Chapter 30: Painting for Minister Zhang
I stopped three feet away from him.
He scrutinized me, a hint of sadness and regret in his eyes. He lowered his head and sighed, “My old eyes are truly failing me, it seems impossible. Once the horse dies, all gold is gone; in old age, one harbors no resentment. Always think of the days you have when you have them, lest you regret when you don’t. It is the times. It is fate.”
Then, he composed himself, looked up at me, and said, “Your peony painting is excellent. For decades, I have seen countless scholars and artists paint peonies, some graceful and noble, some grand and imposing, some charming and vibrant, some elegant and composed, but none have, like you, imbued the peony with worry and sorrow. What were you thinking when you painted it?”
The person before me was renowned throughout the Four Seas and Nine Provinces.
He was second only to His Majesty, a man who could rally support in the Imperial Court with a single call, attracting followers like a swarm of locusts. He was the backbone of Great Ming. He was the current Prime Minister.
Yet, standing beside him, I felt no fear. I saw only an elder in his twilight years. His former glory had faded, but his ambition remained. His brow was etched with worry, worry for the nation, worry for the common people.
I bowed and replied, “Reporting to Your Excellency, this humble woman was thinking of a poem.”
“Which poem?”
“Since the barbarian dust entered the passes, the road to Yiluo has been long for ten years. By the Qingdun Stream, a stooped traveler, stands alone in the east wind, gazing at the peonies.”
His eyes suddenly welled up, yet a smile touched his lips. “Good, good, very good. The painter lady is a clear-headed person. To possess such clarity amidst peace is rare. The painter lady is stronger than many ministers in the Imperial Court. Currently, the Mongols and Jurchens from the north frequently raid our borders. If we do not guard against them, who knows if Great Ming will not end up like the former Song dynasty?”
“With Your Excellency here, it will never come to that. The common people know that Your Excellency devised three strategies to secure the borders, your merit will be remembered for a thousand years.”
He listened, shook his head with difficulty, and said, “As long as I am here, the nation is secure. One day, when I am gone, what will become of the nation? What of our families?”
I quickly replied, “There are many students who have benefited from Your Excellency’s teachings, with lofty aspirations, who will surely carry on Your Excellency’s will.”
He pondered for a moment and then smiled, “I hope so. To whom do you owe your painting skills, painter lady?”
“I have never apprenticed. Only in my youth, my mother taught me, and I know a little of painting. My maternal grandfather, during the Longqing Era, served as a court painter.”
“Oh? And who was he?”
“My maternal grandfather, Xie Han.”
He smiled. “I remember him. In the sixth year of Longqing, the late Emperor even commissioned him to paint a portrait for me. Today, inviting you here is truly a fortunate coincidence.”
He gestured to the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone beside him. “Painter lady, please begin—”
I nodded, picked up the brush, and studied him.
He said, “This painting is intended for Qingyao. I haven’t seen her in over twenty years. She said that after half a lifetime of wandering, meeting again would only bring timidity, and it would be better not to meet at all. Sending her a small portrait as a memento would suffice. I thought, an ordinary artist might misrepresent her. Since you could paint such a peony, you must be precise.”
I nodded. “Your Excellency praises me too highly. This humble woman has only done her best.”
He adjusted his cap, smoothed his clothing, and sat down properly.
I painted quietly.
In the flickering lamplight, he no longer seemed like the accomplished Minister Zhang, but rather the scholar Zhang Taiyue from Huguang Jingzhou, who had come to the capital to take the imperial examinations.
I shall dedicate half my life to paper.
After about an hour, I put down my brush.
He stood up, looked at it, and smiled. “Excellent, this is the portrait I am most satisfied with in my entire life. It captures the reality of old age while retaining the spirit of youth.”
He looked at me. “The painter lady who created this painting deserves a generous reward. Ask for whatever you desire.”
I bowed. “Your Excellency, this humble woman requires no reward. My husband, Cheng Huaishi, is appreciated by Your Excellency, and our family is deeply grateful.”
He stroked his beard and smiled. “So you are Madam Cheng. I have heard that Cheng Huaishi’s marital fate was decided by his elders and through a matchmaker, not his own choice. Now, it seems, Madam Cheng is intelligent and clever, with exceptional painting skills and profound understanding at such a young age. You and Cheng Huaishi are truly a talented couple, a match made in heaven.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
He walked to the desk and picked up a brush, handing it to me.
“This is a golden brush bestowed by the late Emperor in the first year of Longqing, when I served as Grand Scholar of the Eastern Pavilion. I now present it to Madam Cheng. There are countless painters, but true masters are hard to find. I hope you will not refuse.”
I thought for a moment, accepted it, and thanked him solemnly.
