Chapter 33 The Embroidery


    Puzzled, Yun Shang looked at the Empress, "Can I do this? But wouldn''t I be lying in that case? Master


    Wu Na always told me that there are certain monastic disciples I should never vite. I cannot lie."


    "My child, but you are not one of them. Eventually you have to marry someone. It''s only a matter of


    time. Now think about this. Every noble lord anddy will attend the ceremony. How can you expect


    them to ept you willingly, even though you are a Royal Princess, if they find out that you couldn''t do


    a simple thing such as an embroidery? Besides, your maids will take over the job after you marry into


    your husband''s family. You don''t have to embroider anything, and thus you don''t have to worry about it


    at all. I can assure you that the secret will be well kept. But still, you are just a girl. Know this. For us


    women, the most important thing through our life is to always be fully prepared, and, when the time


    Eyes fixed on the ground, Yun Shang remained silent for a while before finally answering determinedly,


    "I''ll do whatever mother says."


    Empress Yuan Zhen nodded with satisfaction, "There is hardly half a month before your Coming-of-age


    Ceremony. You''d better get started and choose a pattern so that Jing''er will have enough time to finish


    the work for you."


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    Yun Shang consented. Empress Yuan Zhen then asked a few more questions before finally permitting


    Yun Shang to leave. Yun Shang returned to the Qingxin Pce with Qin Yi.


    "Princess..." Qin Yi was about to say something when Yun Shang signaled to her to stop talking. She


    waved her hand at Qin Yi toe closer and then whispered in her ear. Soon after they had returned


    to Qingxin Pce, Yun Shang left again with Qin Yi. This time, she headed to the Imperial Treasure


    House.


    The Imperial Treasure House was a depository allocated for the storage of invaluable treasures,


    including numerous gems, famous paintings, and calligraphy works. As soon as they arrived at the


    Imperial Treasure House, Yun Shang noticed that the front door was locked. Having no other option,


    Yun Shang sent Qin Yi to have a word with the eunuchs who were sweeping the floor.


    Qin Yi returned and reported to Yun Shang, "Princess, they said the director is not here. In fact, he


    hardlyes here, unless its a special asion. They also said that all the paintings and calligraphy


    works collected in the House are not for cirction. Not without His Majesty''s dictation..."


    Yun Shang sighed heavily, "Never mind. We don''t have to bother my father, not with such trifles."


    Disappointed, they headed back to Qingxin Pce. Qin Meng was making Yun Shang''s bed when they


    entered. Opposite the bed stood a chair. Yun Shang sank into the chair and sighed melodramatically.


    "Princess, I remember that you brought back plenty of paintings and calligraphy works from Ning''guo


    Temple. Didn''t you? And some of them are said to be masterpieces. Though they might not be as


    exquisite as those from the Imperial Treasure House, they are from the collections of someone as


    particr as Master Wu Na. I bet they must be stunning as well. Why don''t you pick one from them for


    Princess Hua Jing?" Qin Yi hurried to console Yun Shang.


    Listlessly, Yun Shang nodded and said, "Fine, there''s nothing we can do for now. Go fetch those


    paintings for me. I''ll see what we have and hopefully find one that will do."


    Qin Yi trotted to the wooden case in the corner, and brought out several scrolls. She then asked Qin


    Meng to help her open the scrolls one after another for Yun Shang to see.


    "Sukhavati? No. Rather ominous. Amitayus Buddha? Inappropriate. We are not celebrating someone''s


    birthday. Avalokitesvara? Not very suitable for the asion... Lotus? That seems pretty nice. Every


    Buddhist knows the religious meaning of lotus. Even for people who have no faith in Buddhism, they


    can simply enjoy the beauty of the flowers. That''s it. We''ll use this one." Yun Shang muttered as she


    continued to stare at the painting, "That''s it then. Qin Meng, take it to Princess Hua Jingter on."


    Qin Meng replied, "Yes, Your Royal Highness."


    As soon as Yun Shang made sure that Qin Meng had gone, she turned to Qin Yi and asked, "We have


    been back for nearly half a month. I assume that the Empress is lowering her guard. I think it''s about


    time. Can you find a way to get in touch with my mother, Lady Jin?"


    "Yes, I can." Qin Yi nodded firmly. She didn''t hesitate.


    Tilting her head sideways, Yun Shang once again became immersed in her thoughts. Qin Yi stood by


    silently, watching the Princess. After quite a while, Yun Shang said, "Send a message to my mother.


    Tell her that I''ve heard that she was a great Guqin yer*. I never had a chance to listen, not even


    once in my life. I hope she can y for me, as her gift to me, at the night of my Coming-of-age


    Ceremony, when the moon rises. After the Ceremony, the banquet will be held at the Moon Tower. She


    doesn''t have to show up at the feast. I''m sure I will be able to hear her ying for me if she ys the


    instrument in the nearby pavilion."


    (*TN A plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the Zither family.)


    Qin Yi paused in surprise. She thought of all the possible messages that Yun Shang may have asked


    her to send. She would never have guessed that she would ask Lady Jin to y. She wasn''t in a


    position to judge, so she simply responded, "Yes, I will."


