- 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑨𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓 -

𝕿𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞 𝕾𝖎𝖝

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 Xiao Zhan 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 Xiao Zhan with his back turned to them, he cupped his hands and said: "General, we're here. Has something happened?"

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

The atmosphere was very strange.

"Oh, you're here." Xiao Zhan 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......" Xiao Zhan suddenly became animated and pointed behind him. "What do you think of this one?"

Following the direction of his finger, everyone realized that Xiao Zhan 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!" Xiao Zhan 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," Xiao Zhan 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."

Xiao Zhan: "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!"