Inside the Jade Pavilion of Spring, the atmosphere was quite eerie.
Everyone present was shocked into silence, this, this, this...
Was this the rumored County Princess Xu?
Just then, a voice pierced the stalemate.
"A good preface doesn't necessarily mean high poetic talent."
The speaker was Zhao Tai, waving his folding fan, his triangular eyes full of reluctance. He raised his voice sarcastically, "These days, who doesn't have a few poor retainers? If someone spent a lot of money in advance to buy a good piece of writing and memorize it, pretending to be a big shot at this banquet, wouldn't we honest folks suffer in silence?"
"Brother Zhao is right!" A young nobleman nearby immediately chimed in, as if grabbing a lifeline. "Since it's the Splendid Banquet, what we're competing in is quick wit. What's the point of memorizing dead books? If you have the guts, let's set the rules on the spot and have a real contest!"
Hearing this, Xie Yunwan's lips curled up slightly. She didn't speak, just waved her hand lightly.
The meaning was obvious: since someone was unconvinced, they would beat her until she was.
As the rhythm was set, the underfloor heating in the hall seemed to burn hotter, the heat making people's faces feel tight. The servants were quick and agile, swiftly clearing the central tables and prying open the floorboards.
Splash—
The water from the Qinhuai River was drawn in, flowing slowly along the bluestone channel.
This was the winding stream party that Jiangnan literati loved the most.
Soft cushions were placed on both sides of the channel, and everyone sat down one by one.
A lotus-shaped wooden tray was placed in the water, with a wine cup on it, drifting down with the ripples.
Xie An sat on the high platform, lightly tapping the table with his fingers. His cloudy old eyes showed no joy or anger as he said plainly.
"Since it's a flowing cup, regardless of status, whoever the cup stops at will be the one. Those who compose a poem drink the wine, and those who fail will be punished with three cups."
As soon as he finished speaking, several of the Xie family's disciples exchanged glances by the channel. The wooden tray seemed to drift with the current, but the mechanisms under the channel had long been figured out by the craftsmen. They knew exactly where the current was fast and where there were hidden whirlpools, clear as a mirror in their hearts.
In the first round, the wooden tray bobbed and swayed, very coincidentally stopping in front of Dai Wenbo from the Yuelu Academy.
Dai Wenbo seemed prepared. He didn't decline, picked up the wine cup, drank it, and then said loudly.
"Since Master Xie is the host, this student will take water as the theme."
He thought for a moment and blurted out.
"One stream protects the fields, wrapping them in green, two mountains push open the door to send in the verdure. May I ask where the spring breeze is, locked deep within the Jade Pavilion."
"Good!"
As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted all around.
"Brother Dai's poem uses allusions and fits the occasion perfectly, especially the last line, which not only hits the theme of the Jade Pavilion of Spring but also subtly flatters everyone present. Excellent!"
"Worthy of being the chief of Yuelu, this wit, we can't compare."
Xu Qinghuan sat at the very back, holding a round fan, fanning herself somewhat boredly. This poem was just at the level of doggerel. Although the tonal patterns were correct, it was very vulgar. But the way these people praised it, those who didn't know would think Li Bai and Du Fu had arrived. This was the so-called aristocratic literary circle, people lifting each other up in flowery palanquins.
Next, the wooden tray spun a few more times.
The places it stopped were all arranged by the major aristocratic families.
A young master from the Wang family composed a poem praising plum blossoms. Although it piled up ornate rhetoric, it was neat.
A retainer of the Xie family composed a poem praising willows, which was quite standard.
Every time a poem was produced, there was a warm round of applause. The atmosphere in the hall was enthusiastic, as if Jiangning City had really become the place where the Wenqu Star descended to earth.
Xie An leaned back in his grand armchair, a hint of a smile on his face, seemingly very satisfied with this scene.
But accidents always happen quickly.
Perhaps the mechanism at the bottom of the water broke, or maybe someone accidentally kicked something. When the wooden tray passed the Zhao family's seats, it was suddenly caught by a hidden whirlpool, spun twice, and stopped squarely in front of a fat man.
