Chapter 1368: Aim for the throne (I)

Chapter 1368: Aim for the throne (I)

Su Wu couldn't bear to see such an old painter who had been polished by life without any edges. He stretched out his hand to support the old man and said, "I don't need to be polite.

The sage asked me to come here specifically to greet my father-in-law, and told me not to neglect my father-in-law. Now that I cannot greet you from far away, please don’t worry about me. "

The old man straightened up and listened to what Su Wu said with a dazed look in his eyes: "The saint ordered you to wait for me specially, and also told you not to neglect..."

The old painter suddenly reacted and his eyes dimmed: "Is the saint talking about my senior brother Daoxuan?"

Senior Brother Daoxuan?

Isn't the old painter in front of me Wu Daozi?

Su Wu instantly extracted useful information from the old painter's words - Wu Daozi is also known as Wu Daoxuan. This old painter calls Wu Daoxuan his senior brother, and he should be from the same school as Master Wu Daoxuan - Wu Daozi's painting technique master learned from Zhang "Seng Yao", is this old painter also a disciple of Zhang Sengyao?

Why didn't Wu Daozi come?

While thoughts were whirling in his mind, Su Wu said to the old painter at the same time: "The saint said that he would send Wu Daozi to the bad guy's house, but it seems that he can't come now?

I don’t know your surname? "

"Senior Brother Daoxuan is not in the capital at the moment. He is building a palace elsewhere for his best friend, painting murals, saying that the saint ordered me to surrender to the bad guys.

My surname is Yang and my given name is Huizhi. I have met the principal. "The old painter Yang Huizhi sighed, saluted Su Wu again, and spoke humbly.

This painter named "Yang Huizhi" is from the same school as Wu Daoxuan, and both of them learned their painting techniques from Zhang Sengyao.

It was rumored that Yang Huizhi's painting skills were not inferior to Wu Daoxuan's, but Wu Daoxuan became famous earlier than him. Afterwards, Yang Hui saw that Wu Daozi's reputation was becoming more and more popular and he was respected by the world. He was already above the art of painting and could not catch up with him, so he burned his pen and inkstone. Turn to sculpture.

Later, he made great achievements in the field of sculpture, and was revered as the 'Sage of Sculpture', or 'Sage of Sculpture' by later generations. This also shows that this person has not yet specialized in sculpture, but is still immersed in painting. The old man who has not found his own 'right path' is indeed very talented, but he has not yet discovered his talent and has not yet reached his own right path.

When Su Wu heard Yang Huizhi's name, the smile on his face grew stronger.

No matter whether it is music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or all kinds of craftsmen in the world, in the "sympathy between heaven and man", everyone can understand the mysterious and mysterious charm, and use that charm to give a unique "soul" to the things they create, such as sculptures or It is painting, calligraphy, poetry and calligraphy that have the same status in Su Wu's eyes.

This man was known as the Diao Sheng in later generations, and even though his talent could not be compared to that of Wu Daozi, it was not far behind.

You can meet Wu Daozi again, but if you really can't, Su Wu can also go look for him in person, and you will always see him. Now that the 'Diao Sheng' has taken the initiative to surrender, Su Wu has no intention of letting him go - when he was still not well-known and had not entered the 'right path', Su Wu burned a lot of things for him here. Burning a 'cold stove' can heat the opponent sooner or later.

"Since you are valued by the saint, your calligraphy and painting skills are no less impressive than those of Wu Daozi. I invite you to come here. I am really inviting you to travel around the world with me, display your painting skills to your heart's content, and leave a rare and wonderful work of art in the world.

Please take up the position of 'Head of the Ministry of Divine Works' in my 'Delinquent Department' for the time being! "Su Wu glanced at the old donkey that Yang Huizhi was holding tightly, then took out a bag of gold and silver and handed it to Yang Huizhi, "These silver coins are considered as a personal gift to my father-in-law and are not included in my father-in-law's divine work bureau. Among the principal's salary.

My father-in-law went to buy a good horse and left some money for the family! "

Su Wu's move caught Yang Huizhi off guard, and he was stunned for a long time before he could react!

