Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 134 Famous in the Capital
At half past midnight, the carriage rumbled on, and soon stopped at the entrance of Xiaohuazhi Lane. Yu Si yawned, turned around, and said, "Master Yuan, we've arrived."

There was a rustling sound inside, and the curtains were drawn aside. Chen Siyuan got out of the carriage first, and then took You Sanjie down with him. The two walked side by side, heading towards the Sanheyuan not far away.

Third Sister You was in the midst of a passionate love affair, and she felt particularly reluctant to leave. She shook Chen Siyuan's hand and said, "Why don't you stay here today?"

Although Chen Siyuan was tempted, he still shook his head and smiled, "No, I have to go to the Imperial College at dawn tomorrow, and I have a lot of things to do early. Can I come and see you in a few days when I have some free time?"

Third Sister You also knew that the business was important, so she pursed her lips and agreed silently. When they arrived in front of the Sanheyuan, Chen Siyuan went forward and knocked on the door. After watching Third Sister You and the maid go in together, he leisurely returned.

When they reached the entrance of the alley, Chen Siyuan said to Yu Si, "Okay, return the carriage and go take a rest. I'll just go out the back door by myself." He seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Yu Si understood what he meant and said quickly, "Don't worry, Master Yuan, I'm keeping my mouth shut."

If not for anything else, just for the rewards that come and go, Yu Si has to keep his mouth shut. And he's the only one who saw what happened today. If it gets out, will he still want Master Yuan's reward in the future?
Chen Siyuan smiled and dismissed Yu Si, then strolled towards the back door of Rongguo Mansion. He couldn't help but think to himself, "That was just another absurdity. When Third Sister You gets carried away, she's really reckless. She even mastered the tactic of 'lining up to greet people' without any instruction. Who knows, she might be as kind-hearted as she is in the future."

As he grew taller, he thought he could handle both Xiangling and Hongyu without any problems, but just now he was nearly overwhelmed. Entering through the back door, Chen Siyuan thought to himself, when those three good brothers return from Liaodong, they really should learn some standing meditation to strengthen their bodies. Otherwise, wouldn't it be like having the will but not the strength?

She returned to her own courtyard. The candles in the side rooms were out, but the main room was still lit. Hongyu and Xiangling welcomed her in. Hongyu, with her keen nose, could smell the scent of powder from afar. She stole a glance at Xiangling, but remained silent for a moment.

Chen Siyuan took off his coat, stretched his body and felt relaxed. He licked Xiangling's lips and teased Hongyu, making the two girls angry.

Xiangling smiled and said, "Master, you seem to be in a good mood today?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, I will be famous throughout the capital in the future."

Xiangling nodded hopefully and said, "Those two poems you wrote are excellent. They would be ranked among the best even in the early Song Dynasty."

Hongyu also came to congratulate him, and then said, "The eldest mistress came by and said that she had already ordered a carriage to be prepared for you, and a servant to serve you. Tomorrow, after breakfast, you just need to go forward."

Xiangling also said, "Yes, Tiaoer also said that he was worried that Master wouldn't be used to the food at the Imperial College, so he sent a servant to bring the food box over at noon."

Chen Siyuan agreed with a smile, thinking that Madam Xing was thoughtful. After resting for a while, he washed up and went to sleep with the two women.

The next morning, Chen Siyuan finished his breakfast and was urged by Hongyu to come forward. A servant was already waiting outside the door. Upon seeing Chen Siyuan emerge, he immediately bowed and said, "I, Qingyu, greet Master Yuan. The master has instructed me to accompany you and serve you from now on."

Chen Siyuan and Hongyu exchanged glances and said with a smile, "Get up and answer."

Qingyu agreed, and just as he stood up, Hongyu stuffed a dime into his pocket. Hongyu smiled and asked, "Who are you from?"

Qing Yu said happily, "My grandmother is Nanny Wang, the maid of the First Madam. My mother is now serving the First Madam."

Chen Siyuan understood that this man was probably the son of Qin Xian's family. He looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old and should be Siqi's cousin.

Hongyu then said, "Well, my master is not a stranger. If you work harder in the future, you will definitely be rewarded."

Qingyu happily agreed.

The Rongguo Mansion's population was growing, and there were only so many jobs available. Many of the sons of the old servants couldn't find good jobs, let alone someone like him who came with the dowry. Being able to work for Master Yuan was also a promising prospect.

