Insufficient balance

  It's really strange to talk about people, in his previous life, Xiao Zimei spent four years in an art academy, after graduation he was a full-time painter, so his life was very leisurely, if he didn't sleep for ten hours a day, he would be lethargic and drowsy all the time.

  But since crossing over to the Tang Dynasty, especially from the year he was thirteen when his mother fell ill and he had to take on the family's heavy responsibilities, for all these years he could only sleep a little more than three watches, which is less than seven hours, yet he became increasingly spirited and alert. Every day he would be busy with this and that, but he never seemed to get drowsy at any time. Even now when he finally had a leisurely opportunity, on a fine spring day basking in the warm sunshine, he still didn't show any signs of sleepiness.

  Helplessly, he stood up and began to stroll around the backyard.

  The garden architecture of the Tang Dynasty had not yet reached the heights of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the design of the scenery as well as the selection of rocks, flowers, and trees were not particularly meticulous. Even a high-ranking residence like the Princess's Mansion was no exception. Therefore, for someone like Xiao Ting who often went to famous gardens like Yiheyuan or Zhizhengyuan to sketch in his previous life, this garden truly had little appeal. After wandering around for a while, he couldn't help but feel somewhat tired.

  It's no good walking and it's boring to stay, but suddenly I heard a man and woman talking behind the small fake hill.

  Xiao Teng furrowed his brow, thinking that something was off. He thought to himself that all the scholars who came from the Princess's residence today were unlikely to have any romantic partners with them. He shook his head and prepared to leave, after all, although he couldn't be considered a gentleman, as a modern person who was used to seeing couples kissing on the streets, he just couldn't muster up the interest to snoop around such matters.

  But his foot had just lifted off the ground and then fell back down again.

  Only one voice said: "What are you looking for him? Hmph, I really want to cut off that surname Xiao with a knife!"

  Xiao Ting subconsciously touched his own neck and couldn't help but smile wryly, listening to the voice that seemed to be Xue Shao from earlier.

  "It was the princess who told me to find him... Don't worry, I think the princess just loves him too much and won't have any ill intentions towards him. Even if she did, it's impossible for her to marry him, he's just a poor scholar, how can he possibly climb up to the princess? The emperor would never agree!"

  Xiao Ting was taken aback by her words. This woman's voice... why did it sound so familiar? His heart skipped a beat as he quietly followed the source of the sound.

  At this time, only Xue Shao let out a cold hum, and then sighed, "Let's see later, I specially asked my mother to go to Yan Lao's house, I think Yan Lao won't be able to sell this face, as long as the first round can brush him down, what else can he do? Taiping... must be mine!"

  He chuckled and said with a lewd tone, "But you, my little treasure, always say you like me, yet you won't even let me touch your little hand. What kind of liking is this?"

  "You... don't... you dare move again and I'll take action! ...I've already told you, as long as you can marry the princess, I'll naturally be yours. What's the hurry? Do you think that just because you like me, I have to give my body to you immediately?"

  Xiao Ting was stunned and stood still, this voice... He suddenly remembered that he felt familiar because he had just heard it a few days ago, and after the fact, he could also infer that she was a girl, but why he only felt familiar but couldn't remember who it was, was because the difference between before and after was too big!

  That seemingly cold and unapproachable Du Gu Da Xia, when speaking with his own lover, is actually so gentle and charming?

  At this time, Xue Shao suddenly heard a "ah" sound, "You... you really took action! It's just touching hands, do you have to..."

  "Before you have a title, I absolutely won't let you touch me. My grandmother told me that the most valuable thing for a woman's family is not beauty, but something that can only be looked at, not touched!"

  Xiao Ting couldn't help but secretly applaud in her heart, this Old Lady Dugu was indeed insightful about the relationships between men and women in the world, one sentence had hit the most crucial point!

  "Alright, alright, I won't bother you anymore. It's always your grandmother this and your grandmother that... Honestly, she's been dead for so many years already... Fine, fine, go find that Xiao guy or whatever!"

  Xiao Tingyi heard this, and immediately didn't dare to get any closer. He quickly turned around to find a place to hide first. This was a skill that Du Gu was good at, and he knew it well. If she were to discover him, he feared that in his panic, he might even cut off his own head with one sword strike.

  As he slipped away quietly, it seemed that the solitary figure was saying in a low voice, "Why can't you be upright and honest? Always thinking of those cunning ways, actually this is not good. As long as you are upright and honest, the sugar water will melt in the bowl, what belongs to you will always be yours! You...

  "Alright, does this young master still need a woman like you to teach him how to do things?"

  Xiao Ting slipped away while still paying attention to the conversation on the other side, and accidentally stepped on a small oval stone, his foot slipping and almost falling. The stone rolled on the ground with a rustling sound, and immediately afterwards, a surprised voice came from behind the small artificial hill: "Who?"

  Xiao Ting's head suddenly swelled like a bucket...

  Yan Liben stroked his beard and chuckled, "To say that I've been studying painting for over 50 years, I thought I was familiar with all the techniques in the world, but today when I saw this painting... haha, I really don't know what to say because the technique used in this painting is something I've never seen before!"

