Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

Ruan Chuyin noticed her grandfather's expression suddenly turn cloudy, and she felt uneasy. Could it be that she had done something wrong that had upset the old man? She immediately turned her head away, pretending to fix her hair, and hinted at her husband.

Xiang Yunchi understood and handed the scroll over, saying, "Grandfather, Hatsune knows you like painting, so I specially made a painting called 'Peach Blossoms and Eyebrows' for you."

"Really?" Xiang Ge's eyes were filled with deep confusion. Giving him a painting? So confident.

I remember that Shi Congxin, the daughter of the Minister of War, was a skilled painter, a leader among the ladies of high rank. Last year, at a palace banquet, she painted a painting called "Hundred Flowers." The brushstrokes were soft and the composition was excellent, though the linework wasn't quite as detailed. However, it was still stunning enough to stand out from the crowd, leaving a deep impression on him. This is why he considered marrying into the family of the Minister of War.

Therefore, few contemporary painters could hold his favor. His second son-in-law, the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor Yue Wuyu, was one, and the Northern Moon Imperial Preceptor Zhou Ziyi was another. Of course, the person he admired most was him. This is not an exaggeration; if he had no official title and devoted himself solely to painting, he would have long since become the foremost figure in the contemporary art world.

Seeing that her grandfather looked listless and uninterested, Ruan Chuyin pursed her red lips slightly, her heart beating like a drum.

Xiang Yunchi wasn't in the least bit anxious. He had complete confidence in his daughter-in-law's painting skills, and he was also quite certain of his grandfather's temperament.

Nanxing's reputation as a "painter" wasn't earned casually. His parents' marriage had been strongly opposed by his grandfather, even after his mother became pregnant with him and received his grandmother's approval. It wasn't until his grandfather, Wu Daozi, personally presented him with a treasured ancient painting, "Drunken Hibiscus," and promised to let him take the surname Xiang that his grandfather reluctantly agreed to the match.

Xiang Ge took a leisurely sip of the teacup. Tong Yuqing couldn't bear to see him putting on airs in front of his granddaughter-in-law, so she immediately urged him, "It's rare that Hatsune is so thoughtful. Hurry up!"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew tense. Yue Yixing had already leaned forward, and Xiang Wanrong and Wu Shuhong's eyes were filled with anticipation. They had already decided to show their support for their daughter-in-law and praise her to the hilt.

The King of Zhenbei put down the tea bowl, picked up the scroll and slowly opened it. When one-third of the picture was revealed, his pupils suddenly shrank, and he stood up suddenly, quickly asked someone to bring a long table and gently unfold it.

Delicate brushstrokes unfold the peach branches in a staggered pattern, while the use of light and dark colors enhances the visual impact. A closer look reveals that the colors are exceptionally bright, appearing richer than his own, bringing out the flowers and birds with even greater lifelikeness and realism. What is most commendable and astonishing is the artist's attention to detail. The thrush feathers are layered, so detailed that each one is clearly visible to the naked eye. Furthermore, the colors are rich and their textures are vivid. This hyper-realistic technique is unprecedented and unparalleled, a unique experience I have never seen before.

After years of hard work, he finally mastered some realistic painting skills. He never expected that a little girl would surpass him. She had mastered it so thoroughly that he was ashamed. So he looked up and asked seriously, "Did you really draw this?"

Ruan Chuyin nodded calmly.

"How did you draw it?" Xiang Ge asked.

Tong Yuqing, Xiang Wanrong and Wu Shuhong's eyes were almost glued to the scroll, their minds were blank, and they had no memory of praising anything.

The most miserable person was Yue Yixing, unable to hide his longing for his brother's wife. It felt like a seedling in the desert, struggling to survive for so long, finally finding a sip of sweet dew. For the first time, he envied his eldest and fifth brothers' good fortunes.

It was over. He felt that there would never be another girl in his eyes in this life.

Ruan Chuyin briefly talked to her grandfather about the painting method. The old man understood it immediately and was very good at grasping the key points. He focused on asking about the coloring techniques.

When Xiang Ge learned that the pigments used in the painting were all mixed by the little girl herself, he completely lost his composure and asked her to paint another one on the spot.

Outside, Zhang, the chief steward, cautiously poked his head out, hesitating whether to serve the food. Xiang Yunchi looked at his grandfather, dancing with excitement, and waved at him.

"Grandfather, do you like peacocks?" Ruan Chuyin asked with a smile, very happy that the old man was interested in her paintings.

"Peacock? Great! Great! Great! Let's paint a peacock!" Xiang Ge exclaimed excitedly. Everyone in the art world knew how difficult peacock feathers were to paint. Today, he wanted to see for himself how this girl painted them. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with an almost fanatical brilliance, and he shooed away all the "idle people" gathered around the long table, fearing that their height would block the light.

Xiang Yunchi was the first to object. He was also curious about how the little white rabbit was drawn, so he pretended to be deaf and dumb and moved in again. Seeing his grandfather remained silent, Yue Yixing joined in, but before he could even gain a firm footing, he was pushed back, so angry that he almost left on the spot.

Ever since he was little, his grandfather had favored the fifth child. When they were both young, the elders gifted Yun Chi a grand mansion with five entrances and exits, while he received only a simple white jade hairpin. However, on the day he succeeded Lingxiao Abbey as abbot, his grandfather compensated him by gifting him a large mountain, hoping he would relocate the sect to Nanxing. This led to numerous arguments with the six elders. This time, his mother had asked him to come back with her because of this matter.

