CH 26

It was a rainy spring day, and bean-sized raindrops splashed on the green tiles. Rainwater formed waterfalls along the eaves and poured to the ground, moistening the earth.

Holding an umbrella, He Cuizhang rushed to the General’s Mansion and met Zhong Yuehong, who had just arrived with several other lieutenants at the door. They shook the rainwater from their umbrellas and patted their trouser legs.

“Is there something serious going on that he called us here so urgently?” He Cuizhang asked.

“We’ll know when we meet the General,” Zhong Yuehong said.

The group of people nodded and went to Yan Mingting with damp bodies, only to find that the location for today’s discussion was the study.

Everyone was used to meeting in the armory, where they could discuss business and practice their skills at the same time. The occasions they went to the study were indeed negligible.

As soon as the group stepped into the study, they could smell the scent of brush and ink. He Cuizhang said: “Ai, my head starts to hurt when I catch sight of a book. I feel dizzy.”

Everyone laughed, including Zhong Yuehong. Seeing Yan Mingting with his back turned to them, he cupped his hands and said: “General, we’re here. Has something happened?”

After a good while, Yan Mingting came to his senses and looked back at them, wide-eyed. 

The atmosphere was very strange.

“Oh, you’re here.” Yan Mingting beckoned them to him. “It’s nothing serious, I just wanted to ask how your search for the doctors is going.”

“We’re still investigating, but people nearby say they have never heard of Bao Lun. I suspect he did not use his real name to see the doctor. We brought portraits along, and none of the doctors knew him,” Zhong Yuehong said.

“Speaking of portraits, ah……” Yan Mingting suddenly became animated and pointed behind him. “What do you think of this one?”

Following the direction of his finger, everyone realized that Yan Mingting had been standing in front of a painting.

Hanging high, that painting was full of mist and colorful flowers that were competing to bloom, very pleasing to the eyes.

It was a pity that no matter how excellent the painting was, for this group of soldiers, it was like playing an instrument for a cow.

They looked at it carefully for a moment, then nodded perfunctorily: “Not bad, not bad, what were we talking about?”

Zhong Yuehong: “We were speaking about portraits.”

He Cuizhang answered: “Yes, I think the portrait of Bao Lun is not very well drawn.”

“I have a very good portrait right here!” Yan Mingting said, “Come, come, look at this.”

He pointed to a certain place on the painting, and everyone came together to look at it carefully. Zhong Yuehong said: “There’s just this small person, is it really a portrait?”

“Aren’t portraits supposed to have larger figures?” He Cuizhang asked curiously.

“You don’t understand, this is called artistic conception,” Yan Mingting explained with eloquence. “Look at this portrait, unconstrained and flowing. The spring scenery outside the city is vivid and lifelike on the paper. Look at the person in the portrait again, isn’t it excellent for a portrait to use such a large landscape to set off this figure?”

He Cuizhang thought about it: “But the figure is so small. This is clearly a landscape painting, the person should have been added casually.”

Yan Mingting: “How could this have been added casually? It is clear that the painter had him in his eyes, and because of this, put him in the portrait to become its brightest embellishment. This is the so-called finishing touch!”

The two started to argue. Zhong Yuehong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “Who is the person in this painting?”

“Your question is right on point.” Yan Mingting stood next to the figure and lifted his chin proudly. “That’s right, it’s me.”

The group: “……”

“Then this painting……was made by Zhao-daren?” Zhong Yuehong asked hesitantly.

“Excellent, very discerning.” Yan Mingting pointed at her and continued to praise her. “Stay for dinner tonight, and I’ll add some chicken drumsticks for you.”

The other people: “……”

He Cuizhang’s eyes darted and he slapped his thigh: “Aiyo, I say, who could draw such a wonderful portrait? If you didn’t say, I wouldn’t dare to guess it was Zhao-daren, but speaking of this portrait, how ingenious it is! Look at this person in the portrait again, how handsome! This is a standard figure portrait with the landscape as a backdrop, the artistic conception is profound!”

“Pretty good, you can also have chicken drumsticks.” Yan Mingting nodded.

“Me too, me too!” The others immediately praised it, coaxing Yan Mingting into a cheerful mood.

