Being a reborn legitimate daughter is not easy

Chapter 48048 Presenting the Painting

Chapter 48 048 Presentation of Painting

"Excellent! The Mid-Autumn Festival should be celebrated in a lively atmosphere!" The Crown Prince's idea was exactly what the Emperor wanted to hear. The Emperor exclaimed "Excellent!" three times, clapped his hands, and laughed, "Today I won't set any questions. You are all free to perform. Whoever can win applause from the audience will be richly rewarded! Who will start next?"

Chunyu Shan was the first to stand up, cupped his hands and addressed the Emperor and Empress, saying, "Father, when I was traveling years ago, I spent the night on the Minjiang River and saw an old fisherman singing to the moon. I found the lyrics and melody of that song very interesting, so I learned it from the fisherman. On this night of reunion, I would like to make a fool of myself and sing it for Father and Mother."

"You have the most tricks up your sleeve, sing on, sing on," the Empress said with a smile, covering her lips with her sleeve.

Chunyu Shan raised his hand and casually tapped the bronze cauldron in the hall with the handle of his fan. Accompanied by the metallic sound, he began to sing leisurely.

"Long sails return from ten thousand miles away, the waves surge gently and calmly..."

Chunyu Shan's mother was Consort Yu Shu, one of the four consorts. He inherited eight-tenths of his mother's beauty, and was extremely handsome, with a pair of smiling peach blossom eyes beneath his brows, making people feel good at first glance. His singing voice was clear and melodious, and when combined with impromptu folk lyrics, it seemed to transport people to the magnificent and vast Minjiang River, which also won him the admiring gazes of many young girls.

As the song ended, the women in the hall gave shy cheers. Chunyu Shan smiled and opened his folding fan with a flourish, saying with great enthusiasm, "I've made a fool of myself."

With Chunyu Shan taking the lead, the young masters of noble families couldn't sit still any longer and rushed to step forward to show off their skills. In order to win a good marriage, the young ladies were not to be outdone and displayed their talents. For a time, the sound of reciting poems and playing the zither filled the hall. When they were in high spirits, some even jumped out, took off their clothes, and performed a set of powerful and fierce boxing moves on the spot.

Seeing that everyone had tried every trick in the book, and Ye Yanxun and Ye Yingrou still hadn't made a move, An Shihou couldn't help but get anxious and kept looking towards the last seat.

Finally, as if receiving a hint from Marquis Anshi, Ye Yanxun stood up, picked up a wine pot, and walked to the center of the main hall.

The emperor was in a very good mood and asked, "Which family are you from, and what talents do you wish to display?"

Ye Yanxun said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This humble subject is Ye Yanxun, the eldest son of the Marquis of Anshi. I wish to take advantage of the wine to paint a picture of the Autumn Banquet in the Jade Forest for Your Majesty in the court."

There were other people in the hall who had inscribed words and painted earlier, but the emperor frowned with some boredom: "Painting in the courtroom, isn't that a bit too simplistic?"

Ye Yanxun slightly curled the corners of his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, my way of painting is different from others, and it will surely impress Your Majesty."

"Oh?" The emperor's curiosity was piqued. "So, how do you plan to paint?"

"For me to paint, I need a white silk cloth that is two zhang long and two zhang wide to be laid on the ground. I also need four palace maids holding colored inks at the four corners of the canvas. Finally, I need a young lady to dance and play music for me. I wonder if there is any young lady in the palace who would be willing to lend me a hand?"

Upon hearing his words, Ye Pianran's lips, hidden beneath her veil, curled into a cold smile as she looked up at Ye Yingrou, who was standing not far away.

As expected, Ye Yingrou, who had been silent all along, suddenly broke into a smile as bright as the autumn moon, gracefully stood up, and said:

"This humble woman is willing to lend you a helping hand, young master."