Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 172 What is Ah Xuan’s plan?

"I'm worried about this," Gao Jingming said in confusion, poking the food in the bowl with his chopsticks, unable to make up his mind for a moment.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan changed the subject and asked, "So, how long does the academy require for submission of works?"

"It can be done within a month. At that time, all the gentlemen will spend some time to evaluate and screen, pick out the best ten works, display them in the school for a few days for the students to admire, and then send them to the capital to present to His Majesty. If there are any outstanding ones, they will be praised and rewarded by His Majesty, and the gentlemen will return to the academy with honor to celebrate together," Gao Jingming thought for a while and said.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said: "In this case, there is no rush, just think about it slowly."

"Having said that, I'm afraid that if time drags on for too long and I still have no clue, the hastily produced work will not be presentable and might be laughed at, and I'll miss this opportunity in vain," Gao Jingming continued to worry.

It was normal during student days. He treated this birthday celebration as a competition among students and took it seriously.

Although the imperial examination is the key to truly changing one's destiny and identity, becoming famous through such an event is also a rare opportunity. Even if Gao Jingming does not have great ambitions and does not dream of his works being praised by the emperor, if he stands out in the academy and is a little more eye-catching among his classmates, he will still be able to attract the attention of others.

To put it bluntly, if you are better than others, you will be given priority when you go to brothels with your classmates in the future.

"That's right." After a pause, Chen Xuan asked again, "Does the young master have any ideas? Poetry, calligraphy, painting, or even handicrafts, you have to decide on one thing first, otherwise if you try everything, you will end up not being good at anything."

Gao Jingming took a bite of his food and said vaguely: "I'm discussing this with you, Xuan. Can you give me some advice?"

This is the role of the servant. Both parties know each other well, and there is a place to discuss when encountering difficulties.

After thinking for a while, Chen Xuan said, "That depends on what the young master is good at. Using your own shortcomings to compare with others' strengths will only bring trouble to yourself."

"That's true," Gao Jingming said with deep agreement.

Then he pondered and said, "Ah Xuan, you know me well. I'm not good at poetry. We're both equally good, so I won't embarrass myself. Besides, there's Ning Guiliang in the academy."

"Ning Guiliang?" Chen Xuan was slightly surprised. He actually heard the name of the young man with kidney deficiency from Gao Jingming. He had met and spoken to him not long ago.

Nodding, Gao Jingming said, "Yes, Ning Guiliang. Ah Xuan, you have been to Mo City these days, so you may not have heard of him. He is one of the most influential figures among our Liuyu students. Many teachers admire his poetry. Even the headmaster once said that he was inferior to him in this aspect. He has written more than a dozen poems that are well-known in Jingguo. Master has also appreciated several of them for us. However, we used Ning Guiliang's calligraphy at that time. Now we know that it was written by him."

"His poems are sung in many brothels and even in the small fairs outside the academy, and in the brothels and brothels of Mo City, he is treated as a guest of honor. As long as he goes, he doesn't have to spend a penny. Often, he is accompanied by the courtesan himself. If he can leave behind a calligraphy poem, he will be given a generous fee. After all, he is one of the eight outstanding young people of our Jing country, including those from the other two academies."

Chen Xuan had already thought that Ning Guiliang was no ordinary person. After hearing this, he finally understood how powerful Ning Guiliang was. No wonder he only received a light punishment from the teacher for skipping classes and staying overnight in a brothel. However, he secretly loved his talent. Such a talent, as long as he did not make a big mistake, would be a treasure. It would be strange that the academy was willing to expel him. It was just a mere romantic affair, which would not bring any negative impact to the academy, but was actually a refined thing.

But at this moment, Chen Xuan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry and said, "Master, you are overthinking it. If he is so talented, why are you mentioning him? Do you want to compete with him in poetry?"

Not to mention Gao Jingming, Chen Xuan himself knew his own limitations and didn't dare touch the porcelain, and that was on the premise that he remembered some famous works from his previous life.

It's not that those famous poems throughout the ages are not eye-catching enough, but the main thing is that you have to suit the occasion first. Besides, he doesn't remember any famous birthday poems at all, and they are birthday poems for the emperor, so he dare not compare himself with that great talent.

Gao Jingming also laughed and said, "How dare I? It's just that when I said this, he was the first person I thought of."

