Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Poetry Party (2)
Having seen Shanhe's poem, Lüzhu felt even more confident. Although Shanhe's sentences were well-written, their overall meaning was somewhat disjointed within the poem, making the flow of the entire poem feel disjointed. This, however, aligned with Shanhe's statement that "the poem was written because I wanted to write the last line," was a major taboo for poets. Therefore, Lüzhu was secretly delighted and eagerly awaited the opportunity to showcase her own poetic talent.
At that moment, Green Pearl covered her mouth and laughed, "Since you've confessed yourself, that's fine. The most important thing in poetry is naturalness. With this kind of piecemeal approach, it seems that Madam Xue is out of luck for that prize."
Shanhe glanced at his own poem again, not caring about the prize, and said with a smile, "I would like to hear about Miss Lüzhu's masterpiece."
Green Pearl then took her own and asked Shanhe to read it.
Shanhe held the poem and read it aloud in a calm voice: "The poem is titled 'Wuyou Garden Lyrics' and the poem is as follows: The crystal curtain is rolled up, the night is long and far away; the hibiscus tent is cold and lonely through the long night."
Tong Yang sighed, "Alas! How could I not know you were all alone in your empty room? At least I've come to see you now, haven't I?"
Green Pearl glanced at him sideways and said to Shanhe, "Ignore him, keep going."
Tong Yang hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, I'll shut up now!"
Shanhe said, "Spots of freckles on the pillow, and silk ribbons cut into brocade."
Tong Yang was both surprised and delighted: "Lü'er, you sent me letters? How come I haven't seen a single one!"
Shanhe lowered the poem and frowned: "Second Master Ouyang, why don't you read it yourself?"
Tong Yang quickly apologized and fell silent: "Have you no ears?! Shut up right now!"
Shanhe then continued reading: "In the deep palace, the moon sets and the spider webs grow thin; in the warm pavilion, the incense burns low and the beast-shaped seal script fades. I have leaned against all twelve railings; in the distance, I gaze at the Milky Way and the mandarin ducks."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Tong Yang clapped and cheered, "Excellent! Wonderful!"
Shanhe couldn't help but praise, "What a wonderful line, 'I've leaned against all twelve railings, gazing at the Milky Way and mandarin duck hairpins.' It captures both the person and the scenery, especially the last line, where even the Milky Way in the sky becomes the mandarin duck hairpins in your hair. It's so romantic! It expresses the bitterness of longing and the longing of the person in love. This poem is naturally the best."
Green Pearl smiled smugly: "When I started writing the poem, I knew you would write about the lotus leaves in the pond. And I was right! I'm not going to write about lotus leaves; I'm going to take a different approach!"
Shanhe nodded: "That's right. Starting with the scenery is too cliché."
All three agreed that Green Pearl's poem was the best so far, except for Liang Ye's. They all turned to look, only to see Liang Ye deep in thought, his brow furrowed. The entire sheet of paper was filled with his writing, densely packed with ink marks. Everyone was astonished and gathered around Liang Ye's desk, craning their necks to examine it closely. The first line was, "Newly broken through the spring mud, timidly sprouting, a bend of new green curls flat again." Green Pearl murmured, "A unique opening."
Just then, Liang Ye finished writing the last line. He let out a long breath, casually tossed the pen aside, and stared intently at the long poem, unaware that cold sweat was beading on his forehead. Shan He stood beside him, not looking at the poem, but carefully observing his expression. Since writing this poem, Liang Ye had gone from joy to sorrow, from laughter to sighs, and now he was sweating profusely—it was truly strange. She placed a plain handkerchief in his hand and held up the poem: "Master's poem is finished now; let's critique it together."
Green Pearl and Tong Yang nodded in agreement.
Shanhe lowered his eyes and read: "The poem is titled 'Lotus Leaf,' and the poem is as follows:"
The first shoots emerge timidly from the spring mud, a new green curls up and flattens.
Before the dragonfly lands, the waves tremble; the fish, dragging its tail, is startled by the touch of the leaves.
The east wind at night bestows upon me the color of crystal, and the morning dew evenly coats the jade-green stem.
"Self-assured and aloof from all flowers, for plants are inherently without feeling."
Green Pearl laughed and said, "This describes the first sprouting of lotus leaves. The last line is quite interesting: 'Proudly round and pure, it looks down on all other flowers, for plants are inherently heartless.' What a proud and heartless lotus leaf!"
Shanhe nodded: "I also think the lotus leaves are described as too aloof." After saying that, he continued reading: "Suddenly receiving the grace of heaven, ten thousand lotus leaves stand tall and unevenly in the southern pond."
Tong Yang chuckled and said, "Hey! Could it be that Ji Chen is using this as a metaphor for himself, writing about his own good fortune of winning the third-highest rank in the imperial examination?"
Green Pearl and Shanhe both laughed, while Liang Ye walked to the side with his hands behind his back, silently watching the lotus leaves standing gracefully in the pond.
