Chapter 002: Substituting the False for the True
Upon glancing at the desk, it was indeed empty. After a moment of reflection, I exclaimed, "Oh dear!" and slapped my forehead: "Damn it, this painting of 'Jun Shang Xian' was purchased from a farmer while I was painting at Da Hong Mountain two years ago. Although it was unsigned, the artistry was extraordinary, resembling that of a master from a previous dynasty. I often take it out for study and appreciation. I must have placed 'Qing Shan Le' on the desk yesterday, and this morning while looking at 'Jun Shang Xian', when you mentioned the Third Prince's arrival, I instinctively put one painting away on the shelf while conversing with you, and I must have mixed them up." I hurried to the nearby bookshelf and took out a painting. Upon opening it, it was indeed 'Qing Shan Le'.
Behind him stood a young gentleman in a brocade white robe, his son Zhong Shangxue, who exclaimed: "Did not Father ask me to take this to that young servant of the Lu family and have him deliver it to Lu Zhiwu?"
"... ... break my legs?" Hmph, if you dare, sooner or later I will break your legs too! While thinking this, I also did not dare to slack off and quickened my pace to return with him
A martial artist can serve as a centurion in the army, on the battlefield, one person can withstand a hundred, and within the imperial palace, they can join the strongest imperial guard in the world to protect the current sovereign
"Oh, miss, why does it seem that the ink on this painting is not completely dry? Could it have been painted just now?" Little Zi suddenly turned her eyes towards Lu Cheng, then pointed at the painting.
Lu Cheng subtly raised his head to steal a glance at Shi Miaoyin. Indeed, she was worthy of being known as a famous beauty in the capital. With a tall and slender figure, graceful shape, lovely features, dignified demeanor, and poised mannerisms, he couldn't help but swallow hard.
Lu Cheng suppressed the endless anger and humiliation within him, thinking, "One day, I will repay today's shame tenfold." Had he not encountered the esteemed monarch, he would likely have merely cursed inwardly to vent his frustration. However, at this moment, he had an intuition telling him that one day, he would be a hundred or a thousand times stronger than Lu Zhiwu.
Is this a form of unparalleled martial arts? Yet it seems more like the divine abilities of an immortal, as it has actually penetrated into my mind. I have never heard of such a skill! Lu Cheng now realizes that he has stumbled upon an extraordinary stroke of luck... In just a brief moment, by operating a part of this miraculous technique, he has stepped from being an ordinary person into the ranks of martial artists... An ordinary person may spend ten years in hard training and still not become a martial artist. In just a brief moment, by operating a part of this miraculous technique, he has stepped from being an ordinary person into the ranks of martial artists... An ordinary person may spend ten years in hard training and still not become a martial artist.
He looked up again at Shi Miaoyin, only to see her bright and clear big eyes staring at him without blinking. He felt a moment of weakness in his heart, his face flushed, and he quickly lowered his head and said, "Master Zhong, haha, laughed heartily, interrupting the young man's speech, 'Alright, I understand. I will paint a pair of Junshang Xian. Junshang Xian is a specialty orchid of the British Empire, symbolizing gentlemen and fairies, representing integrity and purity, a symbol of beauty and righteousness. Presenting it to Young Master Lu and Miss Shi would be quite fitting.'" He secretly chuckled in his heart, you may consider yourselves gentlemen and fairies. Junshang Xian. You may consider yourselves gentlemen and fairies. Junshang Xian.
"Stop it." Shi Miaoyin's voice, true to her name, was light, crisp, and melodious: "Forget it, Brother Lu. Why are you arguing with a servant? Quickly show me the painting; I've been waiting so long that my legs are sore." Shi Miaoyin and her maid, Xiao Zi, had been here for over an hour; to say they weren't tired would be a lie.
Indeed, it is truly remarkable; a master is a master. I regret not having learned to paint well when I was young. Lu Zhiwu responded in kind, aligning himself with Shi Miaoyin.
Upon seeing this, Shi Miaoyin and Lu Zhiwu indeed looked up at Lu Cheng, just as she had said
Lu Cheng heard a cough and turned to glance at Xiao Zi, his face showing disdain. "You are just a servant like me, why are you coughing? What are you so proud of?" He made a face and brazenly scrutinized Xiao Zi from head to toe several times, commenting, "Your figure isn't that great either." This left Xiao Zi infuriated, her face turning bright red.
