturbing Your Highness!"
Beigong Minhao suddenly became slightly anxious, "Young Miss, please wait."
Ji Wushang could only stop and look at him. Unexpectedly, he said, "Young Miss, you turned around and left as soon as you saw me. Do you dislike me?"
Ji Wushang was stunned. What was he saying? How could he make such a logical statement? A man and a woman alone together would inevitably attract gossip. How could he not leave? Besides, this was the Prince's residence for chrysanthemum appreciation; there were plenty of people around, and there might be some people looking this way from somewhere else!
His face was filled with grievance, and his phoenix eyes shimmered as if he were about to shed tears. For a moment, Ji Wushang thought he wasn't a prince, but some boy who had been wronged! Ji Wushang couldn't bear his aggrieved appearance, and besides, she felt embarrassed by his words, so she said, "Your Highness is too kind. I must return to Chrysanthemum Fragrance Pavilion. If I'm late, my third and fourth sisters will worry about me." Every word she spoke was reasonable and extremely polite, without offending the person before her.
Before he could even leave, Beigong Minhao had already said, "Then the young lady doesn't dislike me; she likes me."
"What?!" Ji Wushang stared at him in disbelief. What had he just said? "Not disliking someone means liking them?" Was that even a valid equation? What kind of logic was in his head? Was he still the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhenbei? "Ahem, ahem, Your Highness, please don't tease me. I cannot accept such a compliment. I will take my leave now." Having said that, Ji Wushang dared not linger, fearing gossip if others saw her. This Prince of Zhenbei—even her General's Mansion dared not approach him! Besides, she could never possibly like someone like him. This Prince of Zhenbei seemed like such a dangerous person.
"What, you're leaving?" Bei Gongminhao was a master of shamelessness, and he stopped Ji Wushang as soon as he saw him. "I'm telling the truth, don't you like me?"
"So direct." Ji Wushang really wanted to roll her eyes. What kind of talk was this? Was it a confession? Or was he just teasing her?! "Your Highness, the sage said that men and women should not touch each other. Please have some self-respect!" Ji Wushang emphasized the words "self-respect," expressing her displeasure. Why was Bei Gongminhao so difficult to deal with? Hadn't they only met once? Why was he being so persistent? She should have said she was sick and not come!
Bei Gongminhao listened and sneered with disdain, "What about the taboo against men and women touching each other! I, the young master, have never paid any attention to that! I see that the young lady is generous and intelligent, why would I care about these so-called sacred doctrines?"
"I care very much," Ji Wushang said coldly. Was he truly ignorant, or was he feigning ignorance? For an unmarried young woman to be stopped and questioned like this by a man—what would become of her reputation? The Great Xia Zhou Dynasty placed great importance on hierarchy and etiquette. If this were seen by others, and told her mother or father, what face would she have left? She would likely only be able to become a nun in a temple. If he weren't the Crown Prince, someone of higher status than herself, she certainly wouldn't have uttered another word to him!
He said he didn't mind, but of course he did. He'd been reborn, and he absolutely couldn't make the same mistakes again, otherwise, all his efforts in living this life would have been for nothing.
Seeing the slight anger on her face, Bei Gongminhao became anxious and suddenly shouted behind Ji Wushang, "I'm going to the Ji residence to propose marriage!"
Ji Wushang was startled and almost fell over. A marriage proposal... Ji Wushang dared not stay any longer and quickly walked forward.
Seeing her embarrassed expression, Beigong Minhao burst into laughter. He never expected her to be so cute. He teased her, and her face changed more dramatically than a chameleon.
"What are you laughing at?" Unexpectedly, a man's voice came from behind. Bei Gongminhao turned around and saw that it was Nan Xuzong, who had come in his wheelchair. He couldn't help but think of the day on Qingxuan Street when Nan Xuzong saved Ji Wushang by himself. He only knew that Nan Xuzong was skilled in martial arts, but he did not expect that Nan Xuzong could fight against him and Yiyun Shangcheng by himself.
"It's nothing." How could Bei Gongminhao let him know that he had teased Ji Wushang? Nan Xuzong frowned, his gaze drifting to the direction Ji Wushang had left. He had clearly just seen him talking to a woman, and was thinking of getting closer, but the woman was nowhere to be seen, only him laughing heartily.
