novelAbuy Chapter 93 Comic Strip Letter
Chapter 93 Comic Strip Letter
Chapter 93 Comic Reply
The bell rang melodiously as the Imperial Academy signaled the end of get out of class.
Zhao Mingcheng and Li Jiong walked out of Minglun Hall side by side.
The servant, Ping An, trotted over and bowed to the two men. Then, he presented a wrapped scroll to Zhao Mingcheng with both hands.
"Young Master Zhao, this is what my young lady asked me to bring back for you. She said it's a policy essay that you asked your eldest son to pass on. She has read it and made some annotations. She asked me to return it to you. Also—she also included a small note inside."
"Oh? So fast?" Zhao Mingcheng was a little surprised and took the scroll.
He glanced at Li Jiong, whose face also held a mixture of curiosity and helplessness, clearly unaware of his sister's whirlwind and unconventional way of "replying."
"That's just how my sister is; she does whatever comes to mind. Please don't take offense, Brother Defu," Li Jiong said apologetically.
"It's alright. Your younger sister is quick-witted, and it's my good fortune to have her review my work."
Zhao Mingcheng smiled, and indeed a sense of anticipation rose in his heart.
How would Li Qingzhao evaluate his "Policy on Defending Against the Summer" which contained his "personal agenda"?
Back in the small courtyard where he had temporarily rested near the Imperial Academy, Zhao Mingcheng first poured himself a cup of tea before sitting down at his desk and untying the ribbon on the scroll.
The first thing that catches the eye is his own handwritten policy essay.
However, several lines of elegant and graceful small regular script in vermilion ink were added between the lines and in the margins.
He immediately focused his attention on it; the annotations were few, but every sentence hit the nail on the head.
The final summary, "High-minded yet pragmatic, ambitious yet steady in action. She possesses the qualities of a renowned minister of antiquity," made Zhao Mingcheng feel somewhat ashamed, and also gave him a new understanding of this talented woman in history who was famous for her poetry.
Li Qingzhao was not only exceptionally talented in poetry, but also possessed remarkable political insight and profound understanding.
Such insightful and balanced comments are far beyond the reach of ordinary young ladies who merely read books or indulge in romantic notions.
After reading the annotations, Zhao Mingcheng noticed that there seemed to be something stuck at the end of the reel.
Gently pulled out, it was a small note. Unfolding it, several lines of equally elegant but more relaxed and free-flowing running script came into view, containing a short poem:
Like a Dream
Last night, the rain was sparse and the wind was strong; a deep sleep couldn't dispel the lingering effects of the wine. I asked the person rolling up the curtain, who said the crabapple blossoms were still there. Do you know, do you know? They should be lush green and faded red.
The inscription at the end also includes a line of lively small characters: "Feeling a bit of wind and rain, I playfully composed this short poem, hoping to amuse Mr. Zhao. Written by Yi'an."
Upon seeing the poem and the signature, Zhao Mingcheng's hand holding the paper paused slightly, and his pupils seemed to contract.
"Like a Dream: Last Night the Rain Was Sparse and the Wind Was Strong!"
He knew this poem all too well!
This is a must-read text in every middle school Chinese textbook for future generations, and it is a representative work of Li Qingzhao's early graceful and restrained poetry.
The four characters "绿肥红瘦" in the poem, in particular, are praised as a stroke of genius, a masterpiece of human ingenuity.
He had listened to the teacher explain it countless times in class, and he had also memorized and recited it himself.
At this moment, the ink on this fragrant Huanhua paper is still fresh.
This masterpiece, destined to be passed down through the ages and recited and appreciated by countless later generations, was born not long ago after a rain. It was delivered to him through the streets and alleys of Bianjing by the young girl who had just written exquisite annotations on his policy essay.
This feeling was extremely strange; he became a witness to this masterpiece.
After the initial shock, Zhao Mingcheng read the poem again.
Li Qingzhao's poem expresses her sorrow.
Although Zhao Mingcheng didn't know the specific reason for Li Qingzhao's distress, he could roughly guess that this talented and proud young woman had probably encountered something that made her indignant and helpless, and that she was drowning her sorrows in wine, reflecting on her life, which led to this poem.
"The little girl is unhappy—"
Zhao Mingcheng put down the note, his fingers tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop as he pondered how to reply.
Responding to a poetry review in a serious tone? That's too boring.
Li Qingzhao was quite insightful and seemed to have a carefree temperament. Perhaps—we could try a different approach?
Zhao Mingcheng recalled the lighthearted and fun chibi-style comics and emoticons from later generations.
An idea popped into my head, becoming clearer and clearer.
