Zhang Zeduan, whose courtesy name was Zhengdao, was born in Chengwu, Shandong. He was born in the eighth year of Yuanfeng in the Northern Song Dynasty. In 1085 AD, he was fond of school since childhood. He traveled to Bianjing in his early years (now Kaifeng, Henan) and later learned painting. During the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty, he worked in the Hanlin Academy of Painting, specializing in painting palaces and rooms in the realm. He was especially good at painting boats, chariots, markets, bridges, streets, and city walls. Later, he lost his home and sold paintings to make a living.

The painter Zhang in front of Liu Yixuan was 41 years old. He was wearing a gray Taoist robe and a hexagonal forehead crown. His face was thin, his eyes were bright, his eyebrows were thick, his lips were slightly thick, and his two head-up patterns on his forehead were extremely obvious, and he looked worried about the country and the people.

Since Zhang Zeduan was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown, he has been selling paintings for a living. However, his works have mostly painted thatched huts, huts, mountains and villages, which is not in line with the mainstream of customs and paintings on the market at that time. Therefore, few people are interested in paintings, so life is more difficult. Today he went out and returned home. Hearing the monks in the temple saying that a young man came to look for him, he hurried to check in the backyard. When he heard someone talking and chanting poems in the attic, he hid in the dark and listened to a few words. When he heard Liu Yixuan’s couplet “The wind in the ancient temple is clear and the moon is cold at night in the cold mountains”, he couldn’t help but cheer.

Elder Zhikong called Zhang Zeduan upstairs and introduced to Liu Yixuan: "Young Master Liu, this is the artist Zhang who lives in this temple." He also introduced to Zhang Zeduan: "Mr. Zhang, this young master is the son of Lord Liu, the prime minister of the current dynasty, and has been waiting in the temple for a long time."

When Zhang Zeduan heard that the person was the Prime Minister's son, he couldn't help but feel suspicious. He had been away from the officialdom for many years and had never had any contact with the Prime Minister Liu. He didn't know what his son wanted to do to him, so he spoke, "Oh, it turns out that he is the Prime Minister. I have never had contact with the Prime Minister. I don't know what this young master is looking for?"

Seeing that Zhang Zeduan was not polite to him, Liu Yixuan asked directly about the purpose of the trip. He was also a straightforward person, so he smiled and said, "I have heard of Mr. Zhang's name for a long time, but I have never met him at first. The day before yesterday, I returned home with my father. I heard that Mr. Zhang lived in seclusion in the local area and came to visit him."

After hearing this, Zhang Zeduan nodded secretly and said with a smile: "I am idle in the mountains and I am not good at official career and economics. I only live under the roof of this Buddhist temple. It is not worth visiting the young master so far. If the young master has nothing else, please come back." After that, he was about to say goodbye and go downstairs.

Elder Zhikong also knew Zhang Zeduan's temperament. Seeing that he was unwilling to like the Prime Minister's prince, he stepped forward and stopped him, "Mr. Zhang, this young master has been waiting for you in this temple for a day. He is proficient in calligraphy and painting collection, and is good at poetry and prose. You should have a good chat with him. Come and sit down, come and show Mr. Zhang the tea!"

Zhang Zeduan glanced at Liu Yixuan again. Seeing that he was dressed in fine clothes and tender skin, he must have been a playboy. He said again: "My talent, Zhang, is a low-level person, and is always lazy. Although he likes to write and draw on the spot, he is actually a villager in the mountains. He really can't say anything to this scholar, so he said goodbye!" After that, he wanted to turn around and leave.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Liu Yixuan hurriedly said, "Sir, don't rush to say goodbye. I still have some questions to ask you for advice." He asked again, "Mr. Zhang, do you still remember the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival"?"

When Zhang Zeduan heard the five words "Along the River During the Qingming Festival", he couldn't help but trembled in his heart. He slowly turned his body, looked Liu Yixuan up and down, and spoke, "This young man...has seen that painting?"

Liu Yixuan smiled and said, "I have seen it now, but I also know that the painting was from the teacher! The teacher has a stunning talent and a wonderful brush with flowers in his hands. With a big stroke of the silk, he vividly recorded the prosperity of the imperial capital. With the view of his late birth, once the painting is known to the world, it will be passed down for generations!"

After hearing this, Zhang Zeduan knew that Liu Yixuan was not an ordinary rich son, and he must have a great reputation. The painting was his hard work and his most proud work. He once presented it to Emperor Huizong with hope, hoping to get the appreciation of Emperor Huizong and then have a hope of career. He glorified his ancestors. Unfortunately, Huizong was indifferent to this painting. Although he followed Cai Jing's suggestion to write an inscription on the painting, he did not give Zhang Zeduan any reward. Instead, he also rewarded the painting to other ministers. Zhang Zeduan knew that Huizong was an emperor who loved painting. All the paintings he liked would be collected in the study. The famous calligraphy and painting ministers in the court all regarded Huizong as collecting his own paintings as the highest honor. However, Huizong did not like Zhang Zeduan's paintings, which made Zhang Zeduan very coldly and regretted them for life.

After hearing Liu Yixuan's comments, Zhang Zeduan's already lost heart had some comfort, but this painting was secretly presented to the palace and was not known to outsiders. After the painting was included in the home, there was no news. Why would the young master in front of him bring this matter up again?

