"What kind of part-time job?"
Jiang Lingxi waved the flyer in her hand printed with the Yinhe Palace logo, "I mentioned to you before, I auditioned for a TV drama called ’Empress Yuan Zhao’, and now it’s confirmed that I’ll play the female lead."
Shen Yunqing sincerely congratulated her, "Congratulations."
"But now, this project has encountered a dilemma. The director can’t find an actor for the male lead that satisfies him, so the project is currently on hold."
Hearing this, Shen Yunqing had a guess in his mind, "And who is the male lead in the drama?"
"Prime Minister of Dayin, Shen Moqing."
"Since you like Emperor Yuan Zhao from history, you should also be familiar with Prime Minister Shen Moqing." As the question was already asked, Jiang Lingxi spoke more smoothly, "After spending some time with you, I feel like you’re quite similar to Shen Moqing himself. So, would you like to give it a try?"
"Of course, if you’re too busy or not interested in acting, just pretend I never asked."
Although she increasingly felt her idea was good, she wasn’t one to force someone into it.
Shen Yunqing furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment, neither nodding nor shaking his head, "Can I go back and consider it first, then give you a reply?"
"Of course," Jiang Lingxi immediately nodded with a smile, "I was just asking casually, the choice to act or not is entirely yours."
However, if Shen Yunqing did agree to take part, their interactions in scenes with the Shen Moqing character might feel more natural. Choosing another actor might increase the difficulty for her, someone who had truly been with Shen Moqing before.
Besides, for her first drama as a lead actress since waking up, she hoped to make it as perfect as possible.
The topic didn’t linger long before Shen Yunqing’s phone rang.
Upon answering, he heard Fu Yunchen’s excited voice, "Consultant Shen, are you and Assistant Jiang done over there? I’ve processed all the scrolls in my box and made a major discovery. Can you both come over now?"
Shen Yunqing didn’t immediately reply but first looked at Jiang Lingxi standing beside him.
Jiang Lingxi wasn’t eager to nod, but she was curious about what she wrote on those scrolls as a child, so after a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
Shen Yunqing then responded, "Assistant Jiang and I will head back right away."
"Alright, I’ll be waiting for you."
After hanging up, the two left Zhaoming Hall, getting on a balance scooter to the Yinhe Palace’s office.
Once there, they saw Fu Yunchen pacing back and forth at the entrance of a room, waving them over when he saw them, "This way."
Entering the room felt like stepping into a world of calligraphy and painting.
The walls, the large table, and pieces carefully sealed in transparent covers were filled with all kinds of calligraphy and paintings from various dynasties, each with its unique brushwork.
If there was a flaw, it was that these artworks had small defects here and there.
Fu Yunchen noticed Jiang Lingxi’s curious gaze since it was her first time there, and laughed, "How is it, impressive, right? Even the most recent of these works are five to six hundred years old. Our Yinhe Palace Museum’s research department is the top in the field of art restoration. You won’t see this anywhere else."
Jiang Lingxi withdrew her gaze and nodded cooperatively, "It is quite impressive."
Shen Yunqing watched without speaking, as there was nothing more to say.
Fu Yunchen was showing off to the wrong person. In the presence of Your Majesty, no one dared to boast about their collection’s richness.
Fu Yunchen was the first, proving ignorance can indeed bring fearlessness.
The three reached the central table.
A research staff in a white coat was nearly face-to-face with the paper on the table using a magnifying glass, completely unaware of their arrival.
After waiting a bit, Fu Yunchen had to tap him on the shoulder, "Lao Wang, take a break. Being so close, don’t you want to keep your myopia of over two thousand degrees?"
"Hey, I was in the middle of something. Don’t disturb me."
"You didn’t believe this was written by Emperor Yuan Zhao herself. So I called Consultant Shen over. He’s an expert in this field, let him assess it for us."
The middle-aged man known as Lao Wang finally put down the magnifying glass and straightened up, removing his glasses to rub his dry eyes, then stepped back and nodded at Shen Yunqing, "Consultant Shen, please have a look."
There was a trace of hesitation in Shen Yunqing’s steps. When he walked to where Lao Wang had been, he didn’t stop but moved one more step forward, leaving a space, "Assistant Jiang, come as well."
Once Lao Wang stepped aside, Jiang Lingxi, from where she stood, could see the writing on the paper. She was engrossed, and upon hearing Shen Yunqing call her, she instinctively walked over.
"What does Assistant Jiang think?"
Lao Wang put his glasses back on and noticed an extra young lady, but after hearing Shen Yunqing’s address, he only raised an eyebrow without comment.
They’re asking her opinion on the handwriting she wrote before?
While it was amusing, she maintained a serious demeanor, "It looks indeed like Emperor Yuan Zhao’s handwriting."
Shen Yunqing immediately nodded, "If the author herself has verified it, what could be more convincing?" He followed up by nodding, "I agree with Assistant Jiang."
"No," Lao Wang, now the sole opposing view, was anxious, "Although Emperor Yuan Zhao didn’t leave much calligraphy for posterity, I’ve been fortunate to see one or two pieces. While the writing on this paper does resemble Emperor Yuan Zhao’s strokes, the execution is much more rigid and awkward. I am more inclined to believe that someone imitated Emperor Yuan Zhao’s handwriting."
Upon hearing Shen Yunqing’s affirmation, Fu Yunchen proudly stood aside.
He now calmly awaited Shen Yunqing to counter Lao Wang’s argument.
Shen Yunqing gazed at the characters on the paper, recognizing the writing paper as the aristocratic exclusive "Listening to the Waves" paper from that era. Despite a millennium, the ink still carried a faint, elusive fragrance, likely pine scented ink.
It was neither the royal paper nor the royal ink.
He harbored some conjectures and was about to speak when a calm and certain voice beside him rang in his ears, "Has Mr. Wang considered that these might be characters Emperor Yuan Zhao wrote while practicing as a child?"
Lao Wang was taken aback by the question, instantly wearing a more thoughtful expression.
However, Fu Yunchen clapped his hands, "That is indeed possible. As a child just beginning to practice writing, it’s natural for the handwriting to lack fluency and ease compared to later years. Coupled with other items in the box like the cricket cage, small wooden sword, and bow, aren’t these just things kids liked to play with back then? In this light, this box is Emperor Yuan Zhao’s childhood memories!"
As he spoke, he shifted tone, "However, looking at it this way, although Emperor Yuan Zhao was a girl from a young age, her character seemed more like a boy’s, playing with crickets and wooden swords, and even her embroidery attempts were a mess. I even consulted our department’s embroidery expert, Ms. Yao, who could only identify the materials of the fan and the thread as exquisite and aged about the same as our estimations, over a thousand years old, but couldn’t discern what the green part was at all, hahaha!"
The latter comments were unnecessary to voice, weren’t they? Though no one present knew, she still cared about her dignity.