Madam, protect me!

Li Nuo originally thought that Han Zhuo's ability was enough to handle the imperial examination.

Unexpectedly, the plan could not keep up with the changes.

His painting was good enough to pass the imperial examination, but it was far from being the top scholar.

In terms of painting, he still had to make some efforts to be impeccable.

It was too troublesome to arrest people one by one, and it was even more troublesome to spend his life every time, so he made some arrangements in advance before the spring examination.

He sent housekeeper Wu to check the famous masters of painting in Daxia.

If they could be legally arrested and put into prison at the same time, then his painting skills would most likely be maxed out and become permanent.

What was a bit troublesome was that most of these masters were not in Chang'an.

Chang'an was a place of fame and fortune. Perhaps the officials in the court had some interest in painting before the imperial examination, but after becoming officials, they had no time and energy to engage in art.

Even the once-in-a-century genius of art was like this, let alone those with mediocre qualifications.

On the contrary, those who failed the imperial examination and had to return home had enough time and energy to go further in their hobbies.

Butler Wu always responded to the young master's requests.

Although this matter was troublesome, it was a small matter for Mingjingsi.

What's more, the young master had a legitimate reason for this matter.

After arresting those masters of painting and bringing them to justice, and then giving them a lesson and asking them to talk about their experience in painting, the young master would be more confident in the imperial examination.

Mingjingsi.

Mingjingsi is located in the prosperous area of ​​Chang'an, but the street at the door is very deserted.

Originally, this was also a busy street. Later, after the establishment of Mingjingsi, due to its fierce and vicious image outside, the surrounding shops and mansions were moved elsewhere.

Even the street at the door, no one is willing to walk, and would rather take a detour than pass by Mingjingsi.

Steward Wu walked into the Mingjing Division with ease. Along the way, he greeted everyone he met and finally walked into a government office.

A young man who was sorting out files looked up and stood up and said, "Steward Wu, what's up?"

Steward Wu said, "The matter I told you last time can be closed..."

A moment later, a few pigeons flew out of the Mingjing Division and soon disappeared into the sky.

...

In the next two days, the three court painters came to the Song Mansion once a day.

Li Nuo did not reject Li Anning's kindness. He listened carefully to their teaching of painting skills every time, but from a professional perspective, Li Nuo felt that the skills of these three court painters were just that...

Those true masters of painting would not serve the court.

Art needs a free soil. The court has many rules, which will constrain them in a frame, solidify their thinking, and restrain their thoughts.

In such an environment, their painting skills may improve, but they will slowly lose the soul of painting.

On the third day, the three court painters did not come.

Butler Wu walked in from outside and said, "Master, Princess An Ning wants to see you."

Li Nuo asked, "Why didn't she come in herself?"

Butler Wu shook his head and said, "I don't know. She asked you to go to the Ministry of Justice to find him."

After a while, Li Nuo came to the Ministry of Justice.

In the government office, Li An Ning said with a dark face, "The three court painters were reported to be absent from their posts and can no longer teach you."

Although the three people came to the Song Mansion to teach Li Nuo, they were indeed absent from their posts, but the court painters were very idle and generally no one would pursue them.

These people were obviously targeting them.

Li Nuo could guess who was behind the scenes, who least wanted him to pass the imperial examination, and whoever was most suspicious was the most suspicious.

After all, it was not the first time they did this.

He said disapprovingly, "Don't worry, it's not a big problem..."

When he walked out of the Ministry of Justice, Li Nuo looked up at the sky.

It should be about time.

Xuancheng.

Xuancheng is located in Huizhou and is famous for its abundant production of Xuan paper. The paper produced is exported to several countries.

In addition to Xuan paper, Xuancheng also has many masters of calligraphy and painting. In history, there have been many top scholars in calligraphy.

Because paper is cheap, even many children in Xuancheng can write well and draw well, so Xuancheng is also known as the "City of Calligraphy and Painting".