Oh well. Maybe she's just a female guest from some family.
"By the way, what are you doing here? Weren't you in the front yard? Young Master Nan is here too, you brothers can have a drink." Bei Gongminhao said, then went to Nan Xuzong's wheelchair behind him and helped him push it. "We need to go back to the front yard now, would you like to come with me?"
"Let's go." Nan Xuzong nodded, but before he could leave, he saw something glittering on the ground. Nan Xuzong was puzzled, so he flicked his finger and used a golden thread to roll up the glittering object in his hand. He then realized that it was a white jade hairpin.
Bei Gongminhao was taken aback when he saw it. Wasn't this the hairpin that Ji Wushang had just put in his hair? How did it end up on the ground? He thought about it and realized that it must have fallen off when they were fleeing in panic and didn't even notice.
Seeing that he was about to put it into his pocket, Beigong Minhao immediately asked, "Whose silver hairpin is this?"
"Now it's mine," Nan Xuzong said, pursing his lips. "Let's go!"
After being told this, Bei Gongminhao could say nothing more. He could only resent in his heart that this Prince Nan was a cunning wolf, even more shameless than himself. It was clearly a woman's hairpin, Ji Wushang's silver hairpin, yet he claimed it as his own without batting an eye!
Nan Xuzong didn't care what he was thinking; they were friends, and he figured he wouldn't say anything. This hairpin must have been left by that woman; a simple investigation back home would reveal who it was.
Ji Wushang felt as if he were being chased from behind, and he needed to leave as quickly as possible. Only after leaving the private room and seeing the Chrysanthemum Fragrance Pavilion not far away did his heart gradually calm down. He had just straightened his clothes when he realized that the white jade hairpin he had been wearing in his hair was gone. He couldn't help but feel annoyed for a while. He had just lost a hairpin on Qingxuan Street, and now it was gone again. Sigh.
Regardless, Ji Wushang composed himself and returned to Juxiang Pavilion. By then, Ji Yinxue had already finished painting a picture of fishermen and woodcutters in Nanshan with ink chrysanthemums. Although the painting was not as bright as others, it appeared natural and fresh, with a unique style. The painting style was elegant and unrestrained, and Nanshan was quite grand. Combined with the ink chrysanthemums, it had a unique and otherworldly feel.
When the women saw Ji Wushang return, they all asked about Ji Meiyuan's condition. Ji Wushang told them that Ji Meiyuan was much better and had just fallen asleep, which put Princess Qinlian's mind at ease. She then asked Ji Wushang to come and see the painting made by Ji Yinxue.
Ji Wushang felt that Ji Yinxue possessed a profound and unrestrained spirit, and her brushstrokes were bold and unrestrained, unlike those of ordinary women. He praised her repeatedly, saying, "This painting is probably only found in heaven, not on earth."
Everyone praised it after hearing it, and Shangguan Feiyan was overjoyed. "Such a fine painting would be a great honor to take back to our mansion and have it framed!"
"Everyone is too kind. My paintings are nothing special and such praise would only make others laugh at me," Ji Yinxue said modestly.
The women spoke several more times.
Princess Qinlian looked at the painting and felt that something was missing. After a while, she realized that what was missing was a good poem!
Ji Yinxue noticed something and said, "This painting is only missing a poem, but I don't know much about poetry. It would be great if someone could add a stroke to it."
Princess Qinlian nodded upon hearing this, "Isn't Miss Wushang quite skilled in poetry? Why not add a line for everyone to enjoy?"
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Feiyan immediately replied, "That's right, that's right. Miss, please add a stroke as well." With that, she handed over the wolf-hair brush she had just used.
Ji Wushang dared not refuse in front of everyone, since it was an invitation from both the princess and the young lady of the marquis's mansion, and he couldn't very well turn down the brush. So he took the brush and said, "If my writing is clumsy, please don't laugh at me."
“Three cups as punishment will suffice,” Princess Qinlian said with a smile, teasingly.
Everyone laughed again after hearing this.
Ji Wushang pondered for a moment, then put pen to paper:
In the high autumn sky, I steal a whiff of spring's intoxication, with the rustling bamboo rustling behind my back.
