Kaifeng City, on the right side, on the Jinshui River.

Wu Haogu's "old friend" entered the residence of Liu Youfang, the deputy minister of the Nei Provincial Department, and a guest was visiting at this time.

The visitor was Wu Haogu's immediate boss, Liang Shicheng, who was engaged in Hanlin Picture Academy. There were always two officials in Hanlin Picture Academy, who took turns to work. Liang Shicheng was on duty yesterday, and today he had free time and came to meet Liu Youfang for advice.

It is winter now, and although there are no snowflakes floating outside, for the elderly eunuch Liu Youfang, the weather is still so cold that he can't bear it.

In the inner hall of the house, a stove was placed at this time, and the charcoal fire was raging in the stove.

Liu Youfang took a sip of soju, picked up a rhab bean and put it in his mouth, closed his eyes and chewed it and tasted it.

Opposite him, a man dressed in a literati in his twenties or under thirties, was taking out a stack of personal friends from the Pan family's gold, silver, silk and silk shop from the Zhaowen belt.

This person is Wu Haogu's immediate boss Liang Shicheng.

"The deputy minister, this is the one with the surname Wu who respects you."

Liu Youfang said coldly: "Will that guy give it to you?"

Liang Shicheng smiled bitterly: "What's the solution? The official asked him to come, who can drive him away?"

"There's no way?" Liu Youfang said with a slight smile, "I'm old and I'm not going to live for a few years, so I don't care anymore... But you're still young, maybe you have to follow him for the rest of your life!

He is now the number one person in the paintings enshrined by the official family. In the future, the Hanlin Painting Bureau will not be his territory? Then, you, the official, will have to run errands for him."

"Who said no!"

Liang Shicheng was also in tears. Although Wu Haogu was very respectful to him now, it was hard to say what happened in the future. After all, Wu Haogu was a tough character who even Liu Youfang dared to fight! And... the official family is favoring him now! Maybe he will be given an official at any time. At that time, will Liang Shicheng still control the Hanlin Painting Bureau?

Liang Shicheng sighed: "If I had known this, I would have stayed in the Book and Art Bureau."

There is also a person in the Calligraphy and Art Bureau that Liang Shicheng couldn't handle, named Jia Xiang, who was also an internal official. He was originally an active officer with Liang Shicheng, but because he was old and had a great knowledge of calligraphy, he firmly controlled the Calligraphy and Art Bureau. Liang Shicheng was boring to stay inside, so he found an opportunity to run to the Picture Bureau to serve as the king. Who knew that he met Wu Haogu, the "first person in the painting".

This is a big loss! No matter what, Jia Xiang is, he is an old eunuch, and he has been alive for a few years. Wu Haogu is only twenty years old... How can Liang Shicheng survive?

"If you think he is in the way," Liu Youfang glanced at Liang Shicheng, "There is still a solution!"

"Is there a way?" Liang Shicheng said, "The deputy master wants to ask the little master to come and do his own job?"

"Be a stroll?" Liu Youfang smiled, "Don't you still have such ambition?"

If you want to go, I can arrange it. Why not go to Xihe Road? Mr. Zhang is planning to use troops against Tubo in Qingtang, which may be an opportunity to make contributions."

"Minister-in-law, please spare me. How can I have that ability?"

Liang Shicheng waved his hands repeatedly. He was not a military eunuch like Tong Guan. He was taking the literary and artistic route, specializing in calligraphy and painting. He wanted him to go to the front line of fighting against the Tubo in Qingtang and Tang Dynasties as a "pioneer", wouldn't he scare him to death?

Liu Youfang glanced at Liang Shicheng and sneered: "Who told you to leave by yourself? You won't find an opportunity to send someone named Wu away?"

"I can't drive it away!" Liang Shicheng shook his head.

Wu Haogu was invited by the official family. Liang Shicheng, a ovarian eunuch, wanted to stay with him? Are you tired of living, right?

"Hurry up? I'm talking about giving away!" Liu Youfang smiled and shook his head. He stretched out his right hand and pointed upwards, "Take up!"

“Send up…to?”

Liu Youfang said: "Give him a contribution and make him get promoted and rich!"

"Let Wu Haogu get promoted and become rich?" Liang Shicheng looked at Liu Youfang, thinking that you and Wu Haogu are not against each other?

Seeing that Liang Shicheng was still a little confused, Liu Youfang simply said: "Tell him to draw spy paintings! Don't you know this?

Isn't it a ready opportunity now? The Western thief was defeated and the Northern Dynasties were ready to move, and the envoys on both sides should also walk around frequently. Just as the one named Wu was asked to go to the Northern Dynasties. If they could come back, they would have made any contributions."

The intelligence work in the Northern Song Dynasty was like other things, and was managed by multiple people and no one was responsible. The Hanlin Academy of Painting, the Guoxin Institute, the several yamen under the name of the Honglu Temple, and the northern room of the Privy Council can all involve intelligence work. However, there is no spy yamen that is truly responsible.

Therefore, intelligence investigation is often associated with diplomatic activities rather than being carried out separately. Only when foreign exchanges between Song and Liao countries are frequent, intelligence collection will be convenient. Moreover, since the missions of the Song Dynasty are often under the strict monitoring of the Liao people, the efficiency of intelligence investigation is not high.

