Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Seeing Concubine Xie's expression, Noble Lady Wen had to smooth things over and said, "Since this scripture is not suitable for the late emperor to recite, why not change to another one." She thought that Concubine Xie was just showing off with her words. She wanted to make things difficult for others and did not carefully choose the scripture. She was really incapable of accomplishing anything.

Lan Qingwu didn't wait for anyone to speak and said directly: "In fact, I have prepared a scroll of scriptures, Ruping——"

Ru Ping, ignoring Xie Shu's unpleasant expression, forced the Sanskrit text into her mouth, then turned back and handed the prepared scripture to Lan Qingwu. Lan Qingwu took it and began to recite it earnestly. Her voice was like a trickle of water, neither fast nor slow, neither high nor low, quietly flowing into the ears of those in the hall.

After the reading was finished, Concubine Xie couldn't help but say sarcastically, "You read quite fluently. It's really not easy. Concubine Yi was born into a military family. She must have practiced privately for a long time."

Lan Qingwu was about to respond when Liang Pin shot back, "Sister, how about you recite some Sanskrit to everyone and let me hear if it sounds fluent? I'm really curious about how this Sanskrit is pronounced."

She was so happy that she could use this incident to make fun of Concubine Xie for a long time. You claim to be noble and come from a family of scholars and writers, but now you have been slapped in the face!

Lan Qingwu remained silent, listening to the two concubines' conversation, and then the other concubines read some scriptures. In this way, after more than half an hour, the palaces dispersed.

In Suowu Palace, Ruhan hurried into the hall and said, "Master, I heard something. Xiaowen, who tends the flowers in the flower room, told me that someone was secretly asking about the names of the masters of each palace. She was delivering flower pots to another palace and overheard it."

Lan Qingwu was practicing calligraphy. She put down her brush, looked thoughtful, and instructed, "Suowu Palace, only you and Ruping know my small handwriting. Don't let anyone else know."

Ruhan didn't understand the deeper meaning, but she had a hunch that it wasn't a good thing, so she nodded in agreement. Lan Qingwu knew, however, that the emperor always addressed her by her nickname. Had this caught the attention of a high-ranking concubine?

That day, Nanny Xia from the Cining Palace came to the Suowu Palace, saying that the Empress Dowager had summoned Lan Qingwu to the Cining Palace. Lan Qingwu asked Nanny Xia to wait a moment, and after washing and getting ready, she took Ruping with her.

Lan Qingwu arrived at the Cining Palace and bowed first, saying, "Your concubine Yi Noble pays respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be blessed with good health!"

Empress Dowager Li's eyes lit up the moment Lan Qingwu saluted. She felt that this woman's movements were naturally charming and her manners were graceful. Just looking at her was a pleasure.

Lady Li behind him also came out to greet him.

Empress Dowager Li called out hurriedly, "Noble Lady Yi, please sit down below me." Lady Li's eyes darkened slightly. She paused for a moment and walked back behind Empress Dowager Li.

Lan Qingwu sat down as he was told.

Empress Dowager Li looked at her carefully: "I didn't expect that General Lan would have such an elegant and quiet granddaughter." As a woman herself, she also had her own aesthetic taste and preferences for other women's appearance. She liked Concubine Yi very much, as if she was born into her heart.

Lan Qingwu quickly stood up and said, "I don't deserve such praise from the Empress Dowager. I grew up in the borderlands, where the rules and etiquette aren't as elaborate and rigorous as those in the imperial city. I've often heard my grandfather say that the Empress Dowager comes from a family of great wealth and etiquette. I'm honored to meet you today, and I hope you can give me some pointers."

Empress Dowager Li waved her hand and asked her to sit down. "I see that you are very well-mannered and polite. Your grandfather must have been very strict with you since you were young."

Lan Qingwu said softly, "Empress Dowager, my grandfather always disciplined me, but I was a child with a playful personality and didn't really follow the rules. This often gave Mother a headache, and she even punished me by making me kneel in the ancestral hall."

"Oh?" Empress Dowager Li was surprised. All the concubines in the six palaces knew that she valued rules and etiquette, so they all behaved perfectly and spoke carefully in front of her.

"Then what did you do to give your mother a headache? And why are you being punished to kneel?"

Lan Qingwu was a little embarrassed. "When I was seven, my mother assigned me to recite the Nüshu (Chinese Nu Shu) script. I ran off to the garden to weave a flower crown. My mother couldn't find me anywhere, and when she saw me playing in the garden, she wanted to punish me. I recited the Nüshu script to her and told her that the flower crown was a birthday gift for her. She was so upset, she didn't know whether to punish me again."

Empress Dowager Li could only hear a slight smile on her face. This kind of warm and homely feeling was something she had never experienced in the palace. "I don't think you should be punished. You are so young and know how to be filial to your mother. You made a gift for her yourself. I'm sure your mother will be very happy too."

Lan Qingwu replied, "The Empress Dowager is right. Although Mother was angry with me, she took the flower crown to her own room and loved it so much that she never threw it away even after the flowers withered."

Empress Dowager Li nodded. Lan Qingwu continued, "Speaking of gifts, I have prepared a small gift for the Empress Dowager. It's not expensive, but I made it myself."

Behind her, Ruping slowly unfolded the scroll she held, revealing a portrait of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva, remarkably lifelike, held a pure vase in her hand, her expression benevolent and serene, awe-inspiring. Her dignified, elegant, and serene demeanor radiated from the painting. So vivid and lifelike was it that Empress Dowager Li felt as if she had seen Guanyin descend to earth to deliver sentient beings.

Lan Qingwu said, "I heard that the Empress Dowager is devoted to Buddhism. The other day, while copying a sutra, I thought of Guanyin Bodhisattva's salvation of all living beings. I was moved and immediately created this painting. I present it to the Empress Dowager today."

Empress Dowager Li came to her senses and said, "Did you see the real Guanyin Bodhisattva? Come and see, Madam Li, it's so lifelike!"

Nanny Li also stepped forward and looked at it with wide eyes, "I have never seen such a compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva." The two of them started discussing this, their eyes never leaving the scroll.

Lady Li also came back to her senses from her shock. She looked at Lan Qingwu with a complicated look. Wasn't she the daughter of a military general who couldn't even write calligraphy? How could she draw such a picture!

In the end, Empress Dowager Li insisted on keeping Lan Qingwu for lunch before letting her leave.

The next day, Emperor Shenwu went to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Li. Empress Dowager Li specially took out a painting for the emperor to admire. The emperor put down his teacup with a slightly complicated look in his eyes: "Mother, Concubine Yi has been in the palace for nearly a year, but she hasn't given me a single painting."

Empress Dowager Li paused for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, you have rarely been in the harem. I doubt Concubine Yi knows you have such leisure time."

She asked Nanny Li to put away the scroll and said, "Lady Liu Yi had lunch yesterday. I noticed that her appetite was really small, like a cat's. No wonder she looked a little frail."

Emperor Shenwu was silent for a moment. "Your Majesty, I understand this all happened for a reason. The Lan family observed a three-year period of national mourning, and Concubine Yi was a vegetarian for three years. Furthermore, she had a serious illness, and her intestines had long been damaged. After entering the palace, she spent several months recuperating, and has only just begun to recover."

Empress Dowager Li was moved and surprised. She said, "So that's how it is. Concubine Yi is so sincere. If she's been a vegetarian this month, isn't that a waste of her time?"