Chapter 37

Feng Jueyu's voice was not loud, but it carried weight, and everyone heard it with perfect clarity. Upon hearing this one sentence, everyone was stunned, but most did not understand what Feng Jueyu meant.

Feng Jueyu continued, "The poetry gathering in spring is held for scholars and literati. Merchants come here merely to earn a living. For them, a genuine smile comes only when they have a satisfactory harvest. Look at those merchants by the lake; every one of them is drenched in sweat and parched. They are earning a meager income to fill their bellies."

"Those who have a good harvest naturally smile broadly, but what are they doing? Are they counting their earnings for the day, or are they admiring the beauty of Xilin?"

After saying this, Feng Jueyu stopped and let everyone observe carefully.

In fact, when it came to painting, Feng Jueyu could only draw a few simple sketches and did not qualify as a master, not even a painter. However, as a killer, and the king of killers, his ability to observe in minute detail was unparalleled. Even the slightest imperfection could be easily detected by him.

Painting requires the heart. It is the heart that is used, and the world is observed. Even the most skillful brushwork, if the painting is not well-proportioned, is still considered inferior, or even substandard.

Clearly, Ma Yuanru's painting had this flaw.

His painting was too one-sided, only expressing his inner joy. After passing the imperial examination and gaining fame, he came to the capital, facing countless praises and recognitions, which naturally made him happy, and he felt that everyone should be happy.

However, he overlooked one point: admiring the scenery of Xilin is an activity for the wealthy. When did the poor have the leisure to tour the lake or enjoy the scenery? Not starving to death was already a great fortune.

"Everyone has seen it, haven't they? Some of them are indeed smiling, very happily, but it is because of today's harvest. They can have a full meal tonight and send their children to school tomorrow. That's all."

"And the others are worried because their earnings today are not enough to feed their families. Who can smile in such a situation?"

These words woke the dreamers. Everyone observed the reality and the scene in the painting, nodding in agreement. At this moment, they felt that Feng Jueyu's claim that the painting was worthless had some merit.

Without giving anyone a chance to refute, Feng Jueyu pointed to several places, or perhaps the entire painting, where every scholar's face was filled with smiles.

He asked, "Do you think these places are reasonable? In the Tian Nan Empire, the imperial examination is held every three years. How many top scholars, second-place winners, and third-place winners are there? Only one each. Only these three can enter the government and become high-ranking officials. But how many scholars participate in the examination, and how many truly have the ability to become top scholars, second-place winners, or third-place winners?"

"How ridiculous, truly ridiculous," Feng Jueyu said coldly. "Those with true talent do not need to worry about their ranking in the examination because they have the ability to achieve their ambitions wherever they are and in any position. But such people are few and far between."

"Look again," he pointed to the back. "How many people in the crowd are frowning? Are they not afraid that their years of hard study will not pay off? And those standing next to the high officials, are their smiles genuine? Or are they flattering, willing to ignore their principles to curry favor for their careers and future? These smiles, though not shameful, are certainly not genuine."

"And them," Feng Jueyu pointed to another side, where a few scholars were praising each other with smiles. He sneered, "These people are all of the same kind. They have mediocre talent but are envious. They appear humble, but they are all small-minded. Such smiles cannot compare to genuine smiles."

"Painting is a noble art. If we talk about the skill of painting, it is not about the brushwork, but the heart. Ma Yuanru's work focuses too much on the brushwork and neglects the highest realm of painting, which is to capture the heart and the reality. Isn't this painting inferior? In my view, this painting is not even inferior; it is a substandard work."

Feng Jueyu slapped the painting and concluded, then stood aside without saying another word.

At this moment, the people in the pavilion on the lake were sweating profusely. They carefully observed the painting and the crowd, finding no similarity at all.

The heart of painting?

Yes, the highest realm of painting is not the brushwork, but the heart, capturing the heart and the natural world.

Ma Yuanru's painting was too idealistic, detached from reality, and completely nonsensical.

How could such a painting be worth a thousand gold? It is not even worth the dirt...

Shangguan Ruomeng was stunned as she looked at Feng Jueyu. Honestly, all the flaws he pointed out were things she had never noticed or paid attention to. She had never thought about these issues from the bottom of her heart.

She was a noble young lady and could not understand the hardships of the common people. Even though she was kind, she had never experienced the life of the poor and thus could not empathize with them.

From this perspective, the painting was indeed a great failure.

What surprised her was that such detailed observations were made by Feng Jueyu, whom she had always looked down upon. He spoke with confidence and reason, as if he had a deep understanding of the world, each word being profound and startling.

How could this be? How could he observe so meticulously?

Without life experience, one would not notice these subtle details.

