Wu Haogu was thinking about how many good things the characters in the Kaifeng Mansion Calligraphy and Painting Store would send to him, and on the morning of the New Year's Eve, people came to visit one after another. The first one to come to the door was Du Yongdedu's senior, who had been secretly making a small stumbling block for himself, and it was his registered disciple Su Dalang who came together, and he also brought a generous gift and an indescribable apprentice to Wu Haogu.

"Mr. Chongdao's painting skills are really the best in the world, and the little old man is very impressed. It's a pity that the little old man was born decades early, and now he is a dying person, and he can't learn much, otherwise he must worship under Mr. to learn painting. Fortunately, the little old man has a granddaughter named Wenyu, who is twenty-eight years old, and has followed the old man to learn calligraphy and painting since he was a child, and is quite talented, but unfortunately he has not been guided by a famous teacher. A few days ago, she saw Mr. Chongdao's masterpiece in Fengle Building, and she admired it so much that she wanted to worship under Mr. Wang's door, and while learning painting, she served Mr.'s daily life, and she was satisfied......

Du Yongde, the old man, said this very seriously, and then took a step back with his eyes and nose, clapped his hands and greeted the outside of the hall. Just look at a girl wearing a pale green skirt, a moon-white mandarin duck belt tied around her waist, a fairy bun on her head, and a pair of bow shoes on her feet. The girl's complexion is as white as jade, her facial features are bright and beautiful, and her eyes are full of adoration.

The girl walked up to Wu Haogu, and Ying Ying bowed, and then opened her mouth with a voice like a silver bell: "Slave Du Wenyu greets Mr." ”

What a good apprentice......

Wu Haogu looked at this girl named Du Wenyu carefully, she was really soft and moving, not Pan Qiaolian's beauty with a little charm, nor the plump and mature beauty of Mo Niangzi, but the gentle and demure beauty, which can be described as a standard lady of the Song Dynasty.

"Little ...... Little lady, do you want to learn to paint with me? ”

Wu Haogu is a little unsure, such a peugeot beauty...... Really just your own students?

"Dong Weng," Su Dalang smiled and presented a gift slip with both hands, "This is Wenyu's apprenticeship, a small and thin courtesy, not a respect, and a smile on your face." ”

And Bo Li!

Wu Haogu took the gift sheet and looked at it, and immediately took a breath, this Du Lao'er is really willing.

Because there are only a few simple words on the gift list: Fan Wenzheng is a true pen master Lu Ti!

Old man Du really paid for it...... A granddaughter (not necessarily a parent) is really nothing, but Fan Zhongyan's "Shi Lu Ti" is a treasure!

Fan Zhongyan is a master at the same level as Su Huang Mi Cai, and his calligraphy attainments may not be as good as Su Huang Mi Cai, but he is a famous generation of ministers, and he has passed away for many years, and his works are limited, and the prelude to the New Deal of the Great Song Dynasty was also opened by him.

As long as this calligraphy is dedicated to Cai Jing, then there is a good chance that he will be able to take an official body to the north to make Liao.

"Good!" Wu Haogu nodded, looking at Du Yongde who was smiling all over his face, "Du Zhizhao, this "Shi Lu Ti" is really what I want...... It's better to be respectful than to obey fate. I can't do the head of this Kaifeng Mansion calligraphy and painting shop, so I'll give it to you. And I can't do it for a few days, so most of the people who return to Liao will be out of office, so I will recommend you to take over when the time comes.

It's just that this apprentice ......"

If it's a boy, Wu Haogu will accept it, even if he can't learn anything, it's good to take it with him to run errands. But this Du Wenyu is as beautiful as jade......

The matter of male painters accepting female disciples also existed in the Song Dynasty. Didn't Pan Qiaolian worship Li Tang as a master?

However, female disciples and male disciples are not the same, male disciples can be brought with them to teach from time to time, even if they can't teach anything, a master-apprentice can sometimes take what they need. And the female disciple must be a painter to teach the skills, if you bring it with you, it is most likely called a disciple, but it is actually a concubine......

"Sir, slow refusal."

Before Wu Haogu's words were finished, Du Wenyu was anxious to interject, "Please also ask Mr. to test Wenyu's painting skills first, if Wenyu is really unbearable to teach, it is not too late to refuse." ”

What is the ...... That's right.

"It's okay," Wu Haogu nodded, "Du Niangzi, first tell me what you're good at?" ”

"The slave family is good at writing flowers and birds."

"Good at handwriting?" Wu Haogu smiled, "But I don't test you...... Will you use carbon bars? ”

Traditional Chinese gongbi paintings are also drafted, and the tool used for drafting is carbon strips.

"Yes."

Wu Haogu glanced at Du Xiaoniang again, and saw that she was holding her chest upright and looking like a bamboo in her chest, she seemed to have some ability.

However, what Wu Haogu values more is talent!

"Come on, go get a raw egg."

He summoned an envoy and brought himself an egg.

"Draw eggs?" Du Wenyu was stunned.

Wu Haogu nodded. When the eggs were brought over, he took his drawing board again, glued a raw xuan, and took out a carbon pen.

"I'll draw first, you watch...... Look behind me. ”

"Oh."

The girl painter answered, and then gently moved the lotus behind Wu Haogu, and then stared intently at Wu Haogu's skillful, deliberately slowed down brushwork to draw a horizontal egg on the rice paper.

