Bachelor

Chapter 193

"Stone green, stone green, cinnabar, rouge, gamboge..." Chen Rong slowly checked the paints in his hands, and then said shyly to the painter who was helping him: "Garcinia is no longer needed, use something else. By the way, The rouge was also replaced with magenta. Cough, it's my fault that I didn't tell you clearly, it's a pity that so much paint was wasted!"

The mural painting of Baiyun Temple finally started. After getting the wages, Chen Rong immediately hired an experienced painter as a helper, drew a sketch on paper, and started to work hastily.

At this moment, his face and hands were full of fuel, and he looked quite embarrassed.However, perhaps because of this project, the living expenses for the next year will be settled. This scholar from the daimyo is full of energy and has not slept for three consecutive days.

The craftsman was about fifty years old, and he also brought an eleven or twelve-year-old land.He has been in this line of work for more than 40 years, and he is extremely quick at work.Hearing Chen Rong's words, the old craftsman said with some resentment: "Why can't you use rouge and gamboge? According to the old man, these two local pigments are cheap. And, in the words of you scholars, one yellow and one red The two colors are distinct, bright but not vulgar, and the painting is also aura, as if it is about to move. My husband wants to change to magenta. Although this color looks very bright, it is too gaudy, which is not good. Not good." Saying this, the old man kept shaking his head.

He added: "Besides, magenta and other pigments are really laborious to grind, and it is really troublesome to filter out the impurities."

The young apprentice brought by the old head was struggling to grind a pile of malachite in a mortar, and his head and body were sweating from exhaustion.

Chen Rong felt even more embarrassed, and said in an apologetic tone: "Old man, you don't know that this mural painting must use mineral pigments, so that it can last for a hundred years, or even a thousand years. Pigments, exposed to the sun and wind, will get old after decades."

The old painter said: "Xiucai, the wages are only so much, save as much as you can. All mineral pigments are used, and the construction period may not be able to keep up."

Seeing the painter's displeasure, Chen Rong tried to persuade him repeatedly and be careful with his company, but the old painter just refused.

Sun Dan watched it amusedly, this Chen Xiucai was so honest, he was shocked by the hired craftsmen, without the awareness of the employer at all.

He has been watching here for a long time, and finally couldn't help but said to the old painter: "Old man, you are not authentic. They hire you for money, and you just follow orders. What are you talking about so much nonsense? It is said that azurite and stone green are mineral pigments, and it takes a lot of effort to grind them, and I still believe it. It is a lie to say that magenta is also a mineral pigment.”

Hearing Sun Dan talk about the paint, Chen Rong's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "Brother Sun, what exactly is this magenta?"

The so-called magenta is actually the collective name of the ancients for western red pigments.At this time, Westerners were already doing business in the south, and the pigments used by Westerners were also introduced.

Western pigments are bright and lustrous. They are used to paint traditional Chinese paintings, which are dull and unconventional. They can be used to paint murals and New Year paintings, but they are very good.Lively, festive, and can be stored for a long time.

The Chen family has produced painters throughout the ages, and is no stranger to this magenta, but they just don't understand what it is made of and where it is produced?
Seeing Sun Dan seemed to be very familiar with Magenta, Chen Rong unconsciously asked, "Where did Brother Sun hear about it?"

Sun Dan said: "I once read a book, which said that magenta is produced on a kind of cochineal insect in the far south of Java. It is not a mineral pigment. Just now the old man said that magenta is extracted from minerals. I just want to be lazy." He looked at the old man with a smile: "Old man, am I right?"

Hearing Sun Dan's words, the old painter cupped his hands in shame when he knew that he had met a great expert: "People say that a scholar can know the world's affairs without going out. Mr. Sun even knows this kind of thing. The old man is convinced. Just go buy it."

Looking at the old painter's ashamed expression, Chen Rong was greatly impressed: "Brother Sun is really knowledgeable and talented, and I admire you. But I don't know the name of the book you read, and where did you read it? If you have a Ben, might as well lend it to me to read." When he asked this, he looked expectant.

Sun Dan smiled wryly in his heart, and said to himself: The book I read is called "Chinese Pigment Research", which was published by People's Fine Arts Publishing House in [-]. If you want to read it, I will get it out!

Not letting an honest and stubborn guy continue to ask in the future, Sun Dan could only say, "I read this book from Yang Shen, but I forgot the exact name. I will look it up for you when I have a chance."

He immediately pulled the topic aside: "Brother Chen, Qiu Wei is about to come, it's not appropriate for you to think about reading idle books. By the way, you are a famous scholar, Qiu Wei should take the Zhili exam, why not?" Running to Shuntian Mansion?"

Chen Rong was a little embarrassed: "Brother Sun, you don't know this. I heard people say that the exam questions here in Shuntian Prefecture are much simpler than those in other provinces, and there are more places. Taking the exam here is also somewhat sure. Chen Rong I’m ashamed, when I took part in the boy’s examination in Daming, I passed it for four years, but I failed every time. After being reminded by someone, I transferred my household registration to Shuntian Prefecture, and finally I was selected as a scholar last year.” As he spoke, he snapped a picture. His face was flushed red, and he wished that there was a crack in the ground to get in.

"Ha, it turns out that they are immigrants from the college entrance examination, so the ancients also did this." Sun Dan smiled secretly.

The level of education in various places in the Ming Dynasty was uneven. For example, in some remote counties in the northern provinces, it was normal for them not to have a Juren in more than ten years.But in Jiangnan, where the humanities are at its peak, such as Huiji, Shaoxing, Hangzhou, Jia, Su, Yang, and Changzhou, where education is well developed, it is as simple as raising dozens or hundreds of talents to drink water every year.

