bastard seizes tang

Chapter 193 Using Paintings as Bait
Li Yuanchang, king of the Han Dynasty, had two major hobbies on weekdays, one was beauties, and the other was calligraphy and painting.There are only two places he goes to most often every day, one is the famous Xieyu Tower in Chang'an, and the other is Caiying Hall where the literati in Chang'an gather most.

Caiyuntang is located in Pingkangfang, just like Xieyulou, but Pingkangfang is not full of brothels, Caiyuntang is a restaurant.

Most of Pingkangfang is a place where literati and inkmen gather, so it is very popular with people. Someone built a more elegant restaurant here, which was named after the "Book of Songs" "Scattered watermelon vegetables, picked from left and right". Wing Hall.

Caiyongtang is different from ordinary restaurants. The owner of Caiyongtang is also a person who loves calligraphy and painting, so not everyone can enter Caiyongtang.

The day after Li Yuanchang entered the palace to express his desire for marriage to Li Shimin, there were rumors in Chang'an that the emperor wanted to marry Ashinayun with Li Yuanchang as the candidate for marriage.

The rumors are so similar, with a nose and an eye, it seems that it is already a certainty, even Li Yuanchang thinks so.

Li Yuanchang was in a good mood, and it happened that Xiao Yuanruo, an old friend of Li Yuanchang's ancestral home in Suzhou, returned to Beijing from Suzhou and brought the "Picture of Wild Goose, Water and Bird" painted by Gu Kaizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which he had bought from Suzhou. Appreciate with friends.

Xiao Yuanruo was born after a giant silk merchant in Suzhou, and his family was wealthy. Before that, Li Yuanchang had a good relationship with him. In addition, Gu Kai’s paintings were hard to find, and Li Yuanchang was obsessed with this art. Therefore, Li Yuanchang didn’t think too much about the appointment, and agreed immediately. down.

"Brother Yuan Ruo, where is Gu Kaizhi's authentic work, quickly take it to me to have a look, my heart is already very itchy." In the afternoon of the next day, Li Yuanchang couldn't bear it for a moment when he arrived in the Cailong hall, and he said to Xiao Yuanruo straight to the point.

Xiao Yuanruo said with a smile: "My lord is really a good painter, but he is so urgent."

Li Yuanchang said: "This king has said a long time ago: beauty is like a painting, and a painting is like everyone. If there is a famous painting but you can't look at it, it is like a peerless beauty standing in front of me with her pipa half-covered, but you can't kiss her around Fangze, how depressing it must be."

Xiao Yuanruo said: "Haha, a beauty is like a painting, a painting is like a beauty, such frivolous words may only be spoken by such a frivolous person as the prince."

Li Yuanchang said: "Brother Yuanruo, you don't need to say too much, don't hide it anymore, and quickly bring the "Picture of Birds and Swallows" to this king to appreciate."

As soon as Li Yuanchang's words fell, the others in the room couldn't hold back anymore, and said one after another: "What the prince said is exactly, we are all here for Gu Kaizhi, and after I appreciate the paintings first, we will open this table again." Not too late."

Xiao Yuanruo said with a smile: "Since the prince spoke, how dare Xiao refuse to obey."

As Xiao Yuanruo said, he took out a long and narrow wooden box from behind, and handed it to Li Yuanchang.

Li Yuanchang took the wooden box from Xiao Yuanruo, and immediately opened it impatiently.

Li Yuanchang opened the wooden box, and lying quietly in the wooden box was a roll of paper-colored and simple painting scrolls. Li Yuanchang was afraid of breaking the scrolls, so he gently picked up the scrolls from the wooden box, and slowly unfolded them. So gentle.

Li Yuanchang looked down at the painting in his hand. His handwriting was meticulous and continuous like a spring silkworm spinning silk; the intention is kept in the brush first, and although the painting is exhausted, the intention is not exhausted, it is Gu Kaizhi's handwriting.

Li Yuanchang is obsessed with calligraphy and painting, and he is a master of this art. He has seen several authentic works of Gu Kaizhi before, so although he only took a few glances, Li Yuanchang can conclude that the "Picture of Birds and Swallows" in his hand must be the authentic work of Gu Kaizhi.

