"A gentle breeze brings warmth, and light mist plays with the clearing sky. The pond is filled with spring's colors..."

Spring was in full bloom, a melodious voice echoing. Upon the lawn, Li Shishi was playing and singing. Search: \(\?End?This?Site) to read high-quality literature for free. The melody followed the tune of "Ying Tian Chang." Her fingers danced lightly across the strings, her eyes lowered, not smiling and watching the audience as performers usually did, but wholeheartedly immersing herself in the lyrics and melody. Since the words were newly composed by Zhou Bangyan, she was carefully experiencing them, and because of this dedication, her figure possessed a unique, selfless air.

Zhou Bangyan was also standing on the edge of the crowd, listening to the soft and melodious voice, but he did not look towards Li Shishi. Instead, his gaze rested on the mountains in the distance, as if lost in his own memories.

He was quite satisfied with the lyrics he had composed slowly while chatting with the crowd.

"...It is a moonless night in the hall, a deep and silent Cold Food Festival. Swallows in the rafters, old guests from the previous festival. They seem to laugh at me, shut away in lonely sorrow... Scattered flowers pass by, artemisia in the neighboring courtyard, scattered all over the ground..."

This was not a completely festive song for the occasion. Zhou Bangyan excelled at expressing emotions through objects, and his lyrics were often filled with feelings of melancholy. The topic of conversation earlier had been about his time as an official in the capital, but he had since been dismissed. After some other topics were brought up, he made a few remarks along with others. The inspiration for the lyrics then came. He wrote the first two lines, and the rest gradually followed.

The lyrics described the scenery during the Cold Food Festival, with the lines "It is a moonless night in the hall, a deep and silent Cold Food Festival" drawing from Bai Juyi's poem "Cold Food Night": "No moon, no lanterns on Cold Food Night, still standing before the dark flowers late at night." Zhou Bangyan's lyrics were characterized by the use of previous writings to make extensions and express sentiments. After singing the first stanza, Shishi slightly squinted her eyes and softly sang the emotions of the second stanza.

"...I remember that time, an unexpected encounter, oil-covered carriages parked in the suburbs. I saw the Han Palace passing candles, and the smoke flew over the residences of the Five Marquises. Green grass, a confusing path. Forcing myself to drink, I carefully search for past traces. The market bridge is far, the houses under the willows, still recognizable."

The first stanza described the present scene, while the second stanza recalled past events. The prelude paved the way, and the conclusion elevated the theme, deeply echoing each other. The lines "I saw the Han Palace passing candles, and the smoke flew over the residences of the Five Marquises" alluded to Han Hong's poem "Cold Food": "Flowers fly everywhere in the spring city, the east wind slants the imperial willows on Cold Food, at dusk, the Han Palace passes candles, and light smoke scatters into the homes of the Five Marquises." This allusion was extremely well-used, making the entire song truly a rare masterpiece.

Of course, if Ning Yi were here, he might laugh a few times. Perhaps Puyang Yi and others mixed in the crowd were also laughing. Ning Yi had just written the line "Of the millions of people in the world, do not seek fleeting clouds," aimed at Li Shishi. He probably felt that writing lyrics praising Shishi would be somewhat flattering, so out of pride, he wrote a song recalling old flames, essentially saying, "I used to have a girl who was like this and that..." to show that he was not a guy infatuated with Li Shishi.

Of course, regardless of the intentions behind these thoughts, only a few people could grasp the subtle nuances. The lyrics were ultimately good, and their emergence immediately overshadowed the works of the others. After singing, Shishi savored them for a long time before removing her fingers from the strings. Young girls usually loved these works that told of past romances. The others applauded and cheered, moved by their emotions and unable to calm down.

Although Zhou Bangyan had some other small thoughts when writing these lyrics, most of them were truly heartfelt and spontaneous. After writing the second stanza, he really thought of old friends from the past, and his mood was slightly melancholic. When others praised him, he smiled modestly. However, this song was already the best work of the morning. Cao Guan had also written a song, but it was somewhat inferior to this "Ying Tian Chang." The reputation of the first talent in the capital was well-deserved. Some people jokingly wanted to find Ning Yi, but of course, they couldn't.

After a while, Zhou Bangyan took a moment and walked towards the woods to the side with his fan open. At this time, his heart was occupied by past love affairs, and he had temporarily gained the upper hand in the literary competition. He allowed the melancholy thoughts to run wild, feeling a bit like being invincible, dreamless, and seeking defeat. After walking for a while, someone followed from the side: "Brother Zhou is very sentimental. I'm truly touched, little sister is." It was Li Shishi, her expression also carrying a hint of sorrow.

Zhou Bangyan turned back. They had already walked very far, and the figures on the other side were about to disappear into the gaps between the trees: "Isn't Shishi over there? Following me like this might be a little inappropriate."

"It's okay. Their competition just ended, and Shishi just said she was coming over to rest... Brother Zhou, 'The market bridge is far, the houses under the willows, still recognizable.' I wonder who that girl is?"

"Haha, Shishi is so clever that she naturally knows that one must feign sorrow to write new lyrics, and some fantasy is always necessary. But how could a girl only met once still be recognizable?"

"In any case, Brother Zhou's song is likely to win the top prize at this literary gathering. It's just that the lyrics came out too early, and there's still half a day left. I'm afraid it will be difficult for others to make a move."

"Shishi is joking." Zhou Bangyan smiled and shook his head, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes. Then he said, "Isn't Shishi's old friend who is still recognizable yet to make a move? I wonder where he is now."

Shishi lowered her head slightly: "Little Ning's lyrics are also good, but Brother Zhou's song has reached an excellent level in terms of writing and artistic conception. Little Ning's three songs are similar in quality to Brother Zhou's song. Moreover, Little Ning has only written three songs in recent years, so he must be someone who likes to polish his works. It's impossible to write good lyrics at any time."

