Chapter 390.1: Painting, Envoys Arriving Soon
Jing Wan naturally sensed the somewhat peculiar atmosphere. Gong mama perhaps can still be summed up as being shocked, but her own husband, could it be that on the inside, he actually wasn’t really that willing to accept wearing women’s clothes, but for the sake of making her happy, he was just willing to endure? Previously being that calm, even not having a bottom line, it was also nothing more than for the sake of perfectly covering up his emotions? If this really is the case, then it was completely unnecessary. Even if refusing, she also won’t get angry. At most it was just feeling a bit regretful.
As soon as Li Hong Yuan saw Jing Wan’s expression, he just knew his wife probably thought of something again. However, judging from the current atmosphere, one seemingly can’t blame her either. Waving his hand, he let Jing Wan come closer, grasping her jade-like hand, his expression long relaxing, “What is Wan Wan thinking about?”
Jing Wan also didn’t hide, further not hesitating, “If Ah Yuan doesn’t like this attire, then just take it off.”
Li Hong Yuan lifted his brow, saying with a smile, “Unless it’s having some special hobby, otherwise, an ordinary man not liking women’s clothes is very normal. However, this husband isn’t unwilling. Occasionally trying once, I feel, is also quite interesting. That’s why, don’t randomly think of things for no reason. Just now, I was just thinking about something else.”
“Then that’s good, but Ah Yuan, something that you don’t like or unwilling to do, you need to directly say it. You’re the living Enma after all, doing everything as you please. Even if it’s because of me, you also don’t need to force yourself. Of course, not touching other women, this bit, is absolutely compulsory. Whether you like it or not, it’s all like this, nothing to discuss.” Towards the end, she even put on a ‘mean’ look.
“All say you’re a little vinegar jar, yet you insist on denying. Just look at you right now.” Li Hong Yuan reached out, yet pinched her face.
“Who said I was denying? What does a vinegar jar count as? I’m an entire ocean of vinegar. If overturned, don’t know how many people will drown to death. That’s why, don’t provoke me.”
“Yes, yes, yes, even if not for myself, still need to consider for the people of the world. Even if the living Enma, one still can’t let tens of thousands of people die, no?”
“Quit being so smooth.” Jing Wan couldn’t help but hit him again. However, that bit of strength of hers wasn’t even enough to tickle Li Hong Yuan. Besides, if she were to hit too hard, she herself would also heartache. Turning back, she saw the already back to normal Gong mama. If one were to carefully look, she actually even carried a shallow smile.
Although Jing Wan was already used to this natural manner of interaction with Li Hong Yuan inside the manor, meeting with Gong mama’s current expression, she still unconsciously felt a bit embarra.s.sed, “Mama, um, will be troubling you.”
“It’s all what this servant should do.” Gong mama went forward, standing behind Li Hong Yuan. From the reflection inside the mirror, she studied Li Hong Yuan’s appearance, “w.a.n.gfei’s skill in makeup is also something that can’t be surpa.s.sed.” For people like them, by slightly adjusting their face, letting them appear completely different was also considered a simple matter, yet it was also completely different in concept with Jing Wan’s abilities.
(T/N: Gong mama is referring to how she can literally change her facial structures to disguise her appearance. According to ’s her real appearance is actually younger than her current appearance.)
In Qi Yuan, men playing the role of a vivacious woman, and women singing for the role of a male general was actually still quite prevalent[1]. Especially for the acting troupes that frequently visited the inner manor, for the most part, it was all managed by women. For any male roles, it was just them taking up the role. Speaking of which, in the capital, there really were two to three very famous acting troupes that were entirely made up of women. Regardless of whether it was men crossdressing as women, or women crossdressing as men, in terms of physique, these people all leaned towards the opposite gender, unlike Li Hong Yuan, where the discrepancy was very big. Thus, the difficulty naturally just rapidly increased.
“What did my skills count as, this is just average.” Recalling those in her past life, where the makeup was comparable to cosmetic surgery, that was truly impressive.
Gong mama just treated it as Jing Wan being modest. Only Li Hong Yuan knew that what she said was probably true.
Gong mama thought for a moment, taking down the hair crown on Li Hong Yuan’s head, having the hair combed out. Starting from the top of the head, she separated lock by lock, moving quite fast. Without needing to use any clips and whatnot, just using an extremely short jade hairpin, lightly inserting into the hair, she was just able to have several strands of hair nicely fastened in place. Towards this bit, Jing Wan was actually quite impressed.
Of course, this was just the portion near the front of the head. When rolling up the rear end, one still needed to use tools to a.s.sist, else the hair won’t be able to be drawn together, unable to style into an appropriate shape.
