Jing Wan could only say, fine, wangye, you’re impressive, really impressive!
Judging from a certain someone’s attitude, that poison probably can’t be cured. Even that very impressive looking traveling doctor won’t be able to either. En, rather want to see what kind of expression Noble Consort Su will have after learning of this matter, and what she will do afterwards. It’ll probably be another brilliant play, the kind that absolutely can’t be missed.
However, this while, she won’t go caring about all that. Right now, it was the romantic time between the two of them. Even if the capital were to turn upside down, it also won’t have anything to do with them.
“Ah Yuan……..” Jing Wan smiled like a flower as she coiled around Li Hong Yuan’s arm.
“En?” Li Hong Yuan lightly lifted his brow in question.
“In a few more days, it’ll be the third of the third lunar month.”
“Ah, Shangsi Festival[1], what’s the matter?” Li Hong Yuan still had a look of not understanding, “Want to go out and play? Perhaps want to experience how those upper class wealthy families play the winding stream[2]?”
Jing Wan rolled her eyes at him, “That thing is more or less the same everywhere, nothing special about it. What I’m saying is that we’ve almost married for a year now. There’s a saying called ‘wedding anniversary’.” Her husband’s IQ was that high, so he should understand, right? Right??
Looking at Jing Wan’s expectant little gaze, how could he not understand, but he inwardly produced an evil desire to tease Jing Wan. Not showing it on his face, he indifferently spoke, “Just like that anniversary for dead people?”
“LI HONG YUAN—-” Jing Wan flew into a rage out of humiliation, ruthlessly slapping him on his arm.
Regardless whether it was the guards or the servant girls serving nearby, it was all their first time hearing wangfei this angrily call out wangye’s full name. And don’t know what wangye did to have wangfei angered like this. However, the matters between the two masters, they didn’t dare to get involved in, lowering their brows and retracting their gaze, appearing as if staring at the ground. Just, those ears nevertheless can’t help but erect. In any case, it was wangye that angered wangfei, so this while wangye certainly will need to appease wangfei, and won’t have the energy to pay attention to them. And wangfei has never unreasonably taken her anger out on them before.
This was completely different from when wangye was angry. When wangye is angered, the flames certainly won’t be directed at wangfei, but for everyone else, if not careful, they will just be out of luck. As such, at that time, if able to hide, then just hide, and if unable to, then need to tuck one’s tail between one’s legs and reduce one’s existence.
The living Enma also knew that this time, he really had his wife angered, “Wan Wan……….”
“Hmph—–” Jing Wan angrily glared at him and flung aside his hand, turning to leave.
Our living Enma this while was also a bit embarrassed. Quickly having his wife coaxed back was the most important right now, “Wan Wan, Wan Wan, this husband was wrong, don’t be angry, alright? Wan Wan…………”
Even if there were quite a few people in the surrounding, Li Hong Yuan also wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. When apologizing, that was truly apologizing, not the least bit half-hearted. The dignity of a qinwang? His face? What use can those things have? Can it make his wife not angry anymore?
Jing Wan right now was currently in a fit of anger, simply not paying him any attention, nor paying attention to the onlookers’ reaction.
Jing Wan was angry, but not sulking, so just went on with her own business. And if there’s nothing to do, then it was just looking for a bit of something.
Li Hong Yuan just continuously followed by her side, diligent and attentive, lowering himself and being subservient. While Jing Wan was pruning the flower branch, he would pass her the scissors. While Jing Wan was washing her hands, he would offer the handkerchief. While Jing Wan was drinking tea, he would first wait for the temperature to be suitable before passing over. While Jing Wan was painting, he would be the assistant grinding the ink and blending the colors. Yet, it just so happens that the colors he produced, Jing Wan was even very pleased with, practically even more impressive than the worm in her stomach.
All in all, regardless of what Jing Wan did, he was all able to involve himself. Whenever Jing Wan called for the servant girl, his eyes would sweep over, and the servant girl could only stand in place, not daring to go forward, pitifully gazing at her wangfei, just short of writing ‘wangfei please spare me’ on her face.