Although he and Daoxuan are from the same school, Daoxuan has now entered the eyes of princes and even saints, and his reputation is getting stronger and stronger. However, he sells his paintings everywhere, but rarely sells his paintings. Those in his The Chang'an scholars who stopped in front of the calligraphy and painting stalls either felt that his painter was 'deliberately imitating' Wu Daozi, or they simply thought that he could only copy Wu Daozi's paintings and had no characteristics of his own!

Hui Zhi was gradually burdened by the reputation of his fellow disciples, and his life became increasingly poor. He only relied on the meager salary from the court to survive.

Although the old wife at home rarely complained about him, he felt even worse every time he saw his wife's increasingly aging face, busy around the loom until late at night, just to earn more money for a meal.

Today, the sage issued an edict, instructing Wu Daozi to work in the bad department, but Wu Daozi happened not to be in the enshrinement department. The sage ordered all the painters in the enshrinement department to take the initiative to sign up and report to the bad department. Those who are willing to join the bad department will not only be able to work in the bad department The secretary receives a salary, and the salary enshrined by Ouchi may also be retained.

At that time, all the painters refused to accept the offer. They were also serving as internal teachers after all. In the future, they would always have the opportunity to "get ahead". They might be valued by saints and be designated as "Hanlin Waiting for Imperial Orders" and become the clear stream in the court. But if you go and vote, Being a "bad secretary" is equivalent to stepping into the category of "libertine" and ruining your future - how can they be willing?

Yang Huizhiyuan was not willing either.

But thinking that his life was so difficult, he was getting older, and he had no so-called "future". He could get an extra salary by going to the bad company and improve his family's poor life. So Yang Huizhi took the initiative and agreed to the saint's request. According to the will of the emperor, he came to join the bad department.

When the decree came home, Yang Huizhi and his wife could not help but shed tears as they looked at each other. He felt that his future was at an end and was disheartened, so he came to take up his post dejectedly. However, he never imagined that he would receive such courtesy in front of this bad man in front of his boss!

At this moment, Yang Huizhi felt like shedding tears of gratitude!

He looked at the beautiful man with a sincere look in his eyes. Not only did he directly give himself the position of 'Head of the Divine Works Bureau', but he also gave him gold and silver as gifts. His inner intuition felt that the cold treatment and lack of ambition he had suffered for many years were all reflected in this. I was relieved for a moment.

But he was not a young man after all. Although he was deeply moved, he quickly thought of a question - this man was just the head of the 'Delinquent Department'. How could he allow himself to be the 'head of the 'Delinquent Department' again? , Yang Huizhi sighed in his heart, and with a smile on his face, he pushed back the bag of gold and silver, and said: "Now, as long as you can do what you can in the bad department, you will be in charge of one department and one department. Dare to ask for anything.

This gold and silver, presumably, was earned by Lang Jun himself through his hard work and salary, so it is better to leave it to his family to spend it slowly. Chang'an is a big place and not easy to live in. There will be many places where money will be needed in the future. "

Yang Huizhi's words are serious and thoughtful.

Su Wu listened to his words and smiled and said: "The sage sent an order to my father-in-law to come to the bad department to work. Did the eunuch who passed the order tell me who the official was waiting for me in front of the bad department's building?"

"The eunuch who delivered the decree was highly trusted by the saint and had a higher status in the palace.

He didn't make it clear, so I didn't dare to ask any more questions. "Yang Huizhi shook his head and understood what Su Wu meant. He looked up at Su Wu again and said hesitantly: "Are you not the head of the Delinquent Department? Are you not a bad official who takes care of the decrepit? "

"I do work in the Bad Affairs Department, and this time I was waiting for my husband in front of the library." Su Wu said with a smile. He was only halfway through his words when Tao Zu, who had been silently observing Yang Huizhi behind him, suddenly became impatient and said directly:

“He is the bad handsome man today!

Are you so ignorant? Didn’t you know that the bad handsome man the emperor worshiped at the altar of worshiping generals in Dongdu was a young man with a hairless mouth? "

"Bad handsomeness?!"

Yang Huizhi, who had a vague premonition in his heart, suddenly looked shocked.

