Chapter 44 The Difference Between the Noble and the Common
It rained in the middle of the night, leaving many puddle marks on the road. A green carriage with a emerald tent stopped at the door. With Shanjuan's support, Yanru carefully entered, fearing a splash of mud would stain her outfit. She wore a white brocade skirt with red flowers and a shrimp-green jacket. Her hair was bare of gold or silver, a single artificial gauze flower hairpin that matched the pattern of her skirt. Combined with her round face, she resembled the horse-riding beauties depicted in the Tang Dynasty painter Zhang Xuan's "Lady of Guo State Enjoying a Spring Outing." Xue Jia had been waiting for her in the carriage. Seeing her striking make-up, he sensed a bright glow on his face. He pinched her waist and said, "I suddenly remembered that Shao Yanei accidentally saw Zheng Sirui yesterday and whispered something to me. The gist of it was that he'd be with us at every party we went to, so it would be best if we could bring Zheng along. Wasn't today's party hosted by Shao Yanei? If I had known, I would have asked you to inform Zheng Sirui last night. We'd have brought her today so Master Shao could see her again."
"Even if I told her yesterday, she wouldn't be willing to come. I don't even know her yet." Yanru leaned against the cushion on the wall of the car, thinking that Xue Jia had never studied in a formal academy, she wanted to show off to her husband, so she asked knowingly: "Have you read A New Account of Tales of the World? Oh, no, this book is very well written, and the stories are very, very interesting. The characters in it are very, very distinctive, you know, husband, you must read it someday.
I continued. Back in the Qiushui Academy, Master Lu told us a story about an extremely wealthy man named Shi Chong during the Wei and Jin dynasties. He owned many beautiful women and, at every party, would have them urge the guests to drink. If the guests refused to drink or couldn't finish their drinks, he would kill the women who were trying to persuade them. A general named Wang and a prime minister named Wang went to Shi Chong's house for a feast. Prime Minister Wang didn't know how to drink, but fearing the death of a young woman, he drank relentlessly, becoming completely drunk. General Wang, however, deliberately refused to drink to see if Shi Chong was bragging. Shi Chong then executed three of the women who had urged General Wang to drink. After the story was finished, Master Lu asked us to discuss it. The other students were discussing the general, Shi Chong, and the prime minister, but Si Rui stood up and said, "Compared to these three prominent men, I see the misery of those so-called beauties." We're all human beings, born to this world for a good life, yet just because we're women, we're sold off like livestock. Those who are average-looking are treated like cats or dogs, kept for work; those who are attractive become playthings on the men's tables, abused and amused at will. Some even lose their lives simply because of curiosity and a quarrel over wine. Death is death, death is death. It's so unfair. From then on, she hated going to banquets. It was fine for men and women to enjoy flowers, play pitching pots, or play cuju together, but she wouldn't even listen to a man-only banquet. She felt that once she went and sat there, the main course wouldn't be the food on the table, but the beauties on the field. It was disgusting.
Xue Jia chuckled twice, leaning back, sticking out her belly, and commented incoherently: "Beauty, it's a pity that a beauty was beheaded... But what does it have to do with her? Her family is poor, but her father is a scholar. The daughters of scholars are basically only bought to be concubines, not slaves to accompany drinking. What's more, she is now a female official. No matter who invites her to a banquet, she will be the prime minister and general who will be urging her to drink, not the beauty. You little sister, you really think too much, so pretentious."
Yanru played with her fan and smiled, "That's right. I've told her many times. Master Lu always tells us not to belittle ourselves, but she keeps lowering herself to the level of a servant. Oh, I really don't know what to do with her."
The couple chatted all the way, but before they were done, the carriage had already stopped. Xue Jia, holding Yanru's arm, swaggered into the Shao Mansion's courtyard where the banquet was being held. A frequent visitor, Xue Jia didn't need a doorman, and led Yanru inside with ease. They saw Shao Yanei and several other playboys sitting in a small circle under the corridor in the back garden. Someone's beautiful concubine was tinkering with the tea utensils for everyone, chatting and laughing. Yanru vaguely picked up a few words:
"These days, even the Horse Keeper has a charioteer."
"Of course not. He's just a low-class servant of a second-class family. He's out all day, acting more arrogant than us."
