From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 205 The Things Transmigrators Enjoy Most
One month later, in Qingzhou, at the Jing'an Prince's Mansion

Upon returning to the Prince's residence, he appeared to have been seriously ill, and he had lost a lot of weight.

This broke the princess's heart, and caused her further distress.

After resting for three full days, Prince Jing'an summoned him to his study.

"How about it? Have you given up this time?!"

When Zhao Xun returned to the Jing'an Prince's Mansion, his rather dejected appearance pleased him greatly.

At such a young age, he acts on a whim, does he really think that the Shangyin Academy is so easy to get into?

Every student at Shangyin Academy is an outstanding talent, a true hero of their region. You, a nine-year-old child, considered dull by all the teachers, think you can enter Shangyin Academy just because you write neatly? You're dreaming!
This trip to Shangyin must have been a huge blow to him, enough to shatter his illusions about the Shangyin Academy.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xun shook his head, his tone filled with dissatisfaction, "Father, you have been lying to me all along."

"I lied to you? What did I lie about?!"

“It’s not difficult to get into Shangyin Academy, and you don’t need to learn too much,” Zhao Xun said. “I went to check it out. There, as long as you have a special talent that’s recognized, you can become an apprentice and enroll. You don’t need to be proficient in any classics or poetry. Starting tomorrow, I will learn painting and calligraphy. I’m sure I can get in in three years.”

"You...!" Zhao Heng felt a tightness in his chest. "Fine, then tell me, what are your special skills?!"

"I have good handwriting, and I want to learn to draw. I like drawing!"

Zhao Xun tilted her head back, her small face showing determination, "Three years from now, I will definitely pass the academy's assessment."

"All right!"

Zhao Heng rubbed his temples helplessly. Although he didn't think Zhao Xun would actually pass the assessment in three years, his studious attitude was commendable. Of course, most importantly, even if he didn't participate in the Shangyin Academy's assessment, he was still at the age to start his studies. Regardless of the purpose, a studious attitude was always worth encouraging.

Therefore, Zhao Xun gained another gentleman in Qingzhou who was famous for his calligraphy and painting.

※※※

half year later

Spring morning

In the vast garden of the Jing'an Prince's Mansion, Prince Zhao Xun, dressed in a blue robe, sat under a large tree with a table in front of him. The morning sunlight filtered through the tall tree branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns on Zhao Xun's body.

Zhao Xun stared intently at the white paper on the table in front of him, holding a charcoal pencil in his hand, sketching sparse lines on the paper.

Behind him stood a group of people, led by Prince Jing'an Zhao Heng, and about a dozen others, some of whom were famous calligraphers and painters from Qingzhou, others were renowned scholars, and several of them were scholars from Shangyin Academy.

At this moment, Prince Jing'an, Zhao Heng, stared at Zhao Xun's actions, a hint of excitement appearing on his face.

"Chuntao, don't move around."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness."

The maid named Chun Tao sat opposite Zhao Xun, less than ten feet away, maintaining a relatively fixed posture. Although it looked a bit awkward and uncomfortable, she had to persevere, after all, so many eyes were watching.

As time went by, Zhao Xun would sometimes hold up his charcoal pencil and gesture towards Chun Tao opposite him, and sometimes he would draw lines of varying thickness, gradually taking shape on the paper.

"When drawing a portrait, the most important thing is structure. The main subject should be placed at one-third of the paper, paying attention to leaving white space to create a sense of breathing. When you start drawing, the most important thing is to grasp the structural proportions of the head. First, learn to draw a sphere; think of the human head as a sphere. If you are a beginner, you should first draw auxiliary lines, mainly two: the central axis and the horizontal line. Then observe the proportions of the three sections and five eyes..."

As she drew and talked, the portrait on the paper gradually became clearer. The observer looked at the increasingly clear portrait, then at Chun Tao sitting opposite her, and their expressions all turned to astonishment, eventually turning into exclamations of amazement.

"Excellent, excellent! I never imagined that a mere charcoal pencil could depict a person so vividly, almost identical to the real thing. This unique drawing technique is truly unheard of!" A middle-aged man in white exclaimed excitedly. "Your Highness, at such a young age, you have created a new drawing technique. You are truly a prodigy in the art of painting. I will definitely report this to the academy and vouch for you."

