Exquisite craftsmanship
Since this matter did not involve him, Gongye Fusu remained calm. After a moment's thought, he said, "There are quite a few people in the palace who can paint, and most of them can draw a few strokes. However, considering how close they are to you, there are only two people who are most likely to be able to draw."
A-Qiu asked, "Which two people were they?"
Gongye Fusu gazed intently at the painting and clearly stated, "Firstly, the Left Chancellor, Gongyi Xiu. He is skilled in painting and is quite well-known. The seasonal flower patterns on his jade-ribbed folding fan are painted in accordance with the seasons and are constantly updated by him."
A-Qiu carefully examined the brushstrokes and turns in the painting, then shook his head and said, "He didn't paint it."
She and Gongyi Xiu grew up together. Although she was not well-versed in calligraphy and painting, she could still recognize Gongyi Xiu's brushwork and skill, all because she had been accustomed to seeing him since childhood.
When Gongye Fusu saw her make such a sure thing, a subtle expression appeared on his face. He said, "Miss seems to be very familiar with the Left Prime Minister's paintings, so you can recognize them at a glance. You should know that there are not many people in the capital who have seen the Left Prime Minister's paintings in person."
Gongyi Xiu painted mostly in brothels and entertainment venues, and his works were often impromptu sketches or playful pieces. He gifted them to the most popular courtesans, and those who received them treasured and kept them. As a result, they rarely circulated in the market. Therefore, everyone knew that he was good at painting, but very few people had actually seen his handwriting.
A Qiu recalled that even if Xie Lang, Zhao Lingying, and others knew about her being Wan Qiqing's first disciple, they must have kept it a secret for her sake. Although Gongyi Xiu was present, he never revealed his identity, so no one knew that the two were fellow disciples. Earlier, when she wanted to give Gongyi Xiu peonies, Gongye Fusu's expression showed slight surprise, and the fact that she could immediately recognize that the calligraphy wasn't Gongyi Xiu's meant to be excellent indicated that she was very familiar with him.
A-Qiu immediately replied, "My master's Jinling Terrace also has some contemporary calligraphy and paintings, including one by the Left Prime Minister. He once explained to me several key points and characteristics of brushwork, so I remember the Left Prime Minister's brushstrokes." This statement could not be verified, as no one but her could enter and leave Jinling Terrace. And in the future, whether Gongye Fusu asked Gu Yi or Gongyi Xiu, they would both undoubtedly help her cover up the lie without batting an eye.
Before Gongye Fusu could ask for more details, Aqiu asked without pausing, "Young master, who do you think is the other person who knows me well and is skilled in painting?"
A wry smile appeared on Gongye Fusu's face as he said, "That's a person even more difficult to deal with than the Left Chancellor."
He said, word by word, "Zhao Lingying, the magistrate of the Imperial Library, is the most talented woman in the Great Yan Dynasty. In addition to being good at poetry and prose, she is also good at painting."
This news was utterly shocking to A Qiu. Even with her composure, she couldn't utter another word.
Bai Shi, also a painter, had always admired Zhao Lingying, the "master of brushstrokes," but at this moment he was too nervous to speak.
It's one thing to admire someone, but the most terrifying thing is if that person becomes your enemy.
Aqiu said with difficulty, "I can't think of any reason why Consort Zhao would be an enemy of me and my master and prevent us from entering the capital."
After the performance of "Yan Shining," when she took the double judge's pens from Zhao Lingying at the Zhengyang Gate, Zhao Lingying's demeanor was calm and without hostility towards her. The honeysuckle-patterned gold hairpin she wore in her hair at that moment was also a gift from Zhao Lingying, who later instructed A Qiu to visit her Jiaolan Garden more often, seemingly with a deeper meaning.
Gongye Fusu smiled wryly and said, "In Qian Feifeng's heart, the most important thing has always been the imperial power of the Xie family emperor. When you deal with them, you must never forget this. No matter how friendly or gentle they seem on the surface, it doesn't matter."
A Qiu understood and said, "What you mean is that His Majesty may have already shown that he no longer needs us and wants to concentrate all power in his own hands. Therefore, Consort Zhao is acting on orders."
But if that's the case, what does Xie Lang mean by writing "Understood, return immediately" to Gu Yi? How can a ruler of a country go back on his word? If he didn't want Gu Yi to return to the capital, he could have simply written that Gu Yi didn't need to come back. Would Gu Yi then insist on returning and interfering?
Gongye Fusu said, "We'll probably only find out the truth when we return to the capital."
A Qiu glanced at the city gate again and said decisively, "My appearance has already been drawn here, so I can't escape this hurdle. I'll get off the carriage now, find a place to hide, and climb over the wall into the city under cover of night." She looked at Bai Shi and then said to Gongye Fusu, "I'll trouble you, young master, to take the painter Bai to the capital. To avoid burdening you both, I'll travel alone. We'll meet again in the capital."
Gongye Fusu shook his head and said, "No need. I have a way, but it will be inconvenient for you, young lady."
He took out a package from under the carriage seat and said, "These are the items needed for disguise. We always keep them in our carriage. Miss, you only need to disguise yourself as someone else, and we can return to the capital quietly and then decide what to do next."
A Qiu was still hesitating, as she also had other plans in mind, when she heard footsteps approaching rapidly outside the carriage. Then the steward lowered his voice and said, "I received a message from the city gate that someone just rode from Yunmeng City, specifically asking to check our Gongye family's carriage. They said there are two young ladies on board, who seem to be the people we are looking for. We must check them carefully."
The three people in the car looked at each other in disbelief: This happened way too fast.
