Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 974: Chapter 970: Famous Painting = Exam Paper

After handling various documents with Madam Feng, amidst a whirlwind of activity, Huo Sining stayed in Jin City for a day. Holding the old lady’s papers, she rushed to the Imperial Capital without pause. Upon reaching the Capital City, she called the number she had for Gu Xu.

The person on the other end was perhaps already briefed by Gu Xu. Receiving Huo Sining’s call without surprise, they politely inquired about her specific address and drove over, received the old lady’s documents, and asked Huo Sining to await further news.

Huo Sining did not inquire how long it would take, she simply thanked them and parted ways.

Upon arrival in the Imperial Capital, the first task was to visit the elders of the Huang, Lu, and Gu families. After visiting each household, Huo Sining went to Zhou Shitao’s place, handing over the package of Jinsu Mountain Buddhist Scripture Paper and the ancient painting suspected to be by Li Tang that she had found in Dongyang to her mentor.

Upon seeing the package of Song paper, Zhou Shitao’s eyes lit up with stars, almost wanting to claim the paper for himself. Huo Sining knew that her mentor had modest achievements in calligraphy and painting, so she wasn’t surprised by his expression. She also had her own plans, thinking she would give the paper as a birthday gift to him the following year, sparing him from thinking about it all the time.

After Zhou Shitao finished admiring the package of Song paper, his gaze lingered on the ancient painting when he saw it, unable to look away.

”Can you tell whose work this painting is?”

Zhou Shitao was somewhat surprised, his gaze towards Huo Sining carried a tinge of scrutiny, seemingly not expecting such progress from her.

Huo Sining felt embarrassed, scratched the back of her head, and recounted the origins of the painting and the Jinsu Mountain Buddhist Scripture Paper, mentioning how a vendor confusedly sold the painting to her for a bargain. She believed she had come across extraordinary luck, only realizing the painting was unusual after returning to the country.

”What’s unusual?” Zhou Shitao asked with a smile.

Huo Sining explained earnestly: ”Throughout history, literati and officialdom have been particularly discerning about the four treasures of the study, especially paper. The invention of papermaking at the end of the Western Han was a result of this demand.”

”I remember, Master, you once said that paper is critically important for writing and painting. Its texture and absorbency directly affect the creation’s outcome. Different papers exhibit slight color differences when ink is applied.”

”As for this ancient painting, regardless of its artistic merit, the paper’s quality alone places it among the top in China’s printing history. Though it can’t compare to the Jinsu Mountain Buddhist Scripture Paper, it’s not far off.”

”Lu You once wrote in the poem ’Autumn Clear’: ’The ink is fitting in the concave of the Yu Inkstone, the Cold Gold Paper aids poetic sentiment with its smoothness.’ A page of Song paper was worth an ounce of gold. If I am not mistaken, the painting paper is most likely the renowned Cold Gold Paper of the Song Dynasty, highly favored by Southern Song dynasty scholars.”

”Historically, figures like Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, and Li Yu were all fond of Xuan paper, some even had their own custom products. This ancient painting lacks inscriptions or seals, yet it has a thumb-sized gold stamp in a corner, engraved with ’Xuanhe’.”

”In ancient times, the words ’Xuanhe’ are likely only associated with the Xuanhe Painting Academy established by Emperor Huizong of Song. Being an imperial academy, the stamp signifies that this paper was specially made for the imperial court, inaccessible to ordinary people, proving that the painter should also be from the Xuanhe Painting Academy.”

”Emperor Huizong had strict criteria for artistic talents. Being admitted to the Xuanhe Painting Academy indicated the painter’s significant skill, certainly no obscure figure. It’s just puzzling why this painting has no seal or inscriptions.”

Listening to Huo Sining’s rational and well-founded analysis, Zhou Shitao couldn’t help but nod repeatedly:

”Your estimation is indeed meticulous. Although you haven’t deeply delved into ancient calligraphy and painting, your choice to explore from the perspective of painting paper as a starting point reveals a clever identification approach.”

”Your analysis is indeed accurate. Chinese painting emphasizes the five shades of ink, especially with splash ink freehand styles. Ink diluted with water will quickly spread across the paper, and on good paper, the water disperses but the ink remains, allowing for a gradient from dark to light, making the choice of painting paper crucial.”

”This painting paper indeed belongs to the custom-made period of Emperor Huizong. Emperor Huizong placed great importance on calligraphy and painting, so particular attention was given to these details. The painting paper provided by the academy was the best of that time, with Cold Gold Paper being the optimal choice for ink-wash paintings.”

”Regarding the painter of this painting, if you look into Southern Song masters, you’ll find this person named Li Tang, best known for the anecdote where he participated in an academy competition and was personally chosen by Emperor Huizong as the top of that session.”

”At the time, Li Tang painted this famous piece called Selling Wine by Bamboo Locked Bridge. Employing a technique of depicting reality through fictitiousness, this painting’s profound ambiance stimulated imagination. Emperor Huizong was captivated at first glance, immediately enrolling him into the Xuanhe Painting Academy.”

”As for why there are no seals and inscriptions, it relates to the academy’s examination system at the time. Emperor Huizong personally managed it, requiring candidates’ paintings to have no identifying inscriptions, similar to today’s college entrance exams. Once finished, paintings were sealed by the examiners with only a tag bearing the student’s code hanging on the scroll.”

”This painting is both a piece of art and an examination script. Therefore, its blank space for inscriptions and seals indicates that it isn’t a replica but should genuinely be Li Tang’s handiwork.”

”I’ve also seen a late work of Li Tang, characterized by simplifying complexity, with vigorous brushwork, creating ’axe-cut’ texture strokes. His rocks appear solid and tactile, and his depiction of water is particularly compelling, with swirling eddies. Compared to this work, its brushwork seems a bit complex and immature, but it indeed carries a semblance of Li Tang’s painting style. One can imitate visual forms, but the artistic style is inimitable.”

Huo Sining strongly agreed with this, like a person’s handwriting—no matter how well copied, the spirit cannot be learned.

After her discussion with Zhou Shitao, Huo Sining felt she seemed to have absorbed a great deal more knowledge. The cramming method might not suit others, but it worked perfectly for her. With her extraordinary memory, even if she didn’t comprehend at the time, she could still vividly remember every word from Zhou Shitao, allowing her to ponder and chew over them during her free time, gradually digesting the information.

Taking the counterfeit Secret-Color Porcelain Bowl from Zhou Shitao’s possession, Huo Sining went outside and took out her phone to call Ouyang Jun: ”Hey, Brother Ouyang, the item you requested has arrived in the Imperial Capital.”