freenovelworld Chapter 29 Painter
Chapter 29 Painter
The group stayed in the city for a few days and soon the Flower Festival arrived.
Lu Zizhao came in from outside, his head covered in flower petals and his shoes bearing a footprint. He said somewhat speechlessly, "So that's why there are so many people outside. It turns out they're not here to admire the flowers, but to watch the selection of the Flower Goddess."
"Choosing a Flower Goddess?"
As Lu Zizhao removed the flowers from his hair, he replied, "It's the famous brothels in the city that send their top courtesans to compete for the title of Flower Goddess."
Xie Yan was watering the potted plant she had just bought when she heard this and became somewhat tempted. "Then it must be very lively tonight. Should I go and take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zizhao stopped what she was doing, her expression suddenly changing drastically as she looked at him in horror, "You...you don't also want to run for the Flower Goddess, do you?"
Xie Yan: "..."
"What are you thinking, kid? I just want to go and see what's going on."
Seeing that Lu Zizhao was still looking at him with a suspicious expression, Xie Yan really wanted to go up and shake his head to see if it was full of water like the kettle in her hand.
"good idea."
Chu Ling walked over, the wind blowing through his clothes, and his expression softened considerably. "So many things have happened recently, let's all go out for a walk together today to clear our heads."
After a simple lunch, the group went out. Even Yu Bai, who had been feeling down and had been staying in his room for the past few days due to a "heartbreak," surprisingly showed some interest.
Some unknown method was used, and out-of-season flowers bloomed everywhere—on trees, on the ground, and throughout the city.
A gentle breeze blew by, filling the streets with the fragrance of flowers, and petals fell one after another, covering the passersby.
If one has heard the legendary story and seen this scene, one cannot help but feel a sense of awe.
After strolling around for a while, Tao Xian suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. Then, Lu Zizhao, uninterested in the scenery, went off to eat and drink on his own.
Chu Ling looked at the remaining people and said, "You don't need to come with me. Go and explore on your own."
Xie Yan nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, I will—"
His hand was grabbed, and Chu Ling, with a handsome face, looked at him with a smile: "It's enough to have Young Master Xie with me."
Xie Yan: ...
Although Xuanfeng ultimately stayed, Chuling still wouldn't let go of Xie Yan.
Xie Yan tried to struggle: "Your Highness, isn't it inappropriate for two grown men to be pulling and tugging at each other in broad daylight?"
Chu Ling pulled him aside to avoid the person who was bumping into him, and said meaningfully, "What is Young Master Xie worried about? There is nothing between us. In the capital, it is common for men who are on good terms to walk hand in hand."
Xie Yan remained silent: ...The problem is, how come I didn't know our friendship had become this good?
Xie Yan sensed something was wrong, but didn't know how to refute it for the time being.
Only Xuanfeng, walking behind, looked on with unbearable disapproval.
The two were pulling and tugging at each other while exchanging barbs, and when they encountered passersby, they would thoughtfully raise their hands so that passersby could just squeeze through their grasp.
passer:???
The three of them walked all the way to Yanghua River.
This waterway runs through the entire city and was dug by local officials decades ago.
During the Flower Goddess Festival, the river is covered with fluttering petals, which float downstream, creating a beautiful and unique spectacle in Yongcheng. Many people come specifically to witness this sight.
Looking further ahead, there were several large and small flower boats moored on the riverbank, and a magnificent platform erected in the middle of the river.
It is said that the annual Flower Goddess is selected here.
At that moment, a group of people gathered on the riverbank, and cheers could be heard from time to time.
As the two approached, they discovered that an artist was sitting on the shore painting this extraordinary scene onto a scroll.
His meticulous brushwork is exquisite, his strokes are divine. There is no difference between what is in the painting and what is outside the painting; not only the petals on the river, but even the girls washing clothes on the flower boats are depicted, all so lifelike.
With each stroke of his pen, the onlookers cheered.
Several other painters were also wielding their brushes around, but he was the only one surrounded by a large crowd. This was either because he was the best painter, or because he was quite famous.
Xie Yan and Chu Ling stood on the outside, and with their height and eyesight, they could see the painting clearly.
"It's really well drawn."
Someone overheard their praise, turned around and glanced at the two of them, their eyes filled with disdain.
"You two must be from the countryside. Master Shi Hanxi's paintings are more than just good! He is a renowned painter in our Yongcheng! Not only have people from the imperial palace praised him as a national master, but some people have also traveled thousands of miles to spend a fortune to have him paint a single piece!"
The palace is his prince's residence: It seems I'm out of touch; I've never heard of this before.
Xie Yan, who was once offered a thousand taels of silver to hire: Is a thousand taels of silver a lot? It's not even enough to buy a mansion at the foot of the capital.
The two remained calm and composed, showing no outward signs of anything, and paid no attention to the implication in the man's words that he was ignorant.
Xie Yan smiled and asked him, "Young master, you flatter us. We are indeed from out of town. We've only heard that there's a prodigy in Yongcheng who can repair incomplete scrolls. We wonder if he is Master Shi?"
Upon hearing this, the man's expression suddenly turned somewhat unpleasant, and his tone became much colder than before. He waved his hand and said, "The one you're talking about should be Master Shi's twin brother. In recent years, quite a few people have indeed come to him to have their paintings repaired."
He scoffed, "But in my opinion, those are nothing but ingenious tricks. How can they compare to his brother's?"
He seemed a little disappointed in him. "A few years ago, I heard that someone from the palace wanted to invite Master Shi to paint for the current emperor, but he declined because he had to take care of his younger brother who was bedridden for many years. If it weren't for that brother, Master Shi would have been famous throughout Dajing long ago!"
The man sighed repeatedly with a regretful expression, "Perhaps our Yongcheng could also become famous throughout the entire Dajing!"
The two exchanged a glance. Although some of the facts were exaggerated, it sounded like this person really cared for his younger brother.
Once the man started talking, he wouldn't stop. Now he asked Xie Yan and the other person, "Are you also like those ignorant people who are going to find Master Shi's brother?"
Chu Ling did not deny it, "I've heard that his painting skills are extraordinary, and I'd like to see them for myself."
“Hey! You should go find Master Shi instead! Do you paint people or objects? Master Shi is best at painting people, especially…” He suddenly stopped strangely, looked the two of them up and down, and finally stopped at their overlapping sleeves.
He winked at the two of them, his tone quite ambiguous: "Especially couples like you two, so deeply in love. Master Shi often paints portraits of lovers. It is said that every couple he paints will be as loving and happy as the legendary Emperor Taizu and the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers."
The two: ...Well, thank you so much for your "blessing".