With whom can I share my solitary pride on Nanshan Mountain? A cup of turbid wine and a thatched door.
How lonely the ink chrysanthemums stand before the courtyard! No longing can compare to the wild geese flying south.
Let's not talk about perch sashimi while we sit idly; instead, we'll use our spare time to mint coins and laugh at the servants who are rushing us to do so.
Princess Qinlian looked on in amazement, exclaiming, "This music should only exist in heaven! How often can it be heard on earth! The poem and the painting are perfectly matched, creating a scene where the poem and the painting are one! Absolutely amazing! You are the best today!"
The women all praised it and discussed it animatedly, forgetting their earlier intention to compose poems in comparison.
Ji Wushang and Ji Yinxue exchanged a glance and smiled, understanding each other perfectly. This was the true bond between the two sisters.
Just then, a maid brought up some refreshments, and a servant brought over the poems, lyrics, and paintings created in the front courtyard for the ladies of the house to comment on. He also sent the newly created poems and ink chrysanthemum paintings of Nanshan to the front courtyard.
Ji Wushang and Ji Yinxue stepped aside and ate some snacks together, chatting about random things. The women all praised the poems and songs of several people.
"Look at the poem written by Young Master Nan: 'I owe three thousand cups of wine and four times of sorrow, I can't say more than five years of red beans and six years of growth.' It's truly heartbreaking!"
"Isn't that right? Young Master Nan is truly talented!"
"And this painting is really good..."
Ji Wushang sneered inwardly. What did he mean by owing three thousand cups of wine and four times of sorrow, or saying that it was like saying that five years of red beans and six years of longing were all lies? He was only deceiving people's hearts. No matter what, they would still feel longing!
However, the painting of fishermen and woodcutters amidst chrysanthemums in Nanshan was circulated in the front courtyard, attracting praise and flattery from the young masters. In no time, the fame of the Ji sisters spread far and wide. Everyone knew that Ji Wushang had a beautiful singing voice, but no one expected that her poetry would be so exquisite, just as Princess Qinlian had described it, as if it were only found in heaven.
Nan Jinxue approached, gazing at the ink chrysanthemum painting of Nanshan Mountain and the poem beside it, a wave of sorrow washing over her. She recalled how she had personally turned her away, leaving her to suffer the elements, never imagining she would be so breathtakingly beautiful, captivating her completely. She had indeed looked down on women like her from the bottom of her heart, for her audacity in pursuing her despite her lack of pride. With her own high standards, she would never fall for such a woman. Yet, after waking from her high fever, she seemed like a completely different person, never even giving her a second glance.
Seeing this poem today, I realize that it speaks of the Southern Mountain and the sun and moon in her heart, revealing her stubbornness, her pride, and her exquisite beauty.
Seeing that Nan Jinxue seemed lost in thought, Nan Xuzong asked Gong Shu beside him, "Who painted and wrote the poem?"
Gong Shu stepped forward and inquired for a while, then retreated to Nan Xuzong's side. "Master, the painting was done by the fourth young lady of the Ji family, and the poem was written by the eldest young lady of the Ji family. The painting by the fourth young lady is called 'Nanshan Fisherman and Woodcutter Chrysanthemum in Ink,' and I couldn't remember all of the poem written by the eldest young lady." As Gong Shu spoke, he scratched his head apologetically.
"Push me forward, let me see," Nan Xuzong said calmly.
Gong Shu nodded, a slight doubt in his heart. Didn't the master dislike the poems in the front and back yards? Why did he want to see the poems written by the young ladies? But he still said, "Yes!"
When the men saw Nan Xuzong being pushed in a wheelchair by Gong Shu, they all made way. Some of them muttered to themselves, wondering why Nan Xuzong, with his inconvenient legs, insisted on coming to this mansion to admire chrysanthemums and read the poems written by the female guests. Did he have his eye on some woman? What woman would marry such a lame man? They couldn't help but laugh to themselves.
Some people simply stepped aside without a care. This Prince Nan rarely went out and was always mysterious. How would anyone know what abilities he had? If he were really something, wouldn't they be dead without even knowing it?