"Mr. Wang is right. The sketching method created by the Crown Prince seems simple, yet it captures the essence of the subject. His skill in using light to create ink demonstrates a profound understanding of the essence of painting. I admire him greatly." ...

……

Praises poured in, and Prince Jing'an, Zhao Heng, was also overjoyed. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Not at all, not at all. My son is dull-witted, but he has some talent in calligraphy and painting. Fortunately, he is resilient and persistent, and he also had a bit of luck to come up with this sketching method. It's nothing to mention, nothing to mention!"

Zhao Xun's face turned ashen. He thought to himself, "I've mobilized my entire being to work on this sketch for three months to achieve this result, and you're telling me it's nothing?"

My family, who could have imagined this?

When he awakened as a projection, he brought nothing with him except for the memories of his true self.

In order to establish his persona, he struggled with his true self for a long time before he finally got Li Chengqian from the Joy of Life world to start learning sketching. He used his own power and the destiny of hard work to master the skill of sketching. You think it was easy?

“Mr. Wang, as you know, my son is determined to join the Shangyin Academy. Since failing the exam at the Shangyin Academy half a year ago, he has been diligently studying calligraphy and painting, hoping to take the exam again at the academy three years later. I wonder if he will succeed this time!”

"Your Highness is too kind. There's no need to wait three years!" Mr. Wang said with a smile. "Although the young prince is still young, he has already created his own sketching technique, which is already showing signs of becoming a master. I will send a letter to his teacher today, asking him to come to Qingzhou. As long as the teacher approves, the young prince can be admitted to the academy without any special requirements, which is in accordance with the academy's rules."

"Hehe, Mr. Mingcheng is skilled in calligraphy. In the academy, when it comes to calligraphy and painting, we must look to Mr. Yulei." Mr. Wang had just spoken when he heard another voice. He turned his head and saw a young man in black robes. Although he was young, he had a hint of arrogance on his face. "When I saw the painting by the young master, I sent a letter to the academy. I think Mr. Yulei will be arriving soon."

"What?!" Mr. Wang's expression changed. "Li Zifei, you...!"

"First come, first served, Mr. Wang. We're all disciples of the academy, so there's no need to distinguish between you and me, is there?!"

The academy disciple named Li Zifei smiled.

Mr. Wang was furious and about to speak when Zhao Heng smiled and said, "Alright, gentlemen, thank you for your trouble. It's a chilly spring day, so please come inside for a chat. As for my son's matter, let's leave it to fate."

As he spoke, he led the group into the many palaces.

A month ago, he was just as excited as the people in front of him, and he also realized the opportunity.

As a prince, he faced many limitations, and his greatest wish was to pass on the position of Prince Jing'an to his heir, Zhao Xun, in a safe and secure manner. He had many plans for this, but he also knew how difficult it would be.

However, his son seemed to have his own ideas. When he first proposed to enter the Shangyin Academy, he thought it was just a child's joke. But as Zhao Xun gradually showed his talent and spirituality in calligraphy and painting, his thoughts changed.

Reputation is also an asset, especially for talents like calligraphy and painting, which are elegant but pose little threat to imperial power.

He used to think that Zhao Xun was dull-witted and that it was wishful thinking for him to enter the academy, so he wasn't very enthusiastic about it.

But after Zhao Xun proved his talent and achieved success, his thinking changed.

The background of Shangyin Academy is not a bad thing for Zhao Xun. At least with the identity of Shangyin Academy, he may have many more fellow disciples with whom he shares a bond in the future court.

So he began to fuel the flames, creating the persona of Zhao Xun as a prodigy in calligraphy and painting.

Today is the day of verification.

Zhao Xun performed very well and successfully established this character.

He even discovered that he seemed to have underestimated the new calligraphy and painting techniques his son had created. It seemed that with these techniques, he could be admitted to the Shangyin Academy without having to wait another three years.

In this case……

The Prince of Jing'an, who was not even ten years old, was exceptionally admitted to the Shangyin Academy!
Isn't this more newsworthy than getting in through normal assessments?

Perhaps, we can really pull off a sneaky maneuver and gain even greater benefits!
(End of this chapter)