Taohuaxi

Chapter 39 Painting for the Queen
Painter Liao sighed: "In the 34th year of Jiajing, our dynasty won a great victory against the Japanese, but there were still Japanese wars. This is the first battle achievement. I was very happy and ordered me to make a painting and hang it in the Hanlin Painting Academy forever to warn future generations. From generation to generation, we must never forget foreign aggression. I will remember it deeply, remember it deeply."

I was confused after hearing this. What does the war against Japan have to do with me?

Painter Liao asked again: "May I ask this lady, when was she born?"

I leaned over and replied: "I was born in the 39th year of Jiajing."

He stroked his beard and shook his head: "No, no. It seems that the old man is indeed old. He is obsessed with the picturesque mountains and rivers, but his memory is poor and he is confused. Thank you for disturbing me, Madam Haihan."

I hurriedly said: "Senior, what are you talking about?"

The eunuch in charge of Cining Palace hurriedly called: "Painter Liao, go quickly. The Queen Mother and Princess Ping Ning are waiting for you."

"Yes, yes, yes." Painter Liao followed the eunuch and walked away.

I stared at his back blankly.

Feng Gao called: "Sister, sister——"

I woke up and turned around.

There was a look of understanding in his deep eyes: "Sister, I know you are hurt by your life experience. As long as someone says something, I will take it to heart. But we children in the acrobatic class are all fatherless. The motherless is like a rootless weed. When the wind blows or the fire comes, it scatters in all directions. It is extremely difficult to find a place."

Yes.

He was right.

As long as parents in this world have a way to survive, how can they bear to send their children to such a torturous place?
Nowadays, it is really hard to find it.

I smiled sadly.

Feng Gao thought for a long time and said: "Sister, I have been looking for the class leader for many years, but to no avail every time. I drew a portrait of him and gave it to the [-]th stall under Dongchang. ', I have searched all acrobatic troupes in the north and south of the country, even in Guangxi, Dian and Mongolia, but found nothing. But a few days ago, I suddenly heard the news that he seemed to have been found in a brothel in Jicheng. I have ordered My men are searching with all their strength. There is no result yet. Before I found it, I didn’t want to tell you, for fear that you would be happy in vain. But I just saw you..."

He hugged me, his face as thin as jade: "Sister, please don't feel sad. No matter what, I am your relative. I have a sister, so I don't feel lonely. Please also ask me, sister, because I am not alone."

I look at him.

Admittedly, I have no memory of what happened before arriving at the Zhu family.But after getting to know him again, even if I put aside the past, the little things he did to me later and the warmth he gave me are enough for me to treat him as a kind brother.

I whispered: "Don't worry, my sister won't be sad."

He smiled: "That's good. I can see my sister happy every day, and I am very happy too."

Under his red and gold official robe, his body was thin and tall, and even when he smiled, he looked sad.

After a while, the eunuch in charge of Cining Palace came back and said: "The Queen Mother suddenly got up and asked a painter to paint a small portrait for the Queen. Who else is the painter on duty today?"

The imperial eunuch of Renzhi Hall flipped through the book and said: "At that time, the palace also summoned someone. All the painters on duty today were summoned, and only the new painter Zhu was free."

The supervisor of Cining Palace looked at me and said, "Then, Master Zhu Zhu, just come with us."

This is the first assignment I have received in my career as a court painter.

Feng Gao encouraged: "Sister, you go ahead. The Queen Mother and the Queen are both very kind people."

"Hmm." I nodded.

I followed the chief eunuch of Cining Palace and walked forward.

On a hot summer day, the palace is filled with beautiful flowers blooming all year round.

He kept talking to me: "Zhu Painter, I have a message for you. The Queen Mother gave you a portrait of the Queen Mother. It was sent to Lord Long Live. Lord Long Live is not interested in the Queen and has not been here for many days. . The Queen Mother is anxious. The Queen Mother is pregnant now and she is the one who is dear to the Queen Mother! You have to draw well. If a small portrait on paper can call Long Live the Lord to Cining Palace to visit the Queen, oh, I wish you the best. Painter, you are the one who has made great achievements in front of the Queen Mother!"

I smiled and said, "Thank you, father-in-law, for the tip."

Cining Palace, Orchid Palace Summer Palace, and Xuanting Gathering Ceremony are the places where the Long Live Lord revered his birth mother, the Empress Dowager Cisheng.

I walked into the Changxin Gate and saw a middle-aged woman with a round face and rich clothes sitting above her, and several young women in palace clothes sitting on the left and right.

A girl with flowing braids was sitting on a golden wicker chair nearby, and the white-bearded painter Liao was painting her portrait.I heard that Queen Mother Li gave birth to three children: Your Majesty, King Lu, and Princess Pingning.Princess Pingning was particularly pampered because of the death of Empress Dowager Li, and she was the daughter of Chenghuan.Presumably, this girl is Princess Pingning.

The eunuch led me forward: "Queen Mother, the painter has arrived."

The middle-aged woman with a round face and colorful clothes looked up at me and said, "How come I haven't seen this painter before?"

"Back to the Queen Mother, she is new here today. She was recommended by Mr. Zhang. The Twelve Supervisors have reviewed her and retained her for the imperial use."

She smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang's knowledge of people is absolutely correct."

