kvmb Chapter 511: Does the Imperial Tutor Have a Connection with His Mother?
Chapter 511: Does the Imperial Tutor Have a Connection with His Mother?
The painting is not in an inconspicuous position; it hangs on a wall at an angle, and less than half an arm's length in front of it is a black lacquered cabinet with rounded corners inlaid with precious materials, which not only blocks the view of the painting but also blocks the light, making it difficult for people to notice the scroll.
Even if someone notices it, they'll only glance at it and won't look at it closely.
Zhao Yi noticed it because the painting was so similar to the "Early Spring" painting in the Guangling Prince's Palace.
The only difference is the pavilion at the foot of the mountain.
Inside the pavilion was not a fleeting figure, but a dignified and beautiful woman, holding a breastplate that hung on the man's chest.
However, the figures in the pavilion are depicted with delicate brushstrokes, unlike the vigorous and powerful landscapes.
It was clearly not drawn by the same person.
Same landscape, different people.
The only connection is that the woman in the pavilion must be the same person.
As for who this person is.
Zhao Yi thought of someone, but then felt it was impossible.
The Northern Qi emperor noticed that Zhao Yi paused slightly and immediately looked at him. He saw Zhao Yi staring blankly at something, and following his gaze, he saw a painting hanging in the corner of the wall.
"This is a painting titled 'Early Spring' casually sketched by the Imperial Tutor. The style is light and delicate, elegant and unrestrained, and extremely wonderful." The Emperor of Northern Qi was also somewhat stunned when he saw the painting. He slowly walked to the painting, and when he clearly saw the figures in the pavilion, long-forgotten memories surged up, and he suddenly felt very melancholy: "This painting is quite old, even older than you."
Zhao Yi couldn't help but ponder: if this painting had nothing to do with him, the Northern Qi emperor wouldn't have mentioned that the painting was older than him.
After all, the calligraphy and paintings in the inner hall are clearly of great age, judging from the mounting of the scrolls.
Upon first seeing the painting, and recalling the paintings in the Guangling Prince's Palace, he guessed that the woman in the pavilion was his mother.
The paintings are almost identical; one is in the Guangling Prince's residence, and the other is in the hands of the Northern Qi Emperor.
If it weren't for her mother, it wouldn't have been hung in the Guangling Prince's Mansion.
However, the Northern Qi emperor's attitude toward his mother made him somewhat uncertain.
After all, the Northern Qi emperor was heartless towards his mother, so why would he hang her portrait in his resting place?
Now it seems very likely that it was the mother.
Moreover, it was painted by the emperor of Northern Qi himself.
Thinking this to himself, Zhao Yi asked, "The figures in this pavilion don't seem to be the painters of the Imperial Tutor."
"You have a keen eye; you noticed the difference at a glance." The Emperor of Northern Qi reached out, seemingly wanting to touch the scroll, but abruptly withdrew his hand just before touching it: "The people in this painting were painted by me personally; it depicts me and your mother."
Zhao Yi feigned surprise as he looked at the Emperor of Northern Qi.
The Northern Qi emperor, seeing Zhao Yi's surprised expression, was not at all surprised.
Given his attitude towards Yizhen, no one would believe that he would paint a picture of Yizhen and hang it in his resting place.
As for the inside story behind his actions...
The Northern Qi emperor gradually drifted into his memories.
When the late emperor held the Spring Hunt ceremony, the empress, who was then the crown princess, was in poor health, so he sent Yizhen to the Spring Hunt.
Although the late emperor was displeased with his taking Yizhen into his household, he turned a blind eye because he did not give Yizhen a formal title and only treated her as a pastime.
He didn't hesitate and went with Yizhen and Consort Shu.
However, on the way to the spring hunt, Empress Mingde suddenly fell ill and changed her route to the temporary palace.
The palace was located at the foot of the mountain in the hunting grounds.
Empress Mingde's illness came on too suddenly, and it was unknown when she would fully recover.