Seeing his smug look, He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong whispered: “The more I look at the General, the more I feel that he is going to be finished.”

“Who says he’s not,” Zhong Yuehong said. “I think he’s fallen.”

He Cuizhang: “What are you talking about, ‘fallen?’ He obviously just can’t tell the difference between a figure painting and a landscape painting, and sooner or later his brain will be finished.”

Zhong Yuehong: “……”

After getting this painting to be valued as he wished, Yan Mingting returned to the topic and asked: “Do you have the portrait of Bo Lun? Let me see.”

Zhong Yuehong took out a piece of paper. Yan Mingting opened it, looked it over, and said meaningfully, “Yuehong, ah, if you don’t know how to draw, don’t force yourself to draw. If you take this inhuman and ghostly portrait to enquire, then who could say they had seen him?”

Everyone laughed out loud. This portrait could not be said to be ugly, but extremely hideous. It was not even clear whether it was of a human or a monster. Zhong Yuehong blushed slightly: “I just painted it according to my impression. I don’t know how to draw, so you do it if you have the ability!”

The others fell silent again, looking at the sky, the ground, and to the side, but didn’t dare to look at Yan Mingting.

“All right, portraits are indeed difficult for you. Let me ask an expert for advice.” In a good mood, Yan Mingting went to find Zhao Yelan for advice. When he reached the door, he couldn’t help but turn around and tell them, “Be careful, that portrait is a priceless treasure. Don’t touch it, or I will kill you.”

“No worries, ba,” He Cuizhang said.

No one cares about this painting except for you!

Yan Mingting searched around the mansion, saw Gao Tan coming out of the bedroom with cakes, and stopped him. Finding that there was not a piece of cake missing on the plate, he said in surprise: “Is he still sleeping? He hasn’t come out of the room all day?”

“En, no appetite either.” Gao Tan sighed.

“What’s wrong? Wasn’t he fine yesterday? Was he too tired after painting all day?” Yan Mingting asked.

“Perhaps. And it’s raining again today, so my lord’s mood is even worse.”

“It has something to do with the rain?”

“En, when it rains, my lord has no energy and his temper is not very good. I heard from the doctor that many people’s moods can be affected by the weather, so maybe my lord’s is like this too,” Gao Tan said.

“I see, you leave first.”

When Yan Mingting entered the room, he saw Zhao Yelan lying on the bed, wrapped in a blanket.

He stepped forward to lift a corner of the blanket and found that Zhao Yelan was not asleep. His eyes were open in a daze, and his face was suffused with red from being covered up.

“Sleeping like this is bad for your health.” As soon as Yan Mingting finished speaking, the blanket was snatched away by Zhao Yelan, and he covered himself tightly again.

“Cuizhang and Yuehong have come to the mansion, and Yuehong wants to meet with you for something. Are you going to let her see you like this?” Yan Mingting smiled. “You’re like a snail.”

“Won’t see her!” Zhao Yelan said in a muffled voice.

“Then would you do me a favor……”

“Won’t help!” 

“I’ll lift your blanket, ah.”

“You dare!”

With a pull of Yan Mingting’s big hand, he completely lifted the blanket and held it in his arms. Suddenly exposed to the air, Zhao Yelan unwittingly curled up his legs and gave him a sullen look: “Yan Mingting, what on earth are you trying to do!”

“What about you?” Yan Mingting put the blanket on the table before sitting on the edge of the bed, saying softly, “Come on, tell me, what are you thinking right now?”

“That I want to kill you.” Zhao Yelan glared.

“But you can’t kill me. Because your body is weak, your martial arts are poor, your appetite is small, and you don’t take care of yourself. Can you make even a small move against me? If you want to kill me, you have to live well first, and you can’t neglect your body,” Yan Mingting said.

“Do you think I don’t know that!” Zhao Yelan was so angry that his chest heaved. He put on his clothes furiously and went out, not even taking the time to put on his shoes. “Fine, if you won’t go, I’ll find a quieter place myself. Don’t bother me.”

As soon as he passed through the door, big hands stretched out at once from behind. Arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back into the room.