Therefore, in the early Ming Dynasty, especially Jinshi Division, it was occupied by southern scholars for a long time.Therefore, this is the north-south ranking system, in order to achieve a balance.In order to encourage northerners to study, the imperial court's imperial examinations in the northern provinces were relatively simple, and they also took care of the number of admissions.

There are policies and measures to counter.Some quick-witted southern scholars moved their household registrations to the north in order to increase the success rate.

In the Northern Imperial Examination, Shuntianfu was the first to admit the most places and the easiest exam questions.

Shuntian Mansion is at the foot of the Son of Heaven, the capital of the Ming Dynasty. Most of the scholars who came to take the exam are the children of ministers and ministers. It is right to take care of them. This is also the tacit approval of the entire bureaucratic and literary group.

However, because Shuntianfu has a large number of places in the rural examination and the difficulty is low, the imperial court is extremely strict with Shuntianfu's household registration.The reason why Sun Dan was able to transfer his household registration to the capital at the beginning was because of the honor of Huichang Hou Sun's family.

But looking at Chen Rong in front of him, who is so impoverished, it is estimated that his family does not have much influence.

However, Sun Dan changed his mind and immediately thought of the future Empress Chen, and he was relieved.

He intentionally teased Chen Rong: "Brother Chen, Shuntian Mansion is very strict in checking the foreigners. I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to get a yellow card in the capital?"

Chen Rong didn't realize that Sun Dan was trying to trick him, and his expression was even more coy: "Xiaosheng is ashamed. It is because of the favor of King Xing's mansion that he was able to enter the capital. My distant cousin is the queen of King Xing. The only scholar who entered the capital thanks to her favor. Cough, Chen Rong really feels a little embarrassed for doing such a thing."

Sun Dan deliberately pretended to be surprised: "Brother Chen is a relative of the emperor. I heard that King Xing has already entered the Datong, and your distant cousin is also the queen of my Ming Dynasty. In the future, I have to ask Brother Chen more." Take care."

"No, no." Chen Rong waved his hands again and again: "The emperor's family also has a few poor relatives. I don't know how many generations have passed between me and that cousin. We have never met each other. I'm afraid she may not know that there is one." I am such a person. At the beginning, I just wrote a letter, and after waiting for half a year, Xingwang Mansion wrote me a note asking me to take it to Shuntian Mansion, and then I was naturalized."

"But it's true. In this world, there are many relatives and relatives of the emperor. There is always [-] if there is no one hundred thousand." Sun Dan deeply agreed.

In the Ming Dynasty, the prince and the children surnamed Zhu were raised as pigs. Although these people had no skills, their fertility was extremely strong.According to Sun Dan's knowledge, there are already tens of thousands of Zhu surnamed children.By the end of the Ming Dynasty, it had swelled to an astonishing more than [-], which made the country's finances unable to bear it.

A so-called foreign relative like Chen Rong is really nothing, sometimes even worse than a wealthy small landlord.It's no wonder that this guy is in such a poor state, hiding in the Baiyun Temple all day long as an otaku, hoping to change his personal destiny through the imperial examination.

Sun Dan didn't feel a little sympathetic to this Chen Rong, it was true that he was a relative.But the Ming Dynasty system stipulates that foreign relatives are not allowed to participate in politics, and he is destined not to be a high-ranking official in this life.Moreover, his relative could not do it for a few years, and soon, Empress Chen would die of dystocia.Bearing the reputation of his relatives, but not getting any benefits, Chen Rong's life is really bad!
Chen Rong: "After painting these two murals, this year's living expenses can be regarded as earned. I really have to thank Brother Sun for this. Although Chen Rong is stupid, he also knows that Brother Sun is helping me. Thank you for your kindness. Please accept Chen Rong's bow." As he spoke, Chen Rong remembered his embarrassment a while ago, and felt in his heart that his eyes were red, and he was about to bow down.

Sun Dan felt emotional in his heart, and quickly supported him: "They are all scholars, and a gentleman has the friendship of making money. I was also born in a poor family in my early years, and I know the hardships of poor scholars. Brother Chen, after painting these two murals, review your homework carefully. Don’t read idle books.”

Chen Rong nodded again and again: "This is indeed the truth, but, Brother Sun, I see that you have been reading Daoist scriptures in the Sutra Library these two days, isn't that also idle reading?"

Sun Dan laughed: "Didn't I say the day before yesterday that if I want to be selected as a Jinshi, it's as easy as flipping the palm of my hand. Stereotyped Shiwen is just a quick stepping stone, and you can throw it away after you use it. You don't need to pay much attention. I have recently learned a lot about Taoism." I'm interested, I want to study it."

"Yes, yes, I forgot that Brother Sun is a friend of Bachelor Xiao Yang. Who is Xiao Yang, he is a genius who has not been born in the 150 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, it is easy to become a Jinshi, so naturally you don't need to spend your time on it." Chen Rong With reverence on his face: "When this matter is over, I would like to ask brother Sun to give me some pointers." Chen Ronggang cupped his hands and bowed.

"It's easy to say, easy to say." Sun Dan nodded and accepted his gift calmly.When it comes to his understanding of stereotyped essays, he thinks that he should be able to rank among the top ten in the current world, second only to Yang's father and son, Yang Yiqing and others.

However, when Chen Rong mentioned the matter of reading Daozang, Sun Dan immediately felt a headache: that thing is really too difficult!

(End of this chapter)