The Changchun Palace team travels back in time to Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

In Changchun Palace, after helping Rongyin devise a plan, Yingluo suddenly remembered something.

She found Lüzhi, who served Bai Ruiji, and asked her, "Has anyone come looking for Miss Bai these past few days?"

Green Branch said, "Sister Yingluo, I've been keeping an eye on things as you instructed these past few days. The other day, a little eunuch with a long face and narrow eyes did sneak over and meowed twice at the door. Miss Bai then secretly went out. I saw them exchange a few words from afar, and then the little eunuch gave Miss Bai something."

According to Lüzhi's description, the young eunuch should be a servant of Shou Kang Palace. Yingluo thought to herself, "Very good, someone is indeed passing on a message."

I don't know what Bai Ruiji is up to, but I can guess it's probably related to the emperor. However, if I'm not sure, I shouldn't give her the chance.

That afternoon, Rongyin reported the results to the emperor, who said with satisfaction, "The empress handled the matter well, and I am very pleased."

Rongyin asked, "Consort Gao's cold illness has not yet healed, and now the palace's chief eunuch has been replaced. I would like to go to Xianfu Palace to visit her, firstly to inquire about her health, and secondly to comfort her."

The Emperor patted her hand: "The Empress is right. The Consort is seriously ill and has been wronged this time, so she should be comforted properly. Then go."

Rongyin came to Xianfu Palace from Yangxin Hall, sat down with Gao Xiyue, comforted her, gave her a fox fur and ginseng, and said, "I remembered that I asked Consort Wan to help me repair a painting before, but I was busy these past few days and forgot. I only remembered it today when I came to Xianfu Palace."

Gao Xiyue, wrapped in her fox fur coat, recalled that Chen Wanyin had indeed mentioned this matter a few days ago, and said listlessly, "Then let Wanyin bring over the repaired painting."

Rongyin said, "No need. You're sick right now. If more people come and go in the palace, they'll bring in more cold air, and you'll have to force yourself to keep up with the atmosphere. I'll go get it from her instead."

After some polite refusals, Rongyin insisted that Gao Xiyue rest while she left the palace and went to Chen Wanyin's place.

Since the night of the hairpin theft, when Chen Wanyin sent someone to Changchun Palace to report the news, Rongyin knew that although Chen Wanyin was usually quiet, she was a kind-hearted person, and Rongyin felt a little more favor towards her.

After exchanging pleasantries, Rongyin brought up the painting, and Chen Wanyin said, "I have already finished repairing that painting. However, I have seen that Her Majesty the Empress is busy these past few days, so I did not dare to disturb her."

She then ordered someone to bring the painting over. When Rongyin took a look, she saw that the repairs were indeed seamless and natural.

He immediately praised, "Consort Wan's painting skills are truly superb, no less than those of famous artists!" He then had Yingluo bring out a brocade box.

Rongyin said, "This is a set of Huzhou brushes, a few small trinkets, just to thank Consort Wan."

Chen Wanyin said in a flustered manner, "How can such a small matter be worthy of such a generous gift?" Then she said, "However, I do have a request."

Rongyin asked, "What request does Consort Wan have?"

Chen Wanyin replied, "When I was finishing this painting, I saw that the brushwork and composition of the figures in this painting were exquisite, so I tried to imitate the brushwork, thinking of painting a scene of me spending time with my family in my boudoir, to comfort my longing for my loved ones. My painting is not yet finished. I wonder if I could borrow Your Majesty's painting for a few days, so that I can carefully study the brushwork, and then return it to Your Majesty?"

Rongyin said, "Consort Wan is far from her hometown and has no news from her family. It is only natural for her to miss her loved ones. What's wrong with that? I just wonder if I would have the honor of seeing Consort Wan's paintings first and appreciating them?"

Chen Wanyin humbly replied, "This is just something I did for my own amusement; it's not worth mentioning. Your Majesty, please follow me."

Chen Wanyin led Rongyin to the desk in the hall. Rongyin saw several portraits of the emperor on the desk, with an unfinished painting weighed down by a paperweight in the middle. The painting depicted several people, but was not yet colored. Several girls and children were playing, a middle-aged man and woman were nearby, and a young man was holding a book and pretending to read it.

Rongyin unrolled her painting, which depicted a family enjoying a spring outing by a pavilion. Several children were playing, while a middle-aged couple and two young men stood by the pavilion, watching with smiles. It was a very warm and interesting scene.

It is likely that Chen Wanyin was originally obsessed with depicting the image of the emperor. When she was supplementing her painting, she saw that the figures in this painting were carefree and enjoying family life, which aroused her longing for her own family. That's when she thought of imitating this painting.

Rongyin looked at it and said, "The middle-aged man and woman in this painting must be Consort Wan's parents; this little girl, judging from her eyebrows and eyes, is Consort Wan; the other young children must be Consort Wan's younger siblings; and who is this young man reading?"

Chen Wanyin replied, "This is my cousin. My cousin's family is poor, but he is very fond of reading. He often guards the door for my parents and has read many books at my home."