The door slammed shut and Zhao Yelan reached out to reopen it, having somewhat of an emotional breakdown: “You let go of me! Don’t force me!”

“I’m not forcing you.”

Zhao Yelan incessantly hit the door with his hands and feet, but the person behind him embraced him tightly, not allowing him to escape. Just when he was about to fight to the death, he felt a sudden weight as Yan Mingting put his head on his shoulder.

He froze abruptly for a moment, his body wrapped in warmth.

Yan Mingting relaxed his grip. Still embracing him, he took a deep breath and said: “Didn’t we agree to cooperate? If something is the matter, just tell me, it’s okay to get angry. It’s raining so much outside, don’t go and run around. What if you get sick again?”

Zhao Yelan continued to struggle.

“I actually don’t like rainy days either, they cause many accidents. The original plan to defeat the enemy may fail because of the rain. While marching, a heavy rain can stop the ration delivery team, and the soldiers will starve for many days. In the face of nature, human beings are so fragile. So what if we hate rainy days? Is the battle over? Is the day lost?”

Zhao Yelan finally subsided, staring at the ground in silence.

“We need to cherish our bodies more, whether it is for ourselves or for those who care about us,” Yan Mingting said with emotion.

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth twitched, but there was no smile in his eyes: “I have always lived for myself. If not, do you think there would be people who care about me?”

“Me, ah, I care about you.”

Zhao Yelan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he turned around and pushed him away: “You just want me to help you find out the truth.”

“Why do you always think the worst of people?” Yan Mingting smiled helplessly. “Alright, let’s just say I’m doing it for the truth. I don’t want you to die, let alone watch you commit suicide.”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback: “Who is going to commit suicide?”

“You were clutching that blanket, didn’t you want to suffocate to death?” Yan Mingting said suspiciously, “You don’t usually sleep like this.”

“……I just think the sound of the rain is noisy,” Zhao Yelan said.

“Ah……It seems that I misunderstood, it wasn’t to commit suicide.” Yan Mingting scratched his head. He saw from the corner of his eye that the other was still barefoot, and took his wrist. He didn’t pull it, but simply carried him back to the bed, wiped his feet with a handkerchief, and put on his shoes: “Alright, let’s go meet Yuehong and the others, it’ll be livelier. How boring it is to stay in this room alone.”

With a drooping face, Zhao Yelan was coaxed left and right into the study.

Only, they ran into Housekeeper Qin in the corridor, and when he saw them, his smile spread wrinkles all over his face. Then he was taken aback, saying doubtfully: “Are you finished?”

“Finished what?” Yan Mingting asked.

“It’s nothing, nothing.” Seeing Zhao Yelan’s ugly expression, Housekeeper Qin stepped back cautiously. The more he thought about it, the more he thought something was wrong.

Just now when he was cleaning, he suddenly saw Zhao Yelan coming out of the room with disheveled clothes. Subsequently, Yan Mingting hugged him back and slammed the door shut, and there were noises from time to time within. His old face went red again, and he immediately asked the servants who were cleaning nearby to disperse.

In the end, it took only a quarter of an hour for the two of them to come out well-groomed and dressed. 

It was true……General, you can’t perform, ah?!

Housekeeper Qin was very saddened.

The group in the study were still discussing how to draw Bao Lun’s portrait. Seeing Yan Mingting return with Zhao Yelan, they knew that the invited expert had arrived and immediately got up to offer their seats: “My lord, please.”

Zhao Yelan sat down, puzzled, and saw an unfinished monster portrait on the table, asking: “What is that?”

“Answering my lord, this is Bao Lun.”

“ ? ”

Zhao Yelan began to suspect that what they were looking for was not a person, but a ghost.

Yan Mingting laughed and stepped forward to say: “They don’t know how to draw, so they were just kidding around. It’s best to leave this kind of thing to you. Can you draw one for us?”

Zhao Yelan looked askance at him: “Do you think I’ve met Bao Lun?”

“No.”

“Then how can I draw him?”

“Uh……I overlooked that.” Yan Mingting only remembered that his paintings looked good, and completely forgot about this!

“Now what do we do?” Zhong Yuehong said worriedly.

