Chapter six hundred and eighty fourth the finishing touch
The rice paper in my hand trembled slightly, but the three butterflies on the rice paper began to dance gracefully.
Of course, this is not a real dance, but an illusion, which makes people feel that the butterfly above is alive and seems to fly away at any time.
This requires considerable skill to do this.
It can be said that no one has such skills in the entire Song Dynasty, because this is no longer a skill that ordinary people can achieve, but is close to art and Tao.
Even if you see the same painting, it is impossible to achieve the same effect by copying it again.
Among them, the amount of ink applied, the strength of the strokes, and the changes in stroke strength,
Although it is simple, the things contained in it are quite mysterious.
The third prince Zhao Jing was looking at the painting in his hand, his eyes full of shock. A few butterflies can have such a miraculous effect. If a painting is completed, what level should it reach? This painting is already magical.
, even if you can communicate with the gods, this may not be impossible.
Whether it's him or Zhu Qian.
They are all people who are knowledgeable about calligraphy and painting. They don't need to see a whole painting, just seeing the skills contained in it is enough to make people feel inferior.
"What did that brother draw? Why was it so praised by Master Zhu?"
"It seems like a few butterflies. It is impossible to draw something too complicated in such a short time. However, to be worthy of Master Zhu's praise, he must have real talent and learning. It seems that this is a hidden master."
"
"I really want to come over and have a look."
Some people in the distance were curious. They looked up, but couldn't see anything because of the crowd.
Qin Yong's face turned gloomy on the side. He never expected that the man in front of him was really good at painting. What a miscalculation. He thought that all the scholars involved in painting in the capital had shown their ability, but this man actually
Not interested in the third prince's daughter's request for paintings.
Then he was very reluctant and said: "The skills displayed by these butterflies may be good, but they are still far from the spiritual power you mentioned. They just seem to be alive, not really alive. Among them
There is still a big gap.”
Before Li Xiuyuan spoke, Zhu Qian on the side said: "Qin Yong, what you said is wrong. Being able to show the objects in the painting to this extent is already a spiritual thing. Is it possible that you really want the butterfly in this painting?"
Can’t it fly out?”
Zhao Jing also nodded and said, "The skills in the painting are astonishing. This is enough. This painting is worth thousands of gold. I should show it to my father first."
"These are just a few strokes and a few butterflies. How can they be dedicated to the officials?"
Qin Yong was surprised. He then took another look at the painting and suddenly pointed at it and said, "Third Prince, look, there is a stroke missing on this butterfly. Those three butterflies don't have eyes. This painting is incomplete."
"Hey, it's true."
Zhao Jing took a look and saw that the three butterflies above had no eyes.
No wonder I always felt that something was missing when these three butterflies were dancing. It turned out that they were missing eyes, but I was attracted by the magic in this painting and ignored it for a while.
"How can such a huge negligence and defect be better than others? It cannot be shown to the officials." Qin Yongdao: "Brother, although your painting skills are amazing, the shortcomings cannot be made up, so you cannot let me
I am convinced."
Zhao Jingjing nodded: "That makes sense. Moreover, this painting is too simple and not complete. If we rely on three butterflies to win the first place, it will indeed be unconvincing."
Li Xiuyuan smiled dumbly: "The butterfly didn't draw eyes. This is not a defect, but something I did intentionally."
"What do you mean by this?" Zhu Qian asked at the side.
Li Xiuyuan cupped his fists and gave a salute: "Returning to Master Zhu, the ancients put the finishing touch first, and the younger generation will naturally take this as a warning. The dragons on the murals will fly away if they have eyes painted on them. The same is true for the butterflies in my painting.
If you draw eyes, they will fly away. Therefore, I did not draw eyes to avoid being caught in the drawing.
The things are connected to the spirit and come alive from the paper."
"That's nonsense. Are you deceiving a three-year-old child? I don't believe that the butterfly in your painting can fly with eyes painted on it." Qin Yong immediately retorted.
Not only him, but the third prince Zhao Jing and his master Zhu Qian also shook their heads slightly, not believing it.
