Ding Youwei was considerate. Because Chen Caozhi had been slighted by the Ding children when he visited the Ding Household the year before last, she avoided bringing him into contact with them this time. She only wanted to spend a few quiet days with her young brother-in-law and her two children.
The Ding Clan Chief, who was also Ding Youwei's uncle, naturally knew that Chen Caozhi and his nephew and niece had arrived. But as long as Ding Youwei did not clamor to return to Chen Family Cove, he would neither make things difficult for her nor deliberately humiliate the people of the Chen Clan. After all, as an eminent aristocratic family, they were proud, and they knew propriety.
Early in the morning, Chen Caozhi took Zongzhi and Run'er for a stroll in the little garden. It covered less than half a mu, with a crescent-shaped pond in its southeastern corner containing several water lilies. Two tall, luxuriant, century-old osmanthus trees stood beside the pond, and dozens of waist-high Golden-thread Begonia shrubs lined the courtyard wall. Both the water lilies and the Golden-thread Begonia were in bloom, their golden blossoms and the white, red, and yellow water lilies bright with color.
"Uncle Ugly, you can't go climbing today," Zongzhi said.
Run'er said, "But Uncle Ugly, you can play the xiao! Oh, Mother said she wanted to see your Keting Flute."
Xiao Chan, who followed behind the three of them, said, "Wait here, Young Master Caozhi. I'll fetch the flute." Before long, she returned with the blue cloth bag.
Chen Caozhi sat on a stone seat beside the water-lily pond and played the cheerful tune "Green Ravine, Flowing Spring." When he finished, he looked up to find that his sister-in-law Ding Youwei had quietly appeared beside a clump of Golden-thread Begonia at some point. Against the golden flowers, her plain white dress looked especially elegant and lovely. Her faint smile was serene and warm in the morning light, and her bright eyes held surprise as she watched him.
"Caozhi, when did you learn to play the Recorder so well?" Ding Youwei lightly lifted her skirts and walked gracefully over.
Chen Caozhi said, "I don't know how it happened either. I just liked playing with the purple bamboo xiao you left behind, Sister-in-law. I tried blowing it, and then I could play."
Had she heard it from someone else, Ding Youwei would never have believed that anyone could learn the Recorder without a teacher; it was far harder to learn than the transverse flute. Yet here was her young brother-in-law Chen Caozhi, having skillfully played a tune before her, his technique seemingly surpassing even hers. She had no choice but to believe it. After all, they had not seen each other for two years, and she did not know how he had learned to play the Recorder. The only explanation was that he was a born musical prodigy.
Ding Youwei took the Keting Flute, green as jade, and examined it closely. She found only the two seal-script characters "Keting" carved at its foot, with no inscription by Cai Yong. Was this truly the Keting Flute? The Keting Flute was an antique nearly two hundred years old; how could it look so fresh and green? If it really was the Keting Flute, it was a rare treasure among musical instruments. Who would so readily give it to a youth met by chance, like duckweed drifting together on the water?
As these thoughts passed through her mind, Ding Youwei covered the xiao's holes with her slender fingers, brought it to her lips, and tried a few notes. At once, she found its tone extraordinary, and delight rose to her brows-
Watching his sister-in-law play the xiao, Chen Caozhi felt rather strange. He had just played it himself, so traces of saliva were unavoidable. Although he had wiped it with a silk handkerchief before handing it to her, the sight of its mouthpiece touching her pale red lips made his heart thump. It was as though his sense of touch had extended to the Keting Flute's mouthpiece, allowing him to feel the warmth, moisture, and softness of her lips...
After all, the present Chen Caozhi was not that innocent fifteen-year-old boy. He had been twenty-seven in his previous life, and Ding Youwei was a year younger than that-
Chen Caozhi hastily shook his head, casting aside these stray thoughts, looking every inch a pure, handsome youth.
Seeing Chen Caozhi shake his head, Ding Youwei thought her young brother-in-law was laughing at her poor playing. Suddenly, something came back to her, and pain struck her heart. Her tears almost fell as she said softly, "Since Qingzhi died, I haven't touched a musical instrument. I never expected that today-"
Chen Caozhi hurried to comfort her. "Sister-in-law, you needn't be so bound by worldly proprieties. My brother's spirit in heaven would also wish to see you, Zongzhi, and Run'er safe and happy. Don't make yourself suffer. If you like this Recorder, I'll give it to you."
Ding Youwei turned away so her two children would not see her tears. Only after wiping them dry did she turn back and smile. "Caozhi, you really have grown up, to know how to say such things. You're no longer that uncomprehending child of those days-but I cannot accept this flute. We don't even know which lofty gentleman gave it to you. You may meet him again someday. You must treasure it. This is an exceptionally fine Recorder."
A-Xiu came to report that Lai Fu and his son were waiting outside the courtyard to pay their respects to their young mistress.
Ding Youwei brought Zongzhi, Run'er, and Chen Caozhi to the small reception room in the front building. Lai Fu and Lai De knelt and kowtowed to her. Ding Youwei had Chen Caozhi help Lai Fu up, asked after him kindly, and ordered that he be rewarded with one string of Wuzhu coins and one bolt of silk.
Lai Fu thanked his young mistress for the gifts. Since this was the Ding family's inner compound, he did not dare stay long, and the estate steward was still waiting outside. He led his son Lai De in taking their leave of their young mistress and withdrew. In the courtyard before the building, he said to Chen Caozhi, "I'm going to the county town now to hire tenant farmers. Would you like to come and have a look, Young Master?"
