The hall in Yecheng was not large, and Fu Shou had not lowered her voice deliberately.
Everyone heard her clearly, and many showed agreement in their expressions.
After all, leaving aside other matters, for those who had personally lived through it, was not the villain Dong who had brought calamity upon Han exactly such a person?
Among the gathered men there were even those bold enough to let their thoughts wander further.
If Dong Zhuo were still alive, he would likely be astonished by the naked ambition of later usurpers.
If the traitor Cao himself could witness it, he would surely click his tongue at the impatience of later generations who seized power and usurped thrones.
At this point Liu Xie instead felt somewhat curious.
"If the Imperial Heirloom Seal was long ago lost, why do later generations still care about it so much?"
"My imperial uncle has already spoken somewhat about the state of later nations. If they are truly as extraordinary as described, they should have even less need of the Heirloom Seal to prove Heaven's mandate."
In response to Liu Xie's question, Liu Bei smiled and gently shook his head.
"Though those of later ages are separated from us by more than a thousand years, they are still born of the same bloodline and inherit the name of Han."
"With the splendor of Hua united beneath this seal, the people of Xia continue the lineage through it."
"When later generations remember this object, it is like a child searching for its parents, like fallen leaves returning to their roots. They rely on the ancient to remember the present and to honor the spirits of their forebears."
Although Liu Bei spoke calmly, Liu Xie felt the weight of the imperial robes upon his shoulders grow heavier.
Zhang Fei had little feeling about the matter.
After all, he had long since read the Proclamation to Restore Han and knew that it was meant to be presented to the world, to intimidate the hundred thousand of Jiangdong… ah no, the strategist had said it was meant to intimidate petty villains and proclaim the third revival of Han.
Compared with that, watching things from later generations was far more interesting.
At that moment, the Proclamation to Restore Han on the light screen was carefully rolled up by a pair of slender hands. What was then slowly unfolded was a painted scroll.
The contents immediately made Zhang Fei's eyes light up.
"What handsome fellows!"
At Zhang Fei's exclamation everyone could see clearly that beside the scroll were the two characters "Spring Outing," plainly indicating the theme of the painting.
As the scroll gradually unfolded, it revealed a corner of a springtime street.
Peddlers and laborers shared the scene with scholars and noble ladies. Those leading horses for a spring excursion appeared alongside those riding in sedan chairs and looking about.
What was especially different was that the figures in the painting seemed almost alive, as if moving.
Unlike the flat portraits previously seen by the people of Yecheng, the figures here possessed a vivid sense of depth.
The explanation on the light screen continued.
[Lightscreen]
[Let's just call this painting "Spring Outing."
Judging from the inscription, it was painted by Yan Liben and Yan Lide in the sixth year of Zhenguan.
Among the Yan brothers, Yan Liben is more famous, but comparatively speaking Yan Lide was the more versatile one.
Not only was he skilled in painting like his younger brother, he was also an outstanding architect of the early Tang. The mausoleums of Li Yuan and Li Shimin were both designed and supervised by him.
Unlike the Han custom of building earthen mounds for imperial tombs, he pioneered the practice of constructing tombs within mountains.
Considering Yan Lide's identity as an architect, it actually explains why this "Spring Outing" painting uses perspective.
Modern perspective techniques were refined by architects. This kind of painting technique requires a mathematical foundation, which naturally makes it more practical for architects.
Although this illiterate guy likes the story of brothers working together, it would still be rather difficult to perfect the science of perspective in the Tang dynasty.
Because it requires not only painting skills and mathematical knowledge, but also a complete system of geometry.
On top of that, one must further develop linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, and hidden perspective.
That is an enormous and largely invisible undertaking.
Therefore even though this painting is obviously a fake at a glance, this illiterate guy still likes it quite a lot.
After all, with the addition of perspective techniques, the upright spirit of the people of the early Tang appears much more three-dimensional. It is pleasing at first sight.]
Inside Ganlu Hall, the Yan brothers unconsciously relaxed their straightened backs.
The two exchanged a smile.
The words "obviously fake at a glance" from later generations did not discourage them in the slightest.
After all, when the Tang dynasty had previously been mentioned, their names had already been brought up more than once.
Compared with that, the authenticity of a single painting mattered very little.
Instead, the few brief sentences revealing the outline of what was called "the science of perspective" brought them far greater joy.
"Geometry may be difficult, but His Majesty has already sent envoys westward. Persian monks have even offered to transmit their learning. If we follow the trail, why should we not be able to learn it?"
Yan Lide spoke with considerable spirit.
Over the past year, whether it was his younger brother reluctantly following Sun the Medicine King to study the structure of the human body, or his own attempts to combine the essence of later painting techniques with architectural city maps, both had produced results.
It also happened that at the beginning of this spring His Majesty had mentioned something said by later generations.
After the sixth year of Zhenguan, the following twenty years would bring disaster year after year.
Therefore the emperor had ordered the brothers to paint the spring scenery of Chang'an as a record of "the remaining peaceful years of Zhenguan."
The scroll now shown to later generations was the result of the brothers' joint effort, using every skill they possessed.
It was also a distant gesture of gratitude in response to the many examples of later paintings that had previously been shown to them.
And from the present reaction, it seemed their answer had not been poor.
Yan Lide's ambitious spirit also pleased Li Shimin greatly.
"Minister Yan speaks well."
"Since we have learned of it, we should perfect it. Only then will we leave a worthy name to future generations."
Listening to the exchange between the emperor and his elder brother, Yan Liben also felt a trace of heroic spirit rising within him.
But he immediately remembered how many times Sun the Medicine King had dragged him along to perform dissections of hearts and entrails.
That small surge of ambition instantly vanished.
Perhaps… he should learn architectural construction from his elder brother instead?
That way he could escape the constant summons of Sun the Medicine King.
Yan Liben fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile the commentary on the light screen had not yet finished.
[Lightscreen]
[Another thing.
Leaving aside the perspective technique that did not exist in the Tang dynasty, some people might wonder why the women in this painting all appear quite slender.
Wasn't it said that Tang people admired plump beauty?
Actually, the idea that Tang people valued plumpness is itself something of a stereotype.
Even ignoring this painting, Yan Liben's authentic "Picture of the Emperor's Carriage" still survives today. The palace maids in that painting are also slender and have nothing to do with being fat.
Looking at the historical development, during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern dynasties both men and women powdered their faces and considered frailty beautiful. This is well known.
In the Liang dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, the dancer Zhang Jingwan in Yang Kan's household was said to perform the "dance upon the palm." Records describe her waist as measuring one chi and six cun, barely forty centimeters.
That alone shows the aesthetic trend of the time.
Naturally the early Tang could not suddenly reverse direction overnight.
For example, the early Tang poet Liu Xiyi greatly admired slender waists. The line "a slender waist playing beneath the bright moon" was written by him.
Many poets before the early reign of Emperor Gaozong also praised slender waists in their poetry.
The widely known idea that "Tang people admired fullness" is generally believed to have originated during the Zhou dynasty of Wu Zetian, flourished during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, and ended around the time of the An Lushan Rebellion.
The evidence for its origin during Wu Zetian's Zhou comes from the Old Book of Tang's description of Princess Taiping.
Her appearance is described as "broad-cheeked and well-built." Wu Zetian said she resembled herself, suggesting that mother and daughter likely shared the same physique, broad-faced and strong rather than frail.
The evidence for its popularity during Xuanzong's reign appears in paintings of court ladies known as "silk-robed figures."
Curved eyebrows, full cheeks, and robust bodies are the characteristics of these paintings.
Their great masters, Zhang Xuan and Zhou Fang, were both active during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras.]