Chapter Forty: A Night of Revelry Among Fishes and Dragons (VI)

As the woman stepped out of the room in the courtyard to fetch some water, the lights ahead illuminated the bustling night of the Lantern Festival. The courtyard behind Golden Wind Tower was not large, but exquisitely arranged; unless one was among the top courtesans of Golden Wind Tower, one could hardly hope to reside here. On such a festive night, it was rare for a courtyard like this not to be ablaze with lights. In fact, most of the lamps had only just been extinguished a short while ago. Midnight was approaching, and few visitors remained to call upon the sick.

Nie Yunzhu glanced around, then turned and returned to the room. The mistress of the courtyard, Yuan Jiner, lay on her bed staring at the oil lamp, lost in thought, before giving Nie Yunzhu a smile. Nie Yunzhu smiled back, set the basin aside, and took her seat at the bedside.

Strictly speaking, Nie Yunzhu should not have come tonight. Though she visited every few days to give lessons in music, she had already left Golden Wind Tower and, especially at night and on holidays, ought not to linger near it. Tonight, however, was an exception. She had gone lantern-viewing with Walnut and happened to encounter a girl from Golden Wind Tower who was seeking medicine for Yuan Jiner, who had caught a chill. Hearing this, Nie Yunzhu sent Walnut to pay a visit, learned that Yuan Jiner wished to see her, and, as the hour grew late, entered by the back gate.

Yuan Jiner was now the face of Golden Wind Tower. Though her illness was genuine, it was hard to turn away visitors on such a night. Many had come to check on her, and after confirming her malady, exchanged a few words before departing. Even Cao Guan, now hailed as Jiangning’s foremost scholar, had visited twice. He was presently outside, drinking and composing poetry with a circle of scholars. When Nie Yunzhu entered, he had sent in a poem through Yuan Jiner’s maid, Kou’er, praising the beauty of a sick maiden. Yuan Jiner accepted it with a smile and sent Kou’er out to offer thanks.

“To be fair, Cao Guan is indeed a man of remarkable talent… How are you feeling, sister?” Yuan Jiner, indicating she wished to speak in private with Nie Yunzhu, sent Walnut away. She then handed the poem to Nie Yunzhu, who read it and set it aside. Both women were familiar with scholars and poems, and while such verses might reveal talent, they rarely astonished. What mattered more was Yuan Jiner’s health. Yuan Jiner smiled and shook her head.

“My illness is light—one or two doses of medicine will do. But with this chill, and my monthly cycle arriving, my whole body is weak, and singing becomes all the harder. Fortunately, the Madam has agreed to shield me from some guests tonight; she must be quite overwhelmed.”

“The Madam has a good heart,” Nie Yunzhu nodded. Where there is order and prosperity, people tend to show some kindness; elsewhere, she herself may never have redeemed her freedom. She smiled and changed the subject: “And what of you and Cao Guan?” She knew Yuan Jiner had grown close to him of late.

“What’s to be of it? It’s merely the reputation of scholar and beauty. Didn’t you say yourself—he is gifted. But to Yuan Jiner, what difference is there between Cao Guan and Li Pin? To Cao Guan, whether it’s Yuan Jiner or Lu Caicai, it hardly matters.”

Yuan Jiner was younger than Nie Yunzhu, brimming with energy and wit—her lively charm was her greatest appeal. Tonight, however, she seemed languid and dispirited. Nie Yunzhu wiped her face with a towel. “Don’t be like that. If he chooses you over Lu Caicai, surely it’s because he favors you more.”

“I told you, I want someone with family, someone who’ll keep me like a pampered pig. Cao Guan has no money, so I’m not very fond of him.”

“If you were truly kept like a pig, you’d be thrown out in no time.” Nie Yunzhu tapped her cheek. “Cao Guan has talent; if he passes the exams, he could indeed keep you in comfort.”

“There are countless scholars in the world. Being called Jiangning’s best doesn’t make passing the exams easy. And if there’s no money for favors, even after becoming a scholar, you’ll still wait and wait for an official post…” Yuan Jiner mused, then pursed her lips. “Yunzhu, what if I redeemed myself and joined you in selling preserved eggs?”

Nie Yunzhu laughed. “Have you gone silly from illness?” She sometimes visited Yuan Jiner, and the latter knew she now ran a stall selling sesame cakes and had recently begun experimenting with preserved eggs, though she had yet to see them.

Yuan Jiner grinned foolishly. “No, really. Walnut is to marry soon, and once she does, you’ll be lonely, won’t you? I could keep you company. You make preserved eggs sound so profitable—I’d finally have something to rely on.”

“Always dreaming of being pampered, but now you want to work. Clearly, the illness has muddled your mind.” Nie Yunzhu smiled, knowing Yuan Jiner’s words were just whimsy. “There’s no such thing as guaranteed profit. I stumble through every day, and was losing money at first. Besides, I’m not likely to marry—destined to be an old maid. You should find a talented gentleman who’ll pamper you and cherish you.”

“Being a lady proprietor would be quite impressive…” Yuan Jiner remarked, and the two chatted about scholars like Cao Guan and Li Pin. There were always many such men every year, and they knew several themselves. Yuan Jiner, ill and in her monthly cycle, was a bit sharper-tongued, which Nie Yunzhu found amusing. They even spoke of Ning Yi.

