Gu Changqing entered the palace city, and did not report the progress of his case to Princess Changshan as promised, but went directly to the first rate, and after talking to Gonggong Gao about the rumors that he wanted to investigate the rumors about the palace night banquet and eating people, Gonggong Gao directly responded and said that he could help, so Gu Changqing asked Gonggong Gao to help him borrow a set of clothes, pretend to be a guard, and walked towards the art gallery.

Gu Changqing was already slender, and he looked even more handsome when he wore the clothes of the guards, he originally wanted to pretend to be a guard to hide people's eyes, but when he walked on the road, those little palace maids looked at him and giggled one by one, so that they felt like putting the cart before the horse.

Gu Changqing couldn't help but lower his head, and even his pace sped up a lot, and when he went to the art gallery, there were palace people sprinkling and sweeping.

Gu Changqing first looked at the gallery, but it was as desolate as Yan Mu said, but fortunately, there were only fewer people left and right.

But just when Gu Changqing was about to raise his feet and walk in, a basin of cold water splashed on him, although it was April, but the water that had been put outside overnight was still cold, Gu Changqing frowned with some displeasure, but looking at the little eunuch who was lying on his back, bowing his head and trembling all over his body, he still sorted out his emotions, and then said, "It's okay, you can do something!" ”

The little eunuch seemed to be used to being abused by the people in this palace, and when he saw Gu Changqing being so careless, he was stunned for a moment, and then he was about to kneel down and kowtow, Gu Changqing quickly helped him up and comforted, "You didn't mean it, I wasn't hurt, so you don't have to be like this." ”

The little eunuch's eyes instantly turned red, "If there are a lot of adults, there will be blessings!" The little eunuch raised his head slightly, "However, adults come to this gallery to paint portraits?" ”

Gu Changqing suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit, nodded and was about to go in, but after thinking about it, this little eunuch is a palace man who sprinkles sweeping, and he often goes in and out of this art gallery, maybe what will he know? So he asked, "Do you often sprinkle and sweep in this gallery?" ”

The little eunuch shook his head, "Not often, we are about half a month, I am in the gallery this half month, maybe I will go to other places in the second half of the month, maybe!" ”

"Then do you know Dansheng, the painter here?"

The little eunuch suddenly raised his head, his eyes staring at Gu Changqing motionlessly, "You said Dansheng painter?" How I don't recognize! The little eunuch sighed, "It's just that I haven't seen him much recently, and it's rumored that he's missing." ”

"Did you see him before he disappeared?"

The little eunuch shook his head, "No, I've only met Dansheng a few times, but I can see that he is a good person like you." He is not a bully like most people in the palace, and he is also friendly to people like us who sweep the palace! But ......"

Gu Changqing's heart tightened, "But what?" ”

"But sometimes Dansheng painter doesn't look like a normal person? I've seen him paint a few times, as if he was possessed by the devil, and his eyes were straight! Sometimes he can't draw it, so he takes his head and slams it against the wall, it is said that when he paints the picture of the palace banquet, the most frequent here is not the emperor and princess, but the imperial doctor! ”

Gu Changqing didn't expect that this Dansheng would have such a hidden secret, but after thinking about it, he was not surprised that such a shocking masterpiece as the palace night banquet could not be done by a mad demon.

"Then do you know what the relationship between this Dansheng and the people in the gallery is? Are there any grudges or anything like that? ”

The little eunuch shook his head and said, "As far as I know, there should be no, this gallery is full of a group of crazy people who make a living by painting, and I am afraid that I can't see anything in my eyes except my own paintings!" ”

"But this Dansheng is painting a picture of the palace night banquet, will it threaten the status of some people?"

Gu Changqing was a little skeptical that the disappearance of this Dansheng painter was killed by someone.

"Although status is very important in the palace, it is not the same thing in this gallery, after all, who paints well and who paints badly can be seen at a glance, even if you are a little jealous of Dansheng painter, but what's the use, even if you take the palace banquet picture to paint for him, it will not be as amazing as it is now!"

