After crossing, I was forced to hold on to my thighs and build a kingdom

Chapter 146 It’s your own fault

This person was one of the five people who had come up to write earlier, Li Jichang, the youngest son of the Marquis of Quyang. Although he was not as eye-catching as Wang Weiyuan, he also had a very exquisite handwriting.

Moreover, Li Jichang was very fond of calligraphy and highly praised the calligraphy of Yuanshan Jushi.

Yuanshan Jushi is a great calligrapher who emerged in the last two years. His writing style, which is as smooth and clear as ice and as fine and vigorous as iron and gold, quickly became popular in the calligraphy and painting circles of Beijing.

People speculated about Mr. Yuanshan's age. Some said he was an old gentleman who had experienced many hardships but still had a proud character, some said he was a middle-aged man in his prime, strong and elegant, and some said he was a young man who was intelligent, sharp and unstoppable.

No one has ever seen the true face of Mr. Yuanshan, so there are many different opinions and no consensus.

Even so, it does not affect the love and admiration of those who love words.

Because there are very few works circulated in the capital, it is even more difficult to find a single word from Yuanshan Jushi's works.

Now, when he suddenly saw this calligraphy with the same brushstrokes as Yuanshan Jushi, Li Jichang, as a loyal fan of Yuanshan Jushi, naturally wanted to figure it out.

When he called out like that, everyone turned their gaze towards Wang Weiyuan, their eyes filled with curiosity and doubt.

Wang Weiyuan, the layman of Yuanshan, was greatly surprised that his calligraphy had actually spread to the capital and was recognized and loved by so many people.

At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If he had known that he had already gained a little fame in the capital, he would definitely not have written so recklessly.

He knew quite a few fonts, so it was easy for him to change to a less conspicuous one to get the job done.

Unfortunately, money can’t buy early knowledge.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the poem he had written personally was now lying on the table, the ink so strong that it could be seen through the back of the paper, and the ink was not yet dry.

Since he was discovered, he might as well admit it frankly. Anyway, he didn't intend to be mysterious.

After thinking for a moment, he was about to speak when an impatient young man shouted, "What a fine imitation!"

Everyone then turned their attention to the source of the voice. Even the Third Prince and the accompanying Marquis Jingchuan glanced at the young man.

Zhang Lianqing, the eldest son of the Luding Earl family, who was surrounded by everyone's gaze, was extremely proud at this moment. This time it was his turn to show his talents!

He was not good at composing poetry, nor was writing his strong point. Seeing that all the limelight was snatched away by other young people, he was extremely anxious.

The fact that my aunt had gone to great lengths to ask my father for the opportunity to come to the chrysanthemum viewing party at the Marquis of Jingchuan's mansion today was so great that my stepmother was so angry that she didn't even let her own son come.

Before coming, his aunt repeatedly told him to behave well and strive to gain the attention of Marquis Jingchuan. Now, not only Marquis Jingchuan has seen him, but even the high and mighty Third Prince has noticed him.

Zhang Lianqing felt that if he did not trample the nameless country boy under his feet and severely humiliate him, he would be unworthy of the great opportunity God had given him today.

Although he is not good at calligraphy and painting, he knows that everyone's work has its own style. This kid surnamed Wang dared to imitate Yuanshan Jushi's calligraphy in order to show off, and did not change even the slightest bit. Isn't this giving him a great handle to slap him in the face?

Thinking about how the kid surnamed Wang would be embarrassed by his sharp words, and when the Third Prince and Marquis Jingchuan gave him affirmative and admiring looks, Zhang Lianqing raised his eyebrows in excitement, and the fat on his cheeks swayed slightly.

He began with a look of disdain, "tsk tsk," and said, "My dear Prince, I must say you have good taste and are quite good at finding opportunities. There are less than ten pieces of Mr. Yuanshan's calligraphy in the capital, and each one is well preserved."

In addition, from last year to this year, there have been very few new works of his released. The few that do appear in Beijing are constantly sought after, and the prices have skyrocketed. For a time, it can be said that paper is in great demand in Luoyang."

Seeing that everyone was listening quietly to his story, Zhang Lianqing changed the subject and pointed at Wang Weiyuan: "But fake is fake. You can only imitate its form, but not its essence. Instead, you end up with a ridiculous ending of copying others and imitating others."