"Since poetry doesn't work, what about calligraphy and painting? Young Master, have you ever thought of starting from this aspect?" Chen Xuan asked again, changing the subject.

Speaking of this, Gao Jingming became even more depressed and said, "Ah Xuan, you know me when it comes to calligraphy and painting. I can't say how good my calligraphy and painting skills are, but they are just barely presentable. Besides..."

Having said that, he shut up, as if realizing that he shouldn't bring up such unrealistic things.

"What's more, could it be that Liuyu Academy has a master of calligraphy and painting? Someone comparable to Ning Guiliang in poetry?" Chen Xuan asked after a moment of surprise.

However, Gao Jingming nodded dejectedly and said, "Axuan, you're right. Hey, in poetry, there's Ning Guiliang, and in calligraphy and painting, there's Wei Ziyan. They're both considered one of the eight great men of the younger generation in Jingguo, and are universally recognized in the scholarly community. They even studied at the same academy. I don't know how many people lament that if they don't leave, they'll have to live under their halo. Even if they find another way, they really can't reach their heights in other areas."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan's heart moved. It seemed that the person behind the attack on Gao Jingming that day was a man named Wei, known as Wei Shao. Could this be him? So he asked curiously, "Is he that powerful? Can you tell me about him, Master?"

"There's nothing I can't say, but I haven't learned much in the past two days."

Gao Jingming nodded, then thought for a moment and continued, "This Wei Ziyan is one of the outstanding representatives of the younger generation of our Jingguo Wei family. You know Axuan of the Wei family, right? It's a family with a history of six or seven hundred years. It has taken root in our Jingguo Haozhou and has survived three dynasties. Its disciples are spread all over the place, and even have considerable influence in neighboring countries. Nowadays, in our Jingguo court, the Wei family has a huge say, and only two or three other families can compete with them. Often, His Majesty has to consult these families for their opinions on any national policy he wants to introduce, otherwise it won't work at all. Uh, I'm getting off topic..."

"Speaking of Wei Ziyan, he's only twenty years old, but he's an expert in calligraphy and painting, and he's also very charming and elegant. Perhaps it's because of his family heritage, he possesses many nearly lost calligraphy and painting skills. Many people are proud to have his works in their collections, and even the palace has rumors of people wanting to purchase his works. I don't know if it's true or not, but in the academy, only Ning Guiliang can be compared to him, but they don't seem to get along because Ning Guiliang comes from a humble background, and Wei Ziyan, after all, is from an aristocratic family. They're not meant to be on the same page."

After hearing what he said, Chen Xuan pondered. This almost made sense. Wei Ziyan, a child of an aristocratic family, was a man of ideas. Over the years, he had occasionally heard his words, and it was clear that they conflicted with some of the aristocratic family's ideas. Could it be that the other party knew that Gao Jingming was Mr. Yushan's apprentice and was targeting him? If the speculation was true, this person needed to be paid attention to. He was a recognized great talent in the academy, one of the eight heroes of the younger generation of Jingguo, and a child of an aristocratic family. No wonder he could use someone of some status like Zhang Ao as a lackey. If he went all out against Gao Jingming, apart from using force, it would be very difficult to resist. After all, his influence was there.

But if he targeted Gao Jingming because of Mr. Yushan, then what about the other two?
Let's not dwell on that for now and return to the previous topic. Chen Xuan said helplessly, "Since poetry is not your thing, and calligraphy and painting are barely decent, then does the young master intend to consider handicrafts?"

"It's difficult to excel in handicrafts. Although I have practiced martial arts and consider myself to be quite dexterous, I am far behind in poetry, calligraphy and painting. Moreover, the academy prohibits comparisons, so I have given up the idea of ​​using precious materials to make gifts. I can't just make a wooden lump to wish Your Majesty a happy birthday," Gao Jingming said weakly.

After thinking for a while, Chen Xuan said, "Forget poetry. Young Master and I are not good at it. Handicrafts are not even an option. After all, they sound a bit girly and petty. In this case, it seems that I can only pay attention to calligraphy and painting."

"That's true. I'm somewhat capable in this aspect. I'm not trying to compete with a great talent like Wei Ziyan. I'm satisfied as long as I'm not at the bottom among my classmates. Ah Xuan still understands me," Gao Jingming said with deep conviction.

