Chapter 36: Practicing Calligraphy.

Chapter 36: Calligraphy Practice

Emperor Jingyuan was surprised: "You want to copy my handwriting?"

Huo Ling put on an innocent look, her eyes widening slightly: "I'd never dare have such presumptuous thoughts."

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled, recognizing his mistake: "Then tell me, what were you thinking?"

"Why not just coach me directly since Your Majesty is right beside me?"

That wasn’t difficult. Emperor Jingyuan had already been evaluating Huo Ling’s calligraphy and noted a few areas for improvement. Glancing at her, he noticed she was listening intently, her lips pursed slightly as if pondering his words.

"Has Your Majesty finished?" Huo Ling looked up.

Emperor Jingyuan asked, "Do you understand?"

"It's perfectly clear," Huo Ling replied.

She took another blank sheet and rewrote the poem according to his suggestions: "Is this an improvement?"

Emperor Jingyuan nodded, then pointed out another obvious flaw: "Yan-style calligraphy emphasizes lighter horizontal strokes and heavier vertical ones. You can lighten your touch when starting your strokes."

Huo Ling adjusted her technique bit by bit as instructed.

After revising five or six times, she suddenly turned and saw Emperor Jingyuan standing behind her at some point. "Your Majesty, something doesn't seem right."

"What is it?"

Huo Ling handed him the brush: "Since this poem is Your Majesty’s praise for me, why have I been the only one writing it? Shouldn’t you also write it once, so I have a clear reference?"

With the hint so obvious, Emperor Jingyuan smiled and took the brush—but not the blank paper she offered. Instead, he moved beside her and added a new line beside her inscription on the upper right corner of the painting.

The same poem, similar handwriting, but with completely different character.

Huo Ling glanced down at the painting, then up at Emperor Jingyuan: "I used to think my calligraphy was decent, but placed next to Your Majesty’s, it seems so amateurish."

She meant it sincerely.

Huo Ling enjoyed practicing calligraphy, but she was self-taught, learning only through imitation of masterpieces to refine her skill.

Emperor Jingyuan, however, had been tutored by renowned masters since childhood, absorbing the strengths of various schools. Though he studied Yan-style, he had long mastered it, combining power and elegance into strokes that bore the majestic presence of a sovereign’s hand.

"If others saw this, they’d surely laugh at me for presuming to display skill before the master."

"Don't be ridiculous," Emperor Jingyuan said. "Do you have a personal seal?"

Huo Ling froze, then instinctively shook her head.

Emperor Jingyuan returned the brush to her: "Then keep this painting safe. Once you’ve made your seal, take it out again and stamp it beside my inscription. What do you think?"

Huo Ling’s eyes curved with amusement: "Would that be appropriate?"

"With my permission, there’s nothing inappropriate about it."

Huo Ling gripped the brush, preparing to practice reproducing Emperor Jingyuan’s handwriting again.

Before continuing, she suddenly seemed to remember something. She poured tea for Emperor Jingyuan and handed him the cup: "Your Majesty, you must need refreshment."

Emperor Jingyuan accepted the cup but didn’t drink, idly spinning the lid as he remarked, "What prompts this sudden courtesy?" "Your Majesty," Huo Ling said, "how do you judge my understanding?"

"You have great insight."

"Then next time, when I bring my calligraphy, would Your Majesty still be willing to give me one-on-one guidance?"

Emperor Jingyuan hadn't expected Huo Ling to make such a request.

To others, the authentic works of Duke Yan of Lu might be priceless treasures, but to him, they meant little. Seeing that Huo Ling practiced the Yan style, he could casually gift her a few pieces to make her happy.

Even offering pointers like today was just a passing fancy.

But repeated guidance would be something else entirely.

Huo Ling was also watching Emperor Jingyuan.

This was the biggest lesson she had learned from Prince Duan. Prince Duan vowed to win her at all costs, yet after returning to the capital, he never appeared before her alone.

