162 We Are Worth More From Today On (2/2)
The Grand Secretary would say that His Majesty had granted him a copy, and the High official would say that the copy granted to him was the most exquisite and closest to the style of the original. However, those copies could never compete with the one hung in the imperial study.
Everyone agreed with His Majesty's appraisal of the calligraphy piece once they had seen it in person in the imperial study. They felt that it was a rare piece of art. It would still be considered an excellent work even if the emperor didn't like it so much. Furthermore, with the excitement surrounding it such as the missing calligrapher and the mysterious appearance of the piece in the imperial study gave this piece a mysterious air.
Secrecy was a curious thing, for more and more people got curious about the calligraphy and its mysterious author. The entire city was ablaze with excitement over it. The students of the Academy would talk about it in their daily lives as well. Jin Wucai and Miss Gao who were children of officials had the opportunity to see it with their own eyes, but who would have thought...
That the calligrapher was Ning Que.
...
...
Chen Zixian looked at Ning Que and said cowardly, ”I've said, when we talked about that section calligraphy last year that Ning Que owns a little calligraphy shop in the Eastern City. He might really be the one who wrote that.”
Nobody answered him as they fell silent. Some were shocked, and others awkward.
There were many from Classroom Three who remembered the discussion last year. They remembered how they had talked and laughed about Ning Que behind his back and their sarcastic jibes against him after hearing Chen Zixian's statement.
But who could laugh now?
Ning Que, who had been thought to be useless at cultivation, and a coward destitute of virtue for feigning sickness during the exam, had succeeded in ascending the mountain. He had surpassed all his peers who didn't think much of him. In fact, he had even beaten Prince Long Qing. To the students of the Academy, this was a lightning strike right through their hearts.
The high and mighty Divine Talisman Master had cared naught of what others thought of him and had used all the tricks he had to poach Ning Que as his disciple. This was the second lightning strike to the students.
Most people were struck silly after the first two strikes. They could only attempt to find a way to escape the hole they dug for themselves.
It was then when the third strike of lightning appeared.
Ning Que was the calligrapher of the famed piece and was about to enter the palace to meet the Emperor. His future was brighter than most present.
When the third strike of lightning flashed, the students were no longer proud, apathetic, innocent, or tried to defend themselves, questioned him, or find any other reason to be dissatisfied with the way things were. They were struck by lightning and looked like several burnt trees, smoking from the top. Their robes were charred and their brains fried.
Their faces burned with shame as they thought of how loudly they had laughed.
The more exaggerated they had laughed back then, the more they felt like digging a hole and jumping straight into it.
They had disregarded him, but could not tear their gazes from him now.
”I heard Ning Que use an interesting expression once.”
Situ Yilan said suddenly, ”It's called tired of judging the interesting. I never understood how one could judge interesting things or why it would be tiring. I finally understood today. Once you've been shocked enough times, it'd become boring and you'd be numb to it.”
Chu Youxian stood beside her and shook his head, ”I still think this is awesome.”
Situ Yilan smiled and waved her fist around forcefully. She looked at their peers around them and said, ”It is indeed awesome.”
She looked at Zhong Dajun's pale face. He turned around subconsciously, not daring to look back at her.
She looked at the student from Yang guan and said, ”I remember someone had once said that he would wash Ning Que's feet if Ning Que was the one who wrote the calligraphy.”
The student looked extremely horrified and backed away quickly.
Situ Yilan smiled beatifically and asked, ” I can get Ning Que to throw you his shoes. They must smell really bad after climbing the mountain for a day and a night.”
The student gave a loud shout before falling over. He seemed to have fainted from the fright.
...
...
The horse carriage sped down the wide and straight streets of Chang'an. One would occasionally hear the shouts of the guards yelling at people to give way and the angry replies. The Tang Empire had always been a stickler for rules. The horse carriage that disregarded them blatantly obviously belonged to the palace, but the people of Chang'an did not care.
Ning Que and Sangsang sat in the dark carriage. They did not know what to do in the opulent carriage and would occasionally glance at each other. They have been to several important events and met the owner of a large sum of money. However, they were still nervous about meeting the emperor formally and sitting in a royal horse carriage.
”There's no need to be nervous, His Majesty loves your calligraphy.” Eunuch Lin tried to comfort them.
Ning Que had just left the mountains moments ago and was now entering the depths of the royal palace. It was quite hard for him to wrap his head around it for the moment. He hesitated for a second and asked, ”Sir, are you sure His Majesty has asked me to come into the palace because he likes my calligraphy and not for anything else?”
