After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 784 - 782 Authentic Work

In the end—

Marquis Dongxiang left the Imperial Study with two paintings in his possession.

As for why he was helping Princess Duanhui move, he didn’t tell the Emperor, leaving the Emperor to ponder it himself.

If it weren’t for the face-saving aspect of the Iron Mine, he wouldn’t have relented to let the Emperor make Su Jin a princess.

To say more would only make him want to punch the Emperor.

Watching Marquis Dongxiang walk away, the Emperor was still in the dark.

The only thing he could be sure of was that Marquis Dongxiang had long coveted Princess Duanhui’s fief.

What is it about that fief that makes him covet it so?

The Emperor was lost in thought.

Eunuch Fu walked towards the wall where the paintings were hung.

The wall originally had three paintings, two of which were taken by Marquis Dongxiang, leaving only the middle one.

It’s not out of kindness that he left one for the Emperor.

He simply looked down on that painting.

Just now...

Only just now...

Marquis Dongxiang openly robbed the Emperor’s paintings and even gave him a good kick.

"This fake painting, wouldn’t you just hang it here if I didn’t speak up, Emperor?"

"After all, it’s the Imperial Study, and you hang a fake on the wall; any passing minister could see it, and they’d know how easily fooled you are, Emperor."

Marquis Dongxiang glanced back at the Emperor, rolled up the painting, and left.

Eunuch Fu, who served beside the Emperor, was accustomed to seeing fine things.

He truly hadn’t realized this painting was fake.

If it were truly fake, its presence on the wall would tarnish the Emperor’s prestige.

Eunuch Fu took down the painting, and the Emperor said, "Summon the Heir of Prince Zhenbei to the palace to see Us."

Eunuch Fu, "...".

Alright.

The Emperor was looking for someone he could handle easily.

Marquis Dongxiang dared to disregard the Emperor’s questioning, but the Heir of Prince Zhenbei could not.

The Heir of Prince Zhenbei had escorted Princess Jiuling back to the Capital, detouring through the fief of Princess Duanhui.

He returned only two days later, and Marquis Dongxiang dispatched the Flying Tiger Army to assist Princess Duanhui with moving.

It wouldn’t make sense to say there’s no connection.

Eunuch Fu sent a little eunuch with a message, but before handing over the painting, the Emperor said, "Bring the painting here."

This painting was one of his favorites.

The Emperor never suspected this painting to be fake.

The painting hung far away, yet Marquis Dongxiang could discern its falseness with just a distant glance?

Eunuch Fu unfolded the painting, and the Emperor studied it intently.

After a long while, the Emperor’s face darkened.

The painting seemed indeed fake.

To spare the Emperor further embarrassment, Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, "I’ve never heard of Marquis Dongxiang having expertise in antiques and calligraphy."

Anyone with expertise would particularly love these things.

Marquis Dongxiang was different.

He would rob such calligraphy and paintings, but nine out of ten wouldn’t end up in the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion; they went straight to the pawnshop.

The trouble was Marquis Dongxiang pawned them with a live transaction.

After pawning, he’d leave with the money, and also give the pawn ticket to the Emperor.

The Emperor would have to feel the loss twice.

Anything one could see in the Imperial Study was cherished by the Emperor.

Especially calligraphy and paintings, which the Emperor occasionally needed to appreciate.

Knowing the calligraphy and paintings were in the pawnshop, how could he not send someone to redeem them?

After redeeming them, they couldn’t be hung in the Imperial Study but were displayed in the bedroom, and even in this way, it was hard to avoid repeating the same scenario...

Eunuch Fu, "..."

Still, Marquis Dongxiang used the money from selling these paintings and calligraphy to provide extra meals for the Flying Tiger Army.

The Flying Tiger Army, nurtured on Qingyun Mountain, had an appetite far beyond ordinary soldiers.

A Flying Tiger Army soldier’s appetite was comparable to a General.

With only eight or nine thousand Flying Tiger Army troops, their appetite matched that of a normal army of twenty thousand.