"Low-class people, haha, low-class people are really low-class."
One of the men in purple caught sight of the couple and exchanged a glance. Several people present changed the subject, all smiling at them. Shao Yanei stood up and said, "We've finally seen you two. Eh? Isn't that girl I was chatting with my sister-in-law about yesterday coming? Xue Jia, you're such a shame to us."
Xue Jia rubbed the back of his head and made up an excuse: "That girl is a female official who passed the imperial examination this spring. She is arrogant and doesn't like to come to occasions like this."
"This year's female official is only of the fifth rank." Everyone sighed. The man in purple said, "A mere fifth rank, and you dare to act so arrogant? Who among us here doesn't have a family with a second rank or higher? Not to mention the noble families of Shao Yanei and Bu Yanei. Xue Jia, I think you're incompetent and didn't make it clear who was treating the guests. Are you putting the blame on that little beauty?"
A burst of laughter erupted, and Yanru felt a sense of unease. She had gone to great lengths to dress up, and should have been the center of attention at the banquet. Yet, the men present didn't even glance at her or praise her. Instead, they were obsessed with the one encounter they'd had with Zheng Sirui. This couldn't go on. She covered her mouth with her fan and said, "If fate allows, we'll definitely meet again. Instead of dwelling on regrets and fantasies, why not cherish the present moment? While the time is right, let's enjoy the paintings and the fans."
Everyone looked at each other and smiled knowingly: This woman really doesn't consider herself an outsider. She is clearly a guest, but she arranges the procedures for the host? However, she is a young lady after all. It is normal for her to feel unhappy when she hears strangers commenting on her friends. Not wanting to bother with her, Shao Yanei went along with it: "Okay, everything is ready, please follow me." Then he called a maid: "Today, Master Xinmian from Mantou Temple is here with their abbot to deliver Buddhist scriptures to our house. I heard that Master Xinmian studied painting before he became a monk and has quite some insights into the art of appraising paintings. Go ask the madam if you can let Master Xinmian come over and help me see if my new paintings and fans are worth anything."
The maid responded, and the group followed Master Shao to a pavilion at the back of the garden overlooking the water. It was bright and airy, with a superb view. Inside, a table had been set up, upon which were placed several jade fans and four or five scrolls. Shao Yanei introduced them, "I've recently acquired some fine things: a few fans and a few painted portraits. How about inviting everyone to come and take a look?"
Danqing, how could this be complete without Madam You's comments? Just as a magical instrument without the blessing of a high monk is useless, a painting without the guidance of the Goddess of Danqing deserves to be called a Danqing portrait? Helping in the coal mines is useless, and following a rabbit will make you jump off a cliff. Yanru had at least been around Ji Mingxiu before, so she didn't need to see what was painted on it. Her eyes touched the paper and she keenly noticed that the paintings were almost all unmarked, seemingly the work of unknown artists. Only one painting was stamped with the words "Wenrong", which must have been the hand of Wang Wenrong, a painter from my dynasty who shared the same name as Ji Mingxiu. The work of a famous artist is surely superior to that of an unknown artist! She coughed twice to signal her seriousness, then began to speak at length: "Among the paintings here, there are landscapes, portraits, and animals, all of which are exceptionally beautiful and vivid. But in my opinion, the best is undoubtedly this portrait of Guanyin. I studied painting at the finest women's academy in Jinling. The brushwork is delicate, the colors elegant, and the painting is exceptionally natural and beautiful. Compared to the other paintings, it has a highlight, and that highlight is what particularly caught my attention."
Shao Yanei clapped his hands in praise, "Madam You has a good eye. She can tell the artist's skill right away! The rest of the paintings were bought from a scholar at the street corner when I went to Zhuwu County. Only this one, oh, only this one, is the work of Wang Wenrong, the great minister Wang. With such a master of painting around, business will surely flourish with Madam in charge at Qixian Pawnshop."
Xue Jia was flattered to hear his wife being praised. He said, "Hey, that's nothing. My humble wife was once the goddess of painting for another great painter in our dynasty, Ji Mingxiu. Everyone knows him, right? If it weren't for my humble wife's advice, I'm afraid Ji Mingxiu wouldn't have been able to paint many paintings!"
