"Old Fan, Old Cao, Old Wang..."
After visiting the fourth floor, Tang Boyun smiled at Wan Yunting and Gu Luotang, "Yunting, shall I take you to the fifth floor?"
"Good, let's go..."
Old Fan nodded. They cupped their hands in farewell to the scholars on the fourth floor and, along with Cao Hui, Wang Mianzhi, Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao, Huang Yaodong, Zhao Yushi, Lin Yushu, Hou Xuesong, and others, followed Tang Boyun and the manager of Jubao Pavilion towards the fifth floor...
Qi Miaomiao couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Tang, your fifth floor must be holding even more treasures, right?"
"Haha..."
Tang Boyun chuckled, turned to Fan Liren, Wan Yunting, and the others, and said, "Girl, you guessed right. My fifth floor treasures many ancient literati's works, paintings, and calligraphy. Of course, it also houses many of Old Fan's renowned books, paintings, and calligraphy works, so I'll introduce them to you properly later."
Hearing that his works were included, Fan Liren smiled. Cao Hui and Wang Mianzhi chimed in, "Old Fan, this young Tang has admired you for a long time. He collected your 'Yellow Mountain in Autumn' painting and treasures it like a precious gem; he wouldn't even let us have a glimpse."
"Oh, you bought that 'Yellow Mountain in Autumn' painting?"
Fan Liren asked in surprise as he followed Tang Boyun upstairs.
"Yes, I acquired it at an auction in Hong Kong," Tang Boyun replied.
"I see."
Fan Liren nodded, recalling the "Yellow Mountain in Autumn" painting he had created. He sighed, "I painted that piece when I traveled to Yellow Mountain. Later, I gifted it to a friend."
"Unfortunately, my friend fell gravely ill and couldn't afford treatment. So, their family transferred the 'Yellow Mountain in Autumn' painting to a collector. Their children informed me of this, and I had no objections. It's just that my friend couldn't hold on and passed away..."
Fan Liren was only in his forties or fifties when he painted "Yellow Mountain in Autumn." At that time, he wasn't yet famous, and his family wasn't well-off, nor was his friend. It was out of necessity that he transferred the "Yellow Mountain in Autumn" painting, and it didn't fetch much money back then.
"So, that painting has such a story behind it."
Tang Boyun, Wan Yunting, and Gu Luotang listened with a touch of melancholy...
The group arrived at the fifth floor of Jubao Pavilion, the top floor. The hexagonal windows were all open-air balconies. Standing on the balcony, one could overlook the entire Purple Bamboo Lake and the bamboo forest on the back mountain. It was truly a view of "seeing all mountains from a height," highlighting the advantage of being at a high vantage point.
"Wow, the scenery is so beautiful..."
Qi Miaomiao, Gu Luotang, Zhao Yushi, and Huang Yaodong stood by the balcony, gazing at the surroundings. It was no wonder only masters were allowed on the fifth floor; such a view was truly aspirational.
No one was on the fifth floor today because the literati and masters who frequented the place had all gone to serve as judges for the Lanting Award Calligraphy Competition. They were still busy with the competition matters.
"Wow, so many paintings..."
In the fifth-floor hall, a row of display walls was adorned with various paintings by famous artists from different dynasties, including the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Renowned masterpieces from these eras could all be found here.
This demonstrated that Tang Boyun had indeed poured his fortune into this, spending over a decade collecting famous paintings and calligraphy from all over the country and even abroad, housing them on the fifth floor of Jubao Pavilion to create a gallery of famous paintings and calligraphy for appreciation by literati and masters.
This was why Purple Bamboo Tea Garden and Jubao Pavilion were so famous. Within these numerous famous paintings and calligraphy works, one could learn a great deal. This very aspect attracted literati and scholars from all over the country to flock to Jubao Pavilion for visits, hoping for a chance to ascend to the fifth floor.
It also had to be said that Tang Boyun was both a scholar and a businessman, using such methods to earn from literati and scholars...
"Look, this is Old Fan's 'Yellow Mountain in Autumn'!"
Tang Boyun led Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, and the others over and pointed to a painting hanging on the wall, which was indeed Fan Liren's "Yellow Mountain in Autumn" from years ago.
"Truly worthy of Old Fan's artistry! It perfectly captures the magnificent and majestic aura of Yellow Mountain, as well as the scenery of autumn. The ink layers are dense and overlapping; the technique is simply indescribable..."
Huang Yaodong and Zhao Yushi's eyes widened with excitement as they looked at Fan Liren's "Yellow Mountain in Autumn." They were so thrilled they didn't know what words to use to describe the painting's technique.
"Hahaha..."
Fan Liren walked over and chuckled at them, "When I painted this piece, I used a technique of layered ink splashing, of course, incorporating other techniques as well, like the combination of ink tones and pigments..."
