Young Master, Are You Versed in Poetry?

Feeling Liu Zhao's and Yu Yuling's gazes on him, Wang Yang immediately explained, "Of course not! I merely... merely forgot the title for a moment. Let me use another example. There is one in the Tribute of Yu. By Xiakou, the Han River has already entered the Great Jiang and flows into Pengli, yet the Tribute of Yu still calls it the 'Northern Jiang.' The Jiang merges with the Han River and flows into Pengli, yet the Tribute of Yu still calls it the 'Central Jiang.' If the Jiang and Han River retain the names 'Northern Jiang' and 'Central Jiang' after joining, why can I not argue that the Three Rivers remain the Three Rivers even after merging into one?"

Xie Xinghan pressed him relentlessly, with no intention of leaving Wang Yang any room to retreat:

"Even if you can, that does not prove your argument correct. The Book of Han: Treatise on Geography identifies the river that flows south from Wu County into the sea as the Northern Jiang, the one that flows from Wuhu to Yangxian and east into the sea as the Central Jiang, and the one that flows northeast from Piling into the sea as the Southern Jiang. This is precisely what the Rites of Zhou: Offices of the Regional Director means when it says of Yangzhou, 'Its waterways are the Three Rivers.' The Book of Han agrees with the Rites of Zhou, and that is conclusive evidence. Your novel interpretation has no firm foundation. Which argument is superior is plain!"

All right, all right. This girl really knew her stuff.

But we were only discussing scholarship. Why did she have to make the air smell so strongly of gunpowder? What had I ever done to her?

Wang Yang began his counterattack:

"Then you have passed judgment a little too soon, miss. Those mentioned in the Book of Han are all minor tributaries in the southeast, certainly not the waters described in the Tribute of Yu as surging mightily into the sea. If those three were the Three Rivers, there was also the river that entered the sea at Jingkou, whose current was far greater than those three small tributaries. Why would the Tribute of Yu neglect the great and speak of the small?"

Xie Xinghan froze.

Wang Yang smiled slightly. "Furthermore, there is a fundamental error in your argument. You say the Book of Han agrees with the Rites of Zhou, but that is far from certain. Ban Gu lived during the Eastern Han, whereas the Rites of Zhou was a pre-Qin work. Ban Gu's account was not necessarily accurate. If we must find an interpretation consistent with the Rites of Zhou, I would consider Guo Pu's more appropriate. Guo Pu identified the Three Rivers as the Min Jiang, the Song River, and the Zhe River. Within Yangzhou, no waterways exceeded the Min and Zhe Jiang in size. Even the Song River could rival the Yangtze and the Qiantang River in those days. Only such rivers could be called traces of Yu's work. The Discourses of the States says, 'Wu and Yue are encircled by the Three Rivers.' Fan Li said, 'We contend with Wu for the riches of the Three Rivers and Five Lakes.' These Three Rivers must be those of the Rites of Zhou, not those of the Book of Han that you cited, miss."

Yu Yuling could not keep up with the two of them at all; he felt as though he were watching immortals clash. Liu Zhao was no expert in geography either, and the discussion left him somewhat dizzy.

After Wang Yang finished, silence fell behind the screen.

Liu Zhao was just about to smooth things over when a soft voice came from behind the screen. "Your learning is broad and brilliant, young master. I am impressed."

Wang Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had become too absorbed in the conversation and let his tongue run loose, choosing a topic that was difficult to handle. The question of the Three Rivers had provoked disputes for a thousand years and remained unsettled even in modern times. In the Qing dynasty alone, there had been dozens of influential theories!

Thus, Wang Yang had gained the upper hand not because his argument was correct, but because he had combined the conclusions of several great scholars, allowing him to sweep through the debate like a blade splitting bamboo. Thinking about it now, he felt he had rather taken unfair advantage of her. He said, "You flatter me, miss. I merely borrowed the arguments of others."

"I have not flattered you. Rather, you are being too modest."

Her voice drew closer.

Wang Yang looked over curiously and saw an exquisitely beautiful girl in a white dress glide out from behind the screen. A sash cinched her slender waist, and her bearing was refined and noble. Her eyes shone as brightly as stars, giving the impression of a mind as keen and clear as ice and snow.

Starry eyes?

So this was what starry eyes meant!

Whenever Wang Yang had encountered the phrase "starry eyes" in books, he had only been able to picture something from anime. Only now, upon seeing this girl, did he realize that some people truly seemed to have a river of stars flowing in their eyes. With each blink, countless stars seemed to twinkle and gleam.

