The crown prince led everyone to pay their respects to the queen and Concubine Lan.
"All rise," the queen said with a kind smile. Looking at the young and vibrant faces, as the mother of the nation, she felt deeply gratified.
"Did you all enjoy appreciating the paintings? Sister Lan and I had nothing to do, so we came to this villa for a stroll. Seeing your young faces has lifted our spirits."
Concubine Lan forced a smile, but there was no real mirth in her eyes.
"Your Majesty is the paragon of all women. These children are truly blessed to have you as their mother."
Originally, she had planned to come to this villa alone today. If the queen hadn't shown up, she would have been the most respected elder here. Even the crown prince would have given her some deference. But for some unknown reason, the queen invited her to come together just as she was about to leave. With the queen here, she was overshadowed. She couldn't carry out her original plan smoothly and give orders to everyone. She was dissatisfied, but she didn't dare to show it in front of the queen. Although the emperor doted on her, and her father and brother had gained glory because of her, the emperor loved the queen more. His affection for any concubine in the harem never exceeded that for the queen. The queen's position had remained unshakable for twenty years. Those who dared to provoke her usually ended up badly.
In the past, when the eldest princess was in power, Concubine Lan, relying on the princess, had sometimes been disrespectful to the queen. But after the princess fell from grace and was demoted to a commoner, Concubine Lan had to be extremely cautious in front of the queen. She now yearned even more for her son to replace the crown prince and become the heir apparent. If her second son ascended the throne in the future, she would be the most respected empress dowager, and even the queen would be inferior to her!
"What were you all chatting about just now? It sounded so lively," the queen asked, taking the words out of Concubine Lan's mouth. Concubine Lan's already forced smile faded a bit more.
Qin Xuanyan was eager to catch the queen's attention. "Your Majesty, we were admiring the paintings by Master Mingxi. Cheng Simian thought too highly of herself and criticized Master Mingxi's paintings. She had quite a lot of opinions."
Everyone present could hear the blatant sarcasm in her words. Lu Siming subtly glanced at Qin Ziqi, warning him with his eyes. Qin Ziqi also regretted not stopping Qin Xuanyan in time. No matter how much she hated Cheng Simian, she shouldn't have been so sarcastic in front of the queen! Cheng Simian was the queen's preferred candidate for the crown prince's consort. By mocking her like this, wasn't she clearly showing that the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Rongxiang's mansion was neither magnanimous nor well - behaved?
The queen frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes. But she said nothing and remained as gentle and kind as before. Qin Xuanyan, who didn't receive a response, felt a moment of panic. The more noble a person was, the better they were at hiding their emotions. The queen didn't seem to be taking Cheng Simian's side, but her silence was already a sign of her disapproval of Qin Xuanyan.
Concubine Lan laughed at the right moment to break the awkward silence. "Your Majesty, I've also heard that Miss Cheng is extremely talented in painting and her skills are comparable to those of Master Mingxi. The spring scenery is beautiful today, and the view in this villa is enchanting. May I ask Miss Cheng to create a painting on the spot for us to appreciate?"
The queen remembered what the crown prince had asked someone to tell her and seemed quite interested. "Mianmian, Concubine Lan appreciates you, and I also want to see your painting skills. Would you be willing to paint for us?"
Cheng Simian bowed. "I can't decline such kindness. I'll give it a try." She had to agree; otherwise, the plan wouldn't work.
The crown prince's gaze was calm, and he didn't say a word. Everyone took this as his approval. Lu Siming was visibly excited. He quickly ordered someone to prepare the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. He also thoughtfully suggested, "An artist needs a quiet environment to paint. Otherwise, the noise will make it hard for them to focus and affect their performance. I beg Your Majesty's permission to give Miss Cheng a quiet room. We can enjoy ourselves outside first and then appreciate her painting when she's done."
The crown prince frowned, his sharp jaw tightening. His eyes were filled with displeasure. The queen said with a gentle smile, "You're even more considerate than the crown prince." If someone else had said this, it might have sounded sarcastic. But coming from the queen, it seemed like a genuine compliment. The crown prince also smiled at Lu Siming, but his eyes were cold.
"Second brother is the host. Since Mianmian is painting in his villa, we should follow his arrangements."
Lu Siming pretended not to understand the veiled sarcasm and nodded happily. "Thank you, elder brother."
