Just care about yourself, no matter what you want to do.
Meng Qi arrived at the room in the inn and eagerly unrolled the painting scroll.
It was a scroll about three feet long, painted with mud gold, azurite, and malachite, not the erotic scenes Meng Qi had expected, but a landscape painting of mountains and rivers, devoid of any figures.
The mountains stretched on with clouds and mist swirling around, trees with intertwined branches in the foreground, vivid and lush. The tree crowns obscured the stone steps leading up the mountain, and looking along this path, it wound and spiraled up to the steep peaks.
There were flying springs and waterfalls, and red-tiled Buddhist temples.
The wind blew through the mountains and forests, causing the clouds and mist to slowly disperse, revealing the contours of the mountains, which resembled a dragon looking up in anticipation.
“……”
Lu Min did not enter, not wanting to disturb Master Meng’s “refined interest,” plus he felt uncomfortable looking at these paintings, leaving Meng Qi alone in the room with the scroll, his smile freezing on his lips.
Viewing paintings was a joy.
Perhaps there were many masters of painting in Taijing, but those willing to paint erotic scenes, and to do so with originality, were few.
In fact, Meng Qi did not have a particular fondness for these types of paintings; it was merely curiosity.
During the Chu dynasty, the people of Taijing could always encounter various new things and taste a wide variety of snacks and dishes. New things were not necessarily better than the old ones, but the novelty alone was enough, and as long as something was good enough, they would not rest until the novelty wore off.
This was precisely Meng Qi’s mindset at the moment.
He had seen these fan paintings by Master Jinshui at the Fengxing Pavilion, and flipped through a few illustrated books, finding them interesting. Although Meng Qi was not skilled in painting, he understood it.
Such treasures were most abundant in the imperial palace, which Meng Qi had seen plenty of.
Moreover, he had friends skilled in the art of painting, and they would often invite friends to appreciate good paintings together. This appreciation was not just about hanging the paintings and praising them in unison; it involved discussing what was good, how it was good, how the strokes were made, and how to imitate them, with every word being insightful. With so much exposure, how could one remain completely ignorant?
The erotic paintings by Master Jinshui not only had unique brushwork but also embodied the principle of “implying without revealing,” rich in aesthetic appeal. It was unknown if it was because the scholar had been forced to make a living this way that he still had some reservations, leading to the creation of these treasures by accident.
What was most ingenious was that the objects concealing and hiding the figures in each painting were different.
The four fan paintings depicted different scenes: a swing under a tree, a valley of falling flowers, a warm spring bath purporting to be a leisurely affair of the previous dynasty’s royalty, and likewise, the palace covered in curtains.
Meng Qi eagerly unrolled the scroll, wanting to see what Master Jinshui had used this time.
But—
The expected erotic painting suddenly turned into a landscape painting.
That aside, it was even a painting of the Shangyun Mountains! The outline of Shangyun’s Dragon Head Peak and five other peaks!
He had planned to appreciate the painting and then take it to the Fengxing Pavilion to extort a sum, but how could he go now? Holding a painting of the dragon vein of Taijing, his own image, and selling it to a bookstore in the red-light district that printed erotic albums, would that be proper??
Meng Qi’s expression stiffened, and for a moment, he did not know whether to put away the painting or to turn around and ask Mo Li for an explanation.
“Creak.”
The door opened, and Mo Li entered with a plate of date paste cakes in hand.
Although the city was in turmoil, the business of the inn did not plummet. With the city gates closed, people could not leave, and with an incident in Peony District, those who had wanted to continue staying in the pleasure district had no choice but to move to the inn, making the vacant rooms suddenly scarce.
It was Meng Qi who, knowing his way around, quickly found a relatively secluded inn and, by paying a sum of money, managed to secure the last two top-floor rooms.
“The inn’s waiter went to the East Market to buy rice and grain, so this is the only snack left in the inn.”
