Chapter 138 Disguised as a Disguised Man Returns Home...
Master He smiled, stroking his beard with a smug look: "Your Highness... rather, this is something that great painters often study."
Qi Chengming was puzzled.
He Dajia then led him back to the table with the celestial dome painting hanging on it and asked, "Your Highness, do you see any signature on this painting?"
Qi Chengming had already examined it carefully many times before, and he said with surprise and doubt, "I didn't see it, Mr. He, do you mean..."
He Santie didn't dare to put on too much airs in front of the future new emperor, and besides, most people wouldn't know how long or how much ingenuity it would take to find it. So he rolled up the hem of his sleeve and pointed to a tiny wrinkle on the waterfall: "Your Highness, please look here."
That was merely a painting depicting the unrestrained roar of the waterfall's cascading water.
Qi Chengming couldn't help but lean closer for a closer look.
He observed for a few moments and suddenly realized that there were several tiny characters hidden there, barely bigger than a hair. Even if he got close, he couldn't make out what they said. He would probably have to put his face right up to them or use a magnifying glass to see them.
Qi Chengming was unwilling to lose face like this, but he also had his own ideas.
He directly opened the infrastructure system and used the scanning and input function. After scanning the entire painting, only the place that Master He had pointed out earlier showed four characters: "Yanlai Lushan".
"Wonderful!" Qi Chengming couldn't help but exclaim.
'Yanlai' is He Dajia's pseudonym. The scenery in the painting is the Lushan Waterfall. This signature is simple and clear, without destroying the artistic conception of the whole painting, but also without making it impossible for later generations to find the source.
When He Dajia saw that he had figured out the secret, she was surprised, and then explained smoothly: "For anyone who paints, it is always a difficult thing to sign their name. Some people sign their name in the blank space, some people put their personal seal on it, but some people do not like this behavior that destroys the artistic conception, so they always have to think of some ways."
Such proud individuals, like his old friends, disliked having words added to a perfect work of art, as it seemed like a flaw. These masters of calligraphy and painting always liked to emulate their ancestors, using various methods to hide their signatures within the paintings.
In comparison, the design on the banknote was inferior. This method was unclear to outsiders, but He Dajia, who used banknotes daily, understood it immediately.
Qi Chengming was surprised by this unexpected surprise and asked carefully, "Then... will this kind of signature be found? Is it someone who, like you, Master He, enjoys studying this subject?"
He realized his question was inappropriate after only uttering half of it.
How could someone with such exquisite painting skills possibly listen to such words?
Before Qi Chengming could think of any words to salvage the situation, He Dajia answered the question with a serious and impartial expression: "To be honest, Your Highness, if someone familiar with me comes prepared, they will eventually find a clue if given enough time."
He knew exactly what the Second Prince was thinking.
This shows they've been preparing for the future for a long time.
The problem of insufficient manpower and connections kept the Second Prince's mind constantly wandering. But if he didn't delve into these lesser matters, how could the Second Prince, given his precarious situation, possibly survive until a brighter future?
He was filled with surging emotions and a strong desire to serve the country. He felt a mix of regret and resentment, lamenting that His Majesty was blind to the potential of a wise ruler and had demoted such a promising talent to such a remote place to suffer. He felt that the loss of his mind and spirit had also been caused by this misguided path.
For scholars, serving their country and dying for their ruler were their greatest aspirations.
Right now... there is a future wise ruler here who can let him fully display his talents, but he is down on his luck and needs help!
The He family simply couldn't stand it anymore.
He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his words resounding with unwavering conviction, revealing his urgent desire to share the emperor's burdens:
"If Your Highness is interested in these things, I do have some ideas. For example, we could use some ingenious techniques to make the writing on them disappear without heat. Or we could fold them up to create a picture; normally it would look like a drawing, but only the person viewing it would know how to fold it to piece together the words..."
Qi Chengming glanced at him with some surprise.
They were surprised by He Dajia's keen insight in guessing that he wanted to make a fuss, and they were also surprised that He Dajia dared to speak out and reveal all the methods he knew, acting as if he were completely subservient.
Qi Chengming glanced at the infrastructure system again.
On that list of talented individuals, He Dajia's name has been firmly displayed for who knows how many days.
He completely put away the list of talents, accepted Mr. He's words and goodwill, and felt overjoyed: "Really? Mr. He, let's give it a try..."
The following time was spent experimenting with different methods.
The children Qi Chengming is raising on his estate in Liuzhou are currently being educated using pinyin from first-grade textbooks. These materials, along with punctuation marks, are only circulating on a small scale in Liuzhou. Even the Liuzhou Academy hasn't adopted pinyin yet; only a few students use punctuation marks in private.
Ultimately, annotating books and classics was a common practice. The reason people could study the Four Books and Five Classics for so many years was because there were no punctuation breaks, and everyone's understanding differed. Passing the imperial examinations also tested comprehension skills. When candidates lent their old books to relatives and friends, it was considered a kindness, hence the reason for annotations.
So, while punctuation marks didn't cause much of a stir in the academy on the surface, more and more people were using them behind the scenes.
Pinyin is only more famous among young children and has no other use for the time being.
Qi Chengming then thought of using pinyin in the hidden painting, or combining it with the methods He Dajia had just mentioned, which could also serve as a means of communication if necessary. He didn't think he was being overly cautious; it's always good to be prepared.
...
Qi Chengming was unaware that the method of communication he would later prefer was already in use in the capital.
Those reborn ministers, didn't they previously communicate using calligraphy, painting, and pinyin?
We've finally arrived in Liuzhou.
