Chapter 63: A Pair of Siblings

The next morning, as he returned from his run, bright sunlight was already streaming in from the east. It hadn't been too hot these past few days; the weather had been good, and it felt pleasant.

At last night's courtesan competition, the assassination Ning Yi had anticipated did not occur. The glance he'd caught earlier must have been a misperception. He and Chan had drifted between the various stages, enjoying the singing and dancing, then returned home, with nothing eventful happening the entire night. While out for his run that morning, he heard Nie Yunzhu talking about last night's events.

"Last night, Jin'er and I saw Li Heng backstage," Nie Yunzhu recounted. "He was standing a bit forward, eating a large pancake. Jin'er found it hilarious and said that he had no regard for his image, asking how he could possibly be considered the top scholar. While she was out performing, you were still eating your pancake. She came back laughing, saying it would be really amusing if, during her dance at the Golden Wind Pavilion, there was a scholar in the audience gnawing on a pancake..."

Only then did Ning Yi remember that Yuan Jin'er's performance was scheduled quite late last night, and he had been hungry. He had indeed held a pancake, eating it while watching the entire event. He recounted this with a laugh.

"But Jin'er is a mischievous girl," she continued. "Now that she's met you, if she sees you again tonight, she might just come over to pester you. Li Heng, you might need to be patient..."

After his run, he returned home. Su Tan'er had already finished washing up and was waiting for him for breakfast. "Just now, Wenfang and Wending came by," she said. "They said they wanted to thank you for your help yesterday, but they had an appointment and left quickly. It really showed no sincerity at all..."

Su Tan'er smiled as she spoke. Ning Yi shook his head. "It was just a chance encounter; I didn't really help with anything," he said.

"You're being modest again, husband," Su Tan'er chuckled. "Just now, when Juan'er and Xing'er went out, they heard the servants discussing it. They were saying you conquered without fighting last night; simply by sitting down nearby, Chen Jiwen didn't dare write any more poetry. He had been so high-profile earlier, but ended up completely deflated. Hee hee, it's a pity I wasn't there last night to see it..."

"How did that spread so fast..." Ning Yi mused.

Su Tan'er smiled from where she was. "And Wenfang and Wending also said just now," she added, "that it was a single sentence from you, husband, that got Miss Tang into the top sixteen of the courtesan competition..."

This latter bit was a somewhat miraculous development. Ning Yi rubbed his nose. "That has nothing to do with me," he stated.

Honestly, it was hard to say whether it truly had nothing to do with him. In last night's courtesan competition, Tang Jing wasn't a favorite. Her fame wasn't great at the moment, and she was far from matching the graceful dancing of someone like Qi Lan or Lu Caicai. While her dancing and appearance were decent, she still showed signs of nervousness and inexperience.

Before this, hardly anyone had expected her to make it into the top sixteen. Yet, when the rankings were announced, she surprisingly scraped into the top sixteen at the very end, causing widespread surprise. Afterwards, stories of Ning Yi intimidating Chen Jiwen at the Wenmo Tower, and how both Ning Yi and Li Pin had praised her dancing as "very beautiful," began to circulate among some people. These tales, already widely spread before, became almost mythical by this point.

People said other scholars wrote numerous poems, but Ning Yi only used five words: "Very beautiful dancing." It was also rumored that his single phrase, "True value lies in genuine sincerity," could silence all criticism of a bad poem. Later, it was also mentioned that, supposedly, upon hearing Ning Yi's "Very beautiful dancing," Young Master Puyang Yi of the Puyang family then casually added five hundred flowers for Tang Jing, which was what propelled her into the top sixteen.

Although three thousand people isn't a large number, and only a portion of them spread the news, the reason for Miss Tang Jing's entry into the top sixteen became the most dramatic story of the first night of this year's courtesan competition, perfectly structured with an opening, development, turn, and conclusion. For a moment, Ning Yi felt a little helpless.

During the day, classes continued as usual. Jiangning remained noisy and bustling. In the evening, when he went with Chan to the vicinity of Egret Isle, the venue's setup had already changed.

Last night, there were five stages in total, and attendees wandered freely to watch performances. But tonight, things were more formal. Only now could one appreciate the cleverness of the venue's location: a large stage was set near the riverbank, with a gentle slope extending upwards for most of the area in front. Numerous seats had been arranged here. The multi-story boats on one side of the river, and the buildings not far away, were also set up as viewing points. Behind the stage, several large tents were spread out on the open ground as a backdrop; these were the preparation areas for the various establishments and individuals.

There were a total of sixteen courtesans, and each would perform twice tonight. In the surrounding viewing areas, sections were also cordoned off slightly in front. The multi-story boat with the best viewing position was reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles. The sixteen courtesan houses had also set aside certain areas for their supporters, and these spots were usually quite good. On the multi-story boats, in the buildings on the other side, and in the open space slightly in front of the stage, some would have banquets prepared. Even without tables, girls would be arranged to circulate, carrying delicious snacks and serving guests.

Ning Yi and Chan had only bought the most common kind of flower, which likely meant seats in the middle or back rows. But it wasn't a big problem; Chan had, after all, tucked away plenty of snacks. However, after they found an unreserved seat with a slightly better view and sat down, they realized the situation wasn't so simple.

First, Su Wending, Su Wenfang, and Tang Jing's group came towards them. Tang Jing thanked Ning Yi, and only then did the madam of her establishment begin inviting Ning Yi to sit in front. After he refused, a scholar he knew from before also passed by. "Brother Ning, why don't you sit in the front row?" he asked. Soon after, Puyang Yi also came over, sat beside him, and chatted for a while with a smile. This time, he didn't offer any invitations, simply leaving after confirming that Ning Yi wished to watch the performance in peace.

