"Sure, why not! But now that I think about it, if we dine at Tian Waitian Restaurant, would that not mean Princess Sheng An profits from our meal yet again?
Why not head to Xianting at the back instead? Let Princess Sheng An treat us for once. That way, we're the ones gaining a free meal!"
"Brother Li speaks sense!"
Yun Shu remained silent.
These people were clearly touched in the head.
Yun Shu led Yun Chuhuan and Ji Yongtian through a circular stone gate toward the corridor linking Tian Waitian to Xianting. When they arrived, a crowd had already gathered—tribute students cloaked in capes and wearing masks, along with Xianting's staff similarly dressed.
Without a change in expression, Yun Shu gestured lightly, indicating that the maid handing out masks and cloaks need not salute.
She picked up a fox-shaped mask and slipped on a cloak. With her attire settled, she stepped into the crowd.
Fearing they might lose her in the throng, Yun Chuhuan and Ji Yongtian hastened to follow.
The corridor grew steadily more packed, yet none among the gathering noticed the three newcomers.
All eyes were fixed ahead, where a few attendants had blocked the path forward. Or rather, as they were called here, "servers."
"Why are we still not allowed in?"
A few voices at the front were already tinged with impatience.
"We've been waiting an eternity. Just look behind you. See how many people have gathered? If we're not allowed inside, the least you could do is offer a proper explanation."
"Exactly! This young master nearly fell asleep waiting!"
"Can we hurry it along already?"
One complaint sparked another, then another. In moments, murmurs of dissatisfaction rippled through the corridor.
Then a voice, bright and melodious, rose from behind.
Everyone turned toward the source. It wasn't hard to spot her among the sea of dark cloaks: a figure in flowing blue silk wove her way through the crowd.
It was Tang Xinhua.
She looked nothing like the tribute students had imagined. Many had only heard her name, never seen her in person, and what they expected was someone mournful, timid, burdened with sorrow.
But none of that lingered on Tang Xinhua. She was a young woman of eighteen or nineteen, as radiant and self-assured as the morning sun. She carried herself with a natural elegance that ran deep, etched into her very bearing.
And to think, someone would abandon such a woman for a shameful concubine kept outside the household...
Was that fool named Cao blind?
"Forgive me for keeping everyone waiting."
Tang Xinhua stepped forward, lifting her hand in a graceful gesture that signaled her staff into action.
The servers who had quietly lined the corridor until now moved in unison, lowering the heavy curtains that had been gathered high.
In an instant, the well-lit corridor plunged into darkness. The crowd stirred uneasily, their agitation ready to reignite.
But before unrest could take root, a warm golden light flickered to life at the far end of the passage.
A clear, ethereal tune flowed like a spring breeze in summer. The subtle notes stilled the restless air, calming the discontented hearts of those present.
"Look, there's a shadow on the wall!"
A startled whisper rose from the crowd.
Yun Chuhuan was far too short to see anything from where he stood and immediately began bouncing on his toes.
"What? Where? I can't see!"
"Hush, keep your voice down!"
Ji Yongtian was already on edge. Yun Chuhuan's outburst nearly made his soul leap from his body. If his elder brother heard and tattled to their father, he would be in for another beating.
Panicked, Ji Yongtian clapped his hands over Yun Chuhuan's mouth twice to no avail. In desperation, he simply scooped him up.
At last, the effort paid off. Yun Chuhuan fell quiet, completely absorbed by the elegant silhouette now projected against the wall.
"The east wind sets ten thousand trees abloom at night, and scatters stars like falling rain."
The deep, unrestrained voice silenced the entire corridor.
While Ji Yongtian and others not well-versed in poetry focused on the figure's gestures, the tribute students stood enthralled, holding their breath for what came next.
"Jade-decorated horses and scented carriages fill the streets. Phoenix flutes play, lanterns spin like crystal bowls, and the night is filled with dragon and fish lantern dances."
The shadow raised a hand, graceful and deliberate.