Qi Chengming and his entourage disembarked and discreetly met with the other militia members who were there to meet them. They were some distance from the outskirts of Liuzhou, and Qi Chengming didn't immediately return. Instead, he asked, "Where is Lord Mao?"
The young men in the militia were all trained by the Imperial Guard. One of them, who looked familiar, quickly replied, "These days, people have been asking around. There have been a lot of things happening in the city, and it's very chaotic. Boss Mao doesn't dare to leave."
"How is the situation at the Prince's residence?" Qi Chengming asked again.
This is about an urgent message. None of the people he knows have come. If they dare not act rashly for fear of being discovered... does that mean the person who came this time is truly troublesome?
Qi Chengming didn't actually know if this soldier knew the inside story, but when he asked, the man couldn't hold back anymore and recited everything he had been told in one breath:
"Your Highness! Steward Song said he's on the case and has detained the man for now. He'll only tell the outside world that he offended you, but he won't dare do anything more... He's just waiting for you to return and take charge!"
He then went on to describe many other trivial difficulties.
Putting everything else aside, just as Qi Chengming had arranged, the Prince's mansion was now being impersonated by the Fifth Prince.
Qi Chengming listened with a slightly grave expression, then looked up at the two gentlemen. Qin Liusong frowned deeply: "Your Highness, we must proceed cautiously from the outside. Messages can be sent back, but things seem so conspicuous in the city..."
It wouldn't be good if we rushed things at this crucial moment and got caught.
Having experienced the palace turmoil, He Santie had a different opinion. He suggested in a deep voice, "The situation is urgent. Your Highness should return as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen changes. If you are worried, then find a good opportunity to communicate with the Prince's residence."
Qi Chengming pondered for a moment and looked at the men from the militia.
In layman's terms, it was a militia, but it could really be described as a private army. This force was large, and its members were ordinary citizens of Liuzhou, going about their daily lives quietly without leaving a trace. That's why Commander Mao sent them to welcome people.
"Go and contact the Prince's Mansion. Meet him at the Bai Family Restaurant," Qi Chengming ordered.
The Bai Family Restaurant was a place the prince frequented, and the second floor was not open to the public; only the prince and a few others could go up. Qi Chengming went there quietly, then contacted the prince's residence, and returned home unnoticed. As for other matters, Qi Chengming could handle them after only a cursory listening.
None of these things are as important as his return to the mansion to take charge.
The man waved for everyone to get on the carriages and horses, and they hurried back to the city. Qin Liusong was somewhat disappointed, and glanced at He Dajia with resentment, a desire to challenge rising in his eyes.
He now understands what it means to "only hear the laughter of the new and not the cries of the old."
The new emperor was more inclined to adopt Lord He's suggestion, and the journey was like a dream come true. However, he wouldn't be content with this; once they entered the city and returned to Liuzhou, that would be his time to shine! The more critical the situation, the greater his opportunity.
We'll see.
Qin Liusong was determined to become the most valued person in the eyes of the new emperor!
After doing all this, Qi Chengming changed his clothes, added some silk fabric and stiff belts to roughly change his figure, and just in case, he applied makeup to his face to slightly change his appearance.
He didn't know how to do makeup before he transmigrated, but he had heard of the power of East Asian makeup techniques. After he roughly explained his requirements to Gan Tang, everyone understood and watched with great interest as Gan Tang applied makeup to Qi Chengming.
"Mr. He, if you want to try, then give it a shot. Use my face as a canvas, and repaint it to resemble another person without looking too different. Would that be considered a success?" After Qi Chengming made this request, Mr. He seemed eager to try. He wasn't afraid of difficulty; he was just afraid it wouldn't be interesting enough.
This requirement has now sparked his desire for a challenge.
After Gan Tang finished her makeup, He Dajia examined her for a while, apologized, and took the brush. He dipped it in rice powder and began to sketch the details with a few strokes. He had prepared his draft in advance, and now he wrote with great inspiration. Then he casually threw down the brush, stood up, and asked Qi Chengming to look in the mirror: "Your Highness, what do you think?"
Qi Chengming, having had his face manipulated for a while, couldn't wait to get a glass mirror and start looking at himself.
The boy's face in the mirror was both familiar and unfamiliar.
His eyebrows and lips had been slightly altered with rouge and powder, but his familiar features were still visible. However, He Dajia had used a brush to make a few dots on the rice powder and applied it to Qi Chengming's face. The contrast between light and shadow made him look somewhat unfamiliar under the light.
Although Qi Chengming himself still found it rather crude, to outsiders unfamiliar with him, his appearance had already lost seventy or eighty percent of its former glory. He knew that He Dajia had done her best.
The existing rouge and face powder could not meet Qi Chengming's requirements, and the pigments that He Dajia usually used for painting could not actually be applied to the face, so the effect was greatly reduced.
That's enough for now; we can do more research and development later.
Qi Chengming's current priority is simply to be on the safe side and conceal his return home.
Even if many people came to Liuzhou to investigate, it wouldn't have reached the point where they suspected the prince in the mansion was a fake. Otherwise, Song Gu would definitely have devised new methods—
Qi Chengming was very pleased that he was able to stand up for himself and take charge of detaining the person.
After disguising themselves at the Bai Family Restaurant, two hours later, just before dinner time, the carriages from the Prince Rui's residence finally arrived. The figure escorted upstairs looked up and revealed the five boys' extremely excited faces, lowering their voices:
"...Your Highness!!"
His eyes welled up with tears.
After waiting for so long, we've finally got the prince back!
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Author's note: Qi Chengming (suddenly realizing): The He family is still very useful.
Qin Liusong (holding his breath silently): ...
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