Jing Wan in the end truly got defeated by Li Hong Yuan in the end, “Wangye, for better or worse, you’re an esteemed qinwang. Do you not find this embarrassing?” Just based on the thickness of this person’s skin, if one really is able to be angry with him, then that would be strange.
“As long as Wan Wan isn’t angry anymore, even if this husband loses a bit of face, it also doesn’t matter.” Li Hong Yuan said with a smile, especially pure.
Jing Wan narrowed her eyes. This while, she also came to realization. This man was precisely being deliberate, deliberately letting people see how unreasonable and how arrogant she, this wangfei, was. He an esteemed qinwang going this far for her, yet she was still unforgiving. If switch with another family, this kind of wife would’ve long been sorted out. Never mind getting disdained by the husband, even the parent-in-laws and elders above, down to the younger sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws below, and even the younger generation, all would criticize in all sorts of ways.
Alright, although this was perhaps true, but for a certain someone, even if being deliberate, there wasn’t this layer of reasoning inside.
Jing Wan also suddenly smiled, “Marrying a husband like wangye, should one say that it’s my good fortune cultivated in eight lifetimes? Should thank the heaven and earth, thank the gods and buddhas all around? Should properly live out one’s days, and not unreasonably cause trouble for no reason?”
Li Hong Yuan put away the expression on his face, his gaze also darkening for a moment, going forward and embracing Jing Wan, “It’s me marrying you that’s using the good fortune cultivated in eight lifetimes. However, I won’t thank others, just thanking you. Thank you for appearing, thank you for coming to my side. ———–Wan Wan don’t be angry anymore, alright? You can let this husband do anything.”
In this moment, even if not going to ponder, Jing Wan was still a hundred percent certain that her husband had secrets in his heart. Regardless of what this secret was, as long as his feelings towards her are real, then she will not ask. Perhaps one day he will tell her, just like how she actually had secrets too.
Actually, she didn’t really care that much. Just like how in front of him, she actually revealed a lot already. They, from their body to their heart, were the most intimate people. If still being careful at all times, paying attention to everything, then it would be a little too tiring. That’s why, she was clear, her certain words and actions in front of him actually already overstepped the line, not getting tolerated by the people of this world, but she believed in him, and he has never once disappointed her. For someone as smart as him, he should’ve long detected. What was missing perhaps was just poking through that last layer of paper. If he asks, she will tell him.
En, everyone was mutually waiting for the other party to ask, waiting for the other party to voluntarily say.
Jing Wan retreated a step, reaching out to pinch a certain someone’s face, beaming with smiles, “Wangye is finally done playing around?”
“What do you mean playing? This husband was sincerely trying to apologize and make amends with Wan Wan.”
“Is that so? Not letting me be angry anymore, fine, the third of the third lunar month, that day, you make the arrangements. If this wangfei is satisfied, then will forgive, if not, hmph, hmph, hmph……..”
“Wan Wan isn’t going to give a hint or anything?” The living Enma’s face was a bit ‘distressed’.
“Nope, with wangye this wise and knowledgeable, believe that there’s nothing that can stump wangye. This wangfei is quite optimistic towards wangye after all.”
“Fine, then you just wait.” Li Hong Yuan carried a bit of pampering, yet also carried a bit of helplessness towards Jing Wan.
Jing Wan suddenly began looking forward to it.
“Then what does Wan Wan want to do now? Continue painting, or go out for a stroll, or perhaps let this husband take you to go hunting?”
Towards hunting, Jing Wan naturally was tempted, but Jing Wan actually cared about something else more, “I saw that Ah Yuan is seemingly very skilled in blending colors. Is Ah Yuan also pretty good at painting? Let me have a look?”
“Fine, this husband will let you see. This husband for better or worse is also an all-rounder. Merely just painting, nothing too difficult.”
A certain someone although was thick-skinned, but since he dared to say, then for the most part, he was able to accomplish.
The paper used for freestyle and gongbi painting was ultimately different. The paper for the gongbi style, Jing Wan had actually let people improve quite a few times already. Although she didn’t understand paper-making, but the Luo family actually had their own paper-making masters. Whenever she made her requests, they were always able to find ways to alter.