Chen Caozhi said, "I won't go today. I'll go tomorrow. Look into a few more households first and make some inquiries. There's no need to settle on anyone in a hurry. If we carelessly hire unruly scoundrels as tenants, we'll only bring trouble on ourselves. Tomorrow I'm visiting the home of Uncle Feng-Feng Mengxiong, my late father's old friend. Come with me."
Lai Fu acknowledged his instructions and left with Lai De.
After breakfast, Chen Caozhi asked his sister-in-law in the study about the relationship between "the Way" and "nonbeing" in Wang Bi's Explanations of Doubts in the Analects.
Ding Youwei was both surprised and delighted. To read and understand the Confucian classic the Analects at fifteen was already no easy feat, while bringing Confucian learning into Xuanxue was something most Confucian scholars could not accomplish in a lifetime. Qingzhi himself had only begun reading Wang Bi's Explanations of Doubts in the Analects and Commentary on the Dao De Jing after marrying her. As for the still more abstruse and profound Commentary on the Book of Changes, he had had no leisure to study it, for his duties at the county offices had kept him far too busy. It was not that men from humble, nonaristocratic families could not hold office, but all they held were minor, low-ranking posts, known at the time as "impure offices." Official paperwork wore them down, keeping them dizzy with work every day; where could they find time to study those lofty, subtle principles? Men from eminent aristocratic families, even when they too held low-ranking posts, served as attendants to the crown prince, court gentlemen, or military counselors in the various headquarters-prestigious, leisurely appointments with virtually no practical duties. They could study this and that, enjoying boundless refinement-
Then again, there was the saying, "The poor study Confucianism." Here, "poor" meant not only material poverty but also humble nonaristocratic families and lower-ranking scholars. They could only study Confucianism; studying Xuanxue was useless to them. They could not obtain prestigious, prominent offices or squeeze into the circles of eminent aristocratic families. Of course, if one were a master of Xuanxue like He Yan or Wang Bi, whose brilliant, unhindered arguments could win over those proud aristocrats, that would be another matter. Yet even if one possessed talent as great as Wang Bi's, what could one do without any stage on which to display it?
Ding Youwei did not tell Chen Caozhi any of this, thinking that he did not yet understand. But a love of learning and deep thought should always be encouraged, so she patiently began clearing up her young brother-in-law's difficulties. Yet the longer they exchanged questions and answers, the more astonished she became. His understanding of Explanations of Doubts in the Analects was no less than hers. More than that, he had ingenious, novel ideas of his own, and some of the difficult questions he raised were already beyond her ability to answer.
"Caozhi, I can't answer you anymore." A faint blush spread across Ding Youwei's face, like a light wash of rouge on white jade. "You've already thought more deeply about some questions than I have. I can no longer teach you. You ought to seek out a renowned teacher. Qingzhi taught you before, and since his death you've had to feel your way entirely on your own, yet you've reached such a level. I'm truly astonished. What a pity-"
Seeing Ding Youwei press her lips together in silence, Chen Caozhi smiled. "You mean it's a pity I'm not the son of an aristocratic family, don't you, Sister-in-law?"
Ding Youwei looked at Chen Caozhi with concern, a little worried. Her young brother-in-law was sensitive and proud; the year before last, he had suffered humiliation at the Ding Household precisely because of the distinction between aristocrats and commoners. She was about to explain when Chen Caozhi continued, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. I won't work myself into a pointless temper over this. I understand the distinction between aristocrats and commoners. For a son of a humble family like me to study Xuanxue does seem rather like forgetting my place-"
Here, Chen Caozhi paused. Looking into Ding Youwei's clear eyes, he smiled calmly. "Like my mother, Zongzhi, and Run'er, you're one of the people closest to me, Sister-in-law. In front of you, I can speak what's in my heart-"
Warmth filled Ding Youwei's heart, and her gaze softened. "Yes, Caozhi. Go on."
Kneeling upright with his back straight, Chen Caozhi said, "I think the Nine-Rank Official Selection System hasn't existed since ancient times. Confucius said, 'In teaching, there should be no distinction of class.' Emperor Wu of Wei's Edict for Seeking the Worthy said, 'Promoting the Worthy Based on Talent.' If family background alone is considered, how many gifted people throughout the realm will be wronged? Still, grumbling is useless. The Nine-Rank Official Selection System now binds the great clans together, its roots deep and firm. I'm not so presumptuous as to dare disregard it-Sister-in-law, what I think is that our Yingchuan Chen Clan is also a great clan with Commandery Prestige. How can the Qiantang Chen Clan, which moved to Jiangdong because of war, be classified among the Commoner Clans? It was our Chen ancestor Duke Changwen-that is, Chen Qun-who advised Emperor Wen of Wei to establish the Nine-Rank Official Selection System. Now even Duke Changwen's descendants cannot be ranked among the aristocracy. Isn't that a tremendous mockery of the Nine-Rank Official Selection System? What I want is to restore the Qiantang Chen Clan to aristocratic standing, so Zongzhi and I needn't worry about the burden of corvée labor. And I want to bring you back to Chen Family Cove, Sister-in-law. Of course, that would require your own willingness."
Once again, thank you all for your tips. I won't name everyone individually here, but I, Xiaodao, will remember your kindness. Also, I earnestly ask you to support me with a fierce barrage of recommendation votes. During the new-release period, recommendation votes are practically a matter of life and death. Push Cold Scholar higher-it's already seventh on the new-release chart.
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