The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Spring Brimming Over the Garden Walls

Her words were spoken with such frankness and calmness, as if she were casually discussing an interesting matter, and indeed, it was an elegant matter being discussed, so much so that the sons of the various aristocratic families present thought they had misheard.

“Paint what?” Lu Sheng asked again, ears perked up.

Xiao Jinyu then said in a loud voice, “I will paint a ‘Chun Gong Tu’ for you gentlemen, what do you think?”

“Pfft—” Someone couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter, and even from the upper floor, there seemed to be a sound of movement. But when everyone looked up, they saw only a screen and nothing else.

“Your Highness, this young lady is quite bold! Does she even know what a ‘Chun Gong Tu’ is?” a guard asked in a low voice, squatting down.

The man in black robes still didn’t answer, only glared fiercely at the guard who almost ruined things.

The guard quickly covered his mouth and stopped speaking.

“Does the young lady know what a ‘Chun Gong Tu’ is? Have you seen one?” Lu Sheng asked, his face full of disbelief and suppressed laughter.

“I haven’t seen one, but I have a rich imagination!” Xiao Jinyu replied, then looked at a branch of apricot blossoms leaning out of the window, and continued with a smile, “I think it’s probably… spring brimming over the garden walls, a branch of red apricot reaching out, such a beautiful scene, right!”

After she finished speaking, the hall fell into a strange silence for a moment, and then a wave of suppressed laughter broke out. Gradually, the laughter grew louder and louder, echoing through the hall like thunder.

The guards hiding behind the screen on the upper floor covered their mouths, unable to stand straight from laughter.

“What are you laughing at? Stop it!” Xiao Yun suddenly shouted, “Spring brimming over the garden walls, a branch of red apricot reaching out, this is a good poem! How can you laugh?”

“Um, yes, yes, yes, Eighth Young Master Xiao is absolutely right!” Several sons of aristocratic families agreed verbally, but their bodies, rocking back and forth, didn’t stop for a moment.

Just then, two maids brought the seven-foot brocade, Zhang Zhi brush, rouge, and peach blossoms that Xiao Jinyu had requested.

Xiao Yun gave the two maids a meaningful look, and after they nodded their heads, he raised his hand and pointed at Xiao Jinyu.

“Please, paint!” he said with a smile.

So, Xiao Jinyu spread the seven-foot brocade on the ground, stood tall and graceful before it, holding the three-foot Zhang Zhi brush. She ground the ink, splashed it, dabbed rouge, and her brushstrokes flowed smoothly. All her movements seemed to be done in one breath, like clouds and flowing water. She seemed to be in a misty mountain forest, and every movement was so leisurely and elegant that it was impossible to ignore.

The sons of the aristocratic families were stunned, forgetting to drink from the cups they held to their lips, and their previous disdainful laughter vanished into thin air!

“I didn’t expect this young lady, despite her vulgar words, to be so elegant when painting!”

“Master Zhu, you’re wrong. The young lady is innocent because she doesn’t know. How can those words be vulgar? She’s clearly talking about an elegant matter, it’s refined!”

“Yes, yes, yes, truly refined!”

“But, this doesn’t look like painting! It’s clearly dancing!” someone exclaimed.

“Yes! I’ve never seen anyone paint so beautifully!”

“This young lady is truly extraordinary!”

Xiao Yun sat up straighter, his eyes fixed on Xiao Jinyu, speechless. At this moment, Xiao Jinyu held a peach blossom petal in her mouth, wielding the brush with both hands, her sleeves swirling like wind and snow.

He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but her occasional sidelong glance and smile, the unintentional charm revealed, captivated his soul!

Such beauty should be hidden in a golden house, Xiao Yun felt a pang of regret in his heart.

It wasn’t just the sons of the aristocratic families in the Elegant Poetry Pavilion who were stunned, but also the two mysterious figures hiding behind the screen on the upper floor!