Mo Li placed the date paste cakes on the table and said to Meng Qi, “There are no sugar-roasted chestnuts, make do with these.”
These date paste cakes had been sitting for a while and were not very tasty. Meng Qi picked up a piece, and just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he started to frown.
“Doctor, this painting…”
“Oh, Mr. Jinshui said he wanted to give me a painting, so I chose my favorite one.”
Mo Li glanced at the scroll in Meng Qi’s hand and responded calmly.
Meng Qi unconsciously looked at the scroll, then realizing something, left the half-eaten date paste cake in his mouth, slightly puffing out his cheeks.
Mo Li: “……”
He was unexpectedly confronted with the human version of a sand rat.
That’s exactly the look of a sand rat eating roasted chestnuts.
Realizing something, Meng Qi quickly swallowed the poorly tasting piece of date paste cake.
“Cough, I just didn’t expect that Mr. Jinshui would also have… such paintings.”
“He paints erotic scenes to make ends meet, not as a craftsman specializing in this type of artistry. How could he not have other paintings?” Mo Li, for some reason, seriously started to argue with Meng Qi, a departure from his usual demeanor.
Those few fan paintings alone showed that the painter had a strong foundation, truly exceptional.
Meng Qi felt a sourness in his heart and unrolled the scroll, inexplicably starting to pick apart the flaws of this landscape painting.
“…The use of color here is too heavy, somewhat overpowering. And this patch of trees, the brushwork lacks vigor. The concept is good, but the fog in the mountains, under the condition of wind, would not disperse in this direction. Look, this side is east, this side is north. With such lush trees, it should be summer; how could there be wind from this direction?”
Mo Li, for a moment, did not know what to say.
He looked down at the date paste cakes and simply started eating them.
After Meng Qi had finished enumerating all the flaws in the painting, he discovered that the plate was empty. The doctor had been eating while appreciating the painting, seemingly treating Meng Qi’s words as mere background noise.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm.” Mo Li didn’t even look up, engrossed in the painting.
“……”
Seeing one’s beloved so captivated by “oneself,” should one be happy or angry?
Meng Qi’s feelings were complex as he rolled up the scroll—his beloved was here, yet what was the point of looking at mountains?!
“Do you really like this painting, Doctor? In fact, the imperial palace houses several landscape paintings by famous artists from previous dynasties, especially a painting by the celebrated Mr. Lincheng from 500 years ago, depicting a northern view of Taijing, which inspired the renaming of that city gate to Lincheng Gate… The mountain shapes resemble dragons among the clouds and mists, incredibly lifelike.”
Mo Li listened intently.
Meng Qi, energized, was about to continue to the next painting when he heard Mo Li shake his head: “Those paintings are indeed exquisite but hidden within the imperial palace. Though we could easily take them without effort, stealing is ultimately wrong. This painting is different, whether it’s used for exchange or gifted by the artist, the provenance is legitimate.”
Meng Qi hadn’t thought about the matter of exchange until Mo Li brought it up, reminding him that this painting was just an addition.
An addition for buying silver needles!
How could it be so pitiful?
Master Meng’s feelings were a mix of emotions, holding the scroll, feeling it was neither right to discard it nor to simply put it down and feel content.
Throughout history, countless scholars have written poems and painted about Shangyun Mountain! There are countless famous lines that have been passed down through ages, and there’s no lack of a painting from an unknown impoverished scholar.
But the Doctor likes it! What could he do?
Meng Qi’s expressions changed rapidly; he took a deep breath and managed to ask, “Which part of the painting do you like the most, Doctor?”
“Hmm? As you said, limited by the artist’s skill, there are some flaws. But the flaws don’t obscure the merits. Didn’t you mention before that Mr. Jinshui’s forte is precisely this style of implying without revealing?”
After Mo Li finished speaking, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
Meng Qi reacted faster, his eyes widening in shock.
…Implying without revealing, does it refer to the clouds and mist in the painting?