Zhao Mansion.

There are many people with the surname Zhao in Xuancheng, but when it comes to Zhao Mansion, it generally refers to the mansion of the Zhao family.

Zhao Dajia's real name is Zhao Yuan. Although he has no official position, he has a high reputation in Xuancheng.

He participated in the imperial examination three times in his early years and failed three times. In Daxia, everyone can only participate in the imperial examination three times.

After his official career was hopeless, Zhao Yuan returned to Xuancheng and devoted himself to studying painting for 20 years. Finally, his painting skills were perfected and he became a master of painting.

After becoming a master, students often visited him and asked him for painting skills. One of his paintings could easily sell for hundreds or thousands of taels of silver.

In just a few years, the Zhao family became a prominent family in Xuancheng.

One day, the Zhao family was painting in the room when a servant came to report that the magistrate of Xuancheng County had come to visit.

Zhao Yuan put down his brush and went out to greet him personally, smiling and saying, "I heard the magpie calling early in the morning. It turned out that Lord Chen had come. I am sorry for not welcoming him from afar. Lord, please don't blame me..."

One was a prominent family in Xuancheng, and the other was the magistrate of Xuancheng County. In fact, the two had known each other for many years.

The middle-aged man in official uniform asked straight to the point: "Master Zhao, do you still remember that ten years ago, someone gave you one thousand taels and asked you to improve his son's painting by two in the spring exam?" A rating to allow him to successfully enter Xuanzhou Academy?"

Zhao Yuan glanced at him, this happened back then.

But wasn't it the county magistrate himself who gave him one thousand taels of silver?

There were other people present, so why did he reveal what happened back then?

But seeing his serious expression, Zhao Yuan nodded and said, "Remember."

The middle-aged man said: "Just remember it and take it with you."

Zhao Yuan was stunned when his arms were grabbed by two police officers, and he said in surprise: "Sir, it wasn't you back then..."

The middle-aged man covered his mouth and whispered: "Don't talk nonsense. You are not a court official. You can be released after a few days of detention. If you talk nonsense again, it won't be a few days..."

Zhao Yuan nodded in understanding and immediately said no more.

Not long after, Zhao Yuan was taken away by two policemen.

Xuancheng County Magistrate looked at a figure behind him and said tremblingly: "My lord, is this okay?"

The man glanced at him and said calmly: "Remember to ask him to write a painting experience in prison and give it to me before tomorrow..."

At the gate of Zhao Mansion, the people of Xuancheng were extremely surprised.

"What's going on with everyone Zhao?"

"Why was he taken away by the police?"

"What else can happen? He must have committed something and was found out by the government..."

"I don't know if it's serious or not. If something happens to the Zhao family, Daxia Hua Dao will lose another master..."

At this moment, the people of Xuanzhou did not know that similar scenes were being staged in various parts of Daxia.

In Hongzhou, an old man was taken to the county government and said with some panic: "I used to sell fake calligraphy and paintings, but that was thirty years ago. Now I will pay back ten times, no, a hundred times, a hundred times the compensation." Can't you..."

In Yongxian County, a middle-aged man held the hand of the Yongxian county captain and begged: "Sir Huang, we have been friends for twenty years. We occupied three feet of the Zhou family's homestead a few years ago. It's our fault. I will push down the wall and rebuild immediately." , for the sake of past friendship, please be merciful..."

In Chang'an, a man with loose hair holding a paintbrush looked at the group of figures pouring in from outside in horror. After a moment, he squatted on the ground holding his head and said in a trembling voice: "I don't know, I really don't know they are using me." They forced me to pay bribes for my calligraphy and painting... It’s none of my business!”

…

Song Mansion.

Li Nuo put down a book in his hand and looked into the void in front of him.

One picture after another appeared on the code.

Compared with Han Zhuo, the portraits of these people are much brighter, because their painting skills are much higher than Han Zhuo's.

These people are the most proficient in painting in the entire Daxia.