Many of those present were native Jinling residents, well-informed about the city's vibrant affairs. They marveled at Yanru's talent and accomplishments in painting, and lamented Xue Jia's good fortune in marrying such a wonderful woman. Amidst the cheers, Yanru grew complacent, gradually losing herself in the present, basking in the glory of the past, oblivious to the immensity of the present. "Of course not! These are all painted by the best artists, surely better than any random person!"
However, someone broke her reverie and suggested, "Master Xinmian is here. Let's hear what he has to say. He should tell us which one is the best."
Isn't having the Goddess of Painting enough? Why do we need other women to talk to us? Yanru raised her eyebrows and turned to see a maid from the Shao Mansion leading a nun in a green robe standing behind them. Coincidentally, the nun was about the same age as Yanru and had a similar face. Perhaps because she had become a nun and was a vegetarian, her face had less flesh than Yanru's. There was a hint of sadness between her brows, and she looked calm and disillusioned with the world. Unlike Yanru, who was round and plump, with a rosy face and high spirits. Master Xinmian held her Buddhist beads, clasped her hands together, and said, "Amitabha, these paintings depict different objects, making it difficult to compare them. I simply think that the donor's words were biased. Beauty is in the eye of the benefactor, and people have countless preferences, so it's impossible to generalize. However, the donor's evaluation of the quality of a painting based on the artist's fame is too arbitrary and harsh. In my opinion, although Mr. Wang's Guanyin painting is skillful, it is too artificial. In terms of the integrity and heartfelt feelings poured into the painting, it is far inferior to this lotus painting."
Yanru was humiliated and argued, "That's impossible! Didn't you hear what Shao Yanei said? I just bought this lotus painting from a random scholar. How can it compare to the work of Mr. Wang? And aren't you a nun? Aren't nuns devoted to Buddhism? How can you say that Guanyin Bodhisattva is not as beautiful as a lot of lotus flowers?"
Master Xinmian clasped his hands together again, "Amitabha, although Mr. Wang's work is a Guanyin statue, it depicts the newly made blue-and-white glazed seated Guanyin statue in Tiekan Temple, not the posture of Guanyin Bodhisattva that he holds in his heart. In fact, this work is more suitable to be called a painting of an object, like the lotus painting next to it. Compared with the former, this lotus painting is more likely to make people realize that when the painter painted it, his eyes were full of the lotus's shape that is connected to the outside and has no branches or vines. His heart is full of respect for the lotus that is untainted by the mud and clean and clear. One has only the shape in his eyes, while the other has the shape in his eyes and the intention in his heart. In this way, the distinction between superior and inferior is immediately clear. Amitabha, benefactor, since ancient times, scholars have wielded painting to examine beauty and ugliness and express their feelings; to record scenes, record stories, and impart skills; and to express religious aspirations and venerate the gods and Buddhas. Regardless of the reason for painting, all paintings are equal, each embodying the artist's painstaking efforts. Benefactors may comment on the quality of a painting's technique, but it is truly inappropriate to judge a painting solely based on the artist's identity. I, the humble nun, also know that if the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara heard what I have said today, he would naturally understand my meaning and would not blame me.
Although Yanru didn't understand the other party's sermon, she was still offended. She thought: Where did this stinky nun, stinky bald donkey come from? What do you know about Danqing? You have only studied it for a few days. How can you think that a Danqing goddess like me can understand it better? She wanted to argue again, but unfortunately Shao Yanei interrupted her mercilessly: "Hey, don't argue, don't argue. Today we are going to make friends through painting. However, what Master Xinmian said really resonates with me, haha. The calligraphy of Mr. Wang was obtained by my father, but I actually like the painting of that scholar more. Amitabha, Master Xinmian, my father has another painting that he spent a lot of money on, but I still don't think it is as good as this scholar's. Could you please take the trouble to take another look?"
As he spoke, he lowered his chin. The servant, understanding his master's intent, quickly presented the scroll he had been holding nearby and unfolded it. Everyone rushed forward, craning their necks to examine it. The nun, Xinmian, took one look and instantly froze. She stood there in a daze, her trembling even causing her beads to snap.
The wooden beads fell and rolled all over the ground.
Yanru started to show off again and said with a smile, "Ah! What a coincidence! Isn't the person in this painting me?"
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