"Courage tempered in war's beacon smoke, armor forging a titan's might. For a decade, spear held ready, pointing south, your heroic spirit cleft the clouds. You trod the waves of Poshisu and bound the demons of the greenest peaks; with but a laugh, you settled the dust on the frontiers. The Barbarian drums have sunk into the abyss; the banners of Great Wei now touch the heavens' edge."
"The feast begins, the golden goblets brim, it is spring at Mengshui Pass. Why should white hair bring sorrow? The very stars are your medals! The soughing pines on a thousand peaks sing your praise; the river of stars in ten thousand gorges is your wine. The mountains and the seas themselves grow drunk in celebration. I wish to borrow the pen of Heaven itself, to rewrite the glories of Duke Dingyuan!"
After Xiao Wuge finished his resonant recitation, an inexplicable, surging passion made his young face flush.
Xiao Wuge quickly caught his breath, feeling a little apprehensive. 'What if my performance was too poor and they blame me for it?' he thought, worried he would be reprimanded by Xiao Yuan and the others.
But the courtyard was utterly silent. No one was paying him any mind.
Beside them sat Old Sun, whose full name was Sun Fu, courtesy name Changming. He had once served as the Left Governor of the Shu State Governor's Office.
Regardless of his accomplishments as an official, he was undeniably a man of great learning.
And so, upon hearing the poem, he was overcome by an irrepressible surge of heroic spirit and exclaimed:
"A fine poem! A fine poem indeed! It reminisces on the past and is brimming with heroic spirit!"
"Every word, every line is simply perfect. Old Xiao, I suspect many of our old comrades will be green with envy over your birthday feast this year."
Duke Qian, Zhang Xuan, felt the corner of his mouth twitch. 'Damn it,' he thought, 'are they sure this wasn't written for me?'
"It's a fine poem, but it would obviously be a much better fit for me."
Nearby, Xiao Qiuyun listened, her eyes shimmering with admiration.
But the one most deeply moved was, without a doubt, Old Marquis Xiao himself, Xiao Yuan.
He sat upright in his chair, ignoring his two old friends as he continuously muttered the lines of the poem. Memories of his decades spent at war began to surface in his mind.
He remembered repelling the great army of the Barbarian Race at Mengshui Pass, and leading the Dingyuan Army south to conquer Poshisu Country, planting the banner of Great Wei upon every one of its city walls.
And he also remembered the stinging regret of watching the sons and grandsons of the Xiao Family fall on the battlefield.
Each and every memory was as vivid as if it had happened only yesterday.
His eyes couldn't help but redden, and he sighed wistfully, "Chen Yi has truly outdone himself, writing such a birthday poem for an old man like me. Ai."
Zhang Xuan's face was a mask of envy. "Go on, gloat all you want. If you don't want it, just give it to me."
'Even if everything in the poem is true, to use it on Old Xiao is just... it's a damn waste,' he thought.
Xiao Yuan let out an exasperated laugh. "Get lost."
Sun Fu, however, sighed. "Old Xiao, your grandson-in-law has given you a truly magnificent gift this time."
"How so?"
"This poem is great enough to be passed down through the ages. Wouldn't you call that a magnificent gift?"
With Sun Fu's insight, it was easy to see the poem's power. 'It means that Xiao Yuan, this old coot with not an ounce of literary talent, will be immortalized right along with it.'
"Passed down through the ages? Then does that mean I…?"
"That's right. Your name will be remembered for all time, thanks to this poem."
Xiao Yuan was stunned. It would be a lie to say he wasn't happy. 'After all, who doesn't want to leave their name behind in this world?'
But he still felt it was a little strange. 'So my entire life on horseback won't last as long in memory as a single piece of poetry?'
Just then, Zhang Xuan seemed to have an idea. He looked at Old Marquis Xiao, gave him a thorough once-over, and suddenly broke into an amiable smile.
"Ah, Old Xiao, my own birthday isn't far off. Why don't we make a little deal? How about you transfer this poem to me as a gift?"