"The lotus leaves stand tall, forming a city wall; ten thousand mythical beasts stand in formation."
Brocade sails obscure the sun and clouds, red calyxes support shoulders and shelter all living beings.
Raindrops pelt the green plate like pearls, and the wind rustles the emerald canopy with a soft, rustling sound.
"The clusters of leaves, burning with fierce spirit, send me to burn through the nine heavens!"
Green Pearl couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What a grand gesture! It's just a pond of lotus leaves, yet you've managed to burn even the heavens to pieces!"
Shanhe smiled and said, "Let's see what happens next." Then she continued reading:
"I dare to teach that tomorrow will bring a rosy dawn, when I will don immortal robes and ride a crane to soar."
A flying crane shatters the sun in the sky, and the Milky Way is kneaded into a lamppost for catching passengers.
The bright moon lends me a pot of wine, and three thousand lotus guests gaze at the stars.
"With a single thought, all laws are illuminated; with enlightenment, one reaches the Jade Palace, becoming a sage equal to Heaven."
Tong Yang clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wonderful! Wonderful! A single thought can enlighten the heavens and transform Sun Wukong. He is truly the greatest person of all time. Without reading the preceding text, who would know that this is a poem about lotus leaves?"
Shanhe nodded with a smile, stealing a glance at Liang Ye, who was still standing alone by the railing, his back to them, lost in thought. Shanhe recalled Liang Ye's melancholy expression earlier and stopped talking to Tong Yang: "I'll continue."
She glanced down briefly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly: "Autumn is coming." Then she read aloud:
"The autumn wind suddenly rises and condenses into rain and dew; the frosty sky darkens as the festival banners are replaced."
The withered stems and sparse branches have gradually lost their color, while the broken armor and tattered flags still startle.
The oars stir up fallen leaves and ripple their shadows; the paddles, like cold knives, carve across the barren shore.
The withered petals retain their former color, while the decaying grass merely recalls the shape of last year.
Do not lament the past when crickets chirped in the cold; the west wind rustled the leaves, creating a sorrowful sound.
Three hundred and sixty days a year, I was lost in thought and felt the same way then.
The soul scatters, bones wither and sink to the deepest reeds, not dwelling in mud, but in snow and ice.
Shanhe read it all in one breath, feeling a chill run down her spine. Looking up, she saw that the pavilion was now silent. Green Pearl frowned: "I didn't expect the second half to be about the lotus dying. The lotus lives, flourishes, and dies—it's the law of nature after all."
Tong Yang, however, was puzzled: "Ji Chen! How could you write such an unlucky poem? If it had stopped at the part about the Great Sage Equaling Heaven being enlightened by a single thought, I would have made you the supreme one."
Liang Ye turned around and said calmly, "The law of creation states that where there is life, there is death. Life and death are interdependent. When things are at their peak, they are at their peak; when things are in decline, they are at their lowest. This is the natural order."
Tong Yang choked, feeling that Liang Ye's words were wrong, but for a moment he couldn't think of anything to refute Liang Ye's words, and he glared at him anxiously.
As Shanhe read the last line, "Her soul scattered, her bones withered, sinking into the deepest reeds, not dwelling in mud, but in snow and ice," she felt a devastating pain in her heart. Her life had ended, her body buried in a pool of clear water, free from the grime of dust, neither dwelling in mud nor in snow and ice. She left this world clean and pure—that was her state of mind back then. If it weren't for Old Master Liang's rescue, this might have been her fate. Shanhe's fingers tightened, and she slowly put down the poem, giving Liang Ye a deep look before pursing her lips. "According to you, sir, this poem isn't finished. If you don't mind, I'll finish it for you."
Liang Ye was taken aback. He looked at Shan He, their eyes meeting, each gazing deeply into the other's. A thousand words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't utter a sound. He could only nod slightly and whisper, "Okay."
Green Pearl didn't like this ending either. Hearing Shanhe's words, she offered to grind the ink for her. The three stood behind Shanhe, watching her pick up the brush, twist her wrist, and write each character carefully:
Prosperity and decline are not confined to the fragrant pond; all things follow the cycle of creation.
When things reach their peak, they eventually fade away like flowing water; when things reach their lowest point, they still need a gentle breeze to heal them.
Do not pity the fading green and the disappearing fragrance; rather, look at the time when the mud is deep and the snow is covering the ground.
Looking forward to the coming year with countless threads of hope, the spring breeze beckons for a new beginning for all time.
When tender buds emerge from the darkness, they break through the frozen thunder across thirty thousand acres.
Head held high, the glass disc stands tall once more; the jade plate is raised to the sky once more.
Spring returns once again, and I stand tall, my fragrance filling the courtyard.
Green Pearl laughed first: "Alright, alright, this really makes up for it. Birth, flourishing, withering, and now there is new life."
