Time Travel: I'm a Flower Thief

The scholar in the blue robe glanced at Xie Xiaoyi, then noticed the mocking looks on the faces of the other scholars. He stroked his beard and slowly began to speak:

"Young man, since you have chosen bamboo as your subject, hurry up and put pen to paper."

There's no time to linger before these green bamboo poetry tablets; if you can't write a decent line, you'd better leave early.

Don't waste other people's time.

Having said that, his gaze fell on Xie Xiaoyi's江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) attire:

"The art of poetry demands profound knowledge and refined character; it's not something you can just whip up a few lines to get by."

Xie Xiaoyi ignored him, walked straight to the desk, picked up a wolf-hair brush, dipped it in thick ink, and with a flick of his wrist, four lines of poetry appeared on the paper.

He put down his pen, nodded to the Master, and stepped aside.

The scholar in the blue robe glanced up casually, but after seeing the handwriting, his eyes suddenly lit up. He then picked up the paper and read aloud:

Clinging firmly to the green hills, never letting go.

The root was originally in the broken rock.

Thousands of blows are still strong,

Let the winds blow from east, west, north, or south!

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent for a moment, followed by soft cheers.

The master slammed his hand on the table, his gaze piercing:

"good!

What a remarkable feat – it remains steadfast despite countless trials and tribulations!

Such integrity surpasses all the pedantic and pretentious works present!

After saying that, he handed the token that allowed him to enter the winding stream banquet directly to Xie Xiaoyi.

Xie Xiaoyi took the token and glanced at the silent scholars with a half-smile: "I've made a fool of myself."

He chuckled to himself.

A bunch of bookworms, now they'll behave themselves!

This poem, "Bamboo and Rock," is a masterpiece by Zheng Banqiao of the Qing Dynasty, depicting the proud spirit of bamboo and the backbone of a Daoist.

You pedantic scholars who only know how to nitpick over tones and words, your bellies are full of soft, sentimental verses, but you have not a shred of backbone to face the storms of life.

Xie Xiaoyi toyed with the token, adhering to the principle of putting on a convincing performance, and looked at the two scholars who had mocked him the most, then said loudly:

"This poem describes bamboo, but it speaks of its essence."

You all spend your days nitpicking over words, reciting poems about romance and writing melodramatic whining. Do you understand integrity or moral character?

The scholar who had been shouting the loudest earlier turned pale and then red, and stammered:

"Uh, I judged you by your words, please forgive me, sir! I'm ashamed!"

Xie Xiaoyi waved his hand: "It's alright!"

The scholar standing to the side with the folding fan closed it and continued to be stubborn:

"Brother Liu, why apologize? His lines are just amateurish and hardly a masterpiece!"

As soon as he finished speaking, some people around him chuckled softly.

"acid."

"It's more than just sour, it's like falling into a vat of vinegar."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The teacher glanced at him sideways and scoffed, "A frog in a well!"

The scholar with the folding fan blushed instantly and turned his head away sullenly.

......

The next morning, Xie Xiaoyi, carrying the token, followed the directions from the locals and headed towards the Lanting Villa in the south of the city.

As soon as he reached the vermilion gate, two guards dressed in close-fitting clothes stepped forward and blocked his way:

"The Orchid Pavilion Gathering is open to those without a token. Please present your credentials."

The two men stood tall and straight, their auras concentrated and unyielding, which secretly alarmed Xie Xiaoyi.

Such impressive foundations! These two are at least third-rank masters!

The guards at ordinary gatherings don't have such skills. It seems that the lord of Qingjiang City is more powerful than I thought.

Xie Xiaoyi remained expressionless, took out the token from his pocket, and handed it over.

The guard took the token, and after confirming that it was correct, immediately stepped aside to make way for him: "Excuse me, young master, please come in."

Xie Xiaoyi clasped his hands in a salute and then stepped through the vermilion gate.

The view is like an ink wash painting, with a winding stream paved with bluestone meandering through the courtyard.

Exquisitely carved ebony wine cups float on the water, drifting slowly with the current.

Willows sway gently on both banks, and peonies of all colors are in full bloom, exuding elegance and magnificence, outshining the rest of the garden in springtime beauty.

Xie Xiaoyi thought to himself: This Lord of Qingjiang City is truly a charming and refined person. What a fine villa.

The riverbank was already crowded with people, all of them scholars in blue robes, some handsome and tall, others gentle and refined.

Xie Xiaoyi admired the scene for a while, then began to look around to see which one was the Fu Yaoqin the waiter had mentioned.

Just then, a clear, melodious announcement came from outside the courtyard: "The City Lord has arrived!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people escorted a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe as he slowly entered.

The man was dressed in luxurious clothes, with a handsome face and an elegant demeanor; he was none other than Bai Letian, the city lord of Qingjiang City.

He was followed by several servants, some carrying scrolls, others carrying food boxes.

Two servants in blue robes led several musicians carrying zithers, who stood silently under the willows on both sides of the winding stream.

Bai Letian raised his hand to quell the noise, and the entire room fell silent.

"It is truly a blessing for Qingjiang City that all of you talented individuals have gathered at Lanting."

Today, as we gather by the winding stream, there is no distinction of rank or social status; we simply connect through poetry and express our feelings through wine.

After saying that, he nodded to the musician.

In an instant, a few clear and melodious notes of the zither drifted out from under the willow trees.

A woman dressed in green sat gracefully on a stone bench, her jade-like fingers lightly plucking the strings of a zither.

The music was sometimes clear and melodious like flowing water, and sometimes as melodious as a nightingale singing in the forest.

Several beautiful women by the winding stream also moved gracefully, holding round fans and flower branches, their smiles charming and their eyes sparkling.

As Xie Xiaoyi was observing the woman in green by following the sound of the zither, he overheard four scholars whispering beside him.

"Brother Tang, could that man in green playing the zither be Fu Yaoqin of the Elegant Music Pavilion?"

"Brother, you are right!"

This woman's musical talent is unparalleled in Qingjiang City; even a simple banquet would cost a fortune to invite her. Lord Bai's influence is truly immense.

"Brother Wenyan, I have long admired Master Fu's extraordinary skill with the zither. To witness it today is an honor beyond measure!"

"Brother Xu is right. If it weren't for the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, we scholars in plain clothes would probably never have had the chance to hear this celestial music in our lives."

Xie Xiaoyi then realized that the woman in green was Fu Yaoqin, the one the waiter had mentioned.

Upon closer inspection, a thought suddenly struck him.

Wow!

The waiter was right; this woman named Yaoqin was so beautiful it could make your heart flutter.

Such beauty is at least on par with Yun Qianxun, and should even surpass Murong Wei!

Just then, the scholar in the blue robe from yesterday whispered something to Bai Letian.

Bai Letian's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Xie Xiaoyi:

"Yesterday, in front of the Green Bamboo Poetry Hall, a young man amazed everyone with a poem about bamboo. Today, he will surely add luster to this gathering as well."

As soon as he said this, all eyes in the room turned to Xie Xiaoyi, following the direction he was looking.

Even the woman playing the zither looked up and gazed over, and the music paused slightly.