Zhang Ju wiped the cold sweat from his head, breathed a long sigh of relief, left the guest room on the pretext of watching the tea making, took a breath, and then let out a long sigh.
He watched "Painted Skin" differently from the other three.
The other three read the words, the artistic conception, and the story. Zhang Li did the same at first, but when he saw the back and saw the evil ghost's painted skin, he somehow suddenly thought of himself.
Tao Jing said that her beauty was alluring, but what Zhang Ju saw was a piece of painted skin draped over his body. What was hidden under it was an ulterior motive, as if he wanted to take advantage of the power of the Prince of Nankang, so he used his cousin to cover it up.
As if you are close to each other, so you are confused and confused, how can you have the intention to talk to others?
If it weren't for the fear of others seeing the clues, I would have come out just now.
Now that he was standing outside the house, the pressure was slightly relieved. In a daze, a few lines of words from "Painted Skin" came to his mind, gradually making his body feel slightly chilly.
So Zhang Ju rubbed his hands and came to his senses, just in time to hear the call of his friends in the house.
When he returned to the house, the three friends were still talking enthusiastically. When they saw him coming back, they immediately took him to plan together, thinking about how to make friends with the monarch if they could see him.
, ask for advice on literary thoughts.
Zhang Ju responded with a smile on the surface, but he was worried and could not give his whole heart. Even during the dinner, he was a little distracted.
After dinner, Zhu Li saw that it was late, so he mentioned his wife's instructions at home and stood up to leave. The other two people also got up and Zhang Ju saw each other off in a trance. When they left, he suddenly woke up!
"I invited the three of them here to inquire about information, but I forgot!" With this thought, I suddenly felt annoyed, but I didn't want to let them come again. I just wanted to find an opportunity to ask again tomorrow.
After returning to the house and sitting down, Zhang Ju unconsciously thought of the "Painted Skin" article and asked someone to bring it over and read it left and right until late at night.
There are not a few people like him in Jiankang City.
Just as Zhu Li said, "Painted Skin" involves the theory of gods and monsters, which spread quickly in the streets. Within a few days, it was known to many people and discussed a lot.
"The paintings on the skin are really interesting. The Marquis of Linru County is an interesting person. How come I didn't know him before?"
"Today we are going to talk about painting skin in the tea shop. If you are interested, you can come and listen."
"What is the painted skin?"
"You don't know? I just want to tell you, you will never know who made this..."
"What? Marquis of Linru County?"
…
Two days later, the article was already known to half the city.
Among them, servants of the Hou Mansion rushed back and forth to add fuel to the flames, and there were also situations where Chen Cuo took money to clear the way. Seeing that the momentum was growing, he personally found a wine shop and teahouse, negotiated with them, and asked them to promote it.
In addition, the article is taken from handed down works and is of excellent quality. After repeated readings, it really started to gain momentum in a few days! And it became more and more popular!
Even around the Marquis Mansion, there are gradually more and more figures, wandering around, and I don't know whether they are attracted by the text or have other thoughts.
However, although Chen Cuo's Hou Mansion is located in a corner of Jiankang City, ordinary people cannot live on both sides of the Qingxi River. Even if it is just a remote corner, for ordinary people, it is also the residence of powerful people, and not everyone can live there.
Those who are close will be closely watched by city guards and patrols.
Therefore, those figures will soon be driven away.
But there are exceptions.
It is the monk and the Tao.
The monks and Taoists had a rather transcendent status in the Southern Dynasties, and this became even more so after Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty.
Therefore, when the patrolman drove away a few idlers, he turned around and saw two more Taoist priests on the corner of the street, wandering beside the Marquis' Mansion. He hesitated for a moment and did not go over to drive away, but watched carefully for fear of them.
Cause trouble.
After all, although the Marquis of Linru County is not well-known, his brother is an extraordinary figure and cannot be ignored.
Fortunately, the two Taoist priests looked at the Hou Mansion for a few times, then turned and left, making the surrounding officers heave a sigh of relief. Soon, the officers also left one after another.
As a result, as soon as they left, two Taoist priests came back.
"This place is well guarded. In addition, it is the capital of the Southern Dynasties and there is a five-element formation. The Marquis of Linru County is a member of the royal family. He has the blood of a true dragon and is covered with purple energy. It is difficult to detect."
The one who spoke was a young Taoist priest, and the one next to him was a young man.
The young Taoist priest smiled and said: "The article "Painted Skin" is full of brilliance and eloquence. It is obscure in language and contains deep meanings. It can move people's hearts and shake their minds. It is clearly used by the Incense Taoist to gather thoughts. Where can I write the ordinary royal relatives?