Chen Xuan thought to himself that that wasn't necessarily true. Although he couldn't compare to the Dragon and the Phoenix, he still knew some tricks to take advantage of the situation. He could probably be half a cobbler, right?
So he smiled and said, "Then, Young Master, if you're sure, you'll create a birthday work in the form of calligraphy and painting?"

"Well, after talking so much with Xuan, my thoughts have become clearer. Let's just talk about this aspect. It's just that I can't think of what kind of work to produce for the moment," Gao Jingming scratched his head.

After they had almost finished eating, Chen Xuan suggested, "Master, let's go to the study to discuss it. We can always come up with some good ideas."

"Well, let's go and continue discussing this. Xuan, you have to give me some good advice."

When they arrived at the study, Gao Jingming hesitated again, "Ah Xuan, whether it's calligraphy or painting, my skills are hard to impress. Do you have any good suggestions?"

He pretended to be hesitant, but in fact Chen Xuan had already thought of an idea for him. He said, "Master, I do have some immature ideas. Do you want to listen to them?"

"Oh? What's Ah Xuan's plan? Tell me about it," Gao Jingming immediately became interested.

What else can he do? It's not like he's marching to war. I guess that's enough for him. He is congratulating His Majesty on his birthday. Although he knows that he is not doing well, if there is any possibility, he would like to stand out and attract attention.

Chen Xuan whispered, "Since Young Master feels that neither his calligraphy nor his painting can impress others, how about combining the two?"

After thinking carefully, Gao Jingming had no clue and said, "A Xuan, tell me in detail."

"Young Master, how about you paint a picture of a pine and crane for the longevity of life as a gift to His Majesty?"

"A little more detail," Gao Jingming had a vague idea and felt inexplicably excited. He might become famous.

Chen Xuan continued, "As for the details, young master, use the word 'Shou' as ink, and through varying shades and colors, write a picture of pine and crane longevity. This picture should be entirely composed of the word 'Shou', using different calligraphy styles and from different countries. If we work hard, we should be able to create 1,800 different 'Shou' characters. The finished product doesn't need to be superb, but it should be enough to create a buzz. What do you think, young master?"

"Great, you are worthy of being A Xuan. With your help, we are better than having thousands of troops." Gao Jingming jumped up excitedly and clapped his hands.

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Young Master, keep your voice down. No one has probably thought of this idea before. Don't let others plagiarize it. When the finished product is ready, submit it on time. It will surely impress people."

"Very good, very good. Ah Xuan is still cautious," Gao Jingming whispered immediately, and then said, "Then we will be busy from now on. We have to keep running around, observing different ways of writing the word "longevity", as well as longevity characters from various countries and minority languages. The easiest thing is to put them together to form a picture of pine and crane longevity."

"Be busy if you want to. We have plenty of time. Besides, the Liuyu Academy has a vast collection of books, so we have plenty to learn from." At this point, Chen Xuan reminded him, "Young Master, don't forget that someone is secretly targeting you. After all, this is a birthday gift for His Majesty. So, we have to plug the loopholes in this painting of pine and crane longevity to find fault with you and attack you."

Gao Jingming's heart sank, realizing this, and he said in a deep voice: "A Xuan is right, for example?"

"For example, some ways of writing the word 'longevity' that are inappropriate for birthday gifts, some ways of writing the word 'longevity' that involve some taboos, and the most crucial point, which is also the most vulnerable to attack, is that this painting has less than 10,000 longevity characters, but it is called a 'Ten Thousand Longevity Painting'. What if someone frames it as a case of deceiving the emperor?"

"Hiss, one last thing, does Xuan have any way to remedy this?"

"certainly……"

It must be said that Chen Xuan was actually a petty person. Wei Ziyan was most likely one of the people targeting Gao Jingming. He tried to intimidate him as soon as he arrived. Although the situation was easily resolved and dealt with, Chen Xuan still remembered it. Wasn't Wei Ziyan an expert in calligraphy and painting? Chen Xuan racked his brains to find his strengths to refute him.

A painting of pine and cranes symbolizing longevity does not need to be of great quality, but as long as Gao Jingming's age is there and he is painted with various longevity characters, it is enough to create a buzz. I think there is a great chance that he will step on Wei Ziyan!

If he is really slapped in the face, then it's a waste. Even if his work cannot compare, there is no loss. He has been famous for a long time. It is normal that Gao Jingming cannot compare with him.

……

(End of this chapter)