Time Is Slow - Chapter 39
“Living at Minister Kou’s residence, huh…” Qiao Zhao murmured softly.
It was just like what she had expected. If her eldest brother had come to the capital, he would certainly have sought out their maternal grandfather.
She didn’t know if her brother had heard of her supposed death by now.
“Today, Minister Kou formally requested the Emperor to thoroughly investigate whether the Qiao family’s fire was an accident or deliberate. His Majesty has already appointed an imperial envoy to go to Jiafeng and look into it.”
Seeing how attentively his daughter was listening, Li Guangwen was happy to elaborate.
“Who was appointed as the imperial envoy?” Qiao Zhao asked without thinking.
Li Guangwen smiled and said, “It’s your uncle from the Eastern Residence.”
Qiao Zhao suddenly felt goosebumps.
It made sense that the Emperor would appoint someone from the Ministry of Justice to investigate the fire. Her uncle from the Eastern Residence, Li Guangyan, currently served as an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Justice and happened to be her grandfather’s subordinate.
She had gone from being a daughter of the Qiao family to a daughter of the Li family. Now, her current family was responsible for investigating the tragedy of her past life. Such a coincidence could only be said to be destiny’s arrangement.
“Zhao Zhao, why are you crying?” Li Guangwen had just finished speaking when he noticed tears glistening in his daughter’s eyes.
Qiao Zhao couldn’t explain the real reason, so she simply said, “Father’s story moved me.”
Li Guangwen’s heart trembled.
To think she was moved by something so simple, was this daughter’s heart really so easy to please?
He suddenly felt a bit ashamed for how he had neglected her all these years. He nearly pounded his chest and declared, “Zhao Zhao, if you ever want to hear more stories, just come to me!”
Qiao Zhao’s eyes lit up, her voice naturally soft and sweet.
“That’s wonderful. Thank you, Father!”
With the inkstone tucked under his arm, Li Guangwen practically floated out of the room, inwardly marveling.
Who would’ve thought that he might actually have a knack for storytelling!
Once the room quieted down, Qiao Zhao walked over to the west wing.
The west wing had been converted into a study, fully stocked with the Four Treasures of the Study. By the window sat a guqin, covered in dust.
She picked up a stack of paper from the desk. The handwriting was neat and elegant—clearly part of a recently transcribed Buddhist scripture.
Qiao Zhao glanced at it and called Ah Zhu.
“Bring me a brazier.”
Binglu quickly chimed in, “Miss, Ah Zhu’s new and wouldn’t know where the brazier’s kept. It would be better if I go and fetch it.”
Seeing her mistress nod, Binglu shot Ah Zhu a smug glance and happily left.
Qiao Zhao didn’t mind.
Where there are people, there’s conflict. As long as certain boundaries are upheld, it’s nothing to worry about.
Not long after, Binglu returned with a brazier, smiling brightly.
“It was Shuanghong who put it away earlier. I nearly forgot where it was.”
Ah Zhu silently went to the east wing and returned with a candlestick.
Binglu curled her lip.
“What are you doing bringing that out in broad daylight?”
Ah Zhu replied honestly, “Miss needs it.”
“Miss—” Binglu turned to Qiao Zhao.
Qiao Zhao was pleasantly surprised by Ah Zhu’s attentiveness and smiled.
“Indeed, I do.”
It was spring. If she asked for a brazier, then clearly she needed a flame.
Binglu, upon hearing this, shot Ah Zhu a wary glare.
This outsider was way too cunning, how annoying!
Ah Zhu calmly looked away.
Qiao Zhao lit the candle and brought the stack of paper close to the flame.
Binglu panicked and rushed forward.
“Miss, what are you doing?!”
But the fire was swift. The stack of paper ignited instantly, and Qiao Zhao casually tossed it into the brazier, where it quickly turned to ash.
Binglu was heartbroken.
“Miss, why did you burn the Buddhist scripture you worked so hard to copy?”
“I wasn’t satisfied with it,” Qiao Zhao replied gently.
Binglu stared in disbelief.
“Not satisfied? But Miss, I thought it looked beautiful.”
She added, “Even better than the Master’s handwriting!”
“Looking good isn’t enough,” Qiao Zhao said coldly, gazing at the ashes, where not a single spark left. She then told the two maids, “Clean up and leave me. I’m going to copy some scriptures.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The two girls tidied the room and withdrew. Qiao Zhao spread out fresh paper, ground some ink, dazed for a moment, then picked up her brush and began to write.
Elegant, flowing characters bloomed like dazzling flowers, one after another under her brush. It was an entirely different script from the one she had burned.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when she finally set her brush down and stared at the paper with a dazed expression.
These characters looked just like her grandfather’s handwriting. With this, no matter what obstacles lay ahead, she would surely find a way to meet that Grand Princess.
The streets bustled with noise, but the private room in the Wufu Teahouse by the street was quiet and calm.
Chi Can ordered a pot of tea and sat by the window, leisurely sipping it.
Before long, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Moments later, Yang Houcheng pushed open the door and walked in, plopping down casually across from Chi Can. He grabbed the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and downed it in one gulp.
“You drink like a cow,” Chi Can sneered.
Yang Houcheng didn’t mind in the slightest. He set the cup down and sighed, “Still couldn’t catch that Shao guy, he left early this morning.”
Chi Can’s expression darkened immediately. He said stiffly, “Busy man, huh.”
Yang Houcheng chuckled inwardly. So Young Master Chi is annoyed because someone didn’t show up.
Not wanting to let his friend stew in anger, he quickly explained, “Exactly. I asked the servants at the Marquis’ residence. They said he went to retrieve his late wife’s coffin and he could be gone for several days. Hmph, just leaving like that without so much as a word!”
“…Well, that’s a serious matter,” Chi Can mumbled begrudgingly after hearing the reason.
“Right? That’s what I thought too. By the way, where’s Zizhe?”
That made Chi Can smile.
“It’s his sister’s birthday today. He stayed home to entertain their cousins.”
Yang Houcheng raised an eyebrow and smirked.
“I bet it’s the female cousins he’s busy entertaining.”
The three of them had grown up together, so they were well aware of Zhu Yan’s troubles. One of his cousins from Duke Guchang’s household had always clung tightly to him.
Thinking of Zhu Yan’s current predicament, the two mischievous friends felt zero sympathy. After chatting over tea for a while, they went their separate ways.
When Chi Can returned to the Grand Princess’ Residence, Taosheng, a young servant, came to report.
“Young Master, Aunt Dongyu says the Grand Princess would like to see you in the study.”
“Got it.”
Chi Can changed into more casual clothes before leisurely heading to the study.
“What does Mother need from her son?” he asked, his eyes drifting down to the scroll laid open on the desk before the Grand Princess.
Grand Princess Changrong lightly tapped the painting in front of her with her finger.
Her fingers were long and elegant, adorned with bright red nail polish, the flash of color making Chi Can feel inexplicably uneasy.
Her gaze slowly fell on her son, taking in the strained look he tried so hard to suppress. She smiled in amusement.
“So, Can’er, you weren’t lying that day. This painting really is a copy.”
Surprise flickered across Chi Can’s face.
That day, he’d spoken in anger, and it was obvious his mother hadn’t believed him. So why now…?
The Grand Princess tapped the painting again.
“It’s the paper.”
Chi Can understood immediately.
Of course, the “Duck Playing in the Water” painting was one of Master Qiao’s early works. If this were an original, no matter how well it was preserved, the paper would not be so pristine.
The Grand Princess spoke again.
“I’m very curious. Who did such a fine job copying this painting?”