"Little Yu, who is he?" Yang Xu strode over, his gaze like that of a young wolf, warily eyeing the young man seated under the eaves.
Whether it was the tall, slender build of a grown man, his exceedingly handsome face, or the man's indifferent yet sharp demeanor, all of it made Yang Xu feel wary and hostile.
Zhan Feiyu was currently sitting on a stool, basking in the sun. More accurately, she was drying her hair. Her fair face, bathed in the winter sunlight, was so bright it seemed to glow.
Perhaps it was due to Yin Wuyan's arrival, but Zhan Feiyu's eyes were filled with smiles as she spoke, her cheerful aura revealing her good mood.
Zhan Feiyu recalled that Yang Xu had met her elder brother once before, but at that time, her elder brother had disguised himself and appeared as an ordinary young man with common features. It was normal that he wouldn't recognize him. "Little Xu, this is my elder brother."
Yang Xu knew that Zhan Feiyu only had a distant cousin, and their relationship wasn't close, nor did their ages match.
Qiu Jinyu and Zhou Shuyao were both aware of Zhan Feiyu's identity and her family situation. At this moment, they all looked at Yin Wuyan, appraising him. Such a cold and noble young man, as if carved from ice and snow, was definitely not from the Zhan family in Jinlin Village. Could he be someone from Scholar Gu's side?
Yin Wuyan didn't even glance at Yang Xu, nor did he pay attention to anyone else.
Seeing that Zhan Feiyu didn't even introduce the man by name or state his identity, Yang Xu felt inexplicably stifled. His voice turned stiff. "Little Yu, we're looking for you to go play at the foot of the mountain."
The young ladies planned to cut some plum branches to take back and put in vases. They also intended to have their maids and servants collect some plum blossoms and snow to brew tea, adorning it with a few dried plum blossoms for an elegant tea experience.
Yang Xu was young and lacked such refinement. He planned to go hunting with Qiu Jinyu and the others. If they could hunt a rabbit and roast it, it would be more rustic than the brought-along ingredients.
"Sister Zhan, I've also brought drawing supplies. You all can play while I draw. Afterwards, we can make rubbings and frame them as mementos," the young lady from the Fu family said crisply, a bright smile on her round face.
Ever since she noticed Zhou Shuyao's respectful attitude towards Zhan Feiyu, the Fu family's young lady had intended to build a good relationship with Zhan Feiyu. So what if merchants were looked down upon? She was willing to humble herself to curry favor with this young girl.
If Yin Wuyan hadn't arrived, Zhan Feiyu would absolutely not have gone to the mountain with them. The plum valley was windless, but that didn't mean the foot of the mountain was. Moreover, looking at the vast expanse of white snow, she shivered just thinking about the cold.
"Elder brother, shall we go?" Zhan Feiyu turned to look at Yin Wuyan beside her, her eyes shining with anticipation. She had never gone out to play with her elder brother before.
Yang Xu didn't speak, only staring at Yin Wuyan. Who was he? Why was Little Yu so close to him? He instantly felt a sense of crisis, as if his companion was being snatched away.
With his long, well-defined fingers, Yin Wuyan indulgently ruffled Zhan Feiyu's hair. Once her hair was dry, he finally looked at He Nuan, who was waiting nearby. "Get Little Yu's cloak, and bring the hand warmer."
A moment later, the group set off towards the foot of the mountain in a grand procession. The closer they got to the mountain, the lower the temperature became, and the chill of winter could be felt. Fortunately, the sun was bright today, casting a warmth on them.
A stone-paved path wound its way towards the foot of the mountain. Zhan Feiyu walked slowly, falling behind. "Elder brother, because I refused to take a master, Mr. Qiu criticizes my calligraphy and poems as worthless every day."
Zhan Feiyu chattered away, complaining, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. Her soft, sweet voice was filled with resentment. "《Jí Qí Guǎngdà Cǎo》, I don't know where the old gentleman found such a topic."
When she saw the topic, Zhan Feiyu's eyes widened. What a terrible topic! But then she remembered it was a "Jieda" topic, and she was no longer angry. She recalled it for a moment and then remembered that the topic came from the "Doctrine of the Mean."
"Now, regarding mountains, even a handful of stones, when they become vast and immense, allow grass and trees to grow, beasts to inhabit them, and treasures to be unearthed. Now, regarding water, even a ladleful, when it becomes immeasurable, allows turtles, crocodiles, dragons, and fish to live within, and wealth to flourish."
The meaning of this passage is: The mountains we speak of today, when viewed from a small perspective, are merely fist-sized stones. But when they become tall and immense, grass and trees grow upon them, beasts inhabit them, and treasures are stored within.
The water we speak of today, when viewed from a small perspective, is merely a ladleful. But when it becomes vast and boundless, creatures like turtles, crocodiles, dragons, and fish live within, and all sorts of valuable things multiply.
A flicker of a smile crossed Yin Wuyan's cold, phoenix-like eyes. Looking at the little girl who was about to explode, he soothed her by ruffling her head. "A trial poem?"