Is this... the Feng Jueyu I know? Is this the Feng Jueyu who only knows how to flatter and is weak and frivolous?

Shangguan Ruomeng was stunned. She had never imagined that Feng Jueyu could have such a delicate side, and his words were filled with anger and a sense of injustice.

He was different.

Shangguan Ruomeng realized that the Feng Jueyu before her had undergone a tremendous change...

Ma Yuanru and his companions were speechless. Indeed, the flaws Feng Jueyu pointed out were significant, even fundamental errors. The most terrifying thing was that these errors had never been noticed by Ma Yuanru, who thought this was his dream of the Tian Nan Empire, a rich and prosperous empire.

However, after Feng Jueyu pointed it out, Ma Yuanru realized that his so-called artistic talent was not even worth a pile of dog feces...

"Impossible, I..."

Xu Zixiong and others saw Ma Yuanru's face turn red and his neck swell, and they immediately closed their eyes. Indeed, they had not noticed these errors either, but who could pay attention to such things? Why should they pay attention?

The heart of painting!

The highest realm of painting, which was so easily and simply stated by this waste of a man, when did he have such astonishing insight?

Seeing that no one was speaking, Feng Jueyu opened his fan and waved it lightly. "What? Do you still think this painting is rare in the world?"

Everyone looked at him...

Feng Jueyu smiled coldly. "Don't deceive yourself. Your painting reveals your heart. You are too idealistic and have forgotten the foundation of the country. The imperial examination selects talents who can contribute to the country, serve with all their might, and die for the country. They must worry about the country before worrying about themselves and enjoy the country after enjoying themselves, to make the country strong. You, to put it bluntly, are short-sighted and useless. If someone like you were to hold a high position, the people would suffer, and in the long run, the country might even fall..."

The words became more and more serious, but no one could refute them. Indeed, if the officials of the country were like Ma Yuanru, unable to see the conditions of the people, they could not serve the people and strengthen the country.

The phrase "worry about the country before worrying about oneself and enjoy the country after enjoying oneself" immediately struck a chord, becoming a golden rule in everyone's heart.

A well-dressed old man nodded repeatedly. Just as everyone was silent, he suddenly said, "Young master, you are truly talented. I am in awe."

Feng Jueyu glanced at the old man and said, "I am not talented, and I know nothing about painting. I am just speaking the truth. If anyone here still thinks this painting is the best, I have nothing to say. Consider it a fart I let out today."

The typical angry youth, Feng Jueyu, finally vented his anger. Actually, the humiliation from Ma Yuanru was not the main issue; the key was that the country was still holding such events despite the ongoing border wars, which he found very distasteful.

Of course, when someone flirts with and pursues his wife in public, pretending he doesn't exist, he must be stopped. If he doesn't, he is not the Evil Emperor. Playing with him? Not a chance.

Feng Jueyu vented his anger, and his temper cooled. He closed his fan and resumed his playful smile, saying to Shangguan Ruomeng, "Sister Ruomeng, let's go. It's time to eat. Hehe."

Shangguan Ruomeng was greatly surprised today. After hearing Feng Jueyu's relentless criticism of Ma Yuanru, she could no longer remain calm. She looked at Feng Jueyu, feeling that he suddenly seemed taller and more like a remarkable man.

Xing'er looked at Feng Jueyu in amazement and clapped her hands after a while, saying, "Sir, what you said is truly excellent."

Feng Jueyu chuckled, "Of course, who am I?"

"Pfft, Sir, you are not humble at all," Xing'er pouted, but she was secretly delighted. This son-in-law had finally brought honor to the Shangguan family.

Shangguan Ruomeng smiled and her gaze towards Feng Jueyu changed. She no longer felt disappointed or disheartened but was filled with various expectations.

Grandfather was right; something had indeed happened to him, and it seemed to be a good thing. But why had he changed so much?

Shangguan Ruomeng did not understand, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that this change was a pleasant one.

She smiled and said, "Alright, let's go eat."

Xing'er jumped and said, "Great, let's go eat. I'm hungry."

"You only think about eating!" Feng Jueyu teased.

Xing'er put her hands on her hips and said angrily, "Hey, Sir, you were the one who suggested it first."

"Was I?" Feng Jueyu pretended not to know, making the two women laugh. They returned to the shore, and the people on the pavilion corridor automatically made way for him. However, after taking a few steps, Feng Jueyu suddenly turned around and said to the stunned Ma Yuanru, "Oh, Brother Ma, when you eat the painting, remember to drink some water. Don't choke. Goodbye."

With that, the great killer Feng Jueyu walked away...

Note to readers:

PS: I worked all night, and four chapters are not bad, right? They are substantial and full of content. Please, if you think it's good, add the book to your collection. Thank you.

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