Le Xuanji lay on the bed listening to music, almost falling asleep.
Le's Mother suddenly came over, seeing her daughter lying comfortably on the bed, and shook her head helplessly.
"Xuanji, why haven't you gone downstairs yet? Miss Zhan and Madam Zhan have been here for a while. As the hostess, how can you not show your face? And apologizing online isn't sincere enough. Since they're here, go and say sorry in person."
Le's Mother pulled off her daughter's blanket, urging her to change clothes and go downstairs quickly.
Le Xuanji really didn't want to go and see Gu Nanyan, who was universally criticized online. But she couldn't disobey her mother, so she could only get up reluctantly, change into proper clothes, and go downstairs.
On the way, Le Xuanji asked her mother, "Mom, have you seen Gu Nanyan? What did you think of her?"
Le's Mother frowned, tilted her head thinking for a moment, but couldn't find the right words to describe her, so she could only say, "It's hard to describe. You'll know when you see her. This Madam Zhan is very special."
"Special as in awful?" Le Xuanji mocked.
Le's Mother flicked her daughter's forehead and chided her, "You haven't even met her. Don't make malicious guesses. Online information is true and false. You can't take it all as fact."
When they reached the study room door, Le's Mother went to the kitchen to prepare something, leaving Le Xuanji to enter alone.
Le Xuanji lingered outside the study room for a while before raising her hand to knock on the door.
But before she could knock, she heard her grandfather's hearty laughter from inside, "Hahaha, beautifully painted, so beautifully painted."
Le Xuanji was dumbfounded, having never seen her grandfather laugh so happily before.
She grew curious and knocked quickly a few times, then pushed open the door and looked inside, her gaze drawn to a tall figure.
The woman was very tall, about 1.7 meters or more, wearing a leather jacket and jeans.
With this outfit, Le Xuanji thought she must be Miss Zhan, and was about to look away.
But the woman in front suddenly turned her head, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face that caught Le Xuanji's eye.
Le Xuanji's breath caught in her throat.
She had seen photos of Gu Nanyan before, but the woman in front was a thousand times, no, a million times more beautiful than the photos.
Not only was her face beautiful, but her demeanor was uniquely refined.
There was an indescribable feeling about her.
Though Gu Nanyan was dressed in modern attire like a leather jacket and boots, an outfit full of personality, she seemed to have walked out of ancient times as an emperor, carrying an innate magnificence and nobility.
Le Xuanji had been painting a portrait of Princess Changning, with all the details like the hairstyle and clothes drawn, except for the face which was left blank. She couldn't imagine what Princess Changning looked like.
The descriptions in historical texts were too abstract, with phrases like "eyebrows like distant mountains, cloudy tresses and misty hairpins, a lotus face like a celestial beauty..." which couldn't actually be painted.
But the moment she saw Gu Nanyan, Princess Changning suddenly had a face.
It was Gu Nanyan's appearance!
How strange, Gu Nanyan in front of her was dressed very modern, without a hint of ancient grace.
Yet for some inexplicable reason, Le Xuanji felt that Princess Changning should look exactly like her.
Le Xuanji's heart pounded, and she couldn't even speak, only staring dumbly at Gu Nanyan.
Le Chang saw his granddaughter not saying anything and said, "Xuanji, aren't you going to come greet Nanyan?"
"M-Madam Zhan."
Le Xuanji stammered a bit.
Gu Nanyan raised her eyes and glanced at Le Xuanji indifferently, her expression giving no hint of her thoughts as she said, "So you're Le Xuanji? Raise your head and let me have a look."
Those few casual words seemed to carry a strange pressure, making one instinctively obey.
Le Xuanji obediently stepped forward and raised her head.
"Not bad," Gu Nanyan nodded slightly.
She liked beautiful, proud young ladies, and Le Xuanji fit her taste perfectly.
Ancient women suppressed themselves too much, so Gu Nanyan preferred lively, individualistic women. She was very tolerant of women.
Gu Nanyan set down her brush, straightened her sleeves, and asked casually, "I heard from Old Master Le that you didn't like my way of imitating Princess Changning's painting style. Why is that?"
In response to Gu Nanyan's question, Le Xuanji couldn't muster any resistance in her heart and instinctively replied, "Princess Changning excelled at grand landscapes and vast deserts. Everything she painted carried an imposing, magnificent aura.
But Madam Zhan, you used Princess Changning's brushwork to paint childish little animals, which is too demeaning to Princess Changning."
Having not heard the name Changning for a long time, Gu Nanyan had almost forgotten her original title.
She was the Crown Princess of the Great Qi Dynasty, the first child of the Emperor and Empress who were overjoyed at her birth.
They named her Changning, hoping she would live a long and peaceful life.
Later, after her mother the Empress passed away and her father the Emperor fell gravely ill, lying on his sickbed, the grieving Emperor held her hand regretfully and said, "Ningxr, I'm sorry. Father cannot see you get married.
I'm sorry that your mother and I wanted you to live carefree, without any worries, happily under our protection for your whole life.
But now, Father cannot do that anymore. Not only can I not protect you, but you must also shoulder the burden of the Great Qi and care for your younger brothers.
My dear Ning, are you willing?"
"I, Changning, am willing!"
With her assent, her father stamped the imperial jade seal from his sickbed and proclaimed to the Great Qi that she was promoted to be the Regent Princess Changning of Great Qi, to hold the jade seal and govern the nation.
Pulling away from her memories, Gu Nanyan suppressed the sadness in her heart and turned to Le Xuanji, "You're mistaken. Who says Changning only painted landscapes?"
"That's what the historical records say. The existing paintings left by Princess Changning are also all landscapes. And Princess Changning was a heroic woman ruler, a renowned stateswoman, painter, calligrapher, and expert in music theory. Everything she left behind was magnificent and imposing, just like her - supremely intelligent, with the nation's interests at heart."
Le Xuanji couldn't help but explain. She admired Princess Changning and had researched a lot about her.
Le Xuanji was certain that a grand, broad-minded woman like Princess Changning must have preferred grand, imposing subjects.
Gu Nanyan laughed wryly and shook her head, "Who says a person can only have one side? Princess Changning wasn't just a symbol, she was a living, breathing human with feelings.
From a young age, Princess Changning depended on her younger brothers for companionship, so you could say she personally raised and educated them.
What she excelled at wasn't landscapes, but little animals that could delight children."
Historical records state that Princess Changning's younger brother Emperor Qixuan developed a fondness for painting animals, and this stemmed from Princess Changning herself. "At this point, Gu Nanyan paused briefly, and then his tone suddenly shifted: "However, even if Princess Changning did not enjoy painting animals, what of it? Could I not study her brushwork and paint animals myself?
When Princess Changning herself is present, she would hardly be as domineering as you.
Le Xuanji, you admire Princess Changning, you revere Princess Changning, and you should even more so learn from her strengths and grasp her spirit.
Princess Changning had a broad mind, embracing all perspectives and possessing lofty ambitions. Once, when a court official angrily scolded her, calling her a 'meddling woman', and accusing her of controlling court affairs, Princess Changning remained unperturbed. Instead, she appreciated that person's talents and outspoken sense of justice, promoting him to become a censor.
If Princess Changning were to see the paintings I have done, she would surely be delighted, for her brushwork in depicting small animals has proven so well-suited.
Le Xuanji, you keep claiming your admiration for Princess Changning, but look at what you are doing? You do not learn from Princess Changning's magnanimity and expansive spirit at all. You only persist in being self-opinionated and obstinate.
With such an attitude, are you worthy of admiring Princess Changning?"