Without saying anything, Chen Siyuan handed the bookcase to Qingyu, and the two of them went to the front. Sure enough, a carriage had already been prepared. Chen Siyuan got on, and a servant accompanied him. The driver shouted twice, and in a moment they were out of the Rongguo Mansion.

The Imperial College was located to the west of Prince Yanping's Palace. The carriage went north and then east, and it took more than half an hour to arrive at the destination.

The Dashun Imperial College is next to the Confucian Temple. Although it inherited the Ming system, it is very different from the former Ming Dynasty.

The Imperial College has four halls and six departments, of which the Ruxing Hall is the most prestigious and can be considered the advanced class. This advanced class is further divided into two groups: the inner class resides in the academy, and the outer class is a day student.

When Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Former Ming Dynasty, he was desperate for officials and had to establish the Imperial College to train his own officials. The Dashun Dynasty was different from the Former Ming Dynasty. Although it also had an Imperial College, it did not lack the means to select officials.

Most of the scholars in the Imperial College were granted by imperial favor. Apart from those with great talent but poor family background, very few scholars came to study in the Imperial College.

Because these internal and external classes were naturally different from those in the previous Ming Dynasty, most of those who were born under imperial patronage chose to attend school as a day student, and only those whose families were not in the capital would live in the prison.

The carriage stopped, and Chen Siyuan told Qingyu, "Shen Zheng is done with classes, so there's no need to bring lunch today. If you have nothing else to do, take the carriage back and come pick me up before classes are over."

Qing Yu immediately agreed and handed over the bookcase. Chen Siyuan carried it on his back and headed towards the main gate of the Imperial College. There was a constant stream of people waiting in front of the gate, most of them were students from the Imperial College.

There was a clerk at the gate checking the number badges. No one without a badge was allowed in. The clerk saw that Chen Siyuan looked unfamiliar and immediately stepped forward to ask, "Are you a freshman this year?"

"That's right." As he spoke, Chen Siyuan fumbled for his household name card and handed it over. The clerk examined it, then compared it with the list. After a moment, he said, "Excellent student Chen Siyuan, fifteen years old, from Shuntian Prefecture, Zhili. He has a fair complexion and no beard, and is tall—"

After a brief comparison, the clerk put down the list and said with a smile, "Chen Yousheng, please follow me."

At that moment, the clerk led Chen Siyuan into the main gate of the Imperial College, passed through the middle gate, and searched all the way to the back. In a moment, they arrived in front of the Shengqian Hall.

The clerk went in to report and then led Chen Siyuan inside.

Tao Jiancheng had been sitting there waiting, smiling, until Chen Siyuan came forward to greet him. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Shuliang is indeed a man of remarkable talent! Although I didn't go out for a stroll last night, I listened to your two Lantern Festival poems this morning."

Shuliang? Not many people know his real name, and it seems that Tao Jiancheng has used his real name as his courtesy name?

Chen Siyuan remained calm and said with a forced smile, "Just don't laugh at my students' frivolity, Supervisor."

"Eh? Why are you saying that? I heard that Prince Ping of Yan was at the Qingyuan Tower last night, and afterwards he praised Shuliang's talent highly. Hahaha, I bet that within a few days, his words will be sung all over the capital!"

Oh, so it was spread from Prince Ping of Yan. Well, from now on, my courtesy name will be Shuliang.

Chen Siyuan naturally understood what Supervisor Tao meant. With such talent and reputation, he could graduate from the Imperial College in August without anyone finding fault. It seemed the five hundred taels deal was doable.

Yin Shi lowered his voice and said, "You are so kind, Supervisor. By the way, I wonder if I can choose to attend school as a day student? The Supervisor knows that I love calligraphy and painting. I have been very busy in the capital for several months and have not had time to wander around."

Tao Jiancheng laughed and said, "Shuliang actually has such a refined hobby... I've heard there's a Moxiang Studio, where the calligraphy and paintings have a unique charm. Although they can't be considered the work of famous artists, they are hard to find elsewhere."

Chen Siyuan said, "I see. I'll go there today when I have time."

Tao Jiancheng was increasingly satisfied; the deal was done. After a few pleasantries, Dangxi called over the clerk who had been there, saying, "Go and personally take Shuliang to get his license and badge, and then place him in the outer class of Ruxing Hall."

