Chapter 257: First Place, Qingming Riverside Panorama

The "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" is the work of Northern Song prodigy painter Wang Ximeng.

Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji personally taught, and at the age of eighteen Wang Ximeng spent half a year to create this green‑and‑blue landscape masterpiece!

This painting is the pinnacle of the green‑and‑blue landscape technique, pushing the tradition that has existed since the Tang generals Li, both senior and junior, to its extreme.

Its colors are dazzling, its composition is expansive, unprecedented before and unlikely to be matched after.

It is a visual epic of the Great Song's flourishing era, a heartfelt tribute from a youthful prodigy to the nation's rivers and mountains.

In recent years, this painting has become wildly popular among the public, turning into a top IP of guofeng culture and traditional aesthetics, with unmatched visual recognizability.

An eighteen‑year‑old masterpiece, unique through the ages; this comment is perfectly apt.

Reward for ranking: author Wang Ximeng, extend his lifespan by ten years!

Azure light fell into the Northern Song.

In the Bianjing Painting Academy, the frail teenage Wang Ximeng, who had just finished "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" and was anxiously awaiting the emperor's appraisal, suddenly felt a torrent of vigorous life force and power surge into his body; the exhaustion from days of painstaking painting was instantly replenished, and he even felt unprecedented vigor and crystal‑clear thoughts!

"Immortal… has approved my painting?"

The boy trembled with excitement, bowed deeply toward the sky and the direction of the palace, his eyes brimming with hot tears.

He knew his destiny would be different from now on.

"My heavens! This painting… this color! This momentum!"

Liu Bang stared dumbfounded, stood up and pointed at the heavens.

"Is this really painted by a human? Eighteen? Could an eighteen‑year‑old create something like this?"

"You're still up to mischief at eighteen! This… this Wang Ximeng must be a Wenqu Star incarnate, right?!"

Xiao He, Zhang Liang and the others were all equally stunned.

Xiao He sighed, "The rivers and mountains stretch for ten thousand li, all captured on a single scroll."

"Such breadth of heart and such skill, emerging from a teenager's hand… the literary flourishing of the Great Song has reached this height!"

"Extending his life by ten years may still not be enough to showcase his unparalleled talent!"

Ying Zheng, unusually, showed amazement: "What a 'A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains'! What a Wang Ximeng!"

"The composition of this painting already contains the aura that embraces the four seas and swallows the eight wildernesses! At eighteen… if I could employ it…"

A flash of heat flickered in his eyes, then dimmed; separated by time and space, he could only sigh helplessly.

Song dynasty, Bianjing Imperial Palace.

Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji was so excited he could not contain himself, dancing wildly on the throne hall.

"Ximeng! My Ximeng! He's made the list!"

"Second! Hahaha! Heaven blesses the Great Song, heaven blesses my painting academy!"

"Issue the decree! Promote Wang Ximeng to Hanlin Academy pending imperial edict, grant him a golden sash, reward a mansion!"

"No, I will personally preside over his coronation! Such a talent must be a treasure bestowed by heaven upon me, upon the Great Song!"

He was happier than when his own painting made the list.

Civil and military officials hurried to congratulate, yet each harbored their own thoughts, pondering how to win over this freshly emerged prodigy who had obtained ten years of heavenly longevity and had already won the emperor's favor.

First place: "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".

Era: Northern Song.

Painter: Zhang Zeduan.

Artwork type: genre long scroll of customs and street life.

When the curtain lifted to reveal the final first place, all realms seemed to hold their breath.

The ranking announcement shone with silver light, unveiling a super long scroll teeming with countless figures and intricate scenes, its details so abundant they made one's scalp tingle, unfolding slowly with a delicacy and grandeur almost documentary‑like…

It is a genre painting depicting the bustling scenery along both banks of the Bian River in the capital Bianjing (Kaifeng) during the Qingming season of the Northern Song.

From tranquil outskirts, to bustling docks, then crowded streets, and finally the magnificent city gate…

The painting features hundreds to thousands of figures—scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, the three teachings and nine schools—leaving nothing out:

carriers, coach‑drivers, donkey riders, sedan‑chair passengers, hawkers, fortune‑tellers, drinkers, fighters, onlookers…

Dozens of vessels of varied shapes, some moored for loading, others sailing the river.

