Prince in the same boat

After leaving with the prince, the excited Yongfan bid farewell to Duolong in a hurry, and took Ziwei back.

Back home, I watched Yong Fan take out the brushes, canvases, palettes, easels, etc. that the trustee bought from Nanyang merchants as if he had been prepared for a long time.It seems that such a day has been expected since the beginning of the morning.

Looking at the orderly Yong Fan, Ziwei who had been following him suddenly realized in her heart, somewhat understanding the series of seemingly abnormal behaviors of her brother since entering Beijing.

After entering Beijing, my elder brother sent Zhang Shun to inquire about the Prince He Mansion early in the morning. He learned that the concubine of the Prince He Manor likes to paint, and found out that the Huanji Collection is the property of the Prince He Mansion.

That day at Muan Huan Ji, my brother pretended to vent his anger on Duolong Beizi, and deliberately threw out a stack of bank notes to buy the "Qingyan Water Lotus Tube", and then deliberately said that it was a fake and smashed it to pieces, and then seemed to intend to, Ruo unintentionally said that he had an ancient inkstone from the Tang Dynasty... All of this was apparently to give Duolong Beizi a chance to punish shopkeeper Zhou, but in fact it was just to attract shopkeeper Zhou's attention and create opportunities for him to meet.

Later, for more than half a year, my brother really had the opportunity to buy stationery and made friends with Shopkeeper Zhou, and then slowly revealed to Shopkeeper Zhou that he knew Western painting skills, and even gave him some paintings.

At that time, the Qing Dynasty did not have deep exchanges with foreign countries. The only people who knew Western painting skills in the whole country were the painters of the Palace Ruyi Museum, and the missionary Castiglione was alone. It was rare for ordinary royals and nobles to see authentic Western oil paintings. , not to mention inviting a painter who is proficient in Western painting techniques to paint.

After all, Castiglione was a painter exclusively for the emperor, and even the prince, who was deeply favored by Qianlong, could not ask for a portrait for him unless the emperor gave his permission.

Concubine Yu likes painting skills, and is very interested in those antique paintings. As the servant of Prince He, shopkeeper Zhou, if he is familiar with his brother, is likely to introduce him to Prince He.

Prince He is the most favored prince in the current dynasty, and has a deep relationship with the emperor. He is also the empress dowager of the current dynasty, raised by the emperor's biological mother.If you can connect with Prince He, no matter what method you take, it will be a hundred times better than going to the clan mansion!

Thinking of this, Ziwei was both surprised and happy. With her elder brother's operation, her mother's last wish will soon be fulfilled, and we can recognize our father again.

Watching Yongfan take out the oil paint that was specially bought from Nanyang by a trustee, Ziwei couldn't help laughing and said: "Brother, you had expected that you and the prince would come to invite you, so you deliberately invited shopkeeper Zhou OK?"

"I just guessed that Prince He might pay attention to this matter, but I'm not completely sure, so I can only gamble. As for Prince He, I didn't expect to come in person. I only thought that I would send someone to give orders." Yong Fan He smiled proudly and said, "This is called 'Jiang Taigong is fishing, and those who wish to take the bait'."

"Brother, do you want to directly tell the prince and the concubine your identity, and let them take us to the emperor so that we can recognize our father?" Ziwei asked happily.

"It's not as fast as that. Being with the prince is just my first step. I still need to think about what to do next." Yong Fan shook his head and said, "Besides, my ultimate goal is not to recognize my father. Mother can get the identity that originally belonged to her."

Of course there was revenge, but Xia Yongfan didn't want Xia Ziwei to be involved, so he didn't tell her the news from Governor Liu.

"Is there any difference?" Ziwei asked suspiciously: "As long as the emperor recognizes us, wouldn't it be logical to give mother a title?"

