Zi Yue hurried forward. "Your Highness, it was sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They said someone from outside the palace wishes to present it to you!"
"Outside the palace?" Xia Ruqing felt somewhat suspicious. "That set of fine Yellow Jade Hairpins also seemed to come from outside the palace! Brother's salary isn't much; he certainly can't afford such fine things!"
Zi Yue added, "What if... it was given to the Marquis by someone else?"
Xia Ruqing smiled faintly. "Why would Brother give me something given to him by someone else? If he were to give something, it must be something he acquired himself! Only then is it worth giving! Besides, Brother is a smart man, wholly loyal to the Emperor. How could he accept such a valuable gift from someone else? It's not very likely!"
Zi Yue thought about it and agreed. "Then... who could it be?"
Xia Ruqing carefully scrutinized the painting once more. It felt familiar, but she just couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
