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Demon Sect Ancient Tomb was uprooted, but Yuzin Garden outside Qingbo Gate remained untouched.
The steward of the Demon Sect, who was skilled in martial arts, continued to guard Yuzin Garden. On the third day, he went to the ancient tomb to deliver food again, only to find the entrance wide open and none of his comrades inside. He was terrified and dropped the basket before turning to run. He rushed back to Yuzin Garden, burning many important secret correspondence letters. He intended to escape, but without any instructions from his master, he knew that if he dared to flee on his own in this situation, his fate would be worse than being caught and thrown into a Ministry of Justice prison.
The steward spent his days anxiously, feeling as if each day lasted a year. Whenever he heard the slightest rustle, he would instinctively reach for the knife nearby, only to find it was a false alarm each time. The calm continued, with no suspicious signs outside Yuzin Garden.
Finally, his tense nerves began to relax. He started sending messages, with the first task being to report what had happened in the ancient tomb's dungeon. The method of contact was simple; he had a cage of specially trained Pigeons. He would tie the message to the leg of a Pigeon and release it.
He noticed that these Pigeons were unusual; their feathers were particularly clean, their bodies strong and agile, and most bizarrely, each Pigeon had striking blood-red eyes. However, this had nothing to do with him. He followed his master's instructions meticulously.
After killing a black rooster and feeding its blood to the Pigeon, he tied a small bamboo tube containing his handwritten letter to its foot and released it.
Then he waited for the return of the Pigeon.
What he did not know was that countless pairs of eyes outside Yuzin Garden had seen that Pigeon take flight from the garden, including several pairs hidden beneath the Lotus Leaf at West Lake.
Two days later, the Pigeon returned. After receiving instructions, the steward felt relieved and instructed a maid to tidy up the most scenic and elevated three-story Small Pavilion in the garden.
This Small Pavilion was built on a large expanse of Taihu Stone Rockery, elevated enough to overlook the scenery of West Lake. However, similarly, boats on West Lake could also see what was happening on the third floor of the Small Pavilion.
The steward found it puzzling that among so many pavilions in the garden, his master specifically instructed him to prepare this one, which was not ideal for concealing activities.
Nonetheless, he diligently followed orders.
Three days later, a carriage draped with thick silk curtains entered Yuzin Garden through the Corner Gate. Afterward, someone began residing in that Small Pavilion. Under the bright moonlight and gentle breeze at midnight, lights could be seen shining brightly inside the Small Pavilion, where a slender figure dressed in elegant gauze moved about like a fairy from Yaochi. Accompanying her were enchanting flute melodies.
Rumors began circulating in Lin'an that an extraordinary Beauty had arrived at Yuzin Garden outside Qingbo Gate, possessing both beauty and talent but hailing from a humble background. However, this stunning Beauty did not entertain ordinary guests; she only received high-ranking officials or refined gentlemen well-versed in poetry and arts.
Listening to Zhao Ding's report, Li Hong was puzzled to the extreme. What exactly was Li Xiaolou playing at? Lianxiang Courtyard was gone, Autumn Maiden had been captured, and now she had created Yuzin Garden. What did this have to do with her grand scheme?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it became. Li Hong pondered, "Continue to monitor closely; we cannot close in until we see Li Xiaolou in person."
Zhao Ding hurried off to make arrangements, while Li Hong turned back inside and released his Divine Consciousness to probe the area.
This was not the first time he had investigated Yuzin Garden, but as with every previous attempt, Li Hong still did not detect a trace of Li Xiaolou.
The so-called Concubine was indeed a stunning beauty, but clearly lacked any martial skills; even the basic skills of a housekeeper were beyond her. She was simply an ordinary mortal. However, she was exceptionally beautiful, and her beauty carried an oddly dignified air. If it weren't for the rumors that had already spread, Li Hong would never have guessed she was a woman who sold her body.
Perhaps this was precisely why all the high-ranking officials and nobles in the city were stirred into action.
She could be obtained with money, but even throwing money at her might not guarantee success; she could be toyed with, yet when dressed elegantly, she appeared so graceful and dignified that it was hard to imagine what kind of sense of conquest one would feel lying with such a Beauty. This drove the city's lechers wild with excitement. Yuzin Garden became increasingly popular by the day. The Concubine's fame grew more widespread each passing day.
Li Hong observed this Concubine several times throughout the day and noticed something odd: this woman never spoke. She seemed to be mute.
However, her silence did not detract from her extraordinary beauty; her expressive eyes conveyed more than words ever could. Moreover, this woman excelled in poetry and painting; occasionally, one or two of her small works made their way outside, and every scholar who saw them praised them highly. She was truly a dual talent in beauty and art.
Thus, during private meetings among Lin'an's high-ranking officials and nobles, they began discussing this mysterious beauty. She had indeed entertained guests on two occasions. Those who had been received only said one thing afterward: "Truly exquisite, beyond words; indescribable."
The more this happened, the more it fueled people's imaginations. However, there was something strange—no one seemed to return for a second visit.
Li Hong gathered the poems and paintings that had leaked out from the "Concubine" and compared them with the meager testimonies of the few guests who had entered. Gradually, he began to form some peculiar thoughts.
Once again, this was another grand game orchestrated by Li Xiaolou; but what exactly was the purpose of this game?