His body trembled slightly, and his eyes became more worried: "How can a bad worker wait here for the old man and waste his time on him?

...Does the bad handsome guy want to wait for that old senior brother? I can send messages——"

"My father-in-law is the one I am waiting for.

From today on, you are the director of the Divine Works Bureau. Please accept this gold and silver. "Su Wu handed over the money in his hand again.

Yang Huizhi took a long breath, his eyes were red, and he did not refuse this time. He reached out and took the heavy bag of money, bowed his head deeply and saluted: "Thank you, bad handsome man!"

…

Su Wu and his party of dozens of riders left Chang'an and headed for Huashan.

Yang Huizhi looks quite old, but in fact he is just approaching the age of knowing his destiny. After all, his early years were wasted, and his body and bones are not as strong as those of young people. He is not as strong as Su Wu and Tao Zu, so he drove his horse to follow Su Wu and others. Man, I'm afraid that after a long journey, Yang Huizhi will lose half of his life.

So Su Wu specially found a carriage and set up various talismans around the carriage. These talismans used these talismans to stabilize the carriage so that the old painter would not feel any bumps while riding in it. Su Wu often discussed painting techniques with Yang Huizhi in the carriage.

He is not proficient in calligraphy and painting, but he knows the purpose of recruiting painters, calligraphers, and talented poets into the Bad Man Shen Work Bureau - it is actually to enable them to step into the realm of "sympathy between heaven and man" and make them do that. The mysterious and mysterious charm is given to the work and gives it a 'soul'.

This kind of creation with a special aura, natural and soulful is the prototype of the "ink painting".

Therefore, Su Wu takes this purpose as the basis and communicates with a painter with profound painting skills like Yang Huizhi, which can often bring something else to the other party and enable him to draw parallels.

At the moment, in the carriage.

Su Wu had seen an old painting by Yang Huizhi. In Yang Huizhi's anxious eyes, he rolled up the scroll carefully, considered it for a long time, raised his eyes and said to Yang Huizhi: "In your early works like yours, there is a presence of 'god'." After that, he became more and more constrained by some invisible rules and dogmas, and his painting style became more and more similar to Wu Daozi, but lost the "spiritual charm".

It can be seen that you, your Excellency, are naturally talented, but you are burdened by worldly vision and cannot display them. "

Yang Huizhi felt better after hearing Su Wu's comments.

He can still regain the sense of agility he once had, but every time he puts pen to paper, he is trapped in the habits and rules formed by painting for a long time, and unconsciously creates paintings that are completely different from what he feels in his heart. ——He truthfully told Su Wu his feelings.

"Before I met a bad commander, I didn't know that the gods in calligraphy, painting, and poetry could be used to subdue ghosts and gods. Now that I know the mystery of this, I am even more unwilling to give up this way of painting.

However, I have grown old and have been stuck in the secular painting school for a long time, and I can't break away from it.

Although there are still inspirations sprouting in my heart, I can't make that inspiration appear on the paper..." Yang Huizhi said.

"If you are trapped in painting techniques, bound by invisible rules and dogmas, why not find another way?" Su Wu looked at Yang Huizhi and suddenly asked.

Yang Huizhi was confused for a moment: "Choose another way?"

“Both poems, books and paintings are all meant to express what is in my heart.

Occasionally, there is something exquisite in it, one can communicate with the sky, and there is a "spirit" in the writing. Since there is no achievement in the way of painting at present, why not try another way to draw parallels? "

As Su Wu spoke, he directly held the corner of the table and placed a piece of wood.

He showed the piece of wood in front of Yang Huizhi and said: "Paper, wood and stone are just carriers to express the ideas in your heart.

Why don't you give it a try and carve out your own ideas on this wood and stone? "

"On wood and stone, carve out what you want in your heart..." Yang Huizhi looked at the wooden block in Su Wu's hand, and a sudden idea came to his mind, a path that he had never imagined. At this time, with a few words of Su Wu's instructions, he really realized what he was thinking. It unfolded before his eyes!

Su Wu placed the piece of wood on the table, turned around and walked out of the carriage.

