Duke Chen's Palace

"Wow your place is huge." Xu Ling Ai exclaimed.

It looks somehow the same as Duke Su Manor but bigger and wider. The servants is also a lot. The moment she step inside it, they greeted her and Li Zhi Ming.

Different from Li Zhao, Li Zhi Ming lived inside the palace. Actually all of them lived them in the palace together.

"Your Highness why do His Highness Li Zhao did not live in the palace like you do?"

It was a custom for all the imperial family to live in the palace. Just the area of them living was different.

The palace were too gigantic enough that the imperial family can build their own manor inside it.

"He is still a teenager when he moved out and build his own manor. Imperial father knew he don't like living with us so imperial father let him." Li Zhi Ming explain.

"What did you want to show me?" Xu Ling Ai question.

Li Zhi Ming led her to a small private room. She saw different kind of painting. The whole room itself look artistic.

"Wow!" She exclaimed.

"It's so beautiful.. Did you draw it yourself?" Her hands instinctively reach out a painting.

It was a painting of a bird inside a cage. And it mouth were open apart like the bird was singing.

"The bird wanting to get out of the cage." Xu Ling Ai unconsciously said it without noticing Li Zhi Ming were looking at her.

Li Zhi Ming was afraid of his own feeling. It was his sister in law for god sake. This is the first time someone praise his work.

"He was screaming for help." Li Zhi Ming added looking at Xu Ling Ai.

Li Zhi Ming actually was talking about himself. He is tired with all the imperial world. He really hope he can act like Li Zhao.

While painting the bird, he was imagining himself. He had never hope anyone would understand his creation.

"This lord have never shown this place to anyone including my own concubine." Li Zhi Ming said with so much emotion.

Xu Ling Ai knew Li Zhi Ming had a concubine but she never thought he would bring up it up.

"You are very talented. I have to admit it." She smile at her giving him a thumbs up.

Her eyes wander everywhere until she saw a painting that was covered by a white fabric. She was about to go there but Li Zhi Ming prevent her.

"This one is not finished yet. Once it's done, I will show you." Li Zhi Ming smile genuinely at her.

"Sure then." She don't want to push him. It is his privacy.

"Your Highness, I think I will go back now because Gu Mama will nagged a lot." Xu Ling Ai remember that she promised to tell Gu Mama everything that happen in the palace.

"And I want to thank you for showing me this. I was amazed. You're so talented." She added.

"Next time you need to draw me okay!" Xu Ling Ai was about to walk out of the room but Li Zhi Ming called her.

"Xu Ling Ai!" He called out making her turn around.

"Next week, there is a festival going on in Luoyang city. Would you like to come?" He nervous asked.

"If I got nothing else to do, I will." She then leave his place.

"I will wait for you." Li Zhi Ming muttered.

He walk towards the painting that he hide with the fabric. Li Zhi Ming then take off it. Shockingly, it is a drawing of Xu Ling Ai when they first met at Luoyang City.

Pawn Shop

"Mister how much do I get if I sell this to you?" Xu Ling Ai head to the town as soon as she came out of the palace.

She thought if she sell the hair pin, she will have some money. She had also planned to buy something for Li Zhao since he always give her things.

"Young lady this hair pin is a bit old. Do you really want to sell this?" The shop owner feeling somehow hesitate to accept the hair pin. Because it was used.

She nodded vigorously. Then the owner take the hair pin for a check. While waiting for it, Xu Ling Ai walk around and saw a shop stand outside of the pawn shop.

"Thank you. If I had any jewellery, I will come back here." Xu Ling Ai received a few bags of silver.

"Sure young lady! The hair pin is a bit old so I couldn't give you a lot. Next time this uncle promised to give you discount!" The owner laugh at the cheerful young lady.

Heading to the stand which sells accessories, she look at some jade.

'But he has a lot of jade.' She realize they really don't know about each other.

"Young lady why don't you pick this?" The seller show Xu Ling Ai a fan. It was a normal fan.

Some pattern of birds and clouds on it. It is very simple and perfect for Li Zhao who loves simplicity.

"Madam I will take this." Xu Ling Ai told the seller.

"Do you want to put your name? I can write it for you." The seller asked. The fan can be wrote a calligraphy for free.

"Yes! I would love it." Xu Ling Ai gladly respond but then an idea came.

"Madam! Can I write on my own? My calligraphy definitely not better than you but I want it to be more special." Xu Ling Ai quickly prevent the madam from grabbing the brush and ink.

The seller then hand her the brush and ink. She grab the brush uncomfortably. It has been very long since she wrote using chinese calligraphy technique.

Xu Ling Ai had seen Li Zhao's name in the manor before this so she remembered how his letter wrote like. Stroking Li Zhao's name one by one smoothly, she finally done.

"Madam please be honest, it is ugly right?" Xu Ling Ai look at the result and it turns out really bad.

"Madam I will buy one more but this time you write it." She sighed. There's nothing she can do accordingly.

"Aiyaa! Young lady I'm very sure the person who receive this gift will be very happy." The madam persuaded her to get the one she wrote herself.

Xu Ling Ai pay for the fan and give the seller some tips to thanked her for giving her courage to be confident about her own calligraphy. She look at her ugly calligraphy and smile.

'Hope Li Zhao will accept this.'

P.S.

Is there any of you who is talented in making a story cover?

VOTE and COMMENT if you like this chapter!

Thanks! 💖 - R