HLnovel Chapter 1335 Appreciating a Masterpiece? No.
Chapter 1335 Appreciating a Masterpiece? No.
At 9:00 PM, at the Tongan County Government Office.
The autumn night was slightly cool, and the glass lanterns in the backyard lit up one after another, their shimmering lights casting a warm glow over the courtyard.
A gentle evening breeze blew in the pavilion. The Empress Dowager, gazing at the swaying lamplight, sipped her tea and said to Shen Zheng, "If I had known at the beginning of the year that the Tongan County government office possessed such a beautiful scene, I would not have concealed my identity from you."
Shen Zheng pondered for a moment, then uttered the usual platitudes: "It was my ignorance that prevented me from recognizing you..."
The Empress Dowager chuckled: "At that time, I deliberately avoided the Earl of Yongning. You have never seen me before, so how could you possibly recognize me?"
Yu Shizhang muttered softly, "I knew it..."
At that time, he wandered around Tongan County every day, how could he not have met the Empress Dowager even once?
So it was the Empress Dowager who did it on purpose.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." The Empress Dowager raised her hand and said to Granny Chang, who was waiting outside the pavilion, "Have someone bring the things over."
Granny Chang accepted the order and left. Not long after, two Imperial Guards carried a large box into the pavilion.
"Put it on the table," the Empress Dowager said.
"clatter--"
The wooden box landed steadily on the stone table with a soft sound. Granny Chang stepped forward, bowed, and unlocked the copper lock.
The lid of the box was lifted, and the contents slowly came into Shen Zheng's view.
It was not gold or silver, nor jewels, but scrolls bound with blue silk.
Shen Zheng was slightly taken aback.
Are these scrolls the "good stuff" that the Empress Dowager mentioned?
Is it... a painting or calligraphy by a famous artist?
Just as she was pondering this in secret, the Empress Dowager casually picked up a scroll from the box and handed it to Granny Chang, saying, "Unfold it and let Zheng'er take a look."
Granny Chang took the scroll with both hands and gently unrolled it.
This is a painting.
Shen Zheng examined the object under the lamplight.
The person in the painting has lively eyes and a realistic expression. The lines of the clothing are neat and the facial features are clear and strong. It can be considered a good painting.
Shen Zheng looked at the signature; the artist had not left their name.
After a moment of doubt, she shifted her gaze and landed on the upper right corner of the painting.
In the upper right corner, there are three small characters: Su Yanzhi.
Oh my!
Shen Zheng sighed inwardly.
Painters who could gain the Empress Dowager's favor were truly extraordinary; even their signatures were unique.
The Empress Dowager asked, "Zheng'er, how is she?"
Shen Zheng immediately nodded: "Very good."
"You think the first one is good?" The Empress Dowager and Granny Chang exchanged a glance, then asked, "Would you like to see the rest?"
Shen Zheng was taken aback.
If you think one painting is good, does that mean you can't look at the rest?
What's the logic behind this?
After a moment's hesitation, she asked cautiously, "May I see it?"
"Of course." The Empress Dowager raised her hand, gesturing to Granny Chang: "Bring another scroll."
"Yes."
Granny Chang gently placed the scroll in her hand on the stone table, then took out another scroll from the box and slowly unfurled it.
This is also a painting.
Shen Zheng leaned forward, curiously examining the scene.
The person in this painting is not the same as the one in the previous one, but the style of the painting... is very similar to the previous one.
Are they works by the same painter?
Shen Zheng looked at the signature area again.
It remains empty.
After a moment of stunned silence, she looked at the upper right corner and, sure enough, found the painter's signature there—Xiao Ce.
"Xiao Ce?" She was slightly puzzled, and couldn't help but lean forward to secretly compare the styles of the two paintings. "These... aren't the same person?"
The Empress Dowager chuckled: "Two paintings, how could they be of the same person?"
Shen Zheng felt a slight itch on the tip of her head.
She looked at the two paintings and clearly saw that they were by the same artist, but the Empress Dowager insisted that they were not...
Before she could think it through, the Empress Dowager asked her again, "Do you still want to watch?"
“Cough—” Yu Shizhang, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly coughed lightly.
Shen Zheng turned her head and saw him engrossed in drinking tea, so she could only reply to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, please continue reading."
The Empress Dowager slightly raised her chin, and Granny Chang picked up another scroll.
The scroll unfolds, revealing a painting once again.
Shen Zheng had just glanced at it when the Empress Dowager asked, "Zheng'er, how is it?"
Shen Zheng quickly began to appreciate it.
In terms of lines, brushstrokes, and brush strength, this painting, like the previous two, was created by the same person.
But the signature in the upper right corner has changed again—Lu Jingming.
"Lu Jingming?" Shen Zheng asked in confusion.
A hint of joy appeared in the Empress Dowager's eyes: "You know him?"
Shen Zheng immediately shook her head: "I don't know him..."
After a moment's pause, she carefully chose her words and asked, "Your Majesty, is this Lu Jingming... a pen name? Does he have other names? For example... the surname Su?"
"A pen name? Another name? And the surname is Su?" The Empress Dowager looked puzzled. "Zheng'er, didn't you say you didn't know him? What do you mean by that?"
Shen Zheng secretly scratched her head.
Despite the blatant implication, the Empress Dowager failed to understand.
After pondering for a moment, she got up and went to Granny Chang's side, picked up the first painting, and compared it with Lu Jingming's painting, saying, "Your Majesty, do you think these two paintings have any similarities?"
The Empress Dowager compared them, and after a moment, she exclaimed, "Oh!" "Indeed, the two people's eyebrows and eyes are about 40 or 50 percent similar."
"what?"
Shen Zheng looked down at the painting in her hand, then at the painting in Granny Chang's hand.
It is undeniable that the eyebrows and eyes of the two people in the painting do bear a slight resemblance.
But that's not what she meant!
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager..."
"Shen Zheng!"
As soon as she opened her mouth, Yu Shizhang suddenly stood up, winking at her as he said, "These paintings are all by the same person, but the people in the paintings can never be the same person."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zheng's mind went blank, and she froze on the spot.
The paintings are by the same person.
The people in the painting are not the same.
Furthermore, the Empress Dowager had been asking her repeatedly, "How is it?"
so......
Right now, the Empress Dowager isn't showing her the paintings at all, but rather...
A blind date?!
Upon reaching this conclusion, Shen Zheng felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
She froze completely, all her previous nonchalant "appreciation of the painting" vanishing without a trace.
That's right. She had been in the Great Zhou for over a year and had never been on a blind date, nor had she ever seen anyone else on one. She had almost forgotten that the powerful and wealthy in the Great Zhou had a custom of first looking at each other's portraits before discussing marriage.
However, this rule is usually used by men when choosing women, and rarely by women when choosing men.
Such a situation, where the Empress Dowager prepares a pile of portraits of handsome men and places them in front of her for her to choose from, is extremely rare, not only among ordinary families but also within the entire elite circle.
No wonder even Yu Shizhang didn't react at first...
Shen Zheng suddenly understood.
Seeing the astonishment on her face, the Empress Dowager suddenly realized what she meant: "You don't think I'm showing you how to appreciate paintings, do you?"
Shen Zheng choked up, and it took him a long time to find his voice: "Your Majesty, so much, this humble subject doesn't need it..."
No.
Shen Zheng lightly patted her lips.
That deadpan mouth.
Before she could explain, the Empress Dowager said very seriously, "You are the number one female official of my Great Zhou. If you want them all, I will have them all come to Tong'an County to follow you."
"..."
No.