Yang Huizhi looked at the irregular-shaped piece of wood on the table. He suddenly stretched out his hand and picked up the piece of wood. Under his inspection, the piece of wood turned into a hard stone. The surface of the hard stone peeled off its skin. Suddenly it transformed into a flying, unruly ape. The ape landed on a misty mountain and sat cross-legged to become a Buddha...

The old painter was filled with inspiration. He moved his eyes away from the wooden block, looked around, and suddenly found a set of knives inserted in a cloth bag in the corner of the carriage. The knives were caught in his hand, as if It was tailor-made for him, making it very easy for him to use - he took out a carving knife and started carving directly on the piece of wood!

From time to time, bursts of contented sighs and wails could be heard in the carriage.

Tao Zu was riding on the horse, with his wide sleeves hanging down to the side of the saddle. When he heard the movement in the carriage, he shook his head and sighed: "If you hear the Tao in the morning, you will die at night..."

The old Taoist turned to look at Su Wu next to him, and his eyes became suspicious again: "How did you know that this man is more suitable for wood and stone sculptures, and you prepared a set of carving knives for him early? Have you known each other before?"

Hong Renkun, who was not far away, heard these questions from Tao Zu and sneered twice: "He comes from later generations and knows what this person is better at, so why is it strange?"

"Yes, yes!" Tao Zu suddenly understood. He didn't care about the ridicule in Hong Renkun's words, and still looked sideways at the carriage.

Su Wu galloped on his horse, and Danjia, wearing a red and green dress, followed him all the time. She wears such gorgeous clothes, but it doesn't give people the slightest sense of gaudiness. On the contrary, it makes her even more enchanting and beautiful.

The group left Chang'an in the afternoon and walked to dusk. Huashan Mountain already showed a clear mountain view in the sunset.

At this time, several bad guys rode horses and turned around from the end of the road ahead. The three riders stopped in front of Su Wu. The three bad guys got off their horses and bowed down to Su Wu and saluted: "Bad Handsome!"

Among them, a thin-faced delinquent named Wei Hong reported to Su Wu: "More than twenty miles further, we are approaching the Wei River. The ferry at Huayin Ferry in front is too small to carry horses.

General, we might as well change the route and go north when we reach the third intersection of Guandaoqian Road. We can bypass Huayin Ferry by taking a small path and then go straight to Huashan. "

When Su Wu went to Huashan this time, he also brought several bad people with him.

In addition to Zhang Fang, who has been acquainted with him for a long time, there are also Wei Hong, who works in the "Yin Division" of bad guys, responsible for exploring secrets and recording strange things, and "Yu Jinniu", a bad guy from the "Ministry of Fire".

Su Wu had already met Wei Hong several times before when he went to Yongliang to solve the local drought. At that time, this person was responsible for recording Su Wu's fights with the monks and Taoists.

Bad people used to be divided into "ten groups".

Among them, the 'Yang Division' serves as the center for making plans and issuing various secret tasks, while the Yin Division is responsible for detecting secrets, questioning the Yin Division, and recording them in records.

The remaining eight parts of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, Rahu, Jidu, and moon wheel are mainly responsible for providing people and efforts.

After Su Wu took over the bad guys, he felt that the ten departments were too loose and the bad guys were inefficient. He had the intention of abolishing the original system and reconstructing the internal structure of the bad guys. However, he had just taken office and could not immediately implement drastic reforms to avoid ineffectiveness. Opposite effect.

Therefore, in addition to the ten departments, he set up two other agencies, the "Shen Gong Bureau" and the "Han Gui Bureau". He ordered Ji Xingzhou to act as the head of the Han Gui Bureau, taking charge of one hundred and fifty wishing monks, craftsmen, and Han people. Communicate with Chang'an Buddhist Temple and obtain the armor tablets blessed by vows.

Today, "Yang Huizhi" is appointed as the head of the Shengong Bureau. The Shengong Bureau currently only has Yang Huizhi as the head, and a few poor scholars and painters. In the future, the Shengong Bureau will also gather talents from all over the world who are good at chess, calligraphy and painting, and work together to carry out the work. A study of 'Ink Drawings'.

