Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
This Tao-addicted beauty was actually rumored to be the number one figure of the Judicial Department in the West Hill Divine Palace? Those words rendered the hubbub in the study room to a total silence in an instant. All the students looked at each other in a speechless shock. What kind of charming woman should rank atop the Prince Long Qing?
“Hard to believe? Do you really think women are inborn inferior to men?”
Catching sight of those looks of her classmates, Situ Yilan knew the doubts among them and could not help saying with a frown, “That Tao-addicted beauty is mysterious who seldom shows her talent in public and is naturally unknown to others. But as far as I know, Prince Long Qing never appeared to be unconvinced when mentioning this superior.”
“That Tao-addicted beauty is still very young, isn’t she?” An Academy student sighed, “The West Hill Divine Kingdom is really a holy place shrouded in the splendor of Haotian. It has actually produced so many young talents in cultivation. Not even mentioning that Tao Addict, how can our Tang Empire find one to rival Prince Long Qing after he is enrolled in the Academy?”
At these words, Jin Wucai frowned slightly and wanted to say something, but finally refrained herself from doing so. A female companion beside her perceived her expression and said for her with a smile, “We have excellent Mr. Xie in the Academy. How about letting him compete with that Prince Long Qing?”
“Mr. Xie just entered the No Doubts State in the early autumn last year, while Prince Long Qing is merely one step away from the Knowing Destiny State. So he is at least a strong one at the Seethrough State. There are at least five levels between the two, how can he compete?”
Without saving face for his female classmates, that student continued with a sneering smile, “Even if Mr. Xie could show better performances in the courses of poetry, literature, mathematics, and rites than Prince Long Qing to some extent, do not forget he is from South Jin, not our Tang Empire.”
“Who said that we don’t have such talents?” Situ Yilan retorted with an unpleasant frown. “Wang Jinglue is said to be invincible among those below the Knowing Destiny State. He is just a few years older than Prince Long Qing, and as long as Prince Long Qing hasn’t entered the Knowing Destiny State, he will have few chances to defeat Wang Jinglue, not to speak of the young generation of our Tang Empire.”
The student showed confusion and said, “Wang Jinglue, who is invincible to those below the Knowing Destiny State, is indeed eligible to be compared with Prince Long Qing. But it seems he has disappeared for a long time, and his location is still a mystery.”
Through a glance at Situ Yilan, Chu Zhongtian found no objections in her eyes, so he smiled and said to his classmates, “I heard Wang Jinglue was sent by the emperor to serve the Defender-general of the State, and even if Prince Long Qing really came to Chang’an City, it is still impossible for Wang Jinglue to come back, because it is against military discipline. So let’s forget him.”
Ning Que was listening quietly in the rear of the study room to those arguments, and only after he found that Prince Long Qing was no longer mentioned and the problems of the talent shortage were discussed full of emotion did he stop listening. He simply packed his belongings and prepared to leave the study room for the old library.
“Even if we don’t mention Wang Jinglue, there will also be other talents in the Tang.”
Jin Wucai felt somewhat uncomfortable, probably because Xie Chengyun was directly considered to be not comparable to Prince Long Qing. She stood up and smiled at the other students, saying softly, “Not only cultivators can be called talents. Those outstanding ones in the field of military, arithmetic, articles, poetry, and calligraphy can be called talents as well. I heard from my grandfather that a big blockbuster was made recently in the palace because of a piece of calligraphy. His Majesty loved that calligraphy, and my grandfather also said that the calligrapher was greatly talented in calligraphy. Couldn’t such a calligrapher be regarded as a talent of our Tang?”
“I heard that story, too.” Chen Zixian, the son of a bookstore owner, took a look at Jin Wucai and timidly said, “Several groups of people were sent by the palace to inquire from my father, yet he hadn’t the least idea of that. However, from eunuchs from the palace, he learned that the libationer and several great calligraphers confirmed that the mysterious calligrapher must have been immersed in calligraphy for many years to have such a force and structure in writing characters, who… perhaps can’t be a talent of the young generation.”
Jin Wucai simply intended to let the previous topic pass, so of course would not answer these words. She gently smiled and drifted to other aspects, asking, “Grandpa has copied that piece of calligraphy in the Imperial Study one month ago. How is your family?”
“My family just runs a bookstore, how could we compare to your lady’s family.” Chen Zixian replied with a smile, “But the palace pushed us so hard, so my family helped to contact two big calligraphers to copy two volumes in the palace.”
The topics of their chats in the Academy had always been random. Today, professor Cao gave them a long period of spare time, which allowed them to make more chats with a quick shift of topics. A moment ago they were still discussing Prince Long Qing and the Tao-addicted beauty, while at this time all their attention completely shifted to the legendary piece of calligraphy.
After a repeated discussion, the students were surprised to find that this thing was known to all, and that piece of calligraphy had long been the focus of the upper class of Chang’an City during the recent months.
Why would an anonymous piece of calligraphy that had mysteriously appeared in the Imperial Study make His Majesty fondle it admiringly and directly order all the ministers and great calligraphers to copy it in person? If you did not know the ins and outs of this matter and what was written on that piece of calligraphy, then you simply could not get involved in those chats during teatime in those ministries and Yamen.
