The Legend of Shushan Xuanjian

Chapter 462 Daming Palace Ci
With a sword like water, Wu Yan beats snow, and a slender hand breaks a new orange.

——Excerpt from Zhou Bangyan (Song Dynasty) of "Youth Tour: Bing Dao Rushui"

……

With the arrest of Jin Wuwei Cui Han, Niu Zhao and others, Chang'an's arrest operation has come to an end for the time being.There were still some spies on the list who did not attract Suzong's attention. After discussing with Bai Fu, Fang Shuliu and Bai Fu decided not to startle the snake, and handed these people over to the Chang'an branch of the Tang sect led by Tang Kui for secret surveillance.

Fang Shuliu and Bai Fu's "Fox Hunting Action" was highly praised by Emperor Suzong, who rewarded them with a lot of money and silk.Bai Fu was promoted to another rank, and he was granted the title of Hanlin Daizhao, and since then he has the power to walk in the ban.

At the same time, two major events occurred in Li Tang's royal family.

On March [-], Li Chu, king of Chu, was changed to become king.On March [-], Concubine Zhang Shu was named queen by Jin Dynasty.The ruling and opposition parties shook.

The court officials thought that Li Chu's unrivaled military exploits in recovering the two capitals would make him the crown prince in this grand ceremony, but they didn't expect that there would be an accident.Although King Chu and King Cheng are both princes, they actually dropped half a rank secretly.

And Concubine Zhang Shu was promoted from Zhang Liangdi to Concubine Shu not long ago, she did not expect to be conferred the title of Empress so soon.It can be seen that His Majesty cannot add to his favor.

……

Having had a drink that night, Fang Shuliu said to Bai Fu: "I never thought that Lady Gongsun would assassinate His Majesty, and the biggest beneficiary would be Concubine Shu?"

Bai Fu smiled lightly, and said, "Master Fang, according to your previous deduction, it seems that the whole matter is finally clear."

……

Early in the morning, Princess Qingluan was overjoyed and came to the Bashu Hall early in the morning to wake Bai Fu up.

Bai Fu continued to arrest for several days and nights, and was quite tired.When awakened by Princess Qingluan, she looked tired.The black hair, as smooth as cashmere, was casually pulled into a long bun, chic and elegant.

Bai Fu complained: "Your Highness, why are you so anxious, it's not too late to let me sleep peacefully."

Princess Qingluan smiled and said: "Father heard that you can understand martial arts from paintings, so he gave us both a gold medal. With this gold medal, we can enter Zuo Zangku and Linde Hall to appreciate the treasures in it." Calligraphy and painting by famous masters of the past dynasties."

Bai Fu was taken aback for a moment, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words."

Princess Qingluan looked forward with beautiful eyes, bowed her hands in return, and said with a smile: "They are all sons and daughters of the Jianghu, why bother to thank you!"

The two looked at each other, recalling the past, and laughed.Amidst the hearty laughter, there was a burst of warmth in my heart.

……

After washing up, Bai Fu went downstairs slowly and floated over.Dressed in white, with light fur and a gentle belt, she has a clear and handsome face, with eyebrows sculpted like swords, slanting into her temples.A pair of star-like eyes revealed a touch of loneliness.

Now that they are so familiar, Princess Qingluan is still heartbroken for no reason.

The two got on their horses and drove side by side on the wide road of Danfengmen Street.The sun's rays sprinkled the two of them golden.

Danfeng Gate is the main south gate of Daming Palace. It is more than twenty feet long from east to west and seven to eight feet wide from north to south.

The two passed under the Jianfu Gate on the west side of Danfeng Gate, and from here they entered the Daming Palace.Princess Qingluan leads the way personally, and with the gold medal in hand, Bai Fu can travel without hindrance.

When they arrived at Xiama Bridge, they dismounted and walked over the two-hundred-foot-long Royal Bridge to Longwei Road.Longwei Road is three parallel steps, more than twenty feet long.

Ascending the long Longwei Road, the majestic Hanyuan Hall rises like the sun and suddenly appears in front of you, "Looking up at the Jade Seat is like being in Xiaohan".

Hanyuan Hall is the seat of the great dynasty, where Yuanzheng and Dongzhi listened to the dynasty.

Previously, Bai Fu accompanied all the officials into the palace to go to court, and he did not look sideways, not daring to look around.This is the first time to appreciate this magnificent and majestic palace.

Hanyuan Hall is located on the southern edge of Longshouyuan, on the ridge of the whole city, where "the south is like the palm of your hand, and the square and city can be seen from the bottom".

Hanyuan Hall is majestic and majestic, with a width of more than ten rooms.The single-storey hall has double eaves and verandas on the top of the hall. Left and right corridors stretch out on both sides. The que becomes the wing".

The two pavilions are fifty meters apart from east to west, forming a concave plane with the main hall, enclosing an open space of more than two hundred feet in front of the main hall, which is extremely magnificent.

Go north through the Xuanzheng Gate, and come to the Xuanzheng Hall. The hall is spacious, and this is the place where the court often lives.Then pass through the Zichen Gate to the north, and arrive at the Zichen Hall, which is the residence of the Japanese and imperial courts, and the palace is relatively small.

To the north of Zichen Hall is the vast and boundless Hougongyu and Linyuan. The sparkling Taiye Pool is in the middle, and there is Penglai Mountain in the pool.