That was Zhao Tai's cousin, Zhao Yuanbao.
This man was a famous good-for-nothing in Jiangning City. Usually, apart from cockfighting and dog racing, he didn't know a single character. Today, he was just following his brother to freeload food and drinks and watch County Princess Xu make a fool of herself. He hadn't prepared any poetry at all.
At this moment, the whole hall fell silent.
Everyone's eyes were on Zhao Yuanbao's oily, fat face.
The chicken leg in Zhao Yuanbao's hand was still dripping oil. Looking at the wine cup in front of him, his eyes almost popped out. He looked pleadingly at Zhao Tai beside him, but Zhao Tai was busy making eyes at the young lady next door and didn't see him at all.
"This young master, please."
Xie Yunwan spoke softly from above, her voice very cold.
Zhao Yuanbao swallowed hard and stood up, bracing himself.
His face flushed red, and he thought for a long time. Finally, looking at the water channel in front of him, a flash of inspiration hit him.
"This... the great river flows east, the fish in the water are fat and swimming..."
Pfft!
The sip of tea Xu Qinghuan had just taken almost sprayed entirely onto the back of the head of the person in front of her.
The hall was dead silent.
Then, someone couldn't hold back and let out a laugh, which instantly ignited the whole hall.
"Hahahaha! What is this? A nursery rhyme?"
"Fish are fat and swimming? Brother Zhao, your younger brother is truly... young at heart!"
The roar of laughter was very loud.
Zhao Tai's face instantly turned red with anger, wishing he could kick this disgrace into the Qinhuai River.
Zhao Yuanbao stood there, at a loss for what to do, his face turning red and white. Finally, he could only grab the wine cup, gulp down three cups in a row, and sit down dejectedly.
With this fuss, the pretended elegance was completely gone.
In the next few rounds, the wooden tray seemed to be possessed, specifically stopping in front of those ignorant aristocratic youths.
The young master of the Qian family composed a poem praising flowers, but the rhyme was all wrong.
The young master of the Sun family held it in for a long time, recited an old poem from the previous dynasty, and even got two words wrong.
The previously relaxed brows of Xie An gradually furrowed. The teacup in his hand hit the table heavily, making a loud noise.
The laughter in the hall stopped.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward. The Splendid Banquet, which was supposed to show off the heritage of the aristocratic families, was now turning into a farce.
Just then, a figure in green slowly stood up.
Xie Yunwan.
She didn't look at those foolish people making fools of themselves, but walked directly to the water channel.
She stretched out a hand and lightly intercepted the still-spinning wooden tray.
"Since it's a flowing cup, why be bound by dead objects."
Xie Yunwan's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable feeling. She looked around, her gaze very cold. Wherever she looked, those young masters who were still smiling playfully lowered their heads.
"It's cold tonight, it seems to be snowing outside."
Xie Yunwan picked up the cup of wine but didn't drink it, just held it between her fingers.
"Wanying is untalented, and is willing to take snow as the theme to seek advice from everyone."
After saying that, without thinking, she slowly walked along the water channel.
One step.
"Broken jade and cracked ice fill the Jade Pavilion."
Two steps.
"The cold wind rolls the catkins, chaotic as sorrow."
Three steps, four steps...
Until the seventh step fell, she stopped in front of Xu Qinghuan's seat, looking down at the woman dressed in vulgar clothes, and said the last two lines.
"Do not say there is no pure land in the human world, just look at the plum blossoms weighing down the branches."
A poem in seven steps!
And it was a neat, elegant, and otherworldly seven-character quatrain!
After a moment of silence, the hall erupted into applause more enthusiastic than any before.
Dai Wenbo, the chief scholar of Yuelu, stood up in excitement and praised loudly, Excellent! What a say not there is no pure land in the mortal realm! Eldest Miss Xie truly possesses the talent of chanting snowflakes of our time! This poem on snow is enough to overwhelm all the vulgar cosmetic vanity tonight!
The number one talented woman in Jiangnan, truly living up to her reputation!
Praises kept flooding in.
Xie Yunwan merely smiled faintly and poured the wine from her cup onto the ground. It was a kind of libation, as well as a silent arrogance.
