In Lin Jialiang's study, there were numerous books, all bound in thread. There were "Lunyu," "Dao De Jing," and "Spring and Autumn," these classics with frayed edges, clearly having undergone countless readings.
Lin Su lightly touched his fingers, and in his mind, on that dried branch, over a dozen leaves silently appeared.
No one would have thought that, in just this short stroll, he would become a scholar. These few steps equated to more than ten years of arduous study for scholars in this world.
Next to several classics from various schools, there was also a yellow-covered book. Lin Su opened it and read, "The Great Cang Rainbow Poetry Collection," beginning with a passage: "This book contains the works of 371 poetry and Dao geniuses in Great Cang over a thousand years, totaling 408 poems. All are colorful and seven-colored verses, carrying the fragrance of poetry through the ages."
The first poem, "Night Rain in the Western Forest," began with, "Half the city covered in misty rain, a thousand peaks with mist surrounding the dense forest..." written by Ren Zifu, a native of Zhongzhou in Great Cang, born in the year 108 of the Cang calendar, and passed away in the year 146.
The second poem, "Inscription on the Lingyin Wall"...
The third poem, "Winter Day"...
He read more than thirty poems, and not a single one was familiar to him.
Lin Su put down the poetry collection and his gaze was drawn to another book nearby, titled "Discussions on Literary Dao." As he flipped through the book, his eyes lit up. It detailed the literary Dao of this world, bestowed upon the people by various sages. What is literary Dao, what kind of ladder it is, how to advance, and the taboos in literary Dao...
In the section on literary Dao taboos, it clearly stated: When a literati encounters a major setback or is publicly humiliated, they will be covered in dust in the literary world. Once covered in dust, their thoughts become stagnant, and it becomes difficult to make progress in literary Dao. In severe cases, the literary path may be cut off, similar to becoming a useless person.
Lin Su's heart skipped a beat. It turned out that literary gatherings could truly lead to the extinction of literary Dao for a person, destroying a lifetime of pursuit!
In the drawer under the desk, he found a peculiar fragrance when he opened it. Inside was a piece of yellow paper carefully wrapped around half a stick of incense. The incense had a golden color, as if made of gold. This was the "Sacred Incense" mentioned in the book.
Lin Su thought for a moment and carefully put the half stick of Sacred Incense into his pocket.
As he was contemplating, there was a light sound at the door, and Lin Su turned around abruptly to see Xiaoyao.
Xiaoyao was holding a large bowl. "Brother, you're here. I've been looking for you all around."
"How's my second brother?" Lin Su asked.
"He's asleep, and Little Peach is taking care of him," Xiaoyao brought the large bowl over. "Drink this porridge. Madam said your health is not good, and you can't be negligent."
Lin Su had half a bowl of rice porridge, and his stomach finally felt a bit warmer. He suddenly noticed a glistening tear at the corner of Xiaoyao's mouth.
Lin Su couldn't continue drinking. "Did you skip breakfast?"
Xiaoyao nodded, then shook her head. "I ate a dumpling last night, but the dumpling was hungry, so I'm not hungry at all..." She swallowed some saliva, and her voice couldn't control its tone.
Lin Su handed the remaining half-bowl of watery soup to her. "Drink it."
Xiaoyao hesitated before taking it, drinking it all, and even licked the bottom of the bowl. The bowl was basically clean and didn't need washing.
Lin Su said, "Xiaoyao, do you want to eat meat?"
Meat? Xiaoyao's throat moved, and a familiar glistening appeared at the corner of her mouth. She slowly shook her head. "Brother, Little Peach said there's no meat in the mansion, really..."
"No, I'll take you to a feast and enjoy some good food..."
Xiaoyao's eyes suddenly lit up, sparkling like two little stars.
Regarding the matter of attending the feast, he and Xiaoyao quickly reached a consensus. However, at Lin Mother's end, there was a bit of a snag. "What did you say? You're going to the feast? That's a gathering of literati... What are you getting involved in?"
Lin Su took out the invitation. "Mother, they've sent an invitation. If the Lin family doesn't attend, what will people say? They will say our Lin family is desolate, truly deserving of severe criticism. They won't dare show their faces."
Lin Mother's firmness wavered a bit.
After a while, she said, "You heard it earlier; this literary gathering is not ordinary. It's likely a suppression from the Zhang family against the Lin family..."
