Chapter 2 Twelve Floors Five Cities 3

  Seeing Zhao Xingde's gloomy expression, Chen Dong felt a little uneasy and comforted him in a low voice: "In my opinion, this poem by Xingde is comparable to Sima Xiangru's 'Changmen Fu'. If it were sung by those charming sisters from the brothel, wouldn't it make the young masters' souls fly out?" After finishing speaking, he felt that he was still hinting that Zhao Xingde's style was not high, and Chen Dong slightly felt embarrassed. He changed the subject: "What do you think of these servant girls raised by our teacher?" Zhao Xingde looked up and replied listlessly: "Not bad." Chen Dong continued: "Exactly, they are not only beautiful and gentle but also skilled in various arts. Some can even recite poetry and compose lyrics." Zhao Xingde smiled wryly: "Unfortunately, these talents are all buried deep within the courtyard walls."

  "Who says it's not? These song girls and servant girls, they're well-trained, far surpassing those dull and boring ladies from good families. What a pity." Chen Dong sighed and took a sip of wine. Zhao Xingde knew that Chen Dong had some connection with one of the courtesans, so he accompanied him in drinking a cup. Chen Dong continued, "I heard that Li Doctor's family has a young lady who is knowledgeable, beautiful, and can write good poetry. She must be both virtuous like a lady from a good family and charming like a courtesan." This remark almost made Zhao Xingde spit out the wine in his mouth, because the woman Chen Dong was talking about was someone he knew well and often met with.

  After one round, Shaowu commented on everyone's work and ranked Zhao Guangshi's "Qingping Music" as the first, Chen Dong's "Xijiang Moon" as the fourth. Poorly, Zhao Xingde stole that "Mo Yu'er", because of its low tone, it was at the bottom.

  The expedition was not successful, and in the second round of Qingxi Stream, Zhao Xingde suddenly remembered the phrase "going but not returning" that Shao Wu had just said, and searched his mind for a poem by Xin Qiji, reciting:

  "The east wind blows, and a thousand trees bloom. The stars fall like rain. The precious horse and carriage are filled with fragrance on the road. The phoenix flute sounds, the jade pot shines, and the fish and dragon dance for one night. The moth-like snowflakes and golden threads, the laughter and whispers, the scent goes quietly. Searching for him in the crowd a thousand times, suddenly turning back, that person is there, in the dim light of the lanterns."

  After finishing reading it, Zhao Xingde couldn't help but feel a little nervous and waited with the other scholars for Shao Wu to speak.

  Shaowu furrowed his brow and nodded slightly, saying: "The phrase has some redeeming qualities," then suddenly changed the subject, saying: "However, this is a licentious and depraved poem, suitable for a chaotic world. From now on, Zhao Xingde must focus on moral studies." Zhao Xingde was still okay, but Chen Dong's face turned red with shame, and under everyone's disdain, no one dared to speak to Zhao Xingde anymore. After this round of evaluation, Shaowu again commented on the poems of the various scholars, still ranking Zhao Guangshi's "Bodhisattva Barbarian" as first, Zhao Xingde's "Zheng Wei Zhi Yin" as fourteenth, and Chen Dong as twelfth.

  The third round of word assignment, Zhao Xingde wanted to reverse his own low evaluation, so he recited Lu You's "Bō Suàn Zǐ. Yǒng Méi":

  "Outside the post station, a solitary bridge stands at the edge of a desolate land. Already in the twilight, I am alone with my worries, and the wind and rain are added to them. Unintentionally, I bitterly contend with spring, and let all the flowers be envious. Scattered and trampled into dust, only the fragrance remains as before."

  Shaowu commented, "The scenery is still good, but the evening atmosphere is too heavy, and it's a bit forced to talk about melancholy, losing the youthful spirit." In the final evaluation, Zhao Guangshi's "Magpie Bridge" was ranked first, Zhao Xingde was ranked eighth, and Chen Dong was ranked fifteenth.

  In the final round, Zhao Xingde had no illusions and casually recited a poem by Li Qingzhao: "Born to be a hero among men, dead also a heroic ghost. To this day I think of Xiang Yu, unwilling to cross the river east."

  Shaowu's face turned slightly cold, and he said solemnly: "To evaluate someone's moral character, one must read history books. Xiang Yu killing Chu Huaiwang was disloyal, burying 200,000 Qin soldiers alive was inhumane, such a treacherous minister and son, how can we praise him?" He then ranked Zhao Xingde last again.