The clerk wasted no time in responding, so Chen Siyuan bowed and said goodbye, following the clerk to the bookkeeping hall in the back. After paying two taels and seven cents for his certificate and another one tael and eight cents for his number plate, Chen Siyuan had suddenly become a student at the Imperial College.

The clerk continued, "According to the rules, the inner class of Suixing Hall receives 24 taels of tuition per year, while the outer class receives half that, 12 taels. These can be withdrawn from the Bookkeeping Office before the fifth day of each month. Also, the inner class is provided with three meals, while the outer class only has one meal, lunch, and must bring their own lunch boxes."

Chen Siyuan wrote down all the information and found an opportunity to give the clerk a silver coin weighing two taels. The clerk immediately smiled happily and personally led Chen Siyuan to Suixing Hall.

Although Dashun's Ruxing Hall is divided into internal and external areas, the courses taught there are actually the same.

Having received the reward, the clerk carried the bookcase and personally escorted Chen Siyuan to Suixing Hall. He was about to give him a few more instructions when he suddenly saw a group of people coming out.

The first man, a dashing, twenty-year-old, paused, glanced up and down, and asked, "Is Chen Shuliang here?"

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and quickly bowed in return, "I dare not. I am Chen Siyuan, and my courtesy name is Shuliang."

As soon as the words fell, the people on the opposite side suddenly burst into an uproar!
The man in the lead was even more delighted, praising repeatedly, "Excellent, excellent! Only a man of Shuliang's caliber could write such brilliant and elegant poems!" He bowed again, "My name is Wang Zhongfang, from Liaodong."

Chen Siyuan's heart suddenly skipped a beat!
Wang Zhongfang? Chen Siyuan had heard of him. He was known as the most accomplished writer in the Three Rivers, the most influential figure in the poetry world of Dashun! He excelled in writing long poems, his writing style brilliant. Furthermore, his relationship with his wife had been difficult, and the Emperor, upon hearing of this, was deeply moved and personally granted their marriage. Thus, his fame spread far and wide.

How could a second-hand poet like Chen Siyuan dare to neglect such a great poet in person? Having cultivated a thick skin that could withstand fire and water for a lifetime, Chen Siyuan would surely be utterly embarrassed to face anyone!
"So it's you, my brother? I've admired you for a long time!"

He immediately stepped forward, grabbed Wang Zhongfang's arm and shook it vigorously.

Someone beside him sighed, "What do you think? These two really do appreciate each other."

Wang Zhongfang hurriedly introduced them, "Shuliang, this is Jiang Yuanqian, Brother Jiang; this is Wei Zhaogao, Brother Wei; and Xu Xueqin—"

Chen Siyuan smiled and greeted everyone one by one. Jiang Yuanqian, who had spoken earlier, closed his folding fan and said with a smile, "I'm afraid Shuliang doesn't know that Zhongfang was recommended a long time ago, but he backed out when he arrived in the capital. If it weren't for seeing Shuliang's two poems yesterday, I'm afraid he would have returned home today and gone to the Zen temple to live a life of poverty and contentment with his wife as usual."

Wang Zhongfang shook his head and said, "I know my writing skills are not up to par yet. I need to hone them for a few more years before I can make a good conclusion."

Wei Zhaogao said, "Brother Wang, you are too modest. Well, I haven't returned to Liaodong, otherwise how could we meet today? Hahaha, it's cold outside, let's go inside and talk. Who knows, Doctor Zi will be here soon."

Everyone chatted and laughed as they entered. The five rooms of Suixing Hall could accommodate over fifty people. Chen Siyuan simply sat down with the others, fortunately for his thin figure at the moment; if he were a bit more substantial, he would have been unable to fit.

Wei Zhaogao sighed and said, "Just bear with it for two days. On normal days, it's good enough if we can have more than thirty people come to Ruxing Hall. The rest have mostly gone to academies to study and only show up during exams."

Jiang Yuanqian sneered, "Brother Wei, that's just nice talk. Those noble sons are just wasting their money to pass the time. Who of them actually went to the academy to study?"

Chen Siyuan thought to himself, "Perhaps the secrets of the Imperial College have long been known to everyone, and everyone is just pretending to be ignorant." Then he felt ashamed, thinking that these people were truly excellent students, and they mistook him, a sham, for the same kind.

