Fifteen, it is better to be bold and arrogant

Xiao Zhou came to invite his nephew Xuan and his beloved daughter to have dinner at the afternoon, and then looked at the progress of the portrait. However, he saw Zhou Xuan holding a pen like a demon on the drawing paper. A few days ago, he immediately put down his brush and paid tribute to him. Today, he seemed to have not seen it. He was concentrating on painting. When Princess Qingle was sitting in front of the window, he shouted angrily: "Don't move!" He was very domineering.

The little Zhou Hou stood beside Zhou Xuan and watched his paintings. Such a colorful painting is unheard of. Is it the painting method of Xuan's nephew's home country?

This is the second time Zhou Xuan has entered this state of selflessness. Last time, he was in Baiyun Temple, and his portrait was full of joy and was completed in one go. This time he painted a longer time. He drew a carved lattice window. A beautiful girl in a pink wedding dress stared out of the window. The skirt like a wide tent was covered with roses, with strong colors, unrestrained brushwork, and unrestrained passion... These are all lacking in classical painters from Gu Hongzhong's lineage.

Xiao Zhouhou stood beside Zhou Xuan for half an hour, and was fascinated by the sight. Seeing Zhou Xuan constantly smearing colors, the clusters of colors gradually showed the skirt, petals, ankles, round and exposed shoulders, the slender neck like a swan, and the beautiful face of Princess Qingle's side face-

Zhou Xuan's brushwork is different from the freehand paintings in later generations, with details and sketches, like roses on a long skirt. He lifts his pen and sways wine. He can only use the image of flowers, but does not carve it in fine brushwork. Princess Qingle's face is carefully depicted with a small sheep hair. Although the brushwork is simple, the color is beautiful and the style is vivid.

After a long time, Zhou Xuan put his pen on the jade pen holder, took a step back and prepared to look at the entire scroll to see what else needs to be modified. Xiao Zhou, who was standing beside him, retreated and avoided it. The plump part of his left chest was touched by his back, and he couldn't help but exclaimed—

Zhou Xuan saw it, ah, aunt, hurry up and accused him.

Queen Xiao Zhou reached out and slid her hair, covered her shyness, and said with a smile: "Nephew Xuan is really attentive. During the Cao Wei period, Handan Chun divided Go into nine grades, and the best grade was the most mesmerizing. It seems that there is also a saying that the paintings are enchanting, and Nephew Xuan's painting skills have improved greatly."

Zhou Xuan looked at this freehand picture of a lady and was very satisfied. He said with a smug face: "My aunt has been awarded too much, her art is endless. The best one she painted is always the next one, and the first one at the moment."

Princess Qingle stood up from the window and said, "Has the painting been done? But I was so tired that I was not allowed to move. My mother saw it, how domineering Cousin Xuan!"

Zhou Xuan said: "No way, am I domineering? I have been working hard to paint."

Xiao Zhouhou smiled and said to his beloved daughter: "Your cousin Xuan is so charming, like a drunk person, and he doesn't know what he said when he wakes up."

Princess Qingle twisted her neck and waist, "Princess" smirked, carrying a wide wedding dress skirt to look at the painting, and said in surprise: "Why is it so messy!"

In Princess Qingle's opinion, the big buns of red, yellow and orange are simply messy.

"No, your cousin Xuan's painting is wonderful!"

After all, he was the companion of the talented emperor Li Yu for many years. The aesthetic ability of the young Zhou Hou far exceeded that of Princess Qingle. He said: "Zhu'er, come here and look carefully. This painting is unprecedented. It is a step further than that of the senior painters such as Wang Wei and Xu Xi. They use bright colors and freely brushwork, and the subtle points are meticulously carved--"

"Where is the subtle part?" Princess Qingle stretched her neck to look.

Xiao Zhou Houxu pointed to the eyes of Princess Shangqing Le in the portrait: "I don't know when Nephew Xuan saw Huzhu and had such eyes? It made me tremble."

Zhou Xuan painted the eyes of a stubborn princess who was forced to marry from the imperial power and was about to marry far away, but was very unwilling to accept it. She was wearing a gorgeous wedding dress, but she looked out the window, which was a look of longing for freedom!

Zhou Xuan moved himself and said to himself: "My buddy is very talented!"

Princess Qingle looked left and right and couldn't see it. Since her mother said it was OK, it must be good. She said sweetly: "Thank you, Cousin Xuan, thank you for your hard work. This painting was so fast, it took an hour and a half. Now there is only one palace portrait left."

After lunch, Xiao Zhou Hou led Li Yu to see the freehand princess picture painted by Zhou Xuan. He didn't dare to show Li Yu the previous super short skirt. After Li Yu looked at it, he praised it and ordered the painting to be framed so that all the painters from the Hanlin Academy of Painting came to observe.