"You're wrong, Ziwei." Yong Fan shook his head and said, "It's easy for the emperor to give mother a title, but it's hard for the emperor to recognize us legitimately. I'm different from you. I'm a man. If the royal family wants It's easy to recognize Gege, but it's really hard to recognize a prince. Besides... everything I do is for my mother and you, and I never thought of becoming a prince."

"Then..." Ziwei was a little confused.

"You don't understand..." Yong Fan shook his head, but his heart was at a loss, and the joy of being with the prince began to be gradually diluted.

This first step has been successful, but what to do next requires step-by-step planning and calculation. In fact, he is willing to calculate people like this, but since he has promised Xia Yuhe, he must complete this final for her. Even if you understand that once you take this step, there will be no turning back, and there will be endless troubles in the future, then you can't take care of it.

Forcibly throwing these worries out of his mind, Yong Fan smiled and said: "Ziwei, you go to rest first, you will be tired after a few days. Don't worry, I have everything by me."

"Understood, brother." Although she was a little dissatisfied, Ziwei still agreed to go down and take it. She saw some things that Xia Yongfan packed up and needed to go to the Prince's Mansion. They were full of brushes, canvases, oil paints and so on, which was strange. Said: "Brother, didn't shopkeeper Zhou say that the concubine wants to see the 'rock-mountain bluestone inkstone'? He also said that the ink on that kind of inkstone can have spiritual energy and make the paintings come alive. Why didn't I see you take it out?"

"Silly girl." Yong Fan was very proud, winked at Ziwei and said: "I was able to tease the shopkeeper that week for the first time, so why can't I tease him for the second time? Who said I have nothing to do?" Yanshan Qingshi inkstone'."

"Ah!" Ziwei was taken aback, and stammered: "Brother, you...you don't have 'Yanshan Qingshi Inkstone'? Then this...in case the prince and concubine find out..."

"What are you afraid of..." Yong Fan smiled calmly, showing no sign of fear at all. He took out a simple bluestone inkstone from the drawer, and proudly said: "The ink made from the so-called 'Yanshan Qingshi inkstone' can have spiritual energy. However, the thing that makes the portraits come to life is just a nonsense that people have passed on by word of mouth. No matter how good the inkstone is, it depends on the skill of the painter. It's just that the "Yanshan Qingshi inkstone" was once used by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and was later used. People add such a layer of legends. This is too common. There have been countless such legends from ancient times to the present. How could the concubine and the prince not know it. Besides, the Tang Dynasty has been nearly a thousand years, "Yanshan Qingshi Inkstone has been lost for a long time, who can really see it? This inkstone is indeed an ancient relic of the Tang Dynasty. It took me a long time to find it. I said it was "Yanshan Qingshi inkstone" and it was "Yanshan Qingshi" Yan', who has evidence that it is not, even if some people don't believe it, what can I do?"

Ziwei was tongue-tied, although she knew that her brother was brave, but she never thought that he was so bold, it was fine if he played tricks on shopkeeper Zhou, now even the concubine and prince would be tricked.

In addition to being horrified, a burst of intense excitement and eagerness to try suddenly surged up in my heart. Looking at Xia Yongfan's unpredictable appearance, he said, "Brother...you, you can really do it!!!"

"That's..." Yong Fan smiled with indescribable satisfaction.

People from Prince He's mansion came the day before Concubine Yu Qianqiu, and Prince He treated Xia Yongfan very politely.This butler is a powerful person in the palace, he has followed the prince for many years, and he has deep trust with the prince Hong Zhou. It can be seen that Hong Zhou is still a dutiful son, and he is still very concerned about celebrating his wife's birthday.

Yong Fan knew that the concubine was going to spend a thousand years tomorrow, so he went this time to build a good relationship with the concubine and the prince, and he couldn't dress too plainly, so he wore a sea blue robe , the corners of the clothes were embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns with silver thread, and he was refreshed and did not wear any jade pendants. He only hung a silver shell pocket watch, which is rare nowadays, and a string of Western accessories, including amethyst beads. into tassels, and finally hang down with a piece of green warm jade as a pendant, which looks very generous and clear.