Ordinarily, Liu Zhao should have taken the initiative to introduce Xie Xinghan to Wang Yang, but he did not know whether this daughter of his family friend wished to reveal her identity.

Xie Xinghan neither waited demurely for someone to introduce her, as young ladies from noble families usually did, nor shyly lowered her head and offered a greeting in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Instead, she met Wang Yang's eyes openly, without the slightest trace of nervousness.

It was Wang Yang who, for some reason, felt rather unnerved under her gaze. Just as he was about to say something, Xie Xinghan spoke first. "Young master, are you versed in poetry?"

"I know a little," Wang Yang replied with a polite smile.

"I recently came across a rather fine poem. I still remember the first line. Hmm... 'Wandering the Rivers and Lakes with Wine...'"

Wang Yang's smile froze instantly!

He was not foolish enough to assume she was another transmigrator, because Du Mu's original line had been "Down and out through rivers and lakes, I traveled with wine." At the time, he had felt that "down and out" did not suit Xie An's circumstances, so he had changed it to "footloose." Thus, it took him only a second to guess the girl's identity!

Recalling all the rumors about how the Xie family's Fourth Lady dealt with frivolous young men, then remembering her earlier hints of hostility and noticing how her gaze kept drifting, seemingly casually, over the "counterfeit luxury label" he wore to put on airs, Wang Yang felt an urgent need to devise a countermeasure. More importantly, he was not remotely prepared to deal with the Chen Commandery Xie Clan!

He had come to the Commandery Academy to put on an act. He could not let this girl ruin the performance!

"Why is it in seven-character lines? Four-character verse is orthodox, five-character verse is a fashionable strain, and as for the vulgar sounds of seven-character verse, I would not dare listen." Wang Yang frowned like a stubborn old pedant.

"Have you never heard this poem, Young Master Wang?" Xie Xinghan gazed steadily at him.

Wang Yang delivered an award-winning shift in expression, asking in bewilderment, "Could it be the work of some renowned poet? Was it written by a poet of our dynasty? I truly know very little about composing poetry. If what I just said offended you, miss, allow me to apologize."

Xie Xinghan stared at Wang Yang for several seconds, then broke into a smile. "If you do not know it, never mind. I was only asking in passing."

Wang Yang breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Oh? Young Master Wang, why is there white powder in your hair? Is it flour?" Blinking those unusually clear, bright eyes, Xie Xinghan looked toward the top of his head.

Wang Yang's heart lurched. He patted the spot she was looking at and said in a natural tone, "Perhaps it is lime. I got some on me while entering the city earlier. Is it gone now?"

Xie Xinghan blinked. "Oh, I was mistaken just now. There is no white powder."

Wang Yang knew he had been played. This girl definitely suspected him, but his expression remained perfectly composed.

The carriage curtain had not been raised then. She could not have seen my face clearly!

Besides, the ox cart had been some distance away. I had shouted to speak to her, and only said a few words. No matter how familiar my voice sounded, she could only suspect me. Unless the little fatty came forward to identify me, or those household servants recognized me, she could prove nothing.

As long as I held firm and admitted nothing, I could surely shake her suspicions!

Watching the two of them, Liu Zhao felt that something was strange, though he could not quite say what. Besides, his mind was filled with the scholarly arguments Wang Yang had put forward earlier. How could he spare any thought for puzzling out the present situation?

Rather than discussing poetry, he would much prefer to hear Wang Yang continue explaining the Book of Documents.

He had studied the Book of Documents all his life, yet had never known it could be interpreted in such a way. Many questions that had troubled him for decades had yielded like bamboo beneath a blade when this young master explained them. How many times in a lifetime could one experience such exhilarating satisfaction?

"My dear niece, sit down quickly and listen to Young Master Wang continue discussing the Book of Documents!"

Xie Xinghan smiled slightly. "I shall pass."

Wang Yang rose. "It is getting late. I should take my leave as well."

Upon hearing that Wang Yang intended to leave, Liu Zhao forgot all about asking why Xie Xinghan would not stay to listen. He stood up anxiously too. "You cannot leave, you cannot leave! You have not finished... you have not even eaten. How can you leave?" Then he turned to Yu Yuling. "Zijie, hurry and give the orders. I want a banquet prepared for Young Master Wang!"

Believing his plan had worked, Wang Yang was delighted inwardly and replied politely, "Surely there is no need for that."

Beside him, Xie Xinghan said, "Indeed, there is no need."

Wang Yang: ...