The outer courtyard was currently bustling with noise and indistinct sounds of opera singing could be heard. There were also servants hurriedly walking past the alleyways and rockery.
Qin Yining was afraid of offending the esteemed guests of Qin Huaiyuan and hurriedly took a secluded path through the moon gate. After a turn, she arrived at the place that Liu Ya had told her about.
This place was also used by the outer courtyard to receive guests. However, the place was narrow and the location was remote. It was obviously used for people of low status.
Qin Yining entered the small courtyard and saw a tall and thin man standing with his back facing her. The snow-white cloak that he was wearing was very familiar. A thirteen or fourteen year old servant beside him had already seen her and hurriedly bowed.
The man turned around. Indeed, it was the young man that Qin Yining had seen at Prince Ning's residence.
She was somewhat surprised.
According to her guess, this should be the son of Prince Ning who had been adopted by the Emperor as a prince.
She didn't expect that Prince Ning would personally send the painting and message.
With such a noble status, how could he be wronged to wait in such a remote courtyard?
"So it's you." Qin Yining curtsied and bowed. "The servants were impetuous and had wronged you to wait here. I will immediately instruct them to prepare the main hall. "
The young man heard her and laughed lightly. His brows, which were usually knitted, relaxed. His eyes were bright as he looked at Qin Yining. His voice was also very gentle.
"Miss, you don't have to mind. I asked them to bring me to a remote place. After all, my match is in three days. Today, there are too many acquaintances at the Imperial Tutor's banquet. It wouldn't be good if they saw me and came here today."
What did he mean by 'my match is in three days'?
Qin Yining recalled that Old Madam had said that the Crown Prince would personally come to invite the Imperial Tutor to the banquet three days later.
Qin Yining was shocked and knelt down. "So it's Your Highness the Crown Prince. I was impetuous and offended you. Please forgive me."
When Qiu Lu heard that this was the Crown Prince, her hands turned cold and she knelt down with a thud.
"When you and I met, we didn't care about each other's status. Why are you so nervous now? My real name is Yuchi Yan. My courtesy name is Qingyan. Miss, you can just think of me as a friend, or perhaps as a disciple of your father. "Yuchi Yan reached out to support her.
"I wouldn't dare." Qin Yining stood up, took two steps back, and said politely, "I was wrong about Your Highness's identity in the past. If my words have been rude, please forgive me."
"Oh? Guess who I am? "Yuchi Yan's main point was obviously different from Qin Yining's.
Qin Yining lowered his head and said, "I thought you were Ning Wang's adopted son."
Yuchi Yan chuckled. "Why do you think I'm that person? We don't look alike at all, and he is older than me. "
Qin Yining respectfully replied, "I guessed it from your words and actions, the way you addressed Ning Wang, and your behavior at Ning Wang's residence. However, I never thought that you were the Crown Prince. I even said some nonsense about your painting. I'm really ashamed."
"No, what you said that day was very helpful to me. It could even be said that you enlightened me. You made me understand that a good painting isn't about being skillful, but about truly understanding the world. Only by reflecting the true form of the painting can a painting be given a soul." Speaking of paintings, Yuchi Yan talked non-stop, her eyes were shining, "If I wasn't the Crown Prince, I would really want to walk around and see for myself, to see with my own eyes the mountains and rivers. I'm sure I'll be able to draw a painting with soul."
Qin Yining lowered his eyes to hide the emotions in his eyes.
It seemed that the Crown Prince was truly obsessed with painting.
However, the Crown Prince was the heir to the throne. Now that Dayan was in a precarious situation, wasn't it not good for him to be so leisurely?
"Your Highness, why did you send the Painting of Eight Horses to me?" Qin Yining pulled the topic back to the right track.
Yuchi Yan came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Oh, that painting isn't suitable to be placed in Ning Wang's residence. It's fine to give it to Miss to hang up. Also, for this matter to be successful, it can be considered a form of thanks to Miss. "
Qin Yining understood as soon as he heard this.
In that painting, the leading horse didn't have a leader. This could be interpreted in several ways.
It could be said that it implied that the Emperor was in the first place but didn't do anything important.
It could also be said that the "leading horse" was in the second place.
If this painting was hung in the residence of someone who had the qualifications to inherit the throne, it would cause people to think that Ning Wang was mocking the Emperor. It could even be linked to his disloyalty. If it was hung in a young girl's room, no one would think too much about it.
As for the reward for success, it was probably because Ning Wang had successfully caused Imperial Tutor Cao to lose his position.
However, Qin Yining still didn't want this painting.
"The Crown Prince bestows a painting. It shouldn't be declined. However, there are differences between men and women. I ask the Crown Prince to take this painting back. "As he spoke, he called Qiu Lu to retrieve the painting.
Yuchi Yan frowned when he heard this. The attendant beside him immediately went to stop Qiu Lu.
"Miss, why do you need to be so distant with me? Even if Young Lady doesn't do anything, your father is already the Grand Preceptor and tied to the Eastern Palace. Perhaps even Young Lady's future will be tied to the Eastern Palace. What's the point of declining now? "
Qin Yining's heart trembled when he heard this. He looked up at Yuchi Yan with uncertainty.
Yuchi Yan was looking at him with a burning gaze. His gaze was filled with deep meaning. Moreover, the Crown Prince's fair skin was slowly turning red. Even his neck, which was right next to his snow-white beard and armpit collar, had turned red.
Yuchi Yan met Qin Yining's clear gaze. He couldn't hold on for more than two breaths. His face and heart palpitating, he looked away. He covered his mouth and coughed twice to cover it up. He then said, "Miss, please keep that painting. If you don't want it, you can burn it. I still have matters to attend to, so I won't delay Miss any longer. Goodbye. "
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left.
