Chapter 29: Once a Poem is Composed, It Cannot Be Unwritten |
"It's nothing, nothing!" Chao Zong awkwardly smiled.
Noticing that Shu Qing had no intention of joining them for the meal, Niu You Dao hastily invited her, "Grand Princess, please, have a seat!"
Shu Qing politely refused with a smile:
"This girl is unsightly and fears affecting the Master's appetite. I'd rather play the guqin by the side." After speaking, she sat down at the guqin.
Niu You Dao fundamentally agreed with her. Her face could indeed startle others. To say she was "cute" would merely be polite. In truth, she could spoil one's appetite, for if she were to eat with them, she would have to remove her hat and reveal her face.
However, her acknowledging the unsightliness of her face and speaking of it so boldly indicated a strong heart. Such a girl was difficult to find in either world, which drew more and more of his attention.
Hearing his sister's reasoning, Chao Zong involuntarily grew sad. If they couldn't remove the birthmark at the Supreme Purity Sect, his sister would likely have to live her entire life this way.
Seeing Chao Zong lost in thought, Lan Ruo Ting coughed,
"Ahem, ahem," twice, reminding the Prince.
"Prince, this Niu is flattered. This Niu thanks the Prince!" Niu You Dao raised his cup, intending to drain it.
But who would have thought that at this moment, Yuan Gang would press a finger into Niu You Dao's shoulder and whisper to him, "Lord Dao!"
Few words were needed to understand Yuan Gang's meaning. He was reminding Niu You Dao to be cautious. What if the cup was poisoned?
Niu You Dao paid him no heed and drank the cup to the dregs. Then he overturned the cup, showing everyone that it was empty.
Seeing that Niu You Dao wasn't listening to him, Yuan Gang relaxed his grip on his shoulder and said nothing more. He had only given a reminder; Niu You Dao was free to make his own decisions.
Regarding Yuan Gang's actions, everyone understood his lack of trust. After all, they were strangers, suddenly invited to drink wine. Of course, this would arouse suspicion. But what surprised Chao Zong most was how Yuan Gang treated Niu You Dao. He acted like a subordinate or a bodyguard, not a brother from the same village. Moreover, Yuan Gang appeared older than Niu You Dao.
What also surprised everyone was that Yuan Gang constantly called Niu You Dao "Lord Dao." Did villagers address each other as "Lord"? Wasn't that excessive? Niu You Dao was so young, yet he was already called Lord Dao. Weren't they overdoing it?
*Zheng, zheng.*
Shu Qing laid her delicate hands upon the guqin strings, and immediately, gentle, soft sounds flowed forth, merging with space and time.
Beyond the pavilion, the slanting rays of dawn painted everything and the water's surface. In those very rays, Shu Qing's elegant silhouette looked beautiful as she gracefully moved her hands across the guqin strings.
Niu You Dao involuntarily sighed. If not for that face, such a goddess would gather many men around her. Why was the Lord of Heaven so unfair!
The guqin melody spread through the pavilion, and the atmosphere grew increasingly pleasant.
And when the atmosphere became truly amiable, Lan Ruo Ting once again tried to subtly extract information from Niu You Dao about the situation within the Supreme Purity Sect or matters concerning Dong Guo Hao Ran. At times, he inquired about cultivation. However, Niu You Dao consistently and tactfully dodged his questions. He truly didn't know much about the Supreme Purity Sect's current state. As for the bronze mirror that Dong Guo Hao Ran had entrusted to him, he clearly remembered that it was not to be given to anyone other than Tang Mu. And regarding his cultivation, he had indeed made significant breakthroughs in the past five years. But surely, he wouldn't speak of his successes to others. For if he did, wouldn't all his efforts go to waste?
Seeing Niu You Dao lie again, Chao Zong was once more disappointed in him.
Lan Ruo Ting was an experienced man, so seeing that Niu You Dao was still unwilling to reveal his secrets, he didn't press him further and changed the topic of conversation:
"I heard the Grand Princess spoke highly of the Master's talent. Your poems are refined and elegant. I wonder if you would grace us with one?"
Niu You Dao waved a hand and said, "The Grand Princess flattered me unduly. They are merely a pile of words that came to mind."
Lan Ruo Ting laughed and continued, "Can the Master perhaps recite something similar on the spot?"
Niu You Dao waved his hand again, "Poems are but minor teachings, not worth paying attention to. Especially not before the Prince and his guards."
Lan Ruo Ting:
"That is incorrect. How can poetry be a minor teaching? Indeed, a poem can pacify the realm, and culture can stabilize the state... It is also said that a single word can raise martial spirits. Furthermore, a good poem in the capital is worth its weight in gold. A poem can allow a common person to live without want of food and clothing their entire life. How can one not recite poems?"
Niu You Dao's eyes sparkled, and he probed, "Worth its weight in gold?"
He thought to himself, if that were the case, then his and Monkey's problem of filling their stomachs was already solved. In their previous lives, they could do little more than rob tombs and study archaeology. And based on his experience writing poems for Song Yang Qing, one could infer that he was rather good at it.