He even patted his chest in assurance. "Don't you worry, I'll be sure to pay a handsome writer's fee."
Before Old Marquis Xiao could refuse, Sun Fu shot to his feet, his beard bristling with indignation. "You shameless old coot! Have you no sense of decency? How dare you even entertain such a thought?"
Zhang Xuan shot him a sidelong glance. "Old Sun, I am the reigning Duke Qian."
"And I became an Advanced Scholar in the thirty-second year of the Yongping era! No matter what you say, you old goat, this poem isn't for you. You've killed members of the Barbarian Race, hmm… so what if you've killed a few? Have you ever been to Poshisu Country?"
"Then I'll lead the armies of Jiao State and Guangyue Prefecture to their borders tomorrow! I'll plant my banners across their lands!"
"And what about the part about Duke Dingyuan?"
"I've decided to hold my grand birthday feast right here. How does that sound?"
"You—you are shameless! How could you treat a masterpiece that comes along once in a century with such… with such contempt?"
"Once in a century?"
Zhang Xuan mulled this over for a moment, then slapped his thigh. He looked at Xiao Yuan and said, "Old Xiao, a thousand gold pieces per word. How about it?"
"Get lost!" Xiao Yuan retorted with a laugh. "You may be shameless, but I still value my reputation."
"If word got out that I sold the birthday poem my own grandson-in-law wrote for me, I'd be infamous for ten thousand years."
Zhang Xuan smacked his lips, still not ready to give up. He glanced at Xiao Qiuyun, silently pleading with his eyes for her to put in a good word for him.
He truly adored this poem; it perfectly captured his own martial prowess and achievements.
After all, back when the Barbarian King led his great army north to storm the pass, he too had brought soldiers from Jiao State to provide reinforcements.
Even though Xiao Yuan was the Commander-in-Chief, he, Zhang Xuan, deserved a share of the credit for repelling the Barbarian King's army.
Xiao Qiuyun saw his expression, thought for a moment, and said with a smile, "Father, this poem is truly fine, but it was clearly written about Great-Uncle's life. It might not be a good fit for you."
"In my humble opinion, you should go to the source. The person who wrote this poem is right here in this very residence."
An idea dawned on Zhang Xuan, and he laughed.
"That does make sense. Old Xiao, I won't fight you for the poem, but surely you can let me borrow someone?"
"He's Wuge's brother-in-law, isn't he? Let's see… brother-in-law?"
Zhang Xuan paused, his smile fading. "Wait," he said, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Is he the husband of that second lass? The illegitimate son of Chen Xuanji?"
Xiao Yuan nodded slightly and waved a hand for the servants to bring more food. "It was indeed written by Chen Yi. What, are you thinking of commissioning him?"
"Don't forget, you old coot, just a few days ago you were tearing the Chen Family to shreds, cursing those two brothers, Chen Xuandu and Chen Xuanji, for using the Holy Emperor's backing to turn Jiangnan Prefecture into a complete cesspool."
Zhang Xuan grunted resentfully. "That was then, this is now. Chen Yi is now a son-in-law of your Xiao Family, with no connection to the Chen Family. Having him write a poem for me…"
'Forget it.' The truth was, he had no fondness for the Chen Family of Jiangnan Prefecture. The thought of his own birthday poem coming from the hand of a Chen made his skin crawl.
With that thought, he changed the subject. "Old Sun, you'll have to recommend a talented poet to me later. I'll give you a twenty-percent cut of the writer's fee."
Sun Fu laughingly called him a shameless old coot, then seemed to recall something and sighed, "It's a real shame about that boy, Chen Yi."
Xiao Yuan sat up a little straighter. "Oh? Tell me, what's a shame?"
Sun Fu looked at him and hesitated for a moment. "Old Xiao, don't take this the wrong way, but I have to say something you might not like to hear."
"This poem alone shows that Chen Yi's scholarly talents are extraordinary. I imagine the rumors that spread through Jinling—that he was 'unmatched in loyalty, filial piety, and talent'—must be true."
