Chapter 23: Pretext

Chapter 23: The Pretext

◎Why don't we host a Literary Gathering ourselves?◎

Shopkeeper Xu found herself in a quandary. Most of the paintings consigned to her establishment had no reserve price; the bookshop and the artists typically split the proceeds 90-10, and it was usually her husband who handled these transactions.

Just a couple of years ago, a painting by this "Nameless Wanderer" would have been a rare find, fetching at least a five-figure sum. But the market had shifted, and she was no longer certain of its current value.

After a moment of deliberation, she said, "Since this painting is merely on consignment, the final sale price requires the artist's personal approval. Perhaps Miss Li would care to make an offer? If agreeable, I would be pleased to personally deliver the painting to your residence another day."

Li Ci tugged at Xie Zhenchuan’s sleeve and whispered, "I find this little chick quite adorable too. What do you think of five hundred taels?"

"Who said 'too' with you?" Xie Zhenchuan thought with an inward scoff.

"You spent only fifty coppers on my painting, yet you'd pay five hundred taels for a 'Chick Pecking Rice'?"

Despite his internal grumbling, his expression remained serene as he gently said, "Whatever Ah Ci fancies is fine."

Taking this as his endorsement, Li Ci nodded and addressed Shopkeeper Xu, "Then let's settle on five hundred taels of silver. If it works out, we'll trouble you, Shopkeeper Xu."

"Certainly, certainly."

Once she started buying, the first painting naturally led to a second, and then a third.

Li Ci looked up and immediately purchased the "Mulberry Fruit Mountain Bird Painting," depicting a black-and-yellow mountain bird perched on a branch, feasting on mulberries. Turning around, she saw what appeared to be an unremarkable palace banquet scene, but her keen eyes spotted a Chow Chow dog tucked under a table, prompting her to unhesitatingly acquire the "Palace Music Painting" as well.

Xie Zhenchuan observed coolly, having quickly discerned Li Ci’s artistic preference: she would likely buy anything that featured fluffy, living creatures.

After several rounds of browsing, Li Ci had amassed quite a collection, including Mr. Mei’s "Jade Hall Orchid and Stone Painting" and Mr. Lu’s "Ladies Adorning Flowers Painting."

In Xie Zhenchuan’s estimation, these paintings were overrated, possessing only one meager virtue: their vibrant and delicate colors made them attention-grabbing.

"Oh well," he mused, "a person of such simple tastes likely doesn't realize that pigments fade with time, while only ink paintings retain their understated elegance and enduring charm."

Xie Zhenchuan lowered his gaze, finding the spectacle almost unbearable. Yet, before each purchase, she would invariably turn to him for his opinion. To meet the ten-thousand-tael spending target, he abandoned his usual fastidiousness, nodding in agreement with a blind eye.

To Shopkeeper Xu, this scene spoke volumes of a harmonious couple, the wife leading and the husband following. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more, "Truly a match made in heaven!"

Li Ci bought seven or eight paintings in one go, and the total came to 99,998 taels.

Xie Zhenchuan frowned slightly, mentally calculating how to subtly persuade Li Ci to buy one more painting to reach the ten-thousand-tael mark. But before he could speak, Li Ci waved her hand grandly and declared, "Shopkeeper Xu, please include all the paintings in that vase by the entrance as well."

She was referring to the collection of paintings Shopkeeper Xu had acquired from impoverished scholars.

Many days had passed since Li Ci last emptied that vase. Encouraged by the previous sale, it had quickly refilled with scrolls of all sizes, no fewer than forty or fifty.

Shopkeeper Xu had never encountered such a lavish customer, nor closed such a substantial deal. Her voice trembled with excitement as she said, "W-well, alright, let's not bother with the individual prices for these. Just a round ten thousand taels will do, Miss Li."

From a thin stack of banknotes in her purse, Li Ci extracted a single sheet and handed it to Shopkeeper Xu.

It was a mulberry-bark paper banknote, a foot high and six inches wide, bearing the sum of ten thousand taels. Stamped with the black and red seal of Liji Bank, it also featured the personal signature of the era's renowned wealthy merchant, Li Gu.

Only then did Shopkeeper Xu realize that this Miss Li was none other than the daughter of the illustrious Li family!

What merchant hadn't heard of the Li family? From the silk fabrics they wore, the daily rice and grains they consumed, to the inns, taverns, and even trading companies and banks lining the streets, the Li family's influence was ubiquitous.

