It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

When Emperor Xuan heard this, his body shook violently. The Spring Breeze Painting was not only the posthumous work of his mother, but also the only remaining copy in the world. It had mysteriously disappeared after the death of the late emperor. Now that he heard that it had reappeared, how could he not be moved.

He strode to Zheng Luoxi, his deep black eyes flickering with subtle fluctuations. He slowly took the scroll and asked in a steady and inquiring voice, "Where did you get this painting?"

Madam Zheng answered frankly, with a bit of confidence in her tone: "I got this from a painter named Jing in Lingnan. It is said that he had the honor of seeing the original Spring Breeze Painting with his own eyes. Therefore, although this painting is not the original, it can still capture some of the original style."

Although these words revealed the truth and were a little disappointing, at a time when the Queen Mother's relics could no longer be touched, even a copy was a rare comfort to Emperor Xuan.

As Emperor Xuan carefully unfolded the scroll, the entire hall instantly became silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the legendary beauty of the mountains and rivers to appear on the paper.

However, when the scroll was fully unfolded, what came into everyone's eyes was a lonely and cold palace, rather than the magnificent mountains and rivers that they had imagined.

In the picture, two women are standing on the top of a palace building. One is wearing a light blue dress with long hair cascading down like a waterfall, and the other is wearing a crabapple red dress and a golden crown on her head. Their faces are blurred, but the woman in red is reaching out to the back of the woman in blue behind her. Her action seems to be pushing, but also like consolation, and is full of indescribable meanings.

This scene caused the expressions of Emperor Xuan and Concubine Pei present to change drastically at the same time.

The artistic conception of the painting seems to directly touch upon those old events in the palace that people do not want to be mentioned, making people shudder, as if they are in a dusty memory.

Emperor Xuan's hands trembled slightly, and he felt mixed emotions.

Everyone knew that his mother loved the blue dress only, and as for the golden crown and red skirt, no one except Concubine Pei dared to be so ostentatious at that time.

At this moment, Concubine Pei's face was as pale as paper, her eyes fixed on the painting. In addition to shock, there was also a hint of imperceptible fear and panic.

All of this was observed by Su Wanyu who was standing by and watching coldly.

The painting in Madam Zheng's hands was actually carefully arranged by her and secretly replaced by Siqi. The new painting was painted by her personally based on her speculation about past events.

Her purpose was to test how much genuine and fake Concubine Pei's feelings for her mother were.

The outstretched hand in the painting could be pushing away or trying to keep someone, it all depends on how the viewer interprets it. One can't help but sigh at the depth of the conspiracy hidden behind this.

On the high palace tower, whether Concubine Pei's actions were ruthless push or powerless dissuasion, all got a silent answer in this painting.

Her panic and guilt were clearly revealed in her eyes. The shadow of her mother's death once again loomed in her heart. No more words were needed, as the truth of the matter seemed to have surfaced.

After tonight, neither Madam Zheng who presented the painting nor Concubine Pei, to whom the figure in the painting pointed, will be able to escape the coming storm.

Su Wanyu's move can be said to kill two birds with one stone. The ingenuity of the strategy is breathtaking.

Faced with the sudden change, Concubine Pei quickly restrained her emotions. A cold light flashed in her eyes, as sharp as a knife, pointing directly at Old Madam Zheng and Zheng Luoxi, with murderous intent looming.

In the Yaoguang Hall, the originally pleasant music suddenly stopped, and the air seemed to freeze. The ministers looked at each other and looked at Emperor Xuan with a gloomy face in confusion.

On this night that should have been filled with laughter and joy because of the Spring Breeze Painting, why does His Majesty have a face as gloomy as if he is about to explode in rage?

Madam Zheng and Zheng Luoxi were still immersed in confusion, with their heads lowered, waiting expectantly for the unknown decree.

The maid beside Concubine Pei seemed to want to say something, but was stopped by her with a gentle wave of her hand.

Her murderous intent had been perfectly concealed beneath that gentle smile. Everything seemed to have returned to normal, but an undercurrent was surging underneath.

Emperor Xuan held the scroll in his hand, his eyes as cold as ice, and shot straight at Madam Zheng: "Is this the Spring Breeze Painting you mentioned?"

This sudden question was like a bolt from the blue to Mrs. Zheng. Her heart trembled violently and her face instantly lost its color, as if she was an autumn leaf hit by frost, pale and fragile.

She hurriedly folded her hands over her abdomen and bent down deeply in the most pious manner, almost touching the smooth golden brick floor. Her voice was filled with unquestionable respect: "Your Majesty, it is indeed true. I have never concealed anything."

Emperor Xuan's brows were twisted tightly together like two entangled black dragons, and anger rose in his eyes. The scroll that was originally held lightly in his hands became a tool for him to vent his dissatisfaction at this moment. With a sudden shake, the scroll seemed to have life, and a crashing sound echoed throughout the hall, ostentatious and full of majesty.

In the painting, two women are sitting snuggling together in an exquisite attic. Their expressions are lively and delicate, and their emotions are undercurrents surging in the silence, as if there are thousands of words hidden in the unspoken words.

Emperor Xuan's voice was as cold as ice, and every word was like a sharp blade, piercing people's hearts: "Madam Zheng, you must look carefully, is there any mistake in the people and things in this painting?"

Faced with this strange and mysterious painting, a trace of astonishment flashed across Mrs. Zheng's eyes, which was quickly replaced by fear. The fear was like the tide in the night, silent but strong. When she carefully identified the characteristics of the clothes worn by the two women in the painting, her face turned as pale as paper, without a trace of life.

"This... this is definitely not the painting I brought with me!"

Madam Zheng's voice was trembling, her defense seemed so weak, and every word seemed to have exhausted all her strength.

At this moment, she not only offended an angry emperor, but also Concubine Pei and Pei Qingzhi who were watching covetously and waiting to take advantage of her misfortune.

At the Pei family's seat, Pei Qingzhi's eyes were full of contempt and complacency. Her gaze was like a poisonous snake, tightly wrapped around Zheng Luoxi. The silk handkerchief in her hand had been unconsciously crumpled into a ball, and her anger and victorious attitude were clearly revealed.

Madam Zheng knelt heavily on the ground again and kowtowed repeatedly to the emperor on the dragon throne. Each kowtow was as heavy as a thousand pounds. "Your Majesty, please look carefully. The treasure I want to present is indeed the Spring Breeze Painting. I have no idea about the origin of this painting. Someone must have tampered with it!"

Emperor Xuan tightly grasped the scroll in his hand, and suddenly slammed his arm on the imperial desk in front of him. The loud noise was like thunder, shocking everyone in the room: "How dare you be so audacious! How dare you cheat under my nose!"