  In the final evaluation, Chancellor Zhao Zifu's son Zhao Guang was indeed a talented young man, surpassing all his peers, and all four of his ci poems were ranked first.

  When taking leave, Shao Wu ordered his servant to present two hundred guan worth of gifts to Zhao Xingde and said in a deep voice: "Your respected father, Zhao Shi, is on the list of party members. I deeply respect him. These trivial things are just a token of my intention."

  Zhao Xingde first attended the elegant gathering, came with excitement and left in disappointment. Chen Dong saw him looking unhappy and comforted him: "In the past, Qin Shaoyou's poem 'Heaven still knows, Heaven is also thin' was criticized by Yiquan Master as 'The heavens are dignified and solemn, how can you easily insult them?' Qin Shaoyou was extremely embarrassed. Today, Yuan Zhi's situation is similar to his. Don't worry."

  Zhao Xingde cupped his hands in gratitude and said, "Thank you, Shaoyang brother." He also sighed and said, "Poetry is just a trivial skill, I won't take it to heart." Chen Dong heard that there was some discontent in his words, and the remark that poetry is a trivial skill was almost like the New Party's views, which absolutely must not be spread. So he said, "Just now we didn't drink enough, the sky is still early, why don't you and I go somewhere else to have a good drink?"

  Zhao Xingde couldn't help it, and followed him to a place with carved beams and painted buildings. The upstairs corridor was brightly lit, with dozens of heavily made-up women. Some were casting flirtatious glances downstairs, some were covering their chests and pretending to be shy, and some saw Chen Dong and smiled invitingly, saying "Brother-in-law is here." Chen Dong didn't think it was rude, and greeted them with a bow. He entered the room familiarly, almost chasing after the turtle slave, and arrived at an elegant window pavilion. He ordered wine and dishes, took out a name card, and handed it to the turtle slave along with some money, saying "Today, the young master is hosting a banquet here. Please dismiss any miscellaneous people and only invite Shifu over."

  It seemed that Chen Dong's reward exceeded the usual, so Guinu went happily and joyfully. Chen Dong then poured himself a cup of wine and drank with Zhao Xingde one by one. After three rounds of drinking, he finally let out a long sigh and said: "Although I am not good at poetry, my eyes are still discerning. Yuan Zhi's poems are truly astonishingly talented and beautiful, but they are too revealing, the sharp edges are exposed."

  Zhao Xingde listened and sensed that there was more to his words, his expression subtly changed. He poured a full cup of wine for Chen Dong in front of him and asked: "Brother Chen, what do you mean by this?"

  Chen Dong sighed and said, "Today is not a good day. We bumped into Zhao Chengxiang's son who wants to make a name for himself, and Yuan Zhi's poetry is too well done. If our teacher didn't severely criticize you, wouldn't it be letting the young master of Zhao Chengxiang be your foil? At present, our group of upright scholars are being suppressed by the evil minister Cai Jing, so we want to join forces with Zhao Chengxiang to resist him...". He held back his words and didn't say anything else, sighed again, and downed another cup of wine.

  Zhao Xingde had originally been suspicious in his heart, and now he suddenly realized the truth. He drank the wine and said in a low voice: "Shaoyushi is indeed a leader of the country's scholars who are looked up to by all, truly holding public hearts."

  Chen Dong's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his throat rolling a few times before he spoke in a low voice: "The way of the gentleman is to wish for directness and not to seek it through crooked means. How difficult is that? Mr. Zhoushan spent his whole life pleading for the people, but ultimately ended up being exiled to Hainan Island. In the imperial court, cliques are already formed, if we want to do things with a clear conscience and bring peace to the people, we can only accept this situation. When necessary, we can only sacrifice ourselves for others."

  Zhao Xingde's capacity for wine was shallow, and at this time his mood was not very good either. After drinking a few cups of wine, he couldn't help but feel dizzy and nauseous. He immediately retorted: "If one's own house is not swept clean, how can one sweep the whole world? If one's own body is not upright, how can one correct others? Seeing the small and knowing the grand, wanting to support the world, relying on him?" His heart was indignant and unbalanced, but there was still a thread of clarity in his mind, so he bit his tongue and didn't mention Shao Wu's name.

