Three Paintings

"Excuse me, where does Mr. Qiu live?"

Just after noon, a man came into the alley outside the Qiu Family compound.

"Are you looking for Qiu Sheng?"

The neighbors were surprisingly enthusiastic when they heard this.

"Qiu Sheng is a great talent around here, everyone knows him. Come with me, I'll take you there."

Compared to two years ago, the attitudes of the neighbors have changed considerably. This is because Qiu Yan's People's Prestige has grown, and he is often talked about and praised. As a result, the people around the Qiu Family also feel that they have benefited from his fame and their status has risen. Therefore, they no longer look down on him, but instead feel a sense of pride and praise him to everyone they meet.

"Judging from your appearance, you're no ordinary person. May I ask what business you have with Mr. Qiu? To be honest, the provincial Dao Examination is just around the corner, and Mr. Qiu needs to focus on his studies these next few days..." The neighbor who was leading the way noticed that the person asking for directions was well-dressed and had a certain air about him, so he couldn't help but ask.

"It's the prefect; he asked me to come and offer my condolences to Qiu Sheng."

The man asking for directions had a mustache and a shrewd look in his eyes. He Mr. Sun, who was working at Zhang Zhen's residence. He had been in Qingchang County for a few days, but due to Ma Yang and the imperial edict, he had not taken any action. However, he had noticed Qiu Yan's reputation and knew that Qiu Yan intended to Cultivating Prestige influence. So, after Ma Yang left, he wanted to pay him a visit and took the opportunity to raise the prefect's name to lend him a helping hand.

"Your Excellency... the Prefect!"

What he said was quite significant. In Qingchang County, the county magistrate was already a high-ranking official, and the prefect was an even more lofty figure in the eyes of ordinary people, someone they could never come into contact with.

The neighbor who had led the way was startled, bowed slightly, and asked cautiously, "May I ask, sir, and the prefect...?"

Mr. Sun smiled slightly, "My surname is Sun, and I hold a position in the criminal justice Yamen the prefectural government."

"So you are the Master of Criminal Law, my apologies for my rudeness." The man leading the way was about to bow, but Mr. Sun stopped him.

"No need for formalities, leading the way is the priority."

The two continued on their way until they reached the outside of the Qiu Family's courtyard. Mr. Sun stepped forward and knocked on the door, which was quickly opened. Liu Yue came out and saw Mr. Sun. At first, he felt that Mr. Sun looked familiar, and then he was surprised. He quickly bowed, after all, he had worked in the Pan Household and had seen this legal advisor before.

Mr. Sun smiled and said, "No need for formalities. I've come to convey the Prefect's regards to Qiu Yan. Is he inside?"

"Sir, your timing is unfortunate," Liu Yue said with a troubled expression. "My cousin just packed his things, saying he wanted to find a quiet place to study before the exam. He didn't leave any other instructions, only saying he would be back in a few days and asked me to watch the yard."

"That's quite unfortunate," Mr. Sun shook his head, then changed the subject, "By the way, I've heard that Mr. Qiu is quite accomplished in calligraphy. I wonder if I could go in and have a look?"

"Calligraphy?" Liu Yue thought for a moment before saying, "My cousin does practice calligraphy every day, but he says his calligraphy isn't good enough to be framed, so he hasn't kept a single piece."

"Not a single one left?" Upon hearing this, Mr. Sun, who had remained calm throughout, finally changed his expression. "Did Zhang Zhen take them all?"

"Would you like to come in and sit down, sir? I'll go look for him," Liu Yue suggested. Mr. Sun. Sun hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He shouldn't have gone in since the person in charge wasn't there, but he couldn't refuse because he was thinking about Qiu Yan's calligraphy.

At the gate, the neighbor who had led the way gasped when he saw Mr. Sun actually enter the courtyard.

"Goodness, this Qiu Sheng is truly remarkable. Not only the county magistrate, but even the prefect values him so highly..."

It was already well-known that the county magistrate favored Qiu Yan, but now, judging from the current situation, even the prefect was taking a different view of Qiu Yan, which was undoubtedly even more surprising.

