Poetry Sage Crown

Ye Tong's name was destined to be remembered by many tonight. So long as Ye Tong did not commit some monstrous crime in the county city in the future, Fu Tianlong, Zifu County's foremost fierce general, would be his most steadfast pillar of support.

"Disperse, disperse." The farce-like conflict came to an end as the street resumed its usual bustle.

Piaoxiang Tower.

The largest brothel in the entire county city, the most renowned, and the one with the greatest number of girls. By evening, its daytime desolation had vanished, replaced by throngs at its doors and extraordinary liveliness.

"A brothel?" Ye Tong stood outside the imposing gates, looking at the lanterns and decorations filling the courtyard, the colorful ribbons fluttering in the air, and smelling the thick scent of rouge and powder. His footsteps immediately came to a halt.

Medicine Slave gave a dry laugh. "It is indeed a brothel."

Ye Tong was rather speechless. Though he still stepped forward, he muttered, "That Second Master Jin really is making a mess of things. How old am I already? He actually invited me to a banquet in a brothel?"

At that moment, Ye Tong had placed himself in the age of his previous life. A man over a hundred years old visiting a brothel would have been a joke if word got out.

"Cough, cough, Young Master, you are still young..."

Medicine Slave coughed twice, his old face flushing. Those words seemed to be describing him instead, didn't they?

Ye Tong cast Medicine Slave a surprised glance, only then suddenly remembering that he currently possessed a youth's body. Medicine Slave, on the other hand, looked ancient and decrepit. He had probably taken Ye Tong's muttering entirely to heart.

"Hehe!" Ye Tong laughed despite himself. "Medicine Slave, if I remember correctly, Cold Mountain City seems to have a Piaoxiang Tower too."

Medicine Slave said, "That is correct. Piaoxiang Tower in Cold Mountain City is a branch; this is the main establishment."

"Oh? You even know that?" This was Ye Tong's first time at such a brothel, so he said, "Tell me about Piaoxiang Tower. Oh, right, when you were young, you must have... must have come here before?"

"I..." Medicine Slave was somewhat speechless. Though he had been an assassin in his youth, he had also been a frequent visitor to brothels. They were excellent places for assassinating targets and gathering intelligence.

His old face reddening slightly, Medicine Slave let out a breath and said, "The girls kept by Piaoxiang Tower are divided into pure courtesans and red courtesans. Pure courtesans sell their talents but not their bodies. If they meet a man they fancy, they may even use their own gold and silver to redeem themselves. Red courtesans sell their bodies. Once they reach forty, they may retrieve their contracts of sale and either remain here or leave on their own. But if they wish to redeem themselves early, it is quite difficult."

"Oh, right."

As if recalling something, Medicine Slave continued, "Zifu County's folkways are fierce and bold. Even girls from ordinary households do not stay behind their gates without stepping beyond the inner doors. There are even often young ladies who dress as men and come here for amusement. Yet women of that sort generally seek out pure courtesans to discuss the arts. This old servant, back then..."

Ye Tong smiled. "Why did you stop? Tell me about your glorious deeds from back then. I'm quite curious."

Medicine Slave smiled awkwardly and said nothing more.

The two passed through the front courtyard and went by pavilions and towers. Young, beautiful women approached them one after another, only for Ye Tong to refuse every one of them.

Beneath the eaves.

Four or five beautiful women were laughing and playing around. When they spotted Ye Tong, one of them said with a charming laugh, "Yun'er, another young lad you like has come here! Your sisters are generous; we'll give him to you this time too."

"You sisters are the best."

The woman called Yun'er replied with a giggle.

"Wait!" Another woman caught Yun'er by the sleeve, then tipped her chin toward the rear. At once, they all noticed a rather handsome young man several meters away, his face showing displeasure.

Yun'er's expression changed slightly, but she immediately recovered her beaming smile and went to greet the handsome young man. "Young Master Jin, what wind blew today to bring you here?"