  Chen Dong's face turned red with shame, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly asked: "As for Mr. Zhoushan's words, 'The world is the host, and the ruler is the guest', does Yuan Zhi believe it or not?"

  Zhao Xingde was taken aback and lost his smile, but he readily said, "I naturally believe you."

  Chen Dong nodded slightly. In this era, people say "different paths don't make for good company". If Zhao Xingde doesn't believe it, then there's no need to continue the conversation.

  He turned his wine cup, and said with a sigh: "The present dynasty values the governance of the Three Dynasties. Shun's son Zhongkang was without virtue, and all under heaven abandoned him to follow Xia Yu. Tang of Shang was without virtue, and the feudal lords rebelled against him to submit to Zhou. Later, King Cheng was without virtue, and the Duke of Zhou deposed him. King Li was without virtue, and the people of the state drove him out."

  Zhao Xingde's eyes flashed, and he knew that Chen Dong was under the tutelage of Shaowu. These words were all contrary to Shaowu's Confucian views. He looked up at Chen Dong and asked: "If you admire Mr. Huang so much, why did you enter the gate of Shaoyushi?"

  Chen Dong smiled slightly and said slowly, "Although Mr. Zhou's theory is good, it is not tolerated by the officials in the imperial court. Rather than dying of depression in the mountains and forests, it is better to turn straight into curved. Our teacher is the leader of the scholars, if we want to show our talents, unless we join Cai Jing's treacherous party, we must join the clear stream. I took refuge under my teacher's door, precisely to accumulate reputation and wait for the future, there will always be a time when we can support the country."

  Zhao Xingde did not expect Chen Dong to have such intentions, and was shocked. After a long time, he sighed: "The Master said, 'Politics is about being upright.' If you lead with uprightness, who would dare not be upright?" The meaning of his words was that if Chen Dong followed Shao Wu, from now on he could only go further and further down the path of intrigue, and could no longer uphold the moral principles and ideals he originally believed in.

  Chen Dong glanced at him, took a sip of wine, and before he could speak, the door was pushed open. A powdered singer, carrying a pipa, slowly walked in. Before she sat down, she gave Chen Dong a white eye and said with a pout: "It's been a long time since you came, Chen Lang, have you forgotten about your teacher?"

  Chen Dong felt a little embarrassed and said, "I'm here, aren't I?" He then introduced Zhao Yuanzheng as his good friend, saying he was a true talent. Chen smiled and said, "Yuanzheng is an honest man, so don't bully him." The songstress gave him a sideways glance and scolded, "Are you allowed to bully me?" Although her words were stern, her tone and eyes were full of affection and love.

  Zhao Xingde watched as the two of them flirted and bickered, unsure if it was genuine or just an act. The songstress looked up at Zhao Xingde and curtsied deeply before him. Zhao Xingde knew that her relationship with Chen Dong was not ordinary, so he hastily stepped aside. The songstress saw his awkwardness and apparent unfamiliarity with romantic situations, even stumbling slightly as she avoided him, revealing a smile like a blooming flower, exuding countless charms. In a soft voice, she said: "My surname is Li, my given name is Shishi, I wish you good fortune, young Master Zhao."

  At that time, there were tens of thousands of brothels in Bianjing, and the singing girls were called "Shi Shi" or "Pan Pan", "An An". There were no less than a thousand, and five hundred. Zhao Xian De thought to himself, I wonder if this Li Shi Shi is the one from history, but looking at her beautiful face, even if she isn't, it's not far off.

  Chen Dongdao said: "Shi Shi's life is quite pitiful, her maiden name was Wang, and at the age of 4, both parents passed away, and she was adopted by Li Shishu until now." He also said: "It must be a predestined relationship from our previous lives, I and Shi Shi hit it off immediately when we met, and now we have agreed on lifelong matters. However, Li Shishu is demanding a lot of money and silk for her ransom, so we can only discuss it further." As he spoke, the expression on Li Shi Shi's face also turned gloomy. At that time, private relationships between scholars and prostitutes were forbidden by the imperial court. He confided in Zhao Xingde and Pan, firstly to show his sincerity, and secondly, not wanting Zhao Xingde to look down on Li Shi Shi or make jokes about her.