"Young Master Liu is too proud. Where did you see that painting?" Zhang Zeduan was obviously interested, because as a creator, every work is like his own child. Maybe no one looks down on him, but only he knows his efforts. No one wants to let his work be in vain.

Liu Yixuan originally wanted to explain the whole story with Zhang Zeduan, but seeing that there were many idle people here, few people know about the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". The situation is now in chaos, and the Jin soldiers will sweep across the Central Plains in a blink of an eye. Naturally, the fewer people know about the painting, the better. He said to Zhang Zeduan: "There are many hidden stories here, so I think it's better to go to Zhang Artist Zhang's room to talk about it."

"Okay, okay, I'll lead the way, please, my son!" After that, the two stood up and left, which made the monks look bored.

When he arrived at Zhang Zeduan's room, Liu Yixuan asked the promotion to go back to the room to rest first. He discussed with Zhang Zeduan. There was a book boy next to Zhang Zeduan. The book boy brewed a pot of tea and placed it on several tables and retreated aside to rest. Liu Yixuan said: "It's really not to be hiding it. I have indeed seen the painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" below, and it was seen in the palace of Xiang Zhonghui, the prince of Junzhou."

"Oh? Junzhou Prince? Did the Supreme Emperor give this painting to Junzhou Prince?"

"It is precisely because the prince of Junzhou was successful in purchasing Huashigang, so the Supreme Emperor gave him several imperial calligraphy and paintings in the palace. The old prince also loved it very much after receiving his paintings. He sent people to ask about his husband everywhere, but his whereabouts were uncertain. It is estimated that the old prince's people did not find him."

After hearing this, Zhang Zeduan just nodded, but he didn't know why the Junzhou prince sent someone to find him, so he said, "The painting painted all the scenery of the capital. Although it was a clumsy work, it also took some effort. Since the painting has been taken away by the Great Inner, why did the old prince look for me again?"

After hearing this, Liu Yixuan didn't know whether Zhang Zeduan really didn't know or asked him knowingly. In short, when he saw him today, he should ask him clearly about everything in the painting. Liu Yixuan asked: "About Mr.'s painting, I want to ask the prince and the lower part of the painting. When I was carefully looking at the painting, I found that there was a subtle incompleteness in the beginning of the scroll. I remember that the beginning of the scroll was a village outside Bianliang City. There were several thick willow trees on the bank of the river at the entrance of the village. There were many pedestrians walking around next to the willow trees. Among these pedestrians, there were two horses but incomplete, one of which only exposed its head but did not see its body. Why is this?"

When Zhang Zeduan heard this, he was convinced that Liu Yixuan had indeed seen his painting, but when asked about the incompleteness, he seemed to be very concerned. Liu Yixuan saw Zhang Zeduan pick up the tea bowl in his hand, gently blew a few tea leaves floating on the surface of the tea, and then lowered his head to drink the tea, thinking about something.

After drinking tea, Zhang Zeduan put the tea bowl on the table, and then said, "The two horses in the painting are not incomplete in the painting, but intentionally doing it."

"I mean it?" This made Liu Yixuan confused and continued to ask, "Sir, since he wants to present this painting with the emperor, why don't he finish painting the two horses? Mr., who has only drawn half of his body, isn't he afraid that the emperor will notice it and treat you as a crime of ineffective painting?"

Zhang Zeduan cleared his throat and said, "It's not that Zhang intended to deceive the emperor, but it was really a reason. On that day, I and my colleagues from the Hanlin Academy obeyed the emperor's will to paint the prosperous scenery of the imperial city into a few feet long scroll. After receiving the order, I visited and observed the city inside and outside the city every day, trying to paint the scenery of Bianliang truthfully into the painting..." Zhang Zeduan began to tell his experience, and Liu Yixuan sat quietly and listened carefully to every word he said.

"It was the Qingming Festival in the second year of Xuanhe. I wandered alone to a small village ten miles east of the city. In order to draw the most beautiful scenery of the year in the Bian River, I lived in a farmer's house on the south bank of the river. I observed the scenery of the Bian River from a high place every day. Whenever I was moved, I spread the rice paper and painted it in time. At that time, the willows on both sides of the Bian River were intoxicating in the spring breeze, and the canal transport ships were walking in a row on the river surface, which was a busy and stable scene...

Suddenly one evening, I was painting in a hidden place on the shore, but I heard someone whispering in the shade of willow trees on the north bank, talking and laughing. I thought it was a nearby farmer going down the river to catch fish, so I hid in the dark and took a closer look, but I didn't expect that behind a thick willow tree, a white light suddenly appeared, and then two strangely dressed merchants walked out of the willow tree with their horses. The white light seemed to open a door, and the two merchants actually walked out of the door. At first, I only saw two tall horses exposed outside the door, but the world behind the door could not be seen clearly..."

"What about it later?!"

"Later, I hurriedly took a boat to the other side, intending to find the two merchants to ask about their origins. Unexpectedly, when I arrived at the other side, they were gone. I searched for people everywhere, so I went to the village to inquire and ask who had seen the two merchants. Unexpectedly, the farmers in the village said they had never seen them, so I had no idea and had to give up. However, I heard some stranger rumors from an old man in the village."

"Rumor? Oh, I got it, is it about that thick and ugly willow tree?"

"That's right, why, the young master has been there?" Zhang Zeduan seemed to know something when he heard that Liu Yixuan also came to inquire with him.
Chapter completed!