Chapter 71: The Magic Pen That Turns a Dragon into a Dragon
February 19, noon
Shen Kuo's heart tightened. It was obvious that the monk came to the Prince Consort's Mansion for this purpose. He should have found the most suitable pair from many pianos. Now the tuning is probably to strengthen this match. Try to find out what Xiao Ping's trick of inserting paper figures on the piano that night was.
"Your Highness, your Highness has a good idea." Shopkeeper Pei was still flattering him. He probably had forgotten how he had called the Highness a stutterer that day.
Monk Huailiang plucked a string of the zither to test the tune, and everyone stopped talking.
"Please listen carefully."
He sat down, Shen Kuo and the prince consort also sat down, only Shopkeeper Pei stood.
"Why doesn't Shopkeeper Pei sit down..." Shen Kuo asked in confusion. But Pei Yindian still refused to sit down with an embarrassed look on his face.
"Oh, I didn't know. Manager Pei was beaten with twenty sticks in the Imperial City Bureau. I'm afraid he can't sit or lie down for a few days." The monk who was about to play the piano said with a smile.
"Yes, yes. In our Song Dynasty, the number of punishments was forty. Thanks to the prince consort's plea, it was reduced by half." Shopkeeper Pei said with a wry smile.
Shen Kuo noticed that a subtle smugness flashed across the face of the prince consort. It seemed that Huai Liang's mediation did not make it easy for Boss Pei. He still suffered some physical pain, and the prince consort was a little stingy.
The monk played again, this time it was the "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" that Xiaoping had played before. The flow of the sound was surprisingly different from the tranquility and far-reaching sound that Xiaoping had played. It had another flavor, with its own agility hidden in it.
Looking at the other Yaoqin, the little man was also jumping slightly.
The monk glanced at that place, smiled slightly, and pressed the strings slightly, making the sound gradually dull, but the paper figure on the other zither was still dancing.
Shen Kuo suddenly realized that the monk was testing whether the vibrations that did not produce high-pitched sounds would cause the other zither to vibrate. It seemed that there was no problem at all. It was not the vibrations caused by the sound of the zither, but the vibrations themselves . It can be seen that the two zithers are compatible, made of the same material, and have the same tension and relaxation of the strings, which would lead to this strange phenomenon of mutual vibrations in the air and the sound of the zither and the qin.
He was so lost in thought that he almost forgot that Huailiang was still playing. When the song ended, he stood up and cheered as if he had just woken up from a dream.
Of course, even the prince consort had a lot of questions.
"Master, I want to ask you, even if the two zithers are compatible, why would this happen?"
"I only know the fact but not the reason. But there must be a reason behind it." The monk's face turned serious, obviously because he couldn't think of the reason. "Maybe hundreds of years later, the reason will be known to people and we can get a glimpse of it. Sigh..."
He sighed.
"It seems to be profound indeed." said the prince consort.
"Just now, the Prince Consort said that people and zithers are separated by thousands of years, and being able to play them is fate. In my opinion, the two zithers that are a perfect match are also their fate."
“Well, since we are all lucky to be together today, why don’t we have a few drinks here?” The prince consort said with a smile, “Come here, prepare the banquet, and get some soft cushions for Boss Pei so that we can sit together. Hahahaha…”
The Prince Consort laughed and walked out of the house, and Boss Pei followed behind with a wry smile. Shen Kuo and the monk looked at each other in silence. Shen Kuo felt that Huai Liang suddenly became a little strange, as if he was deliberately avoiding him. If he hadn't accidentally bumped into the Prince Consort's house and heard the piano music today, he wouldn't have known that he had been here and investigated to this extent.
A banquet followed, and all they talked about was Xiao Ping's affairs. Although Bao Zheng ordered the news to be blocked, it was a joke to keep such a secret in Kaifeng. The prince consort had already known the news.
The prince consort also sighed at the table. He didn't expect Xiaoping to be a demon from the Maitreya sect. It turned out that the flower demon that came down from the painting to harm people must have some magic behind it.
Shen Kuo and Huai Liang, who were sitting opposite, smiled at each other and said nothing more. Boss Pei was sitting on several layers of cushions, a head taller than everyone else here, and his sitting posture was really a bit ridiculous.
After the meal, Shen Kuo thought that everything was fine. However, Boss Pei seemed to have some other ideas and had no intention of leaving. He still tried his best to flatter the prince consort and kept leading the topic towards the prince consort's most proud ink paintings.
The prince consort felt comfortable being photographed, and under the influence of alcohol he boasted a few words, claiming that there were not many painters in the world who could give him some pointers.
When Boss Pei saw that the cooking was almost done, he took further action.
