The morning was bright with spring sunshine, and the sound of a pipa drifted through the air.

This outing wasn't a formal literary gathering, so there wasn't a panel of judges and an organizer on stage. However, seats had been arranged on the grass. A young woman danced gracefully to the music, drawing applause and cheers from the gathered scholars. Afterwards, they engaged in conversation, discussing poetry and other literary matters.

"...Master Chen has chosen a wonderful location. The sky is clear today, and from here we can behold the magnificent scenery of the Yangtze River. I propose that we all compose poems about the Yangtze, and have the top scholar, Qin, critique them. What do you say?"

"Excellent idea..."

Maintaining a literary atmosphere in such a relaxed setting was easy. The scholars present were always ready to write a verse or two, and gathered together, they couldn't suppress their poetic inclinations. It was best to start with a common and easy topic, like the Yangtze River, that most people could write about. Everyone agreed with the suggestion. A beautiful woman picked up a musical instrument and said with a smile, "I would be honored to sing for Young Master Xue." Xue, flattered, quickly began composing his poem. A good poem, sung well, would certainly add to the occasion. Laughter and conversation filled the air, and before long, music and song filled the air.

Not everyone gathered in the main group. Li Shishi, Zhou Bangyan, and others were gathered nearby, attended by Chen Luoyuan, who smiled as he listened to the poems being sung. Others were scattered in small groups, chatting and observing the scene.

Qin Shaohe, the top scholar, was among the largest group. Being noticed, he couldn't escape. He was also interested in the scholarship of the Jiangning scholars, so he joined in. While enjoying the poetry, he occasionally glanced in one direction. He hadn't greeted Ning Yi since arriving. Now, Ning Yi and two girls dressed in men's clothes were crouched on the edge of the grass, looking down.

"Wow, the slope is quite steep and long. Looks fun..."

This was the most open part of the meadow, with a distant view of the Yangtze River and Stone City. A long, grassy slope descended the hill, appearing quite steep, over forty-five degrees, the kind of slope you could roll down in one go. At the bottom was a lush forest. Ning Yi, having heard a song and knowing the main event hadn't started, decided to take advantage of the slope. His main goal was to bring Yunzhu out to have fun.

A servant, seeing them at the edge, rushed to warn them of the danger. Ning Yi waved him off, telling him to find some tools. Prince Consort Kang Xian also came over. "What are you up to, you rascal?"

"Master Chen has found a great place. What official position did he hold to be able to buy such a nice piece of land?" Ning Yi looked around and asked with a smile.

"Chen Luoyuan only served as a magistrate, and later held unimportant posts. He was known for his scholarship, but his official performance wasn't outstanding. Whatever position he held didn't really matter."

"Tsk." Ning Yi lowered his voice. "Three years as a clean magistrate, and still ten thousand taels of silver."

"Haha, you rogue, you're judging a gentleman by your own petty standards. The Chen family has always been a major landowner in Jiangning. Although the Su family is now wealthy, it's still a merchant family, like a tree without roots. They can't compare to him."

Ning Yi shrugged and pointed to the side. "I'm going to slide down from here."

"Eh?" Kang Xian was taken aback.

"There are a few rocks in the middle, but I've chosen my route carefully. There won't be any problems. But this kind of sport isn't for old men. Prince Consort Kang, you'll just have to watch."

"Haha..." Kang Xian laughed. "Nonsense, you're still so mischievous. Today is a gathering of talent, and you should be thinking of elegant matters, not playing childish games. You're known as the foremost talent of Jiangning, and the scholars from the capital are here. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

"What's so funny? This is an outing, meant for fun. If we were by the river, I'd bring a kite and some barbecue."

"That's true." Kang Xian thought for a moment. "But this sport is too dangerous. If you're going to play, I'll tell you, later you can go up the mountain. There's a hot spring up there. This game is too dangerous. How can Miss Nie slide down with you?"

The old man smiled. Yunzhu blushed slightly. Ning Yi thought about it. Soon, the servant brought two wooden boards and two iron bars. Ning Yi examined the iron bars and realized they wouldn't work. The iron was too hard. If he lost his grip and they stuck in the ground, they'd impale someone. But he'd done this many times before. He tied the wooden boards to his shoes, like skis.

As he busied himself, many people couldn't help but look over. Li Shishi, Qilan, Zhou Bangyan, Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi – these people were all paying attention to Ning Yi's activities, to varying degrees, knowing he was somewhat distant from literary pursuits. It was a strange feeling. The Jiangning scholars somewhat hoped to see a groundbreaking poem, yet they also didn't want Ning Yi to make a move. This feeling was especially strong in top scholars like Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi. Each of them had to admit that they were somewhat wary of the name Ning Liheng.

