"Excuse me, miss, you're blocking my view. Could you move a little?"
Just as Leng Xiyue was about to take a closer look, a soft, sweet voice suddenly reached her.
Leng Xiyue turned and saw a girl of about thirteen or fourteen sketching at a drawing board. She was standing right in the girl's way.
"What are you painting?" Leng Xiyue curiously leaned over beside her to look at her work.
It was a highly realistic oil painting depicting several people arguing. It looked like a perfectly ordinary scene, yet each person's distinct character shone through: some were deep in thought, some were writing furiously, and others were voicing their opinions. She had to admit, it was quite evocative.
Although it was only half finished, it already demonstrated the distinctive qualities of painting as an art. At least Leng Xiyue, who was hardly a cultured person, felt something from it.
Seeing Leng Xiyue stop beside her to watch, the girl looked delighted. "What do you think? I heard the Empire is planning to expand its cultural influence lately. There are plenty of things that can no longer be fully captured on video. Other forms of art often do a better job."
"That's true. These arts shouldn't be buried by scientific progress. The Empire also needs people with talents like these to depict our flourishing age," Leng Xiyue said thoughtfully.
"Yes! Did you know? Her Majesty the Empress actually opened her own Imperial Palace to the public, turning three-quarters of it into a museum so students like us could find our lifelong pursuits. Everyone else was interested in those steel monsters or all the different weapons, but none of that did much for me."
"The very first thing I saw when I entered the palace's main hall was that enormous oil