Soon, he spread out a sheet of paper, took out a paintbrush, but instead of mixing ink, he selected several mineral pigments with relatively elegant colors and ground them together.
Instead of painting in the traditional ink wash style, he paused for a moment, dipped his brush in a light red hue, and sketched out a four-panel comic strip on the paper.
First panel: Outside the window, wind and rain rage. A cute little girl (representing Li Qingzhao) with double buns, a round face, and wearing an ancient dress sits on a couch by the window. In front of her is a small wine pot and a cup. She rests her chin on her hand, has two rosy blushes on her face, her eyes are half-closed, and a "Zzz" symbol indicating sleep appears above her head. Next to her is written, "Last night the rain was sparse and the wind was strong, and even a deep sleep could not dispel the lingering effects of the wine."
Second panel: It's dawn (draw a simple sun). The chibi version of Li Qingzhao wakes up, rubbing her eyes, with a question mark above her head. She speaks to a chibi maid with a similarly round head and a bun hairstyle, with a speech bubble that reads, "How is Haitang?"
The third panel: A cute little maid points out the window, where a simple tree is drawn with a few red dots and lots of green leaves. The maid's speech bubble reads, "The crabapple is still the same."
Fourth panel: A chibi version of Li Qingzhao stands with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at the tree outside the window. A large exclamation mark appears above her head, and the bubble around her mouth reads, "Do you know, do you know, it should be that the green leaves are lush and the red flowers are faded."
Finally, at the focal point of her gaze, a close-up of the tree: a few pitiful little red flowers (painted looking wilted) set against a backdrop of lush, large green leaves that almost filled the entire picture.
This perfectly corresponds to "green leaves grow fat and red flowers wither".
The art style is childlike and cute, the characters' expressions are exaggerated and vivid, and the scenes are simple and clear, presenting the artistic conception of the poem in a direct and humorous way that has never been seen before.
The contrast between "green leaves and red flowers" in the last panel, in particular, is presented in an exaggerated comic style, which has a unique charm.
After finishing the four-panel comic, Zhao Mingcheng wrote a short reply in neat regular script in the blank space below the comic:
[A Refined Appreciation by Yi'an Jushi:]
The policy analysis and commentary were insightful and I benefited greatly from them. I sincerely thank you.
The poem "Like a Dream" is fresh and elegant, with simple words but profound meaning. In particular, the four characters "green leaves grow fat and red flowers fade" perfectly capture the scenery at the end of spring and the subtle ripples in my heart. It can be described as a stroke of genius. However, I can see a trace of melancholy in the poem. I dare to use my clumsy pen to playfully imitate the meaning of the poem, hoping to amuse you.
Wind and rain may come and go, but the crabapple blossoms year after year; the effects of wine may wear off, but the greenery remains evergreen.
May the layperson smile and not be troubled by trivial matters.
Mingcheng bows deeply.
After finishing writing, Zhao Mingcheng drew a simple smiley face in the blank space next to it. Finally, he folded the "illustrated and written" reply and put it into an elegant envelope.
He went out and found Li Jiong's servant Ping An, who was still waiting for a reply at the Imperial Academy, and handed him the envelope.
"Please make the trip and return this to your daughter. Tell her that I, Zhao, thank her for her comments and this is my reply," Zhao Mingcheng instructed, suppressing a smile.
Ping An accepted the letter, responded respectfully, and hurried off to the Li residence.
Inside Yi'an Pavilion, ever since Li Qingzhao had Ping'an deliver the letter, she felt like she had a little cat inside her heart, scratching at it every now and then.
She was somewhat looking forward to Zhao Mingcheng's reaction after seeing her lyrics.
Is it praise? Or is it a feeling of ordinariness? Or will it be like those pedantic scholars who think that women writing lyrics is ultimately a "minor art"?
More than anything, she vaguely regretted her almost "provocative" action (proactively attaching her lyrics and asking for comments).
She wondered if she had been too abrupt and bold.
When Ping An returned and handed her the envelope, her heart inexplicably quickened.
Li Qingzhao composed herself, had Yunzhui reward Ping An, and then dismissed him.
He took the envelope, walked to the desk, and sat down, but did not open it immediately.
"Wife, quickly see what Young Master Zhao has to say!" Yunzhui said, equally curious.
Li Qingzhao took a deep breath and opened the envelope.
The first thing to fall out was a folded piece of Xuan paper, which she unfolded—
Then, he froze.
The paper didn't contain the expected tiny handwriting comments, nor did it contain poems or lyrics; instead, it contained a picture—
painting?
A painting she had never seen before.