The little eunuch talked eloquently and didn't look like a little eunuch, Gu Changqing was stunned for a moment, and the little eunuch seemed to feel inappropriate, and explained, "These words are also what I heard from Dansheng painter in the past, and he also said that in painting, people's efforts are three points, and the other seven points rely on talent." ”

Gu Changqing smiled lightly, "This Dansheng painter is really an ordinary person, he doesn't know modesty, but he is also a true temperament!" ”

The little eunuch lowered his head and picked up the things in his hand again, "If the adults are fine, the small ones will go and sweep them, otherwise they will be punished again if others see them!" ”

Gu Changqing nodded, watched the little eunuch take the basin and splash some water on the ground and then began to clean up, in order to get in the way, he simply walked into the gallery.

The small courtyard of the gallery is very quiet, and the meaning of desolation is even worse, the weeds on the wall still look like the remnants of autumn, and after a whole winter, there is even a faint glow of green, with the intention of coming back to life.

The layout of the entire courtyard here is not the same as other places, two rows of houses stand opposite each other, and there are many rooms in each row side by side, Gu Changqing looked at it and walked towards the first room on the left.

As soon as Gu Changqing knocked on it, an old man with gray hair and beard came out of it, and the old man looked at Gu Changqing as if he was confused, "Who are you?" ”

"In front of the Imperial Palace, if you get the emperor's reward, you can come to this gallery to ask for a portrait?"

Hearing that he wanted to paint a portrait, the old man stretched out his hand and touched Gu Changqing's face, then shook his head, "No, I can't draw your face!" ”

After that, the old man quickly pushed him out, and quickly closed the door before he could react, Gu Changqing looked himself up and down, there was nothing wrong, but the old man looked at himself like a monster.

Gu Changqing smiled helplessly, turned around and was about to leave, but at the last miserable white sneering face, the voice was also slightly slender, "I just heard you say that you want to paint a portrait?" ”

Gu Changqing nodded suspiciously, but the man shook his head and said, "This old guy can only paint landscapes, not portraits." You come to me, I'll paint you! ”

Saying that, without waiting for Gu Changqing to respond, the man dragged Gu Changqing to his room, which was full of messy things, and the rest of the breakfast was still piled aside.

The man took out a chair for Gu Changqing from the garbage heap, Gu Changqing wiped it with a handkerchief, and found that the things on it couldn't be wiped off at all, so he simply sat on it.

The man was directing Gu Changqing on the side where to sit, how to laugh, Gu Changqing let him fiddle, just to take this opportunity to chat with him, but this man is also a weirdo, he said everything before painting, but when he picked up the pen, he didn't say a word, no matter how Gu Changqing was close, he acted as if he hadn't heard it.

Gu Changqing didn't know how many hours this man had been drawing, and by the time he was finally able to stand up, his legs and feet would no longer move, and the feeling of numbness and crispiness spread all over his body.

The man gently blew the painting whose ink had not yet dried, and proudly showed it to Gu Changqing, "How is it, it's not bad!" ”

Gu Changqing rarely looks in the mirror, and he is also unfamiliar with his face, but it is undeniable that the man's painting is not bad, nodding, and appreciating, "The shape and spirit are good!" ”

"Where am I in good shape! To say that the only one in this gallery who can achieve both form and spirit is Dan Sheng! The man said as he handed the painting towards Gu Changqing, "Although I still like this painting very much, I'm still not satisfied, or let's paint it again, I promise it's better than this!" ”

Gu Changqing's hand that had just taken the painting was fixed in the air, "The painting is already very good, there is no need to re-paint, but looking at the painter's words just now, you are very familiar with the Dansheng painter?" ”

The man shook his head sarcastically, "Just know!" I don't like him though! ”

"Why don't you like it?"

