Chapter 1754: Chapter 1751: Failure
The larger wood carvings are relatively easier to make; the smaller the material, the more difficult the carving becomes.
A wood carving the length of half an arm isnât the smallest, but itâs quite impressive, especially since it was personally carved by Ye Muyu.
Ye Muyu answered all the Dowager Empressâs questions methodically, without any mistakes.
At the Dowager Empressâs age and status, she has seen all kinds of gifts, but such a thoughtful gift is irresistible.
In the end, Ye Muyu made her so happy that she rewarded him with a hairpin on the spot.
Ye Muyu accepted it, drawing jealousy from many of the ladies.
If Minister Qi didnât understand the situation by now, heâd be a fool; he had always thought the Gao Family ruined the wood carving the first time, and the second time was a deliberate setup by Chu Heng.
Who would have thought even the first incident was fake, how cunning!
Minister Qi became increasingly wary of Chu Heng, even recalling recent events at his residence to ensure he wasnât being plotted against by Chu Heng. Such disturbing experiences unsettled him.
The next gifts presented werenât outstanding; these third-grade officials donât have much wealth, and giving expensive gifts would be inappropriate, so they were mostly mediocre.
Ye Muyu returned to his seat, and it was time for the young misses of noble families to perform.
Having witnessed the previous gift-giving scene, more people turned their attention to her now.
Ye Muyu could only remain composed, leisurely and naturally watching the performances, just as Chu Heng beside her was doing.
As expected, Chu Ziluo performed painting, just like she said she would.
Many young misses of noble families prepared paintings, and even a girl from the Chen family painted such a picture that attracted butterflies, drawing everyoneâs attention.
Chu Ziluoâs painting skills, though lively and outstanding, seemed rather mediocre after Miss Chenâs performance.
Such remarkable acts were quite simple for Ye Muyu; as Chu Ziluo returned, she reached out with a handkerchief, âAre you tired?â
âMother, Iâm fine, as long as I didnât embarrass you and Father.â Chu Ziluo felt somewhat warm, her face tinged with pink, as she accepted the handkerchief to wipe her sweat, sincerely praising, âMiss Chen is truly impressive.â
âIâve heard sheâs the first talented young lady of the capital,â Ye Muyu poured her a cup of tea.
Hearing her motherâs unusual concern, Chu Ziluo first obediently took a sip from the teacup before shyly smiling, âYouâre right, Mother, so itâs no surprise to lose to Miss Chen.â
âNot upset?â Ye Muyu asked with some concern.
Chu Ziluo gently shook her head, âTruly not upset.â
Fearing her mother would worry or misunderstand, she looked Ye Muyu in the eye with sincere clarity, âMother, do I look upset to you?â
âIndeed you donât.â Ye Muyu pinched her chin, examining her from four angles, looking for quite a while.
Chu Ziluo couldnât help but laugh, but she had to admit, after this act from her mother, her initial nerves calmed down. Indeed, she didnât care about the competition at all, as long as she didnât embarrass her parents.
Seeing her motherâs satisfied expression, she felt she had done well enough.
Chu Ziluo couldnât help but smile, lowered her head, and took a few sips from her teacup. She didnât notice that someone near Emperor Xuanmingâs seat, not far away, had been watching her all along.
Seeing her smile, the hand holding the wine cup slowly relaxed, and the whole person relaxed as well.