Linde Hall is located on the hill between the west bank of Taiye Pool and the west wall of Daming Palace.Linde Hall is composed of four halls: the front and middle halls are single-story single-eave veranda roofs, and the back hall and Zhanri Pavilion are two-story single-eave Xieshan roofs.

Linde Hall, a combination of four halls, is actually built on a large two-story stone platform. The two small halls of Yuyi Tower and Jielin Tower and the East and West Pavilions are respectively connected with the upper floors of the middle and rear halls by arc-shaped flying bridges.It reflects the majesty and magnificence of the main hall.

Linde Hall is the place where the emperor gave banquets to ministers and envoys from various countries.Because it is close to Xiyuan, it is convenient for officials to evacuate and does not interfere with the main halls and harem of the Daming Palace. Therefore, the royal family often holds polo, Cuju, singing and dancing banquets and other activities here.

Princess Qingluan told Bai Fu about the representative works.The master craftsman who designed and built the Daming Palace was Yan Liben, the Zhongshu Ling who drew the "Picture of Walking Chariots", "Six Steeds of Zhaoling Mausoleum" and "Picture of Heroes of Lingyan Pavilion".

The supervisor is Liang Xiaoren, a minister in charge of agriculture.

After hearing this, Bai Fu became more and more interested.

Yan Liben inherited his family education, and also learned from Zhang Sengxuan, Zheng Fashi, etc., and formed a school of his own. He promoted the "exquisite and beautiful" paintings since the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty paintings that "rejuvenated and prepared".Yan Liben is good at painting Taoism, Buddhism, figures, landscapes, and pommel horses. He is especially good at depicting the characters of historical figures through painting. He is known as "all six methods are prepared".The lines of his paintings are strong and powerful, the expressions are lifelike, the colors are quaint and calm, the brushstrokes are more detailed than Gu Kaizhi, and the figures are lifelike and vivid.

His works are highly regarded in the world. Paintings such as "The True Face of Emperor Taizong", "Eighteen Scholars of the Qin Mansion", and "The Picture of 24 Heroes of Lingyan Pavilion" were listed as "divine products" by the contemporaries and praised as "the deification of Danqing".

However, at that time, the official circles believed that Yan Liben was a villain who was promoted by "the last trick", and he was often compared with Jiang Ke, a famous general with great military achievements.Colleagues ridiculed Yan Liben for his lack of military exploits, and he only gained high positions by building temples and Danqing paintings, and he could not be compared with Zuoxiang Jiang Ke at all.Therefore, people at that time had the ridicule of "the left side is Xuanwei Desert, the right side is famous for Danqing".

Xu Taifu once told Bai Fu a story about Yan Liben:
Emperor Taizong often called Yan Liben into the palace to paint because he admired Yan Liben's painters.In the late spring of a certain year, Emperor Taizong led his scribes to go boating and saw different birds wandering on the lake. He became very interested and ordered his courtiers to write poems and praises on the spot.The eunuchs immediately shouted to the shore: "call Yan Liben, the painter, to visit the emperor in Yuchi, Qingyuan!"

According to court rules, when a painter enters the palace, he must lie down on the ground and look up at the emperor to paint.

At this time, Yan Liben was the official of the lord, but it was Cao, the lord of the Ministry of officials, who was in charge of the matter of ennobling.Although he is an official of the imperial court, he has to act according to the rules.Yan Liben rushed to run according to the order, and immediately leaned over to paint regardless of the profuse sweating.

While sweating profusely, looking up, besides the grace of Emperor Taizong, there is also the disdain in the eyes of a group of attendants and scribes.At this moment, Yan Liben was full of shame and humiliation.

Back home, Yan Liben was deeply depressed and indignant.He admonished several sons: "I have read a lot of books since I was a child. No matter whether it is poetry or theory, I will never lose to my colleagues. Although I am in an important position, I am called a "painter" because I am good at painting. Like a lowly servant.

What a shame!

You must take it seriously as a warning, and don't practice this 'last trick'. "

Bai Fu told this story to Princess Qingluan, Princess Qingluan heard it with great interest, and said: "I didn't expect that there are such allusions in Daming Palace, it's very interesting."

　1. References

　　"History of Chinese Architectural Art", Liu Tuo, Life·Reading·New Knowledge Joint Publishing, published in March 2021

　　2. "Old Book of Tang·Biography of Yan Liben":
　　Emperor Taizong tried to go boating with his courtiers and bachelors in Chunyuan. There were different birds in the pool, and they followed the wave.Taizong rewarded, and those who counted the edicts were chants, and called for this decree to be written.The outsider of the Shi Pavilion shouted: "Painter Yan Liben." At that time, the lord of the lord, running and sweating, prostrated himself on the side of the pool, waving red powder in his hand, looking at the guests, feeling ashamed.Retired to his son and said: "My young man is good at reading, so I was spared facing the wall. I am in love with you, and I am quite as good as my peers. You can only see it with Danqing, and it is a shame to be a servant! You should give a deep warning, don't practice this Last trick."

　　3. With knives like water, Wu Yan beats snow, and slender hands break new oranges.The brocade tent is warming up for the first time, and the animal smoke continues, and they sit opposite each other and tune the sheng.

　　Ask in a low voice: Who do you want to spend the night with?It's three o'clock in the city.The horse's slippery cream is thick, it's better to stop, it's just that few people go!

　　——"Juvenile Journey and Swords Like Water" Zhou Bangyan (Song Dynasty)

　　
　　
　
(End of this chapter)