My parents also liked his intelligence, so they allowed him to study in their room, and I saw him a few times when I was young. After I grew up, firstly, due to the strict separation of men and women, and secondly, because my uncle passed the imperial examination and later went to Tongcheng to study, we rarely saw each other anymore.

Rongyin couldn't help but exclaim, "We only met a few times when we were young, yet you can still draw her likeness. Consort Wan is indeed intelligent and clever."

Chen Wanyin sighed: "My parents died early, and my family property was divided up by my uncles. My cousin, who was visiting my hometown at the time, was poor but was willing to speak up for me. Later, I was chosen by the prefect to be offered to the Prince's Palace. I was very fortunate, but I lost all contact with this elder ever since."

At that moment, the Emperor's voice suddenly rang out: "What are you all looking at?"

When the Emperor entered the bedchamber, Rongyin and Chen Wanyin were startled and immediately bowed and begged for forgiveness.

The Emperor said, “It’s alright. I told them not to announce it. I went to see Consort Gao, but she didn’t seem to be in good spirits, so I didn’t stay long. Consort Gao told me that the Empress was with Consort Wan, so I came to check on her.”

As he spoke, he looked at the two paintings scattered on the table. Jinzhong and Li Yu immediately unrolled the scrolls. The emperor looked at them and said, "I remember this painting was part of the Empress's dowry. It depicts the Empress in her youth, enjoying a spring outing with her family. The Empress has treasured it for many years. No wonder she was worried about having the Imperial Household Department finish the painting. Is this unfinished painting on the table a copy by Consort Wan?"

Chen Wanyin knelt down in fear: "Your Majesty and Empress, I did not know that this painting was of the Empress. I have overstepped my bounds and beg your forgiveness!"

Rongyin quickly said, "Your Majesty, this was something I received before I married you. Consort Wan is not overstepping her bounds, and I have already granted Consort Wan permission to copy the painting."

The Emperor said casually, "Since the Empress has spoken, Consort Wan, please rise. The Empress has always been kind and benevolent to her subordinates. You don't need to be so fearful and uneasy in front of me and the Empress. As for this painting, I remember the Empress saying that it was commissioned by Lord Li Rongbao and painted by Leng Mei."

The Queen replied, “Yes. Mr. Dongbu is skilled in portraiture, so Father asked him to paint portraits of me and my family.”

The Emperor said, "Leng Mei's painting skills are indeed exquisite. Looking at the man in this painting, he is clearly Fu Qing, the Cloud Banner Envoy. Consort Wan's ability to imitate Leng Mei shows that she is quite skilled in painting."

He sighed and said, "Leng Mei was originally a court painter, but because he learned some Western techniques, he was not favored by Father and was therefore expelled from the palace early on. Now that Lang Shining has gone to the Yuanmingyuan, why not invite him back to paint?"

Li Yu immediately agreed: "Yes, this servant will take care of it right away. This would be a great blessing for Leng Mei."

Li Yu and Jinzhong put the scroll away and placed it back on the table. Jinzhong glanced at Wan Ying's painting unintentionally, and was suddenly shocked: the young scholar in the painting, apart from looking younger, looked too much like the man they had met at the mass grave that day!

What did Consort Wan say when I came in with the Emperor? This is her cousin?

Jinzhong's mind raced. To avoid the Emperor thinking he had revealed his mission to someone else, and to prevent any unforeseen complications, he and Qin Li had prepared their story in advance. They only said that the masked men were terrified when they heard a passerby shout from afar, and that he had struck them in the chest with a stick. They didn't mention that the passerby not only got close, but that the masked men were also struck by that passerby, and that he had also seen Xiangyun's corpse.

After all, Jinzhong couldn't bear the charges of failing to perform his duties properly or deceiving the emperor, so he could only fabricate a convincing lie to completely fool the emperor.

Although the passing scholar cleverly left immediately, Cheng Han had already seen his face, and he was someone who had been under the Emperor's nose.

If a Hanlin scholar who is on the move is targeted by the Niohuru clan or if he feels uneasy one day and lets something slip, his life is over!

Therefore, Jinzhong has been trying to find out about that junior official in the palace for the past few days, but there are so many people in the Junior Official Hall, and he doesn't know his name.

It was inconvenient to make any obvious moves, so they couldn't find the person.

He's been on duty these past few days and can't go to investigate the mass grave area again. Qin Li also hasn't run into him at the Imperial Household Department several times for some reason.

He was so anxious, but he never expected to get it so easily today!

Jinzhong's heart was in turmoil, but his face remained calm.

That night, the emperor spent the night at Xianfu Palace. The next day, he rewarded Consort Gao with many things and ordered Jinzhong to go to the Imperial Household Department to select some aquamarine and stone colors to reward Consort Wan.

Inside the Imperial Household Department, Qin Li was comfortably slumped in a chair.

The rumors about Xiangyun have gradually subsided in the past few days, and he can enjoy a period of time without disappearing.

But then Jinzhong rushed into the Imperial Household Department in a flurry of activity. Upon seeing him, he said urgently, "That junior scholar's surname is Chen."

