Insufficient balance

  There weren't many people along the way, but when they arrived at the lakeside promenade, Yi Han was startled to find that everyone had gathered here, swarming and squeezing together, making it difficult to take a single step.

  Just squeeze through, every step is hard but still have to move forward.

  The trees by the lake are hung with lanterns, and in the distance, a slightly empty field is parked with countless magnificent carriages.

  The Qinhuai Lantern Festival is held twice a year, one of which is the traditional Lantern Festival on January 15th. During the festival, tourists flock to the area, and thousands of lanterns are lit up, creating a lively atmosphere where men and women, young and old, come out to play. However, the Qinhuai Lantern Festival on July 7th has a special flavor, specifically designed for courtesans and prostitutes, it is a time for romantic scholars to seek pleasure and entertainment.

  The men watching from here are ordinary family men, those rich and noble young masters have long since boarded the painted boats to drink and make merry, not afraid of getting dirty, not afraid of being tired, not afraid of being harassed, Yi Han finally squeezed his way to the front.

  The lights on the lake are shimmering, like bright stars in the dark night. There are probably hundreds of flower boats, and such a beautiful scene makes one's heart surge with excitement. It's hard not to rush onto the flower boat to pick flowers immediately. Lately, I've been under too much pressure, it's time to relax.

  Numerous small boats are moored by the lake, and the boatmen stand at the bow waiting for business. These boats are specially used to ferry those romantic scholars with modest family assets to the flower boats in the middle of the lake, while the rich young masters almost all have their own boats and boatmen, so they don't need to rely on these small boats to board the flower boats.

  He shouted at one of the boatmen: "Old fellow, are you willing to take me to the center of the lake?"

  The boatman smiled and replied: "Young master, please come aboard. Old man is doing this specially tonight to earn some silver for the kids' clothes at home."

  Tonight, the stars are faint, a bright moon hangs in the sky, and countless flower boats on the lake create a beautiful pattern.

  The old boatman gently rocked the oars at the stern, making a soft lapping sound against the water, in stark contrast to the distant hustle and bustle. Yi Han stood at the bow, her eyes fixed on the flower boats in the distance, their lights shining brightly, with an expression as if she was drunk or enchanted.

  Softly murmuring: "Rowing a boat lightly touring the Qinhuai Lake, the bright moon and stars, red flowers on the boat, the green building has been a place to sell one's soul since ancient times, others don't know the sorrow and melancholy", this Qinlou woman, although her surface is glorious beyond compare, with many talented scholars vying to pursue her, yet she doesn't live as freely and easily as a simple boatman.

  The old boatman praised: "Young master has great talent, and will surely win the heart of that flower-like girl."

  Yi Han burst out laughing: "I just saw this prosperity and desolation, sighed at the various human conditions, can't be called talented".

  The boatman said: "Young master wants to get on that flower boat, please point it out, and the old man will send you over."

  Yi Han pointed at those several magnificent flower boats lined up in a row on Lake Hu and asked: "Old fellow, let's go there."

  The boatman's face flashed a hint of hesitation and said, "Young master, those ten connected flower boats are the Flower Boats of Jinling's Top Ten Beauties. Young master has decided to go there."

  Yi Han smiled and said: "What's wrong? I came here specifically to see the Top Ten Beauties of Jinling"

  The boatman said, "Young master's idea is not bad, but this ten-dollar painting boat is not something ordinary people can get on. It seems that you need to guess the riddle to get on the boat. If you can't guess it, no matter how much money you have, they won't let you on."

  Yi Han smiled and said: "Just as I expected, raising money is so common, such a elegant way indeed didn't disappoint me".

  The boatman said: "Since it's like this, I'll send you across, young master."

  As he drew closer to the flower boats, Yi Han discovered that several people had fallen into the lake. The people on the flower boat were laughing loudly. Those who had fallen into the water were either shouting for their servants to come and pull them back onto the boat, or they were desperately swimming towards the small boats, or they were wringing out their wet clothes at the bow of the ship. All of these people looked dejected and disheartened.

  Yi Han exclaimed: "What's going on here?"

  The boatman laughed and said: "Young master, this is a punishment. If you can't answer the riddle, not only will you not be able to get on the boat, but you'll also have to accept the punishment. It's just that this year's punishment is a bit strange."

  Yi Han understood that if he couldn't answer the riddle, he would have to take a bath in the lake. He burst out laughing: "How interesting! How interesting!"

