Film and Television World Life Record

After the carriage left the Su family's residence, Song Mao checked the prepared gifts with Song Kai again.

"The calligraphy written by Lin Fu and Master Lin, and that ginseng—Master Qin likes calligraphy and painting, so he placed the ginseng in the middle, making it rather inconspicuous..."

Butler Song Kai said, "Master, it has been several years since Lord Qin resigned from his post. Now, with frequent conflicts between Liao and Jin, and the situation in the north being complex and volatile, does the court intend to reinstate Lord Qin?"

Song Mao shook his head: "It's probably difficult in the short term. With the Blackwater Alliance, Duke Qin took all the blame, and it's unlikely he'll be able to recover in the next two years."

"Moreover... even if the higher-ups really allow Lord Qin to return to power, given Lord Qin's state of mind, he will not come out of seclusion again in the next few years."

As they were talking, the carriage arrived at its destination. Song Mao and Qin Siyuan were not acquainted. Qin Siyuan had been in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, and Song Mao had only made some connections with him later. After Qin Siyuan left office, Song Mao, who was always considerate of everyone, would always pay his respects to Qin Siyuan whenever he came to Jiangning.

After presenting his visiting card, he was quickly invited inside.

Upon arrival, Song Mao learned that Qin Siyuan had a guest today, a young man he didn't recognize, but guessed he was Qin Siyuan's disciple or nephew.

Another elderly man in fine clothes looked somewhat familiar to Song Maoxian. A thought flashed through his mind, and he recognized him instantly.

He was also a big shot, Kang Xian Kang Mingyun, the consort of Princess Chengguo and the current emperor's uncle. Although he did not participate in the court, he had a great reputation in the literary world and was a famous Confucian scholar.

Being able to get to know him would naturally be a great benefit to me.

However, the three people in front of him seemed strange no matter how he looked at them. Two big shots and a young man he thought was his junior were joking around with each other without any respect for seniority, and the atmosphere was quite relaxed, as if they were friends of equals.

After greeting Qin Siyuan and Kang Xian upon entering, and exchanging a few pleasantries, Qin Siyuan pointed to Song Mao and introduced him to Li Mu.

Li Mu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother Song, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Qin Siyuan then pointed to Li Mu and said, "This is Ning Yi, Ning Liheng, my and your lord's young friends..."

Song Mao's pupils dilated slightly, somewhat incredulous. This was the same Ning Yi his nephew had described as a fame-seeker. Putting aside his extraordinary demeanor, he hardly seemed like a bookworm. Judging from his natural familiarity with Duke Qin and Duke Ming, he was no ordinary person; he was the kind of person you could befriend and avoid offending.

That cheap nephew of mine must be bewitched, his brain must be full of mush.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and the next moment he laughed heartily: "Young Master Ning... could you be Ning Yi Ning Liheng from 'When Will the Moon Be Bright?'"

"Haha, I've heard so much about you, Young Master Ning."

Chapter 592 The Crest of the Times

After a few pleasantries, another game of chess ended, and the group decided to stop playing and go to Qin Siyuan's study to admire the calligraphy and paintings.

The calligraphy piece that Song Mao brought, written by Lin Fu and Lin Dajia, was also taken out and admired by the group.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Qin Siyuan said with a smile, "Liheng, I heard that at the Puyuan Poetry Gathering that day, not only were your poems excellent, but your calligraphy was also superb, showing the style of a master. It's a pity that it was collected by the Pu family, and it is said that it will be displayed at every Puyuan Poetry Gathering from now on."

Kang Xian interjected, "If this is displayed every Mid-Autumn Festival, I'm afraid that no one will be able to compose any good poems about the moon on the Qinhuai River in the coming years."

Qin Siyuan smiled and said, "That's exactly right. However, this very phrase will greatly enhance the Pu family's Puyuan Poetry Gathering."

He then turned to Li Mu and said, "Li Heng, today is a rare opportunity. Please leave me an original copy of 'Shuidiao Getou' so I don't have to go to the Pu family to admire it."

Kang Xian chimed in, "Absolutely! Absolutely! Li Heng, write one for me too. Maybe it'll be worth something in a few years."

Li Mu laughed and said, "Old Master Kang has a large family and a great business, why would he care about such a small matter?"

Kang Xian glared and said, "I even gave you the finest purple bamboo shoots, so of course I have to get them back."

Li Mu laughed heartily: "Alright! Since you two have both spoken, then I can only make a fool of myself. Please forgive me if it's not well written."

Qin Siyuan said, "Liheng, there's no need to be modest. I've heard several people praise your calligraphy; it's unique and extremely rare."