“Heavens! Your Highness, luckily I followed you to watch this, otherwise I would have missed a good show. I’ve never seen such a beautiful painting and dance! Your Highness, have you?”

The man in black robes didn’t answer, but looked thoughtfully at Xiao Jinyu and the painting she was creating. He saw her red lips slightly parted, peach blossoms falling gracefully, and then she took a sip of wine and sprayed it onto the brocade. The painting came alive, like a city shrouded in mist, with a hundred flowers in full bloom!

“The painting is complete!”

✿✿✿

As everyone stared in stunned silence, Xiao Jinyu suddenly stopped painting and dancing.

Lu Sheng was the first to recover and quickly walked around the pond to the painting. He saw that the originally spotless seven-foot brocade was now filled with spring colors, bright, vibrant, and full of life, as if he were already in the painting.

“What a wonderful painting! Even Wei Xie and Gu Kaizhi would be inferior!” Lu Sheng exclaimed sincerely.

His exclamation piqued the curiosity of the other young masters, who all gathered around, and Xiao Yun was no exception.

When he saw the entire painting, Xiao Yun was also shocked.

“What a wonderful painting! How can it be so lifelike, as if it were real!”

“Yes! It’s as if the whole garden of spring is right before our eyes, we’re all in this painting!”

While the young masters were still immersed in the painting, Xiao Jinyu suddenly said, “Since you gentlemen approve of my painting, why don’t you inscribe your names on it as a testament, so that A’yu can gain a good reputation in the future, how about it?”

“That’s easy! It’s just writing a name, I’ll go first!”

Lu Sheng took the lead, picked up the brush, and wrote his name on an apricot blossom in the painting. Soon, the other young masters also inscribed their names one after another.

Only Xiao Yun looked at Xiao Jinyu thoughtfully.

“Wait! I’ll take this painting!” he suddenly said, and gestured for the two maids to roll up the brocade. He turned to Xiao Jinyu and said, “A’yu, this place isn’t exciting enough, how about we go somewhere else to have fun?”

As he spoke, he grabbed Xiao Jinyu’s sleeve. Xiao Jinyu had drunk some wine, and her cheeks were flushed. In Xiao Yun’s eyes, her gaze seemed a little hazy, her lips even more red and alluring. A feminine charm emanated from her already graceful body.

It seems the drug is starting to work!

Xiao Yun couldn’t help but feel secretly delighted.

“Oh, where does Master Xiao want to take me? Your gaze is quite intense! Could it be that you’ve fallen for A’yu?” she asked with a smile, her tone both inviting and distant, full of charm.

Xiao Yun took a step closer to her.

“You’re right, I’ve fallen for you!” he whispered, and suddenly swept Xiao Jinyu up in his arms, striding out of the hall under the watchful eyes of the other young masters!

Watching his hurried figure leave, Fourth Young Master Zhu was a little indignant.

“That Xiao Yun, is he trying to keep her all to himself?”

Lu Sheng raised his hand to stop his disgruntled muttering and said, “He’s the host of today’s banquet, so naturally he gets the first taste. However, it’s a pity. I thought she was just a plaything, but I didn’t expect her to have such talent. If this young lady had fallen into our hands today, I’m afraid she would have withered away!”

“Tsk! Master Lu, you’ve always claimed to be a heartbreaker, why are you suddenly feeling sentimental?” Fourth Young Master Zhu laughed.

“I’ve always been sentimental, Master Zhu, don’t talk nonsense!”

The seven or eight sons of aristocratic families in the hall were clearly impatient and dissatisfied, some even revealing lewd expressions.

“I’d like to see if this young lady is as charming as that Xiao Yun claims. If so, wouldn’t it be delightful to take her back and enjoy her every night!”

“…”

Listening to these sons of aristocratic families, their words became more and more obscene!

The guard couldn’t help but clench his fists in anger!

“Your Highness, how can these sons of aristocratic families be so despicable and shameless… I’m afraid that young lady has already been drugged, right?” he asked, turning his head to look, but the figure of the man in black robes was nowhere to be seen!