Can you come out? There must be a reason! This time you and I are looking for the reincarnated immortal, so naturally we cannot miss this prince."
The young Taoist priest nodded: "What my senior brother said is that the master of this palace is from the Nankang King family. I heard that the half-hearted Taoist from the Dingxin sect paid a visit a few days ago under the pretext of visiting, but he does not live here. We cannot take it lightly.
"
The young Taoist nodded: "Don't let him take the lead, otherwise we will lose the opportunity!"
While talking, the two of them looked towards the Hou Mansion again.
The young Taoist sighed with emotion: "People are agitated, and the foundation of the Tao has been formed. The root has always been condensed, and it is lingering around. As long as it is swallowed, at least the first step will be completed. Even if it is to directly embark on the second step of seeking the Tao, it will not be impossible."
possible!"
——————
"Have you heard about it, Second Third Son? Our Lord Marquis's article has now spread throughout Jiankang, and everyone is talking about it!"
Early on the fifth day, all the servants of the Hou Mansion gathered together and started discussing the matter before they started working. Everyone was surprised.
A few days ago, Chen Cuo came to them and asked everyone to distribute articles. They didn't want to disobey, but they didn't take it seriously. They thought it was the prince's whims. Who would have thought that once it spread, it would actually cause a sensation!
"What are you talking about! The Lord's affairs are yours to discuss! Go, go, go! Do whatever you have to do!"
But before he could say a few words, he was dismissed by the steward Chen Hai, and they went to do their own things.
As soon as they left, Chen Hai thought to himself: "It has really gained momentum. Could it be that our monarch is a rich man? This is not good!" As he thought about it, sweat dripped from his forehead, and he became more and more uneasy.
As the trend of skin painting gradually gained momentum, Chen Hai was first suspicious, then surprised, and finally regretful.
If I had known that my Lord was so capable, after one article, he would be as powerful as that talented scholar from the Lu family. Why would he disobey and contradict him? It would be too late for such a person to surrender!
"I have to change my mind!" He gritted his teeth and made a decision, "The prince has treated me badly before, but there is still an opportunity. I just need to seize the opportunity to show my loyalty!"
After thinking about it, he looked up and saw a lost figure not far away. He couldn't help but sneer and thought to himself, he was not the worst.
In the front, there is the aster.
This female envoy leader did not wait beside Chen Cuo as usual, but led the maidservant and walked with a fruit plate - Chen Cuo was entertaining friends in the front yard.
When they arrived at the front hall, Ziju made arrangements and everything was in order. However, her eyes glanced at Chen Cuo from time to time. Seeing that the latter didn't even look at her, she felt panic and regret in her heart.
She is a female servant who is the confidant of the old lady. She has also learned Chinese calligraphy since she was a child and likes to read literature. Therefore, after reading "Painted Skin", I felt like I was struck by lightning.
Originally, Ziju knew a little bit about the prince's feelings for her, but she thought about it a little and did not obey. She even did not pretend to say anything under the old lady's order.
Unexpectedly, the king was furious a few days ago. After scolding him, he no longer got close to me.
Afterwards, Aster looked at the painting again, and felt that the evil ghost wearing the beauty's skin seemed to be a reflection of herself. She felt frightened, regretful, and even more desolate. She just hoped that the prince's anger would subside and he could be as usual.
But over the past few days, Chen Cuo became more and more indifferent, which made Aster feel even more tormented.
The more she suffered, the more she couldn't help but think about the Painted Skin Ghost, the more uneasy and shaken she became, and the thoughts of regret were like poisonous snakes eating away at her mind.
Slowly, the sentences in the article seemed to come alive, swimming in her heart. In the past two days, sometimes, while doing things, the words seemed to float in front of her eyes, becoming more and more dazzling.
After Chen Cuo saw off his friend, he went straight back to the study without even looking at Cui Ju.
Aster clenched her fists, her body trembled slightly, her face turned pale, and the shadow under her feet quickly distorted.
However, no one else noticed.
Chen Cuo planned to strike while the iron was hot.
After some weighing and weighing in the dreamland that day, Chen Cuo started with a short story from Liaozhai, hoping to open the door to fame.
Nowadays, "Painted Skin" is popular in half of the city, and he has the confidence.
"The popularity of the painting shows that the book is genuine, but the popularity is too vague and difficult to measure. Today is the last day. The safest way is to publish a new article to go further and lay the foundation!"
He also had an idea for the second article.
But before he started writing, Chen Hai suddenly came in in a hurry and said he had something important to report.
"What's the matter?" Chen Cuo frowned, not hiding his disgust.
When Chen Hai saw it, he became more and more regretful, but even more respectful, he cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I just need to report urgently that the palace has been robbed, and the box containing the pills has been stolen!"