Palace maids were ordered to prepare everything to welcome the Crown Prince of neighbor Kingdom; he was here by the invitation of King and to share his strategic concerns about the increasing power of Huns and they were getting fearless by days, it was necessary to negotiate with close neighbor Kingdom and make some plan to tackle the aggregating power of Huns.
Crown Prince was young twenty-two years old and was open-minded in such a kind of collaboration between nearing kingdoms.
His father King Yong wanted to test the capabilities of future King so assented to his suggestion.
King Shang also send an invitation when he came to know their intentions, it was better to join hands to tackle Huns either it would be a waste of power and resources to fight with them separately …
Wei Lan under senior maids went to dust and clean the Portrait Gallery of the palace, its four walls were decorated with family portraits of previous Kings line and Wei Lan was wreaking the texture the lines and colors which were chosen to draw and paint the pictures, she was dusting and carefully observing these portraits.
Today portraitist was invited to draw the portrait of King and Queen and these maids were here to do the initial preparation.
King wanted to apology Queen for his behavior previous months and so he hit this idea to surprise the Queen, he told Queen through maids that he wished for her to get ready for the couple portrait of King and Queen.
They were both primed and were sitting in the central hall side by side.
Portraitist arranged his aisle and drawing brushes and tools and started to draw the outlines of the portrait.
He was a master in portrait drawing and knew to draw even emotions on the portrait.
His hands were moving and his eyes kept discerning details of sitting King and Queen, Queen was as always beautiful but there was a tinge of sadness which she tried her best to hide.
King was sitting with confidence smile on his face which was fitting to him as King.
Wei Lan was standing behind the portrait maker and was busy to copy details of his hands' movement, how he drew, his choice of colors and everything, she thought it would be amazing to make the portrait, when would she feel boredom and would be free too.
It was a perfect portrait when completed, King and Queen looked elegant in the portrait, King rewarded a handsome amount of gold coins because he liked the portrait.
Wei Lan could not buy paper and paint brushes, she somehow got wooded plank and black coal took the charge instead of paint pencils, she started to drawing everything in her surrounding ether pots, bench, chair, boughs or flowers, when this wooden plank would become messy, she would wash it and let it dry then again practice would begin anew.
One evening she forced Jie Lan to sit on the chair and she would make coal portrait of her.
Jie Lan was anxious, what her sister wished to make her but she sat there despite her, again and again, asking Jie Lan, that what she was doing.
Jie Lan thoroughly scanned the coal portrait with her eyes and finally exhaled, "Done," Jie Lan got and came to see what her sister had drawn and berated her immediately.
"How dare you to mess my nose this way, do you think is as ugly as you draw?" she jumped to tickle her sister.
"Stop…stop, you did not see the whole picture other than the nose, you should see it first," what was the thing she was most afraid of, it was tickling, she was running around to avoid her hands.
"Ok, let me see first," she back to coal drawing her sister had just draw and to her surprise, it was perfect portrait other than themes of nose.
"When did you learn to draw?" she was pleased to see the coal portrait, her features and background and her countenance everything was detailed, she himself don't know that she looked such pretty as drawn in portrait.
.......
Crown Prince Yong was welcomed with royal arrangements, four analysts were standing left and right and ministers.
Crown Prince brought his finest painting to gift the King, the King accepted with all honor.
It was no doubt a classic painting.
Crown Prince came with one analyst and two ministers and several black night guards and soldiers.
He was given the most beautiful lodging for his four-day stay, its back windows and front corridors were surrounded with a beautiful flower garden and amid the garden was a freshwater pool which was built as per the taste of King.
The King wanted to please the Crown Prince so this lodging was prepared for the sojourn of Crown Prince. Its entrance was an open yard decorated with Jade stone dragons on both sides.