At this time, Eunuch Bai hurried to report that the Jinghai inspector Wang Delin sent an envoy to report that the Prince of Southern Han had already landed in Rugao, Hailing County on the second day of the seventh month. Three giant ships were parked on the coast of Rugao and instead took a carriage and horse, and they could arrive at Jinling at the latest on the sixth day of the day. They specially stepped up their journey to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Emperor of Tang.

Li Yuxi said: "I didn't expect that Liu Shousu still has such filial piety, and he still wanted to celebrate my birthday. I am very comforted, I am very comforted!"

Li Yu was very comforted by me, but Princess Qingle felt like she fell into an ice cellar. She gave a gift to Li Yu and Xiao Zhou Queen, bid farewell and returned to Jingxu Palace.

Xiao Zhou Hou's eyes were slight and he was slightly angry: "Don't Your Majesty know Huzhu's intentions? He even praised Liu Shousu in person!"

Li Yu smiled and shook his head: "Liu Shousu has arrived at the door of his house. What else do she want to do when Huzhu? Since she has to marry, how can she be sulking? It's better to face it gracefully. This is the demeanor of the royal princess."

The little Zhou Hou hummed softly, expressed dissatisfaction, and said to Zhou Xuan: "Nephew Xuan will persuade the princess again, and the prince of the Southern Han will come, so be more graceful."

Zhou Xuan went out of Hua'e Xianghui Tower and rushed to Jingxu Palace. Princess Qingle's car was right in front, with two eunuchs and two palace maids following the car.

Princess Qingle ordered the carriage to stop, and when Zhou Xuan caught up, she said, "Cousin Xuan, come up and have a car with me."

"It seems inappropriate to have a car with the princess in Daxing Palace?"

After Zhou Xuan hesitated for a moment, Princess Qingle said, "Is Cousin Xuan such a timid person? How can I trust you?"

This princess would also provoke her skills. Zhou Xuan smiled: "It's really interesting. Only by being bold and arrogant can you gain the trust of the princess - but your skirt is so swollen, is there a place where I stand?"

Princess Qingle was still wearing the wedding dress, and the wide hem was overflowing outside the car railing.

"It's better to be bold and arrogant." Princess Qingle gave in to the side, freed up a small position, and pressed the bulging skirt on this side, and tilted the hem of the skirt to the other side, saying, "Cousin Xuan, come up."

Zhou Xuan got into the car, and the two stood side by side, the carriage was rumbling. Zhou Xuan turned his head to look at Princess Qingle. Princess Qingle was so tall. She was wearing the mid-heeled sheepskin shoes and looked taller than him. She had round shoulders and half-exposed breasts. The wedding dress squeezed Zhou Xuan, which made Zhou Xuan feel so strange. It was like he was getting married to Princess Qingle. She was riding a wedding car parade. It would make her feel even more like she had a wedding march in her ear.

Princess Qingle, without the joy of the bride, murmured and cursed the Prince of Southern Han: "He came so early, come to death, why didn't the strong wind blow over his ship on the sea? Why did it come soon!"

Zhou Xuan held back his laughter and said, "Princess, please don't be irritated. What are you afraid of when Prince Liu comes? The wedding day is still far away in the Southern Han Dynasty!"

Princess Qingle glared at Zhou Xuan, was silent for a while, and said in a voice that only she and Zhou Xuan could hear: "Cousin Xuan, I have entrusted my body to you. If you don't help me, I will really die."

Zhou Xuan said in his heart: "You princess is not talking through her brain. What does it mean to entrust your body to me? When will I occupy your body?" He said: "Don't worry, I am your cousin at least, how can I bear to die?"

Princess Qingle said "um" and thought to herself: "When you arrive in Nanhan, if you don't find a way to bring me back, I will let you die with me. You will say that you have an affair with me for a long time. It would be strange if Liu Jixing and his son didn't chop your head. Cousin Xuan, you have to keep your word and don't force me."

...

On the morning of the fourth day of July, Zhou Xuan still painted a portrait of Princess Qingle. This was the last palace portrait. We tried to finish it within three days. In the afternoon, Zhou Xuan followed Wang Shizhang to see the layout of "Huayanlou Zhiyi", Xiao Zhouhou's cover introductory and preface, and the newly added "Xiao Xie Qiurong" have all been made. The plate-making craftsmen are all skillful in craftsmanship and understand the movable type printing technique after a little bit of adjustment. They also figured out convenient techniques that Zhou Xuan didn't know. When typing, they used a framed iron plate as the bottom support, applied a layer of rosin, a mixture of wax and paper ash on it, and then picked out the needed movable type one by one into the frame. After the frame was filled, they became a plate. Then baked with fire. When the medicine was slightly melted, a flat plate was used to flatten the literal surface. After the medicine was cooled and solidified, it became a pattern.

