At the Zhi Shui Poetry Gathering, Kang Xian's sudden shout silenced the room. Yu Zixing, who had studied under the strict master for a short time, was startled by his outburst. He quickly bowed and said, "M-Master…"
Kang Xian, a renowned scholar, had a solid background. Though he had few disciples, his reputation was well-known among the attendees. He scanned the room before resting his gaze on Yu Zixing, his tone authoritative: "Do you think you can just say whatever you like?!"
After a brief silence, Kang Xian set down his brush and continued, "Let me ask you, with hundreds of poems today, if this piece were truly terrible and unworthy, what would you do?"
Understanding the underlying message, Yu Zixing trembled slightly and replied, "I would... I would naturally disregard it."
"Then… have you ever met Ning Liheng? Do you know him, have you heard his name, seen his face, or caught wind of any negative remarks about his character?"
"Master… I understand."
With that, Kang Xian smiled, "Now that you grasp the point, please sit down. Everyone, today's gathering boasts many excellent works. Just now, I was discussing with Lord Qin, for instance, Ning Yi's poem…" He raised his voice, beginning to evaluate the highlights of various poems, showcasing his vast knowledge. He was sincere and didn't flatter, yet he acknowledged the true quality of the works, including high praise for Yu Zixing's two poems.
This exchange took considerable time. At last, Kang Xian placed the sheet of "Shui Diao Ge Tou" back on the table. "Now… let's re-evaluate this poem, shall we?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Guan stood up, "Master's admonition is invaluable; I stand corrected. I must confess, this poem is indeed exquisite, with brilliant style and profound meaning. I was feeling competitive, but your teaching has enlightened me. It's a privilege to witness such excellent lines at today's gathering. However, I too have composed a few lines I'd like to share. Haha, though there are gems before us, I wonder if anyone here might help me complete my poem, so as not to tarnish the reputation of our Zhi Shui Poetry Gathering."
With this, Kang Xian chuckled, "Such is the spirit of a gentleman." Laughter erupted in the room, the atmosphere lightening once more. Someone joked, "Zongchen, you dare claim your few lines? I have a complete poem that can save face for the gathering!"
A spirited competition of poetry ensued, with everyone eager not to lose ground, even more fervently than before. Watching the lively scene, Kang Xian smiled and raised his teacup to drink. Master Qin also chuckled beside him.
"Ha, why are you laughing, Lord Qin?"
"Ah, Master, your actions aren't very fair. Normally, Liheng, my young friend, only wins a few rounds against you, and now you're putting him on the hot seat. A gentleman shouldn't hold grudges. When next you meet, he's bound to settle the score."
Although Master Qin spoke this way, he was smiling cheerfully, clearly eager to enjoy the spectacle. In essence, there is no absolute "first place" in literature, and poetry has no fixed standard for critique. Once works reach a certain level, public opinion plays a significant role. While "Prelude to Water Melody" was indeed outstanding, it wasn't to the extent that it would make all others feel utterly inferior or render every other poem worthless. However, with just a few words, Mr. Ming subtly solidified an underlying message: When faced with a superior work, your first thought was to attack the author's character, which is not the behavior of a gentleman.
As the events of this evening spread throughout Qinhuai, it wouldn't just be the poem that people would talk about. Once Mr. Ming's scolding of the attendees during the poetry gathering became known, the consequences would be obvious. Even after being rebuked by Master Qin, Mr. Ming's smile remained unchanged, still looking quite pleased.
"Heh. I appreciate his talent and have helped him make a name for himself. If he sees me, he should be grateful. Master Qin, your thinking is a bit too petty. As the saying goes, a true gentleman is open and magnanimous, while a petty man is full of worries. Haha, one should maintain a broad mind."
Neither of them had witnessed Ning Yi's talent firsthand before, but judging by the evaluation, it was anything but ordinary. They were both amazed by the poem and yet seemed to understand the situation. As they laughed and chatted, an elderly man approached. "This Ning Liheng, could he be..." He had once played chess with Master Qin by the river and had only met Ning Yi once, knowing only his surname. Now, he made the connection. Pan Guangyan also walked over with a smile. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Could it be that Ning Yi has some connection with Mr. Ming...?"
Mr. Ming laughed heartily and quietly replied, "He is a friend of mine, Mr. Qin, and Mr. Du, in terms of poetry. I assure you, there is no falsehood in this. However, he is quite low-key. Our friendship is that of true gentlemen, like water, not entangled in too many matters. I must ask, Old Crane, that you keep this confidential and not spread it around."
Pan Guangyan suddenly understood and laughed as well.
"...So that's how it is."
Had Ning Yi foreseen all that would unfold throughout the night in Jiangning, he might not have been so inclined to learn songs from Xiao Chan in search of a modern touch. But due to his cold, his thoughts were sluggish and his energy drained. Having never participated in any of these poetry gatherings, he naturally couldn't have imagined much of it anyway.
