Chapter 18

Chapter 18

But Lian Xiusheng did not go over to his third brother's side. They were like the Chu and Han rivers—one side was men whose words set the standard for scholars and whose actions serve as a model for the world; the other side was pampered dandies, ignorant of the hardships of farming.

Ming Shu sat down. Her maid handed her the pipa, and she gently extended her jade fingers, beginning to sing "Butterflies in Love with Flowers."

"Life's paths are many and varied; generals, ministers, and immortals—all must be made by mortals..."

Lian Cheng lay on the low table, savoring plum wine, gazing at the beauty, humming along softly. This was thanks to his six years in middle and high school, during which he devoured every book he could find in the school library; his first year of college reading became even more eclectic. If he hadn't accidentally been transported into this book, his monthly reading list would still have over eighty books left.

"Three cups of muddy wine, drunk to oblivion; water flows, flowers fall, who knows where..."

When the song ended, the gentlemen burst into applause. But suddenly, with a clink, a silver ingot rolled from the room to beneath Ming Shu's golden damask high-heeled shoes.

Ming Shu didn't even glance at it, giving a faint smile. "A fine bold sir, daring to throw silver at me. Do you take this place for a brothel outside the city?"

The gentleman who had thrown the silver felt embarrassed. As he was about to speak, he was surrounded by several people who beat him soundly, then lifted him by his limbs and threw him out the door.

Ming Shu still didn't look, merely shifting from holding the pipa horizontally to vertically. "What other songs would you gentlemen like to hear?"

Around Lian Cheng, people began chattering with Ming Shu, mentioning many familiar ci poetry titles, such as "Spring in a Pleasure Garden," "West River Moon," or popular street tunes like "Sheep on the Hillside" and "By the Dressing Table."

Lian Cheng quietly watched her. If his judgment was correct, the courtesans in this book were not what later generations generally thought them to be. At this time, courtesans were the best in beauty and the best in art. Poets and scholars vied to present poems to them, and sons of nobles spent fortunes. Later, extraordinary women like Dong Xiaowan, Liu Rushi, and Li Xiangjun emerged.

"Third Young Master Lian, if there's a song you'd like to hear, you may tell this servant?"

Everyone looked at Lian Cheng, who had remained silent, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.

Lian Cheng, belatedly realizing he had been singled out by the beauty, blushed. He got off the couch, straightened his clothes, and made a bow. "Ming Shu may play whatever she pleases; we all listen as if hearing celestial music."

Ming Shu said nothing more and began to sing and play "Sheep on the Hillside" on her own, expressing the shyness and sorrow of a lovelorn maiden so vividly that it seemed to weep.

Lian Cheng listened earnestly; he found it beautiful.

After another song, Ming Shu raised a cup to drink with the group, but first stated that she would not drink with any gentleman she couldn't converse with.

Li Wan eagerly wanted to try. Turning his head, he saw Lian Cheng hiding behind him.

"What does Minzi intend to do?"

Lian Cheng was unceremonious and unabashed. "I am unparalleled in the world; I'm sure I can say a few words to her. But I shouldn't drink any more tonight—if Mother finds out when I get home, she'll scold me."

Li Wan ignored him and rushed to the front, stumbling as he bowed. "Ming Shu, let me match verses with you."

Ming Shu said, "Closing the door, I push away the moonlight before the window."

Li Wan scratched his ears and cheeks for a long time, then raised his cup. "Leaving the door, I kick away the stone underfoot! How's that?"

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter, and Ming Shu naturally stopped speaking to him.

"The prince is truly formidable—'stone underfoot,' hahaha! We bow in admiration!"

Li Wan, both angry and embarrassed, ran back to sit beside Lian Cheng. "Minzi, you must help me win a round and restore my honor!"

Zhang Xian lounged opposite, teasing lazily. "You yourself failed in your lecherous pursuit; how can you send Lian Cheng to fight your battle?"

Li Wan wouldn't relent and dragged Lian Cheng over. "Ming Shu, my Minzi is unmatched in the world—he's sure to match verses with you!"