"But now he has married into your Xiao Family, which means he can no longer pursue a career as an official. It will be nearly impossible for him to put his learning to use."
With a serious expression on his old face, Sun Fu asked, "Is that not a pity?"
Xiao Yuan paused, lost in thought. "It is a pity indeed."
Hearing this, Zhang Xuan gave him a suspicious look. "Old Xiao, back when Jinghong was looking for a husband, why did you think of the Chen Family?"
"Well," Xiao Yuan shook his head. "The matter is in the past. I don't wish to speak of it again."
It was a complicated affair, not something that could be explained in just a few words.
But Zhang Xuan wasn't about to let him off the hook. He pressed on, "I heard that Chen Yi didn't have an easy life in the Chen Family. That matriarch from the Cui Family was always suppressing him. Was she the one who arranged this marriage?"
"More or less."
"Does Chen Xuanji know about it?"
"He shouldn't. As we both know, Chen Xuanji was ordered by the Holy Emperor to serve as an envoy to the Western Continent Buddha Country, and he has yet to return."
"What about Chen Xuandu? He went to the Northern State. Does he know?"
Xiao Yuan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn't."
Seeing his strange expression and his reluctance to elaborate, Zhang Xuan guessed there must be a hidden story and decided not to press further. Still, he couldn't resist offering a piece of advice.
"Old Xiao, those Chen brothers are not easy people to deal with. You'd best be careful."
Xiao Yuan nodded silently. He knew all of this already; there was no need to say more.
「A few moments later.」
Although the initial wave of excitement had passed, Xiao Yuan's complexion was even ruddier than before. He ordered, "Bring more food! I'm eating five bowls today!"
Household Servants immediately came forward with more dishes, and Xiao Yuan called out to his friends:
"You two have seen my appetite before. Let's have a contest today and see who still has the vigor of his youth."
"What, you think you can still eat half a cow in one sitting?"
"And why not…?"
Without another word, the three old friends began to heartily devour meat and drain great bowls of wine, their laughter making them seem young again.
Seeing this, Xiao Wuge bowed. "Grandfather, please enjoy your meal. I will take my leave now."
Xiao Yuan swallowed a large chunk of pork. "Mmm. Later, take a message to your brother-in-law. Tell him this old man forgives him for trying to run away from the wedding."
A happy expression lit up Xiao Wuge's face. After bowing deeply, he turned to leave, eager to tell Chen Yi the good news.
Just then, Xiao Qiuyun, who had been sitting quietly with a smile, spoke up. "Wuge, don't go just yet. Take Heng'er with you to Spring Lotus Garden for a bit."
"Mother, I don't want to go see that runaway groom! He…"
"Hmm?"
Before Zhang Heng could say more, Xiao Qiuyun shot him a look that silenced him. She said, her voice turning serious:
"Once you get there, you are not to be rude. Do you understand?"
Zhang Heng sullenly agreed.
Xiao Wuge was reluctant, but he glanced at Xiao Yuan and the others, who were completely absorbed in their food and drink, and had no choice but to lead Zhang Heng away.
「After they had left.」
Xiao Yuan took a drink of wine to wash down his food and said casually, "Don't think your great-uncle is being nosy, but it's time Heng'er started his studies."
Xiao Qiuyun's expression changed slightly, but she didn't dare to object and simply agreed.
Zhang Xuan glanced at her and smacked his lips, but said nothing.
'The old saying goes, "An untaught son is his father's failure,"' he thought. 'But there's another saying: "A doting mother raises a spoiled son."'
Sun Fu, however, ignored their family matters. He just kept eating and muttering, "Such a fine poem. If I could write a masterpiece like that, I could die content."
"Since you love it so much, Old Sun, why don't you go ask Chen Yi to be your teacher?"
"A fine idea," Xiao Yuan chimed in. "But after you become my grandson-in-law's student, you'll have to remember to address me differently."
"Address my ass."
"Oho, the old scholar is cursing now! So much for your refined ways…"