Chapter 205: Recreating the Past

How could he not know that Concubine Hua had come to him precisely because she had seized upon this point?

He had not wanted to involve himself in these struggles of palace intrigue, yet he had been forcibly dragged into them anyway.

“How did Your Ladyship gain favor back then? Why not make an issue of that again?”

Since the portraits of the woman called “Chuchu” had been hung in the Cold Palace all along without being touched, that meant someone had been specially maintaining that place.

And since the emperor had favored Concubine Hua because her manner resembled that woman, it showed that he must have deep feelings for her, and that he had never truly obtained her.

As the saying goes: a wife is inferior to a concubine, a concubine inferior to a secret lover, and a secret lover inferior to one who cannot be obtained.

That was precisely the logic.

Yue Mingxuan’s words caused Concubine Hua’s eyes to light up.

Although she had always loathed being treated as that woman’s shadow, if she could use this to climb to a higher position, what harm was there in acting the part again?

Thinking of this, she said to Yue Mingxuan, “What you said makes perfect sense. I ask that you help me deliberate further.”

Yue Mingxuan nodded and said, “May I ask, among the paintings Your Ladyship saw back then, which one left the deepest impression? Or perhaps, can those paintings still be found now?”

Concubine Hua replied, “Those paintings are still carefully stored in this place. You, follow me.”

The two passed through the corridors of the Cold Palace and soon arrived at a room located beside the garden.

Just as Concubine Hua had said, the furnishings inside were simple, yet spotless, clearly indicating that someone had been cleaning it regularly all along.

When Yue Mingxuan’s gaze fell upon the paintings, however, he was so shocked that he could not speak.

The woman in the portrait bore an astonishing resemblance to his undisguised true appearance!

If not for the slight differences in the brows and eyes, he would almost have thought that someone had painted him and hung it here.

Seeing Yue Mingxuan so shocked that he was unable to speak, Concubine Hua found it entirely understandable. Back then, when she had first seen these portraits herself, she had felt the same way.

“Even after so many years, seeing these paintings again is still breathtaking.”

Yue Mingxuan nodded mechanically.

His mind was now almost completely chaotic.

There were far too many secrets tied to the original owner of this body, and he himself had come to this world knowing nothing at all about them.

His gaze swept across one painting after another, finally settling on the last one.

In the painting, the woman wore a flowing white dress, with several butterflies fluttering around her.

The background was rendered with just a few distant strokes, resembling the Imperial Garden.

An idea immediately formed in his mind, and he said to Concubine Hua, “This one. Let’s use this painting.”

Following his line of sight, Concubine Hua looked over and frowned hesitantly. “That’s simply impossible. How could butterflies possibly circle around a person like that?”

Yue Mingxuan smiled slightly. “I have my own method.”

It was spring now and flowers and butterflies were readily available.

As for making butterflies gather around a person, all it took was a hint of fragrance.

The two quickly settled on a plan of division of labor.

Concubine Hua would be responsible for investigating the emperor’s daily schedule, while Yue Mingxuan would do his utmost to recreate the scene depicted in the painting.

Because Gongsun Xing forbade him from going to Chengqian Hall, over the next few days Yue Mingxuan devoted all of his energy to extracting fragrance essence.

Although it could not compare to the high-purity essential oils of modern times, attracting butterflies should not be a problem.

Soon, Concubine Hua sent over the emperor’s schedule, thoughtfully including a weather chart from the Imperial Observatory as well.

Yue Mingxuan glanced at the chart and felt that it looked remarkably similar to a weather forecast he had seen before.

Could it be that someone else had transmigrated here before him?

As he let his thoughts wander, he swiftly poured the finished essence into small bottles.

With everything prepared, success or failure would now depend on whether Concubine Hua could seize this opportunity herself.

Today, the Imperial Garden was bathed in perfect spring scenery.

Yue Mingxuan and Concubine Hua who is dressed in flowing white clothes, hid nearby and waiting nervously.

He had put considerable effort into Concubine Hua’s appearance today; from a distance, she looked as if the woman in the painting had stepped straight into reality.

“Your Ladyship, success or failure rests on this moment. I can only do this much.”

Concubine Hua nodded.

A trace of bitterness rose in her heart as she thought that she had once gained favor because of that woman, and now, at her age, she still had to rely on imitating her to secure imperial affection.

Yet for the sake of her son, everything was worth it.

At that moment, an inner attendant hurried over and made a discreet hand gesture toward Concubine Hua.

She grew visibly tense and said softly to Yue Mingxuan, “He’s coming. His Majesty is on his way now.”

Hearing this, Yue Mingxuan quickly applied the prepared essential oil to the hem of Concubine Hua’s skirt.

Concubine Hua then followed their prior arrangement and knelt down in a more open area.

Time passed second by second.

Just as the emperor was about to reach the entrance of the Imperial Garden, Yue Mingxuan finally made a signal.

The attendants from Roufu Palace immediately released all the butterflies they had captured earlier, while the essential oil applied to the hem of Concubine Hua’s skirt began to release waves of fragrance at just the right moment.

Most of the butterflies that was once released immediately surged upward toward the sky.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep