Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Xiangling laughed after hearing this, "No wonder some of the poems I've read these past few days are either perfectly matched or not, and I've also heard the saying 'One, three, and five don't matter, two, four, and six are clear'."

"I've seen poems by ancient poets that are sometimes fluent and sometimes have errors in the second, fourth, and sixth syllables, which has left me puzzled every day. But now, after hearing what you've said, I realize that these rules and regulations are trivial matters; what matters most is that the words and phrases are novel and original."

Daiyu clapped her hands and said, "That's exactly right. Words and phrases are ultimately secondary; the most important thing is the theme."

"If the meaning is genuine, even the words and phrases need no embellishment; they are good in themselves. This is called 'not letting words obscure the meaning.'"

After Daiyu finished speaking, Xiangling blinked her bright eyes and looked at Daiyu's face, asking inquiringly:

"Does this mean the young lady is willing to take me in?"

Daiyu's bright eyes, framed by her delicate brows, curved into a smile as she said:

"Since it is Third Brother who has spoken, and as the sage said, 'Teaching others is a lifelong endeavor.' Although I do not possess Third Brother's literary talent, I can still teach you the basics."

When Xiangling saw that Daiyu had agreed, her face immediately lit up with a smile. She immediately knelt down before Daiyu and cried out:

"Master! Your disciple greets you!"

Then, he cautiously added:

"Now that I've become your disciple, you mustn't get annoyed by my stupidity!"

Daiyu found Xiangling quite agreeable and thought she had a certain intelligence. She helped Xiangling up and tested her:

"What poems have you read these past few days? What are your thoughts on them?"

Xiangling said:

"I recently read Lu You's poem, 'The heavy curtains remain unrolled, lingering fragrance; the ancient inkstone, slightly concave, gathers abundant ink,' and it's truly fascinating!"

Daiyu said, "You must not learn this kind of poetry. Because you don't understand poetry, you like this kind of simple poetry. Once you get into this pattern, you will never be able to learn it."

"Just listen to me. If you really want to learn, I have the complete works of Wang Wei here. You should read and study one hundred of his five-character regulated poems carefully until you are thoroughly familiar with them. Then read one or two hundred of Du Fu's seven-character regulated poems, and then one or two hundred of Li Qinglian's seven-character quatrains."

"With these three people as a foundation, then I will look at Tao Yuanming, Ying Yang, Xie, Ruan, Yu, Bao and others."

"You are also an extremely intelligent and quick-witted person. In less than a year, you'll surely be a poet!"

Xiangling laughed upon hearing this:

"After listening to the girl's words, I finally had a clue how to study."

After listening to their conversation, Jia Jing laughed and said:

"I have all the books here, but I'll have to trouble you, Sister Lin, to circle the poems that Xiangling needs to read and memorize later."

Then he said to Xiangling:

"When I'm not busy, you should spend an hour each day in Lin Daiyu's courtyard and make sure you can recognize all the characters!"

"Then I would read the poems that Lin Daiyu had circled and annotated every day. If I encountered anything I didn't understand, I would ask her or Lin Daiyu, or Xue Daiyu as well."

Xiangling nodded happily and said:

"Thank you for your kindness, Third Master!"

Jia Jing laughed and said:

"I've heard that even the maids in the household of the great Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan were well-versed in the Book of Poetry. If you could achieve such mastery, it would be a truly remarkable story!"

By the fire, the maids watching this scene were all somewhat envious of Xiangling's good fortune, as she was personally invited by the Third Master to be taught poetry by Miss Lin.

What they didn't know was that Jia Jing simply wanted to reenact the scene from years ago when he was reading "Dream of the Red Chamber" and painstakingly composing poems at a gathering of elegant ladies.

This is also a way for him to remember his past life, a way to leave some mementos for himself!

Xue Baochai, however, felt a mix of emotions she couldn't quite describe.

Xiangling was naturally happy that she was able to live so comfortably with Jia Jing.

But why did Jia Jing ask Lin Daiyu to be her teacher instead of asking himself? And Xiangling came from his own courtyard, after all!

Does he think he's not as good at poetry as Lin Daiyu?

Or did he admire Lin Daiyu more?

Xue Baochai's heart began to flutter with anxiety and uncertainty!

Xue Baochai thought for a moment and decided to make a show of herself while everyone was seated and drinking.

She walked to the pavilion, stretched her hand out, and snowflakes drifted into her palm, then slowly melted.

Baochai smiled slightly and said:

"Such beautiful snow today! And such an elegant event as Lin Daiyu taking on a disciple."

"Why don't we follow the example of the ancients, drinking wine and appreciating the snow, each composing a poem, to show off our refined tastes and set an example for Xiangling?"

Lin Daiyu's bright eyes flickered, a strange feeling creeping into her heart.

If Shi Xiangyun had suggested appreciating the snow and composing poems, she wouldn't be surprised at all; Shi Xiangyun was just that kind of lively and outgoing person.

However, Bao Yatou has always been reserved and has never taken the initiative to do such things. It's very strange that she wants to appreciate the snow and compose poems today!

She glanced at Baochai, who was pretending to be nonchalant, and then at Jia Jing, who was sitting there drinking. She seemed to understand something!

Could it be...?

Lin Daiyu raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, pouted, and said meaningfully:

"It's rare for Sister Bao to be in such a good mood today, unlike usual. If I don't accept, it would seem like I'm being inconsiderate!"

Although Lin Daiyu guessed some of Baochai's thoughts, she still agreed!

After all, he had just taken on a disciple, and if he didn't show his skills, people would think he was all talk and no action!

In addition, she was also quite curious to see what kind of poem her third brother would write today. Her third brother was quite talented, and it was not easy to get a poem from him on ordinary days, so today was a rare opportunity.

As for Bao's little scheme, hehe!

Although I agreed, it doesn't mean I'll go easy on you!

Everyone relies on their own abilities; I've never been afraid to write poetry!

Baochai blushed slightly at Daiyu's teasing, and coquettishly covered it up by saying:

"What nonsense are you spouting now! It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing!"

Daiyu smiled and teased:

"Whether it was a spur-of-the-moment decision or had a deeper meaning, I just don't know if Third Brother would be willing to accompany me!"

"Speaking of which, last time my third brother wrote a poem called 'Feelings on the Expenses of Jinzhou, Reflecting on the Past,' and after winning many more victories, have you written any other poems to express your feelings?"

As he spoke, he looked at Jia Jing with a hint of mockery.

Jia Jing's expression remained unchanged; he simply chuckled lightly.

"The enemy generals behind us are not worthy of my poetic sentiments! Let's talk about them later!"

"As for today, Sister Lin just helped me out, and now Sister Xue has asked for my help again, so I can only respectfully comply!"

"But Third Brother's literary talent is limited. If I do not do well, please do not laugh at me, my two younger sisters."

After the three of them had reached a consensus, they had the maids move the stove and food aside, and then brought writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, placing them on the table inside the pavilion.

Xiangling was left to grind ink, while the other maids went to eat on the other side to avoid disturbing them.

"Since it was Sister Bao who suggested this, then please let Sister Bao give us the question!" Daiyu proposed.

Baochai did not refuse, raising her snow-white neck to gaze at the snowflakes outside the pavilion, and smiled:

"Since it's a snowy day, how about we make snow the theme? There's no need to be too strict about the meter; seven-character poems are fine. Each of you should write one poem within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

All three agreed and each took up a pen, either thinking or writing.

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they had all finished their drafts.