I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 156 The Fairy in the Painting

As evening approached, the group stopped to rest.

Wu Daozi left the tent, intending to discuss the matter with the other two master painters.

There were three people who accompanied the emperor on his travels and painted together. Besides him, there were Chen Hong and Wei Wutian.

Chen Hong was a court painter, skilled in portraiture, especially realistic depictions of horses and emperors. His figures were perfectly proportioned and lifelike. His horses were spirited and vibrant, seemingly leaping off the page. This time, he was responsible for painting the emperor's portrait, as well as the famous horse "Zhaoyebai".

Wei Wutian was known for his paintings of animals and rare birds, employing meticulous brushwork and rich colors to create delicate and magnificent works. He was responsible for depicting various animals and foreign envoys.

Of the three, Wu Daozi was the most famous.

Despite his young age, he was already famous throughout the land. His paintings featured flowing lines, reminiscent of Wu Daozi's style. He was responsible for the overall composition, as well as the depiction of imperial carriages, ceremonial guards, mountains, and bridges.

Therefore, their tasks are the most demanding.

Chen Hong had already gone to sleep, and the attendants carefully woke him up inside the tent.

Chen Hong, with his stubble and relaxed comfortably in the bedding, asked with a hint of anger in his voice, his eyes closed.

"What's the matter?"

He felt dizzy as soon as he got into the carriage, and the ride on horseback was bumpy. He was so tired after a day that he went to bed early and didn't want to be disturbed.

The servant glanced outside and said, "Wu Sheng has come to see the young master to discuss the painting."

"cough……!"

Chen Hong immediately opened his eyes.

"When did you arrive? How long have you been waiting?"

He muttered again, "You good-for-nothing Wu Daozi, you've already started preparing before even returning to the capital."

That's what he said, but deep down he still admired him.

His painting skills were better than his, his reputation was greater, his official rank was higher, he was more favored by the emperor, and he was also more diligent than him.

Chen Hong, still half asleep, struggled to get up, quickly tidied himself up, put on his outer robe, and went to see Wu Daozi.

A light snow has fallen outside.

"I'm late."

Despite being chilled by the wind, Chen Hong chuckled and asked, "How long has Daozi been waiting?"

“Not long ago.” Wu Daozi looked at the other person’s face, which still seemed to have faint marks, but they were not very clear when illuminated by the candlelight. He hesitated and asked.

"Brother Chen, you must have already retired for the night. I apologize for disturbing you."

"No way, no way."

Chen Hong said seriously, "It's a time of heavy snowfall and beautiful scenery, why go to bed early?"

Wu Daozi looked at his face, nodded, and didn't delve into it further.

On the other side, Wei Wutian simply picked up his teacup, smiled, and graciously refrained from asking further questions.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wu Daozi got down to business, instructing a servant to bring over a small long scroll, saying, "I've sketched a rough draft; what do you two think?"

Chen Hong and Wei Wutian had already prepared their praises in their minds.

On the long scroll.

Although it was just a few strokes, one can already see the magnificence of the mountains and rivers and the solemnity of the imperial carriage.

The emperor rode his famous horse "Zhaoyebai," with the picturesque landscape behind him. Attendants and officials followed on both sides, while Arab envoys led dromedary camels, and Tibetan envoys presented yaks. The clouds in the sky rippled like waves in the wind, as if they were about to be blown away at any moment.

Despite being well-prepared, Chen Hong was still taken aback.

It's hard to believe that this sketch was only drawn today.

"it is good!"

Chen Hong subconsciously cheered.

"How did Daozi draw this? The imperial procession only stopped for an hour or two..."

Wu Daozi smiled modestly.

The servant ground the ink, and he dipped his brush in it, adding a few more strokes to the clouds, drawing a person with flowing robes, and then adding a touch of light color, a dot of blue.

Spirited and unrestrained, elegant and graceful, exuding an ethereal charm.