With a cold scoff, Zhan Feiyu still felt indignant. Her voice rose in anger. "If this were a trial poem, I could have written one even by forcing it together, a formal essay of no less than four hundred characters! And within half an hour."
"The provincial and metropolitan examinations would not be so frivolous," Yin Wuyan could roughly imagine the girl's anger at the time. Such a "Jieda" topic would certainly not have been given by Mr. Qiu. He must have heard it before and deliberately written it to tease the girl.
Yang Xu and the others walking ahead couldn't hear what Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan were saying, but they could all see the closeness between the two.
Zhou Shuyao glanced back subtly. Zhan Feiyu didn't pay much attention even to Yang Xu, yet she was so close to that young man. He must be from the capital, perhaps from a distinguished family.
In fact, the moment she saw him in front of the wooden house, Zhou Shuyao felt a moment of palpitation. In the entire Linzhou Prefecture, or even the Longyou Circuit, even compared to Young Master Qiu from the Qiu family in Qianzhong Circuit, this man's demeanor was far inferior. Perhaps this was the difference between a youth and an adult.
Although Young Master Qiu was upright and elegant, he lacked the man's cold and noble bearing that commanded submission with a single glance. Only true aristocratic families could cultivate such an aura of unspoken authority.
However, perhaps because Yin Wuyan's face was too cold, he didn't even acknowledge Yang Xu. Zhou Shuyao's stirring heart instantly extinguished. For the first time, she truly realized what it meant to be of ineffable nobility and what it meant to be unattainable.
"How fragrant!" The Fu family's young lady's voice was as crisp as a copper bell. She skipped forward a few steps and stood before a plum tree. "Plums must yield to snow in their whiteness, yet snow loses to plums in fragrance. The ancients indeed did not deceive me."
Miss Feng, being the daughter of an official, albeit only a county lieutenant's daughter, held some status in Xiangwu County. At this moment, she smiled gently and did not respond, nor did she rush to show off.
However, the daughters of two successful candidates in the imperial examinations scoffed, clearly looking down on Miss Fu's ostentatious display. A merchant's daughter quoting poetry as if she came from a scholarly family, could this hide the smell of money?
"Appreciate the plum blossoms if you want, but don't be so boisterous. Do you think no one has read books?" Zhou Shuyao said sarcastically. She thought, don't think I can't see this little girl is eyeing Yang Xu. Showing off a few lines of poetry to pretend to be a talented woman? And then marry into the General's mansion? Is she worthy?
The Fu family's young lady blushed instantly from the mockery. She didn't dare to retort to Zhou Shuyao and could only stand aside aggrievedly. Before lowering her head, she glanced at Yang Xu, appearing extremely wronged and helpless.
Yang Xu had no interest in composing poetry or matching verses, but he didn't dislike Miss Fu's speaking. However, Zhou Shuyao's overbearing and arrogant demeanor truly made Yang Xu feel disgusted. He couldn't help but say, "I'm the least educated here."
Yang Xu was the youngest and disliked studying. He had only read the Four Books and Five Classics cursorily.
"You?" Zhou Shuyao was stunned for a moment and looked at Yang Xu in annoyance. But thinking of his identity, she could only suppress her unwillingness and glare resentfully at the Fu family's young lady. This wretched girl knew how to feign grievance and pity!
"Every man has his strengths and weaknesses. In terms of learning, we might have a slight advantage, but in terms of hunting skills, we are absolutely no match. Whether we can eat roasted rabbit depends on your skills, Little Xu," Miss Feng said with a smile, smoothing things over. "I've asked someone to bring a bunch of dried lotus leaves. We're just waiting to eat beggar's chicken rabbit."
"Sister Feng, you've prepared so thoroughly," another young lady said, covering her mouth and laughing. They had also brought many things in their carriages, but they really didn't have dried lotus leaves.
Miss Feng raised her willow-like eyebrows slightly. "The ancients preferred to eat without meat rather than live without bamboo. As a vulgar person, I only care about satisfying my appetite. Seeing plum blossoms reminds me of plum blossom wine, seeing mountains reminds me of roasted rabbit, and seeing water means fish prepared in three ways."
Her teasing remark made everyone laugh in agreement. Even Zhou Shuyao glanced at the dignified and elegant Miss Feng, finding it hard to believe she was merely a county lieutenant's daughter. She seemed more like a young lady from a scholarly family.
Zhan Feiyu and Yin Wuyan stood before a plum tree not far away. They seemed to not have heard the bickering between the Fu family's young lady and Zhou Shuyao earlier, nor Miss Feng's witty remarks. They neither chimed in nor engaged in conversation.
Qiu Jinyu had been speculating about Yin Wuyan's identity all along. But even Yang Xu, who was most familiar with Zhan Feiyu, didn't know. He couldn't possibly guess. Especially since the man's face was as cold as if covered in frost, and a single glance could make one tremble with fear. Qiu Jinyu didn't dare to rashly try to get acquainted.