The time had passed midnight, and at this moment, Ning Yi was still fast asleep, completely unaware of everything happening. The carriage rolled slowly along the streets, where the bustling energy had only slightly subsided. The streets were still packed with crowds, and the flickering lights from outside shone into the carriage. Su Tan'er gazed at Xiao Chan, who sat in front of her, clutching the paper with the poem "Shui Diao Ge Tou" written on it. Xiao Chan kept her head down, blinking nervously, her lips tightly pressed together, afraid to speak.
Even Xiao Chan found the events of tonight rather strange, as if she still couldn't quite make sense of everything. Although Su Tan'er lacked the highest level of appreciation for poetry, she had been shocked and amazed when she first saw the poem in Xiao Chan's hand. However, as things progressed, it became clear that she had still underestimated the impact of this poem.
Seeing the stunned and astonished expression of Xue Jin, who had initially harbored ill intentions, was truly satisfying. Later on, the attention paid to her by Pu Yangyu and the scholars invited to the poetry gathering also made her feel a certain sense of importance. As a merchant's daughter, Su Tan'er understood the weight of such recognition.
The world often speaks of merchants as solely profit-driven, placing them at the bottom of the social ladder. Though money could solve many problems and elevate one's status, the inherent prejudice remained. Year after year, when disasters struck, they gave money and made efforts, yet rarely gained a good name. Her grandfather had spent a significant fortune to send the Su family members to schools, hoping that some of them would become scholars. Even if it cost a lot of money, at least it could give them a foothold in the scholarly class. She had witnessed this sense of urgency since she was young.
The Pu Yang family was in a similar position. They had achieved some results—hosting the Pu Yuan Poetry Gathering every year had brought them a certain level of success. It was as though they had one foot in the door of the scholarly class, though the other foot still struggled to step forward. When people mentioned the Pu Yuan Poetry Gathering, it often carried the scent of a nouveau riche. From the way they treated this unexpected poem with such reverence, it was clear that this work was indeed remarkable. However… some people even claimed that the poem was comparable to those of figures like Cao Guan and Li Pin. How could that possibly be true?
Her own poetic standards weren't high, and she admired poetry from a distance, much like idolizing it. Before she was married, she had attended a few poetry gatherings and witnessed top scholars compose verses on the spot. She was always left in awe of their talent. Now, figures like Cao Guan and Li Pin represented the scholarly elite of Jiangning. Her grandfather had hoped for the Su family to produce some talented individuals, but he had never dreamed of anyone on their level. Yet here in her hands was a poem supposedly written by her unremarkable husband, who had previously composed nonsensical verses like "Three lotuses float on the green pond, a raft could carry a maiden's thoughts." Now, this poem, while excellent, couldn't possibly be that good, could it? Or… was there more to the story?
A part of her, the one that admired scholars like Cao Guan and Li Pin, felt unsure and uneasy. But her pragmatic side, as a merchant, remained clear-headed, handling all the unexpected events of the night with calm and poise. It wasn't until they got off the boat that she began to ponder everything more deeply. She glanced at Xiao Chan, who seemed even smaller and more timid than usual, and couldn't help but laugh. "Was this really written by the Master?"
Su Tan'er, of course, didn't doubt Xiao Chan in the slightest.
"Mhm."
"Then… could you tell me everything that happened tonight with the Master?"
"Oh."
Xiao Chan nodded and began recounting the events after they had left. She briefly mentioned the story of Journey to the West, skipping over the details and only saying it was about a mischievous monkey. Then, she talked about the singing, dancing, and magic tricks that followed.
"Nuh-uh, this is how the trick works… First, you hide the bead in your hand…" Xiao Chan attempted to perform the magic trick again, just as she had failed to do earlier on the boat when showing it off to her two sisters. This time, she failed again, feeling quite dejected. But soon enough, she moved on to the part about the singing and poetry writing.
"A new way of singing?" Su Tan'er frowned slightly.
"Mhm, it sounded really nice." Xiao Chan nodded, then whispered, "The Master told me not to sing it publicly, though. If a little servant girl like me changes the melody, they'll say I don't know my place…"
Actually, people might not call her 'ignorant'—Xiao Chan understood that much—but she had no reason to hide anything from her mistress. Not long after, at Su Tan'er's request, Xiao Chan cleared her throat and, one word at a time, began to sing Shui Diao Ge Tou in the "new" style her Master had taught her. The melody echoed beautifully inside the carriage.
As the song ended, Juan'er and Xing'er still sat in a dazed state, enchanted by the music. "It was beautiful…" Su Tan'er, however, leaned back against the carriage wall, remaining silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Xiao Chan, you've been with the Master the longest. What do you think… what kind of person is he?"
Xiao Chan thought for a while. "The Master… the Master doesn't seem like a bookworm who only reads. He's funny and sometimes likes to joke around, but he also gives off a calm and steady feeling, like nothing really bothers him… But when he talks, he doesn't sound like those scholars with all their formal phrases. And… uh, that's about it. Anyway, he's not quite like what people said…"
After hearing this, Su Tan'er nodded slightly.
As they turned the corner, the Su residence finally came into view...