The clouds enveloping the mountains, slowly dispersing, at first glance, indeed give the illusion of the painting coming to life.
As the dragon vein, the mountain is him, and he is the mountain!
Meng Qi was shocked by Mo Li’s straightforwardness, while Mo Li’s ears turned bright red.
“Doctor, Imperial Teacher!
The Second Prince entered, cautious not to speak too loudly lest he be overheard by others in the inn.
Upon entering, he saw the two standing very close to each other, the atmosphere somewhat strange.
“Uh!”
Lu Min instinctively felt something was amiss, immediately noticing the empty snack plate.
“Both rooms are top-tier, so why does only this one have food?” Lu Min couldn’t help but complain.
Mo Li instinctively reminded, “You can’t eat dates, your body needs to be nourished with medicine. I’ll write a prescription and go to the pharmacy on the street to get some medicines.”
Lu Min didn’t think much of it and said, “I’ve just asked a waiter to inquire about a vacant house on this street, but now’s not the time; renting a house amidst the general panic could arouse suspicion. If the Imperial Teacher has time, perhaps you could check those places out.”
He hesitated, then added firmly, “I saw the Sixth Prince’s convoy on the street; he’s returned to Taijing.”
“The Sixth Prince?” Mo Li thought of the young prince who had eavesdropped on him speaking with Meng Qi outside Lu’s estate.
At the time, he found it peculiar, noting the prince’s impressive hiding ability, knowing instinctively the right size of object to conceal himself behind. Most people instinctively choose the largest cover when hiding, but the Sixth Prince did not.
Initially, Mo Li thought it was due to the many secrets within the imperial palace, and the Sixth Prince was accustomed to eavesdropping. Now, it seemed clear the prince knew exactly what could protect him from the wrath of the emperor.
“The Crown Prince’s favored candidate for succession is the Sixth Prince,” Meng Qi casually dropped a bombshell on the Second Prince.
“What?”
Lu Min, predictably furious, exclaimed, “How am I inferior to that kid? He’s willful and always acts as if he’s seen through everything, thinking he’s so clever. Even the Third Prince is more sensible!”
Meng Qi, interested, asked, “Why can’t you brothers unite?”
Mo Li also frowned, saying, “Ancient people said unity can cut through metal. With you all pursuing your own agendas, how do you plan to overthrow the emperor?”
“What unity? More like holding each other back!” The Second Prince grumbled. “With the likes of the Sixth, practically broadcasting his rebellion, joining forces with him would only spell disaster.”
“……”
Mo Li wondered how the Second Prince could say such a thing. If the Sixth Prince’s rebellious intentions were in his eyes, then Lu Min’s were written on his forehead.
Why did the Crown Prince choose the Sixth Prince? Not because the Sixth was particularly good, but because he was the best of a short bunch.
Compared to the rash Second Prince and the indecisive, cowardly Third Prince, at least the Sixth Prince had a working brain.
“Let it be, the Sixth is full of cunning plans; why should I worry for him?” Lu Min stormed off, thoughts of his traitorous consort and the loyalists who died in Wanhe Hall making his nose sting.
Watching his retreating figure, Mo Li was at a loss for words.
Meng Qi seemingly casually reminded, “His constitution is too weak; he needs to focus on healing. Now is the time to look after himself, not get entangled in court struggles.”
“And what about Brother Meng? What are your plans next?”
“Me? Naturally, to buy a house big enough for a large bathtub, spending my days doing nothing, indulging in pleasures.” Meng Qi, convinced Mo Li’s earlier mention of implication was a hint, discreetly handed the scroll to Mo Li, asking meaningfully, “I wonder what style the Doctor prefers?”
“…Are you asking about the house, or the bathtub?”
The author’s note:
A chubby rat stands at the edge of the bathtub: Ah, to immerse in pleasures.
The black carp in the bathtub: …
Wake up, sand rat, jumping in will only lead to drowning!