Ordinary scholars like Cao Guan had written many poems, some good, some bad, sometimes inspired, sometimes mediocre. Their reputations had grown through literary gatherings and discussions. But even the best of them only had a few truly representative works. Ning Yi didn't participate in literary gatherings. He'd gained fame with just a few poems. While this was somewhat unconventional, it was undeniable that Ning Yi's three poems weren't meant for discussion, but to dominate the field.

Ingeniously crafted, clearly destined to be classics. Whether it was "When Will the Moon Be Clear?" or "The Jade Green Case" or "Setting Wind and Waves," these were poems that stirred the heart. If there was a literary competition, one poem could decide the victory. But if such poems were written, there would be nothing left for others to write. How could they even begin?

Earlier, they'd heard that Miss Qilan had invited Ning Yi to write a poem. Cao Guan and others had been somewhat wary, telling themselves to bring their best. His skill wasn't that much worse than Ning Liheng's, and the other man couldn't possibly write a masterpiece every time. But when he saw that Ning Yi seemed to want to stay out of it, he felt relieved, but also somewhat annoyed.

Zhou Bangyan and others wondered what Ning Yi was doing. They saw him tie wooden boards to his shoes and slide down the grassy slope. "Wah wah wah..." came the sound from below. They realized he was playing such a childish game, and couldn't help but smile wryly.

After a while, Ning Yi climbed back up. He sat on the top of the slope for a moment. Then, Qilan, carrying her zither, went over and knelt down, talking to him. After they spoke, Ning Yi seemed to be intrigued again, and he slid down the grassy slope again.

The crowd was speechless. Suddenly, a scream rang out. Qilan stood at the edge of the slope, pale with fright. Two scholars were already starting to climb down the slope. No one knew what had happened. Then, they heard someone shout from below: "I'm alright, I'm alright. The wooden board isn't very strong..." Many people crowded around with concern. Ning Yi was climbing up from below, having rolled down the slope a few times. His robes were slightly disheveled, but he was unharmed. One of the long wooden boards on his feet had broken.

When he came up, everyone laughed and asked if he was alright. Chen Luoyuan had also come over. Knowing his identity, he offered to let him change clothes at the villa below, but Ning Yi declined, as his robe was still fairly clean. Earlier, they had been asking Qin Shaohe to write a poem. Qin Shaohe, having written one, laughed: "Poetry isn't my strong suit. Many of you here write better than I do. For example, Liheng is very talented. We're composing poems over there, while he's tumbling around over here, ruining the scenery. How about we punish him with three poems?"

Ning Yi brushed the dust off his clothes and laughed: "I just fell. You want me to write poetry? How about doggerel?" Yunzhu, quick-eyed, noticed that some threads were loose on Ning Yi's clothes, and there was a small tear in the hem. She pointed it out. Ning Yi frowned and straightened his clothes. Seeing that he was really occupied, Qin Shaohe laughed and let him off the hook. After a moment, someone suddenly said: "I heard that Liheng and Miss Shishi are childhood friends?"

Earlier, everyone had gathered around to see if Ning Yi was alright. Li Shishi, Zhou Bangyan, and others had also joined the group. As they chatted and laughed, that person made that statement. Shishi paused slightly, then smiled and glanced at Ning Yi. Ning Yi also frowned slightly. Then, someone else said: "Is that true?"

This news surprised everyone. The crowd murmured, some displeased, some envious, some jealous. In the brief moment earlier, many of the Jiangning scholars had developed a good impression of Li Shishi. After all, the title of courtesan was very attractive. Li Shishi was both beautiful and friendly. She had been present while everyone was writing poems, and although she hadn't personally sung for anyone, she had offered compliments after others had written them. Most of these people in Jiangning had someone they liked, but today, the most famous courtesan from the capital was present. If they could win her favor, it would be a great honor.

No one wanted to hear that their crush had a past with someone else. Zhou Bangyan and others were slightly unhappy in their hearts. This matter had actually been spread by Yu Hezhong. He was unhappy with Zhou Bangyan and others. Knowing that his own poetry skills were limited and that this concerned Shishi's reputation, he didn't want to mess things up. After hearing the news that Little Ning was actually Ning Liheng, he had been stunned for a moment, but then an idea came to him.

Instead of letting Zhou Bangyan and others steal the spotlight for Shishi, it would be better to let Liheng overshadow them all. Since everyone was old acquaintances, in his mind, Liheng would definitely help.