The lines are simple, even somewhat "clumsy," but the two round-headed, adorable little figures, along with the wind and rain, the sun, the wine jug, and the crabapple tree—
Although the imagery was exaggerated and simplified, she recognized it at a glance—wasn't this exactly the scene she described in her lyrics?
That chibi-style little girl, chin in hand, drinking with hazy, drunken eyes; that chibi-style girl, hands on hips, pouting and pointing at the crabapple blossoms, saying "Do you know, do you know?"
Little Girl Version —
Although the image is cute, the spirit of the character is captured so accurately!
The last panel, in particular, uses the contrast of "lush greenery and withered red flowers" to depict the scene with a few wilted red flowers and a large bunch of green leaves, which is both visually striking and comically exaggerated.
This left Li Qingzhao momentarily at a loss for how to react.
At first, it was novel, because this painting method was unheard of and unseen before.
Then came a touch of shame and annoyance that the subtle and restrained sentiment in her own words had been depicted in such a way—so "unrefined."
Their adorable appearance!
Especially that little figure with hands on hips, although cute, where is the slightest bit of a lady's composure?
Zhao Mingcheng is far too reckless and arrogant!
However, when Li Qingzhao looked closely, the adorable expressions of the little cartoon characters, the simple yet vivid scene arrangement, and especially the striking contrast of "green leaves and red flowers" at the end, became more and more interesting.
She couldn't help but look at the comic panels again, imagining that the round-headed little figure was herself, drinking wine and asking about the crabapple blossoms, then dissatisfied with the maid's "the crabapple blossoms remain," insisting on pointing out "the green leaves are lush and the red flowers are faded"—
The process was depicted with such childlike innocence that the faint sorrow that had been lingering in my heart seemed to be diluted and dispelled by the bright brushstrokes.
"puff--"
Li Qingzhao finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.
At first, I was a little reserved, but the more I looked at the painting, especially the big exclamation mark and the "Do you know, do you know" bubble above the little figure with his hands on his hips in the fourth panel, and the stark contrast between the drooping little red flower and the triumphant big green leaf.
Li Qingzhao finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha—Yunzhui, come and see! Come and see—look at what Zhao Mingcheng has drawn!"
'
Li Qingzhao laughed as she beckoned Yunzhui over.
When Yunzhui took a closer look, she was first surprised and widened her eyes, but then she was amused by the cute and funny scene and covered her mouth to giggle.
"My lady, is this a painting of you and me? It's so beautifully painted! Look at this little figure, so round and chubby, so cute! And this crabapple blossom, the leaves are painted bigger than the flowers!"
"Right, you think this painting is fun too?"
Li Qingzhao laughed until tears almost came out. Her previous embarrassment and annoyance had long since vanished, leaving only a sense of novelty and joy.
"This Zhao Mingcheng is truly an oddball! What kind of evaluation is this? He doesn't write articles, but instead paints these strange pictures!"
And they even drew us like this —”
After laughing enough, Li Qingzhao remembered that there was more text below.
Picking up the letter, she saw Zhao Mingcheng's neat regular script and polite language, which contrasted sharply with the "unconventional" drawing above it, making her chuckle.
When she read the lines "I dare to use my clumsy pen to playfully imitate the meaning of the poem, hoping to amuse you," and "There will be storms, but the crabapple blossoms every year; the effects of wine may wear off, but the greenery remains year after year. May you smile and not be troubled by trivial matters," her heart stirred slightly.
It turns out that Zhao Mingcheng noticed the melancholy in his poem and deliberately used this ingenious method to cheer himself up and comfort himself.
This thoughtfulness and kindness warmed her heart.
Finally, I saw the little smiley face emoji next to it (:)).
At first glance, it was incomprehensible, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to resemble a person's smile.
"This Zhao Mingcheng is quite intriguing—"
Li Qingzhao spread out cartoons, letters, and smiley face scraps on her desk, her gaze wandering over them, a smile lingering on her lips.
At this moment, she had a new understanding of Zhao Mingcheng.
It turns out that this person was not only the powerful envoy who dominated the Hehuang region, but also the student who wrote the grand economic strategy.
Moreover, he is an interesting and ingenious person.
This novel understanding sparked a stronger and more complex curiosity and interest in this "Young Master Zhao" than before.
The sky outside the window seemed to have brightened a bit, and on the crabapple tree in the courtyard, a few withered red blossoms swayed gently among the green leaves.
Li Qingzhao's mood, however, had cleared up like the sun after the rain, becoming bright and cheerful.
She carefully put away Zhao Mingcheng's reply.
She looked at the strange yet lovely painting again and again, liking it more and more each time, and finally decided to tuck it into her frequently read poetry collection.
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