Good, good, good! The more Lu Cheng thought about it, the more excited he became. I, Lu Cheng, am destined to be an extraordinary person. Since I have been granted this treasure, I must stand out and bring glory to my ancestors. One day, I will leave the Lu family and establish my own enterprise
Lu Zhiwu www.hetushucomcom you ... ... '' Lu Cheng was both shocked and angry in his heart. He had followed Lu Zhiwu for three years, and this was the first time he had been slapped. Previously, he thought he was somewhat valued by the second young master, but now it seemed that in order to please a beautiful woman, he was no different from a dog in his eyes.
Ah! Zhong Shangxue exclaimed: "You just received the Third Prince and asked me to take the painting from your bedroom desk for that little Si to take away. I brought him over and took the one from the desk, right? I didn't take anything from elsewhere. Is this the only painting on your desk?"
"Damn it, Lu Cheng, do you even know how to come back?" Lu Zhiwu was furious, disregarding the beauty in front of him, and erupted on the spot, kicking out with one foot.
What the hell, are you rebelling? Lu Cheng's behavior was completely out of the ordinary, thoroughly infuriating Lu Zhiwu
Lu Cheng has endured for many years in the Lu family, not only due to his exceptional intelligence and quick adaptability but also because he has been constantly seeking opportunities. Among all the servants in the Lu residence, he is the only one who has consciously learned a bit of martial arts. To stand out in the Great Jian Dynasty or any other country, one must excel in either literature or martial arts
"Very good, very good, very good!" Shi Miaoyin exclaimed three times, praising endlessly in a melodious voice, softly and gently saying: "This celestial emperor is a unique orchid variety found only in the British Empire, which is separated from our Great Jian Dynasty by four or five countries. When my father conquered Jiyun Prefecture, he managed to find a pot of it from the Governor's Office of Jiyun Prefecture in the Great Wind Dynasty for me. Unfortunately, it did not survive long under my care."
Master Zhong laughed heartily: "Not to mention that Minister Lu governs the world, even Young Master Lu is a dragon among men, a youthful talent. If I were to draw casually, would that not be a sign of ignorance of the greater context?"
Lu Cheng has always believed that "no matter how talented one is in literature, it is not as effective as a decisive blow." The Prime Minister, Lu Mingxian, possesses extraordinary talents and governs the country as easily as cooking a small fish. If he were as weak as someone who cannot even bind a chicken, he would have died hundreds of times by now. It is said that he is also one of the top ten masters of the Great Jian Dynasty, with martial skills that are unfathomable. Therefore, after Lu Cheng learned to read and gained a basic understanding of the four arts, he focused on learning martial arts, waiting for his skills to reach a certain level before planning to join the military and carve out a distinguished background for himself.
Lu Zhiwu snatched the immortal from the monarch. In order to make amends for his earlier misstep in front of the beautiful Shi Miaoyin, he resolutely decided to slap Lu Cheng. However, the scene he had envisioned, where Lu Cheng would kneel in fear and plead for mercy, did not occur. Instead, Lu Cheng stood there, staring at him with a strange expression.
Lu Cheng, Lu Cheng. Lu Cheng was filled with excitement as he made his way back to the Lu residence with light steps. On the way, he encountered Lu Zhong in the distance, covered in blood, shouting loudly.
Oh, where is my 'Lord Immortal'? At the residence of Zhong Qingshu, known as the Saint of Painting among the four contemporary masters, he had just seen off the Third Prince Du Fenhou, who had come to visit. After returning to his bedroom, he searched high and low but could not find the painting 'Lord Immortal'.
Indeed, Second Young Master, at that time I also found it quite strange, so I asked Master Zhong. To my surprise, Master Zhong smiled slightly. Lu Cheng, confident and composed, struck a pose mimicking the expression and tone of Zhong Qing's letter: "On that day, I met your family's Second Young Master in a hurry, and I did not have the opportunity to ask him what kind of painting he desired. Do you know what kind of painting your young master wants?"
What should we do? If not, should I go to the Lu residence and exchange him back with Qing Shan Le?
Damn it, you petty girl, just by looking at you twice, you start causing trouble for me. Lu Cheng felt an overwhelming headache, but fortunately, he was well-prepared. He quickly said: "I was just about to report to you, my lord. The reason for the delay is that I only found out after arriving at the Zhong residence that Master Zhong is not painting at all"
Cough, cough! Shi Miaoyin's personal maid, Xiao Zi, had long been paying attention to Lu Cheng. She never expected that this damned libertine would be so bold, having just narrowly escaped a hundred lashes, and in the blink of an eye, dared to secretly gaze at the young lady who saved him. This is truly outrageous; the young lady should not have saved him just now. Such a person deserves to be severely punished.
"You still say, hurry up, hurry up, you've been gone for so long, the second young master is muttering about breaking your legs!" Lu Zhong's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly pulled him back to run.