"Moth-like decorations, snowy willows, and golden threads. Laughter drifts away on soft fragrance.
I searched through the crowd a thousand times.—"
Then nothing.
The silhouette vanished, the voice gone.
For a long moment, not a soul in the corridor moved.
Then, someone finally burst out, frantic.
"And then what? Why did it stop there!"
"Where's the shadow? Get it back and have it finish the poem!"
"Whose genius work is this? I've never heard of it before!"
"I searched through the crowd a thousand times... Now we really will be searching a thousand times over!"
Just when they had stumbled upon a masterpiece, it ended at its peak. Who could endure such torment?
The crowd was in a frenzy.
Then the curtains were drawn open once again, light spilling back into the passageway.
As if to silently declare:
Do you want to know the final line?
Ah... but we're not going to tell you.
"How outrageous!"
One person couldn't take it anymore and turned to Tang Xinhua.
"Miss Tang, please, be merciful. Just tell us the last line, will you?"
"Kind sir, I beg you not to make it difficult for me."
Tang Xinhua smiled softly, then waved her hand to dismiss the servers who had been blocking entry to Xianting.
"Her Highness has declared: the final line of the poem lies hidden within Xianting. Whoever finds it first shall be the winner of today's poetry gathering."
"Hidden in Xianting? What, did someone stuff a note into a rock crevice? Since when did winning a poetry contest depend on hide-and-seek skills? What are we, children?"
Even as they complained, many found themselves too intrigued to resist the mystery of the missing line. They dashed toward Xianting in search.
Ji Yongxing, however, still obsessed with the identity of the brilliant poet, held back his eagerness and stopped Tang Xinhua.
"Forgive my boldness, but may I ask if Miss Tang knows the name or origin of the poet who composed that verse?"
"Apologies."
Tang Xinhua maintained her flawless smile and gave a gentle shake of her head.
"Everything from today's poetry gathering to the layout of Xianting was devised entirely by Her Highness. I merely carried out her instructions. I know nothing more."
All from... Princess Sheng An?
Ji Yongxing's expression twisted.
Given the inventions Princess Sheng An had produced before, he would not have been surprised if she had concocted another whimsical novelty.
But this poem—there was simply no way she had written it.
===
Part of poem above is part from a very famous ci poem from the Song dynasty, written by Xin Qiji (辛弃疾). It's titled:
"青玉案·元夕" (Qing Yu An · Yuan Xi)
English title: Green Jade Table · Lantern Festival Night
"东风夜放花千树.更吹落,星如雨."
"The east wind sets ten thousand trees abloom at night, and scatters stars like falling rain"
This line uses rich metaphor to describe the Lantern Festival night. The "east wind" evokes springtime and renewal, while the image of "ten thousand trees blossoming" refers to the explosion of fireworks and lanterns lighting up the sky. The stars falling "like rain" evokes a sense of surreal beauty and overwhelming spectacle.
"宝马雕车香满路.凤箫声动,玉壶光转,一夜鱼龙舞."
"Jade-decorated horses and scented carriages fill the streets. Phoenix flutes play, lanterns spin like crystal bowls, and the night is filled with dragon and fish lantern dances."
These lines continue the festival imagery—an opulent, lively, sensual world. The perfume in the streets, the music, the rotating lanterns, and the traditional dragon and fish dances all evoke both elegance and chaos, celebrating the peak of the Lantern Festival.
"蛾儿雪柳黄金缕.笑语盈盈暗香去."
"Moth-like decorations, snowy willows, and golden threads. Laughter drifts away on soft fragrance."
This shifts focus from the outer world to an individual—an elegant, charming woman, elaborately dressed and perfumed, vanishing gracefully into the crowd. The tone is intimate and fleeting.
"众里寻他千百度..."
"I searched through the crowd a thousand times…"
This is the emotional climax. It conveys obsessive, passionate searching—through noise, distraction, and chaos—for something or someone deeply longed for.