Chapter 15: Helping to Stir Up Trouble

The Tranquil Waters Poetry Gathering.

Kang Xian suddenly shouted, and the venue immediately quieted down. Yu Zixing, who had studied under Kang Xian for a short period, was startled to see his usually strict teacher unexpectedly lose his temper so vehemently. He quickly lowered his head, bowed, and stammered, "Esteemed... Esteemed Master..."

Kang Xian was a renowned scholar of Neo-Confucianism with significant influence. Although he had few disciples, his reputation was well-known to most in attendance. His gaze swept across the room and settled on Yu Zixing, appearing to simply be instructing his disciple: "How dare you speak such words so casually!?"

A moment of silence fell over the scene. Kang Xian put down his brush and looked over again: "Let me ask you, among the hundreds of poems and lyrics presented today, if this particular ci poem were disorganized, unsightly, and utterly without merit, what would you do?"

As Kang Xian spoke, Yu Zixing already understood his underlying meaning. His body trembled slightly, and he bowed, his voice dry: "This disciple... this disciple would naturally set it aside and disregard it."

"Then... have you ever met this Ning Liheng before? Have you known him personally, heard his name, seen his appearance, or heard any negative rumors about his character or conduct?"

"This disciple... this disciple understands and accepts your teaching."

That was enough. Kang Xian smiled: "Since you understand the principle, please be seated... Everyone, there are many excellent works at today's poetry gathering. Just now, Duke Qin and I were appraising them, for instance, Ming Yi's poem..." He raised his voice and began to comment on the outstanding poems one by one, highlighting their strong points. He was inherently learned, and his critiques were deliberately open and not overly flattering, yet truthfully, these poems were indeed excellent. Yu Zixing's two poems also received sufficiently high praise.

This discussion took considerable time. Finally, Kang Xian placed the paper with the "Shuidiao Getou" ci poem back on the table: "Now... how about everyone appraises this 'Shuidiao Getou' once more?"

After he finished speaking, Cao Guan rose from his seat: "Esteemed Master's words were a wake-up call, and this disciple is much enlightened. I am ashamed to admit, this ci poem is indeed exquisite, its literary flair outstanding, and its artistic conception profound. This disciple is far inferior. Just now, a spirit of rivalry arose within me, and only with Esteemed Master's instruction could I come to my senses. It is truly fortunate to witness such excellent lines at today's grand poetry gathering. However, everyone, I have just conceived a few lines and would like to invite you all to appraise them. Haha, although there is a gem before us, all present here are immensely talented. I wonder who would be willing to complete this poem for me, lest we diminish the reputation of our Tranquil Waters Poetry Gathering."

When he finished speaking, Kang Xian smiled: "This is truly the demeanor of a gentleman." Everyone else also laughed, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly livened up again. Someone chuckled, "Zongchen, you dare speak so boldly with only a few lines? I, however, have a complete poem! The task of restoring the prestige of our poetry gathering should fall to me."

Following this, another intense poetry competition ensued. No one wanted to lose, and the atmosphere seemed even more fervent than before. Kang Xian watched the scene, smiling as he raised his teacup to drink. Old Master Qin, standing nearby, also chuckled.

"Haha, why is Duke Qin laughing?"

"Heh, Esteemed Master, what you've done is quite unfair. Usually, young friend Liheng only wins a few games against you, yet you're putting him on the spot like this. It's not gentlemanly to hold a grudge. When you meet again someday, he's bound to settle accounts with you."

Although he spoke this way, Old Master Qin was smiling broadly, clearly just looking forward to the spectacle. Originally, there was no 'first' in literature, and no fixed standard for appraising poetry. Beyond a certain level, public opinion held significant sway. While this "Shuidiao Getou" was indeed excellent, it couldn't truly make everyone else "far inferior" or "render all other ci poems obsolete." Yet, Kang Xian's few words directly established an implication: when you see a masterpiece that you cannot surpass, your first thought is to slander the author's character, which is not the conduct of a gentleman.

The events of that night on the Qinhuai River would spread far beyond just the poems. Once Kang Xian's reprimand to the attendees at the poetry gathering circulated, the outcome was easily imaginable. Even after Duke Qin's words, Kang Xian's smile remained unchanged; he was still quite pleased.

"Heh. I cherish his talent and am helping him achieve fame. If he sees me, he ought to be grateful to this old man. Duke Qin, your thinking is a bit petty. As it's said, 'A gentleman is open and at ease, while a petty man is always anxious.' Haha, one should have a broad mind!"

Neither of them had personally witnessed Ning Yi's full talent before this, but judging by the appraisal, it was certainly extraordinary. They were quite impressed by the ci poem and also understood a few things. As they chatted and laughed, an elderly man nearby leaned closer: "This Ning Liheng, could he be...?" He had once played chess by the river with Old Master Qin and had only met Ning Yi once, knowing his surname was Ning. Now, he made the connection. Pan Guangyan also walked over with a smile, and hearing the question, chuckled, "Could this Ning Yi be connected to Esteemed Master...?"

Kang Xian let out a hearty laugh and whispered, "He is a young friend of mine, Duke Qin, and Duke Du. When it comes to poetry, there's no reason to doubt his authenticity. However, he is a modest person, and our friendship is like water – simple and without too many entanglements. I ask you, Elder He, to keep this confidential and not to spread it widely."

Pan Guangyan realized with a start and began to laugh.

"...So that's how it is."