There was complete silence in the hall.

Tong Yuqing contributed all her rouge and powder to her grandson's wife for use.

Gazing at the dazzling array of bottles and jars, their logos inscribed on them, Ruan Chuyin once again fell into deep self-doubt. Her grandmother's obsession with beauty far surpassed that of ordinary people. At least she wouldn't be willing to spend as much on her face as she did.

Thanks to my grandmother, the saturation of the paint mixed this time was higher than before, which completely stunned the King of Zhenbei.

So the colors can be adjusted like this? Why didn't he think of it?

Xiang Ge felt that Ruan Chuyin had opened the door to a new world for him today, allowing him to understand what it meant to strive for excellence and what it meant to be flawless.

He then looked at her with increasingly keen eyes as she tried out the colors on the paper.

Incredible, incredible, he actually mixed a color he had never seen before! In the blink of an eye, his heartbeat quickened and even his breathing became rapid.

After preparing all the materials, the slender jade fingers began to outline the base pattern.

Ruan Chuyin noticed the numerous pines and cypresses planted in the Zhenbei Palace. She imagined her grandfather would be fond of these evergreens, so she sketched one in the painting. She also drew a large peacock swaying its head and tail nearby, intending to blend its feathers with the pines and cypresses when she added color. She also chose the same light gold color for the trunk of the tree as for the feathers.

When the painting is completed, what will appear before your eyes is a peacock starry sky painting that is as bright as a diamond, with a grand scene and a romantic style.

The King of Zhenbei and the others watched with their own eyes as Ruan Chuyin meticulously outlined the peacock feather, each stroke of her craft. This technique amazed everyone.

Xiang Ge felt that this could no longer be simply called a painting, but was infused with soul, leaving a unique color in his heart.

A burst of high-pitched laughter erupted from the central hall. The King of Zhenbei hadn't been this happy in a long time. He immediately changed his tune and approved of his grandson's wife, even finding Yue Yixing even more pleasing to the eye than usual. He immediately fulfilled his wish and ordered Zhang Mingda to bring out the green jade wine.

Xiang Wanrong and Wu Shuhong took the opportunity to bring up the young couple's marriage. Xiang Ge thought about it and asked them to wait a few days.

This attitude made everyone confused and uneasy.

Xiang Ge just told them not to worry and didn't say much. He also asked his grandson and granddaughter-in-law to live in the Zhenbei Palace for the time being and accompany him well.

After lunch, he pulled Ruan Chuyin aside to talk about the new term "fine brushwork painting" until Xiang Yunchi could no longer bear it until midnight and let her go.

When the King of Zhenbei returned to the main courtyard, Tong Yuqing waited for him to stay awake and asked, "Why did you say today that you wanted to postpone the marriage of the two children? What do you want to do?"

"I want to go to the palace to see the emperor and ask him to change the law." Xiang Ge said slowly, feeling that he needed to think it over carefully.

"What to change?" Tong Yuqing was surprised, her mind became completely clear and all sleepiness disappeared.

Xiang Ge said as he took off his outer robe, "How can my grandson be shorter than Qin Guanzhi? I plan to ask the emperor to amend the law so that the legal husband is calculated based on the place where the household registration is located. Yun Chi is not from Dayong, and Chu Yin has never received a marriage invitation from anyone else in Nanxing, so Yun Chi is the legal husband."

That makes sense. But Tong Yuqing suddenly thought of something, her expression tightened, and she whispered, "I heard from Yun Chi that Mr. Qinglian is also from our Nanxing Country, but the two of them registered at the Dayong government office, and Yun Chi and Chu Yin got the marriage certificate first."

"That's it!" Xiang Ge was shocked and almost thought that this "road" was blocked.

"There's one more thing you need to know." Tong Yuqing hadn't wanted to say it so soon. But since we were talking about it, she didn't hide it.

"What's the matter?" Xiang Ge was about to lie down, but then he sat up again.

"Your eldest grandson also married Hatsune. He is now living in Beiyue with the princess. Do you have any ideas?" Tong Yuqing took the opportunity to think of the Emperor of Beiyue.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ge flew into a rage and cursed Wei Yanli profusely. Still not satisfied, he ordered his daughter to be called into the yard and made to kneel down.

"Dad, Shi Zhang's last name isn't Xiang. Aren't you meddling too much? They have nine brothers, and six of them aren't married yet. They're already grown up! Instead of worrying about your reputation, you should worry about when they can finally get married! Besides, Shi Zhang is already thirty-one this year. It would be a blessing for his ancestors if he could marry Hatsune. Think about it carefully."

The King and his wife of Zhenbei were both stunned. Only after their daughter reminded them did they remember the age of their eldest grandson.

Among his eight grandchildren, he was the one who saw him the least. He felt extremely upset.

Tong Yuqing waved her hand and told her to go back first, then began to blame the old man: "It's all your fault that you angered the Duke and left, otherwise I wouldn't have brought my eldest grandson to Beiyue! Let the Duke come back next New Year, and don't give him a hard time anymore!"

I remember when Wei Shizhang was born, I held him in my arms every day and couldn't let him go. Now I feel sad when I think about it.