"..." Lian Cheng had been joking. He gave Ming Shu a polite smile.

"Third Young Master, would you like to try?" Ming Shu made a bow.

Lian Cheng returned the bow, and just as he was about to speak, a cool voice came from behind the crowd.

"Cast a stone, stir up the water beneath the sky." Lian Xiusheng, unwilling to compete for attention, declined Ming Shu's wine, his eyes lightly resting on his third brother, who was flushed at the sight of the beauty. "Since Third Brother is unwilling, there's no need to force yourself."

The group savored the couplet "Closing the door, I push away the moonlight before the window; cast a stone, stir up the water beneath the sky" and praised it loudly, shouting, "Xiusheng is truly the one who holds the bull's ear—the best among us!"

But Lian Xiusheng glanced at Ye Xin beside him. "A frivolous remark—don't take it seriously."

Ye Xin smiled. "Sixth Young Master's talent impresses us all; we are convinced. No need for modesty."

On Lian Cheng's side, he was first surprised, then grateful—it saved him from racking his brains further. But Ming Shu wouldn't let it go, insisting that one of the two drink the wine in her hand.

Li Wan jumped up with envy. "Minzi, I'm telling you, don't be ungrateful."

"I didn't say I wouldn't drink it." Lian Cheng took the cup and downed it in one gulp.

After thanking Ming Shu for the wine, Lian Cheng tried to bypass some people to find Lian Xiusheng and thank him. But at that moment, a figure appeared at his side. Before he could react, two servants in coarse cloth grabbed him and dragged him into a cramped side room.

"Lian Cheng!" A loud roar. "Today, I will flay your skin and pull your tendons!"

-

As he spoke, a person carrying a lamp walked up to Lian Cheng. He wore blue clothes, was about the same height as Lian Cheng, with a haughty expression. Lian Cheng almost thought the other was about to burn him with the candle.

"May I ask your name?" Lian Cheng cleared his throat and asked.

But the other suddenly changed from his earlier wild arrogance, staring dumbly, even the flame of the candle in his hand stopped flickering.

"How come you're so good-looking?" He blinked blankly. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Lian Cheng's heart was anxious, but he dared not show it. It was too troublesome not knowing whether the other was friend or foe.

Fortunately, the servant behind the other clasped his hands and spoke. "You returned to the capital from the secondary capital only a month ago. As soon as you arrived, this Lian family brat insulted you. You may not know, but the third young master of the Lian family is extraordinarily beautiful, known as the 'Beauty of Yaobei.'"

Hearing this, Lian Cheng immediately realized who this young man was—most likely the Xia family son whom the original owner had mistaken for a male prostitute and thrown silver at. His name should be Xia Shutong. He thought the matter had been settled, but it turns out it was waiting for him here!

But since the original owner was at fault, Lian Cheng didn't care about anything else—apologize and be done with it. He leaned against the door, smiling amiably at the other. "We've crossed paths without really knowing each other. My past actions were wrong; I apologize to you. Can you forgive me? If you will, let's drink a pot of muddy wine together and be brothers from now on—what do you say?"

Xia Shutong stared at this handsome young man before him. Even though there was a distance, he felt as if he were burning in a blazing fire. He blushed, clenched his fists. "Don't grin at me! That day you took me for a male prostitute, and now you want to be brothers with me? Are you dreaming?"

Lian Cheng said, "It's getting late."

Xia Shutong raised his fist, as if to strike.

How could Lian Cheng stand still and let himself be hit? He turned and ran, but hadn't gone half a lap before he was caught by the two servants. But no matter—he still had one trick.

"Xiusheng! Xiusheng! Sixth Brother! Sixth Young Master! Come and rescue your elder brother!"

"Li Wan! Zhang Xian! Lu Zhen!"

"Hit the face, but don't hit the face."

"Bang!"

