Shu Jue nodded quickly and said: "Yeah, thank you sister Lan Jin!"
Without saying much, the two went to the painter's workshop together.
The painter's workshop in Fox King City is different from other royal families. There are many painters. Because the Fox King in Gucheng only married one queen in his life and did not have any concubines, there are not many palace painters. After all, there are not many palace beauties for them to paint. .
Nowadays, some of the painters in the palace have retired and returned to their hometowns, and some have resigned and left the palace. There are only three painters left in the painter's workshop, namely Kong Xian, Xu Wuxian, and Ye Sumei.
Each of the three painters has several painter disciples, and the total number of people in the entire painter's workshop does not exceed thirty.
On weekdays, they were used to leisurely working in the painter's workshop, but unexpectedly today, Commander Lan suddenly rebelled. A group of young painters lying on the floor painting saw Lan Jin coming, and they were so frightened that they hurriedly stood up and saluted.
"Commander Lan, I wonder why you visited the painter's workshop today?"
A middle-aged painter came out and came forward to receive him.
This person's name is Xu Wuxian, the youngest of the three palace painters. He is good at landscape painting and has unique teachings. He often leads his disciples to paint in the mountains and fields.
Lan Jin said: "Painter Xu, there is no need to be cautious. Lan Jin is here today to inquire about the former palace painter Shu Litao being kicked out of the palace."
"Shu Litao?" The painter Xu frowned slightly, and then said: "If you want to inquire about Shu Litao, I'm afraid you can only go to Kong Lao, because among the painters, only Kong Lao knows the best about Shu Litao. We all The younger generation had not seen Shu Litao when they came in. They only knew that he was once a legendary figure among the palace painters. Unfortunately, he did something wrong and was kicked out of the Fox King City."
When Shu Jue heard this, he couldn't help but feel sorry for his grandfather Shu Litao. He thought that such a proud man must have been unwilling to be driven out of King Fox City!
Lan Jin nodded, and then asked: "Where is Mr. Kong now?"
Xu Wuxian said: "At this time, Mr. Kong should be fishing by the river! I'll have someone take you there!"
Lan Jin nodded, and the two young painters led the way after being given instructions by Xu Wuxian.
They walked along the Houshan River for a while and saw Kong Xian fishing behind a dense birch forest.
Kong Xian wears a bamboo hat, white clothes, white hair, and a white beard that flutters in the wind. He holds a pole with one hand and his white sleeves flutter. He is leisurely and leisurely, looking like he has spent his time peacefully.
Shu Jue saw that Kong Xian looked a bit like his dead grandfather. He was also a painter, and he had an unworldly indifference about him.
The river water was illuminated by the setting sun, and when the wind blew, it sparkled, as if a layer of golden ink had been splashed on it.
A big herring suddenly took the bait. The old man shook the fishing rod in his hand from side to side. The big herring slipped for a while. Then he suddenly pulled back the rod and the big herring jumped out of the water and pocketed it.
Kong Xian raised his head and laughed loudly. The two young painters put their hands to their mouths and shouted at him: "Teacher - Teacher - Teacher Kong Xian, Commander Lan is looking for you!"
Kong Xian turned around and saw Lan Jin standing by the river. He quickly put away his pole and came to see him.
"I didn't know that Commander Lan came here, and I really missed the welcome! Please forgive me, Commander Lan!"
Lan Jin smiled slightly and said: "There is no need to be polite, Mr. Kong. We came to see you this time because we have something to ask!"
Kong Xian was startled and couldn't help but said: "I wonder if Commander Lan has anything to ask me?"
Kong Xian only found it strange that this painter's workshop has become a place of idleness since Jun Gucheng's generation. After all, the king's harem has few concubines, so they have no place to use as painters. Occasionally they are called to paint a character. The rest of the time is spent on my own, painting palace maids and landscapes, living comfortably and casually.
Now that Commander Lan has suddenly rebelled, it really makes people feel overwhelmed. I wonder if he is preparing to disband their idle place.
The old man's heart was in his throat. After all, he was used to living a leisurely and happy life in the palace. He didn't want to be driven out of Fox King City again at an early age and had to rely on his own efforts.
Fortunately, Lan Jin was not talking about this, but asked him about an old friend in the painter's workshop.
"I came here this time to ask you about Shu Litao!"
"Shu Litao?" Kong Xian closed his eyes slightly, as if his thoughts were brought back to the past, he frowned and said: "Oh... I wonder why Commander Lan suddenly asked about this person?"
Lan Jin pointed to the girl in red standing behind him and said: "Her name is Shu Jue, and she is the granddaughter of Shu Litao. Shu Litao has been dead for many years now, and she was brought back to the palace by His Majesty Xingzhou. I really want to know What mistake did his grandfather make in Danian that would cause him to be kicked out of King Fox City by His Majesty Gucheng?"
"Oh...I see...hehehe! I didn't expect that you are Shu Litao's granddaughter and you have grown so big! It's a long story about Shu Litao, so why don't we talk about it in the thatched cottage where I live."
Shu Jue nodded, and the two of them were taken to the thatched cottage by Kong Xian.
Kong Xian sat on the futon outside the thatched cottage, while the painter boiled water and made tea. Then a cup of refreshing fragrant tea was poured into a bamboo tube and handed over.