  He paused and then said: "To say that, I'm afraid not only have I never seen it before, but also there are not many people under the sky who have seen such a painting made with pure ink without setting colors. The other day, I heard that a famous courtesan in Pingkangli was also good at calligraphy and painting, and her paintings seemed to be going in this direction too. This painting has a very unique intention, exquisite craftsmanship, and the lines are handled extremely smoothly and naturally, as if they were born from heaven. Although it seems careless at first glance, but after careful consideration, you will find that he actually put a lot of thought into it!"

  "This painting is simple in its overall composition, yet meticulous in its details, with every brush stroke carefully crafted. The figures in the painting are vividly depicted, both in terms of their physical form and their spirit, even without the use of bright colors. In fact, it's more dazzling than if it were painted with colors! It's truly a masterpiece... what a pity..."

  "What a pity?" Just now, Yan Laishang had lavished praise on Xiao Ting, and Taiping had listened with a warm feeling in his heart, as if the person being praised was himself. Therefore, when he heard Yan Liben's tone change, his heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

  "It's a pity that he, a young scholar, is infatuated with such petty and frivolous romantic affairs, which are rather too shallow!"

  Tai Ping heard this and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that it was actually like this.

  It's nothing for men to think this way, after all, men from all over the world believe that a real man should put achieving great things first, and consider it the most important thing in a man's life. As for women, they are just embellishments of life.

  But daughters' families don't think so. As long as they have enough to eat and wear, which woman is willing to guard an empty house for years?

  Men have all gone out to make a name for themselves, what should women do? So, let others go and build their careers, I'd rather my lover be less ambitious and stay with me every day! Being together as husband and wife is more real than those empty fame and wealth.

  Tai Ping smiled and said, "Then in your opinion, what might be a suitable title for this painting?"

  Yan Liben stroked his beard, sank into thought for a moment, and then smiled: "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, why not take the selected paintings out and let those scholars outside evaluate them for themselves?"

  Tai Ping furrowed his brow in thought, then nodded and smiled: "Alright, let those people who always think they're superior take a look and see how this painting is done!" Tai Ping said, picking up the painting again. "Later on, you few connoisseurs can also go out there and give those people a piece of your mind, and crush their arrogant spirits!"

  Yan Liben heard this but had a bitter smile, "Your Highness, if you don't eat, we old ministers will starve to death, where will we have the energy to evaluate paintings?"

  In the afternoon, hundreds of paintings were delivered to Xiaoyan's residence. It can be said that the scholars had used all their skills and thoughts to win the appreciation of Princess Taiping, and the hundreds of paintings delivered to Xiaoyan's residence were indeed a grand sight.

  Moreover, if someone were to observe the many candidates who had handed in their paintings, they would discover that the expressions on everyone's faces are even more vivid than those in the paintings. Some people exude confidence, looking down on others with an air of "I'm about to become famous". Others, however, look anxious and worried, their brows furrowed, as if they didn't even have the appetite to eat a piece of fruit to alleviate their hunger.

  Xiao Ting looked even more worried than they did.

  "Dugu girl, I'm really just passing by!"

  Dugu still wore the elegant and fluttering warrior attire, his face flushed red with anger, his eyes fixed on Xiao Ting's back with a gaze full of indignation.

  If it weren't for the fact that he was currently a guest of Princess Tuan's, she would have taken his life with one sword long ago.

  Just as they were slowly pushing their way back to the small dock, suddenly the scholars in front of them became restless and shouted: "The list has been posted, go take a look! Only ten people have been selected, and the Imperial Scholar will be chosen from among these ten!"

  Xiao Ting heard the words and wanted to turn around, but before he could even turn his neck, he immediately felt the sword scabbard pressed against his waist. He only heard Dugu Leng rebuke: "You are not allowed to look at me, dare to look at me for a moment and I will dig out your eyes!"

  Xiao Teng subconsciously made a swallowing motion, "I... I want to go take a look..."

  "Just go, but don't look back at me!" Suddenly caught in the act, and this person couldn't be killed to silence him, Dugu's face was red as fire, her heart both ashamed and angry, of course she didn't want Xiao Ting, the one who caught her, to see her like this.

  Xiao Ting raised his hands, "Alright, I promise I won't look!"

  The scabbard moved away, Xiao Ting stood up straight and walked a few steps before letting out a breath. Speaking of which, it was like I had just made a trip to the Ghost Gate earlier. This Dugu's temper is also too big, isn't it just that she was secretly talking to a man and wasn't lucky enough to be heard by me?

  Alas, in this era where men and women are not allowed to be intimate, morality is higher than everything, and saliva can kill people!

  He walked away with a sigh, never looking back. It wasn't that he was afraid of losing his eyesight, but rather because he felt that eavesdropping on others' conversations was somewhat wrong. The girl had every right to be angry, and now was not the time to provoke her further.

  He walked to the front of the small pavilion, and saw that a row of tall wooden frames had been set up along the lake case, with ten paintings hanging on them in sequence. Although the space in front of the painting frame was already crowded with people three layers deep inside and out, he still caught sight of the one in the very middle at first glance, which turned out to be his own painting.

  Because this painting is a bit too special, other paintings are colorful and vibrant, but his one is plain water ink color, it's hard not to notice!

  Xiao Ting shook his head and sighed, listening carefully, and indeed everyone was discussing it, and the center of their discussion was his own painting.