"What can he suppress in me? I don't even have literary roots. Can he cut off my literary path?"
This sentence completely dispelled the last trace of Lin Mother's concerns. Yes, Zhang family might make trouble at the literary gathering, and it would be extremely dangerous for Erlang to go, but what could Third Young Master lose?
Having nothing, there was nothing to lose!
Lin Mother's face slowly relaxed. "... Just be careful with your temper. Don't get angry when provoked. Fine, listen more, speak less!"
"Yes!" Lin Su pulled Xiaoyao and walked out of the courtyard.
The little girl hurriedly wiped away the glistening at the corner of her mouth, happily heading out.
Heading to the Ocean Peace Pavilion.
On the way, Lin Su looked up, gazing into the distance. In his heart, he quietly uttered, "From today onwards, I'll bear the heavy burden of the Lin family!"
Ocean Peace Pavilion wasn't far, located on the east side of Haizhou City, overlooking the Yangtze River. Green willows swayed gently. In this season, it was a pity not to make it a place for poetry and moonlight.
From the outside, Ocean Peace Pavilion had only three floors, no more than ten meters high. However, upon entering, Lin Su was shocked, almost unable to believe his eyes.
In the middle was a main hall, surrounded by four buildings. The height of the buildings was clearly more than ten floors, about forty to fifty meters high!
Two people entered Ocean Peace Pavilion at the same time as them. Apparently, one of them was also astonished by this strange sight. The person next to him explained, "This is the literary Dao power!"
"Have you seen the word on the corridor?" "Qi"!
This word was personally written by the eminent scholar Deng Xianchu. Ocean Peace Pavilion had sought it at a great cost. With this word, the literary Dao power changed the sky and the earth. The three-floor small building of Ocean Peace Pavilion was exactly replicated four times, so the internal space was
a twelve-story high building!
Lin Su's eyes widened, a single word adding nine floors out of thin air in the bustling district. He couldn't help but feel that such a word could fetch a high price in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
What about Xiaoyao?
Lin Su followed her gaze and saw roast chicken and grilled lamb on the tables on both sides.
"Gululu!" Both of them swallowed at the same time.
The two entered Ocean Peace Pavilion and were stopped by a waiter at the entrance. The waiter smiled and said, "Third Young Master Lin, it's been a while. Apologies, there are official matters to attend to at Ocean Peace Pavilion today. The usual cockfighting and dog fighting activities are temporarily suspended."
It seemed this person recognized him!
But what did this person mean? Did the old him only know about cockfighting and dog fighting?
Lin Su's face stiffened. "What are you saying? What I'm attending today is your official business!"
"You? Haha..." The waiter laughed.
With a swish, an invitation was placed in front of the waiter. The waiter's laughter abruptly stopped, and his eyes widened.
Lin Su walked past him arrogantly, heading to the second floor. Showing the invitation again, the reception on the second floor was more refined. Seeing the invitation, the person receiving them slightly bowed, "Young Master Lin... A distinguished guest!"
At the dining table, all the scholars looked up. At the front, near the river, several scholars who were chatting and laughing also turned around. Under the window on the right, a veiled woman lightly raised her hand, and a clear sound resonated—a zither played a welcoming melody.
Suddenly, they all froze. As long as Lin family members attended, it should be Lin Jialiang. However, the one climbing the stairs was not Lin Jialiang but a delicate young man. Some people in the crowd knew him. He was the third young master of the Lin family, known for neither excelling in literature nor martial arts. Moreover, he was said to have gone missing recently. What kind of play was this? The scholars exchanged confused glances.
Lin Su looked around and intended to find a random place to sit.
However, the person at the top stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Third Young Master, has your elder brother not come?."
Lin Su was stunned, sizing up this person. He asked the person next to him, "This gentleman looks wealthy. Who is he?"
The person beside him said, "This is Zhang Xiu, the top scholar in Quzhou. Third Young Master has met him before. How could you forget? Today, why is he so heavyset?."
Lin Su's face stiffened. "What are you talking about? My elder brother, due to a severe illness, writes the 'Guiding Qi Manuscript' twice a day to treat our mother. While our mother has slightly improved, my elder brother fell ill. Therefore, I am here on behalf of my elder brother to attend Miss Yulou's farewell banquet. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you... sorry, sorry..."
He made a roundabout bow to everyone...