You must be careful in your future actions. This kind of scholar is conceited about his talent. If he knew that I could only write a few crooked poems and sarcastic words, I am afraid he would be ashamed to be associated with him.

As he was thinking, a doctor walked in, and the room suddenly became quiet. He came to the front, called out the names according to the roster, explained the rules, and then let everyone review on their own.

Wang Zhongfang, who was standing by, said, "These three days are all for review. The lecture will begin in three days."

Fearing that Chen Siyuan didn't know the rules as a newcomer, Jiang Yuanqian explained the situation in the Imperial College.

The Ruxing Hall has an exam every month and a major exam every quarter. In addition to the meaning of classics and history, the daily lectures also include laws, rhymed poetry, the writing of imperial edicts, judgments, memorials, and official documents, the study of nature and reason, and current affairs.

Each lecture is divided into opening lecture, review lecture and self-study, which is repeated over and over again, with an examination at the end of the month.

Although Chen Siyuan had already understood the situation, Jiang Yuanqian's words still left him feeling uneasy. He couldn't help but think to himself, "It's a good thing I gave up the five hundred taels of silver. Otherwise, I'd be exposed at the first round of the month." Being despised would be one thing, but if I were demoted from the Ruxing Hall to another, there would be no place for me to seek justice.

On second thought, I guess those twenty or so people in the Enyin Supervisor's office also gave up their kindness to buy calligraphy and paintings?
Concentrating his thoughts, Chen Siyuan took out the scriptures from his bookcase and read them carefully, then he imitated his classmates and began to recite them while shaking his head.

Fortunately, Chen Siyuan had some foundation and worked hard these days, otherwise life would have been difficult.

It was almost noon when a gong sounded outside. He saw the servants gathering their books. Jiang Yuanqian stood up and asked, "Where is Shuliang going to eat?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I'm new here, so why don't I just go with you guys?"

Jiang Yuanqian immediately started to joke, "Oh? How about we meet later to have dinner?"

Wei Zhaogao coughed and laughed, "Don't listen to him, let's go outside."

Wang Zhongfang said with lingering fear, "I've heard that the food at the Imperial College is as bad as pig food, but I'd rather not see it."

Chen Siyuan was surprised and asked, "Is it very unpalatable?"

Jiang Yuanqian laughed and said, "Haha, Shuliang, don't you believe it?"

When the man recounted the Imperial College's century-old menu, Chen Siyuan immediately became enraged. According to the rules, each student's meal consisted of 42 tablespoons of soybeans, 1 tablespoon of soybeans made into tofu, 20 grams of mung bean flour, 1 tablespoon of soybean soup, 3 grams of salt, 2 grams of soybean paste, 5 grams of Sichuan peppercorns, 3 grams of sesame oil, and 1 bottle of vinegar for every 40 students.

4 liang of raw pork, 3 liang and 5 qian of cooked pork. 3 liang of pickled vegetables. 2 liang of gluten. 2 liang of dried fish. 3 qian of fermented rice. 1 jin of soup and vegetables. The big pot of rice had a watery, bland broth. Unless the family was truly struggling, anyone with a little money would rather eat out.

Chen Siyuan was stunned. As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to return to frugality. He was used to the Rongguo Mansion's food, so even the sight of this pig food made him lose his appetite, let alone his appetite. No wonder Madam Xing sent someone to order a servant to deliver lunch yesterday. She had heard that the food at the Imperial College was not to her liking.

At that moment, Chen Siyuan was unwilling to take any risks, so he went out with Wang Zhongfang and others. As a result, as soon as they came out of Ruexing Hall, they ran into Lai Shangrong who came out of Zhengyi Hall.

Chen Siyuan immediately became amused and thought to himself that it was true that enemies often meet on a narrow road.

Lai Shangrong was originally being treated like a star, chatting and laughing as he walked along leisurely, but when he suddenly caught sight of Chen Siyuan, his face froze for a moment, and he coughed, then turned around and walked away as if he had ignored him.

Jiang Yuanqian saw it all, and seeing Chen Siyuan's amused expression, he asked with a smile, "Does Shuliang know that person?"

Chen Siyuan laughed and said, "I ran into him yesterday. I think his name was Lai Shangrong?"

