Spring in the Hall of Paintings

The sound of the guqin floated softly, and the melody of “Qing Ping Le” made the annoying chirps of cicadas in the summer seem much quieter. Yun Wei pressed the last note, strumming the strings lightly, with a faint smile on her face. Even without others’ praise, she could feel the enhancement of the guqin’s artistic essence.

Mo Yu praised, “Miss, your playing is truly excellent. If the teacher hears it, he will surely commend you.”

Yun Wei added a faint smile at the corners of her lips, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Her fingers glided over the strings as if caressing her most cherished possession. She softly said, “In the past, I used to care about the teacher’s compliments, always wanting to be better than Fourth Sister. Since the day I returned to the capital, I have never stopped pursuing her. After six years of hard study and practice, I’ve come to understand something.”

“What is it?”

“I am different from Fourth Sister; it doesn’t mean I have to be better than her. I have my own path to walk.”

Yun Wei closed her eyes, placing her hands on her chest, slightly tilting her head back to take in the lotus fragrance in the air. The warm summer breeze lifted her light blue embroidered robe, causing the lotus leaf-shaped hem to sway gently. Yun Wei seemed to be standing on a lotus flower, floating like a celestial being. Her exquisite features were embedded in a face as flawless as pure jade and snow, resembling a fairy from the heavens.

With a wide-ranging knowledge from reading extensively, Yun Wei had broadened her horizons significantly. In the first few years, she was still fixated on comparing herself to Yun Lan, but this year, she no longer had such thoughts. Her mindset had opened up, and her emotions were calm and serene. Her understanding of the essence of guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting had improved, and she was frequently praised by her teacher for her talent and spirit. In the past, such recognition would have made Yun Wei proud and happy, but now… she had grown up and become more understanding. The beauty of the Eight Banners was not only embodied in her Fourth Sister.

“Six… Sister.”

Hearing the voice, Yun Wei turned to look and saw Yun Lan standing not far away with several girls of similar age. Behind them were two slightly taller young men, clearly dressed in a manner befitting the noble families, especially with the yellow sashes around the waists of the young men, indicating they were from the royal family.

“Greetings, Fourth Sister.” Yun Wei pulled her thoughts back, nodded, and said, “Another guest has arrived. I admire Fourth Sister’s wide circle of friends.”

Yun Lan smiled warmly and introduced her companions, saying, “That enchanting person is my cousin, Tong Jia Yun Wei.”

“Fourth Sister, you flatter me; I’m no fairy.”

Yun Lan took Yun Wei’s small hand, which felt as soft as if it had no bones, comfortably flexible in her grasp. When did she blossom so beautifully? That previous moment, when she floated like a fairy, felt otherworldly; Yun Lan asked herself if she could ever achieve that.

“Fourth Sister?”

Yun Wei’s sweet, soft call brought Yun Lan back to reality. She masked her embarrassment with a smile and said, “Auntie mentioned some time ago that Sixth Sister shouldn’t always be cooped up in the courtyard. Since some good friends have come to the manor today, I thought of you.”

Yun Wei’s smile was gentle, her eyes sparkling like stars—calm and clear. “Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister. I’m not worthy of it.”

Yun Lan introduced her companions one by one. They were either princesses from noble families or daughters of high-ranking officials. The most distinguished among them was the daughter of Prince Gong Ning, the younger brother of Emperor Kangxi. Yun Wei nodded subtly in greeting, appearing neither overly ingratiating nor distant, maintaining an appropriately polite demeanor.

“Is this the chess score you played?”

“Yes.”

Yun Wei saw a young boy of about twelve or thirteen walk up to the stone table, where a chessboard was laid out with the pieces not yet put away. She approached lightly, stopping a step away from the boy, and said, “My chess skills are poor; please don’t laugh at me.”