These few sentences placed Zhou Bangyan's lyrics on par with Ning Yi's three songs. In fact, Zhou Bangyan knew that "Ying Tian Chang" was still somewhat inferior to those three. However, although Li Shishi's words were flattering, they actually affirmed Ning Yi's poetic talent, subtly saying, "Perhaps he can't compare to you." Zhou Bangyan felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He thought that he could casually produce good works, while Ning Yi only had three in a few years. Even if they were good, it would be difficult for him to compare with him now. For a moment, the feeling of melancholy faded, and he felt a slight sense of competition. He thought that if he could meet Ning Liheng later, he would really have to compete with him.

On the surface, he naturally maintained a smiling expression. He was very happy that Shishi could leave the others and come with him. They chatted and walked deeper into the woods.

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

The woods were not very deep. When Zhou Bangyan and Li Shishi walked in, Ning Yi was sitting on a rock, and Yunzhu was holding a needle and thread, mending a tear in his clothes. They were bathed in sunlight, saying a few words.

After spending so much time together, they needed to share interests. There was never a shortage of topics between the two, from daily life to trivial matters. They often had opportunities to be alone, but Jin'er's disruption was always very deliberate. At this time, they couldn't help but joke about Jin'er's absence, saying that she would probably come looking for them fiercely later, and then they talked about the good weather today. Yunzhu sat next to him with her legs bent, mending slowly, enjoying this time together. After chatting for a while, she asked, "After the Beginning of Summer, you'll be leaving, right?"

Ning Yi and Su Tan'er were going to travel to Suzhou and Hangzhou. He had told her about it long ago, and now that the date was approaching, Yunzhu couldn't help but think about it. Ning Yi was silent for a moment before nodding, but said, "The departure date hasn't been set yet. It might be a little later."

Yunzhu smiled: "I just want you to come back sooner." After a moment, she added, "If you don't come back, I might chase after you. At that time, I'll also open a shop in Hangzhou."

"It won't take that long."

"Maybe Miss Su is pregnant, and the journey is far, so it won't be convenient to return to Jiangning to have the baby."

Yunzhu thought more. At this time, she mentioned Su Tan'er's possible pregnancy. Ning Yi thought about it but didn't know how to answer. Yunzhu was gentle, and he understood that she had accepted her fate. But discussing Su Tan'er in front of her always made Ning Yi feel that he was being unkind. Yunzhu looked at his expression, chuckled, and then her face flushed: "Otherwise, before you leave, let's... uh, that..."

She spoke for a long time, but her face only became more red, and she couldn't say more. Then she lowered her head, tied a knot, and bit off the thread. Ning Yi naturally knew what she meant: "We have to find a way to avoid Jin'er. That girl is like chewing gum. How can we get rid of her for a long time..."

Yunzhu naturally didn't want to participate in Ning Yi's discussion of "How to get rid of the guard so I can eat you." She turned slightly, resting her head and shoulder on Ning Yi. At this time, Ning Yi was sitting higher than her, placing his hand on her other shoulder, and then gently stroking her cheek. Her cheek was a little hot, and Yunzhu narrowed her eyes.

"Actually... Jin'er really likes you..." Ning Yi sighed.

"Mm."

"Before I leave, if I'm gone for so long and there are other people..."

Ning Yi spoke slowly, but before he finished speaking, Yunzhu moved her head slightly against his side, closed her eyes, and said softly, "Yunzhu is not a fickle woman. It might not be very honorable to say this, but haven't I met few men over the years? I only like you, and once I like someone, I won't change. Those things... before or after doesn't matter. Even if it's three or five years, I'll only like you. Liheng, I don't want to enter the Su family, I just want to enter the Ning family. Whether you marry me or not, I'll give birth to a child for you in the future, and he'll be surnamed Ning..."

She didn't react strongly to Ning Yi's words. Her tone was calm and gentle, but it also had her usual resilience. Ning Yi smiled, and his fingers caressed her lips, and she smiled too: "Ticklish."

"I'm sorry, I said the wrong thing."

"I'm not angry."

Yunzhu sat there, and after a moment, she smiled: "However, you actually wrote a poem for that Miss Li just now. Jealous..."

She was naturally joking on purpose. Ning Yi laughed: "Hehe, they all say it's a bad poem."

"I think it's quite good. It's a bit like your usual lyrics... 'Beside the long pavilion, on the ancient road, fragrant grass connects to the horizon...'"

She hummed a few lines.

The two's words were trivial and fragmented. It wasn't really a conversation where you finished a sentence and I immediately said one. At this time, the atmosphere was leisurely, and the two's words were also leisurely, saying a sentence when they thought of one. If the previous conversations had a lot of content, this was now truly a love talk between a man and a woman. In the woods not far away, there were two figures quietly planning to retreat. These were Zhou Bangyan and Li Shishi, who had unintentionally arrived here. They listened for a while and ultimately felt it was impolite.

Moreover, after hearing him admit that he had written a "bad poem," Li Shishi was also somewhat concerned. After all, she was the famous courtesan of the capital and an old friend. Yet, you didn't give her face and wrote a "bad poem" as a perfunctory gesture.

Taking a few steps back, in the dappled shadows of the trees, they heard Ning Yi laugh with melancholy, seemingly moved by the woman's words. After a moment, a few words came over, the voice not loud, slow, probably thinking and speaking casually at the same time: "A crescent moon... hangs on sparse parasol trees... ha, the night watch is over, and people are just becoming quiet..."

Ah, these were lines of poetry.

The two subconsciously stopped.

Never heard before...(To be continued. Please vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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