  Yi Han asked again: "There are many wealthy and noble families here, are they willing to be humiliated?"

  The boatman smiled and said, "Young master, you don't know that everyone here is a young master from the royal family, officials, scholars, talented men, and rich sons. The rules of this Qinhuai Lantern Festival are such that if someone doesn't follow them, not only will they be despised by these people, but also ostracized. Moreover, this kind of punishment is considered entertainment by everyone, no one takes it as an insult.

  Yi Han smiled and said: "Old man, hurry up and send me to the boat, I want to see how difficult these riddles are, can they stump so many Jiangnan scholars?"

  The boatman said: "Young master, which one is going up?"

  Yi Han said: "Which one is closer, let's get on with it, I can't wait any longer".

  Yi Han boarded one of the boats, which was carved with two mandarin ducks, short red railings on both sides, transparent paper windows, and light shining through the windows. The canopy was covered with a large red awning, and red silk streamers hung down from both sides. The boat had two decks and was extremely resplendent.

  Two men came forward to greet Yi Han and led him to the entrance of the cabin. A curtain screened off the interior, where a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, was sitting. She wore a white silk blouse and green trousers, with a whip coiled at her waist. Her pale face was heart-shaped, with fine eyebrows and bright black eyes that sparkled with intelligence.

  She was standing guard at the cabin door, several finely dressed young masters were surging at the entrance of the cabin, and the little maid smiled and said to one of the young masters who was bowing his head in thought: "Young Master Liu, time is up, if you can't answer again, you'll have to accept punishment".

  Liu Gongzi raised his hand and said, "Let me think for a moment." The several princes waiting around him were somewhat impatient and shouted, "Wait until you've thought it through, the sky will be bright, we still want to go in!"

  The little maid smiled and said: "Liu Gongzi, look, it's not that I don't give you face, the other young masters can't wait any longer, please admit defeat."

  Liu Gongzi hung his head and said, "Okay, every time Shi Shi Niang's topic is so difficult." With a splash, Liu Gongzi was thrown into the water by the two men. The crowd burst out laughing, and the atmosphere became lively.

  The maid smiled and said, "Next, it's that young master's turn." A young man with a handsome face and elegant attire stood up. He had an air of confidence about him, for he was well-prepared today. Behind him stood a middle-aged scholar with a long beard, Zhao San Si, who was renowned in Jiangnan for his talent. He came from a humble background, but had produced numerous students over the years. However, in recent years, he had stopped teaching and become an advisor to the governor of Jinling, Yu Cheng, specializing in educating Yu's son, Yu Jie. Zhao San Si also had insightful views on politics and was another identity as Yu Cheng's military strategist. He appeared at this gathering today because Yu Jie had repeatedly begged him to come, for how could he be a role model if he didn't participate in such lively events with the younger generation?

  Just now, Yu Jie asked Zhao San Si a few questions, and Zhao San Si nodded with a smile, which greatly boosted his confidence. How could an artist be inferior to a scholar who has just learned from the master?

  The maid smiled and said: "Oh, it's Master Yu. My young lady has already prepared a special question for Master Yu."

  Everyone was shocked, and Yu Jie was even more surprised. He didn't understand why Miss Shi had specially prepared questions for him when he had never met her before.

  The maid smiled and said, "My young lady said that if Master Yu came, Mr. San Si would also be by his side, then use this riddle to test Master Yu. This riddle is not as simple as the previous ones, please listen carefully."

  Everyone was shocked, the previous riddles were already so difficult, and this one is even more difficult. I don't know if Yu Jie can answer it correctly, but with San Si Mr. here, no matter how difficult the riddle is, he won't be stumped.

  Zhao San thought coldly, it was obvious that this poem was specifically designed to target him. A small courtesan dared to rival the sun and moon, stirring up a competitive spirit in him.

  The young servant said: "Guess a sentence from 'Zhongyong' with a riddle."

  Zhao San thought for a moment, this Qin Lou woman can also come up with layered riddles. This riddle is obviously not just about splitting words or simple interpretation. Moreover, few people read the book "Zhongyong" nowadays, and if one doesn't know it by heart, they won't be able to answer it. The characters in the book "Zhongyong" don't have a clear explanation, and different people interpret it differently. This question is difficult because it requires guessing the thoughts of the person who created it, and also matching their understanding.

