Taohuaxi

Chapter 30 Painting for Mr. Zhang
I stopped three feet away from him.

He looked at me carefully, with a bit of sadness and regret, and lowered his head and sighed: "I am getting more and more blurred with old age, which is impossible even if I think about it. Once the horse dies, the gold will be gone, and when you die, you will have no resentment. Chang Jiang will There is a day when there is no day to think about, and there is no time when there is no time to think about the time. Time is also fate.”

Then, he calmed down, raised his head and said to me: "Your peonies are very good. Over the decades, I have seen countless literati paint peonies, some are graceful and luxurious, some are majestic, some are charming and bright, some are elegant. Calmly, but no one can paint peonies with sorrow and sadness like you. What were you thinking about when you were painting? "

The man in front of me is famous all over the world.

He is a person who is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people. He raises his arms in the court and has followers like crucian carp crossing the river.He is the backbone of Ming Dynasty.He is the current chief assistant.

But I stood beside him without any fear.What I saw was just an old man in his twilight years.His glory is gone, but his ambition remains.There is worry between his brows, worry for the country, and worry for the people.

I leaned over and said, "Sir, what the woman is thinking about is a poem."

"Which poem?"

"Since Hu Chen entered Hanguan, the road to Yiluo has been long for ten years. Long Zhongke is on the bank of Qingdun River, looking at peonies in the independent east wind."

The corners of his eyes suddenly became moist, but a smile appeared on his lips: "Okay, okay, very good. The painter girl is a sober person. It is rare to have such sobriety in peace. The painter girl is better than many ministers in the court. Be strong. At present, the Mongols and Jurchens in the north often invade the border fortresses. If we don't take more precautions, how can we know that the Ming Dynasty will not be like the Song Dynasty in the future?"

"With your Excellency here, it will never be like that. The common people know that your Excellency's three strategies to seize the border will have great success."

After hearing this, he shook his head with difficulty: "As long as I am here, the country is safe. One day, if I am not here, what will happen to the country? What will happen to the family?"

I hurriedly said: "There are many students who have been taught by adults and have lofty aspirations. They will definitely uphold your ambitions."

He pondered for a while and said with a smile: "I hope so. Who did the painter girl learn her painting skills from?"

"I have never been a disciple. I only learned a little about painting from my mother when I was young. My maternal ancestor, who was a commoner, worked as a court painter during the Longqing period."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Grandpa Xie Han."

He smiled: "I remember him. In the sixth year of Longqing, the late emperor ordered him to paint for me. It is really a coincidence that I invite you here today."

He pointed to the pen, ink, paper and inkstone beside him and said: "Girl painter, please——"

I nodded, picked up the pen, and looked at him.

He said: "This painting is intended to be given to Qingyao. She and I have not seen each other for more than 20 years. She said that we have wasted half a life, and we are afraid of each other when we meet again. It is better not to see each other, and send someone to send the painting. It’s enough to give her a small portrait as a thought. I thought that ordinary painters might be afraid that the painting would be out of shape. If a girl can paint peonies like that, she can’t go wrong.”

I nodded: "Your Excellency, you are ridiculous. What a common woman does is nothing more than dedication."

He adjusted his crown, smoothed his clothes, and sat down carefully.

I drew quietly.

In the swaying lights, it seemed that he was no longer the successful Mr. Zhang, but Zhang Taiyue, a scholar from Jingzhou, Huguang, who had come to Beijing to take the exam.

I plan to spend half my life on paper.

After about an hour, I put away the pen.

He stood up, looked at it, and said with a smile: "Okay, this painting is the most satisfying portrait in my life. It has the reality of a person in his old age and the charm of his youth."

He looked at me and said, "The painter girl deserves a heavy reward for painting this painting. If you want anything, just tell me."

I leaned over and said, "Sir, a commoner woman does not need to be paid. The commoner woman's husband, Cheng Huaishi, is appreciated by your Excellency. The commoner woman's family is deeply grateful."

He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Mrs. Cheng. I once heard someone say that Cheng Huaishi's marriage was ordered by his elders, and the matchmaker's words were not his own choice. Now it seems that Mrs. Cheng is extremely smart and has superb painting skills. He is young and has great understanding, so he and Cheng Huaishi are both talented and beautiful, a perfect match."

"Thank you sir."

He walked to the desk, took a sum of money, and handed it to me.

"This is the gold pen given by the late emperor when I was appointed as the bachelor of Dongge University in the first year of Longqing. Now I give it to Mrs. Cheng. There are countless painters, and it is rare to find a good one. Please don't say goodbye."