  Li Shishi listened to Chen Dong's introduction and knew that Zhao Xingde was a truly valued friend of Chen Dong, so he came over again to pay his respects. After the three sat down, the atmosphere became different from before, with the addition of a beautiful woman who understood people's intentions, and the two scholars' hearts were also more at ease, and they exchanged cups more frequently.

  After getting drunk and feeling hot in the ears, Chen Dong's eyes flashed with a hint of light, and he raised his cup to Zhao Xingde: "Without deceiving Yuanzheng, I think that in today's world, it is the scholars and the emperor who govern the country together. However, there are many different minds among the officials of our dynasty, and they are trapped in factional struggles, so that all state affairs cannot be revitalized. It is said that the rise and fall of the world, a single person has responsibility. If you want to revitalize the imperial court, you need to make people's hearts consistent first. I want to link up with a dozen good friends, start a literary society in Taixue, mutually sharpen each other, study and research academic theories, don't know if Yuanzheng is willing to join the society?"

  Zhao Xingde smiled and said: "Such a good thing, I should help Shaoyang with one arm. But I don't know if joining the society requires paying fees?"

  Chen Dong burst out laughing and said, "The matter of donations varies from person to person. For example, Zhang Wenhuan, Deng Shouyi, and Zhu Damu, who are wealthy households, naturally have to contribute more. As for you, Yuan Zhilei, with your empty sleeves, it's enough to take out one or two yuan. After all, everyone is considered a founding member of the Li Xue She."

  "Li Xue She?" Zhao Xingde rotated his wine glass, pondering the name of the literary society.

  "It's settled," Chen Dong said, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Tomorrow, we will establish a society that combines the principles of heaven and humanity, and uses the way of the sage kings to govern the world." The two men drained their cups, and then Chen Dong discussed some more details about the rules and regulations of the literary society with Zhao Xingde. Chen Dong had a good sense of people, and he intuitively felt that although Zhang Biao, Deng Su, Zhu Sen, He Fang, and others were talented and ambitious, they were not as practical and capable as Zhao Yuanzhong. He hoped that Zhao Xingde would take on a role similar to that of a general manager in the society. Zhao Xingde felt that he had contributed less money than the others, so he didn't want to decline too much, and the two men quickly came to an agreement, and then drank several more cups.

  That courtesan Li Shishi was quite knowledgeable, when Chen Dong and Zhao Xingde were discussing literary society matters, she just smiled silently with her pipa in hand, only occasionally pouring wine to urge them to drink. After the important discussion, they returned to romantic topics, Chen Dong mentioned that Zhao Xingde had written several good poems, Li Shishi then played and sang according to the poem's melody, the pipa sound was crisp, her voice was gentle and melodious, outside the window it had started raining, the eaves dripping water sounded like a rhythmic accompaniment, blending with the singing. Zhao Xingde and Chen Dong both got drunk from the wine and music, supporting each other they stumbled back to their quarters.

  On the way back, they were sobered up by the rain, and when they returned to their dormitory, their intoxication had worn off. Chen Dong's enthusiasm was still not exhausted, and he exclaimed: "If the officials in the imperial court are corrupt and incompetent, unable to resist the invasion of the northern barbarians and unable to bring peace to the people, then it is up to us scholars to take responsibility for the rise and fall of the country. China has a rich culture, fertile land, and a large population, four times that of the neighboring countries. As long as the ruler takes action, the government is clean, and the people's spirit is high, China will surely prosper! The Song Dynasty will surely prosper!" Zhao Xingde couldn't bear to dampen his enthusiasm, so he echoed Chen Dong's words, and the two of them talked freely in the courtyard until late at night before going to bed.

  A few days later, in the study of Cai Jing's mansion, the fragrance was strong. Cai Jing casually took over the copy of poetry from Shao Fu and read it. When he came to the three words and one poem written by Zhao Xingde, he couldn't help but laugh: "Good, a young man who doesn't know the times, doesn't know the height of heaven and earth, even if he is talented, should suffer some setbacks." He thought to himself: "Zhao Dun has been opposing me for many years, and ended up dying in frustration. What a good son he has! Let him go and bump his head against those who seek fame and fortune, and see if he can be brought under control. If not, then he must be eliminated."

  Next to him, a idle assistant echoed: "These old parties use poetry and elegant collections as names, comment on the government, and should be punished." Cai Jing waved his hand and said: "Gentlemen have the capacity to accommodate people, scholars are the pillars of the country, how can they be easily destroyed?"