LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 31 - High Official Gao Wants to Modify the Painting
Chapter 31 High Official Gao Wants to Modify the Painting
Upon arriving at the scene, Gao You immediately regretted it. Other than the grand specifications of the birthday celebration, the event itself was nothing new—it was just a typical birthday ceremony.
After the celebration, Gao You switched to work mode. He had to create a birthday celebration painting, recording all the attendees, showcasing some of the gifts, and including the scene itself.
It was a large undertaking—an average painter wouldn’t be able to complete it in a day. By evening, Gao You finally finished the painting. From the end of the celebration until now, aside from stepping out to grab a bite at the birthday feast, he had been working nonstop. At last, he managed to complete the painting before nightfall.
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“The High Official has finished the painting!”
A maid attending to Gao You rushed to the inner courtyard and shouted.
The courtyard instantly erupted in cheers.
“What’s going on?”
Gao You looked at Zhao Pan’er in confusion.
Zhao Pan’er chuckled, “Everyone is celebrating that you’ve finally finished!”
Gao You immediately understood—so they were all afraid of how they would be depicted in his painting!
Now that he was done, they could finally relax and have fun.
“Modify it!”
Gao You picked up his brush. The maids around him were instantly alarmed. A maid near the door hurriedly ran outside and shouted towards the courtyard.
“The High Official wants to modify the painting!”
The young women, who had just relaxed, quickly straightened their backs and returned to their elegant and dignified postures. Within seconds, all the ladies in the inner courtyard had resumed their poised and proper demeanor. Their reaction speed was impressive.
Gao You, however, decided not to tease them further. He reached out and put the brush down. “Forget it.”
The maids collectively sighed in relief. After confirming that he truly wasn’t going to make any changes, they rushed outside to spread the joyous news that the painting was officially completed.
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“Wanna go for a walk?”
Gao You stretched lazily and glanced at Zhao Pan’er.
Walk around Prince Qian’s Mansion?
Was that really a good idea?
But then again, Gao You had a command token, which meant he could wander around freely. Seeing that Zhao Pan’er didn’t object, Gao You turned and left the room, with Zhao Pan’er quickly following behind.
Prince Qian’s Mansion was enormous, boasting three gardens and an abundance of pavilions and terraces.
“Elder sister, brother-in-law!”
Suddenly, Song Yinzhang ran out from one of the pavilions.
Zhao Pan’er looked at her in surprise.
“You’re done with your work?”
“I finished a long time ago!”
Song Yinzhang smiled.
“I’m a free citizen now.”
“The mansion naturally can’t order me around anymore!”
“Being independent feels so much better!”
Zhao Pan’er nodded in agreement.
At that moment, a house servant passed by.
“Heavenly King Covers the Earthly Tiger!”
The servant’s voice was barely a whisper, but it reached Gao You’s ears. At the same time, a slip of paper was discreetly tucked into Gao You’s hand. He opened it quietly and saw that it was a message from Old Jia.
“Zhou She is at Baihua Pavilion!”
Although Zhao Pan’er had told Song Yinzhang to stay away from Zhou She, Song Yinzhang hadn’t listened and was still in contact with him. Thus, Gao You had ordered Old Jia to keep an eye on Zhou She. And now, they had found him frequenting a brothel!
Well, that worked out perfectly. Gao You decided to take Song Yinzhang along to catch him in the act.
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“Wife!”
Zhao Pan’er turned towards Gao You.
“What’s the matter?”
Gao You grinned.
“Let’s go to the theater to watch a performance!”
“Right now?”
Zhao Pan’er was visibly surprised.
“Mm.”
Gao You nodded and started walking toward the exit without further explanation. Since her husband was heading out, Zhao Pan’er naturally wouldn’t stop him. She reached out and held his hand.
“Gao Lang!”
“Wait for me a moment—I need to inform the steward of the mansion before we leave!”
Gao You could leave whenever he wanted. But Zhao Pan’er, as his wife, had to follow proper etiquette and notify the household before departing. Gao You didn’t object and simply waited on the side of the road.
Half an hour later, Zhao Pan’er hurried back.
“Let’s go!”
The three of them walked along the main road and soon arrived near the side entrance of the reception hall.
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“No wonder he’s a Top Scholar—his ability to craft couplets is remarkable!”
“Indeed! The response he just came up with was simply genius!”
“This year’s top-ranking scholar will surely be him!”
Hearing these comments, the three of them instinctively glanced toward the reception hall.
In the next moment—Zhao Pan’er froze in place, her eyes locked onto a white jade thumb ring displayed inside the hall.
“What are you looking at?”
Song Yinzhang followed her gaze in confusion. “That white jade thumb ring? It’s a prize that Prince Qian is offering for the best couplet response.”
“Does that ring have seventy-one cloud patterns on it?”
Zhao Pan’er’s face darkened as if she had recalled something unpleasant.
“Yes!”
Song Yinzhang nodded vigorously.
“Everyone was discussing why the thumb ring has seventy-one cloud patterns.”
“Normally, carvings would align with the numbers from Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends—there should be seventy-two patterns!”
“But no one knows why this one is different!”
“Pan’er, how did you know there were seventy-one?”
Zhao Pan’er knew the answer. Back then, her father had acquired a top-grade white jade and originally planned to carve seventy-two cloud patterns on it. But her mother had told him.
“Perfection leads to decline.”
So her father had revised the design, reducing the number of patterns to seventy-one, as a reminder not to be overly proud or complacent.