The National Treasury was depleted, and there was no ongoing war, yet they consumed so much, causing inevitable dissent among the Generals.

Furthermore, the National Treasury provides military pay and grain and grass based on headcount, not appetite.

If the soldiers aren’t well-fed, how can they train?

The Flying Tiger Army’s training intensity matched the grain they consumed.

Marquis Dongxiang wouldn’t overtly make things difficult for the Emperor.

When the time came to buy grain and grass, he’d rob the Emperor’s paintings.

The Emperor, though frustrated, couldn’t stop it.

While the Flying Tiger Army may be led by Marquis Dongxiang, the army belongs to the court.

If the court won’t support them, must Marquis Dongxiang do it himself?

He’d have to have the money to maintain them.

Isn’t this forcing him to rob others?

But even the Emperor’s private treasury is nearly empty.

Eunuch Fu couldn’t even remember the last time the Emperor gave rewards to concubines...

The Emperor continued to examine the painting, growing increasingly convinced it was fake.

But despite knowing Marquis Dongxiang for years, he truly hadn’t known he possessed the skill to discern genuine from fake at a glance.

Nevertheless, the Emperor wouldn’t ask Marquis Dongxiang about it, preserving his dignity.

Marquis Dongxiang wouldn’t tell the Emperor either; he preserved his own dignity.

Could Marquis Dongxiang say that he discerned genuine and fake not by examining a painting but by evaluating faces?

Though not skilled at determining authenticity, Marquis Dongxiang excelled at reading expressions and the intention behind words.

A few days back, when this painting was newly hung, the Left Minister entered the Imperial Study and immediately spotted the painting.

It so happened Marquis Dongxiang was there too.

The Left Minister looked at the painting twice on entry.

Upon leaving the Imperial Study, he looked at it again, with a fearful expression.

Marquis Dongxiang knew then the painting was not only fake, but the genuine piece was in the Left Minister’s Mansion.

Otherwise, out of three paintings, why would the Left Minister only fixate on one and exhibit such an expression?

If the Emperor found out his cherished painting was fake while the Left Minister owned the genuine one, wouldn’t it disgrace him?

And wouldn’t disgrace lead to anger?

The Emperor felt little embarrassment in front of Marquis Dongxiang since he was accustomed to it.

Others might say that the Emperor endured because of his affection for the deceased Consort Yun and Marquis Dongxiang, who had raised the Princess for over a decade... 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

When Left Minister showed concern, Marquis Dongxiang simply smiled at him.

It made Left Minister’s heart tremble for half a day.

Throughout the entire court, Marquis Dongxiang had only smiled at two people this way.

One was the Emperor, and the other was Duke Chong.

One was often robbed by Marquis Dongxiang.

The other was often schemed against until he couldn’t recover.

Could the Left Minister not be afraid?

He considered he hadn’t openly antagonized Marquis Dongxiang.

Marquis Dongxiang patted the Left Minister’s shoulder, smiling, "It’s a hot potato to keep that painting; it’d be a waste to destroy it. How about exchanging for an authentic one?"

It sounded considerate enough.

Left Minister was quite reluctant but felt it too risky to pursue over a painting.

Marquis Dongxiang had never been this polite to a courtier before, having caught hold of his weakness without extorting him but instead opting for an exchange.

Everything signaled a desire to win him over.

Although Duke Chong hadn’t lost his influence, his power was far less than before, so seizing the opportunity to befriend Marquis Dongxiang was not a bad move.

Besides, at present, he had no other option.

Thus, Left Minister painfully agreed to exchange.

He feared the Emperor, but Marquis Dongxiang did not.

Yet the genuine painting sent by Marquis Dongxiang nearly choked the Left Minister with frustration.

The painting was indeed an authentic piece, undeniably genuine.

But that authentic piece was painted by Marquis Dongxiang himself...

Left Minister seethed at the painting all night without sleep.

While he considered himself a seasoned fox, facing Marquis Dongxiang left him feeling like a helpless sheep, utterly powerless.