Zhou Xuan looked at the printed sample. The font was beautiful and not about his expression. Anyway, it looked very similar to the handwriting of the Queen of Zhou. After sniffing it, he found that the ink was fragrant. After asking, he found out that he was using Xi Mo in Shezhou, and Wang Shizhang was willing to spend money.

Zhou Xuan said: "No, then start printing."

Wang Shizhang sent Zhou Xuan across Wuwei Bridge. The weather was too hot. Zhou Xuan took a car. Sanchi was wearing a wide bamboo hat and planned a horse with his horse. Wang Shizhang walked out the car window and said while walking: "The county duke's masterpiece can be sold in Jinling Bookstore in three days. It is estimated that 5,000 books can earn 1,500 taels of silver. Here, let's send the silver to the county duke's mansion."

Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "It's outrageous! Let's calculate the money after the book is sold out. Apart from the capital, you and I will share the profit at all."

Wang Shizhang hurriedly said, "How dare you! How dare you! This is a hard work by the county magistrate. How dare you divide the silver from the county magistrate? It is a great honor to be able to serve the county magistrate. If the county magistrate must divide the silver from the county magistrate, then you will not dare to walk in the county magistrate's door in the future."

Zhou Xuan knew that the salt merchant had a lot of money, so he said, "Okay, I will accept your love, but the capital and the concessions to the bookstore must be included. I can't let you lose money."

Wang Shizhang repeatedly claimed that he was, and said carefully: "Mr. Duke, the interviews he has been published in the residence newspaper. There are many praises in the public. I wonder if there is any discussion in the court?"

Zhou Xuan smiled slightly. He knew Wang Shizhang's intentions and said, "Wen Wang, the seventh day of the lunar calendar is the birthday of His Majesty. Why didn't Wang join forces with Jinling? The famous merchants in Guangling celebrated His Majesty's birthday? I would also take the opportunity to advise His Majesty. How about?"

Wang Shizhang said in surprise: "In previous years, we and other merchants also celebrated the birthday of His Majesty, but they all celebrated His Majesty's birthday from afar. His Majesty did not know. How dare you ask the county magistrate, what should I do?"

Zhou Xuan thought about it and said something to Wang Shizhang, and Wang Shizhang left in surprise.

Zhou Xuan returned to Xiangluanfang Mansion and Abu came to see him. Abu's illness was cured by seven or eight. He had moved back to his own residence. Today he came to Zhou Xuan prepares birthday gifts for the emperor. Although Li Yu had an order, officials stationed in Beijing did not have to send birthday gifts, and everyone could write poems and lyrics to celebrate their birthdays, but Zhou Xuan was a son and nephew, so how could he not give birthday gifts?

Abu sent two five-foot-high coral trees, with treasure light flowing and colorful. This was a coral tree dug from the seabed and inlaid with gold beads and jade. The five-foot-high coral trees are very rare. Shi Chong, a rich man in the Jin Dynasty, fought with Sun Kai, and was just a four-foot-high coral tree.

Two days after that, Zhou Xuan had nothing to do, but went to the palace to paint Princess Qingle. He could hear news about Prince Xuezhu every day. He arrived in Taixing yesterday, and today he went to Guangling, the eastern capital. More than a thousand people were accompanying him. Wang Delin, the inspector of the Jinghai Regulatory Commission, and Wei Xuan, the left prime minister who was traveling from Beijing to greet him, accompanied him all the way to Beijing.

At noon on the sixth day of the seventh month, Zhou Xuan painted the last portrait for Princess Qingle. He stretched his waist and said, "I'm so tired, I can finally get a job."

When Princess Qingle saw that her mother was not here, there were only two palace maids in the study, she walked over and said in Zhou Xuan's ear: "Cousin Xuan still owes me a painting, don't forget." She smiled, her palace skirt dragged the ground, and left gracefully.

Zhou Xuan looked at her grey back and was stunned, thinking: "This princess still remembers the naked image sitting. The queen said that she was not allowed to draw. Where did the princess want to draw? On the way to the Southern Han Dynasty, wouldn't the Snow Pig Prince fight with me? Well, the princess and the Snow Pig Prince should have a different boat."

Zhou Xuan took lunch in the palace and, on the order of Li Yu, went to Bailuzhou Wharf with Prince Li Jian to welcome the prince of the Southern Han and his party in the name of sending the marriage envoy. The Zhenhai Jiedushi sent a fleet to transport the prince of the Southern Han to arrive in the Shenshi.
Chapter completed!