“Okay.” Zhao Yelan re-laid the paper, stuffed the ink stick into Yan Mingting’s hand, and ordered, “Grind the ink.”

Yan Mingting jumped up immediately and asked while grinding the ink, “Can you draw it?”

“I’ll try for the time being.” Zhao Yelan asked, “Tell me first, what did Bao Lun look like, and did he have any outstanding features?”

“He looked a bit dark, a head shorter than me, and his hair was wrapped in a cloth towel,” He Cuizhang said.

“I remember that his eyes were a bit large, his eye sockets were sunken, and there was a mole on his nose. As for his mouth……I don’t really remember,” Zhong Yuehong said.

“He had a dry mouth and loved to drink, and smelled like alcohol.”

Everyone described the other word by word. Zhao Yelan began to draw the simple outline of a face: “Like this?”

“The forehead should be wider,” Yan Mingting said.

He switched out the paper again and revised it. Yan Mingting nodded, and he started to draw the facial features: “What needs to be changed?”

Everyone gathered around the table, talking out the details, and he corrected them again and again.

This repetition took almost an hour, and it was getting dark outside. The servants came to call them for dinner, but everyone ignored them, all focused on watching Zhao Yelan paint the portrait stroke by stroke.

When the final touch was completed, Zhao Yelan asked, “How is it now?”

Yan Mingting glanced down, looked at Zhao Yelan in surprise, and the corners of his mouth curled up: “It’s done.”

The others immediately exclaimed in astonishment, and He Cuizhang shouted: “Zhao-daren you are really amazing!!”

“Zhao-daren is truly admirable.” Zhong Yuehong couldn’t hide her excitement.

Zhao Yelan smiled faintly, put down the brush, and rubbed his wrist. Yan Mingting took his wrist at this moment and rubbed it for him, his strength moderate, much more comfortable than blindly massaging it by himself. He did not refuse.

“Tomorrow we’ll take this portrait to investigate again, and hopefully find out some news.” Zhong Yuehong carefully folded the portrait and placed it in her pocket.

Yan Mingting couldn’t help but say proudly: “You see, the expert I invited is the best at drawing people. No matter if he has seen them or not, he can draw them.”

“Yes, Zhao-daren is the best. I think this portrait of Bao Lun looks better than yours, General,” He Cuizhang praised.

“What do you mean? Is mine not as good-looking as Bao Lun’s?” Yan Mingting objected.

“That’s right, ah, Bao Lun’s is big, with a nose and eyes. Yours, General, is just a figure. It could be me or someone else, right, brothers?”

“Right, right, I think that person in the painting is quite like me,” Another person answered.

“I feel the same way!”

Yan Mingting’s face collapsed, and he drove them to the front hall, then turned around and came to Zhao Yelan’s side to wash the brushes with him: “How about drawing another portrait for me? One with eyes and a nose?”

“What grand dream is this? How free am I?” Zhao Yelan hung up the pen. When he walked to the door, he found that it was still raining heavily outside. It hadn’t stopped. But the sound of the rain had been drowned out by everyone’s noisy voices, and he was able to immerse himself in painting with peace of mind.

At this time, an oil-paper umbrella was opened next to him. Yan Mingting took his shoulders and held it above the two of them. “Let’s go eat.”

Zhao Yelan glanced at him blankly, and was led across the courtyard at a trot to the front hall, facing into the wind and rain the whole way. The water splashed up from the path to wet his boots and the hem of his robes, and the soles of his feet stepped into the wet, soft soil. He could smell the aroma of food from afar, and see the lieutenants sitting in the hall talking and laughing. Everything was ordinary, so ordinary that it felt a little unusual.

He stood in front of the hall, patted the water droplets on his sleeves, and wanted to ask his servants to prepare some hot water to wipe the mud stains on his body. 

Yan Mingting set the umbrella aside and said casually: “Don’t bother, let’s go eat first.”

“Exactly, ah. Come and eat, my lord, we’re waiting for you,” He Cuizhang said eagerly, holding his chopsticks.

“Zhao-daren, come quickly.” Zhong Yuehong and the others also looked at him expectantly.

Zhao Yelan looked at them for a moment, then walked over and said softly: “All right.”