Chapter 415 - 417: A Love with Ulterior Motives
Early the next morning, Dugu Wu left the house early, and for the following days, he went out early and returned late. Feng Zao said it was because of the Competition Among Ten Countries, and the Prince would be busy for a while.
After the news of the Competition Among Ten Countries spread, both the common folk and the offspring of noble families and government officials were very interested.
In addition to traditional talent selection places like the Imperial Academy and Yuxiu Academy, local governments everywhere also began to select suitable candidates. Not only that, it was said that some were even recruiting Mercenary Corps to participate.
The Crown Prince and Prince Wu, as the persons in charge of this Competition Among Ten Countries, had already begun recruiting and selecting talents from all over Great Chu.
Although Emperor Yongye had entrusted the Competition Among Ten Countries to the Crown Prince and Dugu Wu, it was clear that the two had no intention of cooperating, and each selected their own candidates.
After the Empress's death, Emperor Yongye, although he escaped the torment of the love poison, created even more chaos in the court, and even the harem was turbulent with hidden undercurrents.
On the other side, after Dugu Xiaojin acquired the ability to switch bodies, he did not tell Feng Bailing or Dugu Wu. He began secret training with Baishan, and after several exercises, he was already proficient in switching bodies.
Baishan was also able to control the sudden surge of great strength in his body, growing and shrinking at will.
One day, Princess Consort Shun again pestered Feng Bailing's ear about Noble Princess Consort Guo, and Feng Bailing decided to make a trip to the Imperial Palace.
She went to Noble Princess Consort Guo's Yuxia Palace, where a palace maid told her that the Noble Princess Consort was painting in the imperial garden.
Summer was about to pass, and autumn quietly arrived.
The imperial garden had taken on a new look, the lotus flowers in the pond had withered, and the maple leaves turned redder day by day, making the imperial garden a sea of fire.
When Feng Bailing entered the imperial garden, she saw from afar Nalan Yan'er and Noble Princess Consort Guo sitting in the pavilion.
"Noble Princess Consort Guo, please help me with this and give me some guidance on my painting skills."
"Crown Princess Consort, you were once my student, what I could teach you I already have, and I can't teach you anything else beyond that."
The conversation between the two occasionally floated over.
Seeing that Noble Princess Consort Guo was unwilling to relent, Nalan Yan'er felt somewhat disappointed.
She had asked Noble Princess Consort Guo several times, but the Noble Princess Consort was always lukewarm.
Upon seeing Feng Bailing approach, a mocking look flashed in Nalan Yan'er's eyes.
Everyone in the palace knew that Noble Princess Consort Guo did not like Feng Bailing, yet Feng Bailing still shamelessly cozied up to her, truly asking for embarrassment.
Who would have known that today, upon seeing Feng Bailing, Noble Princess Consort Guo's face broke into a smile, and she even rose to greet her.
"Bailing, you've come."
Her words bore no hint of dislike for Feng Bailing, which greatly surprised Nalan Yan'er.
Pretending not to notice Feng Bailing, Nalan Yan'er commanded her servant to fetch a box.
"Noble Princess Consort Guo, this is plant pigment made by the skillful artisans from Chu City, containing some rare colors. Just mixing one color costs hundreds of silver. I know you enjoy painting in your daily life, so I especially purchased this as a gift for you."
Noble Princess Consort Guo did not show too much excitement.
"This gift is too precious, you should take it back."
Noble Princess Consort Guo tactfully refused Nalan Yan'er.
The color drained from Nalan Yan'er's face, and she cursed inwardly, condemning Noble Consort Guo as unappreciative.
She, a Consort without offspring—if not for wanting to enhance her painting skills, why would she, as the Crown Princess Consort, bother to flatter her?
"Noble Princess Consort Guo, this is the mineral stone I mentioned to you last time. Using it to make pigments is not expensive, but the color is very durable and bright, and even the common people can use it."
Feng Bailing took out several chunks of mineral stones, which she had ordered Zhang Dafa to collect from the Great Chu Mountain Area. While not worth much money, they were not easy to collect, and the gesture was what counted.
At this point, no one in Great Chu had used mineral stones to make pigments, and the most commonly used were things like vermillion. The stones Feng Bailing brought out were only about the size of a fist, but the colors were very unique.