Wang Zhongfang stopped immediately, frowned, and asked, "But who was it that stopped Shuliang and insisted that you write another poem?"

Jiang Yuanqian loved the hustle and bustle. He fanned himself and said with a smile, "What else is going on? Brother Wang, please tell me!"

Wang Zhongfang said, "I also heard from Miss Wenhui that a scholar named Lai Shangrong, whose poems she disliked, became resentful and simply stopped the successor, which happened to make things difficult for Shuliang." He paused, then said, "It's thanks to this person that he caused trouble, otherwise how would we have heard the Qitian Music?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the scholars burst into laughter.

Wei Zhaogao said, "I've heard of this person. He seems to have donated money to become a scholar, and now he's trying to apply for a scholarship. I don't see him studying much, but he's always busy trying to get ahead. Oh, this person has quite a lot of money, and he's always been served by servants and maids. I wonder which family he belongs to."

Jiang Yuanqian said, "Tsk, Brother Wei might not believe me, but this man is the son of the housekeeper of Rongguo Mansion."

"Ah? A mere servant has transformed himself into a student at the Imperial College? This is truly disgraceful!"

Wei Zhaogao said, "There's such a thing? Ha, it's nothing new! The Jia family is a seventh-rank official in the prime minister's family. The Jia family is a family of two dukes. In the early days, they were known as the Jia half dynasty. When the master is domineering, the servant will naturally be arrogant."

Seeing Chen Siyuan smiling without saying anything, Jiang Yuanqian said, "Do you want to retaliate against Shuliang? He's just a scumbag. We'll stop him later and give him a few sutras to put him to shame."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said, "Why bother with such a despicable person? A crow pretending to be a phoenix, but if you pluck a few feathers, how can it still be a good bird?"

"Hahaha--"

The laughter spread far and wide! Lai Shangrong, who was walking ahead with his head down, suddenly blushed with embarrassment!

He had been living a life of luxury since he was a child, and was raised with the love of his parents and grandmother. He had maids and nannies serving him in his room, and servants accompanying him when he went out.

As the only child of the Lai family who had escaped slavery, he had hired a private tutor to study the classics since childhood, and even donated money to obtain a degree. Now he was even admitted to the Imperial Academy to study, waiting for Nanny Lai and Lady Jia to ask for an official position for him after graduation. In this way, the Lai family had changed their status and was no longer a slave.

Because of his background, Lai Shangrong was extremely sensitive and hated it most. Hearing the laughter behind him, Lai Shangrong was filled with resentment. He thought to himself, I'm afraid Chen Siyuan already knew his secrets and would spread them everywhere.

How would his classmates view him in the future? The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became. He left the Imperial College and approached a carriage. A servant bowed and said, "Brother, the food is ready."

Lai Shangrong gritted his teeth secretly, his expression changing. Turning around, he saw Chen Siyuan smiling and following the others to the north noodle shop. He stamped his foot and said, "Wait a minute, I have something to ask Tao Jiancheng."

He immediately left the servant behind and hurried back into the Imperial College, heading straight for the Shengqian Hall.

At this time, Tao Jiancheng had just opened the lunch box and was about to eat. When he heard Lai Shangrong wanted to see him, he sent a clerk to bring him in.

Lai Shangrong entered, forced a smile, bowed, and after a few pleasantries, he said, "Superintendent, I recently found a new painting. Although it's priced at one hundred taels, I think it's a bargain. If it were to be sold outside, I'm afraid someone would want it even for two hundred taels."

Tao Jiancheng narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Calligraphy and painting are a matter of personal taste. Those who don't like it will probably think it's worthless, but those who like it will naturally flock to it."

"What the Supervisor said is quite true. Actually, I do have a favor to ask of you... I don't know how I offended Chen Siyuan, but he's been spreading rumors everywhere, and I'm really confused. I wonder if the Supervisor could be so kind as to—"

Before he could finish, Tao Jiancheng's face suddenly changed. He waved his hand and said, "Stop! Lai Shangrong, what do you think the Imperial College is? You're just filling in the gaps, but are you trying to harm others?"

"Ah?" Lai Shangrong said inexplicably: "I'm afraid that Chen will be arrogant because of his talent--"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"This..." Lai Shangrong thought that Tao Jiancheng was greedy for money, so he spent some money to teach Chen Siyuan a lesson, but for some reason, Tao Jiancheng didn't respond.