The sound of hooves, the rattle of wheels.

The morning glow is all over the sky, the morning sun is as bright as brocade, and the summer in Beijing is warm and beautiful.

Yong Fan took Ziwei to sit in the spacious and comfortable palace carriage, looking out the window at the imperial capital Beijing under the rising sun, with special feelings in his heart.

Mother, I have already taken the first step, please rest assured, I will do what I promise you.

The carriage drove through Dongmen Street, entered Anxing Hutong, and stopped in front of Prince He's Mansion.

Although the concubine's Qianqiu will only start tomorrow, the long street outside the gate of the palace is already full of carriages. The birthday gifts of the clan ministers will arrive at the palace the day before Qianqiu.

If it were another prince, he might keep a low profile so as not to cause the emperor's dissatisfaction, but he and Prince Hongzhou did the opposite. Concubine Yu's grandeur is as grand as ever, and everything is on the bright side. It will not arouse the suspicion of the emperor.

Although he was calm on the surface, Yong Fan was still a little uneasy. After all, it was his first time stepping into the gate of the palace, let alone coming with a certain purpose, so he was inevitably a little nervous.

When I came to the inner hall of Prince He's mansion, I saw Prince He Hongzhou. At the moment, the master of the inner hall was sitting on the seat of a kind-hearted old mother, accompanied by a beautiful woman, who must be Concubine Yu and He He. Prince Fu Jin Wu Zaku clan.

Concubine Yu, her current full title is Imperial Concubine Huang Kao Yu, Geng family, the daughter of Guanling Geng Dejin, one of the concubines of Emperor Yongzheng.In the last years of Kangxi, she entered the residence of Prince Shiyong as a concubine.

Geng's relationship with Empress Dowager Niu Hulu is very good, like sisters.Prince Hongzhou, the fifth son of the birth emperor, was actually the only living brother of Emperor Qianlong.

Yong Fan saluted the concubine according to the rules handed down by the housekeeper on the way, and said auspicious words to celebrate her birthday.

His manners are very good, and his demeanor is very clear and bright, but his elegant appearance made the concubine and Fujin slightly stunned. After all, it is really easy to give people the impression that he is so enchanting when they first meet him. deep impression.

Fortunately, his temperament is not seductive. At the beginning, Taifei and Fujin looked at Yongfan more or less with scrutiny in their eyes, for fear that Hongzhou would be confused by his appearance and do something wrong. It's a matter of decency, after all, those of the royal family and nobles still know that they like to tune these two.But looking at Yong Fan's demeanor and demeanor, he is gentle and aloof and fierce. Although this kind of personality is not very good in dealing with people, it just happens to be in the favor of the concubine and Fujin. I believe that Yong Fan is a purposeless person, and gradually Showing appreciation to Yong Fan.

Later, Yongfan discussed some painting skills with the concubine, and showed the concubine the 'yanshan blue stone inkstone' to watch.

Concubine Yu's background is not very high, and she is not a talented woman with all six arts, but she likes painting. Maybe during the Yongzheng period, the concubine who was not loved by Yongzheng used this to pass the time in the deep palace, so the concubine's Although the painting skills are not particularly good, but there is a kind of sincere love.

Yong Fan was invited by Prince He to do portraits for the concubine with Western painting techniques, but it was impossible to do it overnight, and Western paintings required sitting alone for a long time before the painter could observe them.

The concubine is not allowed to sit for a long time when she is old, and after all there is a difference between men and women, a dignified concubine cannot be watched by an outsider all the time, and finally Yongfan came up with a way to ask the concubine to find a maid of similar stature to sit instead of the concubine. Wait, wait until the face is painted, and then invite the concubine to come.

According to Yong Fan's estimate, the oil painting will take a little longer. If you start painting now, you can finish it just in time for the concubine's dinner tomorrow.

Now Yongfan paints carefully, so as not to mention it tomorrow.