She turned around, her gaze fixed tightly on Xu Qinghuan.
County Princess Xu.
This call caused all the gazes in the hall to instantly shift.
Xu Qinghuan was too familiar with that look; it was a hunter looking at its prey, a cat looking at a mouse.
The preface Her Highness the County Princess presented just now was indeed stunning. Xie Yunwan deliberately emphasized the word buy, the mockery in her eyes completely undisguised. I just wonder, for this impromptu poem, does Her Highness... still have any stock left?
Zhao Tai also reacted at this moment. The face he lost just now could be perfectly regained here.
Fanning his folding fan, he chimed in sarcastically, Eldest Miss Xie is asking the impossible. County Princess Xu is in business, and hoarding for profit is her trade. However, poetry is not like cabbages; how can one buy ready-made ones anytime and anywhere?
Exactly. If she cannot compose one, she should not force herself.
That preface from earlier was probably the posthumous work of some down-and-out great scholar that she managed to pick up. But this snow poem is a topic given on the spot; let us see how she fakes it!
The whispers around them grew louder and louder, becoming quite annoying.
Xu Qinghuan sat there, the round fan in her hand no longer swaying.
She frowned slightly, a pained expression appearing on her face.
To others, this looked like the embarrassment of a dried-up mind and the panic of having her true colors exposed.
Zhao Tai smiled even more happily, Oh my, what is wrong with County Princess Xu? A stomachache? If you really cannot compose anything, why not beg Eldest Miss Xie to give you some pointers?
Looking at Xu Qinghuan's scrunched-up face, Xie Yunwan finally felt the resentment in her heart smooth out.
She straightened her cuffs, her tone sounding magnanimous, but in reality, she was pressing hard. If Her Highness the County Princess is truly in a difficult position, why not punish yourself with three cups of wine and just leave. The Xie family does not lack this one hundred thousand taels of silver. Her Highness should keep it to renovate the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Leaving the banquet.
This was an outright eviction.
If she were to leave in disgrace now, the reputation she had spent money to buy would collapse instantly, and she, Xu Qinghuan, would completely become a joke.
However.
The agony in Xu Qinghuan's heart at this moment was not at all because she could not compose a poem, but because...
System! Fifty thousand taels?!
Xu Qinghuan roared frantically in her mind, Li Bai was only thirty thousand taels just now! Why does this Liu Zongyuan cost fifty thousand taels?! You are raising the price on the spot! You are running a scam!
The system's cold mechanical voice did not fluctuate at all, Host, please note that this poem is the ultimate masterpiece of loneliness throughout the ages. The aloof attribute it contains can inflict two hundred percent mental critical damage on these moaning mediocrities at the scene. Furthermore, it supports a holographic scene rendering of the lone boat and an old man in a straw cape and hat. It is excellent value for money.
I do not want scene rendering! I just want it cheaper!
No bargaining. A ten-second countdown begins. If not redeemed, it is recommended that the host leave immediately to avoid being spat on by Zhao Tai.
Ten, nine, eight...
Xu Qinghuan looked at the red countdown on the system panel, and then looked at Xie Yunwan's face in front of her, a face so aloof that it made one want to slap it.
Fifty thousand taels!
That was a full fifty thousand taels of silver!
How much land could she buy with that? How many unfinished buildings could she acquire?
Xu Qinghuan felt her heart bleeding; it was a genuine physiological pain. Her facial features twisted slightly from the heartache, and her eye sockets even turned a bit red.
But in the eyes of outsiders, this was clearly the precursor to a breakdown, being driven to a dead end and wishing to die from shame and anger.
It seems County Princess Xu is truly out of stock.
Xie Yunwan chuckled softly and turned to leave. Since that is the case, then this Splendid Banquet...
Who said I am out of stock?
A somewhat hoarse voice rang out.
Xu Qinghuan slowly stood up.
Because she was heartbroken over the money, her movements were a bit stiff, and her face was slightly pale.
She reached out and pulled a gold hairpin from her head.
It was pure gold, inlaid with rubies, worth at least fifty taels.
