Jiang's Private Kitchen swept through Chongqing in just one year, and Jiang Shan prominently occupied an unshakable dominant position in the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce, becoming a well-known figure far and wide.
When Jiang Shan finally had the leisure to brew wine and chat about his childhood, an unbelievable thing happened: Jiang Shan was reported to the Yuzhou government office.
Even Jiang Shan herself couldn't understand why anyone would be so blind as to provoke her at this critical juncture.
The one who filed the lawsuit against Jiang Shan was Master Chu of the Hongmeng Academy in Yuzhou, who wielded considerable influence in the city. In An Jing's words, if this matter was not handled properly, Master Chu would make Jiang Shan a figure condemned and despised by countless scholars, and might even drive him out of Yuzhou.
This is what makes ancient scholars so terrifying!
Jiang Shan was taken to the yamen (government office), and after hearing the whole story, he laughed in anger.
"We stole his treasured paintings? Is he joking? I've never seen any 'Fish and Lotus' paintings by the Hua family. I've only seen my own son's painting of fish and lotus! Is he trying to say that my son's painting is the so-called 'Fish and Lotus' painting by the Hua family?"
Jiang Shan had only asked casually, but unexpectedly, Prefect Leng nodded with great seriousness.
Not only was Jiang Shan stunned, but even Fu Qiyuan found it unbelievable.
Hua Dajia achieved fame at a young age, being called a master by Emperor Taizu at the tender age of eighteen. He died before the age of forty, and few of his paintings have survived. The whereabouts of his drafts after his death are unknown.
Rumor has it that he was unmarried and childless, and only took one disciple in his lifetime, leaving all his belongings to his sole disciple.
But nobody knows who his disciple is.
So, the question arises: how can we prove that the painting was a treasure of Master Chu? And how can we prove that the painting was a work by Master Hua?
The matter was so influential that Magistrate Leng dared not show favoritism and allowed the plaintiff and defendant to each give their arguments in court.
Master Chu said that his grandfather had passed down a painting of fish playing among lotus flowers by the Hua family, which disappeared half a year ago. The Chu family searched for it openly and secretly for half a year, but to no avail.
By chance, he accidentally saw the painting of fish playing among lotus flowers hanging in the living room on the third floor of Jiang's Private Kitchen. It was the painting that his Chu family had lost!
Jiang Shan retorted without hesitation: "Just because you say that painting is yours doesn't mean it's yours. It's just something a child casually drew for fun, yet you claim it's the work of a master. How dare you mislead young people like this?"
Master Chu trembled with rage, pointing at Jiang Shan and shouting, "How dare an ignorant woman criticize Master Hua here? That painting of fish playing among lotus flowers bears Master Hua's seal. It's an early work from when Master Hua first became famous. After he became famous, he only inscribed the words and stopped using his seal! The fish in Master Hua's paintings have six fins, and that painting of fish playing among lotus flowers is one of his early representative works!"
Jiang Shan didn't understand painting, let alone products outside of the history she was familiar with, but the scholars around Master Chu knew a lot. They chimed in, criticizing Jiang Shan and the Jiang family's private kitchen, pointing out all sorts of faults.
Jiang Shan was too lazy to argue with these literati. She said to Master Chu, "My Sanlang has many more paintings like this. Even if they only have six fins, or even seven or eight fins, my Sanlang can paint as many fins as you want."
After saying this, he turned to Prefect Leng and said, "Sir, this Master Chu doesn't believe it, so please summon Sanlang and have him paint on the spot! If Sanlang can paint the exact same picture, I want Master Chu and all the students to publicly apologize to my brother and me in front of Jiang's Private Kitchen!"
"Don't be so arrogant!"
"This is outrageous!"
"Ignorant women and children!"
The group of friends and relatives around Master Chu sensed the strong provocation and sarcasm in Jiang Shan's words, and they all started cursing him on the spot, their faces red and necks thick.
Unexpectedly, Master Chu stepped forward and stopped the group of relatives and friends.
A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he stroked his beard, saying, "Then it shall be as Mr. Jiang says. However, I have one condition: if your brother cannot paint it, then please return the original painting of Fish Playing Among Lotus Flowers to me!"
Jiang Shan narrowed his eyes, walked up to Master Chu, and said with a half-smile, "If Sanlang can't paint it, then as you said, I'll give you the original of Master Hua's work; if Sanlang can paint it, are you going to say that the original is in Sanlang's hands? Even if a country bumpkin has the original of a master's work, it can't possibly be his own. It might have been stolen from Master Chu's house."
Chu Fuzi was enraged when Jiang Shan so bluntly revealed his thoughts. He pointed at Jiang Shan and cursed, "Don't think that just because you have the governor and the chief clerk backing you up, I'm afraid of you! My Hongmeng Academy is a well-known institution even in the capital. If I say the word, the many students of Yuzhou can drive you out of Yuzhou. I'd like to see if you'll come crying to me begging for mercy, hmph!"
Jiang Shan disliked people wielding their authority like a weapon, and Master Chu's words hit her sore spot.
In the past, she would have been afraid to argue with these scholars, but now she had nothing to fear! With the current imperial tutor treating her and her siblings like grandchildren, why would they need to steal the Hua family's "Fish and Lotus" painting?
Jiang Shan felt a surge of secret pleasure, but when he looked up, he said to Master Chu with an incredibly cold expression, "Master Chu, you're really something! Just because of those words, I'll definitely tear off your hypocritical facade as a teacher and let your students see just how filthy and despicable their teacher is inside!"
Master Chu was so angry that he trembled all over. Seeing that the situation was not good, Prefect Leng hurriedly slammed his gavel and ordered that the trial be postponed to another day.
After leaving the government office, Fu Qiyuan helped Jiang Shan onto the carriage and said, "Tell the gentleman the truth, and he will surely have a plan in mind."
Jiang Shan nodded, then asked with a sullen face, "Is that painting really an authentic work by that Hua family master?"
Fu Qiyuan silently looked at Jiang Shan, paused, and said with a heavy heart, "It's a forgery. Sanlang... is a genius. The master said that he has never seen a child with such talent and inspiration in painting. Sanlang is very likely to become the second Hua family master!"
Jiang Shan gasped. "You mean, that incredibly realistic painting of fish playing among lotus flowers was actually painted by Sanlang?"
Fu Qiyuan nodded, his expression quite complicated.
When Jiang Shan arrived at the bamboo house, Mr. Xunmei and Sanlang were already waiting in the study.
Upon seeing Jiang Shan, Sanlang stepped forward, circled her once, and asked with concern, "Sister, are you alright?"
Jiang Shan patted Sanlang's head, looked at the boy who was about the same height as her, and sighed sincerely, "Our Sanlang has grown up! In the past two years, you have learned a lot of skills from your teacher. I didn't even know that you have grown to the point where I can look up to you!"
Saburo shook his head in shame and said, "I've caused trouble for my sister. I shouldn't have hung the painting in the reception room!"
Mr. Xunmei raised his hand and tapped lightly on the table. "Tell me, what do you two siblings want to do?"
"You bullied my brother! I'll make that scoundrel surnamed Chu lose all his reputation!"
"You insulted my sister! I'll make sure that man surnamed Chu has nowhere to hide in Yuzhou!"
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