Cheng Simian was led to a quiet room. The writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were already prepared. Besides Shuyi and Qiluo, Lu Siming had also specially arranged for one of his own maids to attend to her.
"Miss Cheng, this is Xueying. She usually serves me when I'm writing and painting. She's very good at grinding ink and mixing colors. You can just tell her what you need."
Xueying bowed respectfully to Cheng Simian.
Cheng Simian gave a faint smile. "The second prince has thought of everything."
The crown prince beside her was radiating coldness. Cheng Simian gently pushed him. "Your Highness, you should go too. Don't waste the beautiful spring scenery outside."
The crown prince wanted to say that the most beautiful spring scenery was right in front of him, on her face. But he had to leave; otherwise, the plan couldn't proceed smoothly. So he strode out of the room. Lu Siming followed behind the crown prince. Suddenly, he turned around and looked deeply at Cheng Simian.
"Miss Cheng, no matter how many prejudices the world has against you, and no matter what happens, in my heart, you'll always be a snow lotus on a high mountain and a bright moon in the sky."
If Cheng Simian hadn't guessed their plan, she would have been confused and panicked. She looked at him calmly, her expression unchanged.
The door closed. Xueying was quick and efficient. She spread the paper, ground the ink, mixed the colors, and handed the brush to Cheng Simian without saying a single unnecessary word. Shuyi and Qiluo had nothing to do.
Cheng Simian already knew what to paint. She wrote quickly on the rice paper and completed the painting in one go.
"Miss, your painting skills are truly amazing. The scenery in this villa looks even more beautiful in your painting than in real life!" Xueying exclaimed in admiration.
Cheng Simian had painted the scene where everyone had been appreciating Master Mingxi's paintings earlier. In the painting, there was a towering rockery with a painting hanging on it. A gentle breeze seemed to be blowing, making one corner of the painting tilt slightly. Although there was no wind in the painting, it was full of a sense of subtle movement. There were no people in the painting, but on the marble round table, there were cups of freshly drunk tea, and on the stone bench, there was a folding fan left behind by a young gentleman. Every detail gave the impression that the people had just left.
"Miss, you should take the painting out and show it to Her Majesty and the others," Xueying said, more excited than Shuyi and Qiluo. She quickly tidied up the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table.
Cheng Simian got up from the table and took a step forward when she bumped into Xueying.
"Clatter!"
The paint tray in Xueying's hand spilled onto Cheng Simian's dress. The colorful paints spread on the luxurious fabric. Xueying's face turned pale instantly. She knelt on the ground, trembling all over.
"Miss, I didn't mean to do it!" She sobbed. "What should I do? If the second prince finds out, I'm dead..."
Cheng Simian remained calm. She helped Xueying up and comforted her. "It's okay. I brought another set of clothes. I'll just ask Shuyi to go to the carriage and get it quietly, then change into it. If anyone asks when we go out, I'll say I accidentally knocked over the inkstone. How would the second prince know it was your fault?"
Xueying was still in shock. She looked at Cheng Simian pitifully. "Miss, you've saved my life. Please allow me to help you change your clothes."
"Alright."
Shuyi was very fast. She came back with the clothes in a flash. Xueying served Cheng Simian carefully, with two tears still hanging on her cheeks.
After changing, Cheng Simian looked around and felt strange. "Where has my silk handkerchief gone?"
Xueying seemed eager to help. "Miss, we walked a long way along the water corridor just now. Maybe you dropped it there. Don't worry, miss. I'll go and look for it for you!"
Cheng Simian then told Qiluo, "You go with her and look for it too." Qiluo met Cheng Simian's eyes and understood what she meant.
Xueying stopped at the door and looked back worriedly. "Miss, you should take the painting and go to Her Majesty and the others first. I'll send the handkerchief to you as soon as I find it. Don't spoil everyone's mood."
Cheng Simian smiled. "You're really thoughtful. No wonder you're the second prince's trusted maid."
Xueying walked out of the room happily. If everything went as planned, the second prince would marry her as a side concubine. Then, that arrogant Cheng Simian would have to be inferior to her!
Cheng Simian and Shuyi returned to the courtyard. Her painting had been hung on the rockery. Before everyone could be amazed, they heard Xueying shouting, "Miss, I've found your silk handkerchief!"
Following Lu Siming's signal, she walked up to Cheng Simian with the handkerchief in her hands. Just then, a gust of wind blew, and the handkerchief fell to the ground. When everyone saw the pattern on the handkerchief, they were shocked.