So, as soon as he arrived, Yu Hezhong asked people about Ning Liheng's whereabouts, then casually mentioned Shishi's past with him. After some hype, Ning and Li became the focus of the crowd.

"Liheng..." Li Shishi thought for a moment, then lowered her head and smiled. "It's true that I'm acquainted with him. When Shishi was learning the art of playing the qin here in Jiangning with Madam Li, we happened to live at the entrance of Sanlian Alley, and Liheng's family also lived in Sanlian Alley. So, we knew each other back then. I just never thought that the Little Ning back then would become the Master Ning of today. I only confirmed it when we met today."

"Is that really the case? That must have been many years ago?" someone asked with interest.

Ning Yi nodded. "That's...right."

The crowd murmured again. Liu Qingdi stood in the crowd, originally feeling quite displeased, but now narrowed his eyes slightly. He looked at Li Shishi, then at Yuan Jin'er on the other side, and thought of something. He smiled and stepped forward.

"Childhood sweethearts, innocent playmates. The Liheng of those days probably never imagined that the little girl would become the famous Shishi of today, renowned throughout the capital. The Shishi of those days probably never imagined that Brother Ning would be praised throughout Jiangning, becoming the acclaimed foremost talent. Brother Ning and Miss Shishi are both the best of their time. As the Buddhists say, this is fate. In my opinion, you must both have many feelings at this moment. If today's literary gathering is to achieve a beautiful ending, why not have Liheng compose a poem for Miss Shishi, and have Miss Shishi sing it? What do you all think?"

He had argued with Yunzhu and Jin'er that morning, and now it was like enemies meeting face to face, filled with animosity. Ning Yi looked at him with a smile that wasn't a smile. Liu Qingdi also looked back, sharply. Jin'er, in the back, curled her lips in disdain. This Liu Qingdi was too childish. If she really liked Ning Yi, seeing his talent easily captivate the crowd and win the heart of the courtesan, she would inevitably feel resentful. But now, it would probably only make Sister Yunzhu uncomfortable. Well, then, she might as well take advantage of the situation and steal Sister Yunzhu's heart.

If Ning Yi really produced a masterpiece at this moment, captivating Li Shishi on the spot, he would steal the spotlight. Cao Guan wouldn't be happy, and neither would Zhou Bangyan and others. But most of the people in the crowd didn't have a personal stake in it, and wished the event would grow even bigger. They couldn't be the main characters, but they could still bask in the glory as participants. After Liu Qingdi finished speaking, people immediately responded. Kang Xian also chimed in: "This old man finds this interesting." Qin Shaoqian even started cheering: "Young couple, childhood sweethearts, you have to write, you definitely have to write!" Even the shy Xu Xiaohu kept nodding: "That's right, that's right." He was a martial artist and yearned for such literary gatherings, eager to witness a romantic event fueled by talent.

Li Shishi's eyes flickered. Her face was slightly flushed, perfectly playing her role. Ning Yi's eyes swept across the crowd. Yunzhu was behind him, but he couldn't see her face. After a long silence, he finally nodded and spoke.

"...Alright." Ning Yi thought for a moment, then stepped towards a desk that was placed not far away. He took out paper and pen, dipped the brush in ink. "Just a doggerel poem, please don't laugh."

Judging by his expression, what he was about to write would naturally not be doggerel. The crowd gathered around the desk. Some were laughing, some were becoming quiet. People scattered around the grass also gathered around, some were concerned. Cao Guan, Zhou Bangyan, and others frowned, their expressions still. This spring outing had just begun, but if a masterpiece were to come out now, the rest of the event would probably be uninteresting. The brilliance of all the people would be overshadowed by this poem. And Li Shishi, on the side, was smiling slightly, but with a hint of anticipation in her eyes. This poem was related to her. She really wanted to see what poem this old friend, who had already been called the foremost talent of Jiangning, could write.

The brush fell on the paper. The calligraphy was still very good, and...it was definitely not doggerel.

However, the expressions of the crowd gradually changed from smiles to silence, as if they were having difficulty understanding. They became puzzled, and then, gradually, they became strange...

On the paper, there were a total of eight lines...

"Some are in high towers, some are in deep ditches, some shine with a thousand rays, some are covered in rust. There are millions of people in the world, don't chase after fleeting clouds. This person is like a rainbow, only encountered will you know."

What kind of poem is this?

************

Poking my head out: Modern poetry...

Well, these two chapters should be nine thousand words. (To be continued. Your votes and monthly tickets are my biggest motivation.)

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