This while, she swiftly had her own painting cleared away, laying out a raw xuan paper[3], and not the half processed kind[4]. Of course, this was named according to her past life. These two types of paper at present were actually called xuan paper and half xuan. Afterwards, when the full xuan for gongbi painting was made, Jing Wan just made the decision to change the names on her own. However, these were all trivial matters, no need to mind.
(T/N: Basically in Qi Yuan, raw xuan was just called xuan paper, and half xuan is the half processed xuan paper. The fully processed xuan paper didn’t exist until Jing Wan brought out the Gongbi style. See footnotes for xuan paper explanation.)
“Just paint a scenery of mountains and rivers, isn’t it very simple?”
Li Hong Yuan lifted his brow, but didn’t comment either.
Raw xuan paper’s special trait was its strong absorbent and water seepage nature, the ink immediately spreading at a drop, able to easily produce rich ink flow, able to blur water and ink, creating a deep artistic effect. The ink permeates rapidly, not easy to control, therefore when painting mountains and rivers, people generally liked using half raw half processed xuan paper. Half xuan paper slowly spreads the ink, having the charm of the ink flow, but won’t overly permeate, the brushwork all able to be easily controlled, and can show off rich brush expressions and ink techniques.
Jing Wan wanting to let Li Hong Yuan use raw xuan to paint mountains and rivers naturally will further test his foundations.
From the start, Jing Wan had never planned on taking out the full xuan. It can be seen that she simply never considered the possibility that Li Hong Yuan knew gongbi style.
Since his wife wanted to test him, yet also ‘underestimated’ him, Li Hong Yuan was very relaxed and carefree.
After blending the ink, his brush went down willfully and freely, not contemplating, not stopping. It was more than enough to see that he already had an idea formed.
The paper wasn’t considered big to begin with, and Li Hong Yuan also didn’t plan on using other colors, purely an ink painting of mountains and rivers. As such, when painting, it was also quite quick. To say it was like a blur before one’s eyes all wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
In any case, how Jing Wan sees it, while she was still entranced from watching, his painting was already finished.
He even inscribed a few words in passing, not using the seal, yet still drawing one on. That was the only bright color in the entire painting[5].
“Finished, asking wangfei to evaluate.” Li Hong Yuan brightly smiled as he placed down the brush.
[1] Shangsi Festival – Also known as the Double Third Festival due to it being celebrated on the third of the third lunar month. There’s a few debates about its origins, and its activities have also changed throughout the different dynasties, but generally all involve an outing by the water. Originally on this day, people would hold a sacrificial ceremony by the riverside to honor their ancestors, and then take a bath in the river with herbs to cleanse their body of filth. This was for preventing disease and also getting rid of bad luck. Afterwards, young men and women would go out on a spring outing. By the Han dynasty, banquets and praying for the descendants along the riverside were added, and after the Wei and Jin dynasties, the festival became fixed on the third of the third lunar month.
[2] An old custom of Shangsi Festival, but it’s really just a drinking game. The participants will sit by the river and compose poetry, while wine cups are placed in the water in the upper stream and flow down the stream. Whoever the wine cup stops in front of will have to drink the wine. Below is a painting of the Winding Stream Party at Orchid Pavilion in 353 hosted by Wang Xizhi, a renowned calligrapher, politician, general, and writer during the Jin Dynasty. The poems composed at this event were recorded in his famous work, the Lantingji Xu.
In later dynasties, there were also stone carved winding streams used for the game, such as this one below from the Song dynasty.
[3] Xuan paper – A type of paper originating in ancient china. These types of paper were quite expensive. They are actually still being made to this day for calligraphy.
[4] This goes into a bit about paper-making in ancient china, but I’ll cut the details, basically you just need to know that for xuan paper, there’s three types, fully processed, half processed, and raw.
For fully processed xuan paper, the ink won’t spread as easily, so it’s good for painting fine details and thin lines, and can repeatedly add washes off color. It’s the most suitable kind for gongbi paintings.
Raw xuan paper, the ink will very easily spread, commonly used by calligraphy masters.
Half processed is in between the two, where the ink won’t spread and bleed as much as the raw, but still leave a bit of a fuzzy effect. This one is often used in calligraphy.
[5] Used at the end of calligraphy lines as a signature, usually in red, see above pictures for example.
