Yihong Tower and Xianyin Pavilion.
Outside the building, sudden rain beats on the banana leaves, while inside the pavilion, slender hands play the white zither, and what they talk and sing is exactly "Wang Jiangnan" written by Fu Xiaoguan.
The song gradually ended, but the lingering sound lingered in the air.
"Wonderful! Miss Duo'er's piano skills are unrivaled, and her voice is like the sound of nature. I heard it today, and it's truly extraordinary!"
There were only two people in the attic besides Fan Duoer, and the one who was speaking was a young man in brocade clothes sitting on the right.
He was wearing a brocade silk shirt, with a pair of tiger eyes like torches under his thick eyebrows, as if he had the aura of a mountain.
His name was Yu Hongyi, Yu being the national surname. He was the eldest son of the current Prince Xian, Yu Anfu, and he was eighteen years old.
On his left was a handsome young man with a fair and handsome face. He looked gentle and energetic.
After Fan Duoer finished singing a song, she put down the zither in her hand and filled the two young masters' glasses with wine - this was not the wine from Yihonglou, but the scented wine brought by Prince Yu Hongyi.
"This poem... was written by that young official Fu?" the handsome young man asked softly.
"Exactly. A few days ago, the four great scholars of Linjiang left this here for Master Zhang Wenhan when they bid him farewell. They said it was written by the young master of the Fu family."
The handsome young man did not take wine, but tea.
"This poem is indeed exquisite. Of course, the young lady's singing and playing are also excellent." The young man turned to look at Yu Hongyi and asked, "Have the invitations been sent?"
"It has been sent...but I can't guarantee whether he will come."
"Why?" The handsome young man frowned slightly.
"...You don't know, I heard this guy turned down the invitation to the Banshan Academy poetry gathering, as well as the invitations from the three remaining talented scholars in Linjiang... Everyone thinks he's unlearned—in the past, he really was unlearned. I wanted to beat him up for all the shit he did. What happened later is pretty much the same as what Minister Dong's daughter told you, except now everyone in Linjiang thinks he hired some great scholar to write those two poems."
Yu Hongyi spread his hands, raised his brows, and continued, "I don't know if others believe it or not, but I do. There are no such things as geniuses in the world. This bastard hasn't even read the Four Books and Five Classics in their entirety, and now he claims he can write poetry and is the fourth most talented person in Linjiang—isn't this a joke?"
The handsome young man raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a row of jade-like teeth.
"Let's go. I believe in Shulan."
As he spoke, the handsome young man stood up. Yu Hongyi drank the wine in his glass and stood up as well. Fan Duoer naturally stood up to see him off, but she didn't expect the handsome young man to suddenly turn around and ask Fan Duoer, "Miss Duoer, do you believe it?"
Fan Duoer was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Duoer only hopes to have good lyrics to spread among the people, so I don't care whether they are true or false."
The handsome young man nodded and said, "There will be a gathering on the evening of the first day of June at Shanglinzhou. Miss Duo'er, do you have time to come and sing these two songs?"
Shanglinzhou is an island on the river, owned by the Xian Prince's Mansion, which lives near the river. Ordinary people are not allowed to visit the island unless invited by the Prince's Mansion on a major holiday, so Fan Duoer agreed without hesitation.
The two left Yihonglou and were greeted at the door by someone holding an oil-paper umbrella as they boarded the carriage.
Yu Hongyi sighed deeply, shook his head, and asked, "Your Highness the Ninth Princess, did you come all the way to Linjiang just for this?"
The handsome young man's true nature was revealed at this moment. She chuckled and said, "Don't talk about Her Royal Highness the Ninth Princess. Just call me Ninth Sister. This is in Linjiang—you don't know, when I heard Shulan talk about this guy, her eyes were shining with gold."
"Are you saying Shulan has fallen in love with that boy?"
"Isn't it? After she finished her errand with her mother, she came to me and told me a lot about that young man. I'm telling you, don't spread it. I can see that Shulan is at least interested in that young man, but she may not have realized it yet."
Yu Hongyi slapped his forehead, what is going on?
"What about Yan Xiwen? Even if that guy can write a couple of poems, can he compare to Yan Xiwen? My Ninth Princess, please go back and persuade Shulan. That guy is truly not a good man. I've been in Linjiang my whole life, and I understand him far better than Shulan does... She's possessed by a demon."
"That's why I came here. I just wanted to see if it's as good as Shulan said."
"What did she say?"
"She said...Fu Xiaoguan is different and very interesting."
"that's all?"
"Yes, look at these lanterns on the riverbank, Yu Fu Ji, Xiangquan Tianchun, and then think about the processions that have been marching through the streets these past two days, beating drums and gongs and holding banners. He really seems to be different."
Yu Hongyi was immediately furious.
"These are all gossips, nothing more than eye-catching tidbits to attract attention. Tell me, what's the point? The worst that can happen is that Yu Fu Ji's wine can sell a little more, and then what? He's just a scholar, and I heard his father paid for his position. Think about it yourself, can his status, vision, and perspective compare to Yan Xiwen's? He will never be able to enter the government, and in the end he will still be a businessman. No matter how much money he has, he's just a businessman!"
The Ninth Princess Yu Wenyun frowned and tilted her head to think for a while. What Hongyi said... seemed to make sense.
"Whatever, I'm just curious and want to take a look..."
…
There is rain by the river and the moon is bright in Jinling.
The lights in Dong's Mansion in Wuyi Alley gradually went out, but the lights in a small building were still on.
This is Dong Shulan's boudoir. At this moment, she is sitting at the desk, looking at the dark night outside the window.
There was a piece of paper on the desk with words that were difficult to read.
That was the poem Fu Xiaoguan wrote for her. She had never shown it to anyone, not even to her best friend, the Ninth Princess Yu Wenyun.
It has been half a month since we last saw each other in Linjiang. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I always feel a little absent-minded. Yu Wenjun said... have you fallen in love with that person?
Isn’t it?
Dong Shulan didn't know.
If not, why do I always think of him?
If so...did I really understand him in those short days we knew each other?
Besides, he comes from a merchant family and is just a scholar. His father might be more open-minded, but his mother would definitely not agree.
Mother likes Yan Xiwen.
I can't say what I feel about Yan Xiwen. He's definitely okay, but I find him rather boring - he has too much of a scholarly air and extremely lofty ambitions. In my mother's eyes, he's well-read and has a bright future, but that's not what I like.
The girl's mind was somewhat conflicted, and her gaze fell on the paper in front of her again.
Where can I express my leisure feelings after separation?
Early orioles and early swallows yearn for each other...
It makes me upset!
She took a piece of paper and wrote a line on it:
Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, and bring peace to the world for all generations.
"If you can do that...that would be great."
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