High-class Spring Joy

Before long, another Buddha statue was carried up, and Qingyuan was also brought out.

All eyes were on the Buddha statue covered with a red cloth, and everyone had a different expression.

The Empress Dowager's smile remained unchanged: "Alright, Jing'an, stop keeping me in suspense and let your mother and everyone else see for themselves!"

When Princess Jing'an's gaze fell on Princess Mingyue, it suddenly turned cold, but she quickly returned to normal.

She walked up to the Buddha statue herself and first lifted the red cloth on one side of the statue.

The next moment, an extremely lifelike image of Amitabha Buddha was revealed to everyone.

Everyone's eyes lit up. They were all embroidering Amitabha Buddha, but the three images were in completely different poses, and the feeling they gave off was also completely different!

Jiang Qingge's painting is indeed exquisite and lifelike, but it is not as noble and beautiful as Princess Mingyue's. This third painting of Amitabha Buddha is lifelike, but it does not have any noble or beautiful qualities. However, it has a calming and peaceful power that can make people feel at ease at first glance!

Zen and Buddhist spirit—these are the most difficult things to express in embroidery!

"Excellent, excellent, this one is the best! Just looking at the Amitabha Buddha on this statue, I actually feel as if I am standing in front of the golden Buddha. So compassionate, so Zen-like, the embroiderer's skills must have reached the pinnacle!"

The Empress Dowager sighed.

Princess Mingyue's expression changed slightly. She was skilled in embroidery and could naturally tell at a glance that this Buddha image was completely different from Jiang Qingge's!

They even covered up her Buddha statue.

Princess Jing'an, however, was not satisfied with this and continued with a smile, "Mother, Princess Mingyue, don't be impatient. This is only one aspect. There is another, most important and most amazing aspect of this Buddha statue that amazed me."

As she spoke, Princess Jing'an raised her hand and lifted the red cloth on the other side, and immediately another lotus platform, the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Light, appeared before everyone.

It's actually a double-sided embroidery with different images and colors!

The entire room fell silent, and everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

Princess Mingyue fell silent, and Jiang Qingge's expression turned extremely ugly.

The head eunuch of the Imperial Jewelry Department couldn't help but exclaim, "In all my years, I have never seen such a perfectly embroidered double-sided image with different colors!!"

Beside the Empress Dowager, the Zen Master Liaokong, who had remained silent until now, walked up to the Buddha statue, put his hands together, chanted Buddhist scriptures, and bowed down to the Buddha statue with a devout expression!

"Medicine Buddha... It's actually Medicine Buddha! It's a double-sided, differently colored embroidered image! Excellent! Excellent! This is the best birthday gift I've received today. Jing'an, who embroidered this? I want to see her!"

With the Empress Dowager's words, the birthday celebration was officially decided.

Qingyuan was brought before the Empress Dowager. Under the gazes of the ladies, she respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager: "This servant, Qingyuan, a maid from the Zhenguo Marquis's residence, greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. This Buddha statue was embroidered by this servant."

"Qingyuan, excellent, excellent, excellent Qingyuan! You understand my thoughts and desires so well, and you have such excellent embroidery skills!"

The Empress Dowager could not hide her excitement, praising her one thing after another.

Princess Jing'an smiled and looked at Princess Mingyue: "Princess Mingyue, you can see that in our Song Kingdom, even a common woman has such superb embroidery skills. It is clear that your father did not deceive you. There is still much for you to learn."

Princess Mingyue was so angry that she couldn't laugh at all, and Jiang Qingge was even more furious, staring intently at Qingyuan's figure in front of her.

The group of family members and ladies never expected that the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration would be overshadowed by a mere maid!

Even if she was a maid, she was still a maid of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion.

Only Old Madam Dou's smile didn't diminish but rather increased as she replied to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, Qingyuan is indeed a maidservant of the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion, serving in Jingyu Courtyard."

The Empress Dowager gazed at the Buddha statue, tears welling in her eyes. "Qingyuan, what a fine Qingyuan, what a fine Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion! Reward! Everyone in the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion will receive one hundred taels of silver. Qingyuan, I will grant you one wish. When you have made up your mind, come to the palace to see me!"

Qingyuan was overjoyed, feeling as if she had survived a disaster, and hurriedly knelt down to kowtow and express her gratitude.

During the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration, no one expected that a maid would earn everyone in the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion a hundred taels of silver as a reward. A hundred taels of silver was nothing to these ladies and young ladies from high-ranking families, but it was mainly about saving face.

The Empress Dowager's favor was truly immense, enough to elevate the Zhenguo Marquis's status in Bianjing, right under the Emperor's nose, to an even higher level.

And all of this was actually because of the little maid Qingyuan.

-

Chu Jingxian returned at night.

"Young master, the birthday gifts have been presented."

Chen Sha reported.

"Where is she?"

Chu Jingxian held a light green handkerchief in her hand.

"Her? Who is she?" Chen Sha asked in surprise, only to be met with a disappointed glare from Zhe Ji before she realized, "Young Master, you mean Miss Qing Yuan! Miss Qing Yuan won! Not only did she win against Miss Jiang, but she also won against that princess from the Southern Frontier! The Empress Dowager even said she would grant Miss Qing Yuan a wish! Miss Qing Yuan is truly amazing; she not only won, but also saved face for the Song Kingdom."

"She's always been very capable."

Chu Jingxian smiled slightly upon hearing this: "A wish... I wonder what that little girl wants?"

After saying that, Chu Jingxian seemed to realize what he had said, and his expression changed slightly. "Zheji, you said in your letter that Qingyuan fainted?"

"Yes, Hongdou came crying to find you, young master, so I took Qingyuan out of the manor to see a doctor. But Jinxiu Manor was busy at the time, so I paid the money and left. Later, I heard from Hongdou that Qingyuan refused to say what was wrong with her. I don't know either. Qingyuan only said that she was tired, but I don't think that's the case."

Zheji said.

Chu Jingxian raised an eyebrow: "What makes it seem unreasonable?"

"Hongdou said that Qingyuan has had a poor appetite for a long time, often vomits while eating, and is getting thinner and thinner. Moreover... her period is often irregular and has been a month late."

As Zheji said this, he looked a little lost. On the day Qingyuan fainted, Hongdou was panicked. After taking her to the clinic, when the doctor asked about Qingyuan's recent condition, Hongdou told him everything in a rambling manner, and he only heard a little bit of it.

Vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss, and missed period.

Each of them individually is normal, but when put together, the most likely explanation is that she is pregnant.

Chu Jingxian paused, his fingers tapping the armrest, and pressed, "Say it again, how long has it been delayed?"

"A month's delay means I haven't had my period for two months, right?" Zheji wasn't quite sure either.

Starting from today, go back about two months.

That night?!