Li Mu smiled. His calligraphy, in essence, was a form of swordsmanship. By utilizing his exquisite control over swordsmanship and his profound and unparalleled swordsmanship, he could wield his brush as a sword.

The characters he initially wrote were like a cold, gleaming sword, exuding a formidable aura. As his swordsmanship improved, so did his calligraphy. Now, with his swordsmanship reaching a level of effortless mastery, his calligraphy naturally possesses a refined and natural elegance, reminiscent of a great master.

At this moment, the servant had already prepared the brush, ink, paper and inkstone. Li Mu did not stand on ceremony, and with a flourish of his brush, he finished the work in one stroke.

Compared to the Mid-Autumn Festival night, his calligraphy had improved further, each stroke like a powerful hook and a graceful, flowing line, imbuing the entire poem with a unique artistic conception from beginning to end. From the first character to the last, the strokes flowed continuously, like the intent of a sword, never ceasing.

After the poem was finished, everyone clapped their hands and sighed in admiration.

Kang Xian quickly had someone lay out the Xuan paper again and said with a smile, "Liheng, give that one to Lord Qin, and I'll take this one with me. It can't be worse than the last one."

Li Mu said, "Since Elder Kang says so, I have a new way of writing it that I can use."

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and wrote "Shuidiao Getou" in Song typeface. The eyes of the group lit up, their gazes filled with unspeakable admiration.

Although it is called Songti, it is actually a typeface that was only summarized and matured in the Ming Dynasty.

Later, the Song typeface spread to Japan, where it was called "Ming Dynasty typeface" or simply "Ming typeface".

There is also a claim that the Song typeface was invented by Qin Hui, but this is mostly a misconception.

Some of the calligraphic styles of the great calligraphers of the Song Dynasty were indeed similar to the Song typeface, but only in appearance; they were not yet fully developed. This typeface did not mature until the Ming Dynasty.

Li Mu learned Song typeface in the game "Laughing at the World," though he didn't study it very diligently and didn't have much skill. After coming to this world, he practiced for half a year, and with the enhancement of his mastery of the pen as a sword, his writing naturally became excellent.

After Li Mu finished writing, the way they looked at him changed. Qin Siyuan and Kang Xian, in particular, were once quite talented young friends. Now, with his unique handwriting, he was sure to be remembered in history and admired by countless students.

Centuries later, people may not know who Qin Siyuan and Kang Xian are, but they will definitely know who Ning Yi is.

Seeing the surprised looks on their faces, Li Mu smiled, spread out another sheet of Xuan paper, and casually wrote on it: "Three mountains half-hidden beyond the green hills, two rivers dividing the White Egret Isle."

This time, Li Mu used the Slender Gold style, which he also learned in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. After more than half a year of practice in this world, coupled with his current level of calligraphy, the result was naturally excellent.

Qin Siyuan looked at his handwriting with bright eyes, and then silently recited the two lines of poetry that Li Muxin had written: "These two lines of poetry are truly beautiful. They are simple yet have the style of a master. Liheng, your talent is even better than I imagined."

Kang Xian stroked his beard rapidly, his eyes shining as he looked at the newly written slender gold script: "Li Heng not only writes poetry well, but his handwriting is even better. It is even and upright, with strong and vigorous strokes, clear and refreshing, elegant and lively. This style of calligraphy has brought the slender strength of regular script to its extreme."

Qin Siyuan nodded in deep agreement: "Li Heng's calligraphy, especially these two new styles, is truly refreshing. If he studies it diligently, he may very well become a master in the future, and our dynasty may also produce a calligrapher who is no less than Yan Zhenqing and Wang Xizhi."

"In addition to Li Heng's own talent, he will not only be remembered in history, but will be remembered for eternity."

Not only the two of them, but Song Mao, who was standing next to them, was also quite shocked. Li Mu's talent exceeded his imagination. Not to mention his talent in poetry, just these two styles of calligraphy alone were enough to make him the focus of attention for scholars and literati all over the world.

Even without an official position, the influence of his every move among the scholars and literati of the land already surpassed that of his so-called prefect.

After sighing inwardly, he even felt a pang of pity for Li Mu. Such a person had become a live-in son-in-law. Although he had a good relationship with the Su family, he felt that a merchant family like the Su family was not worthy of such a talented person, let alone a live-in son-in-law.

Li Mu had only intended to casually show off these two fonts, after all, he had practiced them for a long time, but the reactions of the others were far beyond his expectations.

Thinking about it, it's not surprising at all.