Just care about yourself, no matter what you want to do.
Meng Qi arrived at the room in the inn and eagerly unrolled the painting scroll.
It was a scroll about three feet long, painted with mud gold, azurite, and malachite, not the erotic scenes Meng Qi had expected, but a landscape painting of mountains and rivers, devoid of any figures.
The mountains stretched on with clouds and mist swirling around, trees with intertwined branches in the foreground, vivid and lush. The tree crowns obscured the stone steps leading up the mountain, and looking along this path, it wound and spiraled up to the steep peaks.
There were flying springs and waterfalls, and red-tiled Buddhist temples.
The wind blew through the mountains and forests, causing the clouds and mist to slowly disperse, revealing the contours of the mountains, which resembled a dragon looking up in anticipation.
“……”
Lu Min did not enter, not wanting to disturb Master Meng’s “refined interest,” plus he felt uncomfortable looking at these paintings, leaving Meng Qi alone in the room with the scroll, his smile freezing on his lips.
Viewing paintings was a joy.
Perhaps there were many masters of painting in Taijing, but those willing to paint erotic scenes, and to do so with originality, were few.
In fact, Meng Qi did not have a particular fondness for these types of paintings; it was merely curiosity.
During the Chu dynasty, the people of Taijing could always encounter various new things and taste a wide variety of snacks and dishes. New things were not necessarily better than the old ones, but the novelty alone was enough, and as long as something was good enough, they would not rest until the novelty wore off.
This was precisely Meng Qi’s mindset at the moment.
He had seen these fan paintings by Master Jinshui at the Fengxing Pavilion, and flipped through a few illustrated books, finding them interesting. Although Meng Qi was not skilled in painting, he understood it.
Such treasures were most abundant in the imperial palace, which Meng Qi had seen plenty of.
Moreover, he had friends skilled in the art of painting, and they would often invite friends to appreciate good paintings together. This appreciation was not just about hanging the paintings and praising them in unison; it involved discussing what was good, how it was good, how the strokes were made, and how to imitate them, with every word being insightful. With so much exposure, how could one remain completely ignorant?
The erotic paintings by Master Jinshui not only had unique brushwork but also embodied the principle of “implying without revealing,” rich in aesthetic appeal. It was unknown if it was because the scholar had been forced to make a living this way that he still had some reservations, leading to the creation of these treasures by accident.
What was most ingenious was that the objects concealing and hiding the figures in each painting were different.
The four fan paintings depicted different scenes: a swing under a tree, a valley of falling flowers, a warm spring bath purporting to be a leisurely affair of the previous dynasty’s royalty, and likewise, the palace covered in curtains.
Meng Qi eagerly unrolled the scroll, wanting to see what Master Jinshui had used this time.
But—
The expected erotic painting suddenly turned into a landscape painting.
That aside, it was even a painting of the Shangyun Mountains! The outline of Shangyun’s Dragon Head Peak and five other peaks!
He had planned to appreciate the painting and then take it to the Fengxing Pavilion to extort a sum, but how could he go now? Holding a painting of the dragon vein of Taijing, his own image, and selling it to a bookstore in the red-light district that printed erotic albums, would that be proper??
Meng Qi’s expression stiffened, and for a moment, he did not know whether to put away the painting or to turn around and ask Mo Li for an explanation.
“Creak.”
The door opened, and Mo Li entered with a plate of date paste cakes in hand.
Although the city was in turmoil, the business of the inn did not plummet. With the city gates closed, people could not leave, and with an incident in Peony District, those who had wanted to continue staying in the pleasure district had no choice but to move to the inn, making the vacant rooms suddenly scarce.
It was Meng Qi who, knowing his way around, quickly found a relatively secluded inn and, by paying a sum of money, managed to secure the last two top-floor rooms.
“The inn’s waiter went to the East Market to buy rice and grain, so this is the only snack left in the inn.”
