C5 Could It be That We Have to be Divided into Three Six Nine and so On?

Lan Qingwan looked at the Old Matriarch with a sweet smile on her face. "Grandmother, I have something special for you—exactly sixty 'longevity' characters. You wouldn't believe it, but each one was penned by a different renowned calligrapher. There's He Qizhou, a master of semi-cursive script, Jiang Xi, known for his cursive script, and even Professor Qian Yu from Wangshan Academy. This one is by the Left Minister, and here’s one by Lord Qin from the Ministry of Rites, and Lord Huang from the Ministry of Works..."

Lan Qingwan listed them with pride. These sixty characters were not just from artists of elegance but also from many high-ranking officials, covering nearly half of the government’s top figures. While getting a couple of signatures might be easy, gathering so many on this specially prepared birthday scroll required considerable effort.

Lan Zhenkun stroked his short beard and couldn't help but praise Lan Qingwan, "Mother, Wan started preparing this gift three months ago. Many of these characters were obtained through her own efforts, by befriending the daughters of these families. Only a few times did she have to ask for my help, showing her dedication."

Lan Qingwan blushed with a shy smile and glanced at Lan Zhenkun with slight reproach, "Dad, there's no need to say all that. As long as Grandmother likes it, I would do anything."

Lan Qingjia watched with a discerning eye, unable to help but admire how well Lan Qingwan played her hand. Under the guise of preparing a birthday gift for the Old Matriarch, she cleverly sought calligraphy from various families. This move not only painted her as a dutiful granddaughter but also expanded her social circle, reaching into the elite circles of high-ranking officials' wives. Additionally, it served to curry favor with the Old Matriarch, achieving multiple goals at once.

However, she miscalculated one crucial aspect regarding the Old Matriarch. Though the Old Matriarch wore a smile, Lan Qingjia could tell she wasn't as pleased as Lan Qingwan and her father imagined. In a previous life, Lan Qingjia had only seen the thoughtfulness and rarity of such a gift, feeling her own longevity scroll was overshadowed. But now, she understood that the Old Matriarch might not actually appreciate this gift.

Though the inner chambers were a woman's domain, they were intricately connected to the political tides. This gift clearly showcased Lan Zhenkun's adept maneuvering in the political arena. Those with insight could easily label Lan Zhenkun as someone who formed cliques and sought personal gain. Ambitious and eager to climb higher, Lan Zhenkun was oblivious to this and instead felt quite proud.

The Old Matriarch, while silent on political matters, was far from ignorant. She was sharp and perceptive, with a keen mind. Upon seeing the gift, she already felt a sense of unease.

The Old Matriarch had a certain dignified air about her. Lan Qingwan, eager to acquire some calligraphy, had to humble herself and flatter the young ladies to get it. She took pride in this approach, but the Old Matriarch was not impressed by such tactics.

However, seeing the father and daughter so visibly pleased, and not wanting to dampen the mood on such a joyous occasion, the Old Matriarch offered Lan Qingwan a few polite compliments.

Lan Qingwan, lost in her own thoughts, didn't notice the Old Matriarch's subtle change in expression and wore a look of satisfaction on her face.

Lan Qingjia lowered her gaze slightly, a hint of sarcasm playing at the corners of her lips. In her past life, if her longevity painting hadn't been ruined, the Old Matriarch might have preferred it over Lan Qingwan's gift. After all, compared to Lan Qingwan's cleverly chosen present, Lan Qingjia's was a labor of love, painstakingly embroidered stitch by stitch. The Old Matriarch always valued sincerity in gifts.

Lan Qingwan returned to her seat, her eyes briefly landing on Lan Qingjia, who sat with her head bowed. A flicker of triumph crossed her eyes, though she maintained a bright smile.

"We've all had our turn, and now it's time for the grand finale—your gift, sister. Don't keep us in suspense any longer; show us what you've brought."

"My sister waited until the end, confident this gift would outshine all others," Baixiang said, her hands trembling with nerves. In contrast, Lan Qingjia remained calm and composed.

"Sister, what are you saying? The gifts we give to Grandma are all expressions of our love. As long as we give them, Grandma will be happy. We're all her grandchildren, after all. Do you really think she'd rank our gifts like that?"

Lan Qingwan was taken aback, clearly not expecting Lan Qingjia to respond in such a way.