Chapter 69 Sketching Techniques

Beining City began implementing strict martial law, plunging the entire city into an atmosphere of tension.

Soon, Ning Yuanfeng came to report:

"Your Highness, according to our investigation, four people have gone missing from the Northern Wasteland District."

"Have you figured out who they are and when they disappeared?"

Qin Xuan asked. These refugees had already suffered through displacement; now that they finally had food and shelter, there was no way they would leave without a reason.

"Their identities have been verified. These four individuals entered the Northern Wasteland District a month and a half ago, but vanished this morning."

"According to the accounts of other refugees, although these four did not live together, they frequently kept company. On the night before the incident in the Northern Wasteland District, all four of them were recorded as having gone out late at night."

Ning Yuanfeng's investigation was exceptionally thorough. Qin Xuan immediately sensed something deeply suspicious about these four individuals and issued a command:

"Initiate a city-wide search immediately!"

"They likely haven't had time to escape the city yet; they are most likely hiding in inns or taverns."

The Northern Wasteland District was merely a reclaimed land area provided for refugees, so there were usually no Divine Strategy Guards stationed there.

Anyone with malicious intent could easily slip poison in with just a little effort.

However, the poisoner had clearly overlooked one crucial detail: having survived plagues, life, and death together, these refugees were fiercely united.

The moment Ning Yuanfeng notified the entire Northern Wasteland District about the poisoning, all the refugees began voluntarily offering any clues they had, even establishing a mutual surveillance system among themselves.

"Your Highness, two refugees request an audience. They say they have important intelligence to report."

Zhuge Xuan suddenly walked in from outside, a smile on his face.

"Hurry and bring them in."

Qin Xuan nodded. Shortly after, a few refugees were led into the room.

The moment they caught sight of Qin Xuan, they all dropped to their knees in unison:

"We, your humble subjects, pay our respects to Your Highness!"

"Rise, all of you!"

Qin Xuan motioned with his hand and asked, "I hear from the military strategist that you have important intelligence to report?"

"Gouwa, what are you standing there daydreaming for? Hurry up and tell His Highness everything you know." An elderly man unhappily kicked the young fellow beside him, speaking with trembling apprehension, "Your Highness, this is my grandson. He's a country boy and hasn't seen much of the world."

"It's no matter. Let him take his time," Qin Xuan said.

The young man, Gouwa, who was seventeen or eighteen years of age, said with a face full of nervousness, "Reporting to Your Highness, that Ma San came to our Northern Wasteland District a month and a half ago. There wasn't much room for him to stay back then, so the village head arranged for him to share a room with me."

"At first, I didn't think much of it, but later I noticed he often smelled heavily of alcohol, and there was even a faint scent of meat about him."

"As Your Highness knows, just surviving in the Northern Wasteland District is difficult enough for us; how could anyone afford to drink wine and eat meat from time to time?"

"Besides, he always liked to go out at night, and sometimes he even carried the scent of rouge. He didn't look like a refugee at all."

"Today, I heard that someone had poisoned us refugees, which made me remember all these strange behaviors of his. So I quickly told my grandfather, and that's how we ended up coming here to report to you."

Gouwa's account was somewhat fragmented, but Qin Xuan grasped the key points immediately.

First, this poisoner, Ma San, was definitely not a true refugee. Only someone who was not a refugee would be unable to endure the hardships of the Northern Wasteland District and would constantly sneak out to indulge themselves.

Furthermore, this Ma San was exceptionally lustful. Even though he was planted as a covert agent, he couldn't help visiting pleasure houses—otherwise, where would the scent of rouge on him come from?

Now only the final step remained: Ma San's appearance.

"Gouwa, can you describe what Ma San looks like?"

Qin Xuan asked.

Gouwa nodded. "We lived together for over a month, after all; I can certainly describe a general picture of him."

"Good. You describe, and I will draw."

Qin Xuan immediately walked over to the desk, picked up a piece of paper, and then, to the astonishment of everyone present, retrieved a slender piece of charcoal from the nearby brazier. "You may begin your description."