A voice came from the crowd, "Miss Yulou didn't know about the Lin family's affairs before. She audaciously sent an invitation, and I hope you can forgive any unintentional offenses."
Lin Su looked towards the left.
On the left, there was a beaded curtain. Behind the curtain, there were five small formations, naturally forming five cores. Each core was a beautiful woman, surrounded by three or four maids, like stars surrounding the moon.
The person asking the question was the core in the center—a woman in splendid attire, her skin as smooth as jade, her eyebrows like distant mountains, and her bright eyes like two pools of spring water. She seemed like a twenty-eight beauty at first glance, but with a slight turn of her eyes, her demeanor was varied, as if the spring tide of the years flowed through her eyes in an instant.
She was the protagonist of today's farewell banquet: Yulou.
Lin Su's heart stirred. Was this the confidante Erlang had set his eyes on? Indeed, she was extraordinary, knowledgeable, and courteous.
Lin Su smiled. "Fortunately, it has all passed. My elder brother's literary energy was depleted due to excessive consumption, and his health is not seriously affected. He will recover after a few days of rest."
Yulou gently sighed. "Third Young Master, please have a seat, and feel free to enjoy some food and wine."
Behind the beaded curtain, the women looked at each other. All of them were renowned courtesans from the third floor of Yuxiang Building: Qin Xiangjun, Li Ruxiang, Du Yuebo...
All of them were enchanting beauties in the dreamy red dust, but their gazes contained a hint of strangeness. These people were all flower masters, and the farewell of Yulou today was a gathering of sisters. Although the brothel was ruthless, there was still a bit of sentiment in the misty rain.
"Sister, did Second Young Master Lin really not come because of illness? Do you believe it?" Qin Xiangjun sighed softly.
"At this moment? He chose to fall ill and not attend!" Li Ruxiang said, "As expected... Back then, guests who came to enjoy the breeze in front of the building, coming and going were all people of thin luck..."
Du Yuebo sighed, "Don't say that. It's not good for anyone. The Lin family has reached this point. Whether Second Young Master comes or not doesn't make much difference..."
The whispered conversation behind the beaded curtain couldn't be heard in the restaurant. Yulou didn't speak, and her sigh was firmly locked in her lips...
With a soft sound, the ancient zither echoed, filling the entire building.
Lin Su looked up, and a well-dressed beauty walked out from the center. "Gentlemen, today is Miss Yulou's farewell banquet and also the presentation of the headlining courtesan. Therefore, Ocean Peace Pavilion invites all gentlemen to witness this moment. We hope that with your ingenious pens, you can compose a beautiful chapter of snow, moon, wind, and flowers."
Lin Su heard someone quietly discussing next to him, making him understand the meaning of "farewell banquet" and "headlining ceremony." In essence, it meant the retirement of an old courtesan and the inauguration of a new headliner. Courtesans were the leaders in the brothel. Once they became headliners, they transcended ordinary courtesans and became famous. Even dignitaries had to be received by famous courtesans to gain face...
The well-dressed beauty finished speaking. Eight beautiful women came out behind her, all from the third floor of Yuxiang Building. All the renowned courtesans walked towards the left beaded curtain, lifted it together, and bowed at the same time, saying, "Please let Sister Yulou perform the song 'Thank You Building'."
"Thank You Building" was a song that had to be played when a courtesan retired. It thanked the patrons for their support in the past and served as a farewell, marking the end of an era.
Facing her former sisters, Yulou bowed gently, slowly raising her head. "Yulou has leaned on the building for thirteen years, and I am grateful for the special love and affection from all the gentlemen and patrons. I am deeply grateful. Now that the years have passed, I can no longer serve the patrons. With Mother's permission, I will retire. I express my gratitude to the patrons with this song and also respect the younger generation."
After finishing her farewell speech, she stepped back to the ancient zither, and with a light touch, it made a melodious sound.
"At the end of the year, there is no sign of flowers turning yellow,
The southeast is fragmented, the winding river flows with sorrow.
My heart is like the moon, seeking but not finding,
The height of the Guifang is difficult to accompany by your side..."
The zither music was light and graceful. Her singing was even more lingering, with each word and each phrase seeming like a soft breath rising from the bottom of her heart. The entire building fell silent, leaving only this poetic song, the picturesque scene of playing the zither, and the sound of each note...