"Spy knows how to draw a small picture," Liang Shicheng shook his head, "But... but after the painting, he will still return to the drawing board, and most likely he will get an official!"

"It's good to be an official," Liu Youfang smiled, "If you get an official, you can get a job... Can't he draw spies? Just talk about his contributions and simply recommend him to the Privy Council and the Honglu Temple, and let him hang out with the heroes who sing the name outside the Donghua Gate."

After Liu Youfang finished speaking, he stood up and walked away with his sleeves.

Liang Shicheng showed a smile on his face and hurriedly bowed to see him off.

Liu Youfang's move is a common trick in the officialdom. For opponents who cannot be driven away, I might as well give you a wealth and make Gao happy to get out!

Moreover, Wu Haogu is not a hero who can call the name outside Donghua Gate. It is okay to be the king of Hanlin Academy. If he went to the Privy Council as a craftsman to draw a map... then this life would be difficult and he would not be bullied every day?

It seems that this ginger is really spicy...

...

In the west of Kaifeng Prefecture City, on the official road near Jinmingchi, several horses were slowly advancing.

The first rider was particularly tall. Not only was the horse big, but the man was tall. The one riding on the horse was a young man of sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a brocade shirt and a fur cloak, looking very rich. The rider behind him was also full of furry horses. At a glance, he knew that the young master of a wealthy family was on a trip.

The rich young man riding a horse was Zhao Ji, the Duanwang of the Song Dynasty. Today he went to Lianhua Temple to find Mo Niangzi. However, he did not draw the "Mo Niangzi's Dance Picture".

This picture is really hard to draw!

Because the Mo Niang was wearing less clothes and her movements were so charming, Zhao Ji took a few times but couldn't help it. Later, Mi Youren sent Wu Haogu's "Twenty-Four Types of Human Structure Pictures", which made Zhao Ji enter the palace of human body painting.

But he was just stepping into it, and he had not reached the point of being able to come and go freely. Therefore, he did not bring painting tools today, not to draw beauty, but to meet beauty.

Gao Qiu was following Zhao Ji on a horse, repeatedly talking about Wu Haogu's face to face with the king yesterday and "skilled sketches".

"It's really only half a quarter of an hour?"

"Really," Gao Qiu said, "this was what Tong Guan told Xiao Di in person... Wu Haogu used only a pencil and drew his avatar on paper in less than half a quarter of an hour. And it was exactly the same as the real person, and it was better than everyone in the Hanlin Academy of Painting.

Later, he silently drew a bust of the official family. He just stared at the official family for half a quarter of an hour and then drew a seventy-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight-eight

"This is indeed a skill!" Zhao Ji smiled, "I have to see it well another day."

Zhao Ji was already a little convinced, not only because of Wu Haogulu's first-hand "sketching and dictation", but also because of "Twenty-Four Types of Human Structure Pictures".

The twenty human body parts are all vividly drawn and full of business. This book "Twenty-Four Human Body Structure Pictures" alone is enough to make Wu Haogu's status in the history of painting surpass any of the world's most famous people.

Zhao Ji even believed that the name of the Painting Saint might have to be transferred to Wu Haogu!

Because Wu Daozi's "Wu Ding Dangfeng" is not as good as Wu Haogu's "Twenty-Four Types of Human Structure Pictures"...

Moreover, Zhao Ji also found that the painting method in "Twenty-Four Types of Human Structure Pictures" could not be drawn "Mo Niangzi's Dance Picture".

This shows that "Twenty-Four Types of Human Structure Pictures" is just an introductory textbook.

"The King, the Analects of Confucius said: If three people walk, there must be my teacher; choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones. Can this Wu Dalang be your teacher in painting skills?"

Zhao Ji thought about it seriously and said with a smile: "You can...but the Lone King still has to compete with him. Because a picture of the painting is not just about realistic."

Zhao Ji was already a little convinced about Wu Haogu's human body realistic.

However, the "Comparison of the Paintings of the Courtesan" he made with Wu Haogu did not stipulate that it should be realistic.

Zhao Ji said again: "His paintings...remain less artistic conception."

artistic conception?

Gao Qiu thought to himself: Can't explain this thing clearly?

Zhao Ji paused and said, "I have now obtained his "Twenty-Four Types of Human Structure Pictures", and Wu Dai's technique of being a wind can still be compared with him."

In fact, Zhao Ji didn't think he would win, he just wanted to compete... He was so boring that he couldn't even leave the Kaifeng Prefecture territory, just a wealthy canary that was only locked in a cage.

Finally, a bunch of people came to coax him to play, but I won’t have fun!

Gao Qiu paused and suddenly said, "King, what you want to say... Xiao Di thinks that it is difficult for you to draw the ink lady to surpass Wu Haogu."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because Madam Mo's figure is so graceful, and...the clothes are too cool and depressed."

"Haha." Zhao Ji smiled, not saying anything.

Gao Qiu said again: "But you don't have to follow him to draw. He paints the ink lady, you can draw another lady."

"Another lady? Who?" Zhao Ji asked, "You won't ask me to draw Pan Qiaolian, do you?"
Chapter completed!