Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 210: Inscription of the Humble House

When Lu Zheng saw the little man changing in front of him, he showed a hint of surprise. Zheng Yu's painting skills were really amazing. He could even draw colorful figures with charcoal.

Qing Wan stared at the little man, looking him up and down in surprise.

The little guy was just like Qingwan, with the same movements and expression.

"She imitates me!" Qing Wan couldn't help but say.

The little man opened his mouth and made an indistinct sound, then quickly added, "She imitates me!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Wan couldn't help but lean back with a look of disbelief on her face.

The little guy follows suit.

The two little men faced each other, just like looking in the mirror.

Zheng Yu next to him laughed for a while, then waved his hand and sent a stream of spiritual power towards the villain.

The little man returned to the drawing paper and restored the black and white colors.

"That's amazing." Lu Zheng couldn't help but say.

Zheng Yu stroked his beard and said leisurely, "It's just the result of years of hard study and practice. My figure paintings are not that good... As the saying goes, it's difficult to paint the bones of a tiger, but it's easy to paint the skin. When you paint, Brother Lu, you don't need to worry too much about how real the appearance is, but rather look at the inner qualities..."

Zheng Yu slowly and steadily explained some painting techniques to Lu Zheng.

It was a rare opportunity to have guidance from a senior who was proficient in painting. Lu Zheng listened very carefully and asked some questions from time to time.

Zhang Bo next to him also listened patiently, trying to learn something from this opportunity.

As for Qing Wan, she only half understood what she heard. Her main attention was focused on the painting of the little man, and she looked at it with sparkling eyes.

I don’t know how long it took, but it was already dark outside.

The Zheng Mansion's housekeeper came outside the painted building and said in a soft but penetrating voice, "Master, the dinner is ready. When will it be served?"

Zheng Yu heard the voice, looked at the sky, and couldn't help but say, "Look how time flies. Let's go, let's go eat first, and then we can talk slowly. Tell me about Xiaoshan's situation!"

Lu Zheng couldn't refuse. He wanted to know more about the Zheng family's situation and tell Zheng Qian about it later.

Then, Zheng Yu took the two of them to a spacious dining room, where even Mrs. Zheng was present.

Old Madam Zheng looked well-maintained and appeared younger than Zheng Yu, but she was actually over fifty years old and a bit plump.

The four of them feasted together, each of them served by maids.

Zheng Yu said with a smile, "We're all acquaintances, so don't be restrained... The children at home all have their own things to do, and it's rare for a young person to come and chat with us old folks."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Age is not important. I once heard a saying that a man remains a young man until he dies."

Zheng Yu laughed when he heard this and couldn't help but say, "Haha, what you said is interesting, little brother. I like to hear it... Come on, come on, eat some food."

A dinner party, both the guests and the hosts are happy.

When Zheng Yu heard that Xiaoshan was going to take his disciples on a study tour, he was surprised and said, "Hey, he once told me that he wanted to teach in Kaiyang County for the rest of his life. Why did he change his mind?"

Lu Zhengdao: "It's probably because of me."

Zheng Yu was curious when he heard this. "I've never heard of Brother Lu before. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Kaiyang County, just an ordinary person. It's normal that Brother Zheng doesn't know me." Lu Zhengdao.

Madam Zheng said with a smile, "Young Master Lu is too modest. You are now very famous in the state capital."

Zheng Yu glanced sideways and said, "I don't know. Where did you find out?"

Madam Zheng explained, "When the servants in the mansion heard that Master Lu Zheng was coming, they told me something..."

Madam Zheng slowly told what she knew.

Zheng Yu was amazed. "I never thought that while I was away for a while, Hongzhou would have a new figure like you... You cultivate a righteous spirit, and your mathematics surpasses the people of Wu. No wonder Xiaoshan values you so much."

"This year's Autumn Examination is approaching, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. The state capital will definitely hold a grand literary gathering this year. You came to the state capital to attend the literary gathering, right? Then stay at my house for a few more days!"

Zheng Yu said leisurely, "Of course, I, Old Zheng, am indispensable for these literary gatherings. When the time comes, we can go together and I'll support you."

As a famous painter in Hongzhou, he was always invited to attend any gathering in the city as a guest or referee.

"Uh……"

Lu Zheng couldn't help but smile and said, "Brother Zheng, it's well-intentioned, but there's no need to be so. I'm not here specifically to attend any literary gathering. If I'm lucky enough to be invited, I'll just join in the fun... There are many young talents in the state capital, and I'm nothing special. I'm just here to broaden my horizons."

At this kind of literary gathering, you can just be a spectator and there is no need to compete with others for a little fame.

Even when he participated in literary gatherings, he mainly wanted to understand the situation of these Confucian and Taoist scholars of the current era.

Lu Zheng always felt that the Confucian and Taoist students today were very different from the Confucian scholars in the past. He didn't know when they became different and became less pure.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yu said, "You should have a seat at this year's literary gathering. If there isn't one, I'll get one for you. Leave it to me."

He turned to look at Zhang Bo and said, "I know your family background, so I don't need to worry about this."

Zhang Bo smiled and said, "Don't bother me, Senior Zheng. I actually have a few invitations here. I can give one to Brother Lu."