Shanhe looked up at Liang Ye and said softly, "The laws of creation are that life and death are interdependent. Where there is life, there is death, and where there is death, there is life." She slowly lowered her eyes: "It was only now that I realized that death is not the end. Life is a cycle of reincarnation, a cycle of cause and effect. As one is born, one dies; as one dies, one is born..." Shanhe suddenly felt her mind broaden and her spirit become clear.
Liang Ye replied, "The rebirth after death is already another life."
Shanhe said softly, "Perhaps it's a case of being put in a life-or-death situation and then finding a way out."
Liang Ye's pupils trembled, his lips twitched, and he was unable to speak for a moment with a hoarse voice.
Tong Yang, already impatient, clapped his hands and said, "Alright! Alright! Stop with the Zen, all that talk about death and life, it's so meaningless! In my opinion, it's all illusory."
Green Pearl smiled faintly: "Then tell me, what is real?"
Tong Yang said, “Happiness is real, pain is real, the breeze on the pond right now is real, this pavilion is real, the four of us in the pavilion are real, and the maids and servants serving us are real.”
Green Pearl said with a sweet laugh, "Second Master, you've only half-understood it."
Tong Yang listened as if he were reciting a sutra: "Enough! Enough! Enough! Don't mention this again. I dare not speculate or understand it. I still maintain that if you see through everything and let go of everything, you might as well die."
The remaining three chuckled.
The poetry competition was won by Liang Ye, followed by Lü Zhu. Tong Yang had the four poems re-copied and mounted, and hung in the calligraphy and painting hall of Wuyou Garden. At noon, everyone ate in the dining hall. Tong Yang, a seasoned patron of pleasure quarters, had intended to invite some girls to play the pipa and sing ditties to liven things up, but Liang Ye stopped him. They only played three or four rounds of drinking games, leaving Tong Yang blushing with embarrassment. When the banquet finally ended, he pulled Lü Zhu straight back to their room. Shan He had lost a drinking game and had drunk several cups of wine. She was usually not a heavy drinker, getting drunk after just one cup, but this time she had drunk three or four cups in a row, and her face was already burning, her eyes were red, and her body was weak. She could only be led back to her room by Liang Ye.
Liang Ye walked ahead, holding Shanhe's hand in one hand and gripping the cloud-patterned dagger in the other. Halfway there, Shanhe suddenly stopped and began to sob.
Liang Ye asked gently, "What's wrong?"
Shanhe didn't speak, but just lowered her head and wiped away her tears.
Liang Ye gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand and sighed, "It's my fault. If I had known you couldn't hold your liquor, I should have drunk it for you."
Shanhe slapped his hand away, sobbing, "You always say such sweet things. I was drunk, and you said you should have drunk for me. I've been bullied and bruised by you, and you said you'd treat me well. Where were you all this time?" Shanhe lowered her eyes, walked forward silently, and sighed, "Master, when are you going to marry the mistress? I'm tired, so tired. Once the mistress enters the house, please let me go."
Liang Ye stood frozen in place, veins bulging on his forehead. He quickly caught up, turned Shanhe around, and saw her with teary eyes and flushed cheeks, looking utterly pitiful. Liang Ye gripped her wrist, half with tenderness and half with anger: "You've had a little wine, and you're spouting nonsense again, haven't you?"
Shanhe pouted: "Hmm, hmm, not in the mud, but in the snow and ice... You know you can't get stuck in the mud, so why did you drag me into this quagmire of yours... You only care about yourself, you never care about me!"
The words had barely left her lips when Shanhe felt the world spin around her, and Liang Ye swept her up in his arms. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and her stomach churned. Liang Ye was already enraged, his jaw clenched, not uttering a single word, simply carrying her back to their residence with rapid strides, making Shanhe's stomach churn. She clutched Liang Ye's clothes, crying, "You have no conscience! Just now, Green Pearl said I was your concubine, why didn't you refute her? I won't be a concubine! I won't be a concubine! I won't be a concubine! I told you I won't be a concubine! Are you deaf or mute? You're the mute one! You even called me mute, you're the mute one!"
Liang Ye pursed his lips into a straight line and quickened his pace.
Seeing him like this, Shanhe cried out, "You're pretending to be mute too, aren't you? Aren't you? Aren't you?" As she spoke, she struggled to get down, but Liang Ye's large hand tightened, and she was pulled back into his arms. Shanhe suddenly felt a surge of nausea in her chest, and then she vomited up all the food and wine she had eaten at noon onto Liang Ye's clothes, vomiting half of her body.
Liang Ye paused, muttered, "Behave yourself!" Then he continued walking forward with his head down, even faster than before.
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Author's Note: Why did Liang Ye choose lotus leaves? Because lotus leaves = He Ye (禾麥).
Liang Ye's poem ends with the death of the lotus, while Shan He's continuation ends with its rebirth.
A familiar face is coming in the next chapter.
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