    Yun Shang remembered every single detail from her previous life. She couldn''t, however, remember


    the recent suggestion that Princess Jing Hua would embroider for her. She couldn''t help notice that


    events were not going as she remembered from her past life. More or less, everything seemed to be


    different from before. She decided not to worry about this and to see where her destiny would take her


    this time. Having made up her mind, Yun Shang walked to her table, ripped a small piece of parchment


    and scrawled a hasty note. Then she opened the window and threw the note out.


    "Princess, I have delivered the painting to Princess Hua Jing. She was meeting the Empress, so I took


    the painting to Her Majesty''s Pce. Princess Hua Jing appreciated the painting very much. ''It''s a


    great choice.'' That is what Princess Hua Jing said. She said she would get started as soon as


    possible." Yun Shang was reading a Buddhist text alone in her study when Qin Meng raised the


    curtains and came in to report. She noticed that the maid was beaming.


    Yun Shang let out a small smile, "Really? That''s a relief. I brought all those paintings from the Ning''guo


    Temple, and they are almost all about either Avalokitesvara or Buddha. I was actually afraid that they


    wouldn''t fit the Ceremony. Speaking of which, is my sister very good at embroidery?"


    Qin Meng nodded hastily, "Very good indeed. Princess Hua Jing was praised by the Director of the


    Shangyi Bureau, several times. In fact, he was very appreciative about the delicateness of her work.


    He said not a single woman from the Pce could ever outshine Princess Hua Jing in embroidery.


    Princess Hua Jing learned Hunan embroidery when she was little, and that had be her forte ever


    since. Her works are so vivid and lively its as if a person could smell the fragrance of the flowers and


    hear the birds singing cheerfully when looking at her works. If Princess Hua Jing finishes the


    embroidery for you to present at the Coming-of-age Ceremony, it would be a great way for you to


    establish your position in the court."


    "Will it?" Yun Shang looked up at Qin Meng, calmly but in doubt, "I asked you to take the painting to my


    Princess Sister. But I never mentioned that my sister will embroider for me so that I can present it at my


    Coming-of-age Ceremony. How do you know about it?"


    All of a sudden, a trace of panic shed through Qin Meng''s face. But she pulled herself together within


    a split second and replied, "I heard the Empress mentioning it to Princess Hua Jing when I took the


    painting. Her Majesty also wanted you to stay in more often. She said that if people asked you should


    pretend to focus on the embroidery."


    Saying no more, Yun Shang fixed her eyes on the text in hand again. After a while, she nodded and


    said, "Mother has been so considerate. I''ll do as she said."


    Hua Jing was, at least, really good at embroidery as per the rumors. Within five days, she had finished


    the work and brought it back to Yun Shang in person. In front of her sister, Yun Shang unfolded the


    scroll carefully, admiring every detail of the fine art made of thread, "Sister''s craftsmanship is truly


    beyondpare. Look at these lotuses. It looks like they are real lotuses like the ones in the pond. So


    fresh and alive..."


    In spite of the fact that she was smirking inside, Hua Jing only gave Yun Shang a tender smile and said


    softly, "As long as you like it. In fact, I can''t take all the credit for such a fine piece, which, I must say, is


    mainly because you gave me such a fabulous painting as the pattern. I dare say there is no other soul


    than you in the entire Imperial City who could have painted such delicate lotuses as you have done.


    Not even those so-called gifted ones. Trust me, all they are capable of is nothing other than vulgar and


    boring stuff."


    "I don''t really know how to judge a painting. What is good and what is not. I just chose this one


    because I don''t have any other." Slowly and gently, Yun Shang caressed the beautiful embroidered


    lotus and smiled sweetly.


    "Well, I''m so d that you like it. Now, I''ll leave you to your business. I also happen to have something


    to deal with." Hua Jing rose from the chair and smoothened down her dress. Then she bid Yun Shang


    good-bye with a smile and turned to leave.


    "I''ll walk you out." Yun Shang hurried to follow Hua Jing. She walked with her sister till the front door.


    When Yun Shang went back inside, Qin Yi was standing beside the bed, motionlessly. She held a small


    embroidered sachet in her hands. She stared at the sachet thoughtfully until she heard Yun Shang''s


    footsteps, and then she turned to Yun Shang and asked, "Princess, this is not yours. Why would it be


    found on your bed? I swear it was not there earlier. And look at the craftsmanship, I bet it belongs to


    Princess Hua Jing..."


    Curiously, Yun Shang took the sachet, and turned it back and forth for a while. Then she put it away


    and smiled, "The two of them have been bullying me for quite some time, and I have done nothing


    except avoid them. But not anymore. I''m done hiding from them and I''ll strike first for once. I''m afraid I


    must officially dere war on the Empress and Princess Hua Jing at my Coming-of-age Ceremony.


    Just wait and see,. It will definitely be a day to live for. I can hardly wait for it."


    Qin Yi couldn''t help wondering, "Princess, what do you n to do?"


    "You''ll know when the dayes." With cruel determination sparkling in her narrowed eyes, Yun


    Shang said, "I''ll take everything from them, bit by bit. My Coming-of-age Ceremony will only be the


    beginning. I won''t stop until they crawl and beg for mercy."