Chapter Twelve: The True Form Revealed

  "Go down to the river to catch geese, doctor's stomach is hungry, finish eating and go home to play with wife."

  Poetry is a matter of personal opinion, and what one person considers elegant, another might find common. Didn't Mao Zedong himself once utter the refined phrase "No farting allowed"?

  At least in Qin Kan's view, "A Flock of Geese Below the Mountain" is a very ordinary poem, suitable for both old and young, and even illiterate people can understand it. That's what Mr. Bai Juyi did back then.

  Obviously, Tang Dazizhong did not think so.

  "What kind of crap is this, to actually put it in my poetry collection?" Tang Yin was outraged, a lifetime of fame and reputation as a talented scholar ruined by this one poem.

  "Isn't this poem... written by you?" Qin Kan scratched his head with all his might.

  He was also confused.

  Qin Kan is not a graduate of the Chinese Department, and being able to recall so many excellent phrases is already a remarkable feat. It's inevitable that there may be some minor errors, but for someone who was still hanging from the beam just a few days ago, it's really not fair to expect him to meet the standards of a saint.

  He patted his head and Qin Kan found that he had really mixed it up, this poem seemed to be from the Zhou Xingxing version of Tang Bohu, where four lewd Jiangnan scholars collaborated together...

  Tang Yin's expression was furious, with a strong desire in his eyes that seemed to say "I'll get rid of you and then I'll be happy".

  Qin Kan curled up his lips, feeling a bit embarrassed.

  What's wrong with you bookworms? It's just a weird poem, why make such a big deal out of it like someone killed his whole family? Why not think about things in a positive way? For example, the more than 200 yuan manuscript fee in your room, and... handing it over to me, a smart friend who can help you earn money to buy a villa in Taohuawu.

  Speaking of Peach Blossom Valley...

  Tang Yin saw Qin Kan purse his lips and remain silent, temporarily letting go of the matter with the geese below the mountain. He flipped open the poetry collection again, pointing to another poem printed on a certain page. This time, his expression was very vivid, as if he had been frightened by a ghost.

  "What does this poem mean? 'In the peach blossom cave, there is a peach blossom hut, under the peach blossom hut, there is a peach blossom fairy...'"

  Qin Kan was getting a bit impatient, his eyes narrowing slightly: "This isn't something you did either?"

  It's not right to tell lies with one's eyes open. Are all bookworms of such a character that they would climb over their noses onto their faces?

  "Of course it wasn't me who wrote it!" Tang Yin's expression was indignant, with a hint of surprise: "I didn't even buy the Peach Blossom Valley, how could I have written it? However... this poem I only mentally drafted a few times, and there were several key points that didn't quite work out. Why does this poem in the collection match what I had thought up without prior discussion, and why do the places where I racked my brains also match so perfectly?"

  Qin Kan patted his head vigorously.

  Again, this poem was indeed written by Tang Yin, but in real history, this poem had not been born yet. At that time, Tang Yin should still be busy running around and borrowing money for the Peach Blossom Cottage, where did he have the leisure to write such a pretentious poem like "Others laugh at me for being too crazy, I laugh at them for not seeing through"?

  The eyes of the traverser are too forward-looking, which is not a good thing either.

  Qin Kan's expression didn't change, his tone firm: "Tang brother, this is really your work, I'm not deceiving you. A few days ago, when we were critiquing each other's poetry and got drunk, you recited this poem in one breath, and I was clapping my hands red with excitement. We even floated several big white candles to celebrate its completion, have you forgotten?"

  Looking at Qin Kan's sincere and serious expression, Tang Yin was stunned, stuttering for a long time, uncertainly saying: "Really done by me?"

  "You have to believe in my character."

  "Am I really so talented?"

  "Right, you're really talented."

  "Am I really talented?"

  "You're really talented."

  "Why am I so talented?"

  "Are you done yet?" Qin Kan clenched his fists.

  Bookworms are really asking for a beating. No wonder Qin Shi Huang would burn books and bury scholars, it's just a pity that he didn't do a thorough job...

  Tang Dazizong, who was confused by Qin Kan's sudden words and couldn't tell east from west, stumbled out of the room in a daze. His state was not good, as if he were sleepwalking, muttering his own poem to himself, indulging in self-admiration.

  Qin Kan's mouth corners revealed a smile again.

  The profits of the publishing industry are very rich, and a few poems have brought in more than 300 taels of silver. It seems that cooperating with this Tang genius is still very promising, and we must deepen our cooperation efforts in the future.

  What else can come out after poetry?

  The Four Great Classical Novels have not been born yet? Cao Xueqin is just a single cell in his great-great-grandfather's body? Wu Cheng'en's parents just got married?