So empty romantic gestures were far from enough.

She needed Emperor Jingyuan to invest more time and effort in her. And she would prove to him that the time and effort he spent would yield returns many times over.

After waiting a while, Huo Ling couldn't help poking the back of Emperor Jingyuan's hand with the tip of her brush.

The emperor felt ticklish from her poking and caught the cord with his pinky to stop her from moving it.

Huo Ling shook the brush and sighed, "Actually, before I even asked, I had already braced myself for Your Majesty to say no. In that case, I'll just have to find myself another teacher."

Emperor Jingyuan asked, "Who do you plan to have teach you?"

Huo Ling replied, "Your Majesty knows them."

The emperor narrowed his eyes, "I know them?"

Huo Ling nodded, "Of course you do. You mentioned them just now."

The name he had mentioned earlier... Emperor Jingyuan quickly recalled, noticing the mischief in Huo Ling's eyes, and suddenly understood.

"Duke Yan of Lu?"

Huo Ling's eyes sparkled with amusement, "Yes, Duke Yan of Lu himself. Your Majesty can't take back your promise to give me those authentic works."

Emperor Jingyuan shook his head, "You almost had me there."

"If the current emperor won't guide me, then I have no choice but to learn from the ancient masters."

Emperor Jingyuan studied her lovely face, "A Ling, have you ever been rejected before?"

Noticing the change in his address, Huo Ling joked, "Not that I recall. If Your Majesty refuses now, you'd be the first."

"Then in this matter, I can't make an exception either."

Emperor Jingyuan moved the teacup lid aside, sipped, and then smiled, "This tea..."

Huo Ling stared at him, "What about it?"

"It's oversteeped."

"You can taste that?"

Emperor Jingyuan drank it all anyway to be polite.

He set down the teacup, rose, and walked to the door, speaking briefly with someone outside. Shortly after, Li Man entered with several attendants, pushing the door open.

The attendants busied themselves serving the dishes while Li Man replaced the tea for both Emperor Jingyuan and Huo Ling.

Emperor Jingyuan said, "The Great Xiangguo Temple’s vegetarian dishes are famous. Try them and see if you like them."

Huo Ling hadn’t felt particularly hungry before, but now, catching the aroma of the food in the air, she realized she was famished. "What time is it now?"

Li Man, standing nearby, replied, "Commandery Lady, it’s already early afternoon. You and His Majesty have been conversing for over two hours. Seeing how absorbed you both were, I didn’t want to interrupt."

Huo Ling glanced at Emperor Jingyuan, who smiled without a word.

She grumbled quietly, "When I’m busy, I often lose track of time—and now I’ve made His Majesty go hungry with me. Your Majesty should have reminded me."

"Let’s eat," Emperor Jingyuan said, handing her the chopsticks himself.

Though all the dishes were vegetarian, the ingredients used by the Great Xiangguo Temple were exceptionally fresh. With simple preparation, the natural flavors came through, making the meal a refreshing and tasty change of pace.

Huo Ling really liked the stir-fried bamboo shoots.

Seeing her enjoy the food, Emperor Jingyuan also took a few more bites.

By the time they finished lunch, it was almost time for Emperor Jingyuan to head back to the palace.

He asked Huo Ling how she had come to the Great Xiangguo Temple. She replied, "I came with my maids and guards. It was their first visit as well. Since I was with Your Majesty and didn’t require their service, I let them do as they pleased."

"That’s good," Emperor Jingyuan said. "You should go and meet up with them now."

Li Man handed the carefully wrapped scrolls to Huo Ling.

Holding the paintings, she kept her eyes on Emperor Jingyuan. "Your Majesty, there’s still something I haven’t told you."

Emperor Jingyuan asked, "What is it?"

"It concerns matters in Yanxi."

His face betrayed nothing. "These past few days, the Thirteenth Prince has also spoken to me at length about Yanxi."