"I heard that the son-in-law's brilliant writing skills pleased the emperor so much that he was rewarded with the same magical brush that Zhang Sengyou used to use to turn a dragon into a dragon. Is that true?"
"Haha, I don't like to show off. I rarely brag about my painting skills in front of experts, or show off Zhang Sengyou's magic brush in front of others. I have never mentioned that the current emperor is my uncle, but you still know it. It goes against my nature." He smiled drunkenly. Shen Kuo saw that he was very proud and didn't look like someone who didn't like to show off. He didn't know if the son-in-law had forgotten that he had shown the blunt brush in front of him and Xu Chong last time, so how could he never mention such a treasure.
"So there really is such a thing?" Shopkeeper Pei pretended to be surprised.
"How could I deceive you? I was indeed gifted with this painting by the emperor when I presented it to him. You see, all the wealthy families in and outside the capital are fleeing, so why am I not moving away?"
"Yes, why?" Boss Pei echoed.
"Because of this magic pen. Since it can turn a dragon into a dragon, it can also drive away evil spirits. Haha, you also know that Xiaoping performed a magic trick here that day. But you don't know what happened next."
"What kind of strange thing?" asked Manager Pei.
"At that time, the flower demon in the painting held a jade axe and wanted to harm me. When the axe blade was about to reach my throat, the magic pen shone a golden light on the desk, and the demon was frightened and slipped back into the painting. It only left a small wound on my neck."
The drunken prince consort raised his head and showed everyone a red mark on his neck.
Shen Kuo knew that this part must have been made up by the prince consort when he was drunk, because when he asked the prince consort about the incident, he was so scared that his soul flew away, and he stammered for a long time before he could explain the situation clearly. In his account at that time, there was no part about the magic pen emitting golden light to drive away the flower demon. Later, he begged Shen Kuo and Xu Chong to go into the house to get the pen, which was actually in the drawer, not on the desk.
"Ah, it's just a little bit off. It's true that good people are always helped by God." Boss Pei said while touching his throat, as if he felt the same way.
"But it's more than that. You know, the demon in the painting was blown by the strong wind in the painting, and the fire took advantage of the wind and ignited the screen. In a blink of an eye, the demon swept through the entire study, but the fire stopped at the front and could not get close to the desk. Finally, it was extinguished."
"It is indeed a miracle! Wonderful, wonderful."
When Boss Pei was boasting, Shen Kuo thought to himself: The wind is blowing in the painting, so just blow it. However, the prince consort did not stutter when he was boasting.
"Captain of the Imperial Consort's House, since you have this treasure, would you mind showing it to me?"
Boss Pei finally told us his true intentions. He really has his own way of using so many flattering words.
"Hahaha..." The prince consort laughed loudly, "I wonder if Master and Brother Shen would be interested in watching it?" He turned to Huai Liang.
"Amitabha, although I am an outsider, I also want to see this treasure."
Shen Shen just nodded with a smile. He had already seen the bare old pen once. It would be a bit against his will and embarrassing to express his strong desire to see it again. After all, he was sticking to the bottom line of a gentleman who should be neither humble nor arrogant.
"Okay, since all three of you want to watch it, I'll be back soon. Someone, clear the remaining seats."
Interestingly, the prince consort did not invite everyone to go to the study to see it, but went to get it himself. Only Shen Kuo knew the reason, because the pen was now in the prince consort's bedroom, under his pillow. That day when he was in a state of panic, he had mentioned to Shen Kuo and Xu Chong that he wanted to use this pen to calm down. At that time, his mind was already scattered, and he probably forgot what he had said. Now this pen is his treasure, and he still doesn't want others to see where it is hidden.
A maid came to clear the banquet and wipe the table. The prince consort changed his clothes and came with a box. He placed the box in the middle of the table and then opened it solemnly. No auspicious clouds or rainbows emerged. In the box, you could see the ordinary pen that no one would want if it was thrown on the street.
"Wonderful, wonderful, it's really magical." Boss Pei flattered. Shen Kuo simply couldn't tolerate staying under the same roof with him for even a moment longer.
"It is quite extraordinary." The monk actually gave a perfunctory compliment , but he was also very measured.
The prince consort held his head high, enjoying the vanity of the moment.
"What a pity, what a pity..." Boss Pei suddenly sighed.
"What's the pity?"
"It's a pity that my friends in the Painting Pavilion have long admired the painting skills of the Prince Consort and wanted to see this magic brush, but they have no chance to see it. If I see it today, how can I tell them about it? Wouldn't it make them jealous and then wrong me?"
"Haha, that's not difficult. I've been itching to paint for a long time, but now that few people visit me at home, I have nothing to do. In a few days, I'll take this brush to your painting studio and paint a few landscapes. You can just put them up for sale."