The boy was dressed in a dark red robe with a yellow belt around his waist, adorned with valuable jade ornaments and a delicate pouch hanging from his side. The chess pieces on the board, in a state of black and white intermingling, caught his interest. He reached out to take a piece from the chessbox, but Yun Wei said, “This game is already decided; there’s no need to trouble yourself further.”

“Oh.”

At this moment, the boy finally looked up at Yun Wei, slightly taken aback. She looked delightful, her baby fat still evident in her face, adding to her charm. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Do you believe there’s still a chance to play on in this game?”

Yun Wei gently bit her lip and gazed at the boy, saying, “If that move is played, the black pieces won’t be able to turn the tide.”

The boy held a black piece in his hand. Although he recognized that the black side was at a disadvantage, he believed there was still a way out and shook his head, saying, “I don’t believe it.”

“Sixth Sister, Yue Yi’s brother is the best at chess; even the emperor has praised him,” Yun Lan interjected to ease the tension.

Yun Wei’s long eyelashes fluttered. Yue Yi was a princess from the Prince Gong’s residence, and this boy was the son of Prince Gong. Seeing Yun Wei take a step back, the boy repeated, “I don’t believe it.”

After a moment’s thought, Yun Wei figured he was also a lover of chess and probably wouldn’t hold a grudge over a disagreement, as that would damage her reputation. She picked up a white piece and smiled brightly, saying, “Brother Bai Le, it’s your turn to play the white pieces.”

Yun Wei delicately picked up a white piece with her slender fingers, her arm sweeping across the chessboard. With a soft ‘thud,’ the white piece fell into place. She stepped back half a pace and bowed, saying, “Your Highness, please forgive me; I have been rude.”

The boy furrowed his brows, and after a long moment, he praised, “Excellent move! With this play, the black pieces can only concede defeat.”

When he looked up to find Yun Wei again, he could only see her graceful figure moving away like a swan. The boy stared for a moment and sighed, “Yun Lan, your sister is quite remarkable.”

“Sixth Sister is skilled in both the guqin and chess, and she puts in hard work; I admire her as well.”

Yun Lan playfully blinked, showing not a hint of envy or jealousy. Instead, she felt proud to have such a sister and spoke warmly about Yun Wei’s strengths, showering her with compliments.

Yue Yi said to Yun Lan with admiration, “She’s lucky to have you as an older sister.” The girls nearby nodded in agreement. Yun Lan’s cheeks flushed slightly, enhancing her beauty, and she sincerely replied, “No, you don’t know Sixth Sister well—she’s adorable and endearing.”

“Miss, when will they leave?”

Yun Wei sat by the pond, resting on a silk cloth. She lightly tapped the blooming lotus leaves in the pond and said softly, “Once I’ve sat long enough and it becomes boring, I’ll go back.”

The laughter of the girls interrupted the previous tranquility. Yun Wei didn’t enjoy socializing; she couldn’t emulate Yun Lan’s grace in mingling. After exchanging a few words with her friends, she chose to sit by the pond and admire the lotus flowers. Not wanting to be impolite, she instructed Mo Yu to bring out pastries, snacks, and tea for the guests to enjoy.

The elegant jasmine tea paired with the exquisite and tempting snacks stirred the usually demure young ladies’ appetites. After tasting, they exclaimed, “I never thought it could be so delicious this way. Your sister knows how to enjoy life!”

“The fragrance lingers on the palate.” “Did you put jasmine petals in the snacks? What kind of recipe is this?”

The young ladies looked to Yun Lan for answers to their questions, but seeing her at a loss, they turned to Yun Wei not far away and called out, “Sixth Sister, can you come over for a moment?”

Yun Wei loosened her fingers, and the pale pink lotus petals danced in the air. With a gentle puff, she blew the petals further away, letting them float down to the water’s surface. She turned back with a sweet smile, playfully wiggling her index finger and said, “I can’t say, it’s my mother’s ancestral secret method.”

In the sunlight, she resembled a mischievous fairy, capturing the attention of the young ladies, while her wiggling finger left faint ripples in the heart of the boy watching her.