The development trajectories of the Wu Dynasty and the Song Dynasty were similar, with flourishing culture and education, a large number of literati, and a highly developed Confucianism.

Furthermore, the imperial court was extremely lenient towards scholars and officials, granting them ample freedom, which naturally led to various attempts at innovation and change.

Not only in terms of ideas, but also in terms of fonts, a lot of innovation has been generated.

Song typeface and thin gold typeface are products that gradually emerged after standing at the forefront of the times and accumulating various pursuits of innovation and change.

However, the Slender Gold style was created earlier, when the Song Dynasty still existed; the Song style was created later, its evolution was interrupted by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, and it did not gradually mature until the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, the Song Dynasty already possessed the various innovations and foundations of these two fonts, and the same was true during the Wu Dynasty.

As the saying goes, being half a step ahead is genius, being a full step ahead is madness.

Compared to the various innovations in fonts during the Wu Dynasty, Song and Shoujin fonts are essentially half a step ahead of their time, building upon the foundations laid by this era.

The goal was to make these two fonts both aesthetically pleasing to the literati and officials of the Wu Dynasty, and also novel and stunning.

No wonder Qin Siyuan, Kang Xian, and Song Mao were all so impressed and shocked; the timing of their appearance was simply perfect.

Next, the group engaged in a heated discussion about the two different fonts written by Li Mu.

Li Mu knew that these people's calligraphy skills and fundamentals were far more solid than his own. He listened more and spoke less, remaining silent most of the time, only occasionally saying a few words on a few key points.

It is indeed very beneficial.

After chatting for a long time at Qin Siyuan's house, Li Mu wrote several pieces of calligraphy in Song and Shoujin styles, which he then gave to several people before taking his leave.

Meanwhile, as evening fell, a group of young people, led by Su Wenxing, sat anxiously in the pavilion of the Su residence.

Ever since Song Mao left in the afternoon, Su Wenxing had been anxiously waiting for his return. It was because he had boasted in front of them that his uncle would definitely expose Ning Yi's hypocritical facade of seeking fame and fortune.

These young men all belonged to the second branch of the Su family. If Song Mao hadn't come, Su Wenxing wouldn't have become the center of attention.

The group claimed to have a good relationship, but in reality, they only ate, drank, and had fun together. Since they were related by marriage, they naturally became closer.

Since they were both benefiting from the second wife's influence, in addition to eating, drinking, and having fun, they would naturally worry about the future fate of the second wife.

Su Tan'er, being a woman and younger than them, had made them feel utterly worthless; how could they possibly accept that?

After waiting anxiously for a while, Su Wentian said, "Wenxing, do you know where Lord Song went? He hasn't returned yet. If he went to the Qinhuai River, we've probably waited in vain today."

Su Wenxing said, "My cousin has important business to attend to this time, so why would he go there? However, he must be visiting a senior teacher or some other important person."

Su Wentian said, "Lord Song's mentor must be a very important person."

"Wenxing, what if we were lucky enough to go along? We might get a few pointers or some advice, then..."

One person sneered, "Wen Tian, ​​stop daydreaming. With your limited knowledge and lack of effort, you think you can suddenly become enlightened just because someone gives you a few pointers? You're dreaming!"

"If it were that simple, Wenxing would have figured it out long ago with his uncle around, and he wouldn't be wasting his days now."

Su Wentian was somewhat unconvinced: "It's because we didn't encounter any great teachers when we were young. What's the use of studying hard if we're like those mediocre teachers at Yushan Academy? We studied there for so many years, but we didn't learn anything!"

Su Wenxing agreed, saying, "Wen Tian is right. The teachers at Yushan Academy are all mediocre. Even someone like Ning Yi, who only cares about fame and fortune, can become a teacher. No wonder we can't study well. How can a bunch of mediocre people produce good students?"

Just then, a servant came over to report: "Young master, Lord Song has returned."

Before Su Wenxing could even feel happy, the servant continued, "Lord Song... Lord Song returned with Ning Yi. The two seemed to already know each other and were having a pleasant conversation."

The group of people were stunned for a moment. Su Wentian stood up and said, "Wenxing, what does your uncle mean by this? Didn't you say that your uncle had already agreed and even went to visit some teacher this afternoon? How come he's hanging out with Ning Yi again now?"

Su Wenxing was also somewhat bewildered. After a long pause, he seemed to have thought of something and his eyes lit up as he said, "Gentlemen, what's the rush? This is my uncle's strategy. Ning Yi is valued by my grandfather after all, so even my uncle can't come up and make things difficult for him directly. Everything must be based on evidence."