"How honored it is for our shop to invite the prince consort to paint and show his skills. I think it will be a great honor for our humble shop. When the prince consort comes, I will invite my fellow artists to gather in the painting pavilion to enjoy the painting together."
"Hahaha..." The prince consort laughed triumphantly, and then closed the box.
Shen Kuo thought that the beating that Manager Pei received was not in vain, as it had helped him to build friendship and gain business.
Finally, the sun went down and the three of them left the Prince Consort's Mansion. Shen Kuo had no time to go to Yang Shaoqing's house, so he took Pei's carriage and returned to the city before the city gate closed. On the way, Shen Kuo saw Huai Liang carrying a bag, and remembered that Xiao Yi had said that he took this bag to buy some black market items.
So he asked in confusion: "Master, why did you bring this bag with you when you came to the Prince Consort's residence today?"
"Oh. I just wanted to buy some soy sauce, salt and tea on the way. Now that all the shops in the city are closed, I wanted to try my luck in the suburbs."
"Master. Have you bought it?"
"Not yet. Look at these empty pockets."
"I heard from Xiao Yi that Master often goes to the Kaibao Temple ghost market?"
Shen Kuo was just trying to make conversation and asked casually, but Huai Liang opened his mouth in shock.
"Oh, actually I haven't been there for a long time. I did buy some special wine yeast from the palace and brewed it at home, but maybe I didn't do it right and the wine often turned out sour, so I stopped going there later."
"Hey, if you wanted those, tell me earlier," said Shopkeeper Pei standing nearby, "I'm very familiar with the palace, and it's not difficult to get these recipes and yeast."
He was standing in the narrow carriage at the moment, unable to sit because of a broken butt, but he was still very good at bragging.
"If you really knew people, you wouldn't have a broken ass ."
"Master, you are insulting me again... However, I am grateful to you for your mediation this time. It is a blessing in disguise that I can have a relationship with the prince consort."
Shopkeeper Pei said shamelessly.
The monk laughed first, and then Shopkeeper Pei also laughed.
Shen Kuo didn't know whether to laugh or not. He stuck his head out of the car window and saw a yamen runner posting a notice at the gate of the city. It was clearly a portrait of a wanted person in Kaifeng Prefecture. The painting said the Maitreya Sect's female devil, and it must be Xiao Ping, but there was no name of Xiao Ping. Looking at the painting more closely, it was also very unlike her. There was almost no resemblance except that she was a woman. Xiao Ping was a famous prostitute in Beijing, and many people had seen her. Even if the painter had not seen her, he could find some familiar people and repeat the description of her, and the painting would not be so terrible.
He couldn't help but wonder if Bao Zheng had some deeper intention behind this?
When they arrived in the city, Shen Kuo got off the car first and then returned to Laoya Lane. He wanted to tell Xu Chong about the incident, but Xu Chong was not there. Xu Chong should have been here at this moment, probably still patrolling outside, or going to see Bao Longtu, the military commander. Since he was not there, there was no way to ask about the distorted picture on the Kaifeng Prefecture's arrest notice.
If Boss Pei had not stood there like a stake in the carriage just now, he would have definitely asked the monk directly. Since he had understood Xiao Ping's technique of using the piano to connect to the outside world, he probably had guessed how Xiao Ping got rid of the shackles and escaped. The sound of her shackles falling to the ground and the blowing out of the candles upstairs happened at the same time, and then she disappeared. How did she do that? He had thought about this matter hundreds of times but could not figure it out.
He pondered for a while, then went downstairs to get a pot of boiling water and made a pot of tea in the room. After drinking a sip of tea, he gradually felt sleepy, so he closed all the windows and placed a few teacups behind the windows. If someone climbed up, the cups would be knocked over and make a noise when the window was pushed. Then, he fell asleep, thinking that everything was safe.
There were still countless doubts in the dream. First, I saw Huailiang playing the piano. There was also a piano on the empty table next to it. As the sound of the piano rippled, a few little people jumped out of the empty piano and danced on the strings. Those little people jumped off the strings and onto the table, holding hands and forming a circle, and seemed to be singing some nursery rhymes. Shen Kuo listened carefully, but couldn't hear it clearly. It sounded like the rebellious nursery rhymes sung by the puppets that jumped around on the Baifan Building that day.
Amid the thunder, a flash of lightning struck, setting all the little paper figures on fire. The little figures were still struggling and screaming in the fire, but the tall monk Huailiang stood in front of them with his hands clasped together and began to chant loudly. As the Buddhist chants were chanted, the little paper figures finally stopped moving and gradually burned to ashes.
In his dream, Shen Kuo looked for the monk everywhere, but he only saw a white shadow gradually going away and finally disappearing.
