Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 77: Vern empire (2)

Literature, painting and music all brought incredible amounts of money if the artist became well known.

Liao Bao had learned to read from a drunk who used to frequent the Red Veil before his unfortunate and untimely murder; Drunk Uncle Wei, Liao Bao had called him.

He had considered joining the School of Words, but he was a prostitute's son, a bastard in the eyes of the Caelum race.

The Caelum race is the most dominant race in the Continent, blood of the First and Lost Generation, divine blood some would say.

'School of words huh?' he thought to himself.

Ni Zan and Dong Qichang were the founders of School of Words.

This highly individualistic school of poetry and prose was criticized by the Church establishment for its association with intense sensual lyricism, which was also apparent in the Empire vernacular novels such as The Red Lady in the Shining Lake.

Yet many scholar-officials were affected by the new popular romantic literature, seeking courtesans as soul mates to reenact the heroic love stories which arranged marriages often could not provide or accommodate.

Courtesans, not prostitute he reminded himself. Not to mention the Church frown on such prose.

Perhaps a painter then, he thought, but he dashed out the idea immediatelythe capital was already filled with talented artists, who could sell one piece of work for ridiculously high prices. Liao Bao could never compete with them.

There is Santi, Amonalis, and the Four Scholars, Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, Wen Zhengming and Qiu Ying which is also known for their martial arts and their artistic talents.

They are all great artist revered for their talent in the arts of painting.

They drew upon the techniques, styles, and complexity in painting achieved by their predecessors, during the reign of George the Second who is an ardent fan of art, different from his father, William the Lecher (known as the pervert among the people of his reign), but added some new techniques and styles.

Well-known artists could make a living simply by painting, due to the high prices they demanded for their artworks and the great demand by the highly cultured community to collect precious works of art.

And not only here, but also the art of paintings is also famous in other Kingdoms though Renasia also possess many artists with high artistic ability and famous works of art.

Vangua kingdom also is known to house many great works of art. One of such art is Leliana Smile.

It is a mysterious painting which is painted by Levitia himself, of his beloved, Leliana

The painting is described to be foggy, a style of painting that Levitia developed called sfumato.

The painting itself is one of the most revered and mysterious painting ever made. She is smiling in the picture yet no one knows why

This painting was painted during Levitia imprisonment by his cousin when he was asked by his cousin if he needs something before he died.

He asked for an easel and a brush. Her smile in the painting is mysterious and seems to indicate something.

That is the reason why the painting is so famous. People like to guess why she is smiling.

But talking about artist

Renowned artists often gathered an entourage of followers, some who were amateurs who painted while pursuing an official career and others who were full-time painters

'An artisan, a craftsman' He mused further

The major production centers for porcelain were the imperial kilns at Adenzhen in Langxi province and Lihue in Alberta province

Carved designs in lacquer ware and designs glazed onto porcelain wares displayed intricate scenes similar in complexity to those in painting.

These items could be found in the homes of the wealthy, alongside embroidered silks and wares in jade, ivory, and cloisonn.

The houses of the rich were also furnished with rosewood furniture and feathery latticework.

The writing materials in a scholar's private study, including elaborately carved brush holders made of stone or wood, were designed and arranged ritually to give an aesthetic appeal.

There were many thoughts in his mind.

Liao Bao's thoughts wandered to the current Emperor.

George the Fifth ruled Vern, a man of the Caelum race while most of his people were of Eastia race.

The Eastian people believed in the folk tales of the Three Ancestors: The Old Man, the Immortal Man, and the Sitting Man.

The early Caelum Emperor favors the Three Ancestors even though most of them is Church adherents.

The Church also is well established towards the Empire, with its history begin with St Albert during the reign of Alexiniad the Blessed who created the Light Abbey in the Central Plains.

But the advent of the Caelum race had been devastating to the Eastian religion.

In his first year of ruling, Emperor Alexiniad declared many of the Old religion and the Old Gods among the Eastian race, heterodox and illegal

There was one Empire scholar by the name of Wang Shangming who became incredibly influential.

However, his teachings were attacked for their promotion of the Three Ancestors  teaching when it is not.

His concept of the "extension of knowledge", gaining understanding through careful and rational investigation of things and events, Wang argued that universal concepts would appear in the minds of anyone

Therefore, he claimed that anyone no matter their pedigree or education could become as wise as George and any smart man had been and that their writings were not sources of truth but merely guides which might have flaws when carefully examined

A peasant with a great deal of experience and intelligence would then be wiser than an official who had memorized the Ancestors Teachings but not experienced the real world.

Other scholar-bureaucrats were wary of Wang's heterodoxy, the increasing number of his disciples while still in office, and his overall socially rebellious message.

To curb his influence and socially rebellious message, Wang was often sent out to deal with military affairs far away from the capital.

Wang Shangming's disciple and salt-mine worker Wang Lian gave lectures to commoners about pursuing education to improve their lives, while his follower He Feiyin challenged the elevation and emphasis of the family in Eastian society

His contemporary Li Fei even taught that women were the intellectual equals of men and should be given a better education; both Li and He eventually died in prison, jailed on charges of spreading "dangerous ideas"

Yet the "dangerous idea" of educating women had long been embraced by mothers and courtesans, who were as skillful in calligraphy, painting and poetry as their male counterparts.

Well, when your job is to pleasure men with variety of behavior, they too learn better to pleasure their guest that wanted an intelligent woman beside them.

Liao Bao sighed. Better to live as a prostitute's son, he thought, than to be embroiled in court politics.

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VERN

Shu Ren Gui

The hill was littered with bodies writhing and pleading.

Shu Ren Gui looked at his teacher anxiously, who was standing above them all, ripping strips of chicken from a drumstick with his teeth.

"Do you wish to fight me again? How dare you bring chaos here," he bellowed, and threw the chicken bone down at his feet.

"Haah, open the wine" Shu Ren Gui brough his teacher the wine and he gulped  the wine deliciously

"Teacher, we should leave. The authorities will come sooner or later," Ren Gui said nervously. The snarling man glared at the ruffians on the ground.

"Repent! Never bring your fight to the north again. This is my territory. Next time you will not be so lucky!"

"Thank you, Northern Badger! Of course!" the men scrambled clumsily to their feet and fled. The man relaxed and turned to Ren Gui.

"One bandit group settled" his teacher said drinking the wine again. Then after he finished drinking he look at Ren Gui and said

"Will you wait for me in the capital, Ren Gui?" he asked suddenly.

"The capital?" Ren Gui asked. His teacher was impulsive and strong, honorable and a proud defender of the weak. He was Ren Gui's hero, and had his utmost respect.

But sometimes he could never tell what his teacher is thinking

"Yes, I'm meeting some old friends there. Will you prepare for me?"

"Yes, teacher," Ren Gui nodded.

His teacher gripped his shoulder affectionately, before using his impeccable lightness skills to disappear from the hill.

Ren Gui approached his waiting horse and gripped the knife his teacher had given him.

It was remarkably rare, made of Enochian steel, and if word got out that he had it, it would attract a great deal of unwanted attention.

Ren Gui wrapped the knife in a cloth and put it safely in his knapsack, before mounting his horse, and heading to the capital to wait for his teacher.

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