Buyue

Liu Yuewang looked out the window at the steaming outdoor hot spring pools nearby and could not help feeling a little sentimental. In the blink of an eye, An Nuan had grown up. Even when discussing poetry with her, Liu Yuewang had to choose her words tactfully to avoid awkwardness. For instance, she had originally wanted to say that the King of Chu and the goddess had made love here amid the clouds and rain of Mount Wu, but had forcibly changed it to "a beautiful tale."

It had also been a long time since Liu Yuewang had discussed poetry with An Nuan. The older the girl grew, the more she resembled her in appearance, yet their temperaments and interests were completely different. An Nuan had no interest in studying or appreciating the poetry Liu Yuewang loved. At most, she could recite a few more poems than people her age. Having been influenced by Liu Yuewang over the years, she had barely picked up a trace of the literary refinement that overflowed from her.

Thinking of this, Liu Yuewang found herself in the mood to talk and continued, "This ci poem by Niu Xiji was included in the Collection Among the Flowers. The E edition, Lu edition, Wu manuscript edition, Tang commentary edition, Zhang edition, Siku edition, and many others all differ slightly in certain characters and phrases. When I read this poem as a child, I found something strange. What was the meaning of the term 'fragrant haze'?"

"What was the meaning of 'fragrant haze'?" An Nuan echoed Liu Yuewang's question. Her mind was not on the poem at all. She could not quite make sense of Liu Chang'an's intentions. Did he really dare to be so brazen as to imply that he and Professor Liu had once shared