Kong Xian glanced sideways at the sky outside the thatched cottage, and saw that half of the setting sun in the distance was hanging on the edge of the green mountains, teetering on the edge. He sighed:
"That happened many years ago. Now that I think about it, it feels like time has passed. I didn't expect that anyone would ask about Shu Litao. At that time, Shu Litao and I entered the painter's workshop together, and we studied together. He counted He’s my junior brother.”
"Shu Litao is smart and studious, and is an unparalleled genius. Soon his painting skills reached the pinnacle, already surpassing his teacher. However, although my junior brother is good at painting, he is very withdrawn and always likes to do things that other people do. Something beyond comprehension.”
"Haha! For example, he would stay beside a strange flower all day long, watching its birth, old age, sickness and death, or he might climb to the top of a mountain and stare at the sun intently, watching it rise and set. Sometimes people think that Shu Litao He is a fool, but he doesn’t know that he has entered the forbidden land of madness in order to paint. The landscapes in his paintings are lifelike, but the most surprising thing is the beauties he painted! It’s almost as if you can imagine it!”
Shujue couldn't help but interrupt when he heard this: "Grandpa's paintings of beauties are truly the best in the world, and no one in the world can match them! Even I have only scratched the surface of his painting!"
Kong Xian stretched out his slender fingers and stroked his beard, looked at Shu Jue with approval, nodded and said: "Shu Litao is a genius. If Miss Shu Jue can learn from him, she must be better than her master!"
Shujue smiled slightly and said: "Mr. Kong is over-reputed. I know that I am far inferior to grandpa."
Kong Xian sighed: "Alas... Shu Litao left the painter's workshop, which is a great loss to the painter world... Back then, Shu Litao was good at painting beauties. It has long been known to everyone in Fox King City, even His Majesty the Gucheng. This time he was summoned to paint for his queen."
Shu Jue said hurriedly: "Are you talking about the White Fox Queen Bai Mengzhu?"
Kong Xian nodded and said:
"That's right... When His Majesty Gucheng got married, there were rumors that they were not getting along. The Queen even stabbed His Majesty on the day of the wedding. Later, for some unknown reason, His Majesty ignored the matter and there was no one in the harem. No one dares to discuss this matter anymore.”
"That day, Shu Litao and I were ordered to paint for the Fox King and Queen. Shu Litao was responsible for the painting, and I was responsible for helping. It took a full two hours to complete the painting. During this period, the Fox King stayed with the Queen. When we confidently presented the portrait of the queen to His Majesty, he got angry, stretched out his hand and tore the painting to pieces, saying that not even half of the charm of the queen was captured in the painting."
"Shulitao and I were both frightened. We need to know that His Majesty Gucheng is not a violent person, and we rarely see him angry in the palace. However, this young king tore up the painting on the spot and walked away, leaving the newlyweds alone. The queen stood there."
"At that time, Shu Litao and I were both trembling with fear. We knelt on the spot and did not dare to get up. The torn drawing papers on the ground also tore up my dignity as a painter. Especially Shu Li, who was so conceited. Tao, this painting was painted by him. He was very proud of his painting, but he didn’t expect that this time not only did he not receive praise from His Majesty, but the painting was torn up on the spot by His Majesty.”
"Queen Mengzhu, on the other hand, was not angry. She bent down and picked up a fragment of drawing paper on the ground. Then she looked at it and said to the two of us. Your Majesty is not angry at your paintings, but at me. You two painters don't have to worry about it. Please retreat first!"
"At that time, we didn't know that the relationship between the two of them was not harmonious. It was only later that we heard other palace people talk about it. Shu Litao never understood this matter. He even wondered whether his painting skills had really deteriorated? So? After he came back, he slept with his head covered for three days and three nights, and no matter how we tried to persuade him, he refused to get up."
"Such a talented painter suffered such humiliation, Shu Litao was in a state of despair. Just when I thought he would become depressed, he suddenly locked himself in the studio, and then ordered no one to disturb him. He wanted to Draw a new portrait of the queen."
Lan Jin and Shu were startled when they heard this and looked at each other.
Kong Xian raised the bamboo cup, took a sip of the tea in the cup, and then continued:
"I was worried that he would be in danger if he locked himself in the studio, and that he would be distracted and do something stupid, so while delivering food, I secretly peeked through the crack in the window and found that the lights in the studio were dim, and Shuli Tao's hair was disheveled, and he was sitting in front of a blank piece of drawing paper almost like a maniac. For seven days in a row, the drawing paper was still blank, which made people anxious."
"Then I told this matter to the master who taught us painting. The master said that if Shu Litao could not defeat himself and picked up the brush to paint again, I was afraid that this talented painter would die. I asked the master to go and enlighten him. When we were about to go in, we heard laughter coming from the studio. The laughter was terrifying. We were afraid that something might happen to Shu Litao, so we hurriedly opened the door and entered."
"Shu Litao from the studio rushed out like crazy, holding a paintbrush in his hand, and said excitedly to us, Master! Brother! I have painted it, I have painted it, I have painted the most stunning beauty in the world! We have painted it. I’m surprised, did he pick up the paintbrush again overnight and paint a stunning painting for the new queen?”