The door of the room was kicked open with a single blow. The ones who kicked it were not any of those Lian Cheng had called but the two Embroidered Uniform Guards who had been almost invisible all along. They wore blue-green brocade uniforms and ordinary small caps, carrying wild goose-feather sabers. The blades reflected the panicked yet excited expressions of both groups inside and outside the room.

The two guards were imposing and intimidating. They had deliberately hidden their presence earlier, but now that they revealed themselves, they exuded a murderous aura, like sharp arrows flying straight at the face, making it impossible to dodge or hide.

“The emperor has ordered that anyone causing trouble over New Year’s, whether commoner or noble, shall be sent to the imperial jail for two days,” said one of the two, who was taller and sturdier. “For Lord Xia’s sake, we’ll overlook it this time. If there’s a next time, even if Lord Xia himself comes to plead, the Eastern Depot won’t back down!”

Ye Xin came forward to escort the two lords away, saying that wine had been prepared.

Although Xia Shutong ordered his servants to release Lian Cheng, he muttered under his breath, “Lapdog.”

Lian Cheng was helped up from the ground by Lian Xiusheng, his legs a little shaky—not from Xia Shutong, but from the Imperial Guards. Leaning on Lian Xiusheng, he said, “Xiu Sheng, why didn’t you come rescue me sooner?”

“That was the Imperial Guard’s job; I couldn’t just steal their thunder,” replied Lian Xiusheng. “Third Brother, are you injured?”

Lian Cheng clutched his heart like a swooning maiden, acting overly dramatic.

But Lian Xiusheng believed him and raised a hand to undo his clothes.

Lian Cheng quickly blocked him and stood up straight. “I was just teasing you. Thanks to those two lords, Xia Shutong didn’t even get a chance to touch me.”

Only then did Lian Xiusheng’s frown ease. He turned to look at Xia Shutong and said coolly, “You barely got Lord Xia’s pardon a month ago and returned to the capital from your maternal grandfather’s place in the secondary capital. You’ve been back less than a month. If you stir up trouble again, do you want to be sent to some even more remote place to work on your temper?”

Xia Shutong said indignantly, “He insulted me in the marketplace a month ago, so it’s only fair that I insult him back today.”

Lian Xiusheng sneered without any expression, “Dressed like a male songstress, you should be on the Qinhuai River, in brothel boats and pleasure houses. Why show up in the capital’s marketplace?”

“You…”

And there it was—the Lian family’s Third Young Master had insulted the Xia family’s young master once, and now the Lian family’s Sixth Young Master had insulted him a second time.

Xia Shutong trembled with rage, his two servants just as furious, but they were more worried that their young master might faint from anger, so they kept whispering words of comfort.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Xia Shutong burst out crying loudly. “I’m going home to tell my father that you lowlifes have bullied and tormented me!”

Lian Cheng noticed Xia Shutong’s clothes looked different from everyone else’s—perhaps he really had been away from home for a long time, effectively “exiled” by his family. Though the secondary capital was a decent place, it wasn’t his own home, and there might be a lot of pent-up resentment in his heart.

“Stop crying,” said Lian Cheng, softening his tone. He stepped forward from beside Lian Xiusheng, took out a handkerchief, and handed it over. “I didn’t mean to mistake your identity that day. My sixth younger brother only spoke harshly because he cares about me. Think carefully—that day I gave you silver, it was because I thought you were really handsome, not because of any frivolous intent. But you deliberately twisted my intention. In the end, all this mess came from your own narrow-mindedness. Both my younger brother and I have been implicated because of you. So here’s the deal: I won’t hold it against you, and you don’t need to apologize to me. Let’s just drop it and be brothers from now on. How about it?”

Xia Shutong stared at the handsome young man in front of him, gently comforting him, and he didn’t know if he was in heaven or on earth anymore. How could he say no? He took the handkerchief, clutching it in his hand. “What you say makes sense—I was also in the wrong.”

“Yes. Admitting a mistake and fixing it is the best thing you can do,” Lian Cheng said in a very mature tone.

The two servants beside them opened their mouths wide like goose eggs.

