Chapter 54: The painting Chen Shuwei sent was a fake
Chu Yunlan held the scroll that was thrown out in disbelief and hurriedly unfolded it to read. Even if he was uneducated, he could see that the articles and poems copied on the scroll were really nonsense and were not as good as the works he wrote when he was three years old.
The veins on his hand holding the scroll bulged slightly, and he suddenly turned his head to look at Chu Xinrou.
He asked Chu Xinrou to write the poems and articles on this scroll. Did she actually write these things?
There was anger and rare confusion in Chu Yunlan's eyes.
Chu Xinrou's heart skipped a beat at this moment, and she carefully held the handkerchief and leaned over to look at the work in the scroll.
The works in this scroll were written by someone hired by Jin Que at a private cost of fifty taels of silver. She had seen the person before; he was a scholar with an accent from another place, exuding a bookish air. He said that he had a sick mother to support at home, so he took on these ghostwriting jobs.
It is written in such a way that it is not even as good as the literary talent of the servants in the mansion!
Chu Xinrou coughed at the right moment, holding her chest and looking as if she was about to collapse.
Although Chu Yunlan was angry, he hurried forward to comfort Chu Xinrou when he saw that she seemed to be having a heart attack.
Chu Xinrou looked up at him timidly. "I've been feeling unwell lately. One night, while staying up late to revise a policy paper for my elder brother, I had a heart attack and knocked over a candle, burning all the work. Jin Que felt sorry for me because I was sick, so he took the initiative to contact a scholar from out of town to copy the manuscript for me."
After saying that, Chu Xinrou fell into Chu Yunlan's arms and sobbed, "It's all my fault. If I had been in better shape, I wouldn't have ruined big brother's travel document."
Seeing Chu Xinrou's eyes red from crying and the delicate makeup on her face smudged by tears, Chu Yunlan felt as if his heart was stabbed by a knife. He couldn't even say a word of blame and hurriedly reached out to wipe her tears.
"How can I blame you for this? It was your maid who acted on her own. When I get back, I'll have your maid named Jin Que sold out. As for that scholar, he dared to destroy my travel documents. I'll inform the Third Prince and have him found and killed on the spot."
Xinrou was his sister whom he had finally found, and she had suffered so much outside. How could he blame her for this?
Chu Xinrou's face turned pale when she heard Chu Yunlan was going to sell the golden magpie, but she quickly recovered and sobbed softly, "I'll listen to you, big brother."
The current plan is to maintain her trust in Chu Yunlan. Jin Que is just a maid. It is her honor to sacrifice for her master. Besides, she treats Jin Que well on weekdays.
Shen Shuwei looked at the brother and sister, curled the corners of his lips slightly, and handed the gift box to the doorman, saying humbly: "This contains the Songshan painting by Xu Yanshou, a famous artist from the previous dynasty. I heard that the Grand Tutor has been searching for this painting for a long time, so the Shen family specially presented it to you."
The concierge's original contempt turned into shock when he heard the three words "Xu Yanshou", especially after hearing the picture of Songshan Mountain, he stared at Shen Shuwei in disbelief for a long time.
The whereabouts of this painting have been unknown since the fall of the previous dynasty in Daliang. Countless famous and powerful people have searched for it but have yet to find it. Now it has fallen into the hands of an inconspicuous Shen family.
Chu Yunlan was also shocked when he heard about the Songshan Painting. After recovering from his shock, he strode over to the doorman and opened the gift box despite the doorman's obstruction. He pointed at the ancient painting with a missing corner and sneered, "How can this be Xu Yanshou's Songshan Painting? It must be a fake."
Chu Yunlan looked at the doorman meaningfully and said, "It's better to be careful and check the gifts you send to the Grand Tutor. Don't let someone with ulterior motives pass off inferior goods as genuine ones. How can a small family like the Shen family afford an authentic Xu Yanshou painting, let alone the famous Songshan Painting?"
Although the doorman disliked Chu Yunlan, he felt that what Chu Yunlan said made some sense. He lowered his head and looked at the painting of Mount Song with a little more scrutiny and suspicion.
Chu Xinrou also walked over at this time, twisting her waist and looking at Chen Shuwei with a gentle smile, "Sister, I know you want to please the Grand Tutor and make him look at you with a higher regard. Knowing that the Songshan Painting is famous, you bought a fake one to fool the Grand Tutor out of vanity."
"But sister, after all, is not in the Marquis' Mansion, so she doesn't know the etiquette between scholars. If you want to give this calligraphy and painting as a gift, give the original one. Save some money and buy a fake one to give to the Grand Tutor. If the Grand Tutor hangs it up, wouldn't it be a joke?"
After hearing Chu Xinrou's words, the doorman looked at Chen Shuwei with an even more unfriendly look.
Could it be that this person came to frame their adults and sent them a holiday specifically so that they would be ridiculed by other adults?
"What Songshan Picture?" A deep voice suddenly sounded. Several people were startled and turned their heads to see Master Sun staring at the Songshan Picture.
Tutor Sun was disgusted by the scroll sent by Chu Yunlan, and thought he would take a leisurely stroll to relax, but when he reached the door, he heard people arguing about the Songshan Picture outside.
His eyes were shining as he stared at the painting of Mount Song.
He had been searching for this painting for a long time. He had heard that it was in the emperor's storehouse. He had even taken the initiative to ask the emperor for a reward, but the emperor did not agree.
But how could it appear here now? Grand Tutor Sun frowned and looked around at everyone in confusion, then said with a serious expression, "What's the matter with this painting? Shouldn't it be in the emperor's treasury?"
Who has such great ability that His Majesty has awarded her?
Upon hearing that the original painting was in the national treasury, Chu Xinrou was even more certain that the painting sent by Shen Shuwei was a fake. She smiled and said, "Taifu, this painting was given by Sister Shen, although it is a fake. But Taifu, please don't blame Sister Shen for my sake. Sister Shen probably heard that Songshan Painting is famous, so she spent money to buy a fake painting to please Taifu."
Tutor Sun has always advocated elegance and regarded money as dirt. She didn't believe that if she said that and Tutor Sun knew that the painting was a fake and Shen Shuwei was an opportunist, Tutor Sun would still be nice to her. He would definitely not even bother to look at the scroll and would just drive him out.
She and her elder brother had embarrassed themselves so much, so Shen Shuwei had to be even more embarrassed than her. That way, they wouldn't remember her and her elder brother's embarrassment, but only remember that Shen Shuwei had done something shameful.
As Chu Xinrou was full of anticipation, Tutor Sun spoke.
"Did you give this painting to me?" Taifu Sun looked at Chen Shuwei.
Chu Xinrou could hardly contain her joy and excitement. She couldn't wait to see Chen Shuwei being scolded and driven out by Grand Tutor Sun.
Chen Shuwei curled his lips slightly, glanced at Chu Xinrou, and bowed as a junior, "It is you, my humble servant."
"Sister, why don't you apologize to the Grand Tutor quickly! The Grand Tutor is the Emperor's teacher, how can you send him a fake painting to humiliate him!" Chu Xinrou rushed to speak.
"Who are you? You're already rushing to interrupt me before I even start talking." Grand Tutor Sun glared at Chu Xinrou in dissatisfaction. "You're truly uneducated."
Chu Xinrou's face turned pale and she looked at Chu Yunlan aggrievedly.
She was also thinking about the Taifu, fearing that he would be deceived by Shen Shuwei. How could he scold her like this!
Chu Yunlan hurriedly supported Chu Xinrou, "Grandmaster, I have good intentions. I am afraid that you will be deceived by a villain, so I am speaking out to explain."
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