The new title restricted Wu’s freedom in creation as he could only paint according to the emperor’s orders, but it also provided him the opportunity to mingle with other top artists, calligraphers and men of letters. Also, he could travel to many places with the emperor.

One day, sitting in the court, Emperor Xuanzong suddenly thought of the beautiful landscape of the Jialing River in today’s Sichuan Province in southwest China. So, he ordered Wu to visit the place by himself and after returning to the capital, to paint the landscape on a wall in one of the imperial halls so that the emperor could see the scene whenever he wanted.

Wu spent weeks touring along the river and came back empty handed. The emperor asked Wu to show him his sketches, but Wu said they were all in his heart.

Wu used only one day to paint the landscape on the wall depicting the 300-kilometer-long scenery along the river. When it was finished, the emperor was awed by the brilliant painting. Wu said that when he was touring along the river, he didn’t try to remember the details of a mountain or river. Instead, he tried very hard to feel the sensation of the beautiful scenes there.

Wu’s death was a myth. One story says that after painting a mural about a natural scene in the palace one day, Wu drew a door on the mural in the side of a hill. Then he clapped his hands and the door opened. After entering, Wu invited the emperor to follow. But the door suddenly shut, he disappeared inside his own painting and was never seen again.