They are relatively powerful in their respective places, and after becoming powerful, it is naturally inevitable for them to use their power to bully others.

Li Nuo's eyes were always fixed on the code.

Finally, when the ninth portrait appeared, new changes finally appeared in the code.

Including Han Zhuo's portrait, the nine portraits that appeared today suddenly flashed, and then quickly merged together, turning into a ball of light and pouring into Li Nuo's body.

At the same time, Li Nuo also had a lot of information about Hua Dao in his mind.

Soon after, four new portraits appeared on the codex.

But as soon as they appeared, they turned into points of light and entered Li Nuo's body.

Nine painting masters, plus Han Zhuo before him, turned painting into a permanent ability.

But Letao only uses one person.

Liu Shang's reputation is still rising.

Li Nuo took a look and saw that the portrait of Phoenix was still there.

He just noticed that Phoenix's portrait flashed, and her painting ability should have been integrated.

Perhaps because her specialty extended beyond painting, her portrait has not disappeared.

What Li Nuo knew was that in addition to painting, Fenghuang was also good at flower art. Apart from that, he had not yet tried out whether she had any other special skills.

There were footsteps outside the courtyard.

Li Anning stood at the door, looked around, and found that Song Jiaren was not there, and only Li Nuo was sitting in the yard, so he safely led an old man with white hair and beard in, and coldly snorted: "Don't let me invite you. The painters who are on duty in the palace, I invite those who are no longer in the palace to see what they have to say!"

She looked at Li Nuo and spoke again: "Painter Chen is an old painter in the palace. He left the palace ten years ago. I spent a lot of money before he was willing to teach you..."

Li Nuo sighed softly and said, "Why waste this money..."

Li Anning waved his hand and said: "Stop talking nonsense. Painter Chen said that in the recent imperial examinations, most of the landscape and figures were tested, but flowers and birds were not tested. This year's test must be taken. You can draw one for him to see..."

Li Anning is so positive, and Li Nuo doesn't want to dampen her mood.

He walked back to the room, and after a while, he came out with a painting of flowers and birds, and said to the old man: "Please give me some advice from Painter Chen."

The old man smoothed his white beard and said with some pride: "I have been retired for many years. If His Highness had not come personally, I would not make an exception. However, I have something to say first. I have always been sharp in my comments. I hope you don't mind..."

Before Li Nuo could say anything, Li Anning said, "loyalty may be offensive to your ears. If there are any shortcomings in his paintings, just ask Master Chen and he won't mind."

The old man nodded, took Li Nuo's painting with one hand, and said, "In that case, I will tell you straight, this painting..."

He looked up, his expression gradually changed from indifferent to serious, and then to solemn, muttering: "This painting, this painting, this painting..."

Li Anning was a little anxious and asked: "What's wrong with this painting, you tell me!"

Painter Chen seemed calm, but he was sweating profusely.

What was he talking about...

This painting not only reached the pinnacle in terms of technique, but also achieved the artistic conception of seizing the creation and arousing imagination. He saw the shadows of several masters of painting in this painting, but not only their shadows.

Zhao Yuan's meticulous brushwork, Liu Qian's use of ink, Shen Nian's freehand brushwork...

This painting can be said to be a collection of the strengths of various schools and discard their weaknesses. It is a masterpiece of flower and bird painting. It has already stood at the pinnacle of flower and bird painting. Is he qualified to comment on such a painting?

A master of painting who can paint such a work in such a short time is also qualified to comment on it?

Painter Chen held the painting in both hands and trembled as he handed it back to Li Nuo. Then he bent down and said nervously, "I am blind and offended the master. I am not talented and I am still a little confused about the art of painting. I wonder if you can give me some pointers..."

"Hey..."

Li Anning stared blankly at Painter Chen who suddenly became extremely humble, and his rosy little mouth opened into an "O" shape in surprise.

Wasn't he asked to give Li Nuo some pointers? What was he doing?