How could they believe such unbelievable things?
After all, the finishing touch is just a legend, how can it be believed to be true?
"The third prince doesn't believe it either?" Li Xiuyuan asked.
Zhao Jing said with a smile: "Your painting skills are indeed extraordinary, but to achieve the finishing touch, it is not a skill, but magic, fairy magic. This seems too absurd, but I don't believe it, but if you
I can really make the butterfly in this painting fly after dotting its eyes.
I am willing to pay you a fortune for your painting, and apologize to you for my previous doubts, but if you can't do it."
Li Xiuyuan interrupted him and immediately said: "Since you don't believe it, then ask the third prince to send the painting."
Zhao Jing sent the painting over, but he felt a little curious in his heart.
Seeing how confident this person is, could he really be able to make the butterflies in the painting fly?
No, this is absolutely impossible.
How could he, as a prince, believe such absurd things? If a Taoist priest cast spells, then he could believe it. But the man in front of him was just a scholar, a scholar, and he did not look like someone who had learned spells.
"It's just pretentious. He must not let the butterflies in the painting fly." Qin Yongxin said firmly.
Li Xiuyuan didn't say anything. He just spread out the painting and flattened it with a paperweight. An ink pen immediately appeared on his palm.
"Brother Li, do you really know how to add the finishing touch?" Zhang Bangchang, who was on the side, came over and asked Xiaosheng.
"No." Li Xiuyuan said; "There is no magic spell in the world that can put the finishing touch on something."
"Then you still dare to paint? Why don't you run away quickly? It's just a loss of face." Zhang Bangchang said: "It's just retreating in the face of battle, there is no shame."
Li Xiuyuan smiled and said: "Although there is no finishing touch magic in the world, the skill of painting has reached the level of transcendence and sainthood, and it can reach the gods."
After speaking, he tapped the ink pen in his hand lightly.
Three pairs of eyes immediately appeared on the three black butterflies. Although they were just a few black dots, there was a big difference between having them and not having them.
At this time, everyone came together and stared at the three black butterflies with eyes on the rice paper.
Nothing seems to have changed.
It just makes it look a little more lively with the extra eyes, but it's not alive.
Zhu Qian shook his head slightly, and the third prince Zhao Jing on the side also laughed dumbly, feeling that he had witnessed a farce.
Qin Yong was a little nervous at first, but then when he saw that the butterfly did not come back to life, he immediately laughed and said: "Sure enough, you are making nonsense. All the calligraphy and painting, the finishing touch, are all arrogance, because your lie not only deceived the third prince, Old Master Zhu, but also
I have deceived all the scholars here, gentlemen
, don’t say that I intentionally framed him. If you don’t believe it, you can see if the butterfly in this painting has come to life.”
After saying this, he took the rice paper off the painting table and spread it out in front of everyone, showing it to the nearby scholars.
But when the scholars nearby looked at it, they became confused and said, "Brother Qin, you took the wrong painting. This is a piece of white paper with nothing on it."
"No?" Qin Yong took a look and saw that it was really a blank piece of paper.
Could it be that I got the wrong painting?
He was going to go back and take it again.
But the moment he turned around, he immediately froze on the spot, his eyes narrowed, and his face was full of horror.
Three black butterflies were dancing around Li Xiuyuan at this moment, chasing each other and playing. The butterflies looked exactly like the ones in the painting.
Li Xiuyuan smiled and said: "There is nothing in the painting, why do you need to show it to others? Aren't the three butterflies you are looking for here?"
He stretched out his palm and saw these three butterflies stopping obediently on his palm.
Not only Qin Yong, but also Zhao Jing, Master Zhu, and the other scholars who were painting on the side were shocked.
He looked at the blank rice paper in Qin Yong's hand, and then at the three painted butterflies in Li Xiuyuan's hand.
Alive.
Actually, he is really alive.
The legendary finishing touch actually exists.
For a moment, everyone's hearts were turned upside down, and their shocked eyes were filled with incredible looks.