A Mistaken Marriage Match: Mysteries in the Imperial Harem

Chapter 35: Imperial Concubine Qing

Qing Feng felt a chill in her spine and she secretly took a deep breath before speaking out, "Chenqie has someone to show to the Emperor." Yan Hong Tian face was still gloomy but he still turned and walked into Qing Feng Hall.

"Go and bring the painting over." Qing Feng hurried and explained to Fu Ling who was beside her and without stopping her steps, she followed Yan Hong Tian into the house. She knew that at this moment that he is not to be trifled with.

"Yes." Fu Ling dare not delay and quickly took the framed painting and walked back in to the house. In the chambers, the Emperor sat on the highest seat and her Mistress stood at the side. Fu Ling naturally did not dare to look into the Imperial eyes but that force and imposing manner made her have breathing difficulties.

"Open it."

Listening to Qing Feng, Fu Ling quickly open the painting up but because the entire painting was as tall as a person and more than one zhang (1 zhang = 10 feet/3.3 meter) wide, Fu Ling had a hard time holding it and Gao Jing had to come forward to hold on to one side of the painting and slowly unroll it in front of Yan Hong Tian.

"You drew it?" The deep voice questioned her but one would not be able to hear any joy or anger. Qing quietly observed Yan Hong Tian's expressions as she softly reply, "En."

Yan Hong Tian did not ask her about her words and his dark cold eyes continue to stare at the painting before him with an expressionless face.

When the painting was unrolled, Gao Jing could not help but look at it and be secretly amazed at it. He has long heard that the Qing family sisters were well versed in the Four Arts (zither, weiqi, calligraphy and painting) and Qing Feng's calligraphy and painting was more difficult to get that a thousand gold bars. He believes that Qing Feng's painting would indeed be of fine works or art but he guessed that for a female to paint, one would only paint flowers, birds, insects and fishes but did not think that what was shown would be a painting of vast and majestic peaks of lofty range of mountains. Between the misty clouds, the imposing peaks of the mountain range stretches to a thousand li (1 li = 500 meters), like the blue dragon in the sky and the lengendary dragon in the sea (that control the weather). Under the shades of the ink, the misty clouds around the mountain seems to drift out from the drawing paper. The free strokes of the brush and the casual placement of the ink and the majestic manner did not seem to have come out from a young female's hands. Qing Feng indeed live up to her famous reputation. This piece of painting, the Emperor will indeed like.

Qing Feng was full of confidence with her paining that even though Yan Hong Tian was staring at it for a long time without saying a word, she was not nervous. She softly questioned, "What does the Emperor think?"

"Good." Yan Hong Tian plainly threw out a word. Although there was not much praise spoken, his face apparently did ease up a bit.

Qing Feng thought about it before speaking, "Chenqie also like it a lot, especially the layers of miasma. The mountain are always there and how much can be seen depends of how much miasma is in one's eye." Qing Feng's words were not light nor heavy and even though Yan Hong Tian's expression did not change but Gao Jing's heart worsen with the words.

"You feel that Zhen was bewitched by the miasma?" Yan Hong Tian was still appreciating the painting in front of him but the casual question revealed a cold chill. Qing Feng's heart tightened but she did not intend to remain quiet, "Naturally the Emperor would not be bewitched by the little miasma but Chenqie is afraid that the rest of the mountain creatures would be bewitched by it and cannot see where the sky is." Qing Feng knows that what she say today was practically like pulling the teeth from the tiger's mouth but she still could not help but say it. Not because to help Chen Zhen to seek for forgiveness, not because to push the Empress aside but because she felt a trace of... Indignant.