Chapter 7, Show Off

Ji Ji caught sight of Zhuang Shisan and Zheng Kuang, who were sitting directly opposite her. At this moment, the faces of these young men were pale, and their expressions were quite unpleasant

This is indeed something that Zhuang Shisan would do

Yes

In the small manor, only five servants remained. Upon seeing the donkey cart, they joyfully ran out. One round-faced maid, around fifteen or sixteen years old, rushed over chattering, "My lady, you have finally returned"

As expected, in the afternoon, the owners of her two rice shops came to find her, stating that when they went to the dock to pick up goods, they had already paid a deposit. Several grain merchants, with whom they had cooperated for many years, had breached their contracts. They said that the Zhuang family had issued a statement that from now on, no one was allowed to do business with the Ji family

As Ji Si just stepped into the Zui Xian Lou, she noticed that it was particularly lively here. The main hall downstairs was already filled with guests, and those patrons were all looking up attentively towards the upper floors.

After these foreigners had laughed enough, a beautiful woman with thin lips, dressed as a musician, stood up with a playful smile. Holding a guzheng in her arms, she bowed to the crowd and said in a crisp and soft voice, "Ah, may I also ask the gentlemen of Jing County to teach me a tune?"

Once the Confucian scholar spoke, all the young people stared at each other in disbelief. Not to mention that the status of Confucianism has already declined in this era, with fewer scholars, even a renowned Confucian scholar could hardly claim to have read all the classics of the world. The fact that this person opened his mouth to ask a young man about the annotations made by the great Confucians Zheng Xuan and Wang Su on a certain phrase in the "Book of Rites" can already be considered biased and difficult.

This statement is already a rather harsh mockery, and once it spreads, it will have an impact on all the scholars of Jing County. Ji Si wondered curiously: I wonder how Zhuang Shisan would feel upon hearing this

Unexpectedly, just after the scholar's question fell, the clear and slightly cold voice of the young man was heard again, "Zheng Zhu Ri: 'If one desires color, one should use the thickness of color in the present time to illustrate it.' And Wang Su in 'Sheng Zheng Lun' said: 'If one wishes to see the color of one's parents, how can Zheng compare parents to the color of women?'"

This is indeed a challenge

In order to arrange her parents' funeral, Ji Si nearly spent half of the family fortune, dismissing the concubines. She also donated one-third of the remaining assets. Now, the Ji residence not only has very little wealth left, but the servants who remain are all those who have been with her parents for many years, akin to family.

As soon as they left the manor, Uncle Li did not wait for Ji Si to speak and urged the donkey in the direction where Zhuang Shisan often went... This outburst from Zhuang Shisan was not the first time; four months ago, he had an outburst as well, and after that incident, Ji Si became even more respectful and infatuated with him.

Talking with Sun Fu

Upon seeing this, Ji Si's eyes flickered, and she lowered her voice, suddenly speaking in a clear, slightly hoarse and cold youthful tone, "The zither piece 'Qingshan Yao' emphasizes a gentle and beautiful technique to convey the breathtaking scenery of the sunset illuminating the vast green mountains... In less than half a moment of your female musician's performance, in pursuit of grandeur, she added two trills and one slide... Clearly a piece meant for great freedom and ease, yet it has turned into a showy and noisy tune, truly unworthy of Lu Gong!"

Ji Si said slowly: "It's somewhat similar. After I enter the manor, you will spread the rumor that I am ill, and then find a shaman to come to the house for a visit"

Quickly, Ji Si lowered her gaze and bowed her head to several young men, saying wearily: "Thank you, brothers, for your warm welcome. A Si is exhausted from the journey and is quite tired. Could you possibly..."

Then the Confucian scholar stood up, for he understood the master's intention. The young boy, who did not show his face, could be discerned to be young just by the sound of his voice. Since he was still quite young, everything could be discussed easily

She was not only unperturbed but also so relaxed and carefree, which was entirely unlike a woman's character. Uncle Li stared back in a daze, unable to regain his composure for quite some time

On one side, Uncle Li said with concern: "Miss, the young gentlemen won't be angry, will they?"

Uncle Li quickly drove the donkey cart into an alley and said, "My lady, I will wait for you here"

As soon as Sun Fuyi arrived, Ji Si hurriedly asked, "Uncle, have you mentioned our trip to Qingshan County to anyone?"

The crowd of foreigners stood in stunned silence, but Zhuang Shisan and Zheng Kuang, among others, burst into loud laughter as if they had finally released a pent-up frustration

Ji Si felt a mix of sorrow and a desire to sneer; she tightly shut her eyes.

Ji Si held her younger brother's hand and jumped down from the donkey cart, only to be surrounded by a crowd in an instant. For the next half day, the Ji residence was filled with laughter and joy.

For a moment, only the laughter of those foreigners echoed, and only the sound of the zither floated in waves. However, the individuals targeted by them all had ashen faces and tightly sealed lips

Amidst the clear and cold tones of sarcasm, a youth dressed in a royal blue robe, as exquisite as jade and as picturesque as a painting, slowly ascended the stairs with his hands clasped behind his back

From this direction, one can see inside the second floor at a glance, while the people upstairs and downstairs cannot see her

At that moment, Ji Si's voice came from the donkey cart, "Uncle, stop for a moment, I will go over by myself"

Ji Si originally had sharp eyebrows, and by donning male attire, she appeared to have aged several years. Coupled with her youthful yet exquisitely perfect features and skin as smooth as water, she exuded a grace akin to that of pure jade.

Ji Si was taken aback and quickly stood up, saying: "Hurry, call Sun Fu over."