Little did he know that Chen Siyuan had spent a full five hundred taels of silver. That would have been fine, but with the two Lantern Festival poems he'd written yesterday, plus the previous one, "Mulanhua," Chen Siyuan would surely be famous throughout the capital! Even if he didn't have the five hundred taels, how could Tao Jiancheng dare to offend him?
First is fate, second is luck, third is feng shui, fourth is cultivating hidden virtues, and fifth is reading. Cultivating hidden virtues can be ranked above reading. How to cultivate hidden virtues? It is to take care of the younger generation a little bit, and who knows, you will reap good results in the future.

On the worst-case scenario, even if Chen Siyuan never passed the imperial examination, he would still be famous for his poetry alone. On the other hand, if he wrote a poem to curse me in the future, I would be infamous for eternity.

It was just a mere hundred taels of silver, but for this he would have to pay with a lifetime of infamy. Tao Jiancheng was not stupid, so how could he take such a responsibility?

Lai Shangrong was so anxious that he was about to say more when he saw Tao Jiancheng, with a gloomy face, serving tea and sending him away. Lai Shangrong had no choice but to stand up, and after a pause, he sighed and walked out of the hall.

As soon as he left, Tao Jiancheng snorted coldly, beckoned the clerk over, and whispered, "If Shuliang comes back later, call him to me privately."

The clerk was unable to respond quickly.

After noon, the clerk led Chen Siyuan into the punishment hall.

Tao Jiancheng was naturally very enthusiastic. After a brief greeting, he told Lai Shangrong about his intention to harm him.

Chen Siyuan smiled and thanked Tao Jiancheng, feeling a mixture of laughter and tears. He had originally considered ignoring this bastard, but who knew he'd keep provoking him? No wonder Chen Siyuan had to deal with him harshly.

After returning to Suixing Hall and pondering for a moment, Chen Siyuan felt that his fate was truly disgraceful. Rather than let this happen, he might as well go back and talk to Madam Xing about it... Oh, and Madam Wang couldn't be left out either.

Want to deal with me? I will uproot your family one day!

............................................................

Rongguo Mansion.

At noon that day, the Baoling Marquis's mansion sent a carriage to take Shi Xiangyun back. The little girl was reluctant to leave. On the one hand, she was attracted by the many sisters in the Rongguo Mansion and could play more. On the other hand, the Baoling Marquis's wife was very strict. In addition to teaching her to read and write, she also urged Shi Xiangyun to do needlework every day.

It was Grandmother Jia who spoke up, saying that she would send for Xiangyun after the villa for the visit was completed in March. The little girl then burst into laughter and gave Grandmother Jia several instructions before returning in her carriage.

After Xiangyun left, Baoyu could no longer stay at home. Although Qin Zhong was dead, there were two elementary school students, Xianglian and Yuai, in the private school, so Baoyu went to the private school.

But at noon, he went out to play with his friends, and only returned home in high spirits near the 3:00 PM.

It was almost dinner time, and not only Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Wang, Li Wan, and Feng Jie were there, but also the three sisters, Daiyu, and Baochai.

At this moment, everyone was chatting with Jia's mother when Baoyu rushed in excitedly and said, "Do you know that there is a poet in the capital? His two poems for the Lantern Festival are already famous in the capital!"

Madam Wang was furious and said, "You have no manners. You start talking nonsense as soon as you arrive. You don't even know how to greet your elders."

Baoyu was not at all bothered by the greetings, and said with a smile, "Greetings are commonplace, but that Lantern Festival poem is truly extraordinary."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Brother Bao, since you are so attentive to this, I think that poem must be very well written."

"How can one word be so good?" Baoyu walked around shaking his head, saying to the crowd, "Let me recite it for you to listen to and look at." He then cleared his throat and recited: "The flaming trees and dancing fish and dragons are fading, and in the distance I see Baochai's building. The tanned ball is red, the glass is green, waiting for the flowers to return slowly. The cold is light and the leak is shallow. Just as the smoke is gathering, the meteors are like arrows. The past is shocking, a pair of lotus shadows and broken lotus silk.

Don't resent the fleeting years, the withered butterflies, the fleeting fleeting moments. Whispering fragrance, a dark cloud of dust, all scattered by the morning breeze. Knock on the railings. Ask the delicate figure behind the curtain, when will we meet again? I cannot understand my longing, the moon is full tonight.