  Why not bring out "Plum Blossom" and publish it under the name of the great Tang poet, but Brother Baihu might have to bear the infamous reputation of being a lecher in the future...

  Come to think of it, Tang Bohu is best at painting erotic paintings, and he originally seemed like a lecher...

  Writing this "Plum" is just adding flowers to the brocade for him, anyway he takes the blame and I take the silver.

  The sage says, "A gentleman does not stand under a precarious wall."

  Qin Kan is a gentleman, so let Tang brother go down the dangerous wall.

  Dreaming of getting rich, a sudden light cough came from the quiet room.

  Qin Kan was so frightened that his three souls left his body. He stared blankly and couldn't help but ask, "Where did you pop out from?"

  Du Yan's face turned pale, and she clenched her fists tightly.

  Why does this guy make people want to beat him up as soon as he opens his mouth?

  "I, a straight, sit, in, this, place!" Du Yan gritted her teeth and said word by word, her tone very gloomy.

  Qin Kan thought for a moment, and it seemed to be true indeed.

  Is this woman's presence too weak?

  "What are you still doing in my room?"

  "Mind your own business!"

  Qin Kan smiled bitterly, this is simply unreasonable, I spent money to live in the room, you enter my room and I have no say?

  She picked up the poetry collection that Tang Yin had forgotten to take with him when he left, and after flipping through a few pages, her eyes gradually widened as if the poetry collection had some kind of magical power that made her read on page by page. Her cherry lips moved silently, as if savoring the meaning of the poem, and from time to time she would lift her head and look at Qin Kan with a strange and complex gaze.

  Qin Kan's heart skipped a beat as her gaze made his heart tremble with fear.

  After a long time, Du Yan closed the poetry collection, and a playful smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

  "Is this poetry collection written by Tang Yin?"

  "Of course, I am in charge of taking notes."

  "Is it all his doing?"

  "Right."

  Du Yan's gaze swept towards the cover of the poetry collection on the table, her tone calm as she said: "In the 13th year of the Hongzhi era, Tang Yin was implicated in a cheating scandal during the imperial examinations. The imperial court was outraged and Li Dongyang, the Grand Secretary, personally presided over the case. Tang Yin's official rank was revoked and he was forbidden from holding office for life. From then on, Tang Yin became disheartened and withdrawn, spending his days drinking and consorting with prostitutes, leading a decadent life... This is something that everyone in the world knows..."

  "What does this have to do with me?"

  Du Yanyan smiled and said: "Young Master Qin, please be patient and listen to me finish speaking, it will soon concern you..."

  "After Tang Yin was dismissed from his official position, his wife could not bear the poverty and left him after a quarrel. Tang Yin lived alone in Suzhou, relying on selling his writings and paintings to make a living. He spent all the money he earned from his books and paintings on prostitutes and wine, passing his days in a daze. From that year on, Tang Yin's poetry style changed abruptly. Although his writing was still elegant, it contained many extreme and satirical phrases that ridiculed the imperial court and insulted the powerful. However, because Tang Yin was a famous scholar in Jiangnan and a useless bookworm, the government, the Imperial Guards, and the Eastern Depot thugs did not bother to deal with him, letting him vent his frustrations..."

  "What a failed life! I should write these down as my negative teaching materials, and reflect on myself three times a day..."

  Du Yan's charming eyes flowed with a hint of sparkling waves in her gaze.

  "What I'm going to say next has something to do with Qin Gongzi......" Du Yan's gaze suddenly became sharp: "With Tang Yin's tumultuous experiences over the past few years, and having suffered such a severe blow, both he and his poetry are so extreme in their current state. Do you think it's possible for him to produce 'A Life Like the First Sight', 'The Fallen Red is Not an Inanimate Object' and other exquisite, elegant, and worldly famous poems?"

  Qin Kan's face twitched and he tightly pursed his lips.

  Du Yan still didn't let him off, flipping through the poetry collection on the table, pointing to one of them and smiling softly: "I'm afraid only this 'Others laugh at me for being too crazy' has a bit of Tang Yin's poetic charm, the rest of these dozen or so poems that are worthy of being remembered in history must have been written by someone else. Tang Yin is a bookworm, although he has talent and pride, but doesn't understand human emotions and worldly affairs, some people can take him for a fool, but can't take everyone in the world for fools..."

  Qin Kan pursed his lips tightly, and his forehead inexplicably broke out in a cold sweat.

  Du Yan gazed at Qin Kan for a long time, then let out a soft sigh: "Qin Gongzi, since you have extraordinary literary talent, why must you hide your sharpness? What are you... afraid of?"

  P.S. There is another update tonight.

  Today, I inexplicably fell off the recommended list, and my heart is entangled. Everyone needs to make voting a habit, just like eating, after finishing one meal, you still have to eat the next one...