"Of course!" Lan Ruo Ting smiled genuinely, "The Grand Princess is currently playing the guqin, elevating our spirits. Now is precisely the time for the Master to lift our spirits with a fine poem!"
"I truly cannot recite poetry." Niu You Dao resolutely did not want to reveal his abilities, yet he also didn't want to offend everyone. After all, they were guests and eating at their expense, so he pointed at Yuan Gang and said:
"However, my brother here can. Please ask him to grace us!"
Standing behind and constantly observing everyone, Yuan Gang froze when he heard this. He stared at Niu You Dao in astonishment. He thought he might have misheard. Niu You Dao wanted him to recite poetry?
*Lord Dao, are you joking? Is there something wrong with your head?*
Shang Chao Zong immediately became interested. He liked Yuan Gang more than Niu You Dao after all. So he immediately raised his cup:
"We await eagerly!"
But Yuan Gang immediately cut him off, "I cannot!"
Chao Zong felt awkward again. He had raised his cup, and now he couldn't just put it down without drinking.
The atmosphere grew awkward once more, and Niu You Dao turned, saying displeasedly:
"Monkey, I told you to just compose a poem, and that's that!"
Yuan Gang's eyes widened at him as he thought: *Has he been possessed by a demon? I have many skills, but composing poems is definitely not one of them. Why are you forcing me to recite a poem?*
"Hurry up! Just compose any poem on the spot!" Niu You Dao turned his head and urged him, also winking.
The two men exchanged glances. Many times, they had understood each other without words. And then, Yuan Gang suddenly had an epiphany: *So, Lord Dao doesn't want me to compose a poem, but to claim someone else's! What a schemer!*
Yuan Gang cursed inwardly, then looked around, and, furrowing his brows, lifted his gaze upwards.
Niu You Dao grew anxious because he understood him. Monkey was not an easy person to deal with. He could kill a man without batting an eye, but poetry was certainly not his forte. He even regretted having shifted the attention to him. Niu You Dao turned and timidly sipped his wine.
Then Yuan Gang suddenly spoke: "The surging crests of the great river's waves can wash away heroism..."
"Ahem, ahem..." At this opening, Niu You Dao immediately choked on his wine. He had never thought Monkey would be able to recall that poem.
"Truth and falsehood, victory and defeat... all will turn to naught. The forests and mountains remain here still. And how many times have they been dyed red by the setting sun at dawn? And the great river has witnessed many autumn moons and felt spring winds. And over a pot of rice wine, how many good memories can be recalled? Of how many stories can one think with a smile?" Yuan Gang finished the poem, without intonation, without any emotion, his face like stone.
But even so, Chao Zong and Lan Ruo Ting were stunned. This poem was so apt, so timely, that it overwhelmed the two men with emotion!
The sounds of the guqin also ceased. Shu Qing, who had initially been playing, also involuntarily immersed herself in the meaning of the poem and listened intently to Yuan Gang. At that moment, she turned towards Yuan Gang and, lifting her hat, wished to get a better look at his face. She had never expected to hear such a thing from Yuan Gang. Never!
"A good poem! Truly a good poem!" Chao Zong stood up and exclaimed joyfully.
Lan Ruo Ting also stood, shaking his head, and said, "I never imagined Brother Yuan Gang had concealed his talents to such an extent!"
"Heh-heh! A good poem, a good poem!" Niu You Dao also raised his cup and laughed with the others.
Yuan Gang spoke again:
"How could it be me? This poem was composed by Lord Dao; I merely presented it to you, that's all."
Chao Zong, Lan Ruo Ting, and Shu Qing froze, looking at Niu You Dao.
"Alright, alright, it's your poem. Once a poem is composed, it cannot be unwritten." Niu You Dao looked at Monkey and clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a displeased look. Then he raised his cup and, smiling, said to the three:
"A good poem, truly a good poem! Let us drink!"
But who would have thought that Yuan Gang would add again:
"Not only did Lord Dao compose this poem himself, but he can also sing it. It sounds much better that way. I am a straightforward man, and though unsociable, I do not like to lie!"
*Pff-pff...*
The moment Niu You Dao heard that, he choked again, spitting saliva onto the appetizers. He nearly fell ill. He hadn't expected the Monkey standing behind him to set him up like this!
The three people, watching Niu You Dao's saliva fall onto the laid table, paid no attention whatsoever. They were in a daze.
And they believed Yuan Gang's words more than Niu You Dao's.
Lan Ruo Ting wiped the wine that had splattered onto his face and asked:
"So he can sing to his own accompaniment? Does the Master know how to play a musical instrument?"
Yuan Gang continued to press Niu You Dao:
"Indeed! There isn't a classical instrument he can't play. And most of all, he loves playing the Erhu."
"Erhu... what is that?" Shang Shu Qing asked curiously. She had never heard of a musical instrument called an Erhu.
At Monkey's words, Niu You Dao began to cough even more violently. It was already difficult for him to control himself, so he circulated his Qi to suppress the cough.