"

After reciting a verse, Li Wan could not help but nod repeatedly. Suddenly, she felt something was wrong, so she suppressed her emotion and just smiled without saying anything.
Feng Jieer didn't read much, she just thought it was easy to read, but she didn't know what it said.

Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xing were both not well educated and came from humble backgrounds, so they couldn't tell good from bad.
On the other hand, Lady Jia was a man of great knowledge. After listening to Baoyu's recitation, she could not help but smile and praise him, saying, "Excellent words, excellent words. Such good words are so rare. I wonder who wrote them?"

Putting Xichun's young age aside, Tanchun and Yingchun exchanged glances, each catching a glimpse of surprise in the other's eyes. While the ladies of the Rongguo Mansion might not have studied the classics, history, and literature, they had thoroughly mastered the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and could certainly distinguish good poetry from bad.

A hundred years after its founding, the Dashun dynasty was still inferior to the previous Ming dynasty. It was only in recent years that a man named Wang Zhongfang, whose literary talent surpassed all others, emerged and was hailed by literati as a fig leaf for the Dashun poetry scene.

That poem about the Lantern Festival was written exquisitely, full of lovesickness and affection, it is a rare masterpiece!
Baochai's face remained unchanged, but she was filled with admiration in her heart, and she could not help wondering which talented person had written such a poem.

Daiyu, standing by, was stunned. She had assumed Chen Siyuan had given her the ci poems to help him become famous, so she had sent Nanny Wang off early this morning to deliver the two verses to her teacher, Jia Yucun, before he departed. But she had been wrong!

Even Baoyu had heard of it, so the poem must have been known to everyone. Sensing Xueyan's surprise, Daiyu secretly glanced at her, and Xueyan suppressed her excitement.

At this time, Baoyu presented his treasure and said, "I heard from Brother Liu that this poem was written by a man named Chen Shuliang downstairs in Qingyuan Tower."

"Chen Shuliang?" Tanchun said with a smile, "I suppose he's a talented man from Jiangnan?"

Yingchun also smiled and said, "Jiangnan is a place where literature gathers. Every few years there will always be talented people emerging."

Listening to everyone's praise, Xueyan bit her lower lip, unable to hold back any longer, and muttered softly, "What Chen Shuliang...it's clearly Master Yuan..."

Her voice was very soft, but Xichun, who was standing beside her, heard it.

The little girl turned her head to glance at Xueyan and said, "Brother Yuan's courtesy name is Shuliang, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Rongqing Hall, which was originally full of noise, suddenly became quiet!
Baoyu came over excitedly and said to Xichun, "Chen Shuliang is Brother Yuan? Fourth sister——"

Xichun pointed at Xueyan and said, "Sister Xueyan said so."

Daiyu was immediately annoyed, and Xueyan hung her head and dared not say a word.

Mrs. Xing was secretly anxious and hurried to cover up, saying, "Brother Yuan mentioned it to me earlier. Yes, it is indeed Shuliang."

Mrs. Wang, who had noticed Daiyu's condition, smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, if you hadn't told me earlier, we would have thought she was a scholar from Jiangnan. Who could have guessed she was actually a family member?"

Seeing that Xueyan couldn't get any information out of him, Baoyu simply turned back and said to Mrs. Xing, "Madam, is it really Brother Yuan?"

"Well, it's probably him."

Looking at Baoyu again, he had completely lost his previous interest. He bit his lower lip and looked at Daiyu. Seeing that Daiyu didn't look at him either, he suddenly lost his mind.

When Grandmother Jia heard the name of Chen Siyuan, she frowned with displeasure. Seeing Baoyu's absent-mindedness, she could not help but say, "Poetry is just a sideshow for fun. If you want to make progress in your studies, it's more important to write serious articles."

Feng Jieer immediately agreed with a few words, trying to cover up the matter.

Mrs. Wang glanced at Daiyu, her eyes showing a rare hint of kindness. She couldn't help but think to herself that Yuan Ge'er must have been exchanging letters with Daiyu privately, otherwise how would Xueyan know that Chen Shuliang was Yuan Ge'er?
　More chapters for 1,000 monthly tickets...

　　I took a look and it should be possible, so I will update it in advance.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)