Section 7, Poetry Meeting

Yi Han said: "I was invited by Yu Jie, but he did not mention anything about the invitation card. Otherwise, you may go in and inform them." Upon hearing Yu Jie's name, the two were greatly surprised and politely said: "Young Master, please come in. We apologize for our earlier rudeness."

Without any obstruction, I easily boarded the boat. A maid warmly guided me into the cabin, where many familiar faces of charming young men were present, all harboring the same curiosity as I to explore further. When I saw the owner of the painted boat, I was astonished; there truly exists such an extraordinarily beautiful woman in the world, with a noble and elegant demeanor

Yi Han walked over, and the two, noticing his extraordinary appearance, did not dare to offend him. They politely said, "Young Master, please hold on. This is a private club; may I ask you to present your invitation card?" Generally, those who come to the Fengyasheng Building are familiar young masters, and even if they do not have an invitation card, they can easily enter.

As all eyes, including Ma Huaten's, were focused on him, he began to narrate: "The situation is as follows: last night, I certainly did not foolishly attempt to tackle the tough nut that is Shishi like Brother Yu did. Instead, I boarded Dong Xiaowan's flower boat. To my dismay, I was stumped by the topic right at the cabin entrance. Left with no choice, I had to accept the punishment and jumped into the lake for a swim." After finishing, he laughed at himself heartily.

Yi Han clasped his fists and said, "I am but a solitary traveler, with the world as my home, having no fixed residence." Upon hearing this, the crowd assumed that Yi Han was reluctant to disclose his origins, and thus they dared not underestimate him, rising one after another to clasp their fists in return.

Yu Jie brought Yi Han to sit beside him and said affectionately, "Brother Yi, do you know that we missed a great show last night"

Yi Han Dan said: "Given your status and position, Brother Lin, who would dare to show such disrespect towards you?" Under such circumstances, you, the son of a prefect, and another, the son of a magistrate, are being bullied by a group of young masters like this

This place is not large; to put it plainly, it is merely a three-story loft. Just outside, Yi Han could hear the sounds of poetry and couplets being recited from within. As he ascended to the third floor, the people there, who had been engaged in reciting poetry, turned their attention to Yi Han upon seeing someone come up. They noticed a man of remarkable appearance, yet they did not recognize him, and the buzzing noise gradually subsided.

Ming smiled slightly and said, "Brother Yi, are you from out of town?"

Ming Xiu suddenly interjected, "Everyone, please don't be anxious. Have you all forgotten about Yun Gu Tian?"

Seeing Yi Han's relaxed demeanor, Ming Xiu's gaze drifted towards him, filled with curiosity, and he inquired, "Brother Yi, do you have any solutions"

Yu Jie sighed, "In those days, my father would not allow us to act recklessly, and besides, the other party is quite formidable as well"

Yi Han questioned in confusion: "Who is this Dong Xiaowan"

Yu Jie said: "Brother Yi, speaking of this, it is quite an embarrassing matter. Three years ago, we formed the Elegant Poetry Society, and many talented individuals joined us out of admiration, while numerous talented women and young ladies vied for affection. Suddenly, the Elegant Poetry Society became unparalleled in Jinling, capturing the hearts of countless young women. Those renowned merchants often invited us to compose poetry and inscribe characters for them."

Yihan said: "As for literary competitions, I can certainly assist; however, in terms of martial contests, I, as a mere scholar, possess no strength to bind even a chicken, and thus I am unable to offer any help"

Who is the one in the solitary sky again

Yu Jie smiled at a man and said, "Brother Ma, why don't you speak instead? I have been listening to your words and don't know where to begin." This man, who Yu Jie had just introduced, was named He Tushu Ma Huateng, and he was a wealthy young master.

This is an extremely embarrassing matter for us. After an hour, the poetry contest concluded, and we felt a sense of relief, having ended this torment. However, the other party provoked us, claiming they wanted to duel. We are all scholars and do not possess martial skills, and we could not withstand their taunts, so we agreed on the spot. The other party also realized we lacked martial prowess and suggested that someone could take our place, fighting in the name of elegance and grace. This was acceptable, as we had bodyguards with us, so we sent those individuals to compete against the other party. To our dismay, they were no match for them and suffered great humiliation. We were unwilling to accept this, so we arranged for another match the next day. On the following day, we brought along the best martial artists from our households, including my father's instructor. Yet, we still could not match the other party. The other side declared: "From now on, wherever there is floral sorrow, there cannot be the presence of elegance and grace, unless we have the ability to surpass them in martial strength or to impress them with our talents. Henceforth, the maidens of Jinling will only see floral sorrow and no longer elegance and grace, and the talented youths of Jinling will only recognize floral sorrow and not elegance and grace." As he recalled this humiliating memory, Yu Jie appeared utterly dejected.

A murmur arose among the crowd, wondering why Yi Han would ask such a foolish question

With a sigh, "Alas, a year ago, a person named Yun Gu Tian suddenly emerged and formed a poetry club called Hua Chou with a few others. At that time, we all laughed heartily at the name, thinking it was so effeminate and not taking it seriously, treating them as mere clowns. However, for reasons unknown, the members of the Hua Chou poetry club gradually gained popularity, rivaling the elegance of Feng Ya Song. We felt threatened and invited the Hua Chou poetry club members to a poetry contest at Feng Lou, initially believing victory was assured. To our surprise, this group was not lacking in talent; only Ming Xiong's skills were barely sufficient to hold his ground, and we all ended up defeated."