Chen Hong and Wei Wutian dared not breathe loudly, for fear that a gust of wind might disturb Wu Daozi's writing.

Wu Daozi put down his pen.

After drying the ink, ask the two men:

"I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I don't know whether it's better to add it or not. What do you two think?"

Chen Hong was greatly encouraged and carefully examined the painting. Wu Daozi's painting was hasty and casual, just a few strokes, yet it seemed as if the immortal's robes were fluttering, extremely lively.

"With just one stroke, the painting of an emperor is transformed into a journey of immortals and gods."

Wei Wutian also cherished it very much.

"Has Daozi thought of the encounter with the immortals during the Fengshan ceremony?"

Wu Daozi: "Yes."

"Truly ethereal and otherworldly."

Chen Hong felt something was missing. He looked the scroll up and down and finally noticed it. He pointed to a spot and asked:

Why aren't there eyes on top?

Wu Daozi stared at the painting.

While he was painting, he subconsciously avoided adding the finishing touches. He wasn't quite sure what the immortals were looking like, so he thought he'd leave it for last. But after he finished, looking at the way the robes were fluttering, it seemed as if the immortals were about to float down from above.

They didn't even dare to light it.

Wei Wutian recalled an anecdote from several hundred years ago, and he said:

"Brother Daozi's painting is superb, his skill is divine. Back then, Zhang Sengyao painted four white dragons for Anle Temple, but he didn't even add the eyes."

“Words, once the finishing touch is made, will fly away.”

"Later, some people kept asking about it, and Zhang Sengyao had no choice but to dot the two dragon eyes."

Suddenly, the wind and clouds changed color, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and the two dragons actually came to life, smashed through the walls, and soared into the sky.

The three painters and their servants looked at the painting with a different kind of gaze.

One of the servants mustered his courage and asked, "Is such a thing really true?"

Wei Wutian stroked his beard and smiled.

"That's the legend, but whether it's true or not, we don't know."

Chen Hong was impatient and asked:
"So, are we still going to get the eye surgery done?"

Wu Daozi picked up his brush and quietly examined the rough sketch. The brushstrokes flowed with energy, as if one could hear the wind blowing through the painting. The figure in the blue robe swayed, seemingly imbued with spirit.

I looked at it for a while.

He put down his pen.

"It's just a draft, it's not finalized yet, we'll talk about it later."

He added, “Take a look at this composition, do you two? Do you need to make any changes? The sage’s ‘Night-Shining White’ horse is so spirited and lively. My hasty drawing is not as good as Brother Chen’s.”

Looking at the unfinished painting, Chen Hong felt a pang of regret.

He said, "This is good enough, there's no need to change it."

Wei Wutian mentioned the matter of beasts and birds in the sky, and then the three of them left.

The sketch will remain with Chen Hong for now. Wu Daozi asked him to take another look in the next couple of days and find some flaws. To paint a portrait of a sage, especially one depicting his experiences at Mount Tai during the Fengshan ceremony, requires complete concentration and perfection in every detail.

The two left.

Chen Hong lay back down in bed, no longer feeling drowsy.

All I could think about was that painting.

Wu Daozi was truly remarkable. He could create such a masterpiece from just a draft, and within an hour or two, he could produce a magnificent painting that included not only the approximate figures of over a hundred people, but also beasts, birds, mountains, rivers, plants, the emperor's carriage, and drifting clouds.

The deity depicted above is truly the finishing touch.

Absolutely!

Unfortunately, the finishing touch was missing.

Chen Hong tossed and turned in bed, lost in thought.

The servants had all taken a nap, but when they got up in the middle of the night, they heard that their master was still awake. One of them reminded him, "Master, we have to continue our journey tomorrow. Aren't you going to sleep? We'll be setting off at dawn."

Chen Hong couldn't sleep.

He got up, lit the oil lamp, and quietly studied the draft.

Unfortunately, it lacked the finishing touch.

He reached for the calligraphy brush that had already been put away.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)