She pointed to a woman with a swollen belly on the right side and said, "Have a good time painting it for the Queen. Let the Ai family see what you are capable of."

"As you command." I leaned over and replied.

Looking up, I saw that the Queen's face was dull, with unspeakable sorrow in her brows.

She was originally a lady of the Queen Mother, but she was lucky enough to be pregnant with a dragon descendant.Banzai refused to acknowledge her, but Empress Dowager Li was so strong that she forced Banzai to give her the position.She was caught between the Tian family's mother and son, and was in a dilemma.

I thought about it for a long time and decided to use my strengths and avoid weaknesses.Her face is not attractive, but she is charming with her "emotion".

I painted a peach blossom with thick ink and color, and in front of the peach blossom I drew the side face of a woman who bowed her head and meditated.Accompanied by a young unicorn.Qilin means heir.My longing and motherly love are all on display.

After the painting was completed, I wrote a seven-character poem in the lower right corner: The spring breeze in February is as thin as firewood, and the apricot blossoms have faded and the peach blossoms have bloomed.The child is in confusion about lovesickness in his belly, and thousands of acres of peach blossoms are waiting for you to come.

The eunuch held the painting in front of Empress Dowager Li. Empress Dowager Li looked at it and asked in confusion: "Why is it that the face of the Queen Mother is not painted?"

I hurriedly reported back: "If it seems like nothing, it will be in someone's arms."

She hesitated and then ordered the eunuch: "Send it to Lord Long Live and see what he says."

"Yes." The eunuch took the order and left.

After a while, he came back happily: "Your Majesty, Long live the Lord said that I will go to see the Queen tonight."

"Oh?" Queen Mother Li said with a smile on her face, "What did the Ai family tell you? Long Live Lord is sensible."

The Queen Mother quickly said yes.

Empress Dowager Li leaned on the soft chair and looked at me: "I will reward this painter with ten pieces of brocade and one bunch of southern pearls."

I knelt down to thank him.

She said leisurely: "Why are the Ai family looking at you? This painter's eyebrows and eyes look a bit like the same person..."

She asked the eunuch: "You said, right?"

The eunuch replied: "Yes, yes, he looks a bit like Mr. Banzhou."

Empress Dowager Li sighed: "When talking about Mr. Banzhou, the Ai family thought of wolf soldiers. King Yan originally wanted to build a golden platform, just to recruit talented people. Why did Jing Ke finally go away, Kong Lian Leyi will not come back. Banzhou It’s a pity that you are a man who is capable of both literary and military skills.”

The eunuch smiled and said: "There are many talented people in the court. Now that Mr. Zhang is here, why should the Queen Mother worry?"

Queen Mother Li waved her hand: "Go, let's all go. The Ai family is going to have a rest. People are old and their spirits are always low."

When I came out of Cining Palace, I heard someone calling me: "Second Aunt——"

I turned around and saw Miss Sun Shu Yao.

When she was in the mansion, she was kept in a boudoir by the eldest mistress and rarely came out.Except for the reunion dinner at the festival, I saw her, and I never saw her in other places.She is always silent.I'm not very familiar with her.

At this moment, she looked at me shyly: "Second aunt, I didn't expect you to come into the palace. Tell my mother, I miss her very much. There are many things, and I really don't know what to do without her by my side." "

I saluted her according to the etiquette and said, "My family hopes that our talented lady is safe."

She bit her lip and remained silent.

I walked a long way and saw her still standing in the wind, feeling very pitiful.

He returned to his home full of thoughts.

Today, Painter Liao’s words and the Queen Mother’s words are constantly intertwined in my mind.I rummaged furiously on the bookshelf.I got a volume of yellowed historical materials and a copy of "Banzhou Manuscript".

In May of the 33rd year of Jiajing's reign in the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates invaded in large numbers. The southeast was devastated and the situation was critical.Mr. Banzhou used the bandits to make the people strong and weak, so he had to borrow wolf soldiers, so he invited the dynasty sparingly.

In May of the 34th year of Jiajing, Banzhou led his wolf troops to defeat the enemy invaders.

Before leaving the army, he told his family: "The invasion of foreign thieves will be a great humiliation for the country. I will prepare a black flag. I will wipe the blood when I am injured, and I will wrap myself up when I die. Why fear!"

Reading this, I burst into tears.

Prepare a black flag to wipe the blood when you are injured, and wrap yourself up when you die.

I finally understood why Painter Liao said "no, no" after asking me the year of my birth.

Because Mr. Banzhou, after making military exploits, was accused by his colleagues, and on October 34, the 29th year of Jiajing, he was beheaded on the street in Xishi.

In the early years of Longqing, Fang was rehabilitated.

"The merits are not rewarded, but they are killed unjustly, and the Japanese poisonous people are used to aid the attack. The southeast has been devastated for decades. The crime of slandering the thieves can be punished!"

My mother said that I was born in Mang Zhong in the 39th year of Jiajing.

It's obviously not right.

At that time, Mr. Banzhou was already dead.

How could I possibly be related to him?
But Mr. Zhang should know these things, so why did he still say those words to Cheng Huaishi?Could it be that he knew something unknown?

I am full of doubts.

A man holding a black flag seemed to appear in front of him, fighting with the Japanese until he was covered in blood.

(End of this chapter)