Suppressing her excitement, Shopkeeper Xu hastily gathered the vase of paintings onto the counter. Along with the meticulously framed masterpieces, they formed a veritable small mountain.

"Miss Li, would you like to take these paintings now, or shall I have them delivered to your residence later?"

Li Ci peeked out from behind the mountain of paintings. "I'll carry them back myself."

As she spoke, she attempted to pick up the less valuable smaller paintings, but there were simply too many. She measured with her hands and realized it was beyond her capacity.

Xie Zhenchuan pressed his lips together. "Allow me."

His tall, slender frame moved with ease; with a single sweep, he effortlessly gathered dozens of paintings into his arms.

Li Ci followed closely, her voice filled with cheerful praise, "Brother Xie Zheng, you're so kind."

Xie Zhenchuan had received too many such sugary compliments to be swayed, though the corners of his lips curved almost imperceptibly.

Shopkeeper Xu watched them depart, her gaze fixed on Xie Zhenchuan a complex mix of admiration and envy.

To have such a beautiful, wealthy young lady doting on him and providing for him—this young man's luck was simply extraordinary!

-

Xie Zhenchuan escorted Li Ci all the way to the gate of Jiahe Courtyard, handed the stack of paintings to Xiuchun, and then left.

Xiuchun carried the more valuable painting boxes, while the remaining scrolls were distributed among two maids to manage.

"Miss, you've returned just in time. Cousin Ling and Cousin Ying have just arrived at our courtyard and are waiting for you in the hall."

It was unusual for both cousins to visit her courtyard together, and Li Ci was curious. "What's the matter?"

"It seems they had a disagreement with the Marquis of Jingde's estate. When they first arrived, Cousin Ling was even crying."

Hearing that Cousin Ling had been crying, Li Ci didn't bother putting the paintings away first. She hurried to the hall with her maids.

The two cousins were seated in the hall. Cousin Ling's spirits seemed to have improved somewhat, though her eyes were still red and swollen. Seeing Li Ci return, she lowered her gaze slightly, not wanting her younger cousin to witness her distress.

Cousin Ying immediately stood up and declared indignantly, "Ah Ci, come quickly. Let's discuss how to get justice for Sister Ling!"

Li Ci instructed Xiuchun to fetch a cold compress while she sat down to listen.

It turned out the trouble stemmed from the flower appreciation banquet the other day. At the poetry contest, Zhou Ling's poem had won first place among the women. When the poetry collection was presented to the Marquise of Jingde, a young man happened to be visiting the estate—a prospective son-in-law highly favored by Mao Ningqin's mother. He was said to be a young master from the Lu family of Fanyang, a centuries-old scholarly clan. Young Master Lu, upon hearing the poem, had also offered a word or two of praise.

Mao Ningqin's mother had intended to arrange a match between them, but it hadn't materialized. When word reached Mao Ningqin, she became convinced that Zhou Ling had deliberately sought attention to compete for the young man's affection. She then forcibly removed Zhou Ling's poem from the compiled poetry collection and spread rumors that Zhou Ling was a fraud, claiming she had obtained the topic in advance from the Marquis of Jingde's estate to compose such a fine poem.

Zhou Ling was so upset she cried and complained to the Madam. However, the Madam, concerned about her own daughter being caught in the middle, simply stated, "Innocence needs no defense," and left it at that.

After recounting the story, Zhou Ying couldn't help but grumble, "The Madam is too muddled. Just because Sister Chun married into their family doesn't mean we should let others smear the Earl of Guangcheng's household!"

Zhou Ling had now calmed down. She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and gently shook her head, signaling Zhou Ying not to speak in such a manner.

Li Ci wasn't adept at scholarly matters, but when it came to entertainment, she was an expert.

After some thought, she said, "If the Marquis of Jingde's estate's poetry gathering didn't include Sister Ling's poem, it's their lack of discernment. Why don't we host a literary gathering ourselves and specifically invite Sister Ling to compose poetry?"

"Excellent idea," Zhou Ying was the first to agree. "The Marquis of Jingde's estate hosted a flower appreciation banquet. What kind of banquet should we host? It can't be flower appreciation again, and it's still too early for the crab-eating season."