One has to know, Li Hong Yuan’s hair was also maintained quite well, both soft and smooth. Under normal circ.u.mstances, the more it was like this, the harder it was to manage. However, Li Hong Yuan for the most part didn’t have any short fragments of hair. That’s why, for the most part one all didn’t need to use hair oil, and after finis.h.i.+ng, it also won’t appear rough.
Jing Wan wasn’t envious either, because her hair wasn’t the least bit inferior compared to Li Hong Yuan’s.
Jing Wan happily watched, occasionally lending a hand, handing something over and whatnot. At present, men crossdressing, compared with her past life, the greatest difference was probably not needing to use a wig. In Jing Wan’s eyes, those wigs in period dramas were definitely like suffering hards.h.i.+p.
Li Hong Yuan, this time, actually didn’t close his eyes. Although he couldn’t see the back, but for the top of his head, he was definitely able to watch it take shape.
At the end, when the hair completely took form, Jing Wan lifted her brow. The immortal nine ring hairstyle, nine ring-shaped hair coils closely linked together. The number of rings appeared to be numerous, but it wasn’t vastly complex. Each ring was probably just as thick as a finger, appearing quite beautiful, with nine as the upper limit, deemed to be honorable.
In the legends, during a certain emperor’s time, the Queen Mother of the West[2] came down to the mortal realm. Adorning the immortal hairstyle, her beauty surpa.s.sing the ma.s.s. Thereafter, this kind of immortal beauty naturally became favored by quite a few people, being revered as one of the n.o.ble and extravagant hairstyles. However, under normal circ.u.mstances, it was still mostly used in the imperial palace. Although there weren’t any restrictions, those below the rank of an imperial consort still didn’t dare to use this kind of hairstyle. After all, wasn’t that just attracting animosity for oneself? And the most esteemed Empress naturally further favored the lingyun hairstyle. That’s why, Gong mama was styling according to the Imperial n.o.ble Consort’s status. This hairstyle couldn’t be more fitting, also very much matching the clothes.
Afterwards, it was just the hair ornaments. These things, Jing Wan obviously had plenty. Everything else aside, just on this dresser, regardless whether it was the individual pieces or the sets, she all had, so no need to separately go look for. This while, Gong mama further didn’t hesitate. Because it wasn’t suitable to wear earrings, they just separately used hair ornaments to make up for it.
The hairpin in the hair naturally hung down from behind the ear, all the way down to the middle of the collar.
Once the look was finished, Jing Wan’s eyes brightly glistened. Her husband was so so so so pretty, “Mama, how similar is Ah Yuan to the Imperial n.o.ble Consort right now?”
“At least ninety percent. w.a.n.gye in the end is a man, the bridge of the nose and such, in the end, still more prominent, and also the entire silhouette, although covering up, in essence, it still didn’t change. If from far away, it should be even more similar. When w.a.n.gfei paints, if you want to further lean towards the Imperial n.o.ble Consort’s image, you can appropriately adjust a little.”
Jing Wan nodded, expressing that she understood. Afterwards, she let Li Hong Yuan turn his body, while she backed up a few steps, “My husband really is too pretty, really the more pleasing, the more one looks. In this world, how can there be such a pretty person?” Jing Wan had a drunken look, then deliberately revealed a look of infatuation, aiyaya, even the drool was about to come out. Who said Pei Xiu Ying looked the most like the former Imperial n.o.ble Consort? Clearly compared to her husband’s current look, she was miles off. Jing Wan even felt, after seeing this kind of stunning beauty, in the future, when she encounters beauties, she certainly won’t have any reaction anymore.
“Wan Wan, as expected, still further likes the Imperial n.o.ble Consort.” Li Hong Yuan lightly smiled. Perhaps because of the completed look, he was even more alluring than before.
Towards Li Hong Yuan’s face, Gong mama originally still had a tiny bit of nostalgia, yet as soon as his expression came out, that bit of nostalgia immediately scattered with the wind. When he didn’t have any expression on his face, he was still ninety percent similar, but now, heheh, who the h.e.l.l was similar, not the least bit similar.
The Imperial n.o.ble Consort was a woman that was as gentle as water. Even if beautiful to the extreme, she didn’t really show off, and further won’t having a seductively alluring feeling, yet w.a.n.gye right now had this displayed to the extreme. For a great majority of men, this kind of woman was very attractive, and many women perhaps would also envy. However, Gong mama didn’t have any feeling, especially towards this one that was notorious for his misdeeds. One has to know, only because he was good to Jing Wan did Gong mama’s feelings towards him finally improve a little.
[1] Referring to roles in traditional chinese opera
[2] A G.o.ddess in chinese mythology, see the wiki page for more info.