Looking at them now, Qiu Jinyu said loudly with a smile, "Hearing Miss Feng mention plum blossoms, I am reminded of the trial poem for this year's imperial examinations."
As soon as Qiu Jinyu mentioned the imperial examinations, Zhou Shuyao and the others became interested. They all considered themselves talented women, but in their daily lives, they only played "flying flower" games and composed a few poems about autumn sorrow and spring pity. They claimed to be proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but when it came to actual skill, they were far behind these scholars who were skilled in the Six Arts of the Gentleman.
Seeing that Zhan Feiyu also looked over curiously, Qiu Jinyu didn't keep them in suspense. "The trial poem for the provincial examination was 《Huáng Huā Sǎn Rú Jīn》."
Yang Xu had no interest at all. If it weren't for seeing Zhan Feiyu thinking, he would have wanted to take his bow and arrow and follow He Sheng up the mountain, perhaps he could really hunt a rabbit.
Upon hearing the topic, Zhou Shuyao and the others immediately began to ponder. They usually prepared their poems in advance for banquets, and even asked their brothers to help revise them before daring to present them at the banquet to gain the reputation of a talented woman.
Hearing Qiu Jinyu mention the topic so suddenly, and it being a topic for the provincial examination, Zhou Shuyao couldn't recall it for a while, let alone the other young ladies. They studied even less. Their families claimed to have hired tutors, but in reality, they were just old "tong sheng" (candidates who had passed the county examinations but not yet the provincial ones). They would only make them recite repeatedly.
After a long while, Zhou Shuyao glanced subtly at Zhan Feiyu not far away. Seeing that she hadn't spoken yet, she couldn't help but suspect that her so-called "Little San Yuan" (top scorer in three consecutive exams) was obtained because of Scholar Gu as her teacher.
If she couldn't recall it, it was because she didn't need to take the imperial examinations. Zhan Feiyu was a true scholar, and she was currently studying under Qiu Zongxi. Even she didn't know.
"I know," suddenly Miss Fu spoke. As soon as she said this, Zhou Shuyao and the others all turned their gazes to Miss Fu. After surprise, there was a hint of jealousy.
As if not noticing the subtle, hostile gazes of the others, Miss Fu's expression remained gentle and calm, without any trace of pride or ostentation. She asked Qiu Jinyu, "Does it come from the 'Book of Rites. Monthly Ordinances': In the third month of autumn, chrysanthemums bloom with yellow flowers."
Therefore, this topic, 《Huáng Huā Rú Sǎn Jīn》, in Miss Fu's opinion, was about chrysanthemums and described the autumn scenery.
And with Miss Fu's hint, Zhou Shuyao also recalled this line. Although she was a little unwilling to have her glory stolen by the county lieutenant's daughter, Zhou Shuyao was not so lacking in magnanimity. Her expression was just a little displeased.
"Sister Feng is indeed well-read. Little sister admires you," the Fu family's young lady said crisply, and even feigned a bow to Miss Feng, causing everyone else to laugh.
Qiu Jinyu did not join in the praise. Instead, he looked at Zhan Feiyu not far away. "Does Miss Zhan have any insights?"
The gazes of the others followed Qiu Jinyu. Miss Fu smiled charmingly, but a flash of arrogance quickly appeared in the depths of her eyes.
"Green branches like perpetual jade, yellow flowers like scattered gold," Zhan Feiyu's clear and pleasant little voice rang out. She then recited another line, "Green trees darken the village, yellow flowers are sparse among the wheat."
"If Miss Zhan were a contemporary of Jinyu, the title of 'Little San Yuan' would surely have to change hands," Qiu Jinyu's jade-like face finally showed a smile.
As these humble words of praise were spoken, Miss Fu's expression instantly stiffened, and then became extremely awkward.
Zhou Shuyao, after all, was from the Zhou family. She was stunned for a moment and blurted out, "These yellow flowers don't refer to chrysanthemums? But rather to rapeseed flowers in spring?"
Then, according to Miss Fu's previous statement, if this poem was about autumn scenery and established an autumn mood, wouldn't it be ten thousand miles off topic?
After all, the topic was about spring scenery. Thinking of this, Zhou Shuyao looked sympathetically at the extremely embarrassed Miss Fu, secretly glad that she hadn't made a fool of herself.
Zhou Shuyao looked at the short-legged Zhan Feiyu with complex emotions. As expected of Scholar Gu's disciple, she must have real substance. Her "Little San Yuan" in Nanxuan Prefecture must also have been achieved through merit.
"I was showing off in front of an expert," Miss Fu said with a smile, but her expression looked stiff no matter how one looked at it.
Zhan Feiyu smiled. "Miss Fu, there's no need to be concerned. I just happened to have read these two lines. I'm not good at poetry, and Mr. Qiu has been scolding me severely these past few days."
Miss Fu's expression stiffened again for a moment. If she, who wasn't good at poetry, could immediately understand the meaning of the provincial examination's trial poem, then what was she, who had made such a fool of herself, considered? Was she as stupid as a pig?