The man raised his head, as if he was very displeased with Gu Changqing's question, and said coldly, "If you don't like it, you don't like it, where is there why." Do you have to ask yourself why you eat every day before you eat?! ”

The man suddenly became aggressive, but this was a happy thing for Gu Changqing, a person who didn't care about anything was usually not easy to find flaws, and such anger and displeasure usually made him catch unexpected clues, "I think, the painter doesn't like Dansheng, could it be because he is too eye-catching, I mean in the painting?" ”

The man snorted, "Even if that's the case?" Even if he can draw a picture of the palace banquet, but now he can't escape the fate of becoming a piece of loess! ”

"Are you suspecting that Dansheng is dead?" Gu Changqing's heart tightened, and he asked eagerly, "What do you know about this?" You saw him before he disappeared, what's wrong with him! ”

Gu Changqing asked several questions one after another, and the man seemed to come back to his senses, staring at Gu Changqing tightly, and said angrily, "Who are you?" Ask what this is for! ”

"I'm just a guard, painting a portrait." Gu Changqing explained, who knew that the man sneered, stretched out his hand and directly snatched the painting back and tore it up directly, "I don't think you're here to paint a portrait at all!" ”

After that, the man didn't give him a chance to explain, but quickly picked up a small stick from his side, and beat him out without saying a word.

Gu Changqing stood on the steps outside the door and looked at the tightly closed door, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: There are really a lot of weirdos in this gallery.

But there are many strange people, and the case has to be investigated, Gu Changqing sighed and was just about to walk towards the third room, when a woman's voice came coldly from behind, "Lord Gu is really doing his best!" ”

Gu Changqing turned his head, Princess Changshan was staring at him with a smile, a pair of peach blossom eyes seemed to have seen him through, and he said expressionlessly, "There is no one in that room, Master Gu still don't bother, today's art gallery is not what it used to be, and you have seen the only two remaining painters!" Changshan's eyes showed a faint sadness.

Gu Changqing frowned, "There are only two people left in the palace painting gallery?" ”

Princess Changshan smiled sarcastically, "There aren't many people in this gallery, although the name of the painter sounds good, but it's no different from that eunuch." Later, Dansheng disappeared, and neither the person nor the body were found. The other painter also died, and was beaten to death by the suspect who was used as a case! ”

Gu Changqing was a little surprised, "Killed?" "It seems that Yan Mu's previous guess was not wrong, and the reason why the people in the gallery hate the person who adjudicated the case is not for nothing!

"I'm surprised. But this is not an unusual thing in the palace. Xu Meiren died in She Xiangyuan, and She Xiangyuan naturally couldn't escape the involvement. The picture of the palace night banquet came out of the art gallery, and this art gallery is naturally the most suspicious! Although Dan Sheng is missing, there is still no way for the remaining three people to escape suspicion! ”

"So the man was killed?"

"You know, when a weak person confronts a strong force, he will either die or be injured!" Princess Changshan turned her head slowly, looked at the bare trees in the courtyard without any new sprouts, and said blankly, "That person said that he was innocent, and insulted the palace punishment department as the demon who killed people, so he was taken away and never came back!" And the one you just met is a very good friend with that person! ”

Gu Changqing didn't know what to say, what made him unbearable was not the death of this painter, but the essential reasons behind the cause of this painter's death.

If the center of a country's power is unable to respect life, then who is willing to do such a thing, the Son of Heaven is guilty of the same crime as the common people, and in the end it is an excuse to cover up the facts.

"But he's right!"

"Yes, yes, but is the conclusion that life was paid for?" Princess Changshan stared at Gu Changqing hard, and her whole person suddenly became sad, "It's like it's wrong to be obsessed with things all the time, why do you still want to be persistent!" ”

Gu Changqing smiled bitterly, "Because I can't go back." ”

Because there's no turning back!

Princess Changshan kept saying this, and she finally understood why she felt familiar when she first saw Gu Changqing, it turned out that they were all the same people!

It turned out that they were all the same, and there was no turning back.