"Fire Horse?" Hong Yi took one look and knew it was a mount from the Huoluo Kingdom. When it ran, its mane streamed like a cloud of fire. A thousand gold could buy a horse, but a fine steed like this was hard to come by. "Young Master Hong even wears an archer's ring. You're not like those spineless scholars who buy a bow to put in their study and then think they're truly skilled at horsemanship and archery, both scholarly and martial, are you?" He had only stepped forward to take a dig at Hong Yi because he couldn't stand Princess Zhennan's attitude toward him. After Luo Yun introduced Hong Yi, she glanced around, tapped her folding fan in her hand, pursed her lips, and spoke to him. Hong Yi listened as Princess Zhennan introduced everyone, then exchanged greetings with the sons of officials, princes, dukes, and nobles. Luo Yun sheathed the sword and handed it to Hong Yi. Snap! She opened her fan and began waving it briskly. "This sword is called Shark Slayer. It's worth no less than Young Marquis Changle's Fire Horse. I saw that Hong Yi came out in a hurry today and didn't bring a wager, so I'll lend him one for now. Otherwise, without a wager, he can't join the game, and I won't get to watch the fun. What a pity." A young man dressed in pale silver silk stepped forward and addressed Hong Yi. "In the past, only a few of us attended these gatherings. Today, though, we have a young master from Marquis Wuwen's Mansion among us. This should be lively. But Miss Su Mu hasn't arrived yet, and I imagine everyone's getting bored waiting. Why don't we play a little game to pass the time? Young Master Yi, would you be interested?" Whether Luo Yun was jealous of Hong Yi was only a guess, but the people around them were certainly envious. If the sons of princes, dukes, nobles, and high officials all took to composing poems and painting, playing chess and music, and neglected martial pursuits until their bodies grew weak and bloodless, with yin overpowering yang, it would be a sign that the dynasty had passed its peak and begun to decline. Yet not all these young masters were wastrels. In Hong Yi's eyes, although more than half were dressed like refined scholars, beneath their clothes they were sturdy and strong. Each wore an archer's ring for drawing a bow, and there was a quiet air of experience about them. From that, he could tell the Great Gan Dynasty was still in its heyday. "Attendant, bring me my sword." Just then, Princess Zhennan, Luo Yun, clapped her hands, and an attendant immediately brought over a fine sword in a sharkskin scabbard. "Of course." Hong Yi nodded, then spoke up before the others could say anything. "Young Marquis Changle is right. We should play a little game to pass the time. But since this is a gathering at the Flower Scattering Pavilion, such an elegant place, why don't we hold a poetry meet? One person starts with a line, and everyone takes turns adding to it. Whoever makes a poor reply or can't come up with one gets punished. How does that sound?" Hong Yi felt that coming to the Flower Scattering Pavilion had been well worth it. Even setting everything else aside, seeing all these young masters gathered together and reading the signs of the dynasty's rise and decline was a lesson in how traveling ten thousand miles could surpass reading ten thousand books. "Archery?" Hong Yi looked up. "If we're going to play an archery game, we'll need a little wager," Young Marquis Changle said, clapping his hands. Someone beside him immediately brought over a bow and arrows. A hundred paces away in the courtyard stood a target of red-lacquered leather, its center marked. "A poetry meet?" "I've heard Miss Su Mu is fond of discussing the mysteries of the Dao. Brother Yi, your understanding of profound principles is deep, so you'll have to show off later and give this Yujing's foremost talented woman a hard time. Now that would be fun." Hong Yi had read the classics and histories thoroughly, and he knew that the rise and fall of a dynasty could be read from the sons of scholars, officials, princes, dukes, and nobles. Their descendants were destined to become officials in the court and shape its future atmosphere. "A poetry meet won't do," Young Marquis Changle said, fixing his eyes on Hong Yi and shaking his head. "Our Great Gan was founded through martial prowess. Though the realm is now flourishing and a literary culture is gradually rising, we sons of princes and nobles mustn't let our roots rot. Poetry may be elegant, but it has nothing to do with the fate of the dynasty. Composing poems and lyrics is just what spineless scholars do. Any reader with a little mettle should be both scholarly and martial. Let's skip the poetry meet and try archery instead." "Our Great Gan Dynasty hasn't been founded for long. Though the trend of favoring letters over arms has gradually emerged, the realm is still full of life. Its roots haven't rotted." The young master of the Minister of Rites laughed, and the young nobles around him joined in. "Is the princess jealous, by any chance? Though she is Yujing's foremost talented woman, her status and standing can't compare to yours." Hearing Luo Yun's words, Hong Yi smiled to himself. He could hear the faint sourness in them. But when the young masters began to look Hong Yi over properly, they quickly saw that he wasn't a legitimate heir, but a lowly-born son of a concubine. At first, when the many young nobles heard the name Marquis Wuwen's Mansion, each of their faces had shown a grave look. Clearly, the resounding name of Marquis Wuwen carried weight with them. "This is Hong Yi, young master of Marquis Wuwen's Mansion. He has a deep understanding of profound principles and is my friend." Princess Zhennan, Luo Yun, introduced Hong Yi to them one by one, then explained his background. "This is my wager. What are you putting up, Brother Hong?" Young Marquis Changle looked at Hong Yi, a cold smile appearing on his face. Seeing Hong Yi so composed, with an air of learning and eloquence, Young Marquis Changle furrowed his brow. He studied Hong Yi's expression carefully, mulling things over in secret. Soon, a burly servant led over a magnificent horse, four yards long and dark red from head to hoof, its coat like a cloud of fire. It was a mighty steed, clearly capable of galloping a thousand li in a day. The young man in pale silver silk was taken aback. He hadn't expected Hong Yi not only to remain unfazed, but also to seize the initiative and propose the game himself. Luo Yun drew the sword in a flash. Sunlight glinted off it, dazzling the eye; cloud patterns like chrysanthemums rippled along the blade, and a mere glance at its edge made it seem as though blood would flow. In earlier dynasties, the signs were often just as Hong Yi expected. But these young masters weren't like that, and he knew the Great Gan Dynasty still had vigor. Indeed, in the Great Gan Dynasty, the name of Marquis Wuwen carried more weight than that of some princes. The two pillars of the court were Prince Shenwei, Yang Tuo, and Marquis Wuwen, Hong Xuanji. The people's expressions shifted slightly, and Hong Yi clearly sensed that some of them disdained associating with him. This had been a reliable sign of a dynasty's rise and fall throughout history. "Young Marquis is quite right." Hong Yi's eyes narrowed. "Then let's try our hand at archery." "Marquis Wuwen won glorious victories in battle, and his martial prowess shook the four directions..." Young Marquis Changle looked at Hong Yi. "Who doesn't know that more than twenty years ago, when His Majesty was still a prince, he went to war and was trapped on Green Kill Mountain at Qingsha Pass by the Cloud Dream Empire's Iron Pagoda cavalry? Marquis Wuwen rode alone into the enemy ranks to rescue His Majesty. With one horse carrying two men, he fought his way through the mountains, charging in and out nine times. When the horse finally died in battle, the marquis had suffered hundreds of wounds from blades and arrows, yet still carried His Majesty on his back and fought his way out. Such valor and loyalty—how much of it did Young Master Hong inherit? Or did you inherit nothing but poetry and moonlit reveries?" The object of their envy was Hong Yi.
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