Ah, in these past two years, I have learned quite a bit. As for Lu Zhiwu, he is a person who is very calculating and vengeful. It is indeed inappropriate to provoke him over a painting. Moreover, this painting, regardless of its skill or technique, does not tarnish my reputation. Let him be...
Humph! Lu Zhiwu did not argue with him, stepped down from the stage, and handed the painting to Shi Miaoyin
Shi Miaoyin gently closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Can you all smell it? I feel as if the air is filled with the fragrance of flowers. The name of the Master of Painting is indeed well-deserved."
"Dog slave, what are you looking at me for? Are you not convinced? Come here, drag him out and give him a hundred lashes!" Lu Cheng is usually clever and understanding, which suits him well. However, in front of a beautiful woman, if he does not punish the servant severely, what if the beauty says I am too lenient and it takes forever for someone to fetch something?
Originally, I intended to give him a slap and a kick to provide him with a way out, but who would have thought that this wretched servant would be so ungrateful, standing there and looking at me with a strange gaze
In a moment of desperation, Lu Zhiwu almost forgot about the painting. He forcefully retracted his foot, grabbed the painting from Lu Cheng's hand, and with a swift motion, slapped Lu Cheng across the face, exclaiming, "You bastard, you've been holding onto this painting for so long, did you go to Yixiang Courtyard on the way?" In his anger, he spoke without thinking, forgetting about Shi Miaoyin and the others present.
No?" everyone exclaimed together
What happened, has the second young master lost his temper
"Paint, paint." Lu Cheng quickly held the painting in front of him, while making a strange noise.
It is said that the master of love letters has traveled the world since childhood, claiming to be the person from our dynasty who has visited the most countries. Indeed, this 'Immortal Monarch' comes to life vividly under his pen, almost as if endowed with life, and moreover... moreover...
In the Da Jian Dynasty, practitioners of martial arts are categorized into five realms: Martial Student, Martial Artist, Martial Master, Grand Master, and Innate Expert. Each realm is further divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. It is said that above the upper-grade Innate Experts, there exist celestial beings capable of traversing heaven and earth. However, even for ordinary citizens, and particularly for the esteemed Chief Minister Lu's young relative, Lu Cheng, there has been no account of any true deeds related to these celestial beings.
Inside the Lu residence, Lu Cheng hurriedly ran into the inner study, "Second Young Master, Second Young Master, I am back, I am back"
Stealing a glance at Lu Zhiwu, who wore a satisfied expression and looked quite pleased, I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. I continued, "I thought about it, and Master Zhong is quite humorous. Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea: 'By the way, I heard that General Shi's beloved daughter, Miss Shi Miaoyin, also holds Master in high regard. She shares similar interests with my young master and often studies various flowers and plants together..." I went on, "I thought about it, and Master Zhong is quite humorous. Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea: 'By the way, I heard that General Shi's beloved daughter, Miss Shi Miaoyin, also holds Master in high regard. She shares similar interests with my young master and often studies various flowers and plants together..."
With a chuckle, Shi Miaoyin couldn't help but smile at his pretentious expression. In that instant, she resembled a beautiful flower in full bloom, leaving Lu Zhiwu utterly captivated, his gaze dazed and his heart secretly murmuring that no matter how exquisite the painting by the immortal emperor, it could not compare to your enchanting smile. A flower on paper is ultimately just a flower on paper; how could it possibly rival the beauty of a living flower.
At that moment, I was completely taken aback and pondered in my heart. My second son is exceptionally talented and has a wide range of interests. As a mere servant, how could I possibly fathom the master's thoughts? I could only respond: "Master Zhong, a revered saint of painting, is admired by all. Surely, whatever he paints, my young master will adore it immensely."
There is such poetic charm in Lu Zhiwu's presence, and even feigning sophistication, he catches a whiff and furrows his brow, "Oh!" Remarkable, it really does seem to have a floral fragrance. Could it be that some kind of perfume has been applied to the paper or ink? Although he is uneducated, he has often heard that some refined literati and eccentric scholars would add a bit of fragrance to the ink, resulting in paintings that possess a unique scent, making them incredibly lifelike. This practice is more commonly used when painting flowers. Of course, he would never voice such a sentiment that would greatly spoil the atmosphere; he may be uneducated, but he is not foolish.
Thank you, young master, thank you, young lady. Lu Cheng took the opportunity to push away the two bodyguards who had come to grab him, giving them a fierce glance to indicate that they should retreat quickly. The two bodyguards secretly found it amusing and quickly stepped back a few paces away from the study.
What? The expression in the love letter changed slightly. What did you say? Who told you to give the Immortal Lord to Lu Zhiwu? I clearly asked you to take that painting "Qingshan Le" to him!