The prey obtained during the spring hunt was also used for sacrificial offerings.
To show respect for the gods and ancestors, the late emperor specially ordered the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to select an auspicious day.
Therefore, it cannot be delayed.
The late emperor left behind a group of women at the temporary palace and took only his sons to the hunting grounds.
Yizhen escorted him to the foot of the mountain and gave him a breastplate in the pavilion.
It was this breastplate that saved his life.
The Emperor of Northern Qi pulled himself out of his reverie and said softly, "Years ago, your mother gave me a breastplate. She said the men of Northern Qi were extremely brave and skilled, and that they would surely display their prowess at the hunting grounds. She worried that I might be accidentally wounded by stray arrows while searching for prey in the forest, so she told me to wear it for self-defense. Who knew she would actually be right? I was struck in the chest by an arrow, but thanks to this breastplate, I survived."
Yizhen rarely spoke to him first; their conversations were always a question-and-answer session.
She would occasionally offer him advice, but he would pretend not to listen and deliberately do the opposite of what she suggested. She secretly hoped that Yizhen would coax him and talk to him more.
In fact, whether he listened or not, Yizhen would never mention it to him a second time, let alone coax him in a soft voice.
He felt increasingly frustrated, but he couldn't do anything about Yi Zhen. So he came up with a foolish plan: he started to treat her coldly and allowed the people in the mansion to bully her, all in order to force her to bow her head and show weakness in front of him.
But that one time, he inexplicably listened to her.
It was thanks to Yizhen's advice that he was spared from death.
“If it weren’t for your mother, I would probably have died in the hunting grounds long ago.” The Emperor of Northern Qi turned around and looked steadily at Zhao Yi: “That hunt was very successful, and the Imperial Tutor was also in high spirits. He casually sketched this painting during the banquet. I had just escaped death, and when I saw this painting, I was deeply moved. So I asked the Imperial Tutor for this painting, ‘Early Spring,’ and had it painted to depict the scene of your mother putting a breastplate on me. I hung it in my study when I was a prince.”
At that time, because of this breastplate, he mistakenly thought that Yizhen admired him but was just not good at expressing it.
So he hung the painting in his study, not only to please Yizhen, but also to take this opportunity to get Yizhen to express her feelings for him.
Until he saw Yizhen smile at another man, a very faint and fleeting smile.
Even so, this scene was still very jarring to his eyes.
Because Yizhen had never treated him like that before.
This made him realize that Yizhen wasn't incapable of expressing herself, but rather that she simply didn't love him.
He is a prince, the future emperor, what kind of woman wouldn't he want?
Why bother getting entangled with a lowly abandoned child like her?
His pride suffered an unprecedented blow, and he completely despised her.
After he ascended the throne, the eunuchs moved all the paintings and calligraphy in the Crown Prince's study to the Hall of Diligent Governance and the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The eunuchs then hung the painting here.
At that time, he was busy consolidating his power and did not pay attention to these trivial matters.
Who knew that this hanging would remain for over twenty years.
If Zhao Yi hadn't paid attention, he would never have noticed the painting at all.
Thinking of all this, the Northern Qi emperor became irritable and said, "I'm tired, you may leave."
Zhao Yi withdrew from the inner hall.
He never expected that the Northern Qi emperor would hang his mother's portrait in the inner palace because his mother had given him a breastplate that saved his life.
However, the Northern Qi emperor did not remember his mother's life-saving grace and protect her. Instead, he repaid kindness with enmity and killed his mother.
Zhao Yi clenched his fists, barely able to contain his surging emotions.
It wasn't until he stood under the scorching sun, the sunlight stinging his eyes, that he slowly lowered his head, suppressing the emotions raging in his heart, and gradually came to his senses.
At the same time, Zhao Yi realized a problem.
The figure in the pavilion of the "Early Spring" painting in the Guangling Prince's Mansion was actually painted by the Imperial Tutor.
But why did the Imperial Tutor include his mother in the painting?
Could it be that he has a connection with his mother?