Houses, bridges, city towers, shops line up densely, with a constant flow of carts, horses, and pedestrians.

The visual details are terrifyingly rich:

The lettering on shop signs is clearly legible, the characters' expressions vivid and lifelike, even allowing one to discern what a vendor is shouting or what tea‑drinkers are discussing…

It records, in a panoramic, encyclopedia‑like manner, the city's economy, social life, folk customs, architecture, and transportation of the Northern Song's golden age, leaving nothing omitted.

"Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is the work of Northern Song painter Zhang Zeduan.

This painting is the undisputed centerpiece among China's top ten famous works, a household name and the most internationally recognized treasured masterpiece!

It is not only an artistic masterpiece but also a Northern Song societal encyclopedia written with brush, possessing unparalleled historical value.

Through it we can traverse a thousand years to see the bustling Bianjing of "converging from all directions, all nations connected," feeling the era's lively atmosphere and vigorous vitality.

Its pioneering genre subject, mastery of grand narrative, and meticulous detail reach a height unprecedented before and unlikely to be matched after.

It stands as a monument in Chinese painting history, a visual testament to the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization.

The foremost of the enduring masterpieces, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," truly deserving of the title!

Reward for ranking: Zhang Zeduan, extend his lifespan by ten years!

The final cyan light pillar, bearing the richest and most tranquil vitality, fell into the Northern Song.

In a modest studio somewhere in Bianjing, the introverted, reticent Zhang Zeduan stared blankly at the long scroll of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" he had just finished but not yet presented.

The azure light entered his body; he felt his chronic eye and wrist ailments from years of desk work instantly healed, his body and mind refreshed, as if he possessed inexhaustible energy.

"Immortal… actually values my humble street‑scene work so much?"

Zhang Zeduan felt a surge of immense emotion and pride.

He faced the long scroll, faced the bustling Bianjing street outside the window, and bowed deeply.

"This painting... how many people are in this painting?"

"My heavens, this would have to be painted until the Year of the Monkey and the Month of the Horse?"

"This Bianjing city, so lively? Even more bustling than Lord Nai's Chang'an!"

"Zhang Zeduan, divine! Truly divine!"

"This top rank, truly deserved! Truly deserved!" Liu Bang praised.

Xiao He, Zhang Liang and others also sighed in awe.

Ying Zheng also stared for a long while, slowly exhaling a breath:

"Governing a great nation is like painting this scroll. Though the figures are numerous, each is in its proper place; though the market is noisy, it is orderly."

"The governance of Bianjing can be seen from this painting; this painting is first, its fame is not undeserved."

"Zhang Zeduan, ten-year longevity grant, too little; he should be awarded a hundred years."

Song dynasty, Bianjing Imperial Palace.

Emperor Huizong of Song was already so excited his speech became incoherent.

"First, top of the list! It is my 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival', it is Zhang Zeduan!"

"Hahaha! Our Great Song has secured the top two! No, the top three are all ours! Heaven blesses Great Song, its civil culture is unparalleled, unrivaled through the ages!"

"By imperial decree! Appoint Zhang Zeduan as the direct head of the Painting Academy, grant him a purple‑gold fish bag, award… award a mansion, countless gold and silk!"

"I will hide his painting in Xuanhe Hall as a national treasure! No, I will have it engraved on stone and spread throughout the world!"

The entire Great Song court was immersed in immense glory and joy.

Wang Ximeng and Zhang Zeduan, these two painters who might have been obscure or had a tumultuous fate, leapt to become world‑renowned national‑treasure figures thanks to the Celestial Screen famous painting list, also receiving a ten‑year longevity grant, with limitless future.

As the image of the 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' slowly faded.

On the celestial screen, the phantom images of ten famous paintings flashed in succession, finally converging into a brilliant river of stars.

The clear celestial sound rang again:

"The top ten enduring Chinese masterpieces have been catalogued."

After the words, the celestial screen in midair slowly dissipated.