“His Majesty awarded my grandpa his own copy, but my grandpa did not let me see it,” Jin Wucai said softly.
In fact, the entire Chang’an City knew that the Tang emperor ardently loved calligraphy, yet was lacking in the strength of writing characters. All the students forcibly held themselves from laughing out loud, thinking that the libationer would not allow others to see the emperor’s calligraphy, which might usher in sneers. Miss Gao, who used to be a person of few words, somehow felt unpleasant at the soft tone and gentle manner of Jin Wucai, so she said with a bit of pride, “My family was also awarded with a copy. Pitifully, it was not the emperor’s own copy. But it used the Double-hook Method, which makes it quite similar to the original.”
Double-hook, a method of copying, hooked along the exterior lines of the original work on both sides with a thin line, and then filled in the blank inside with ink. A copy made in this way was most close to the original, which was accordingly quite precious and was applied to copy masterpieces.
All the students were again exclaiming at Miss Gao’s words. On the one hand, they marveled at the fact that the anonymous piece of calligraphy was indeed beloved by His Majesty. On the other hand, they secretly discussed that a family with its members serving in the palace was really glorious, for it enjoyed a Double-hook copy awarded by the emperor.
If a superior loved something, the subordinates would love it even more, not to mention it was the thing loved by the Tang emperor. Throughout the Tang Empire calligraphy was fond of by all, putting it at a high-respected status. Now that all the noble families in Chang’an City had been aware that His Majesty was deeply fond of that section, they unavoidably would do some mutual comparisons.
Those being awarded with a copy would feel complacent, while those not would feel somewhat uneasy. Even those who had gotten a copy from the emperor would inevitably make comparisons between their versions… A trivial section of calligraphy had actually blown ink from numerous residences and disturbed countless nobles.
Some civilians staying at the Academy for the night curiously asked Miss Gao about what was written on the section, and what charm the characters had that could make His Majesty so delighted. As Miss Gao had already spouted out those words, naturally she would have to continue. She showed a smile and then boasted that the piece of calligraphy was something second to none.
“Excuse me, excuse me.”
Ning Que came over from the back of the study room with several books under his arms. When others discovered that it was him, they suddenly stopped their discussion indifferently as was usual, and restarted their chat after he had walked out of the study room and had entered the rain-proof corridor.
No one was willing to point out the shortcomings of that section of calligraphy which was so deeply loved by His Majesty. Furthermore, the section was indeed exquisite and worthy of appreciating. Those who had seen the original one, no matter if they were ministers or calligraphers, all marveled at and praised it, following His Majesty’s mind. Therefore, although Miss Gao’s remarks were slightly exaggerated, no other students showed any doubt.
Jin Wucai knew why Miss Gao said so, thus she merely smiled without refuting. She followed her words and sincerely praised the section of calligraphy. Then the topic of discussion shifted to the most mysterious, yet attractive, aspect of the matter—Who wrote that section?
“Who wrote it?”
“So far, nobody knows. It is said that it appeared in the Imperial Study last spring. Then they searched in the palace for more than six months, and even those great calligraphers were asked about it. But nobody admitted to it.”
“Is it possible that it was written by the scholars that sell their calligraphy in the Scent Workshop? Don’t look at me like that. Many heroes are from the wilderness and great talents tend to seclude themselves in the woods. Who dares to say that those scholars running calligraphy stalls can’t write peerlessly excellent work?”
“It sounds right, but if it is really from some poor scholar selling calligraphy, how could he secretly put the section of calligraphy into the Imperial Study? If he does have such an ability, then he wouldn’t be poor.”
“What a mystery! It is strange that the calligrapher does not stand up to admit it. You know, in view of the great appreciation from His Majesty and the disturbance he has made in the court, as long as he is willing to show up, no one will accuse him of what he did. Instead, a great wealth will await him ahead.”
Jin Wucai’s thin eyebrows frowned slightly and then she said after a moment of silence, “I feel that the calligrapher is probably secluded in some tiny calligraphy store in a street or an alley of Chang’an. Rumor has it that the calligrapher didn’t appear after such a long effort of hunting in the palace. Probably he can’t get the news from the place he is living in now, and the palace will certainly search for him in famous calligraphy and painting stores and the like in Chang’an. Then they can’t think of such places at the moment.
“As for why that section of calligraphy could have been found in the Imperial Study, nobody knows.”
She then offered a possibility with a smile. “Perhaps some minister cherishes a talent from a poor family, and took it secretly to the palace and deliberately left it in the Imperial Study to let His Majesty find it? But if so, he would have already made it clear.”
The other students all thought her words reasonable and responded with a smile, “If it is really a small shop between the alleys, we can search for it after class. If we really find that calligrapher, maybe we can get a reward from the palace.”
Chen Zixian cowardly interrupted, “I heard… Ning Que opened a small calligraphy and painting shop in Eastern City.”
The others stiffened at his words and then burst into laughter, finding it rather ridiculous. A student who was from Yang Guan and familiar with Zhong Dajun looked at the vanishing figure of Ning Que at the end of the rain-proof corridor and sneered, “If that section of calligraphy in the Imperial Study was written by that guy, then I am willing to kiss his smelly foot!”
The study room was filled with laughter again.