Yi Han originally planned to visit a brothel tonight; the courtesan could be admired but not touched. The Qinhuai Lantern Festival was not as wonderful as he had imagined. However, Ma Huateng's words piqued his interest, especially regarding this mysterious woman who was skilled in music and painting. He nodded and said, "I will accompany you to take a look."

Ma Huateng, feeling displeased, interrupted Ming Xiu before he could finish speaking: "Brother Ming, do not digress; I have not yet completed my words. As for the matter of Dong Xiaowan, who in Jiangnan is unaware of it? There is no need for such an unnecessary action. Please listen to the subsequent events I have to share"

Ma Huateng observed the calm expressions of those present and, unfazed, resolutely stated: "Brother Yu, although I have never met Miss Shishi, I can absolutely assure you that that mysterious woman is certainly a hundred times stronger than Shishi"

Invited by Jie, I arrived at a residence that resembled a typical hotel loft, yet also had the characteristics of a private club, as there were guards at the entrance, and not just anyone could enter freely

My curiosity was piqued. In this Qinhuai Lake, who could possibly rival the painted boat of the Ten Beauties of Qinhuai? So, I instructed my servant to row over. Guess what I saw? I saw a couplet that read: "The Ten Beauties of Qinhuai are but an empty name, yet they have not stepped out to overshadow the flowers." At that moment, I thought, what a bold claim, to disregard the Ten Beauties of Qinhuai! I felt indignant on behalf of the Ten Beauties and wanted to confront the woman on that flower boat.

Yi Han smiled gently and said, "Those who are troubled by flowers and poetry truly believe that one can impress them solely through martial arts and talent"

With a sigh, he said, "I almost forgot," and then continued to narrate: "After I fell into the water, in a state of utter disarray, I boarded a boat, changed into clean clothes, and felt quite dejected, preparing to head back home. As I stood at the bow of the boat, reluctantly gazing at the ten painted pleasure boats, I noticed not far in the center of the lake, there was a large painted boat, resplendent to the utmost, brightly lit, standing in stark contrast to the ten beautiful flower boats of the Qinhuai River. Though it was a solitary vessel, its grandeur was by no means inferior."

Yi Han smiled gently and said: "If one wishes not to miss a good performance, please offer some guidance, my brother"

Yu Jie said, "What Huateng described is so extraordinary that it piques my interest," and turned to Zhao Yihan, "Brother Yi, what do you think"

Everyone fell silent after listening, displaying an expression that suggested a desire to speak but refraining from doing so

Yi Han smiled gently and said, "You two are being too polite; there is no need for such formality. You are merely fulfilling your respective duties."

Yi Han has arrived, and the crowd no longer recited poetry. With a new topic at hand, everyone began to engage in conversation.

Ming Xiu Mu Ran sat quietly, seeing that everyone had no intention of explaining, he then smiled and said: "Dong Xiaowan, one of the Ten Beauties of Qinhuai, possesses charm, her autumn-like gaze flows with wisdom, her demeanor is delicate and graceful, at the age of eighteen, she excels in Kunqu opera, particularly in the poignant and melodious tones. Once, amidst the laughter and clamor of wine, listening to Xiaowan's song left one feeling desolate"

Yu Jie said: "Since Brother Yi has said so, we can only do our best. As for this martial arts competition, I will seek other methods; no matter what, I must fight for this dignity"

The crowd was momentarily taken aback, while Yu Jie burst into laughter and strode towards Yi Han, saying, "Brother Yi, you have finally arrived." He continued, "Everyone, let me introduce you; this is Yi Han, whom I just mentioned to you all." "Brother Yi, come, let me introduce you to everyone. This is Lin Musen, the son of the magistrate," Yu Jie pointed to a refined and handsome young man. The young man politely cupped his fists in salute to Yi Han. Yu Jie then pointed to another elegant and striking young man, saying, "This is Ming Xiu, known as the most handsome man in Jiangnan and the foremost talent of our time." Although Ming Xiu appeared somewhat aloof, he still smiled and saluted Yi Han. He then introduced a few more individuals, most of whom were sons of officials and wealthy families, proving the saying that "birds of a feather flock together" to be true.

Yi Han cast a hurried glance over the entire venue, where a number of elegantly dressed handsome young men were present, yet he revealed a slight smile to the crowd

Ming Xiu looked at Yi Han and said: "Just now, Yu Jie spoke to us about last night’s events. I am deeply impressed by Brother Yi's talents. May I ask where Brother Yi resides?" This statement was intended to inquire about Yi Han's identity and whether he was qualified to compose poetry with them.

What surprised me even more was the talent of this woman. In terms of poetry and song, there were many talented individuals present, yet none could match her. When she played a piece on the guqin to liven the atmosphere, I must admit, I, Ma Huateng, have frequented places of pleasure for quite some time, but the music of those courtesans pales in comparison to that of the women on the painted boats. Everyone was deeply impressed by this. The owner of the painted boat, so beautiful and talented, did not flaunt her abilities but presented her true self, even performing her musical skills for everyone, instantly winning their favor. However, being outshone by a single woman left us, the talented men of Jiangnan, with no face to show in the future. Thus, someone suggested a contest of painting skills with her. I, Ma Huateng, sighed, saying, 'Only after the competition will we realize this is self-humiliation.' Brothers, this matter has already spread among the talented men of Jinling today. This mysterious woman is also proficient in dance and will perform tonight. We should head over early, or we might miss it altogether, and there may not even be a place to dock the boat.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Lin Musen said: "Alright, tonight we will meet that mysterious woman and also issue a challenge to Hua Chou"