Using charcoal as a paintbrush?

And drawing a portrait based entirely on someone else's verbal description?

Zhuge Xuan was a military strategist, after all, and had some accomplishments in painting, yet he had never witnessed such a method of creation.

As for Ning Yuanfeng, his face was utterly blank. Shouldn't painting be done with a writing brush?

His Highness's technique was far too novel.

"He has a square face, very thick eyebrows, but tiny eyes—somewhat of a triangular shape."

"Oh, right, he has a flat nose with exceptionally wide nostrils, and rather thick lips with a mouth full of black teeth. Quite ugly."

"..."

Gouwa had a good memory, and his description of the facial features was quite detailed. While he spoke, Qin Xuan's charcoal brush moved across the paper without a moment's pause.

Zhuge Xuan doubted that anyone could paint with charcoal, so he stealthily crept up behind Qin Xuan.

Yet the moment his gaze fell upon the paper, he froze completely.

The black lines appeared bold and rugged, yet a few simple strokes effortlessly captured the distinctive characteristics of the subject's features.

Especially the eyes and nose—utilizing a graduated contrast of black, white, and gray tones, they appeared strikingly three-dimensional.

"This... what kind of profound technique is this? Why have I never seen it before?"

Shock gripped Zhuge Xuan's heart, and his entire attention was utterly captivated by the drawing.

At the same time, Qin Xuan stopped his brush, picked up the drawing paper, and asked, "Does he look roughly like this?"

"Ah... yes, yes, Your Highness! You drew him so accurately, it's just like looking at the real person..."

Startled, Gouwa cried out with exaggerated awe.

It wasn't as if he had never seen the wanted posters outside the yamen; compared to the portrait in Qin Xuan's hand, those posters were as different as heaven and earth.

"Ning Yuanfeng!"

"General here."

Qin Xuan gave a deep, resolute command: "Take this portrait immediately and search the city. Remember, check the pleasure houses and brothels first—this fellow is most likely hiding in such places."

"This subordinate obeys the order."

Ning Yuanfeng took the portrait immediately, but as he turned to leave, he kept glancing at it and muttering praise in his heart: "What divine mastery of ink and brush! In front of His Highness's drawing here, it's like brandishing a broadsword before Guan Yu!"

"Your Highness, what kind of technique was that you used to draw just now? Why have I never seen it, nor even heard of it?"

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Zhuge Xuan quickly pursued the question.

Qin Xuan smiled inwardly, thinking to himself that this was the modern sketch technique, which relied on lines to outline a sense of space, supplemented by the three tones of black, white, and gray to enhance the three-dimensional effect. Of course he had never heard of it.

This technique was best suited for quick sketching.

Yet in terms of true artistry and aesthetic depth, it naturally could not compare to traditional ink-and-wash painting.

"This is the sketch technique. If the strategist is interested, I can teach you later."

Qin Xuan smiled faintly, then added, "However, capturing the culprit is of the utmost urgency right now. Since these four individuals planned this for a long time, there must be some faction supporting them from behind. We must smoke them out as quickly as possible."

"Understood. Your humble official was overly hasty just now."

Zhuge Xuan nodded awkwardly and prepared to lead Gouwa and the others out.

"Strategist, send more men to question the refugees once more. Find out if there are any situations similar to Gouwa's. Bring anyone who seems even slightly suspicious in for questioning first."

"As soon as you confirm anything, notify me immediately."

Qin Xuan instructed.

Zhuge Xuan immediately understood Qin Xuan's intent: "Your Highness, do you mean to draw portraits of all four suspects using the sketch technique you just used?"

Qin Xuan nodded slightly. "Precisely! Gouwa's words just now reminded me—these four undercover spies simply cannot endure the hardships of reclaiming wasteland, so they are bound to sneak out under the cover of night to reward themselves. If you investigate along this direction, you will certainly make progress."

"Your Highness is brilliant. I shall go and attend to it at once."

Praising him, Zhuge Xuan immediately led his men out of the Prince of Chu's residence.