Mo Li placed the date paste cakes on the table and said to Meng Qi, “There are no sugar-roasted chestnuts, make do with these.”
These date paste cakes had been sitting for a while and were not very tasty. Meng Qi picked up a piece, and just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he started to frown.
“Doctor, this painting…”
“Oh, Mr. Jinshui said he wanted to give me a painting, so I chose my favorite one.”
Mo Li glanced at the scroll in Meng Qi’s hand and responded calmly.
Meng Qi unconsciously looked at the scroll, then realizing something, left the half-eaten date paste cake in his mouth, slightly puffing out his cheeks.
Mo Li: “……”
He was unexpectedly confronted with the human version of a sand rat.
That’s exactly the look of a sand rat eating roasted chestnuts.
Realizing something, Meng Qi quickly swallowed the poorly tasting piece of date paste cake.
“Cough, I just didn’t expect that Mr. Jinshui would also have… such paintings.”
“He paints erotic scenes to make ends meet, not as a craftsman specializing in this type of artistry. How could he not have other paintings?” Mo Li, for some reason, seriously started to argue with Meng Qi, a departure from his usual demeanor.
Those few fan paintings alone showed that the painter had a strong foundation, truly exceptional.
Meng Qi felt a sourness in his heart and unrolled the scroll, inexplicably starting to pick apart the flaws of this landscape painting.
“…The use of color here is too heavy, somewhat overpowering. And this patch of trees, the brushwork lacks vigor. The concept is good, but the fog in the mountains, under the condition of wind, would not disperse in this direction. Look, this side is east, this side is north. With such lush trees, it should be summer; how could there be wind from this direction?”
Mo Li, for a moment, did not know what to say.
He looked down at the date paste cakes and simply started eating them.
After Meng Qi had finished enumerating all the flaws in the painting, he discovered that the plate was empty. The doctor had been eating while appreciating the painting, seemingly treating Meng Qi’s words as mere background noise.
“Doctor?”
“Hmm.” Mo Li didn’t even look up, engrossed in the painting.
“……”
Seeing one’s beloved so captivated by “oneself,” should one be happy or angry?
Meng Qi’s feelings were complex as he rolled up the scroll—his beloved was here, yet what was the point of looking at mountains?!
“Do you really like this painting, Doctor? In fact, the imperial palace houses several landscape paintings by famous artists from previous dynasties, especially a painting by the celebrated Mr. Lincheng from 500 years ago, depicting a northern view of Taijing, which inspired the renaming of that city gate to Lincheng Gate… The mountain shapes resemble dragons among the clouds and mists, incredibly lifelike.”
Mo Li listened intently.
Meng Qi, energized, was about to continue to the next painting when he heard Mo Li shake his head: “Those paintings are indeed exquisite but hidden within the imperial palace. Though we could easily take them without effort, stealing is ultimately wrong. This painting is different, whether it’s used for exchange or gifted by the artist, the provenance is legitimate.”
Meng Qi hadn’t thought about the matter of exchange until Mo Li brought it up, reminding him that this painting was just an addition.
An addition for buying silver needles!
How could it be so pitiful?
Master Meng’s feelings were a mix of emotions, holding the scroll, feeling it was neither right to discard it nor to simply put it down and feel content.
Throughout history, countless scholars have written poems and painted about Shangyun Mountain! There are countless famous lines that have been passed down through ages, and there’s no lack of a painting from an unknown impoverished scholar.
But the Doctor likes it! What could he do?
Meng Qi’s expressions changed rapidly; he took a deep breath and managed to ask, “Which part of the painting do you like the most, Doctor?”
“Hmm? As you said, limited by the artist’s skill, there are some flaws. But the flaws don’t obscure the merits. Didn’t you mention before that Mr. Jinshui’s forte is precisely this style of implying without revealing?”
After Mo Li finished speaking, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
Meng Qi reacted faster, his eyes widening in shock.
…Implying without revealing, does it refer to the clouds and mist in the painting?