He held the portrait and returned to his Grand Tutor’s Chair, reclining slightly, and said wistfully, “Though I strive for the empire’s governance to be recorded in history, who knows if I will be cursed after my death. I think of the spring water, and sigh. I think of the need for grain and transport, my heart is heavy.”
Hearing this, and recalling Feng Gao’s words about His Majesty smashing a teacup, my eyelids twitched slightly.
After bidding him farewell, I turned to leave.
He called out to me.
“Madam Cheng, may I be so bold as to ask, in what year were you born?”
I was taken aback and replied truthfully, “This humble woman was born in the Mangzhong period of the thirty-ninth year of Jiajing.”
“The thirty-ninth year of Jiajing, Mangzhong…” he murmured, as if pondering something.
“Your Excellency, what is it?” I asked.
He waved his hand. “Nothing, nothing. I was merely reminded of an old friend. People, as they age, tend to reminisce. Madam Cheng need not worry.”
“Yes.”
I walked outside. Qin Mingxu was waiting for me.
“Sang Yu, you worked hard tonight,” he said.
I smiled and shook my head, holding up the golden brush in my hand. “His Excellency gave it to me.”
Qin Mingxu smiled. “I’ve never seen you so happy before.”
“Of course, this is a brush that can decide the fate of the world. I will cherish it well.”
From inside, Minister Zhang’s voice called out, “Mingxu, come in—”
Qin Mingxu went inside.
I, meanwhile, left the manor.
Whether it was an illusion or not, I felt as if a fleeting black shadow in the corner of the wall was watching the Zhang Manor.
That shadow seemed familiar.
I got into the horse carriage and got off at the intersection of Qi’an Street.
A hand pulled me into a narrow alley.
“Elder Sister—”
It was Feng Gao.
He said urgently, “Elder Sister, the young master who pushed me at the ferry terminal, do you know who he is?”
“I know.”
“I mean, do you know his relationship with Zhang Taiyue?”
“I know,” I repeated.
Feng Gao’s expression turned serious. “Elder Sister, you even know such a secret. It seems you have a deep friendship with him. I investigated him today because I saw how worried he was about you. And this investigation was quite something.”
“Do you investigate everyone who appears around me?” I frowned.
“It’s not a problem if Elder Sister usually makes friends. But this Young Master Qin has an ambiguous identity; Elder Sister must stay away. Do you know? The Commander of the Brocade Guards, Liu Shou, has already noticed this person. I deliberately sent people to mislead his attention. I don’t know what he will do next. Although the Brocade Guards are under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Depot, Liu Shou is ambitious and we are not on good terms. His Majesty has been listening to him a lot lately. To maintain my current position, I must be constantly vigilant. I also have to cooperate with matters His Majesty has decreed,” he said, worriedly.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.
“Elder Sister, Elder Sister, a single move can affect the whole game. If I don’t act, others will.”
He looked at me. “No matter what, I will protect you.”
The early summer night in the Capital City, the moon was like a maiden standing tall.
The wind rustled the willow branches, full of charm.
I said softly, “You care a lot about losing power, don’t you?”
“Of course. Elder Sister, only with power can we avoid being at the mercy of others. For fifteen years, I have struggled desperately, just for the day when I would hold power and be able to find Elder Sister.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled up my sleeve. “Elder Sister, look, this scar on your wrist is still here. It’s from when we were learning the lion dance. I was particularly thin and small as a child, and I could never stand steady on the high platform. When the troupe leader hit me, Elder Sister, you always protected me. We often went hungry, and when I couldn’t help it, I stole copper coins on the street, and Elder Sister, you rushed forward to argue with the young masters…”
He became more and more upset as he spoke, his voice choked with emotion. “Elder Sister, I will never let us live like we did before. Never.”
A wave of dizziness washed over my forehead. I reached out and wiped the tears from his eyes.
He meekly allowed me to wipe them.
“Elder Sister, I only have you.”
His eyes seemed to have a firefly with a broken wing fly into them, a flickering, stumbling light.
“If one day, sacrificing my life could make you happy, I would do it.”
“Nonsense. You are the Eunuch of the Eastern Depot. You are omnipotent. You will not die.”
A clamor of voices arose from the entrance of the alley.
He glanced outside, leaped up, and landed on the rooftop.
I carefully returned to the manor.
I had expected the Eldest Young Mistress to be watching me, ready with many words to deal with.
To my surprise, she was busy with her own affairs and paid me no attention at all.
As the night deepened, she hurried out, escorting the newly dressed Miss Sun, Cheng Shuyao, out the door. Someone was waiting outside to receive her.
Cheng Shuyao was timid, looking back at her mother with every step.
The Eldest Young Mistress, however, had a look of determination on her face as she urged her daughter out.
