Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 287 - 184: Father and Daughter_1

Chapter 287: Chapter 184: Father and Daughter_1

Pan Zi’an’s eyes were moist as he looked around the room, murmuring softly, "Time flies so quickly, in the blink of an eye. It’s been nine years, Yueyue has actually left her father for nine years..." He sighed deeply, "Yueyue was like a pearl in father’s hands, and father has brought all the pearls here."

This was a young lady’s living quarters, immaculately clean, with the faint scent of agarwood lingering all around, and silvery frost charcoal burning in two bronze stoves, keeping the room as warm as spring.

In the interior stood a Bogu shelf, adorned with treasures and antiques, but mostly decorations inlaid with pearls, and more pearls placed within brocade boxes.

To the right was a carved Phoebe nanmu beauty couch shimmering with light, covered with a cyan brocade cushion embroidered with rich blessings.

Next to the beauty couch was a tall Phoebe nanmu carved table, on which stood a frame bordered with pearls and a glass center, containing a portrait of a beautiful woman. The woman was his daughter, Pan Yue, from the last time he saw her when she was just thirteen years old.

He had three children. His son resembled Princess Zi Yang a lot, and his youngest daughter resembled Maternal Aunt Ye. Only this daughter resembled him the most, with features like a painting, an ethereal temperament, and an immense talent for painting just like him. She was the daughter he should have cherished, yet she met with such a violent death.

In a trance, he saw a little girl hiding behind the Duobao Pavilion in his study, just peeking her little head out and quietly watching him. He knew she was watching him, but he didn’t turn his head, continuing to gaze at the pearl in his hand.

After an indeterminate amount of time passed, a softly sweet voice said, "Daddy, Yueyue wants to be the pearl in father’s hand so that father will look at Yueyue, not the pearl."

He frowned and turned around, scolding the maidservant, "How do you serve the Commandery Princess? Letting her run about."

In his peripheral view, a pair of eyes very much like his filled with mist, looking at him sadly and still saying, "Daddy, Yueyue wants daddy."

Then a maidservant came running and carried her away.

What year did that happen? Oh, that year Yang’er was five and Yueyue was four; the Empress Dowager, to demonstrate the grandeur of imperial grace, exceptionally titled my son as Protectorate General and my daughter as Princess Zhenyue.

At that time, many court officials submitted memorials, severely criticizing the Empress Dowager for contravening ancestral practices by bestowing the title of Commandery Princess upon the daughter of a Princess.

The daughters of the Pan family were noble without the title of Commandery Princess; Pan Zi’an’s daughter was precious and esteemed even if not a Commandery Princess.

But... the Empress Dowager wanted to impress upon the eyes of the world, and in his, Pan Zi’an’s heart, that branding—Pan Zi’an was the son-in-law of Princess Zi Yang, relying on the Princess not only for his own noble status but also for having his daughter titled as Commandery Princess.

Even if the Princess had passed away, the Pan family, he, Pan Zi’an, still had to live on the residual favor of Princess Zi Yang.

From that year on, he never again was affectionate with his two children.

Warmth filled his eyes, and he sighed deeply once more.

Next to the frame was a red color gold-painted black lacquer ivory dressing case, which had three layers. He opened the topmost layer and placed a Phoebus five-phoenix holding pearl hairpin inside, which was made from five pearls bought from Treasure Silver Building.

He rummaged through the dazzling array of jewelry and closed the dressing case. He picked up the frame and said, "The dressing case is almost full. All the treasures inside are saved for Yueyue’s dowry. When father goes to find you someday, I’ll bring them to you."

He looked at the frame for a while, gently wiped it with his finger, then set it down.

Beside the tall table was a cinnamon flower lacquer strip table on which was placed an ancient zither.

Pan Zi’an came to the table and sat down on the painted embroidery cushion, absent-mindedly plucking the zither strings. The sound of the zither was deep and resounding, like the music of the heavens.

A moment later, he stood up and walked around a gold-threaded Chinese Cedarwood table with Han white jade stone in the center. On the table stood a colored glaze open-mouthed vase, with several branches of blooming red plum inside.

Approaching the window, there was a Gold-threaded Chinese Cedarwood carved embroidery rack by the window, covered with a plain silk cloth.

The intricate patterns of the carved window lattice allowed flecks of sunlight to cast dappled golden pearls across the silk cover, as if dancing.

Pan Zi’an lifted the silk to reveal the embroidery rack still holding a celadon-colored satin with a half-finished "Flower and Bird Painting," fresh, elegant, and exquisitely beautiful, as if the lady had just tired of embroidering and stepped outside for a walk, intending to return shortly to continue her work.

His daughter had an extraordinary talent for painting, and even as a tiny child, anything she casually sketched was almost lifelike. Before she turned four, he would often hold her and let her scribble on Xuan paper. Ever since she was titled Commandery Princess, he never taught her to paint again.