Qin Li said, "Eunuch Jinzhong, no, I am the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Department, while you serve the Emperor and have more opportunities to deal with civil officials from the previous dynasty. We agreed that you would be the one to find this person, right?"

Jinzhong said, “These past few days, that old bastard Wang Qin has been keeping an eye on Master and us, trying to find fault. I just can’t get away! How about this, you find an opportunity to go to the mass grave again. That scholar didn’t have a carriage or horses that day, so he might have a place to stay there. Now that we know his surname, the scope is even smaller. Why don’t you go and try your luck?”

Qin Li had no choice but to agree.

He found an opportunity to leave the palace and wandered around the mass grave area, where he actually found a small temple. This temple was called Ciyun Temple, and it was built by an old monk who made a great vow to deliver the vengeful spirits from the mass grave.

Qin Li visited the abbot as a pilgrim and learned that because the temple was small and located near a mass grave, it had little incense offerings and few monks. However, a scholar surnamed Chen often stayed in an empty room in the temple, copying scriptures for the temple as payment for his lodging.

"This benefactor Chen said that his house was small and his family was large, so he could not concentrate on preparing for the imperial examination. Therefore, he would come to our temple to stay and study whenever he had a day off."

He said he had family matters to attend to these past few days and was also busy at the inn, making it inconvenient for him to come and go, so he wouldn't be staying here anymore. Before leaving, he also instructed that if anyone came looking for him, they should go to Ruichengzhai in Liulichang, Beijing, and simply say they were looking for Mr. Kezhai.

Qin Li went to Ruichengzhai again and, following the abbot's instructions, gave the name of Mr. Kezhai. The shopkeeper slapped his forehead: "Hey, Scholar Chen did mention that a guest had taken a fancy to one of his calligraphy works and wanted to discuss it in person. Oh, it's you! It just so happens that the Shuchangguan is closed today, so he should be wandering around nearby. Please wait in the inner hall, I'll go find him right away!"

A moment later, the scholar the two had met that day entered the inner hall. As soon as he entered, he said to the innkeeper, "I need to speak with this distinguished guest in private. No one else needs to come in."

The shopkeeper agreed and closed the door.

Scholar Chen bowed respectfully, and without exchanging pleasantries, went straight to the point: "May I ask, sir, who sent you to see me?"

Qin Li smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "My benefactor, what are you saying? That day, my brother and I went to bury a woman in the village who had died of illness. We encountered highway robbers. If it weren't for your help, my brother and I would have been in grave danger. My brother and I have been searching for you everywhere, partly to repay your life-saving grace."

Secondly, this woman has contracted a strange illness, and the elders of the clan, worried about the damage to their reputation in the village, instructed the two of us to bury her secretly. Unexpectedly, we encountered bandits, revealing her appearance. We dare not make a fuss, and fear that if the elders find out, they will punish us. Therefore, if anything happens, we would like to ask you to intervene.”

The scholar suddenly realized and said, "If you came here because of what happened that day, I only have one thing to say: If anyone asks about it in the future, I only saw a few masked men surrounding the two of us from afar that day. I suppose those men were petty thieves who wanted to steal the corpses and collect the clothes of the dead. When they saw people, they had evil intentions and wanted to rob us."

I shouted from afar, and the petty thieves, realizing they'd been caught red-handed, scattered in terror. I left without knowing anything more.

Qin Li said, "I have another question. On that day, did those thieves all see you approach? If you had caught them, their confessions would have contradicted yours. What would you have said then?"

The scholar said, "Those petty thieves felt it was too shameful to be scared away by a mere shout, so they made up a lie. They're thieves, what they say can be trusted!"

To be on the safe side, Qin Li asked, "Although our benefactor is noble and does not seek anything in return for saving us, my brother still wishes to know your name so that we may repay your life-saving kindness in the future."

The scholar said, "If this is the only way you can be at ease, then I may tell you. My name is Chen Dashou, courtesy name Zhanxian."

Qin Li said, "My benefactor is kind-hearted and exceptionally intelligent. He will surely achieve great success in the future."

Chen Dashou waved his hand and said, "You flatter me, you flatter me. I should have treated you to a meal since you went to so much trouble to come here, but as you probably know, I am really short of money, and besides, our statuses are not suitable for any kind of acquaintance. Now that we have made things clear, let's take our leave!"

Upon returning to the Forbidden City, Qin immediately sought out Jinzhong and informed him of the matter.

Jinzhong sighed, "Then I feel much more at ease."

Qin Li said, “Judging from his conversation with me, he probably already saw through our identities and roughly deduced the cause and effect. He even gave us the safest solution. Chen Zhanxian is not only chivalrous enough to help those in need, but also so intelligent. Eunuch Jinzhong, you might see him in front of the Emperor or even in the Grand Council later.”

Jinzhong narrowed his eyes: "If that's the case, besides what the Emperor bestows, you should also pick out some good things for Consort Wan. Although Consort Wan is not very favored now, our Emperor values ​​the maternal families of his concubines the most."

Qin Li said, "You can say these things to me, but trying to guess the Emperor's intentions is a serious offense."

Jinzhong laughed and said, "Of course. I only dare to do that because it's with you."