Chapter 91 – Viewing Paintings

Su Huaibei stood up first, bowing his hands as he said, “Your Majesty.”

Xu Chun turned his head and only then noticed Xie Yi’s arrival. Surprised and delighted, he hurriedly bent down to look for his shoes. But Xie Yi had already restrained him, saying, “What’s the rush? Take your time.” He lowered his head to pick up the shoes, holding Xu Chun’s ankle as he helped him put on one shoe. Xu Chun took advantage of the situation, throwing himself at Xie Yi as he exclaimed, “Big Brother Jiu is back.”

Xie Yi was enveloped in a fragrant embrace, reminded of Liu Xiaohui, and couldn’t help but mock himself. Supporting Xu Chun, he turned around to see that all the attendants in the courtyard had moved away. Su Huaibei had gone to the side hall to oversee the preparation of the meal. With his hand resting on Xu Chun’s waist, he couldn’t resist giving it a gentle caress. Stabilizing Xu Chun, he reluctantly withdrew his hand with a smile, asking, “Didn’t you say you were going back to the Marquis’ mansion?”

Xu Chun replied, “After chatting with my mother, I came back to accompany you. My father is now obsessed with gardens and landscapes, so you can hardly see him.”

Xie Yi smiled. “There’s nothing much to play with in the palace. After eating, I’ll take you out to have some fun. We can ride horses around the palace grounds. There’s also a Firearm Bureau at Su Huaibei’s place. They’ve made some copies of the firearm you gave me last time. They’re planning to test-fire them soon. Once we finish this busy period, I’ll take you hunting at the Western Mountain Hunting Palace. We’ll bring Fang Zixing along and try out the firepower of the firearms while hunting.”

Xu Chun’s eyes lit up. As long as he could follow Xie Yi, he was content with whatever happened.

But Xie Yi felt uncertain. Xu Chun was too young. Throughout his own life, from childhood to adulthood, Xie Yi’s experiences had been incredibly dull, devoid of entertainment. Occasionally fishing with his uncle or participating in the royal hunt each year didn’t seem like the kind of activities Xu Chun would enjoy at his age.

As they conversed, the two entered the side hall, where the meal had already been laid out. Most dishes consisted of light and fresh seasonal vegetables such as chicken broth with wolfberry leaves, boiled prawns, steamed fish, and ginkgo nuts steamed with chicken. The more heavily flavored dishes were braised lamb chops and grilled scallops—these were what Xu Chun liked. There were also cold dishes like smoked venison jerky and lotus root salad. While there were many different types of dishes, the portions were small.

Initially, Xu Chun had been curious about how splendid and abundant the imperial cuisine would be. According to legend, the emperor’s banquet consisted of 108 dishes, of which he only sampled a few. The ingredients were delicacies from all over the country. However, upon seeing the spread, he found that most of the dishes were home-style meals, leaving him rather surprised.

Xie Yi explained, “It’s the dog days of summer, so I didn’t let them prepare anything too greasy. It’s just the two of us, so we don’t need much food. Preparing excessive amounts in the imperial kitchen would be wasteful. That’s why I only asked them to follow the usual routine. They should select seasonal vegetables and dishes of the current season, ensuring freshness. If you want to eat any particular dish, just tell Su Huaibei in advance. Previously, I noticed that you seemed to enjoy mutton and seafood, so I only had Su Huaibei prepare those. Just list what you want to eat, and the imperial kitchen will make it for you.”

Xu Chun nodded, picking up his chopsticks. He watched as Xie Yi scooped a shrimp onto his plate. “Try it and see if there’s any difference between the palace version and what Auntie Liu makes.”

Xu Chun chuckled. “I brought some sauces for Your Majesty. They are all South China flavors and Fujian flavors.”

Ignoring the rule of no talking during meals, Xie Yi asked with a smile, “What flavors are they? Let’s have Su Huaibei open a few jars for us to taste.”

Looking at the boiled prawns, Xu Chun suggested, “These prawns go well with the kumquat sauce, and it can also relieve coughing. Eunuch Su, please have them pick that bottle.”

Su Huaibei, seeing that the Emperor was in high spirits, didn’t dampen the mood by mentioning the need for poison testing. Instead, he instructed someone to find the bottle of kumquat sauce. Upon opening it, the color resembled amber, and the texture was as thick as honey. Xu Chun washed his hands again, peeled a prawn, dipped it in the kumquat sauce, and offered it to Xie Yi. Xie Yi took a bite, tasting the sweet and sour flavor with a hint of citrus. It was refreshing and pleasant. He smiled slightly. “This is truly a Fujian flavor, on the sweet side.”