I thought about it, took it, and thanked me solemnly.

He held the portrait, returned to the Taishi chair, half-lyed down, and said quietly: "I am determined to govern the country and make history, and it is hard to say that the infamy is rolling in behind me. I miss the fat spring, and I will sigh forever. I think about the beard and the canal, My heart is full of joy."

After hearing this, and thinking about what Feng Gao told me about Lord Long Live breaking the tea cup, my eyelids jumped slightly.

After bidding him farewell, I turned and left.

He called me.

"Mrs. Cheng, may I ask, when were you born?"

I was stunned and said truthfully: "A civilian woman was born in Mangzhong in the 39th year of Jiajing."

"In the 39th year of Jiajing, Mang Zhong..." He murmured, seeming to be thinking about something.

"Sir, what's wrong?" I asked.

He waved his hand: "Nothing, nothing, I just think of an old friend. People like to think too much when they get older. Mrs. Cheng doesn't need to care."

"Yes."

I walked out the door.Qin Mingxu is waiting for me. "Sang Yu, thank you for your hard work tonight," he said.

I shook my head with a smile and raised the gold pen in my hand: "Your Excellency gave it to me."

Qin Mingxu smiled and said, "I have never seen you so happy."

"Of course, this is a pen that determines everything. I will keep it well."

Master Zhang's voice came from inside: "Mingxu, come in -"

Qin Mingxu walked in.

I can't get out of my house here.

I don't know if it's an illusion, but I always feel like there's a dark shadow passing by in the corner, staring at Zhang Mansion.

The black shadow was somewhat familiar.

I got on the carriage and got off at the intersection of Qi'an Street.

A hand pulled me into the narrow alley.

"sister--"

It's Feng Gao.

He said anxiously: "Sister, do you know who the young man who pushed me at the ferry is?"

"I know."

"I mean, do you know his relationship with Zhang Taiyue?"

"I know." I repeated.

Feng Gao's expression became serious: "Sister knows even such secret things. It seems that I have a close relationship with him. I saw that he was so nervous today, so I checked. This check , but not ordinary.”

"You want to check everyone who appears around me?" I frowned.

"It doesn't matter if my sister makes ordinary friends. But this Mr. Qin's identity is ambiguous, so my sister must stay away. Do you know? Liu Shou, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, has noticed this person. I deliberately sent someone to confuse his sight. I don't know. What will he do next? Although Jinyiwei is under the jurisdiction of Dongchang, Liu Shou is ambitious and at odds with me. Your Majesty has been willing to listen to him recently. If I want to keep my current position, I need to Be vigilant at all times. I have to cooperate with His Majesty's words." He said worriedly.

"What are you talking about?" I don't understand.

"Sister, sister, if you pull a hair, your whole body will move. If I don't do it, others will."

He looked at me: "No matter what, I will protect you."

On an early summer night in the capital, the moon looks like a girl's pavilion.

The wind blows on the willow branches, and there are thousands of styles.

I whispered: "You care about losing power, right?"

"Of course. Sister, with power, we will not be at the mercy of others. For 15 years, I have struggled hard just to one day have the power and find my sister."

He grabbed my hand and pulled up the sleeve: "Sister, look, the scar on your wrist is still there. It was left when we were learning lion dance. I was very thin when I was a child. I was always unsteady on my feet. The class leader beat me, but sister, you always protected me. We were often hungry, and I couldn't help it, so I stole coins on the street. Sister, you rushed over to argue with Mr. Kuo..."

The more he spoke, the sadder he became, and he choked up: "Sister, I will not let us live the same life as before. Never."

My forehead felt dizzy, and I tried my best to reach out my hand and wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

He meekly let me brush it.

"Sister, I only have you."

It was as if a firefly with broken wings had flown into his eyes, and there was a stumbling light.

"If one day I can make you happy by sacrificing my life, I will be willing to do so."

"Silly words. You are the owner of the East Factory. You are omnipotent. You will not die."

A burst of noise sounded at the entrance of the alley.

He glanced outside, jumped up, and climbed to the roof.

I carefully returned to the mansion.

I thought that the eldest young lady would stare at me and come up with many things to say in response.

No, she was so busy there that she had no time to notice me.

It was late at night, and she hurriedly sent the newly dressed Miss Sun Cheng Shuyao out.Someone is waiting outside the door to answer.

Cheng Shuyao timidly looked back at her mother every step of the way.

The eldest mistress, however, had a determined look on her face as she urged her daughter to go out.

(End of this chapter)