As the woman stepped out of the courtyard to pour water, the lights ahead illuminated the splendor of the Lantern Festival night. The courtyard behind the Jinfeng Building was small but exquisite; without the presence of a few top courtesans, it would be difficult to reside in such a place. On this festive evening, however, the courtyard was not brightly lit, which was quite rare.
In fact, most of the lights in the courtyard had only recently been extinguished. It was close to midnight, and there were not many visitors coming to check on anyone. Nie Yunzhu glanced around and then turned back into the room. The courtyard's owner, Yuan Jiner, lay on the bed, staring blankly at the oil lamp before smiling at her. Nie Yunzhu returned the smile, set down the basin, and sat back at the head of the bed.
By rights, Nie Yunzhu shouldn't have come tonight. Although she visited every few days to teach the zither, she had left the Jinfeng Building, and it wasn't appropriate for her to be here, especially on a holiday. However, this time was an exception. She had gone out with Hu Tao to enjoy the lanterns and had met a fellow courtesan from the Jinfeng Building, who was coming to get medicine for the ailing Yuan Jiner. Upon hearing that Yuan Jiner wanted to see her, Nie Yunzhu considered the time and decided to enter through the back door of the Jinfeng Building.
Yuan Jiner was currently the star of the Jinfeng Building. Although she had fallen ill by chance, it was hard for her to refuse visitors during such times. There had been many who came to check on her, and only after confirming her illness did they engage in brief conversation before leaving. The renowned Cao Guan, known as Jiangning's top talent, had visited her twice. Outside, he was entertaining a group of talented men with wine and poetry, and when Nie Yunzhu arrived, he had sent in a poem through Yuan Jiner's maid, Kou'er, praising the beauty of an ailing woman. Yuan Jiner could only smile and accept it, asking Kou'er to thank him.
"Speaking of Cao Guan, he is indeed quite talented… How is your sister faring?"
After sending Kou'er away to give them privacy for some sisterly talk, Yuan Jiner handed the poem to Nie Yunzhu for her to see. After reading it, Nie Yunzhu set it down. Both women had encountered many talented poets, and while such casual poems could showcase skill, they rarely left a strong impression. Their concern remained for Yuan Jiner's health, and she shook her head with a smile.
"Actually, my illness is mild. A couple of doses of medicine should do the trick. It's just that because of this cold, and with the moon's arrival, I feel weak and achy all over, making it even harder to sing. Luckily, Madam agreed to keep some visitors away tonight; she must be overwhelmed on her end."
"Madam has a kind heart," Nie Yunzhu nodded. In an orderly and well-off household, one might feel a bit of conscience. If it were any other place, she wouldn't have been able to redeem herself in those years. She then laughed and asked about other matters. "What about you and Cao Guan?" She had heard Yuan Jiner had been getting closer to him.
"What can it be? Just a reputation of talented scholars and beautiful women. Didn't you say it yourself? He does have talent. For Yuan Jiner, what difference is there between Cao Guan and Li Pin? For Cao Guan, whether it's Yuan Jiner or Lu Caicai, it's likely of no consequence."
Yuan Jiner, younger than Nie Yunzhu, usually exuded vitality, and her lively, playful demeanor was a big reason why others liked her. But today, she seemed lethargic and disheartened. Nie Yunzhu took a towel to wipe her face. "Don't say that. Since he chose you over Lu Caicai, it means he must have a better impression of you."
"Jiner wants to find someone with a family background who can treat her like a pig. Hehe, but Cao Guan has no money, so he doesn't seem very interested."
"If he really turned you into a pig, he'd probably be kicked out immediately." Nie Yunzhu patted her cheek. "Cao Guan is talented; if he passes the imperial examination, it shouldn't be a problem. By then, he could indeed treat you like a pig."
"There are many talented scholars in the world. Just because someone is called Jiangning's top talent doesn't mean passing the exam is that easy! Moreover, if there's no money at home to support him, just passing the exam doesn't guarantee a position. He would have to wait and wait…"
Yuan Jiner lay there talking and then pondered for a moment. "Sister Yunzhu, what do you think about me redeeming myself and selling century eggs alongside you?"
Nie Yunzhu laughed, "Have you gone silly from being sick?" She occasionally visited Yuan Jiner and knew that she had started a pancake stall and was experimenting with century eggs, though she had yet to see them.
Yuan Jiner thought for a moment and chuckled foolishly, "No, it's just that Hu Tao is getting married. After she marries, you'll feel lonely, Sister Yunzhu. So I can come keep you company. You talk about century eggs as if they'll be a sure profit; I could be your support, right?"
"Always thinking of being pampered, yet now you want to work? It seems you're a bit muddled from your illness," Nie Yunzhu replied with a smile. She understood that Yuan Jiner was just being whimsical. "Besides, where's the guarantee of a profitable business? I'm still figuring things out; I was losing money every day. And honestly, it might be hard to get married; you could end up as an old maid. It's better for you to find a talented scholar who can pamper you like a princess."
"Being a female manager has its own prestige…" Yuan Jiner mused. The two of them then discussed Cao Guan, Li Pin, and other talented scholars. Talented individuals appeared every year, and they were familiar with quite a few. Given that Yuan Jiner was currently ill and dealing with her menstrual cycle, her words were a bit sharper, which made Nie Yunzhu laugh as they talked, even mentioning Ning Yi.
"That 'Shui Diao Ge Tou' is truly wonderful, but it's a pity that someone like him has joined a merchant family, and those lines were bought…"
Nie Yunzhu softly replied, "You don't even know Ning Liheng, how do you know they were bought?"
Yuan Jiner giggled, "If Sister Yunzhu is interested, you could sneak over and eavesdrop. Today is the Lantern Festival; those scholars are bound to talk about it, likely suspecting the lines were purchased."
