137 Shocking Changsan with One Piece of Calligraphy (1/2)
Chapter 137: Shocking Chang'an with One Piece of Calligraphy
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
This Tao-addicted beauty was actually rumored to be the number one figure of the Judicial Department in the West Hill Divine Palace? Those words rendered the hubbub in the study room to a total silence in an instant. All the students looked at each other in a speechless shock. What kind of charming woman should rank atop the Prince Long Qing?
”Hard to believe? Do you really think women are inborn inferior to men?”
Catching sight of those looks of her classmates, Situ Yilan knew the doubts among them and could not help saying with a frown, ”That Tao-addicted beauty is mysterious who seldom shows her talent in public and is naturally unknown to others. But as far as I know, Prince Long Qing never appeared to be unconvinced when mentioning this superior.”
”That Tao-addicted beauty is still very young, isn't she?” An Academy student sighed, ”The West Hill Divine Kingdom is really a holy place shrouded in the splendor of Haotian. It has actually produced so many young talents in cultivation. Not even mentioning that Tao Addict, how can our Tang Empire find one to rival Prince Long Qing after he is enrolled in the Academy?”
At these words, Jin Wucai frowned slightly and wanted to say something, but finally refrained herself from doing so. A female companion beside her perceived her expression and said for her with a smile, ”We have excellent Mr. Xie in the Academy. How about letting him compete with that Prince Long Qing?”
”Mr. Xie just entered the No Doubts State in the early autumn last year, while Prince Long Qing is merely one step away from the Knowing Destiny State. So he is at least a strong one at the Seethrough State. There are at least five levels between the two, how can he compete?”
Without saving face for his female classmates, that student continued with a sneering smile, ”Even if Mr. Xie could show better performances in the courses of poetry, literature, mathematics, and rites than Prince Long Qing to some extent, do not forget he is from South Jin, not our Tang Empire.”
”Who said that we don't have such talents?” Situ Yilan retorted with an unpleasant frown. ”Wang Jinglue is said to be invincible among those below the Knowing Destiny State. He is just a few years older than Prince Long Qing, and as long as Prince Long Qing hasn't entered the Knowing Destiny State, he will have few chances to defeat Wang Jinglue, not to speak of the young generation of our Tang Empire.”
The student showed confusion and said, ”Wang Jinglue, who is invincible to those below the Knowing Destiny State, is indeed eligible to be compared with Prince Long Qing. But it seems he has disappeared for a long time, and his location is still a mystery.”
Through a glance at Situ Yilan, Chu Zhongtian found no objections in her eyes, so he smiled and said to his classmates, ”I heard Wang Jinglue was sent by the emperor to serve the Defender-general of the State, and even if Prince Long Qing really came to Chang'an City, it is still impossible for Wang Jinglue to come back, because it is against military discipline. So let's forget him.”
Ning Que was listening quietly in the rear of the study room to those arguments, and only after he found that Prince Long Qing was no longer mentioned and the problems of the talent shortage were discussed full of emotion did he stop listening. He simply packed his belongings and prepared to leave the study room for the old library.
”Even if we don't mention Wang Jinglue, there will also be other talents in the Tang.”
Jin Wucai felt somewhat uncomfortable, probably because Xie Chengyun was directly considered to be not comparable to Prince Long Qing. She stood up and smiled at the other students, saying softly, ”Not only cultivators can be called talents. Those outstanding ones in the field of military, arithmetic, articles, poetry, and calligraphy can be called talents as well. I heard from my grandfather that a big blockbuster was made recently in the palace because of a piece of calligraphy. His Majesty loved that calligraphy, and my grandfather also said that the calligrapher was greatly talented in calligraphy. Couldn't such a calligrapher be regarded as a talent of our Tang?”
”I heard that story, too.” Chen Zixian, the son of a bookstore owner, took a look at Jin Wucai and timidly said, ”Several groups of people were sent by the palace to inquire from my father, yet he hadn't the least idea of that. However, from eunuchs from the palace, he learned that the libationer and several great calligraphers confirmed that the mysterious calligrapher must have been immersed in calligraphy for many years to have such a force and structure in writing characters, who... perhaps can't be a talent of the young generation.”
Jin Wucai simply intended to let the previous topic pass, so of course would not answer these words. She gently smiled and drifted to other aspects, asking, ”Grandpa has copied that piece of calligraphy in the Imperial Study one month ago. How is your family?”
”My family just runs a bookstore, how could we compare to your lady's family.” Chen Zixian replied with a smile, ”But the palace pushed us so hard, so my family helped to contact two big calligraphers to copy two volumes in the palace.”
The topics of their chats in the Academy had always been random. Today, professor Cao gave them a long period of spare time, which allowed them to make more chats with a quick shift of topics. A moment ago they were still discussing Prince Long Qing and the Tao-addicted beauty, while at this time all their attention completely shifted to the legendary piece of calligraphy.
After a repeated discussion, the students were surprised to find that this thing was known to all, and that piece of calligraphy had long been the focus of the upper class of Chang'an City during the recent months.
Why would an anonymous piece of calligraphy that had mysteriously appeared in the Imperial Study make His Majesty fondle it admiringly and directly order all the ministers and great calligraphers to copy it in person? If you did not know the ins and outs of this matter and what was written on that piece of calligraphy, then you simply could not get involved in those chats during teatime in those ministries and Yamen.
”His Majesty awarded my grandpa his own copy, but my grandpa did not let me see it,” Jin Wucai said softly.