Xu Chun asked, “Last time, Big Brother Jiu seemed to enjoy pomelo quite a bit. Why doesn’t the kumquat sauce suit your taste?”

Xie Yi replied, “It’s not a matter of whether it suits my taste or not. It’s not bad. I suspect that my taste buds aren’t as sensitive as others’. I often hear people praise certain foods, so I try them, but I’m not particularly fixated on any particular flavor.”

Xu Chun glanced at Xie Yi a few times, recalling the story Big Brother Jiu told about the fresh fish. He wondered how someone could lack taste preferences. Delicious was delicious, and unappetizing was unappetizing. Big Brother Jiu must have been strictly disciplined against expressing preferences, resulting in a lack of desires over time. Wasn’t Big Brother Jiu supposed to be an emperor, not a monk?

Xie Yi picked up a piece of fish from the belly and gave it to him. “Take this fish, for instance. Back in Fan Mucun’s village, he could taste the difference between pond-raised fish and river fish at a glance. He could tell just by tasting. The same goes for tea. He could discern the age of the tea leaves and whether the water came from a well or a spring.”

Xu Chun commented, “Fan Tanhua indeed has a keen sense of taste. Today, when we had tea, he asked me if we were drinking apricot kernel tea due to the almond fragrance. But I was actually drinking jasmine tea. It’s strange. Perhaps it was the almond-scented powder Qingqian sister applied to her face when she passed by.”

“As for distinguishing aged wine from new wine, although I don’t drink much, the difference in flavor is quite obvious. Fruit wines should be consumed fresh, while grain wines should be aged. Big Brother Jiu, you just weren’t paying attention, right?”

He then turned to Su Huaibei. “Eunuch Su, could you please fetch that plum paste and southern ginger sauce for me, as well as that red onion sauce? Let’s see if His Majesty likes them.”

Xie Yi glanced at him, watching as he earnestly selected several sauces and personally tasted them. He seemed to smile faintly, appreciating Xu Chun’s determination to find a flavor he liked. This dining experience suddenly became somewhat interesting.

The two chatted and laughed as Xu Chun tried various sauces and presented them to Xie Yi for tasting. Whenever he saw Xie Yi showing satisfaction with a particular sauce, his eyes would sparkle like stars. Xie Yi, who initially found them average, found himself consuming quite a bit due to Xu Chun’s charming company.

Eventually, both felt quite full. Xu Chun, feeling content, washed his hands and lazily slumped onto the armchair sofa, his eyelids drooping. However, Xie Yi pulled him up. “Don’t rest after eating. Let me take you for a walk.”

Xu Chun asked, “Are we going horseback riding?”

Xie Yi laughed. “To aid digestion, we shouldn’t ride horses. I’ll take you to see some paintings. During the day, I had Hongwen Academy select many famous calligraphy and paintings and hang them around the palace. Let’s go and appreciate them.”

Xu Chun perked up, realizing that these were renowned works of calligraphy and painting stored within the imperial palace! He immediately stood up, and Xie Yi led him out of Suiyu Hall, heading toward Guanfeng Tower. As they ascended the stairs, Xie Yi remarked, “We can only view them by candlelight tonight, so the details won’t be clear. You can come here alone tomorrow during the day.”

Xu Chun agreed, “Alright, but tomorrow, I’ll visit Mr. Shen first. I’ll return at noon.”

Xie Yi chuckled. “He’s quite busy these days, having recruited a new batch of students. He probably just gives you reading lists and doesn’t have time to manage you.”

Xu Chun said, “They are all busy. Imperial Scholar He originally planned to invite Fan Tanhua and me to visit the free school when we had time. He mentioned that Prince Shun’an is currently in mourning at home, refusing visitors. Without someone in charge, the free school might suffer from neglect, potentially affecting the children. We occasionally visit to check on things and teach the students, which is a virtuous act. But it seems he has broken his promise due to the many cases he’s handling.”

Xie Yi commented, “Yes, he’s been promoted, and Fan Mucun is about to become a scholar of the Imperial Academy. Seeing Zhang Wenzheng’s achievements, they naturally don’t want to fall behind.”

Xu Chun blushed slightly. “I see that Big Brother Jiu is busy. If you have free time, I’ll be there to keep you company.”