Eunuch Lin paused for a moment. He did not know if he should cry or laugh and said, ”Your ”Flower blooms on the shore astride” has made its rounds around the entire city of Chang'an. Did you not know about this all this while?”
Ning Que could finally relax. He smiled and replied, ”Other than cultivation, I like being recognized and getting rich the most. If I had known His Majesty liked my calligraphy and was searching for me, I'd jump right into the trap... no, I would bring the most exciting writings I have written and barge into the royal palace screaming all the way that I wrote them. Haha, I'm just afraid that the bodyguards would beat me up.”
Eunuch Lin laughed at Ning Que's slightly silly and interesting statement. He ruminated over it before saying, ”The Yulin Royal Guards would never let you in if you barge into the palace with your writings. But why would the bodyguards beat you up?”
Ning Que's heart stuttered.
Eunuch Lin smiled and continued, ”You entered the palace and imperial study without permission. Do you think we won't check the incident before allowing His Majesty to meet you? I know you are a secret guard and your relationship with Chao Xiaoshu.”
Ning Que remained silent.
Eunuch Lin sighed, ”Even though the Eastern City might be slightly less well off and the people rarely talk about this, but you own a calligraphy shop and should know about the discussions amongst your peers. What have you been doing? You were in the dark for almost a year.”
”I rarely get together with my peers. And as for this half a year... I was busy studying.”
Ning Que thought of the Old Brush Pen Shop and it's quirks and smiled. He suddenly thought of an important thing, and the smile slid off his face. He asked Eunuch Lin for permission to return to Lin 47th Street to clean up.
Eunuch Lin was very displeased upon hearing the request. His Majesty had waited for Ning Que for almost half a year and yet Ning Que was in no hurry to give thanks but wanted to go home and wash up. What was this? Did he not tell him the rules clearly? They would definitely allow him to wash up in the palace before meeting the Emperor.
However, Ning Que was very obstinate about the matter and insisted on returning to the Lin 47th Street. Eunuch Lin could do nothing about it and decided that since His Majesty thought so well of this student, he would acquiesce to his request without making things tense.
...
...
Lin 47th Street looked extraordinarily beautiful in Spring. Cherry blossoms emerged from inside the walls of the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse, peering curiously at the shops across the street.
Last night at dusk, Li Qingshan, the Master of Nation had visited the street along with other officials to check on Ning Que's calligraphy. They entered the Old Bush Pen Shop rather violently and the shop's door had been pushed opened so forcefully, it had fallen off its hinges. The scene looked rather disastrous.
Ning Que's heart sank when looked at the gaping hole that once held the shop door. He leaped off the horse carriage and charged in.
The lady boss of the fake antique store next door said loudly, ”Why are you in such a rush, nothing was lost. I guarded the shop the entire night.”
Ning Que turned back to look at her and suddenly felt that the woman, who had a thick layer of foundation caking up her face, never looked so beautiful. He gave her a most passionate hug and said happily, ”Aunty Wu, thank you so much, thank you so much!”
The boss of the shop looked at the scene rather unhappily, ”Do you have to hug her even if you're grateful? She's my wife!”
Ning Que smiled, ”Of course I know she's your wife, she's your only wife.”
The boss smiled proudly and took a sip of his tea before saying, ”Who knows?”
The woman was about to get angry when Ning Que stopped her, saying with a grin, ”Aunty Wu, don't worry. I'll remember what you've done for me today. If he dares marry a second wife, I'll take care of him.”
Aunty Wu smiled and agreed.
Mr. Wu said angrily, ”You little thing. Who are you to poke your nose into my business?”
Ning Que pointed at the royal horse carriage behind him and grinned, ”Can I poke my nose in it now?”
Mr. Wu finally saw the imperial seal on the horse carriage. He was frightened silly just thinking about how miserable his life would be from now on.
Ning Que did not get Sangsang to boil water for his washing up when they entered the dark Old Brush Pen shop. Instead, the first thing that he did was to lock up the shop and remove all the calligraphy hanging on the shop.
He handed the pile of papers to Sangsang and said seriously, ”From today on, you have to guard what I write on with your life, just as you guard the big black umbrella.”
Sangsang's eyes widened and asked curiously, ”We live when the papers live and die when they die?”
”These are not just papers.”
Ning Que caressed the papers in her hands and said happily, ”This, is money.”