Some of the invitations to the Mid-Autumn Festival Literary Festival have already been sent out.

However, Zheng Yu had just returned to Hongzhou City and had no time to pay attention to this matter.

"That's good..." Zheng Yu nodded. "This year's literary gathering will probably be the same as usual. We'll just have to see if there are some new faces and good poems..."

Zhang Bo said, "I'm afraid there won't be any poetry this year."

"Oh, why is that?" Zheng Yu asked curiously.

Lu Zheng next to him was also stunned, but soon thought of something.

Zhang Bo explained, "Senior is away from home, so I guess he hasn't heard the news yet. The other day, several ancient poems came out of the Confucian Temple, including one for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is incredibly well-written! It's said that even the imperial court has offered a reward for finding the writers who wrote them..."

Lu Zheng remained silent, his head bowed as he ate his meal. They were actually still looking for someone? Where could they find someone?

Zhang Bo told the story slowly and recited several poems with great emotion.

Zheng Yu was surprised when he heard this. "These poems are so rare. How come these scholars have never heard of them?"

Zhang Bo said, "There are many hermits in the world. It's normal that we don't know about them."

Zheng Yu nodded and said, "Not all writers seek fame and fortune. Even if someone writes poetry that will be passed down through the ages, they may not necessarily make it known to the world."

This kind of thing has happened before.

Zhang Bo sighed, "With all these poems, who would dare to write poetry this Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Zheng Yu smiled and said, "If you don't write poetry, you can still compete in the Six Arts of a Gentleman. You can also compete in other things. I'm tired of seeing the same old things..."

Lu Zheng thought that if it came to a competition of slaying demons and eliminating evil, he could certainly compete.

……

A few people ate and chatted, and after the dinner, it was already late at night.

Zheng Yu arranged guest rooms for Lu Zheng and Zhang Bo to stay overnight.

Lu Zheng was lying on the comfortable bed, taking out a pen and paper to write a letter.

I have just asked about some information about the Zheng family. I will write a letter to Zheng Qian as soon as possible and don't let him wait too long.

After finishing writing a letter, Lu Zhengyi pointed at the mark on the letter paper.

The letter paper suddenly glowed, then turned into a flying swallow, flew out of the room, and headed towards the green mountain where Zheng Qian was.

Then, Lu Zheng went to the location of the Consciousness Sea Palace.

Outside the Wen Palace, Qing Wan sat there upright, practicing.

Seeing Lu Zheng coming over, she couldn't help but open her eyes and said, "Have you finished your meal?"

"Yeah, we talked for a while."

Lu Zheng picked up the pastoral painting and looked at it for a while, then manipulated the scroll to bring out the scenery.

But in the blink of an eye, the spiritual energy surged.

A courtyard appeared next to the Wen Palace, which was consistent with the scene in the painting.

Lu Zheng and Qing Wan were both curious and walked over to check it out.

When he came outside the courtyard, Lu Zheng pushed open the wooden door and knocked on it with his hand, making a crisp sound.

"not real……"

Lu Zheng checked it out and then turned to look at the birds in the tree.

Although it looked quite realistic, Lu Zheng could actually feel that it was actually formed by spiritual energy.

I went to the bluestone tile house again and opened the door. It was empty inside, there was nothing there, but the whole room was intact.

Qing Wan took a look and said, "It's so empty, there's no furniture, but you can move your things here."

Lu Zheng carefully checked it out and looked at the flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables.

"If this painting is left out, it won't last long."

After all, it is not a real thing. To maintain the existence of the scenery in the painting, it requires the consumption of spiritual energy and literary nourishment, which is not a long-term solution.

Lu Zheng turned around and put the pastoral painting away.

Seeing the blank space in the painting, he suddenly thought of something.

He might add some poems and essays to the painting, just like he did with the previous green bamboo scroll.

However, the painting was not damaged. The text that was intended to be added would not become a cultural treasure, but would instead damage the painting.

Lu Zheng pondered for a while, then took out the Taishi Jian and Dong Hu Pen.

I plan to try to write it down on the Taishijian first, and then incorporate it into the scroll.

"What should I write?"

Lu Zheng picked up the Donghu pen and carefully thought about the masterpieces of his predecessors. He thought about the articles of literati from both worlds to see which one was most suitable.

Suddenly, he remembered Liu Yuxi's "Praise of the Humble Dwelling", which seemed quite appropriate.

Upon seeing this, Lu Zheng began to write, and his words, shining brightly, were printed on the Taishijian.

"A mountain is not famous because of its height, but because of the immortals living there..."

Lu Zheng wrote at a steady pace, the righteous energy in his body pouring out.

"Confucius said, 'What is there to be ashamed of?'"

After writing a short article, it suddenly became dazzling, but in the blink of an eye, it regained its momentum and appeared completely on the Taishi Jian.

"It's done..."

Lu Zheng let out a breath. Less than a hundred words had consumed all his righteous energy.

After a short rest, Lu Zheng controlled the Taishi Jian and printed the articles in it into the pastoral scroll.

In an instant, the pastoral painting shone brightly, and a majestic aura gushed out.

The entire painting turned into starlight and quickly transformed into a courtyard.

In the Wen Palace, a righteous spirit also drifted out and flowed into the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)