The conversation about Ning Yi ended there. Nie Yunzhu chose not to express her views, and Yuan Jiner merely commented on it before they grew tired of the topic. Nie Yunzhu brought her a cup of water. "Take a break; it would be best if you could catch some sleep."
Yuan Jiner wrapped herself in the quilt but didn't sleep. The sounds of a lively banquet drifted in from outside. Nie Yunzhu sat by the bed, then picked up the guqin nearby, resting it on her lap and strumming a few notes. After a while, she began to softly sing, "Beyond the long pavilion, by the ancient road, the fragrant grass connects to the sky…" Her voice was light and gentle, singing at a leisurely pace that filled the space with an ethereal quality, momentarily drowning out the raucous sounds outside. Yuan Jiner turned to look at her, and Nie Yunzhu smiled back, continuing, "The evening breeze brushes the willow, the flute's sound fades, the setting sun beyond the mountains…"
"What piece is this, Sister Yunzhu?"
The music flowed slowly, and Nie Yunzhu only smiled without answering. After a while, she sang, "At the ends of the earth, at the corners of the sky, half of my friends have scattered…"
This farewell song was the second piece Ning Yi had given her before the New Year. Nie Yunzhu had been pondering it lately, and after finishing the song, the music continued to play for quite some time before stopping.
Yuan Jiner, puzzled, remarked, "It sounds like 'Ruan Lang Gui,' but the first line of the upper section should be seven characters, and the lower section seems different. The tones have shifted; how could it be like this? But Sister Yunzhu's singing is truly beautiful…" She thought for a moment, her eyes widening. "Could it be that Sister Yunzhu is researching a new singing style? But… this seems like a playful composition…"
Most of the people Yuan Jiner interacted with were just singers and performers, but Nie Yunzhu had already entered a deeper level; she could be considered a master. It was indeed her right to modify the singing styles, though having others accept it would be challenging. Still, since this wasn't for public release, it didn't matter. Even so, to Yuan Jiner, it was beautiful, but the style was quite unusual. She was surprised for a moment, dismissing it as mere playfulness, and then reflected on the lyrics' meaning.
"Although simple, this line captures a wonderful sentiment. It's a pity it's not a proper lyric, just a short phrase. I truly envy your talent, Sister Yunzhu."
"It's not my work… Jiner, don't move around too much; you need to rest well."
"Has Sister Yunzhu found someone she likes?"
"Don't think too much; it's not going to happen."
"Oh, I wonder which family's girl it could be… Well, these playful short phrases are like…"
This piece, "Farewell," also pays attention to rhyme, but it doesn't adhere to the rules of the poetic form and isn't a proper poem. While the sentiment is beautiful, it can only be considered a playful composition. Nie Yunzhu thought this but didn't elaborate, simply smiling as she tucked Yuan Jiner snugly under the quilt. Just then, footsteps sounded outside; it was Kou'er and Hu Tao. Kou'er looked somewhat anxious, holding a piece of poetry paper. "Miss, miss! There's been an accident! It seems Young Master Cao is about to lose again…"
Earlier, when Nie Yunzhu hadn't arrived, Kou'er had been attending to Yuan Jiner by the bed, and they had discussed the various poems presented that evening. In terms of quantity, the best works naturally came from Lichuan. However, personally, Cao Guan had performed very well tonight, receiving praise for several pieces, while Li Pin, who had gone to the banquet at Puyuan, had only done mediocrity. From Kou'er's perspective, it seemed Cao Guan's reputation was about to be solidified once more. But now, her panicked entrance indicated something had gone wrong. Yuan Jiner asked in confusion, "What happened?"
"There's another poem from Puyuan, and it's startled everyone. The atmosphere outside is so strange…" Although this wasn't the traditional six boats lined up, Puyuan's poetry gathering was still referred to as the Puyuan Poetry Gathering on the Lantern Festival.
"What's happened at the Puyuan family?" Although she hoped to be pampered one day, after such long acquaintance, Yuan Jiner genuinely wished for Cao Guan's reputation to rise, taking the poetry paper handed to her with curiosity.
Nie Yunzhu chuckled, "It seems Young Master Li Ping couldn't hold back after all…" Five months ago, when a dark horse from the Puyuan family surprised everyone, it was astonishing enough. Now, it seemed that the usually unremarkable Li Ping had unveiled a remarkable work that stunned the crowd. This wasn't unexpected, as Li Ping's style was always a bit unconventional, sometimes impressively so.
Upon hearing this, Hu Tao's expression grew complicated, as if she had something to say but hesitated. Kou'er shook her head vigorously. "No, no! It's not Young Master Li; it's that Ning Yi, Ning Liheng! He composed another piece for the Lantern Festival…"
"Ah?"
Nie Yunzhu paused, quickly leaning to see the poetry paper. Kou'er was already animatedly recounting, "They're saying it's really interesting outside! Apparently, Ning Yi wasn't even planning to attend the poetry gathering today. He was just shopping when someone saw him and invited him up. A whole crowd was giving him a hard time…"
As Nie Yunzhu gazed at the paper and read halfway through, the surrounding noise faded away.
She had known Ning Yi for some time. Their relationship wasn't based on scholarly pursuits, but she had heard plenty about his talent. They never discussed poetry or talent directly, interacting as ordinary friends. However, it was impossible for Nie Yunzhu not to feel some anticipation and curiosity in her heart.
Before her lay a side of Ning Yi she had never seen.
"East wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers. It blows down stars like rain…"
Yuan Jiner whispered the lines aloud, and when she reached the final signature:
Su Residence.
Ning Yi.
Ning Liheng.