In addition to the two agencies, the Shengong Bureau and the Hangui Bureau, Su Wu planned to set up a "Suppression Bureau" to recruit all ten bad guys into the Suppression Bureau, armed with the research results of the Shengong Bureau and the Hangui Bureau. To suppress the bad guys in the conspiracy, organize the bad guys into queues and go to various places to suppress the bad guys.

When the bad guys are really in operation and the Suppression Bureau has really captured the serious ones, they will set up a "deception prison" to imprison the group of spies.

All these are just Su Wu's preliminary ideas.

There may be changes in the future, which is unknown at this time.

He immediately picked a few bad guys to accompany him, and he also wanted to take the opportunity to teach these bad guys the method and make them play a role in his future plans.

After hearing Wei Hong's suggestion, Su Wu smiled and shook his head, saying: "There is no need to borrow a boat to cross the river. We can just go along the road to the Weishui River.

Rest for the night on the banks of the Weishui River.

Tomorrow we will cross the river and climb Mount Huashan. "

The general had made his decision, and Wei Hong and other bad guys did not dare to stop him, so they all claimed it was right, got up on their horses, and gathered into the riding formation.

The knights walked forward for more than twenty miles, and they saw a big river passing by, and the flags erected in front of the ferry were swaying in the wind. Two or three small boats that could only carry people were swaying with the water on the river bank. The old man on the ferry Seeing dozens of horsemen driving down the river embankment, they were frightened for a moment and hid in the canopy of the boat, not daring to show their heads.

Su Wu would not scare an old man, so he led everyone along the path under the river embankment for several more miles. When they approached a high hill, they settled their horses on the high hill and set up camp.

Twilight all round.

The sunset covered the sky like a veil, and the clear river seemed to turn into a mirror, reflecting the red sky.

The river wind floods the dim yellow land, bringing a moist atmosphere.

Yang Huizhi, who had been hiding in the carriage before, finally got out of the carriage. He carried a book box on his back, walked to the leeward, lit a fire, and filled the book box behind him with Every painting was thrown into the fire.

Su Wu saw Yang Huizhi's actions from a distance, but he did not stop him.

For Yang Huizhi, burning the old drawings is a ritual of stepping on a worn-out road, smashing dogmas, and seeing the future.

Some scrolls were thrown into the fire, and under the instigation of wind and fire, they suddenly opened up, revealing the beautiful landscapes and reclusive gods depicted inside. Yang Huizhi looked at the paintings that were torn apart by the wind and fire. He was so absorbed in it that he didn't notice it at all. Just as the fire was licking the painting, more than a dozen tall or thin Taoist priests in cloaks slowly walked down from the river embankment in the distance, and now they were approaching him.

The handsome young Taoist leader looked at the paintings that were not weak in painting and were swallowed up by the fire. He said with some distress: "Such a painter who has reached the pinnacle of perfection and has eight points of the charm of 'Wu Daozi' is thrown into the fire and burned by the fire." Anyway, don’t you feel bad?”

"It is precisely because it is similar to what Senior Brother Daoxuan did that it is not worth feeling bad about.

Moreover, the old man has wasted his whole life, and now he finally sees the way forward. This is the happiest moment. Burning the drawings from the past is also to congratulate him for seeing the way forward now. What is there to feel bad about? Yang Huizhi smiled and replied to the young Taoist priest who spoke out.

After he finished speaking, he felt that the current atmosphere was not right, and turned around to see those Taoists with unfamiliar faces.

Yang Huizhi's expression became awkward again, and he didn't know how to react or what to call these uninvited guests.

Among the group of Taoists standing beside him, except for the young Taoist leader who had a kind face, the other Taoist priests mostly looked downcast and had great worries hidden in their eyes. Their demeanor made Yang Huizhi dare not approach him.

When the old painter was feeling uneasy, Su Wu, Tao Zu, and Hong Renkun came slowly and stood behind him. When he saw Su Wu approaching, he breathed a sigh of relief, with a relaxed and humble smile on his face. He turned sideways and said to Su Wu, "Bad handsome man, these wise men..."

"I know them.