Laughter erupted once more, accompanied by exclamations of approval and the sound of hands slapping thighs in wild amusement, as the young girl gracefully took her seat. With a gentle stroke of her delicate hand, the sound of the zither began to rise.

Ji Si walked towards a small attendant on one side, and before she could open her mouth to inquire, suddenly, a clear and triumphant laughter came from the second floor, "I told you, in this small Jing County, what talents could there possibly be?" Accompanying that laughter, someone simultaneously shouted: "You played a tune, but you cannot understand it; you discuss poetry, but you cannot connect with it; you talk about prose, but you are left speechless. If it weren't for the knowledge that this Jing County once produced a great scholar like Lu Ziyou, we would almost think there are no virtuous and talented individuals in Jing County!"

The next day, as Ji Si had just finished her grooming, Uncle Li walked in and said to Ji Si: "Miss, I just saw the servant from your milk brother's house talking to Sun Fu."

A day has passed in the blink of an eye

Unexpectedly, that clear and slightly cold voice replied: "There is no need for that." As soon as the young man's voice rose, he shouted, "Did you not say that there is no one in Jing County? Come again!"

The donkey cart traveled along the streets of Jing County, as Ji Si gently closed her eyes, listening to the intermittent sounds of music coming from the nearby pavilion, and leisurely tapped the yoke in rhythm.

Ji Si sighed softly, waved her hand, and said: "Enough, enough, let the soldiers come and the generals block them."

After coughing once, the Confucian scholar stroked his long beard and slowly said: "I am not well-versed in the way of musical instruments. Since you, young sir, are so accomplished, I would like to ask you a question regarding Confucianism. The Book of Rites, in the section on Sacrificial Rites, states: 'If one desires to be like this.' How did Zheng Gong Xuan interpret this passage, and how did Wang Gong Su interpret it?"

This Drunken Immortal Pavilion is one of the top restaurants in Jing County. It belongs to Zhuang Shisan and serves as a venue for his usual banquets and gatherings with those scholars.

Yes

The two maids standing to the side saw Ji Si motionless, both with worried expressions on their faces. After a while, Ji Si finally opened her eyes and said, "Bring me that royal blue male outfit, I need to go out for a while." After the death of her parents, the family business could not come to a halt, and everyone had become accustomed to Ji Si handling affairs in male attire, so they readily complied.

The diverse group of foreigners chuckled coldly upon hearing this, and one of them cast a glance at an elderly Confucian scholar.

I never expected that the young man would actually answer correctly, leaving the Confucian scholar momentarily dumbfounded

In this era, the disparity between the rich and the poor is very evident. The malnourished poor often appear emaciated with sallow skin and blackened teeth, while the children of the wealthy are well-nourished and plump. It can be said that the differences between the poor and the rich, the commoners and the nobility, are often discernible from their appearances. Furthermore, with the popularity of astrology and divination, there is Ji Si, a person whose facial features have yet to fully develop, yet her demeanor always exudes a hint of youthful innocence. However, her brows and eyes are truly beautiful, her temperament is exceptional, and her skin is supple, making her the epitome of a typical noble offspring, often described as "one cannot see the ears from the front, may I ask whose child this is?" Thus, countless pairs of eyes are watching from below, yet no one raises an objection to Ji Si's unauthorized ascent.

Ji Si interrupted him and said: "So did you tell him that we did not sell the one hundred acres of good farmland in Qingshan County?"

Ji Si quietly approached the corner near the second floor.

Zhuang Shisan and the youths of Jing County, being able to compose a few poems and essays on a regular basis is already quite remarkable; how could they, unlike those from noble families, afford to support musicians and indulge in such pleasures year after year? Therefore, this simple question went unanswered by anyone.

The donkey cart entered the estate

The sound of the zheng resonated, and after just a few breaths, a young man clapped his hands and shouted, "How does my family's musician play the zheng, all you talented scholars of Jing County?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people laughing upstairs were momentarily taken aback

Zhuang Shisan stood up even more, and he shouted joyfully at the top of his lungs: "Since this virtuous person has arrived, why not gather together?" At that moment, although he felt that the voice was somewhat familiar, he was too excited to think much about it.

Zheng Kuang and the others, including Shisan, once again erupted into a burst of wild laughter and cheers. They were simply too pleased and too happy, especially when they saw the ugly expressions on the faces of several young aristocrats who had just moments ago been so arrogant; that joy was multiplied. Zheng Kuang had already started whistling.

Sun Fu said, "Of course, that is my aunt's dowry. I cannot allow those people to think that my aunt is someone who cannot even protect her dowry"

Ji Si adjusted her robe and strode towards the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" located a hundred steps away

On the other side sat five or six foreigners, all of whom were quite young. Behind them were beautiful maids holding various musical instruments, as well as impoverished scholars dressed in Confucian robes. Altogether, at first glance, there seemed to be quite a number of people.

Before she could finish speaking, the clear and youthful voice of Zhuang Shisan came through, "Let’s go—" As soon as the words fell, his ox cart turned first.

Ji Si walked towards the stairs

As the laughter of the crowd subsided, the cool voice of the young man at the staircase rose again, "Speaking of playing the zither and drum, I have also learned a thing or two over the past month or two. May I ask you all for some guidance?"

Sun Fu was taken aback and said, "I mentioned it, of course, with such a great stir caused by the young lady, we must promote it more."

The girl playing the guzheng blushed deeply, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the several young men with a sense of grievance. However, those young men, who were also skilled with musical instruments, surely knew that every word spoken by that person was the truth