This gold hairpin, I bestow upon you.
Xu Qinghuan raised her hand.
Ding dong!
The gold hairpin fell into the water channel in front of her, splashing a small water flower and making a crisp sound. In this silent hall, the commotion was quite loud.
Xie Yunwan paused her steps, turned her head, and frowned slightly.
She saw Xu Qinghuan stepping barefoot on the carpet. That tacky bright red dress with gold threads now actually exuded an indescribable sense of resolution.
She raised her head and looked at the dome of the hall, as if she could see through the glazed tiles to the vast heaven and earth.
System, redeem.
She gritted her teeth and uttered these words in her heart; it was the sound of cutting off her own flesh.
Boom!
An invisible chill suddenly spread out in all directions with Xu Qinghuan at the center. That was not a cold wind, but a bone-piercing artistic conception.
Xu Qinghuan opened her mouth. Her voice was no longer as lazy as when she read the preface earlier, but carried a kind of extreme coldness and aloofness.
From a thousand mountains, the flight of birds has vanished.
As the first line came out, the smile on Zhao Tai's face, who was originally prepared to watch a joke, instantly froze.
This line was too quiet, so quiet that it made people afraid.
Just now, Xie Yunwan was talking about jade towers and flying catkins, which were small scenes of the mortal world. But as soon as Xu Qinghuan spoke, she directly pulled everyone into a vast and empty world.
From a thousand mountains, the flight of birds has vanished; what kind of deathly stillness was that?
On ten thousand paths, human footprints are wiped out.
The second line followed closely.
Xie An suddenly sat up straight. The teacup in his hand swayed, and a few drops of hot tea splashed onto the back of his hand, but he did not notice.
If the first line was about the sky, then this line was about the earth. Between heaven and earth, there were no living creatures left.
A tremendous sense of loneliness instantly enveloped the entire Jade Tower Spring.
Those who were cheering for Xie Yunwan's plum blossoms weighing down the branches just now only felt a burning pain on their faces at this moment.
In the face of the vastness of human footprints wiped out on ten thousand paths, what plum blossoms, what jade towers, were simply a joke.
Xie Yunwan's face turned pale. She stared fixedly at Xu Qinghuan, her nails digging into her palms.
Xu Qinghuan closed her eyes.
She did not want to look at these people.
She only felt that those fifty thousand taels of silver had turned into a heavy snowstorm, scattering over her heart, making her shiver from the cold.
A lone boat, an old man in a straw cape and hat.
Xu Qinghuan's voice lowered, carrying a trace of trembling.
It was as if a hallucination had truly appeared in the hall; everyone seemed to see a small flat boat swaying in the wind and snow.
That was no one else.
That was Xu Qinghuan herself.
In this Jiangning City full of calculations and malice, she was that old man in the straw cape and hat, fighting against the wind and snow of the entire world alone.
Fishing alone... in the cold river snow.
The last few words were spat out softly, without exhaustion or dramatic cadence.
Yet they pierced ruthlessly into the hearts of everyone present.
Fishing alone in the cold river snow.
What was being fished was not fish, but the sky-filling loneliness, the bone-piercing cold.
The entire hall fell dead silent, even quieter than when Xu Qinghuan had read the preface earlier.
Even the sound of the wind over the Qinhuai River seemed to have stopped.
Xu Qinghuan opened her eyes. There was not a single hint of triumph in her gaze, only an unconcealable sorrow born from the agonizing loss of a massive fortune.
She looked at Xie Yunwan, the woman who, just moments ago, had been the high and mighty First Maiden of Talents in Jiangnan.
"Eldest Miss Xie."
Xu Qinghuan's voice was soft, yet it pierced the air.
"Your plum blossoms might be enough to weigh down the branches."
"But this snow over the freezing river... do you have what it takes to catch it?"
Xie Yunwan swayed, stumbling a half-step backward as all the color drained from her face.
She opened her mouth to argue, wanting to claim that the poem's rhythm was flawed, that its mood was far too bleak.
But it felt as though something was lodged in her throat. She could not force out a single word.
Before this poem, River Snow, any rebuttal was utterly powerless.