Gu Kaizhi is a master of Danqing in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He wrote many original paintings and calligraphy. However, after the chaos of the Five Husbands and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, most of Gu Kaizhi's paintings were destroyed by war disasters. There are not many of them that have survived. It is really not easy to find an authentic one. The more I feel that I can't put it down.

Li Yuanchang asked puzzledly: "Brother Yuan Ruo's original painting of Gu Kaizhi is really good, but I don't know where it came from?"

When Li Yuanchang spoke like this, Xiao Yuanruo didn't know what Li Yuanchang was thinking. Xiao Yuanruo replied: "I have a young man who originally had a wealthy family, but his family property was ruined due to excessive gambling, so he had to sell his ancestral property to pay off the debt. This painting is his own." He bought it."

"But I don't know the price?" Li Yuanchang continued to ask.

Xiao Yuanruo stretched out two fingers, and said to Li Yuanchang mysteriously: "My lord might as well guess."

Seeing this, Li Yuanchang guessed: "Two thousand guan?"

Xiao Yuanruo shook his head when he heard this.

Li Yuanchang then guessed: "Twenty thousand guan?"

Xiao Yuanruo smiled, but shook his head again.

Li Yuanchang asked in disbelief: "Could it be 20 guan?"

From Li Yuanchang's point of view, 20 guan may be a bit expensive, but it is not unacceptable to Xiao Yuanruo who has a solid family background and loves this way, but [-] guan is really exaggerated, and even Li Yuanchang is a little daunted.

But obviously Li Yuanchang didn't guess correctly, Xiao Yuanruo said slowly: "My lord guessed wrong, it was two hundred strings."

"Two hundred guan, how could Gu Kaizhi's original work be priced so much?" If Li Yuanchang hadn't been absolutely confident in his eyes, he would have suspected that the "Picture of Birds and Swallows" in his hand was a fake.

Xiao Yuanruo smiled and said: "My childhood friend is a real idiot. I don't know good or bad. I bought one of his houses for the next two hundred yuan. This "Picture of Birds and Swallows" is just an inconspicuous addition. .”

For a mere two hundred pennies, you can buy this authentic piece of Gu Kaizhi, and it is attached to a house. After hearing Xiao Yuanruo's words, Li Yuanchang couldn't help showing a hint of envy on his face.

Li Yuanchang is obsessed with this way, and there is no reason why he should not be tempted after seeing this "Picture of Birds and Swallows".

Li Yuanchang immediately asked: "This King also likes this "Picture of Swallows and Water Birds" very much. I am willing to offer [-] Guan to buy this painting. I wonder if Brother Yuan Ruo is willing to part with it?"

Li Yuanchang is a prince, so he is naturally powerful, but Xiao Yuanruo shook his head immediately and said: "I'm afraid this is not appropriate."

Li Yuanchang became angry when he heard this.

In terms of price, this "Picture of Swallows and Water Birds" is about [-] yuan, but Li Yuanchang bid [-] yuan, which is considered generous, not to mention that this painting was only bought by Xiao Yuanruo for [-] yuan. It seems that Xiao Yuanruo's actions are really ignorant of flattery.

Just when Li Yuanchang was getting angry and was about to explode, Xiao Yuanruo suddenly said: "Gu Kaizhi is also my favorite. If someone else asks, I won't sell it even if it is a hundred thousand guan, but since the prince likes it, how can I ask for it?" .I heard that the prince will marry Turkic Ashinayun, and I would like to take this painting as a gift to congratulate the prince on his wedding."

When Li Yuanchang heard the words, his face suddenly turned from anger to joy, and he asked incredulously, "Is this true?"

Li Yuanchang said: "Everyone in Jin said that Gu Kaizhi has three specialties: excellent painting, excellent writing, and infatuation. From the following point of view, these three specialties can also be used for the prince's body. The prince's painting and calligraphy are both excellent, and he is infatuated when he treats beautiful women. It can be said to be insane, besides the prince, who else is worthy of this "Picture of Birds and Swallows?"

The so-called double excellence in painting and calligraphy is what Li Yuanchang is most proud of. Now that Xiao Yuanruo calls him the Three Excellences, compared with Gu Kaizhi, he is naturally overjoyed. This king gets a painting and a beautiful woman, it can be said to be a double blessing, we won’t go home until we’re drunk.”

After speaking, Li Yuanchang raised his glass and drank it down boldly.

(End of this chapter)