If Ning Yi could have foreseen everything that would gradually unfold in Jiangning city that night, he might not have asked Xiao Chan to teach him singing in pursuit of a modern feel. In any case, due to his cold, his mind was somewhat hazy and lethargic. He had never participated in any poetry gatherings, so he naturally didn't think much of them.

It was past midnight, and Ning Yi was still asleep, completely unaware of all that had transpired. The carriage moved slowly through the gradually quieting streets, though the boisterous crowds still thronged them. Firelight from outside illuminated the interior of the carriage. Su Tan'er looked at Xiao Chan before her, still holding the paper on which "Shuidiao Getou" was written. Xiao Chan lowered her head, blinking, not daring to speak, her lips pressed tightly together.

Even she found the events of that evening rather bizarre, still feeling somewhat perplexed. She couldn't fully grasp the true significance of the ci poem in her hand; her appreciation for poetry wasn't top-tier. Although she had been shocked and impressed upon first seeing it, unable to believe it had come from Xiao Chan, later developments proved she had still underestimated the poem.

It was indeed satisfying to see Xue Jin's later expression of shocked surprise after he had harbored ill intentions. And when Pu Yangyu and the esteemed scholars invited to the poetry gathering came to speak with her, she felt a profound sense of importance. As a merchant's daughter, she understood the weight of such regard.

The common saying was that merchants pursued profit and were always at the bottom of society. Although wealth could solve many problems and elevate one's status somewhat, various forms of discrimination still persisted. Every year, during major and minor disasters, they contributed money and effort, often without even earning a good reputation. Her grandfather had spent a vast fortune on schooling precisely because he wanted the Su family to produce scholars, hoping that even by throwing money at it, they could at least join the ranks of the literati. She had witnessed this desperate desire since childhood.

The Puyang family was similar; they had achieved some success. They invested great effort into the Puyuan Poetry Gathering each year and had seen some results, essentially placing one foot into the literati class. However, there was still a distance to go for the other foot to follow. When the Puyuan Poetry Gathering was mentioned, people might first think of a nouveau riche atmosphere. From their emphasis on this sudden ci poem, one could roughly understand its merits. Yet... how could it be possible that some people claimed this ci poem even surpassed those by Cao Guan, Li Pin, and others?

Her own level of appreciation wasn't high enough; she merely admired and adored poetry, feeling a distant reverence, much like for an idol. Before her marriage, she had attended other poetry gatherings a few times, witnessing top scholars compose poems on the spot with powerful gestures. She simply found the poems good and the atmosphere truly captivating. Figures like Cao Guan and Li Pin were the representatives of Jiangning's literati. Her grandfather had hoped for talented scholars in their family, but never imagined they could produce someone like them. And yet, this ci poem in her hand... had been presented by Xiao Chan, and reportedly composed by her husband, who supposedly had no literary talent whatsoever. He used to write absurd poems like "Three lotus roots float in the jade-green pond, a raft for Ai Si's thoughts." Now, this one, while good, couldn't possibly be real, could it? Or... was there a hidden story?

One part of her mind felt uneasy due to her admiration for the aura of scholars and figures like Cao Guan and Li Pin. Yet, her merchant's side remained clear-headed, allowing her to calmly and normally handle all the unexpected events. It was only after disembarking the boat that she could begin to delve deeply into her confusion. She looked at Xiao Chan, who seemed to have shrunk a little, for a moment, then smiled: "Did young master really write it?" Of course, she harbored no doubts about Xiao Chan.

"Yes."

"Then... Xiao Chan, would you tell me everything that happened between you and young master tonight?"

"Okay."

Xiao Chan nodded, then began to recount the events that had occurred since they left. First, she told a story, briefly mentioning the general plot of Journey to the West, simply describing it as a tale about a monkey demon. Then she talked about singing, dancing, and performing magic tricks.

"See, this is how it's done... first, you hide this bead in your hand..." Xiao Chan said, demonstrating the magic trick again. She had already failed when she tried to show it off to the two sisters on the boat, and now she failed again, feeling quite disheartened. But a moment later, she moved on to the part about singing and writing poetry.

"...Another way of singing?" Su Tan'er asked, frowning.

"Yes, it's very pleasant to listen to." Chan'er nodded, then whispered, "Young master told me not to sing it carelessly outside, otherwise they might say that Xiao Chan, a little maid, is ignorant for casually changing the melody and style..."

In truth, Xiao Chan understood that people might not simply call her 'ignorant,' but there was no need to hide anything from her mistress. Soon after, at Su Tan'er's request, the young maid cleared her throat and began to sing "Shuidiao Getou" line by line in the "new" style. The melody resonated through the carriage, echoing melodiously.

When the music faded, Juan'er and Xing'er were still in a somewhat dazed, enraptured state: "It was so beautiful..." Su Tan'er, however, leaned against the carriage in silence for a long time before finally asking, "Xiao Chan, you've been with young master the longest. What kind of person do you think he is...?"

Xiao Chan thought for a long time: "Young master, he... young master, he... Xiao Chan thinks young master isn't like a rigid bookworm. He's... very humorous, sometimes he likes to joke around, but he also gives off a very steady impression, as if nothing really bothers him... But when he speaks, he's not like those scholars, without all those archaic phrases, and then... uh, then there's nothing else. Anyway, he seems quite different from what I used to hear about him..."

Su Tan'er listened, then nodded slightly.

Turning onto the street ahead, the Su Residence was now within sight...