  To unravel the mystery of "cloud heart water heart", it's not easy to memorize the entire "Zhongyong" first, but rather to understand the meaning behind these four characters. Zhao Sansi lowered his head in thought, he wouldn't be so foolish as to memorize the whole "Zhongyong". First, he had to figure out what "cloud heart water heart" meant, and once he understood the connotation of these four characters, the answer would no longer be difficult to guess.

  The meaning of "cloud heart" has two aspects: one is a fairyland in the sky, and the other is a carefree and leisurely state of mind like floating clouds.

  The two words "water heart" have never been heard of, what do they mean! Zhao San Si thought deeply and couldn't understand the riddle, how could he guess the answer.

  Zhao San thought too much of his own reputation. Originally, he thought that a riddle was something that could be solved with ease, but now he couldn't even understand the riddle's surface meaning. As a master of learning, if he were to lose to a prostitute, what face would he have left to see people? The more this happened, the more tense he became, and cold sweat broke out. His mind wasn't thinking about how to understand the riddle, but rather the consequences of not being able to guess it.

  Yu Jie also had a look of regret, tonight he shouldn't have brought Mr. San over, if tonight he disgraced Mr. San's reputation, that would be a huge mistake, he was no longer as carefree and relaxed as before, as long as Mr. San guessed the riddle correctly, even if it meant letting him go home immediately and not see Shi Shi, he would agree.

  Yi Han smiled, and in his heart, he already had the answer. The woman who came up with this riddle was extremely cunning and talented. People of great talent always handle things with caution, especially when it comes to knowledge. They would not casually create a phrase without a basis. This "water heart" was completely fabricated, but since there is a "cloud heart", why can't there be a "water heart"? The origin of words often starts from nothing and becomes something, so this cannot be refuted.

  The four characters "cloud heart water heart" actually depict a vague scene. In the "Zhongyong", only "birds flying high in the sky; fish jumping out of the deep pool" are related to the cloud and water scene, but at first glance, they don't match the riddle at all. However, this is an artistic riddle. If you answer "birds flying high in the sky; fish jumping out of the deep pool", you would be completely wrong. The real answer lies in the sentence "to observe its upper and lower parts". This riddle is difficult to solve, but for those who are meticulous in their thinking, good at understanding women's emotions, and have extensive knowledge, it becomes much simpler.

  Yi Han quietly walked over, since he came here, helping others was nothing wrong. He quietly walked to Yu Jie's side and said in a low voice: "The answer is 'to speak of its upper and lower parts'". Everyone focused their attention on Zhao San Si, completely ignoring Yi Han and Yu Jie who were standing aside.

  Yu Jie looked at the man in surprise, who was smiling slightly with kind eyes. He didn't know if the answer was right or wrong, but he should let him leave now and not embarrass Mr. anymore.

  Yu Jie Lang said, "This question is simple, I'll answer it myself, no need to trouble you, sir." Everyone looked at Yu Jie in surprise, Zhao San Si was also stunned, he was puzzled and couldn't guess what he meant. Could it be that Yu Jie had really guessed the answer? But thinking carefully, this was completely impossible. Probably to help him save face, he showed a grateful look towards Yu Jie.

  Yu Jie Lang said: "The answer is to speak up and down, right or not." Everyone listened and was confused. What does this have to do with Yun Xin Shui Xin? They couldn't guess it at all and thought Yu Jie was talking nonsense.

  The maid smiled slightly and said: "Young master is talented, you answered correctly, please enter the cabin." Everyone was stunned for a moment, only Yihanshen smiled slightly.

  After a while, the maid smiled at Yi Han and said, "Only you are left, young master." Yi Han nodded with a smile, and the maid secretly glanced at him, her heart racing: "What a handsome man, that elegant demeanor has made this little girl infatuated!" This little girl didn't know Yi Han's true face, he was actually someone who made all the female animals in the village tremble with fear.

  Yi Han secretly smiled, from this maid's expression, it seems that her heart is moved by love, but unfortunately, my thoughts are not on you tonight.

  "The young lady said: 'Please listen well, the world is at peace' is a riddle for the name of a province."

  Yi Han smiled, this question was too easy, Zhongyuan had only a few states, as long as he recited the previous one, he could guess it, and replied: "Pu'an". This maid obviously did it on purpose.

  The maid smiled and said: "You answered correctly, young master, please enter the cabin."

  Yi Han walked past Ya Niang's side, smiled slightly and said, "Sister, thanks."

  "Gentleman, you're too polite, it's your skill", the two of them understood each other, and Yihanshan didn't say much more, entering the cabin.