"Hmph, this place's standards are getting lower and lower. Any stray cat or dog can enter now." The handsome young man snorted coldly. Seeing Ye Tong draw closer, he stepped forward to block his path and scolded, "Which family's boy are you? Is a place like this somewhere you should be?"

"What is it? Why shouldn't I come?" Ye Tong looked at the baffling young man, bafflement also showing in his eyes.

The handsome young man said coldly, "Get lost. At such a young age, you refuse to learn properly. If I find out whose child you are, I'll definitely go to your home and lodge a complaint against you."

The women looked at one another, then revealed strange smiles.

Ye Tong asked, "Who are you?"

The handsome young man said arrogantly, "The Jin family. Jin Shixue."

The Jin family?

Ye Tong did not know whether it was the Jin family Jin Qiusheng belonged to, nor did he care much. He said calmly, "Never heard of it."

"You..." Jin Shixue flared up upon hearing that.

Ye Tong asked lightly, "My family's old servant lived to eighty. Do you know why?"

Jin Shixue froze, then frowned. "Why?"

Ye Tong said lightly, "Because he never meddled in other people's business."

"Pfft..."

"Hahahaha..."

The surrounding women could not hold back their laughter upon hearing that.

Watching Jin Shixue's face turn green and then white, Ye Tong walked around him and headed inside.

Jin Shixue was furious and wanted to teach Ye Tong a lesson. Yet when he sensed the aura Medicine Slave released behind Ye Tong, his expression changed slightly, and he could only swallow that foul breath in his heart.

Ye Tong had no interest in wasting words on such a boring person. After finding a servant to ask around, he learned where Jin Qiusheng's banquet was being held and hurried over in the direction pointed out by one of the girls.

"Wonderful! What a fine poem!"

"Young Master Yu truly deserves to be Zifu County's foremost scholar. His talent fills eight bushels, his learning loads five carts. This poem has already spread far and wide; even the literary talents of the Imperial Capital will likely feel inferior."

"'Shifting moon shadows, leaves dance in disorder; in the dimness, my heart longs for my old home. Beneath the moon, I think of home and kin alike.' Splendid!"

"I admit defeat!"

The grand hall, wrapped in colorful ribbons and fragrant with ink, was bustling with activity. Elegant and articulate young talents surrounded a handsome young man like a jade tree before the wind, lavishing praise upon him. Even the dozen or so pure courtesans gathered there had gleams of wonder rippling through their eyes.

Passing by outside, Ye Tong heard the exclamations within and found them faintly amusing. Brothels were often places of elegant romantic affairs, where poets and scholars lingered and forgot to return. Many celebrated poems of ancient Earth had originated in brothels.

"The ten thousand Blue Gold today will surely end up in Young Master Yu's hands. How enviable!" Another sigh came from within the hall.

Hearing those words, Ye Tong's footsteps halted.

Ten thousand Blue Gold? One hundred thousand Blue Silver?

Behind him, Jin Shixue had been following Ye Tong all along. Seeing where Ye Tong had stopped, disdain appeared on his face. He glanced at the lively scene inside and sneered, "The finest young talents in the entire county city have gathered here to collect poems and challenge for Zifu County's Poetry Sage Crown. At your tender age, you still want to join in the excitement?"

Ye Tong did not care about collecting poems, nor did he care about the Poetry Sage Crown. What he had heard was ten thousand Blue Gold, so he asked, "There is a reward for winning the Poetry Sage Crown?"

Jin Shixue said as if it were only natural, "Of course there is, and it is ten thousand Blue Gold. If poetry and inscriptions were my specialty, this crown would certainly fall upon my head."

Ye Tong's eyes lit up. "As long as I go inside and compose a poem, I can participate in the challenge?"

Jin Shixue said disdainfully, "That is so, but you should save yourself the trouble."