Noticing the large pile of paintings Li Ci had brought back, she suddenly had an inspiration. "Instead of flowers, how about appreciating paintings?"

Zhou Ling sighed softly. "Although our household possesses some treasured paintings, I fear it wouldn't be enough to host a truly grand art appreciation banquet."

"That's easily remedied," Zhou Ying's mind quickly became agile. "We simply need a pretext. Guests can bring their own paintings too. It could be a wonderful occasion to meet friends through art."

This made sense. Although the Earl of Guangcheng's title wasn't particularly high, the reputation of Grand Scholar Zhou was well-established, and Lianquan Academy had countless students across the land. Hosting a literary gathering would certainly not be difficult.

However, finding a compelling reason that would draw a crowd proved rather challenging.

After much deliberation, Zhou Ling could only place her hopes in Li Ci's connections. "Ah Ci, I've heard that your father is also an art enthusiast, with many treasured paintings at home, including works by Cang Yunzi. Could we perhaps borrow them for viewing?"

"Cang Yunzi?" Zhou Ying gasped. Anyone with even a slight knowledge of painting would have heard of Cang Yunzi's great name. "If our literary gathering could feature a painting by Cang Yunzi, the entire city of Yingtian would likely flock to it!"

Generally, the older a painting, the more valuable it becomes—but Cang Yunzi was an exception. Though a contemporary artist, his mastery of painting was unparalleled, earning him the title "Sage of Painting." The late emperor had even decreed that he could not paint without an imperial edict, so very few of his works circulated during his lifetime. Since his passing a decade ago, his authentic works had become even rarer.

Under the expectant gazes of her two cousins, Li Ci nodded without any pressure. "Father indeed has some acquaintance with Grandfather Cang. Don't worry, I'll take care of this."

Hearing Li Ci's assurance, Zhou Ling and Zhou Ying were both delighted and eager.

With the most crucial element settled, the mundane tasks of setting a date, arranging the garden, compiling the guest list, and preparing refreshments were left to the two sisters. Zhou Ying and Zhou Ling discussed for a long time, finally devising a satisfactory plan.

Zhou Ying declared with renewed vigor, "Since Mao Ningqin accused Sister Ling of trying to steal her fiancé, why don't we simply invite that Young Master Lu? With Sister Ling's grace and intelligence, and Ah Ci's stunning beauty, I doubt he'll be able to walk away. Wouldn't that just infuriate Mao Ningqin?"

Zhou Ling playfully reached out to pinch her mouth. "Teasing me is one thing, but even Ah Ci isn't spared? How wicked!"

Li Ci also covered her mouth, laughing. "Exactly! What if that young master happens to prefer a clever and quirky girl like Cousin Ying?"

The three young ladies laughed and bantered, the earlier gloom completely dispelled.

-

Though the paintings from Jixian Bookstore failed to impress Xie Zhenchuan, upon returning to Fangze Courtyard, he found himself in a rare leisurely mood and began to paint.

Nan Xuan was dusting the already spotless shelves of the study when he stole a glance at the desk. He noticed the young master was using the ink cake gifted by the young lady to paint a picture of persimmons.

The persimmons on the branches were plump and full, their colors vividly varied. Most were still gamboge, with a few nearing crimson, while one on the southern branch was coated with a faint layer of white frost, looking irresistibly sweet.

The young master usually only painted in ink, but today he had unexpectedly taken up color painting?

Nan Xuan was astonished. Seeing the vibrant reds and greens on the paper, he sensed his master was in a good mood and said, "Young master, Miss Li has asked to see you at Jiahe Courtyard."

Xie Zhenchuan paid no attention, his eyes fixed on the painting before him.

The branches were artfully spaced, the persimmons rendered with varying shades. Yet, he felt something was missing. Casually, he added a playful little squirrel with bared claws to the southern branch before asking, "What is it?"

He mixed ochre and gamboge for the squirrel’s fur, using dry, scattered brushstrokes to create a fluffy tail, deliberately leaving blank stripes on its head.

"It seems the household is planning a painting appreciation literary gathering, and she'd like your help with some ideas."

"What ideas?" he thought. "Choosing between that 'Chicks Pecking Rice' or the overly colorful painting of a court lady?"

Xie Zhenchuan glanced at the wet ink on the paper and casually set his brush on the brush rest. "Fine. I need to wait for this first layer of ink to dry anyway. I'll go take a look."