Lian Cheng was really pleased with himself. He turned around, hoping Lian Xiusheng could learn from him—showing the magnanimity of a prime minister, as the saying goes.

But behind him, there was no one. The other had already left at some point.

Leaving without telling his elder brother? How rude.

-

And so Xia Shutong joined Lian Cheng’s little group. The five of them chose a good spot: a daybed by the window, with a heated stove underneath and half-open lattice windows with diamond patterns. They followed the old tradition of sweeping snow to brew tea, which had a unique charm.

Xia Shutong knelt on the couch and said, “In the secondary capital, they don’t go in for steeping tea—too straightforward and crude. They still adhere to the art of whipped tea. Let me show you how to mix the paste and whisk the froth.”

Li Wan didn’t appreciate hearing that. “How is steeping tea ‘too straightforward and crude’?”

“Hey,” Zhang Xian interjected, “When it comes to elegance, the capital has never been able to compete with the secondary capital. Du Heng, why argue about such things?”

While waiting for tea, none of them knew how much hot wine they had already drunk. Lian Cheng’s face showed nothing, but his eyes were already glassy. When Xia Shutong handed him a cup of tea, he took a sip and recited, “Suddenly surprised by the hare-fur spots on the noon cup, whisked into spring urn’s goose-yellow wine.”

Xia Shutong quickly said, “Lian Cheng, you flatter me.”

Li Wan couldn’t help asking, “What year were you born?”

“The year of the Tiger.”

“Two years younger than Minzi. Minzi is a Rat,” Zhang Xian chuckled.

“What is your courtesy name?” Lu Zhen asked.

“Zhaoyang.”

The several of them introduced themselves to each other, exchanging “brother” and “younger brother” for several rounds before settling the seniority order. Among the five, it turned out that only Lu Zhen and Xia Shutong were not yet capped. Li Wan and Zhang Xian were older than Lian Cheng. Lian Cheng was also the third in line, but they didn’t stand on ceremony and usually called each other by their courtesy names.

As they became more familiar, Xia Shutong spoke at length about the interesting anecdotes of the secondary capital—its customs and people were like a different melody from the capital. Even Lian Cheng, who loved reading miscellaneous books, listened entranced. If he ever had the chance, he would love to experience the charm of a different place.

Their corner was the epitome of romantic young gentlemen, discussing only the pleasures of life—wind, flowers, snow, and moon. They formed a world of their own. In the opposite corner of the room, several people sat in quiet concentration, sipping tea in absolute silence.

Ye Xin was the first to speak: “Minzi has changed a lot these days. Is it because you punished him a month ago?”

Lian Xiusheng stared at the boiling water in the kettle on the table. “Probably. I don’t know his thoughts either.”

“Is there any thought in this world that you can’t see through?” the young man opposite said, lifting the kettle as soon as the water boiled to brew the tea.

Ye Xin helped pick out the tea leaves. “It’s good tea leaves, but unfortunately I can’t drink anymore.”

Lian Xiusheng glanced at the other, smiled lightly, and placed two almonds on the plate beside Ye Xin’s hand. “With dried fruits, it might be a bit more palatable.”

Ye Xin said, “I don’t like dried fruits like these.”

Lian Xiusheng waited for him to continue.

“I’ve heard that at Lord Xia’s residence, there are a few taels of wonderfully flavored fruits that go perfectly with tea.”

Lian Xiusheng then looked toward the corner by the window where the carefree young lords were gathered.

His mind was full of worries, and he had no intention of thinking too much. But as luck would have it, the most handsome young lord seemed to have sensed something and looked in his direction, his drunken eyes half-closed and slightly tilted.

After a silent exchange of glances, Lian Cheng winked at his sixth younger brother, resembling a beautiful woman leaning by the window, with a silver backdrop.

Lian Xiusheng remained unmoved as a jade mountain. He only lowered his head and grasped his teacup. After a while, he looked across and said, “Was the water too hot? The good tea leaves have been ruined.”