Before long, the news spread throughout the neighborhood.

Half an hour later, Mr. Sun left the Qiu Family courtyard with a regretful expression. He had found some writings in the study, but they were all books copied by Qiu Yan, which seemed to be used for study and research. He couldn't just take them without saying goodbye, could he? He had no choice but to reluctantly put them down and return home dejectedly.

Upon returning to Zhang Zhen's residence, Mr. Sun learned of Qiu Yan's whereabouts; he had actually entered Ma Yang's courtyard.

"You mean, someone is guarding outside the house, not allowing outsiders to enter? Is it an order from the former Prime Minister?"

"That's right," Zhang Zhen nodded. "No matter how much we plead, we can't get in. Both guards are well-known martial arts instructors in the city, with many disciples and influence, yet somehow they became guards. Don't try to force them. And with Chancellor Ma's message, how many people would dare to enter casually? As for Qiu Yan, it's said he's so focused on his studies that even the two guards can't disturb him."

"This is terrible." Mr. Sun's face was grim.

Zhang Zhen quickly reassured him, "It's alright, Uncle Sun. You're in a hurry to go back, but I can stay and convey your and the Prefect's greetings to Qiu Yan in a few days."

Mr. Sun glanced at him, nodded, and said, "That's fine then. By the way, I heard you've collected all of Qiu Yan's calligraphy. Why don't you let me see it for myself? What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, a sudden Spiritual Light through Zhang Zhen's mind, and his expression immediately turned sour.

"Your hesitation just now wasn't entirely due to the prefect's instructions, was it...?"

At the same time, in the Ma Family Courtyard.

Qiu Yan sat quietly in his study, looking through several paintings on the table.

Ma Yang was not only a senior official of the imperial court, but also Grand Confucian in the literary world. He was highly accomplished in both calligraphy and painting, and many anecdotes about his calligraphy and painting circulated among the people in his early years.

Qiu Yan has little understanding of painting. To learn painting skills, one needs a wealthy family background. Not to mention brushes, ink, and paper, one must have enough paintings to copy. Otherwise, how many people can learn without a teacher by simply imagining things out of thin air?

In two years, Qiu Yan integrated his predecessor's memories and knowledge, and also learned a lot from Ma Yang, but all of it was practical knowledge; painting skills were naturally not among them, and Ma Yang did not offer him any guidance in this area.

Now that Ma Yang has left, he has temporarily entrusted the study to Qiu Yan for care. As soon as the latter enters the study, he sees three paintings on the table.

The signatures on these three paintings are all pseudonyms of Ma Yang.

At a glance, Qiu Yan sensed the extraordinary nature of these three paintings, and could vaguely perceive their subtle atmosphere and artistic conception.

The three paintings each contain different content.

The first painting depicts towering mountains and flowing water, with misty clouds, exuding an otherworldly atmosphere.

The second painting depicts a grand court, and although the imperial palace is not visible, one can still sense the majesty emanating from the figures in their flowing robes and wide sleeves, knowing that they are all people who wield power and command the country.

The last painting depicts a bustling city scene, with tourists and merchants, all so lifelike that it seems as if the people in the painting might jump out at any moment.

In this third painting, Qiu Yan sensed the People's Wishes!

"Three paintings, three different moods, embodying three completely different auras and thoughts. I won't comment on the old prime minister's painting skills for now, but the spirit in the paintings alone is extraordinary. If a Daoist cultivator were to paint this, I wonder how much effort it would take to reach the same level. Especially this third painting, the feeling it gives me is actually..."

As he thought this, he reached into his robe and took out the travelogue.

"... It's somewhat similar to the picture on the last page of this book, 'New World Observations'."

He casually flipped to the last page of the travelogue, and then Qiu Yan's heart skipped a beat. Then, the entire study shook violently!

Immediately afterwards, the various auras and thoughts on the three paintings left by Ma Yang were drawn together and converged towards the Travel Journal Picture!