"Actually, his word..."

Li Jichang, standing by, had just said a few words when Zhang Lianqing interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "Brother Jichang is right. Brother Wang's calligraphy has form but no spirit, and he has indeed fallen into the trap of Youjun."

Ignoring the strange looks from everyone, especially those who wrote well, Zhang Lianqing once again glanced at the calm Wang Weiyuan and sneered with disdain, "What do you mean by shamelessness? Today, Brother Wang has shown you everything!"

"Mr. Zhang, stop talking nonsense and defaming others!" Qin Shijun could no longer tolerate Zhang Lianqing's wanton insults to his friend and shouted at him.

He was about to continue speaking when Wang Weiyuan reached out and pulled him, signaling him not to interfere in the matter. Qin Shijun could only glare at Zhang Lianqing hatefully and took a step back unwillingly.

The momentary tug-of-war between the two of them, as well as Qin Shijun's silence, caught Zhang Lianqing's eye, and made him mistakenly believe that Wang Weiyuan was holding his friend back out of guilt and didn't dare to make a big deal out of the matter.

Zhang Lianqing then became even more arrogant, pointing at Wang Weiyuan and sneering loudly: "You are a coward who dares to do things but not to take responsibility! Do you really think that you have become a golden pheasant just because you have entered the capital?

"You're not even worthy of carrying Mr. Yuanshan's shoes, yet you dare to imitate his calligraphy! You don't even consider your own worth. You're really embarrassing yourself and making a fool of yourself!"

Seeing that the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Luding spoke so viciously and mercilessly, and seeing Wang Weiyuan who had been silent and indifferent, the people present could not help but feel a little dissatisfied with Zhang Lianqing's aggressiveness.

So what if someone else's handwriting is just imitation? Everyone starts by copying famous calligraphy from the moment they hold a pen!

Just because Mr. Yuanshan is so famous, does that mean his calligraphy cannot be copied?

The third prince glanced at Zhang Lianqing, who was talking nonsense and acting arrogantly, then looked at Wang Weiyuan, who was silent, and his eyes flashed imperceptibly.

When Marquis Jingchuan heard the illegitimate son of the Marquis of Luding calling Wang Weiyuan a peasant in public, he couldn't help but feel a little angry.

He was about to open his mouth to reprimand him when Wang Weiyuan stepped forward and asked Zhang Lianqing calmly, "May I ask where this young man comes from? When did his ancestors become prosperous? Have they been descendants of officials for generations?"

When these words were spoken, Zhang Lianqing's face turned red, but everyone laughed. Everyone knew that Lu Dingbo's concubine, Zhang Lianqing's aunt, was from a farming family.

Wang Wei glanced at the crowd from afar and continued, "I only know that the Emperor Taizu of our dynasty also tilled the fields, and out of necessity, he rose up in rebellion, which led to the humiliation of our Great Jin for over two hundred years. If that's the case, then you're also going to point at the royal family and call them peasants?"

The effect of this statement was astonishing.

The young men first took a quick look at the Third Prince's face, then looked at Wang Weiyuan, who seemed to have no idea what they had said and remained calm. They immediately felt a little more admiration for the young man.

Although they are both speaking, these few short sentences are much more sharp than Zhang Lianqing’s lengthy speeches!

The Third Prince's eyes were stern and his face began to become serious.

Zhang Lianqing was left speechless by Wang Weiyuan's words.

It was true that Emperor Taizu was a farmer before he started the rebellion. This was known throughout the country and he could not deny it.

Since he couldn't deny it, he pointed at Wang Weiyuan's nose and scolded him as a peasant. If the Third Prince thought about it carefully, wouldn't it be equivalent to scolding the royal nobles for their peasant status in disguise?

This Wang guy is really too cunning. He took advantage of the loopholes in his words to attack me. No matter how I answer him, I will not end up well.

In his rage, Zhang Lianqing's chubby face turned the color of liver. In the cool autumn day, cold sweat dripped from his forehead. With a plop, he knelt on his knees and faced the Third Prince, repeatedly apologizing, "Your Highness, please understand. My words were inappropriate, but I meant no disrespect. Please punish me!"

After saying this, he fell to the ground like a paralyzed old dog, no longer having the heroic spirit he had before.