"It's really like......" Seeing the eggs displayed on the paper, the girl painter couldn't help but admire. Although she has been learning to paint for ten years, she has already won the charm of the Huang family's wealth with a hand-brush. However, I had never painted eggs, and I never thought that I could draw such a realistic painting with carbon strips.

Wu Haogu turned back to Du Wenyu and smiled, "It's your turn...... If you can draw a portrait of four or five points, I will take you as an apprentice. ”

"Four or five points?"

Du Wenyu was a little unconvinced, isn't it just an egg? I've been learning to paint for ten years, but I can't draw? However, she still took the drawing board and carbon strip from Wu Haogu very respectfully on her face, and drew it carefully.

This time it was Wu Haogu's turn to stand behind Du Wenyu, a faint fragrance of virginity came to his face, the girl's back was as good as the front, her hair was black and shiny, her pink neck was thin and long, and her skin was white and delicate like milk.

"Sir, it's done."

The girl's voice came, and then a smiling pink face appeared in front of Wu Haogu's eyes.

"Oh, show me."

Wu Haogu took his eyes off the beauty's face and turned to the egg picture on the painting case, and his eyebrows suddenly raised.

It's a nice drawing!

Not only is the outline of the egg well drawn, but the shadows are also well handled...... It's very good for novices who draw charcoal striped eggs for the first time!

This girl, who has a talent for painting, is a rare piece of jade, if she is a good student, she may be able to make the most of her mantle.

Thinking of this, Wu Haogu smiled at Du Yongde and said: "Du Zhizhao, this granddaughter of yours is good, very talented, I will accept her as an apprentice." I will ...... from now on"

Speaking of this, Wu Haogu suddenly paused, looked at Du Wenyu again, and then looked at Du Yongde.

Old man Du smiled: "In the future, let Wenyu follow Mr. and serve in the morning and evening." ”

"Good!" Wu Haogu was not polite, and arched his hand at Old Man Du, "Old Du is waiting for the edict, then our two families will be our own people from now on!" ”

……

On the day when Wu Haogu accepted the beautiful apprentice and got Fan Zhongyan's "Shi Lu Ti", his good friend Ji Yiji was accompanying two envoys from the Liao State to wander the streets of Kaifeng Mansion.

Today is the day of the New Year's Eve, that is, the Chinese New Year's Eve. Unlike the fainter and weaker flavor of the New Year in later generations, the New Year's Eve Day in Kaifeng Mansion in the Northern Song Dynasty is almost the most lively time of the year. The streets were full of lights and crowds, and the residents of Kaifeng Mansion wore their best clothes and dragged their families to and from the streets. The shop vendors in the market also seized the last time to peddle their New Year's goods, such as wax medicine, brocade, new calendar, all kinds of large and small door gods, peach charms, Zhong Kui, spring posts, Tianxing stickers, Jincai, wisp flowers, banner sheng, New Year's plate boxes, wine eaves, sheep cavities, fruits, five-color paper money, grits pots, Pepsi Ji, glue tooth dumplings and so on. There are really a lot of names, but for the residents of Kaifeng Fucheng who have strong purchasing power, this kind of consumption is not very low.

The tile alleys of Kaifeng Mansion have also ushered in the best time, the tile gate has set up a free stage for people to watch, or perform miscellaneous dramas, or sing the tunes of the palace, there are the most eye-catching female sumo wrestlings to see at the tile gate in the outer city.

In the southwest corner of the embassies of Kaifeng Prefecture, you can still see visitors wearing exotic costumes on the street from time to time, they are all envoys from Goryeo, Jiaozhi, Huifu, Khotan, Zhenla, Dali, Srivijaya and other countries, and the prosperity of Kaifeng Mansion also makes them forget to return.

However, Xiao Haogu and Liu Yun didn't have much interest in shopping at this time, because they had just met a group of party members wearing Han costumes on the Wang Tower near the Zhouqiao Market!

The leader of the person, Xiao Haogu also saw it when he visited Western Xia, it was the name of Abury! Xiao Haogu knew the news of Wei Ming's capture, but Wei Ming's burial, which he met today, didn't seem to be a prisoner, and a group of guys dressed as party members around him hugged each other, accompanied by a seventeen or eighteen-year-old Hui concubine.

When Wei Ming's burial walked into the royal building, Xiao Haogu, Liu Yun and Ji Yi were all sitting in the corner, so they were not discovered by Wei Ming's burial. And Ah Bury was boasting about the concubine Hui Meimei beside him in party words: "Meliya, when the Xiping Mansion is completed, we will be able to live in Kaifeng Mansion for a long time." When the time comes, you will be able to visit Kaifeng Mansion every day......"

Xiping Palace? In Kaifeng?

Xiao Haogu and Liu Yun are both "diplomats" of the Liao State and can understand the party's words. So when the two of them listened to Wei Ming's words, their faces changed greatly.

King Xiping is the title of the head of the famous family of Western Xia before he became the emperor - this is the title of the Great Song Dynasty!

What does this name mean? It's rare that the official family of the Great Song Dynasty wants to crown him as the king of Xiping? It can't be such a good thing...... If he wasn't the king of Xiping, who would be the king?

It won't be the current Western Xia Emperor, right?