In Xie Yi’s heart, he thought that every day without Xu Chun was spent in this manner. What was the big deal? But with Xu Chun’s concern, he felt a renewed sense of anticipation each day. The palace was too monotonous and boring. Suddenly, he had an epiphany, realizing that perhaps those former emperors indulged in pleasures merely to amuse their beloved ones.

Fortunately, Xu Chun wouldn’t be confined to the harem, facing endless boredom.

As they stepped into the grand hall on the upper floor, the walls were adorned with ancient paintings and calligraphy, each framed and hung in succession. Xu Chun forgot what he wanted to say, eagerly approaching the works to scrutinize them under the candlelight.

“This is ‘Banquet Under the Banana Grove,’ this is ‘Nine Songs Figure,’ this is ‘Illustrations of Departure and Arrival,’ ‘Ice Pot and Autumn Colors’… These are all paintings by Master Lian. I’ve seen copies of them. I never knew the original versions were in Big Brother Jiu’s possession. His figures are peculiar, yet their styles are exquisitely ancient…”

Xu Chun was engrossed in his observation, and Xie Yi smiled. “I guessed you’d like his paintings, so I specifically had someone choose them out.”

Xu Chun’s eyes sparkled as he turned to look at him. “How did Big Brother Jiu know I’d like his paintings?”

Unable to resist, Xie Yi laughed and slightly lifted his chin, gesturing towards the central screen. “Look over there.”

Xu Chun glanced over and saw his own painting hanging there. In the center, a man lay on snow-covered rocks, resembling a lonely crane in a vast sky. It was the butterfly dream painting he had created at the Xie Fei banquet in the past. The facial features were unmistakably those of Big Brother Jiu. A slight flush crept onto his face. “This painting… How did it end up in Big Brother Jiu’s possession?”

Amidst the hall filled with masterpieces by famous artists, Xu Chun’s own clumsily painted work was unexpectedly mixed in. It had been carefully mounted and hung in the centermost position, covered with a silk net to protect it from dust. Several bright candles illuminated it from the sides, indicating the owner’s great regard for it.

Xie Yi explained, “Chen Lian also painted butterflies. Look at ‘Butterfly Silk Fan Painting’ and this ‘Incense Burner Painting.’ There’s also this ‘Finger Butterfly Painting.’ When I saw your painting, I immediately thought of this one.”

“Xie Fei painted a butterfly, and you could have simply depicted flowers to avoid drawing attention. But you unexpectedly chose to paint a figure. I guessed you would also like Chen Lian’s paintings. They are serene yet aloof, peculiar yet melancholic.”

“When I saw the painting, I was curious. Despite being a wealthy prince, how could you depict such a solitary and ethereal atmosphere? Yet, you managed to break free from convention using extravagant and bizarre colors. I guessed that Xie Fei was also taken aback at the time, which is why he held you in high regard and began to court you.”

Blushing slightly from Xie Yi’s praise, Xu Chun replied, “I just painted it casually.”

Xie Yi teased him, looking at him. “You casually painted a portrait of me? Even the sketches hidden in your book are of me?”

Recalling his missing sketchbook, Xu Chun’s face flushed even more. Xie Yi gently embraced him. “You possess extraordinary talent. Once you enter the government, no one can overshadow your brilliance.”

Xu Chun felt a surge of sweetness in his heart, blossoming with joy. Xie Yi held his hand and continued to view the other paintings. They didn’t leave until late at night, when they went together to the bathhouse for a bath. That night, Xie Yi didn’t cough and slept soundly until morning.

Afterward, the ministers quickly noticed that the Emperor’s health had recovered, and he resumed attending court. For several consecutive days, he handled state affairs efficiently. However, in the afternoon, unlike in the past, he no longer continuously summoned important officials for discussions. He also stopped summoning monks to preach and discuss Buddhism. Instead, the Emperor adopted a style contrary to his previous disinterest in pleasure, inviting opera troupes, acrobatic groups, and musicians into the palace for performances.

Although he didn’t neglect state affairs, his leadership style was noticeably less stern and cold than before, becoming more lenient and gentle. This led to increased speculation among the court officials, wondering if the Emperor had favored a concubine in the harem. It was considered a good thing, but since there was no announcement of a concubine being elevated to the rank of imperial consort, some censors began to petition the Emperor to select a queen and concubines.

Xie Yi continued to ignore these petitions, focusing instead on devising ways to spend each day with Xu Chun. He felt content knowing that he had a companion through the long days.