Seeing this, Noble Princess Consort Guo took the stones with interest.
"Using stones as pigments? Feng Bailing, don't pretend to know what you're talking about. Are you daydreaming?"
Nalan Yan'er ridiculed.
Feng Bailing had no painting skills to speak of; she had not attended a single painting class at Yuxiu Academy.
Noble Princess Consort Guo instructed the eunuch to crush and grind the stones, eventually making them into pigments.
The colors of pigments made from stone, such as stone blue, pine green, iron sand red, yellow sand color, are much more vivid than those made from plants.
Princess Consort Guo excitedly clutched Feng Bailing's hand and wouldn't let go.
"Bailing, tell me quickly, what other stones can be used for pigments; I'll find a way to have people collect them from the common folks."
Princess Consort Guo was so excited she resembled a young girl experiencing first love, chatting with Feng Bailing as if no one else was around. Their conversation flowed endlessly, completely ignoring Nalan Yan'er, who stood beside them.
Frustrated, she stamped her foot. The expensive pigments she purchased were disregarded, while the worthless stones Feng Bailing brought were treated like treasures.
She turned and walked away without looking back.
"The Crown Princess Consort seems to be angry."
Feng Bailing stuck out her tongue towards Nalan Yan'er's retreating figure.
"Don't mind it. As a powerless Princess Consort, her sudden fawning over me is only for the painting left by Lady Dugu. Too bad the painting isn't in my possession, so there's no use in her coming to me."
Princess Consort Guo had long seen through Nalan Yan'er's intentions.
Usually indifferent to worldly affairs, Nalan Yan'er used to curry favor with Noble Princess Consort Xiao. Now that the Prince has awakened, it is said that their marital relationship is not as strong as before.
To please the Prince, Nalan Yan'er wanted to participate in the Competition Among Ten Countries. Though she possessed the Wenhua Seal, each country has its own strong contenders. In order to win, Nalan Yan'er was looking to make a breakthrough in painting.
"The painting by Lady Dugu, you're not referring to the one that was hanging in Prince Shun's Mansion before, are you?"
Feng Bailing exclaimed in surprise.
"You've seen that painting?"
Princess Consort Guo was taken aback.
That painting, ever since Lady Dugu's death, had gone missing.
Not only had she seen the painting, but Feng Bailing was also the one who personally delivered it to Emperor Yongye, thinking awkwardly to herself.
She no longer hid the truth, telling Princess Consort Guo everything about herself and that painting.
Princess Consort Guo sighed after hearing it.
"This matter is not your fault. The entanglements between Emperor and Dugu Wu are indeed too deep."
After saying that, Princess Consort Guo seemed to fall into recollections and remained silent for a long while.
"Princess Consort Guo, could you tell me some things about Lady Dugu?"
Feng Bailing boldly asked.
She would have to interact closely with Dugu Wu for nearly another year. She believed that Lady Dugu might be key to unraveling Dugu Wu's emotional entanglements.
Although Feng Bailing had never met Lady Dubu, she always felt that Lady Dugu wasn't the kind of person who heartlessly abandoned her son.
She even had a bold guess in her heart, but she needed Princess Consort Guo's cooperation to confirm it.
Princess Consort Guo hesitated, remaining silent for a long time.
"Your Majesty, these are the ginkgo fruits picked for you by His Highness."
Just as Princess Consort Guo was hesitating, a palace maid sent by Emperor Yongye came into the pavilion with a plate of fruits.
The plate contained some cooked ginkgo fruits.
A smile appeared on Princess Consort Guo's face, and she rewarded the palace maid.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for remembering to send me ginkgo fruits every month."
After the palace maid left, Princess Consort Guo noticed Feng Bailing's surprised look and explained with a smile.
"When my mother gave birth to me prematurely, I was born with a chronic cough that baffled many doctors. After I entered the palace, when the Emperor learned of this, he would have someone pick fresh ginkgo fruits for me every month to alleviate my cough."
The fruit of the ginkgo, also known as ginkgo, when cooked and eaten in moderation, can warm the lungs and stop coughing.
Feng Bailing, well-versed in traditional Chinese medicine, certainly knew of this medicinal property. However, just as Princess Consort Guo was about to eat, Feng Bailing raised her hand and snatched the ginkgo fruits from her grasp.