Countless questions left Li Hong restless, but no matter what, Li Xiaolou was not by the Concubine's side. All that was left was to wait. Wait for her to appear so that she could be captured all at once.
Zhao Gou staggered into the Emerald Cold Hall, interrupting Li Hong's train of thought. He immediately noticed the Concubine's poetry and painting in Li Hong's hands, showing great interest. He took it over to examine closely and exclaimed, "What a fine example of Thin Gold Script! This is the style the Late Emperor excelled at."
"Late Emperor? Your father, Daojun Emperor?"
"Indeed. The Thin Gold Script created by the Late Emperor and Qin Hui's Thin Gold Script are both unique in the world of calligraphy. However, while Thin Gold Script is practical and suitable for woodblock printing, when it comes to elegance and beauty, it is undoubtedly the Late Emperor's own Thin Gold Script. This script requires long-term immersion to master. It's truly strange; this piece captures the essence of the Late Emperor's Thin Gold Script so perfectly that only someone who has genuinely studied the Late Emperor's works could produce it. Who wrote this? Could there be a master I am unaware of?" Zhao Gou praised the Concubine's writing, his insights quite perceptive.
Li Hong decided to hand over the painting as well to Zhao Gou: "You should appreciate this too."
Zhao Gou looked at it for just a moment before being even more astonished: "What an extraordinary occurrence! It appears to be a copy of the Late Emperor's Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting, capturing its spirit so well that it is almost seven or eight parts similar. This is strange; since coming from the south, the Late Emperor's paintings have either been taken by the Jin people or scattered among the populace. I searched several times before acquiring the famous Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting by the Late Emperor. I will have someone bring it here. You will understand once you see it."
Soon, a Hanlin Scholar presented Daojun Emperor's Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting. With both paintings displayed together, Li Hong understood without Zhao Gou needing to say anything. The Concubine had clearly imitated Daojun's brushwork, seemingly copying the Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting, but there were several obvious differences in composition. This could only indicate one thing: that mute Concubine had indeed seen the Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting with her own eyes and then painted it from memory, resulting in some minor errors in detail. However, overall, not only was her brushwork similar, but her spirit also resembled that of the original.
The issue was that this famous Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting by Daojun Emperor had always been kept in the palace as his prized work since its completion at the Hanlin Academy in Bianjing. Afterward, when the Jin Army breached Bianjing, the Lotus and Golden Rooster Painting fell into civilian hands. After settling in Lin'an, Zhao Gou exerted great effort to repurchase it, and it is now housed in Lin'an's Hanlin Academy.
Logically speaking, this Concubine could never have seen Daojun Emperor's original work; no wonder Zhao Gou remarked on how extraordinary this was.
Zhao Gou turned to Li Hong: "Where did these two pieces come from? I wish to meet their creator."
Li Hong's eyes brightened as he vaguely understood Li Xiaolou's intentions and smiled: "Alright, but you must dress incognito."
Without hesitation, Zhao Gou agreed and eagerly began arranging for his disguise.
At dusk, a small sedan stopped outside the gate of Yuzin Garden. The person who got out held a delicate pink and gold invitation. After exchanging a few words with the butler, the individual turned and got back into the sedan.
Half an hour later, an unremarkable carriage rattled along the clean stone pavement outside Qingbo Gate.
The carriage appeared ordinary, with a sturdy wooden body and plain clean blue curtains hanging down, suggesting it did not belong to any high-ranking official or wealthy family. However, anyone familiar with the current price of horses would recognize that the two magnificent steeds pulling the carriage indicated that its owner was certainly wealthy, and not just in an ordinary sense.
Zhao Gou stepped down from the carriage dressed in white silk robes and wearing a carefree cap, looking much like a scholar. Only one item subtly revealed his identity: in his hand, he held a Rosewood Folding Fan. The fan bore the genuine calligraphy of Daojun Emperor, featuring a painting titled Yellow Oriole Singing Among the Green Willows. The inscription on the back was written in Thin Gold Script by Daojun Emperor himself, quoting Du Fu's famous lines: "Two yellow orioles sing among the green willows, a line of white egrets flies across the blue sky. The window frames the snow-capped peaks of the western mountains, while boats dock at Dongwu from afar."
Daojun Emperor Zhao Ji was skilled in both painting and calligraphy, particularly adept at depicting feathers and colors. The small folding fan featured numerous birds including orioles and egrets, along with landscapes and boats. Despite the abundance of elements, the composition displayed a remarkable sense of spatial beauty; everything from distant to near was arranged without chaos, with each egret and oriole's delicate feathers meticulously rendered, appearing lifelike. This fan was a treasured gift from Daojun Emperor to Zhao Gou, who cherished it deeply even while fleeing to Central Capital.
Like his father Daojun Emperor, Zhao Gou had a profound love for painting and calligraphy; their artistic talents were clearly inherited. Once settled in Lin'an, Zhao Gou's first task was to summon all those who had previously served at the Bianjing Academy of Calligraphy and Painting back to South to reorganize the Lin'an Academy.
Thinking about meeting this mysterious talented woman who could replicate his father's paintings so vividly made Zhao Gou feel both excited and nervous.
He turned back and quietly instructed his attendant Li Hong behind him, "Let's go inside."
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