Fan Liren then personally explained the techniques and insights he used while painting "Yellow Mountain in Autumn" to Gu Luotang, Huang Yaodong, Lin Yushu, and the others. They listened attentively, their eyes wide open, as this was a lecture from a master of his stature, an opportunity not everyone had.
Conversely, Wan Yunting felt like an outsider, as he understood nothing about painting. Listening to Fan Liren's explanations of painting techniques was like hearing gibberish to him. Fan Liren looked back and asked, "Young Wan, do you paint?"
"No,"
Wan Yunting shook his head and smiled, "My master only taught me calligraphy. I know nothing about painting."
"Haha, if you're interested, I can teach you," Fan Liren smiled at him.
This statement made Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao, Huang Yaodong, Zhao Yushi, Lin Yushu, and Hou Xuesong widen their eyes and look at Wan Yunting with envy. However, he shook his head and waved his hands, smiling, "Forget it, Old Fan. Not only do I have no talent for painting, but even if I did, I don't have the time to learn it now."
... This statement left Gu Luotang, Huang Yaodong, Zhao Yushi, and Lin Yushu stunned, looking at Wan Yunting with disbelief, as if thinking: My heavens, is this guy out of his mind? Refusing Old Fan!
Let alone them, even Tang Boyun, Cao Hui, and Wang Mianzhi looked at Wan Yunting with strange expressions. Either he was a fool, or he truly had no interest in it, hence refusing Old Fan...
"Haha, alright, I'll teach you painting when you have time in the future,"
Fan Liren said with a smile. He didn't seem to find Wan Yunting's refusal amiss, as he could tell the young man genuinely had no interest in painting.
"The tea is ready," the manager said at this moment.
Tang Boyun immediately smiled, "Then, Old Fan, let's go have some tea."
"Alright, Young Wan, come along..."
Fan Liren didn't forget to call Wan Yunting. The group then moved to the living room outside, where a large tea table could comfortably seat a dozen people. The aroma of tea wafted through the air. Although it wasn't a particularly expensive tea, paired with such scenery, it was quite elegant.
As the magnates, Fan Liren, Cao Hui, and Wang Mianzhi, took their seats, Tang Boyun, Wan Yunting, and Gu Luotang slowly followed suit. Everyone sipped their tea and chatted about the current scene, which added a unique charm.
Even Wan Yunting, who wasn't part of this circle, could feel the aura exuded by the literati. However, he wasn't as reserved as Gu Luotang and Huang Yaodong. He treated Fan Liren simply as an ordinary elder, so he didn't care about such things.
It was evident that Fan Liren's fondness for Wan Yunting stemmed from this very reason.
After all, young men like Huang Yaodong and Lin Yushu, due to his status, primarily displayed an attitude of respect.
But this created a sense of distance.
Wan Yunting, however, was completely at ease. He conversed with Fan Liren, Cao Hui, and Wang Mianzhi naturally, saying whatever came to mind without restraint...
"By the way, Yunting, I still need to ask you for a piece of calligraphy!"
After a while, Tang Boyun smiled at Wan Yunting.
"Yes, we also want to see your Slender Gold Script firsthand," Fan Liren nodded and smiled.
"Alright, I'll write it then."
Wan Yunting was indifferent. Seeing that they also admired his calligraphy, he naturally didn't mind writing for them.
"Old Zhang, quickly prepare the paper, brush, and ink."
Tang Boyun immediately called out to Old Zhang, the manager who was preparing tea. He responded and went to a large desk to prepare the Xuan paper and grind the ink. Once everything was ready, he called out, and only then did Tang Boyun rise, inviting Fan Liren, Wan Yunting, and the others to move over...
"Yunting, the brushes are all here, pick one."
Tang Boyun pointed to a row of brushes of various sizes hanging on the brush rack, mostly high-quality ones. Wan Yunting smiled and nodded, picking a medium-sized wolf-hair brush. He dipped it in ink and scraped it twice on the inkstone. Gu Luotang stepped forward, holding a paperweight to help flatten the Xuan paper on the desk...
Fan Liren, Cao Hui, Wang Mianzhi, Tang Boyun, and the manager stood by, all watching Wan Yunting. He held the brush as if gripping a sword, his eyes instantly exuding an imposing aura. The brush moved freely on the Xuan paper, like a sharp, kingly sword. As Gu Luotang recited an ancient poem, a line of Slender Gold Script characters quickly appeared on the Xuan paper, each stroke and hook radiating a unique sword intent...
"Look, even the way he holds the brush is like holding a sword!"
Fan Liren, standing nearby, pointed at Wan Yunting, who was writing, and turned to smile at Cao Hui and the others.
"Indeed, no wonder his calligraphy possesses such a unique sword-intent style..."
Wang Mianzhi and Tang Boyun nodded with smiles. Witnessing Wan Yunting's natural and unrestrained manner while writing made Fan Liren increasingly feel that this young man was extraordinary, at least in terms of his state of mind, which surpassed that of other peers.