Dad, this is not the place to talk now, go over there. Wei Hong has cooked the broth. You drink a bowl first to warm yourself up. " Su Wu interrupted Yang Huizhi with a smile, nodded to him and said.

Yang Huizhi hurriedly responded a few times, then turned his head and cast a wary glance at the group of Taoists headed by the young Taoist, and hurried away from the fire.

The scroll that had been thrown into the fire had been almost burned, leaving only ashes.

Su Wu stood across the blazing fire and bowed his head to the young Taoist priest opposite: "Fellow Taoist Li Hanguang, this poor Taoist has bowed his head."

The young Taoist who led a group of Taoist priests of different heights, short, fat, and thin, but with the same concerns between their brows, was none other than the great master of Maoshan, Han Guangzi.

Li Hanguang looked at Su Wu across from him with great interest, bowed his head in return, and then asked Su Wu with a smile: "Have you ever received a talisman, a true Taoist teaching, and three masters to protect the Tao?"

Otherwise, why should we bow our heads and salute? "

"I was also awarded the true talisman." Su Wu responded with a smile, the charm of the avenue flowing around him, and vaguely intertwined into a dim talisman behind him.

The talisman is looming, and the various Yunji characters and ancestor marks on it are difficult to understand.

But when the Taoist rhyme of the talisman unfolded, it looked like "creating a new world" - Li Hanguang suddenly saw the vague talisman, his face was surprised, and he said loudly: "It seems that there is the Taoist talisman of the Taiping Dao, and there are rumors all over the world. Taoist friends have lived in seclusion in the mountains and fields for hundreds of thousands of years, and come out during prosperous times.

Now it seems that the rumors are true? "

Su Wu deliberately did not directly reveal the Huangtian Talisman, but only exposed a few strands of Huangtian Taoist rhyme. However, Li Hanguang also recognized such a Taoist rhyme that was similar to the Taiping Dao in the Han Dynasty. His insight was indeed extraordinary.

The Han photon appeared in front of Su Wu, which gave Su Wu a feeling of being "far away in the horizon and unpredictable".

Su Wu had only experienced this feeling of 'unpredictable, far away in the horizon' from Tao Zu when he faced the Yang God.

He therefore guessed that this 'Han Guangzi', the 'Xingzu' among the three ancestors of Maoshan's revival in the future, might have truly realized the Yang God and landed on this shore!

When Li Hanguang looked at Su Wu, he also felt that Su Wu was like a "mystery" - he could clearly discern traces of various methods from this bad handsome man, but those various methods were connected with each other, nested in each other, and pushed each other around. , actually seemed to have turned into an extremely sophisticated 'principle', slowly moving in front of his eyes. Even if he could crack one link, he could not use that link to get a glimpse of the whole secret!

With Li Hanguang's current practice, he can "know that the end of the year is approaching when a leaf falls."

But such insight of "knowing the autumn from a single leaf" has no effect on this bad commander!

Such a "mystery" made Han Guangzi suddenly want to "solve it".

And Su Wu also had a strong desire to explore the first real living "Yang Shen" he had seen today. However, before that, he still needed to distinguish between friends and enemies, and distinguish between inside and outside.

Su Wu did not respond to Han Guangzi's question. He sat cross-legged in front of the fire, and Han Guangzi and the Taoists behind him also "sat down".

After both parties sat down, Su Wu's eyes swept across the Taoists behind Han Guangzi, who looked fearful, solemn, or hostile, and turned to Han Guangzi and asked: "Daoyou didn't seem to come here suddenly, but happened to meet with me and my party here. It seems that you came here specifically to find me.

Why did you come?

Please tell me."

Among the Taoists behind Han Guangzi, Su Wu also saw a few familiar faces.

For example, Ye Fashan of Maoshan Sect, and Shen Shi of Zongmiao Sect.

The former avoided Su Wu's gaze and dared not look him in the eye, while the latter looked ashamed and wanted to say something to Su Wu, but in the end, under the pressure of the elders beside him, he dared not speak a word.

The Taoists behind Han Guangzi were clearly wary and fearful of Su Wu, and some of them even looked hostile.

But Han Guangzi himself looked gentle and kind, and others were confused when they saw this scene.