Chapter 528 - Madam Ming Checked Paintings in King Xuan’s Manor (1/2)

“My Lady, the painter is here. She’s waiting outside. Do you want to go to the outer room to meet her?” Mo Yu came in and asked.

“Alright, have her wait outside first.”

Mo Xuetong had been lying on the bed for a few days and felt that her bones were almost scattered. After she returned, a few of the concubines who were insensible wanted to come over and take the opportunity to see if she was really ill. However, all of them were refused by the maids for the reason that Mo Xuetong was seriously ill.

She had live a rather leisurely time and her body had recovered slightly. She could actually be in charge of matters, of course, but since Feng Yuran had plans, she had to cooperate.

She moved from the bed in the inner room to the couch in the outer room. Then, she leaned against the couch and got Mo Yu to bring the painter here.

A woman who seemed to be in her forties came in. She was Madam Ming, the boss of the famous Unvoiced Painting and Calligraphy Hall in the capital. She was the widow of Master Ming, a famous master of calligraphy and painting in the Great Qin. After the death of Master Ming, she had to open a painting and calligraphy hall in the capital to provide her support.

Unexpectedly, after Madam Ming opened this painting and calligraphy hall, she became famous. Now, at the mention of her, many people in the capital gave her a thumbs-up and praised her.

On one hand, it was because Madam Ming did have some accomplishments in calligraphy and painting. She knew how to distinguish fake; on the other hand, it was because most of the painting and calligraphy artists were men and it was inconvenient for them to walk in the inner yard, while Madam Ming did not have this kind of restriction. That was why she became famous for a moment.

“Greetings, My Lady.” Madam Ming knew that it was Consort Xuan who invited her here, so she didn’t dare to look at her carefully, and only felt that she was a young and beautiful lady. She bowed to her respectfully.

“Madam Ming, there is no need for you to be so polite. There are a few paintings that I want you to check.” Mo Xuetong smiled and offered a seat to Madam Ming.

“My Lady, do you want to know how old a painting is or if it is authentic?” Madam Ming did not stand on ceremony and sat on a stool beside. Then, she looked up at Consort Xuan. She felt rather refreshed with just a glance and could not help but sigh to herself, “No wonder people said that the dissolute King Xuan hasn’t seen any other women ever since he married his first consort.” Looking at the beautiful woman in front of her, even she, a woman, would find it difficult to guard herself against her beauty.

Mo Xuetong was dressed in light-colored gauze which only had simple patterns embroidered on the collar and hem. The clothes fitted her well and made her slender figure even more beautiful. Her face was like white jade, and her red lips looked cute; her attractive beautiful eyes were filled with a hint of icy coldness. However, when she looked at someone, her eyes were filled with grace and beauty.

Madam Ming had been going in and out of different inner yards all this while and had seen all kinds of beautiful women. However, she was still stunned by Consort Xuan in front of her. This kind of beauty was like a fairy who had fallen into the mortal realm from the immortal realm.

She was extremely beautiful and extraordinarily charming. The most amazing part was that she had an aura of coldness. She was not only as elegant as lotus flowers but also as dazzling as peonies. Originally, they were two different styles of temperaments, but they had been perfectly combined in Mo Xuetong. No wonder people said that the most beautiful woman in the Great Qin was not the second miss of the Ling’s Manor, but Consort Xuan.

“Madam Ming, I heard that you have done a lot of research in calligraphy and painting. I have a few drawings that are not necessarily left behind by masters, but I like them very much. So I want to ask you who created these paintings.” Mo Xuetong smiled sweetly. Then, she ordered Mo Yu to take the painting and spread it on the table in front of Madam Ming.

“My Lady, do you mean you have no idea who the author of these paintings is?” Madam Ming asked after thinking for a while. She was not unfamiliar with this kind of thing, and she had helped some madams and ladies to distinguish painters.

This kind of situation usually occurred when the painter was not famous. In fact, this situation was also very rare, but it was not completely non-existent.

“Yes, Madam Ming, look at this one. I like this painting of fis.h.i.+ng in cold night very much, but I don’t know who made it and how the strokes were. I found it in a calligraphy and painting shop outside, and the people in the shop didn’t remember who left it. So please help me to have a look.”

As Mo Xuetong spoke, Mo Yu unfolded the first painting on the table. There were lonely lamps on the desolate surface of the river; they glowed on the frozen lake, making the whole painting brighter; there was a fisherman sitting at the bow, holding a fis.h.i.+ng rod in his hand and leisurely fis.h.i.+ng.

The most conspicuous thing in the painting was that there was a tree above his head, on which hung a piece of leaf that was about to fall. The thick green made the whole painting look livelier.

“Madam Ming, please help me look at the style of this painting. In what age was it painted, and most likely by whom?”

Madam Ming had been stunned by the dense flute and vitality in the painting. She stood up forcefully and said incredulously, “How is this possible, how is this possible? This… this can’t be…”

Her hands seemed to have their own consciousness as she caressed the painting, full of surprise and emotion in her eyes.

“My Lady, can I use the instrument I brought to distinguish the seal on this picture?” Her eyes fell on a seal on the lower right corner of the picture. The words on the seal were clear, which were “Old Cangshan”.