Afterwards, Li Pin also spotted him and came over to say a few words.

This time, Li Pin had gone to cheer for Lu Caicai. However, he knew Ning Yi's temperament; once he sat there, there would be many social obligations. So he naturally didn't try to persuade him.

In short, most of the people in the front seats were well-known figures. Occasionally, people would chat, and some could be seen pointing in their direction. While not numerous, it was likely they were discussing Tang Jing's events from last night again. When someone occasionally approached, Chan sat silently beside him, diligently eating snacks like a greedy mouse. Only later did she ask, "Why don't you go to the front, Young Master?"

"Do you want to go to the front?" he asked.

"No," she said with a sweet smile. "Chan thinks here is just fine."

Chan was more knowledgeable about the competition than Ning Yi. In her free moments, she told Ning Yi about the grandeur of the competition and some interesting things from when she came with her sister before. During this time, Ning Yi saw Yuan Jin'er again; she seemed to be out before her performance to thank her supporters, lingering in the front, and then she glanced in their direction... Theoretically, she and Ning Yi hadn't been formally introduced and weren't "acquainted," so she wouldn't approach them. Soon after Yuan Jin'er went back, Ning Yi also saw Nie Yunzhu's figure peeking out from the shadows on that side. Yuan Jin'er smiled and pointed towards them, then laughed and pulled Nie Yunzhu back.

"Young Master Ning." In the final moments before the competition officially began, another familiar face approached. This was Lu Agui, who served Kang Xian. After greeting them, he pointed towards a pleasure boat in a certain direction: "My master is over there and saw that Young Master Ning and Miss Chan seemed somewhat bothered here. If you don't have essential social obligations, you might as well go to that boat to watch. That boat belongs to the Princess's Manor, and on the second floor, it's mostly leisurely people; it's very casual, and the location is also good."

Ning Yi looked in that direction. The pleasure boat's location was indeed good, and there really weren't many people on the second floor. He glanced at Chan, then nodded with a smile. The two of them followed Lu Agui up to the second floor of the pleasure boat. As expected, there weren't many people. Those gathered there were mostly young people, and some maids and servants were busy. Lu Agui arranged for him and Chan to sit by a window. On the nearby tea table were various fruits and refreshments. Compared to the crowded space below, it seemed a bit spacious and quiet up here. Lu Agui chuckled, "If you have friends, you can invite them up to sit; there's still plenty of space. For anything you need, just tell a servant. Oh, and my master is over there."

Kang Xian also had social obligations. At the moment, he was on the main boat where high-ranking officials and nobles gathered. A pleasure boat was situated between them. As Lu Agui spoke, Kang Xian looked over from his side, smiling and nodding in acknowledgment.

Next to Ning Yi and Chan, two men of unknown identity sat by a window on one side. When they saw Ning Yi and Chan come up and sit down, they clasped their hands and bowed towards Ning Yi with a smile. Afterwards, they said something to Lu Agui, likely inquiring about Ning Yi's identity. Chan occasionally looked at them, and a moment later, she scooted her chair closer to Ning Yi with soft thuds, then settled down to watch the performance.

On Ning Yi's other side, the adjacent seats were occupied by a brother and sister. The sister seemed younger than Chan, probably thirteen or fourteen, but her expression was quite serious, like that of an adult. She had initially been turning her head to observe Ning Yi's side. When Ning Yi looked over, she naturally turned her gaze to the stage. But when Ning Yi looked away, her gaze drifted back, as if she had originally intended to curiously watch for five seconds, only watched for four, turned away when Ning Yi noticed, and now felt obliged to openly make up for that last second. The younger brother, around eleven or twelve, sat there looking curiously left and right. When the singing and dancing began, he dragged his chair closer, as if to whisper a secret to Ning Yi.

"Hey, are you that Ning Yi, Ning Li Heng?" the boy whispered. "The Ning Li Heng who wrote 'Prelude to Water Tune' and 'Jade Case?' I have a few questions to test you with. If you answer them..."

"No," Ning Yi replied.

"Huh?" The boy was slightly taken aback.

Ning Yi mysteriously leaned in, hand cupped to his mouth, and quietly told him, "I am not Ning Li Heng."

"...Oh," the boy said.

The boy stared blankly for a while, then unhappily dragged his chair back to his sister. He was probably reporting the outcome, and his sister lowered her head and spoke, vaguely saying, "He's tricking you..." What followed was unclear.

As Lu Agui had said, no one came to disturb them up here. Below, the performances were enthusiastic, with occasional thunderous cheers. Ning Yi and Chan watched while eating some snacks. During the breaks between performances, announcements would erupt about how many flowers someone had offered a particular courtesan. There were also fine works created by scholars; after being reviewed by some notable figures, they would be recited to add to the grandeur. The high-ranking officials and nobles on the multi-story boats also had courtesans they supported. Occasionally, one could see a courtesan going up to thank them after her performance. Key officials from the Jiangning area, including Chen Yong and Song Xian, were also present. However, Ning Yi no longer had the same intentions as last night, so he simply watched the show in peace.

After a few performances, Chan went to the side and brought over a Go set. She set it up on the table where the fruits were. Amidst the shifting lights below, she played Five-in-a-Row with Ning Yi by the window. The atmosphere was comfortable, leisurely, relaxing, and fun. After a while, the boy next to them dragged his chair over with soft thuds. He rested his chin on the table and quietly watched the game. After a good while, he finally said, "That's not how you play Go..."

It was during this time that a woman walked through the crowd below the pleasure boat, looked up and gazed at the main pleasure boat for a moment, then disappeared into the crowd again.

On the riverbank under the night sky, a festive and peaceful atmosphere continued to intensify and rise with the deepening night and the ongoing singing and dancing.