The Versatile Master Artist

The “Song Book” records that Emperor Wu of Song from the Southern Dynasty, Liu Yu, had two very impressive achievements in his life.

First, he was one of the few military strategists in the entire ancient history of Dongxia who successfully led Northern Expeditions from the south to the north, fighting with fierce intensity.

This excludes the special case of Zhu Yuanzhang, who transformed from a beggar to an emperor.

Like his ancestor Liu Bang, who evolved from a street thug into an emperor, Liu’s class leap in his lifetime was so significant that, if not in the top three in history, it was likely still in the top ten. The words in Xin Qiji’s poetry “Common streets, people say Jinu once lived here” refer to this figure.

Secondly, Liu not only had talents in warfare, but also remarkable skills in fathering daughters.

His daughters were all extremely beautiful and alluring.

In folklore, the eldest princess of Emperor Wu of Song, Princess Shouyang, was not only of exquisite beauty but was also said to be transformed from a plum blossom, a plum blossom spirit lady.

Each day, she lay under the eaves of Hanzhang Hall, and occasionally, a few plum blossoms would fall onto the princess’s forehead. Blended with sweat, they left the veining of the plum blossoms on her temple.

Even after numerous washes, the fragrance lingered.

Later, court ladies and noblewomen imitated her, using colorful flower pigments on their foreheads to replicate all kinds of floral patterns.

If only to adorn Princess Shouyang’s forehead, the palace vies to learn the plum blossom makeup.

The origin of girls in Dongxia painting various rouge petals on their faces and bodies traces back to the plum blossom makeup of Princess Shouyang.

In the Wuzhou period, this custom became popular, from Princess Taiping and the Prime Minister’s noble daughters to courtesans and rural village women, all enjoyed decorating their faces with different floral patterns. Not only were there plum blossom designs, but also peony, rose, and other painting techniques, each with its own intricacies.

It wasn’t until the Qing people entered that this old style of painting flower patterns gradually faded away.

Koizumi Katsuko lay quietly on a small boat floating in the heart of the lake, the young girl resembling a porcelain doll with steady breathing, her cheek’s skin warm like a piece of warm jade, naturally flushed with a rosy hue.

Gu Weijing felt as though he had instantly traveled from the set of Cinderella to the climax of “Snow White”.

In the fairy tale, the prince curiously walks into the castle and sees a stunningly beautiful girl on the bed, so breathtaking that it makes one hold their breath, unable to resist puckering his lips mischievously.

That was exactly how he felt at that moment.

No,

even a real sleeping beauty princess wouldn’t have the warmth and allure of Shengzi.

This was the ultimate blending of sensuality and innocence, creating a seductive effect like a cocktail of ice cubes, whisky potent enough to ignite, strawberries, and olives, intoxicating upon first sip.

In an instant, he crossed a millennium, becoming a traveler who accidentally strayed into the forbidden palace in the bustling Great Tang Chang’an City, encountering an Eastern Princess lying on a bamboo mat, just awakened, waiting for her lover to shade her eyebrows and hair.

Gu Weijing, too, felt as if he’d drunk too much, his lips dry, his face red, almost tipsy.

“Mr. Gu, I’m all ready, what are you waiting for?”

Koizumi Katsuko gently tilted her head, her voice cool and shy, becoming a tempting yet forbidden invitation in Gu Weijing’s ears.

Enchantress!

For the first time, Gu Weijing found Koizumi Katsuko’s charm somewhat overwhelming.

Miss Sakai’s occasional display of charm as an innocent maiden, awkwardly inciting passion with her boyfriend.

This feeling of wanting to refuse yet accepting was multiplied in allure compared to Brother Hao’s henchman Bald’s Bentley car keys slapped on the table.

Gu Weijing licked his lips feverishly, his face hot enough to bake a pancake.

His hands were slightly trembling.

The tremor in his hands before painting now was definitely not for the same reason as the muscle shaking earlier when sketching the wisteria.

The latter was because self-doubt had shattered his confidence.

But the former simply because of an adolescent boy’s body teeming with an explosive level of hormones.

He forcefully recalled his agreement with Mrs. Sakai and the declaration Koizumi Katsuko made previously in the studio about being ready for every step in the relationship.

Then he barely calmed down.

At this moment, still able to curb emotions in the name of propriety, Gu Weijing himself felt that he was indeed a gentleman.

With such self-discipline.

If he doesn’t become a great painter in the future, it would truly be unjust.

Gu Weijing took out rouge and a brush with a slightly trembling hand, hesitated before stepping into the cabin, then turned his head again, reaching into the lake with his fingers to splash cool lake water onto his face.

Damn.

Why does the lake water suddenly feel not cold enough?

Gu Weijing stared thoughtfully at the sparkling lake surface beside him, considering whether he should dunk his head into it to sober up, lest his body becomes inflamed with excitement?

His eyes scanned the deck of the small fishing boat, eventually returning to the cat that was happily playing with its reflection by the boat’s edge.

“Sorry, Ah Wang, I need to borrow you.”

Gu Weijing unfastened the pet leash from a post, holding rouge and a brush in one hand, and grabbing the scruff of the tabby cat’s neck with the other.

He scooped it into his arms and bent over to walk into the shaded deck.

“Meow!”

Ah Wang was enjoying playing with water, its courage growing as its paw tentatively tapped the water surface, causing splashes everywhere.

Only to be suddenly grabbed away.

Ah Wang was dissatisfied with Gu Weijing’s transformation, akin to Jasmine.

The cat, having earlier approached nudging its behind for a cuddle, only to be ignored, and now perfectly content at play, was unwisely disrupted.