"What I saw could be very different from what His Royal Highness Prince Duan witnessed."

"How so?"

Huo Ling, however, said, "What I have to say is lengthy, but for now, Your Majesty must return to the palace."

Catching her drift, Emperor Jingyuan remarked, "Didn’t you say you wanted to try Fanlou’s Autumn Dew White? When would you like to go?"

"Not too soon, or I won’t have time to practice calligraphy;

nor too far away, or you might forget me."

"By your standards, how many days count as ‘soon,’ and how many as ‘far’?" Emperor Jingyuan laughed at her suggestion. "Last time, I set the date. This time, you decide."

Huo Ling pondered but still didn’t give a specific day. "The flowering period of the Weeping Crabapple is twenty days. When the pot of Weeping Crabapple Your Majesty gifted me withers to its last remaining blossom—how does that sound?"

Only she could come up with something like this. Emperor Jingyuan said, "I have no objections, though it means Cui Hongyi will have to check in a few extra times."

Cui Hongyi beamed. "Even if I had to come by every day—or even twice a day—I’d be happy to!"

***

The carriage was parked at the entrance of the Great Xiangguo Temple. From afar, Huo Ling spotted Wu Feng perched on the carriage step.

Wu Feng caught sight of Huo Ling and turned to say something to the person inside the carriage. Wu Mo immediately lifted the curtain and leaned halfway out, waving vigorously at Huo Ling.

Huo Ling asked, "Have you been waiting long?"

Wu Mo pulled Huo Ling into the carriage. "Not too long. We browsed all the market stalls outside the Great Xiangguo Temple and only returned to the carriage when our hands were full."

"Miss, I bought you some little trinkets—like this sachet and this Peach Blossom Talisman. They say it was blessed by a high monk at the Great Xiangguo Temple and is very effective."

Wu Feng twitched his lips, covering his face. "You bought the Peach Blossom Talisman… for the miss?" *Are you serious?*

Wu Mo huffed. "What do you know?"

This guy, Wu Feng, had no idea about the relationship between the miss and His Majesty—how could he understand her good intentions?

Huo Ling didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh as she pinched the Peach Blossom Talisman. But since it was already bought, she just slipped it into her pouch so she could wear it close.

"Alright, let’s head back."

While Wu Feng steered the carriage past the entrance of the Great Xiangguo Temple, someone suddenly called out to them.

"A Ling?!" Xu Shidu’s surprised voice came from outside. [Footnote: A Ling is an affectionate nickname for Huo Ling.]

The carriage stopped, and Huo Ling lifted the curtain to greet Xu Shidu.

Xu Shidu asked, "Were you meeting friends here at the Great Xiangguo Temple too?"

Huo Ling smiled and nodded—that wasn’t far from the truth. "You haven’t left yet?"

"I was just about to go back too."

After a brief chat, Huo Ling took her leave first. Xu Shidu, accompanied by a few attendants, walked toward Princess Elder Ningxin’s estate.

Princess Elder Ningxin said, "Didn’t you say you left something in the temple? Why did it take so long?"

Xu Shidu replied, "I just ran into A Ling at the entrance and chatted with her for a bit."

Princess Elder Ningxin paused in surprise.

She’d overheard the conversation between Huo Ling and Xu Shidu that day.

The Commandery Lady had only recently arrived in the capital and knew very few people. Princess Elder Ningxin’s first thought was Huo Ling had come to the Great Xiangguo Temple to meet the Thirteenth Prince.

But wait—no, she had personally watched the Thirteenth Prince leave with the Princess Consort of Duan in their carriage. With the Princess Consort keeping tabs, there was no way the Thirteenth Prince could’ve doubled back.

Suddenly, Princess Elder Ningxin’s eyes narrowed as she realized…

After the Buddhist rites, other than her and her daughter, one more person had remained at the Great Xiangguo Temple.