Ye Tong immediately became interested. He was very poor now; all the money he possessed combined was only enough for the simplest food, clothing, and lodging. If casually writing a poem could earn him ten thousand Blue Gold, he naturally would not hesitate. Ignoring Jin Shixue's mockery, he strode inside.

"Make way." There were nearly a hundred people in the hall, and the innermost area was especially crowded. Ye Tong did not wish to shove others aside, so he could only speak up.

Though there were many people in the hall, it had been quiet. The moment Ye Tong spoke, quite a few people turned to look. One distinguished young man looked at Ye Tong and smiled. "Is this little brother here to compose poetry as well?"

Ye Tong asked, "If one obtains the Poetry Sage Crown, can one truly receive ten thousand Blue Gold?"

The entire hall instantly fell into dead silence.

"Hahahaha..."

After the silence, everyone burst into laughter. They found it laughable that a youth intended to seize the Poetry Sage Crown. Even the dozen or so lovely pure courtesans could not help but cover their mouths and giggle.

Of those who came here to recite poetry and compose couplets, how many cared about ten thousand Blue Gold? What they sought was fame. Winning the Poetry Sage Crown was something ten thousand Blue Gold could never compare with.

Jin Shixue laughed the loudest, saying, "Little fellow, if there's no ink in your belly, don't try to pass yourself off as part of the orchestra. Save yourself from making a fool of yourself before everyone's eyes."

"Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone." Ye Tong ignored him and spoke in a deep voice.

A pure courtesan in a green dress smiled and rose from her chair. "Since little brother wishes to write poetry, come to elder sister's place! If you can compose a decent poem today, elder sister is willing to drink three cups with you to our hearts' content."

Ye Tong walked over and said, "Forget drinking three cups to our hearts' content. I'm not an adult yet, and drinking harms the body. Just make sure that if the poem I write crushes everyone else's, you give me those ten thousand Blue Gold."

As he spoke, Ye Tong stopped before the table. He took up the brush, spread out the paper, dipped it in ink, and moved the brush like a dragon and snake. With sweeping strokes, vigorous and powerful characters flowed across the page like drifting clouds and running water. Those nearby whose gazes could reach the paper immediately had their eyes light up.

"Fine handwriting!"

"Even a calligraphy master would be no better, would they?"

"Dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, vigorous and powerful. Without decades steeped in calligraphy, how could anyone write like this?"

"Who is this youth? Never mind the poem itself—this master-level calligraphy alone is enough to make people ashamed. Impressive, truly impressive!"

Ye Tong completed it in one breath, then casually set down the brush. "Outside just now, I heard someone gazing at the moon and longing for home. So I composed a poem suited to the occasion. I hope you will all offer your critiques."

"No one is qualified!"

"No one is qualified!"

The pure courtesan nearest Ye Tong stared blankly at the poem before her, murmuring those words.

Ye Tong glanced at her, then turned to Jin Shixue and asked, "When will the evaluation be concluded?"

Jin Shixue said, "Two days from now."

A trace of disappointment appeared in Ye Tong's eyes. He would have to wait two days before earning ten thousand Blue Gold. How could that compare to having it in his pocket right now?

Therefore.

He did not wish to linger any longer. He directly squeezed out of the crowd and vanished beyond the hall doors with Medicine Slave.

Prelude to the Water Melody?

"When did the bright moon first appear? Raising my cup, I ask the blue heavens."

"A fine line, a fine line! Keep reading!"

"Men know sorrow and joy, parting and reunion; the moon knows shadow and shine, waxing and waning. Such things have never been whole since ancient times."

"May we live long, and though a thousand miles apart, still share the moon's beauty."

As the poem was mounted upon the wall, strange brilliance shone again and again in every pair of eyes. All were immersed in the poem's artistic realm, and the entire hall became silent as a cicada in winter.

"This poem... lofty, ancient, elegant—something never heard before!"

Only after a long while did a voice filled with complicated emotion finally sound.