“That ‘Tune of the Water Melody’ is wonderful, but such a man ended up marrying into a merchant family, and the lyrics were bought, too…”

Nie Yunzhu spoke softly, “You don’t know Ning Liheng—how do you know they were bought?”

Yuan Jiner smiled, lips pursed. “If you’re interested, you could listen outside the wall. Tonight, those scholars are sure to talk about it, suspecting the lyrics were purchased.”

The topic of Ning Yi was brief. Nie Yunzhu had no wish to discuss her own opinion, and Yuan Jiner merely made a passing remark. Soon, feeling tired, Yuan Jiner drank some water offered by Nie Yunzhu. “Rest now, best if you can sleep a little.”

Yuan Jiner clung to her quilt, refusing sleep, while the distant sounds of revelry drifted in. Nie Yunzhu sat by her side, then took up the zither, resting it on her lap and plucking a few notes. After a while, she began to sing softly: “Beyond the long pavilion, by the ancient road, fragrant grass stretches to the sky…” Her voice was light and gentle, and though she sang idly, it lent the room an ethereal atmosphere, seeming to drown out the noise outside. Yuan Jiner gazed at her, and Nie Yunzhu smiled: “The evening wind brushes the willows, the flute fades, the sun sets beyond the hills.”

“What song is this, Yunzhu?” Yuan Jiner asked.

The zither’s melody lingered, but Nie Yunzhu merely smiled, singing again, “At the ends of heaven and earth, half of friends have vanished…”

This farewell song was the second piece Ning Yi had given her last year. Nie Yunzhu had been pondering it recently; once the song ended, she played the zither for a while longer before stopping.

Yuan Jiner was puzzled. “It sounds like ‘Return of Ruan Lang,’ but the opening line in the first stanza should be seven characters, and the second stanza differs—the rhyme changes, how can it be like this… But your singing is truly lovely…” She thought for a moment, eyes wide. “Are you experimenting with a new singing style, Yunzhu? Though… it feels a bit… well, it must be playful.”

Most people Yuan Jiner knew were mere performers, but Nie Yunzhu had mastered her art and could be called a teacher. She was qualified to innovate, though acceptance would be hard to win. Still, this was not a public performance. Even to Yuan Jiner, who found it beautiful, the singing style was too unusual, and she could only regard it as a playful experiment, then reflect on the meaning of the lyrics.

“Simple as it is, the lines are evocative. Pity it’s not a proper lyric, only short verses. Your talent, Yunzhu, I envy you.”

“It’s not my work… Don’t move so much, rest properly.”

“Have you met your beloved, Yunzhu?”

“Don’t be silly. I won’t marry.”

“Oh, so it’s another girl… These short verse games remind me…”

This “Farewell” did follow rhyme, but didn’t adhere to standard forms or count as poetry. Its meaning was lovely, but it was no more than a playful creation. Yuan Jiner thought so; Nie Yunzhu did not explain further, simply smiling as she tucked her in. Just then, footsteps sounded outside—it was Kou’er and Walnut. Kou’er looked nervous, holding a slip of paper. “Miss, Miss, something’s happened! Young Master Cao is about to lose again…”

Earlier, before Nie Yunzhu arrived, Kou’er had been tending Yuan Jiner, and they had discussed the poems of the evening. By quantity, the best works were on the Li Chuan side, but individually, Cao Guan had excelled tonight, with several praised pieces. Li Pin, attending the banquet at Puyuan, was merely average, so Kou’er thought Cao Guan’s reputation would be cemented again. But now she rushed in, clearly something had changed. Yuan Jiner was puzzled, “What happened?”

“There’s a new poem from Puyuan. Everyone’s shocked—the atmosphere outside is strange…” Though it was not the “Six Boats in a Row,” the Puyang family’s poetry banquet was still called the Puyuan Poetry Gathering on Lantern Festival.

“The Puyang family… what now?” Yuan Jiner was still hopeful that Cao Guan’s reputation would grow, despite her wish for a pampered life, and took the slip.

Nie Yunzhu laughed. “Looks like Li Pin couldn’t resist after all…” The Puyang family, five months ago, had produced a dark horse, and tonight, after a dull evening, Li Pin must have delivered a masterpiece to awe the crowd. That was not unexpected; Li Pin was known for unconventional brilliance.

Hearing this, Walnut wore a complicated expression, unsure whether to speak. Kou’er shook her head vigorously. “No, no, it’s not Li Pin, it’s Ning Yi—Ning Liheng—he’s written another Lantern Festival lyric…”

“What?” Nie Yunzhu was startled, looking at the paper. Kou’er animatedly explained, “It’s fascinating outside! Ning Yi wasn’t planning to attend the poetry gathering, but was spotted while strolling, and invited up—they even tried to make things difficult for him…”

Nie Yunzhu looked at the slip, and halfway through, all other voices faded.

She had known Ning Yi for some time; their friendship was not founded on scholarly talent, but she had heard much of his abilities. They never discussed poetry or learning, but it would be impossible for Nie Yunzhu not to hold expectations or curiosity.

For her, this was the side of Ning Yi she had never seen.

“East wind brings a thousand trees into bloom, and scatters, stars like rain…”

Yuan Jiner murmured, reading to the final line:

Su Mansion.

Ning Yi.

Ning Liheng.

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Daybreak—another night spent awake. Friends, I beg for your recommendations^_^