Imperial Censor Hu did not fail Anning’s expectations. During the Empress Dowager’s thousand autumns, he presented the landscape painting. Empress Dowager and Emperor Pingle treated the landscape painting almost like a treasure after receiving it. Especially Emperor Pingle, who himself was a master of calligraphy and painting. He particularly loved fine artwork, and though Anning’s landscape painting was embroidery, it looked even better than the works of great painters. Emperor Pingle couldn’t imagine how a master could embroider such a piece! Just painting this landscape alone was difficult, not to mention embroidering it onto canvas. To Emperor Pingle, the landscape painting was a national treasure that could be passed down through generations. Empress Dowager also liked the landscape painting, but as Emperor Pingle was her son, and he liked it, she could not help but give it up for him. However, Empress Dowager still inquired of Mrs. Hu which embroidery woman had stitched it. Naturally, Mrs. Hu hurriedly offered up Anning. For this offering of the painting, Imperial Censor Hu was rewarded by Emperor Pingle, and Anning benefitted greatly from his light, for which Mrs. Hu, grateful to Anning, spoke highly of her in front of Empress Dowager. As Empress Dowager got older, she enjoyed listening to various folk stories or things from the common streets. Mrs. Hu turned Anning’s virtuous deeds into stories for Empress Dowager. For instance, Anning’s birth mother died early, and her father, Scholar Wen, later married a stepmother who initially was not kind to Anning. But Anning, smart and filial, eventually moved her stepmother with her sincerity. Furthermore, Xu Zhiwen, whom Anning married, was a very good person. He was killed on the way to the examination to save his classmate, and Anning never held any grudges against that classmate. When she encountered a classmate participating in the rural examination in Prefecture City, learning that he was very poor, she even gave him some money. Also, when Xu Family’s second son had his leg broken, the Xu Family was struggling. The father and son didn’t want to burden the main and third branch and planned to split the family, but Anning stood up saying she would bear the cost of treating the second son’s leg. She earned money through embroidery and finally healed Xu Family’s second son’s leg. All in all, in Mrs. Hu’s words, Anning was a Heavenly Immortal-like woman with beautiful virtues. Possibly because she did many good deeds, even the heavens loved her character, and thus granted her excellent embroidery skills. Empress Dowager was also touched by Anning’s filial piety and kindness after hearing her deeds and wanted to meet Anning. Just after Anning bought a house and settled down, a decree from inside the palace came, summoning her by Empress Dowager. When Old Madam heard that Anning was to enter the palace, she immediately became anxious, making Xu Minruo bring lots of clothes for Anning to try, and brought over many pieces of jewelry, figuring out how to make Anning not appear too shabby. Anning, smiling, advised Old Madam: "Mother, Empress Dowager is the most noble woman under the heavens, there is nothing she hasn’t seen; no matter how richly we dress, in her eyes we will still seem poor. It’s better to be plain and straightforward when entering the palace. After all, Empress Dowager knows we come from a peasant background and our family isn’t well-off. She doesn’t expect us to dress extravagantly." Old Madam thought about it and agreed. Even if all the jewelry was worn, it would still be like a tiger trying to paint its stripes, not quite fitting. Better not to fuss. Anning wore a plain cotton dress, very simple, only embroidered with unnoticeable tiny flowers at the sleeves and hem. She combed her hair neatly but wore no gold and silver jewelry; instead, she adorned several flowers she made herself with fabric and silk threads. After preparing herself, she entered the palace with the decree-delivering eunuch. Updates are released by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩 Others might be afraid when entering the palace, but Anning was calm and dignified, neither obsequious nor arrogant, which made the eunuch and palace maid leading her to Cining Palace look at her in a new light. Upon entering Cining Palace, Anning saw Empress Dowager and a young man sitting beside her. Judging by the man’s attire, he was not the current emperor, possibly another son of the Empress Dowager, recently instated as Prince Su. Anning quickly went forward to pay her respects. Empress Dowager, with a smile, had someone help her up and then sized up Anning for a moment. After seeing Anning’s looks and demeanor, Empress Dowager really liked her. Mainly because Anning had a calm demeanor, and her eyes were very clear, showing she was a person of good character. Empress Dowager granted Anning a seat, and after thanking her, Anning sat down without showing much timidity. Empress Dowager smiled and asked, "What made you think of embroidering the landscape painting?" Anning chuckled lightly, "Replying to the Empress Dowager, ever since I was young, I loved painting and embroidery. I often thought how wonderful it would be to combine painting and embroidery. Over the years, I kept trying. I remember looking at the travel notes my father kept in his study and yearning for the landscapes of our Dajing Dynasty. Being a woman, it wasn’t convenient for me to travel. Until last year, I suddenly wanted to embroider a landscape painting. Even though I couldn’t travel, I could imagine the famous places through the landscape painting and fulfill one of my wishes." Empress Dowager could not help but sigh, "Indeed, we women are always bound by our circumstances." At this moment, a young man beside the Empress Dowager asked Anning, "What embroidery techniques did you use? I have never seen them before." Empress Dowager was also taken aback. Anning explained quietly, "It is a technique I created myself." Empress Dowager pointed at the young man and said, "This is my youngest son, Prince Su." Anning quickly got up to pay her respects. Prince Su gestured, "Never mind that for now. Just explain to me in detail how you embroidered it. I have been looking at it for a long time and I can’t figure it out." "Well, it goes ..." Anning patiently explained to Prince Su. Seeing Prince Su engrossed in it, Empress Dowager quickly said, "Your brother is looking for you. You better go now." Prince Su was reluctant to leave. Empress Dowager felt helpless and frustrated. Having a son who likes making clothes and doing embroidery work was indeed quite troubling. After Prince Su left, Empress Dowager asked Anning many questions about the countryside. Anning then told her many things that had happened in the village, including trivial household matters and the ordinary people’s harvests and daily needs. Later on, Anning started telling stories to the Empress Dowager. Her eloquence made even the smallest matters thrilling. When she spoke about the everyday matters of the countryside, she was so captivating, let alone when she told stories. Not only was Empress Dowager captivated, but even the eunuchs and palace maids around her were fascinated. When Anning left the palace, Empress Dowager was very reluctant to let her go. Even the little palace maids wanted Anning to stay and tell them stories every day. Empress Dowager, reluctant to let Anning go, agreed to have Anning visit the palace several times each month. Anning also promised to bring some folk trinkets for the Empress Dowager the next time she visited. When Anning returned home, the rewards from Empress Dowager and Emperor Pingle were delivered. Empress Dowager rewarded her with gold and silver as well as some fabrics, while Emperor Pingle gave her some fine medicinal herbs. The old master and Old Madam were truly overjoyed to see these gifts. The value of the items was secondary; the key point was that they were rewards from the Emperor and Empress Dowager—what an honor that was, something unimaginable in the past. Not to mention the Emperor and Empress Dowager, even if a local official had given their family something, they would have been excited to the point of fainting. Xu Minruo, Xu Minying, and Xu Minlan were also very happy. The children felt honored to have their family recognized. The happiest among them was Xu Minying. With a mother who had caught the eye of the Empress Dowager, his career was likely to be much smoother.