A few days ago, when they passed through Yunmeng, their portraits had not yet been displayed. The soldiers merely glanced at them, and since the people didn't match, they easily let them pass. Now, however, the portraits of the two are so lifelike that they are displayed at the city gate. Moreover, the people in Yunmeng must have found the portrait of the young girl familiar and remembered the two women in Gongye's carriage. Suddenly, they felt suspicious and sent men at full speed to intercept them and report the incident.
The most important significance of all of the above is to illustrate that the higher authorities have recently issued more than one order, and the pursuit is becoming increasingly intense. Therefore, those below dare not slack off in the slightest. They must do their best to find any clues, and cannot simply go through the motions or turn a blind eye.
There was no way to avoid it now. Gongye Fusu sighed and said, "I'll go ahead and deal with it. I'll leave this to you two."
Bai Shi volunteered, "I am quite skilled in painting, so I will disguise you, young lady. It will be flawless."
Bai Shi was extremely quick, as handling these herbs, powders, and cinnabar was a common practice in her Zhuyou sect. In no time, A Qiu had disguised herself, even changing her clothes, and got out of the carriage to go to the carriage where Gongye Fusu was sitting.
She lifted the curtain and entered, startling Gongye Fusu, who was sitting upright inside the carriage. Having learned from his previous experience, Gongye Fusu knew this carriage would also be inspected, so he simply sat in front of the screen instead of behind it, waiting for the soldiers to come and inspect. Seeing A-Qiu enter, even his usually gentle face showed surprise. After a moment, he recovered and exclaimed, "It's you?"
At this moment, A Qiu was dressed in a blue robe with a jade belt around his waist. His sideburns were as if cut by a knife, his eyebrows as if painted with ink, and his complexion as beautiful as the flowers of spring dawn. He had the handsome appearance of a dashing young gentleman, and his appearance even bore a resemblance to Gongye Fusu himself.
She smiled and said, "What do you think, young master? The painter Bai's skills are also incredibly exquisite when applied to this disguise technique. In a moment, you can simply say that I am a relative of your family, and no one will doubt it."
Gongye Fusu gasped and exclaimed, "Truly a masterpiece! Now no one will doubt you anymore."
A Qiu smiled and explained, "I am dressed as a man right now, so to avoid suspicion, I cannot ride in the same carriage as the painter Bai. Therefore, I can only ride in the same carriage as you, young master."
Gongye Fusu didn't mind, but then he heard shouts outside the carriage: "No matter who is in the carriage, the curtain must be lifted for inspection. Even if they are imperial relatives, they will not be exempt from this!"
Having learned from his previous experience, Gongye Fusu readily declared, "Lift the curtain! Behold, my Gongye family is harboring a wanted criminal!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain in front of the carriage was lifted, and a majestic-looking officer pointed his sword into the carriage. Upon seeing him, his expression immediately changed, and he exclaimed in horror, "Master Gongye, why are you here in person?"
He lifted the curtain and stood there, extremely embarrassed, in a predicament where he couldn't advance or retreat.
Gongye Fusu did not remember this person. In the past, he associated with the rich and powerful in the capital. Even when he went to the prefectures and counties, he would only see him once or twice in the governor's mansion, a low-ranking military officer, or in the crowd. He could not possibly remember these people.
He shrugged, his expression nonchalant, and said, "Your family probably thinks that my Gongye family's caravan is harboring a wanted criminal, which is why you've chased them all the way from Yunmeng to Yongguan. However, apart from the servants and relatives of the Han family, there are indeed no outsiders in the caravan."
The officer immediately blushed and lowered his head, saying, "We wouldn't dare. If we had known that the person here was the head of the Gongye family, we would never have dared to make any unfounded suspicions." He had just caught a glimpse of the other person in the carriage. This person was a handsome young man who looked quite similar to Gongye Fusu. It was obvious without asking that he was the young master of the Gongye family.
He replied, "I used to serve in the Imperial Guard, and I only recently came to work in this prefecture. So I have met the head of the Gongye family once or twice. The head of the family has an outstanding demeanor and is not so easy to forget."
Gongye Fusu carefully observed him and smiled, "The Imperial Guards have always been reluctant to leave the capital because their posts outside the capital are more arduous. You, however, are willing to strive for advancement." Most of the Imperial Guards are sons of noble families, who are not worried about promotion or fame. Very few are willing to come to the provinces for training. This man is considered calm and courageous.
Gongye Fusu knew that Yunmeng was already suspicious, and he had no intention of making things difficult for them, so he simply said, "Steward, lift the curtains of all the carriages and let this soldier inspect them. Let him see clearly so we can set off."
The officer apologized, but dared not disobey his superiors' orders. He inspected all the vehicles and cargo, but found nothing. He returned to Gongye Fusu's carriage, bowed, and said, "The guards at Yunmeng City said that there are two young ladies in the master's entourage, one of whom is quite similar to the portrait on the wanted poster." He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I am confused. Please enlighten me, master."
Gongye Fusu remained expressionless and said, "Haven't you already seen everyone in the carriage? There is only one young lady in my caravan, my cousin. Apart from that, there are only maids and servants, no one else."
The officer was stunned, but dared not argue with Gongye Fusu, yet he could not simply let the man leave. Seeing this, Gongye Fusu smiled and said, "General, you are new to this place. The gatekeeper of Yunmeng City wanted to present you with a fortune, so he pointed out that there was someone in my Gongye family's carriage who looked just like the wanted man. This is their kind offer, and it would be disrespectful for you to refuse."
He then shouted, "Manager, why haven't you presented the tribute yet?"
The steward, who always kept money on hand for bribes and gifts along the way, immediately presented a bag of silver, saying, "It's not easy to make a living like this, please have mercy, General."
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