Qin Yining looked at his back as he hurriedly left with his entourage. A phrase appeared in her mind — — "fleeing in defeat."
Her thoughts were somewhat heavy.
The Crown Prince's words just now were very clear. Could it be that her future would be tied to the Eastern Palace, just as everyone had guessed?
Judging from the Crown Prince's words, this seemed to be his intention.
Moreover, as the daughter of the Imperial Tutor, her status was high enough.
But for some reason, Qin Yining didn't feel the joy of being able to become rich and noble. Perhaps one day, she would become the Empress of the Empire.
This kind of life wasn't what she wanted.
She only wanted her family to be safe and sound. She wanted to live a simple and ordinary life. She didn't want to be rich and noble. She only wanted to be stable and stable.
Being the Crown Prince's woman and being the Emperor's woman wouldn't be stable and stable.
However, if this kind of thing really happened, could she refuse?
Now that her father had become the Imperial Tutor, it meant that he had already chosen a side and was no longer a bystander. In order to stabilize her position, a marriage alliance was the best way. If her father really wanted to have a marriage alliance with the royal family, she was the only candidate to marry the Crown Prince.
As the daughter of the Family Qin, she couldn't refuse this kind of arrangement. Moreover, in the eyes of others, this kind of future was already a supreme honor. Many people would be envious and jealous of it.
On the way back to Snow Pear Courtyard, Qin Yining was silent.
Qiu Lu had personally witnessed the scene just now. Even now, her face was still red. It seemed that if Qin Yining didn't say anything, she didn't dare to say anything either.
When he returned to his room and looked at the painting again, Qin Yining suddenly felt irritated.
"Put this painting away properly."
"Yes." Qiu Lu was just about to put it away when she heard a servant call out from outside, "Miss Huining and Sixth Miss are here."
Before Qin Yining could say anything, the curtains to the main room were lifted. Qin Huining and Sixth Miss Qin Shuangning walked in hand in hand. Both of them were accompanied by their own personal servant girls.
"We had nothing to do, so we came to sit with Fourth Sister. Fourth Sister, you don't mind, right?" Sixth Miss said as she sat down at the square table.
Qin Huining also sat down slowly.
Qin Yining raised his eyebrows. "Of course I don't mind. I'm just curious. Sixth Sister and Miss Huining obviously don't like me, so why did you come here to make trouble for yourselves? Qiu Lu, put away the painting. Liu Ya, serve the tea. "
Sixth Miss and Qin Huining didn't expect that Qin Yining wouldn't even bother to put on an act and directly say something like that. Their faces stiffened for a moment.
Qiu Lu and Liu Ya did as instructed.
Sixth Miss saw that Qiu Lu was about to roll up the Painting of the Eight Horses, so she went forward and snatched it away. She said, "I didn't expect you to have a painting here. Do you admire this?"
When she unrolled the painting, the inscription "Layman Qing Yan" came into view.
Seeing this, the Sixth Young Mistress laughed and threw the painting on the ground. She laughed until she was out of breath and said, "You don't admit that you are a barbarian. Is a fake painting worth you putting away like it's a treasure?"
Qin Huining lowered his head and saw the inscription on the painting. His heart trembled. Was this a painting made by the Crown Prince?
Qiu Lu hurriedly put the painting away, afraid that Sixth Miss would do something bad and step on it.
Qin Yining was already angry. "Of course I don't understand these things. However, I grew up in the countryside. Did Sixth Miss also grow up in the mountains? Don't you know how to be polite? Sixth Miss and Seventh Sister are obviously born of the same mother, so why is there such a big difference in their temperaments? It seems that those who were raised by the Di mother are more educated and reasonable. These reasons are not deceiving me. "
Sixth Miss's laughter stopped abruptly. She sneered, "Don't be so smug! It's just a fake painting. His Highness the Crown Prince never gives away his paintings easily. You're just a little girl. Don't use a chicken feather as a token of authority! "
"What do I have to be smug about? Everything I have is a matter of course. Why should I be smug? "Qin Yining automatically ignored the second half of her words.
Qin Huining was alarmed. Could it be that the painting was really given by the Crown Prince? How did Qin Yining hook up with the Crown Prince? Could it be that Qin Yining will really become the Crown Prince's consort in the future?
Qin Huining was unwilling to accept this. He could not maintain his expression. His smile was stiff and his eyes were filled with resentment.
"Look at Younger Sister Xiao Xi. Now that there are two maids missing from her room, it's not looking good. Why isn't there even a sip of hot tea for us? "
"If the upper beam isn't straight, the lower beam will be crooked as well. You've raised a thief, and you even stole the old madam's things! " Sixth Miss laughed out loud as she said this. "You can only use a fake painting to show off your power."
Qin Yining clenched her fists.
What should she do? She wanted to beat someone again!
Who knew that right at this moment, the sound of disorderly footsteps could be heard in the courtyard. Qin Yining stood up to look. He saw two beautiful maids around fifteen to sixteen years old leading a group of sturdy older women in.
Seeing Qin Yining standing in the corridor, the two maids bowed deeply.
"This servant, Yao Qin (Yuqi), pays respects to Fourth Miss. Earlier, Grand Preceptor was holding a banquet. The female guests sent many gifts to Miss. Grand Preceptor instructed this servant to bring them to Miss on the way. "
As the two maids spoke, they stepped aside. The older women behind them carried all kinds of gift boxes into the room one by one.
When Qin Huining and Sixth Miss saw so many gifts, their eyes almost couldn't see enough. Their faces immediately darkened.
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