The clouds enveloping the mountains, slowly dispersing, at first glance, indeed give the illusion of the painting coming to life.
As the dragon vein, the mountain is him, and he is the mountain!
Meng Qi was shocked by Mo Li’s straightforwardness, while Mo Li’s ears turned bright red.
“Doctor, Imperial Teacher!
The Second Prince entered, cautious not to speak too loudly lest he be overheard by others in the inn.
Upon entering, he saw the two standing very close to each other, the atmosphere somewhat strange.
“Uh!”
Lu Min instinctively felt something was amiss, immediately noticing the empty snack plate.
“Both rooms are top-tier, so why does only this one have food?” Lu Min couldn’t help but complain.
Mo Li instinctively reminded, “You can’t eat dates, your body needs to be nourished with medicine. I’ll write a prescription and go to the pharmacy on the street to get some medicines.”
Lu Min didn’t think much of it and said, “I’ve just asked a waiter to inquire about a vacant house on this street, but now’s not the time; renting a house amidst the general panic could arouse suspicion. If the Imperial Teacher has time, perhaps you could check those places out.”
He hesitated, then added firmly, “I saw the Sixth Prince’s convoy on the street; he’s returned to Taijing.”
“The Sixth Prince?” Mo Li thought of the young prince who had eavesdropped on him speaking with Meng Qi outside Lu’s estate.
At the time, he found it peculiar, noting the prince’s impressive hiding ability, knowing instinctively the right size of object to conceal himself behind. Most people instinctively choose the largest cover when hiding, but the Sixth Prince did not.
Initially, Mo Li thought it was due to the many secrets within the imperial palace, and the Sixth Prince was accustomed to eavesdropping. Now, it seemed clear the prince knew exactly what could protect him from the wrath of the emperor.
“The Crown Prince’s favored candidate for succession is the Sixth Prince,” Meng Qi casually dropped a bombshell on the Second Prince.
“What?”
Lu Min, predictably furious, exclaimed, “How am I inferior to that kid? He’s willful and always acts as if he’s seen through everything, thinking he’s so clever. Even the Third Prince is more sensible!”
Meng Qi, interested, asked, “Why can’t you brothers unite?”
Mo Li also frowned, saying, “Ancient people said unity can cut through metal. With you all pursuing your own agendas, how do you plan to overthrow the emperor?”
“What unity? More like holding each other back!” The Second Prince grumbled. “With the likes of the Sixth, practically broadcasting his rebellion, joining forces with him would only spell disaster.”
“……”
Mo Li wondered how the Second Prince could say such a thing. If the Sixth Prince’s rebellious intentions were in his eyes, then Lu Min’s were written on his forehead.
Why did the Crown Prince choose the Sixth Prince? Not because the Sixth was particularly good, but because he was the best of a short bunch.
Compared to the rash Second Prince and the indecisive, cowardly Third Prince, at least the Sixth Prince had a working brain.
“Let it be, the Sixth is full of cunning plans; why should I worry for him?” Lu Min stormed off, thoughts of his traitorous consort and the loyalists who died in Wanhe Hall making his nose sting.
Watching his retreating figure, Mo Li was at a loss for words.
Meng Qi seemingly casually reminded, “His constitution is too weak; he needs to focus on healing. Now is the time to look after himself, not get entangled in court struggles.”
“And what about Brother Meng? What are your plans next?”
“Me? Naturally, to buy a house big enough for a large bathtub, spending my days doing nothing, indulging in pleasures.” Meng Qi, convinced Mo Li’s earlier mention of implication was a hint, discreetly handed the scroll to Mo Li, asking meaningfully, “I wonder what style the Doctor prefers?”
“…Are you asking about the house, or the bathtub?”
The author’s note:
A chubby rat stands at the edge of the bathtub: Ah, to immerse in pleasures.
The black carp in the bathtub: …
Wake up, sand rat, jumping in will only lead to drowning!
