Travel · Hangzhou (16): Boating on West Lake (2)

The yacht's route is a classic lakeside route, starting from Hangzhou Hotel Wharf, passing Solitary Hill and Bai Causeway, then arriving at Three Pools Mirroring the Moon —the backdrop of the one-yuan banknote, then passing Leifeng Pagoda, the mythical place where the Madam White was imprisoned, and finally stopping at Flower Harbor to end the entire route.

At this moment, this group of girls from Solaris are about to step into this magnificent landscape where the sky and water blend seamlessly.

"Yaya! Look!" Sigrika exclaimed excitedly from the observation deck, pointing to a flock of birds in the distance, "So many lovely birds!"

"There are indeed quite a few birds, and it seems there are quite a few different kinds." Dania followed her finger and saw the same flock of birds. "Xixi, could you tell me about these sky sprites?"

"Great! Yaya, look over there! They are mandarin ducks, the darling birds of this lake! It is said that one out of every four mandarin ducks that overwinter settles and breeds here, which is why we can see this sight of mandarin ducks flying around."

"Furthermore, mandarin ducks also symbolize marital harmony and affection—although they initially symbolized brotherhood, as times changed, writers endowed these birds with new imagery and emotional significance..."

While Sigrika was giving her best friend a lesson on birds, Little Ai was taking pictures with Lynae and the Rover.

"A-Piao, Lynae, look at the camera!"

Lynae and the Rover, who were admiring the scenery, turned their heads. One gently curled the corners of her mouth, and the other revealed a bright smile. With a click, their appearances and smiles were engraved in Aemeath's phone.

"Hmm! This one is also very good!" Aemeath said with satisfaction.

"Come on, Little Ai! Let's take a picture together!" Lynae called out loudly.

"Let's take a group photo together," the Rover invited gently.

"Here I am!" Aemeath ran happily to the two of them, held up her phone, pointed the camera at herself, and said with a bright smile, "Ready! Three, two, one..."

"Eggplant!"

The people in Rinascita were quieter at this moment, after all, the scenery here was completely different from that in Rinascita. They quietly enjoyed the beautiful scenery under the warm sun and gentle breeze, occasionally taking a few photos to remember the moment.

Upon arriving at the tea room below the yacht, one first sees Roccia and Crimson Snow sitting side by side. The former is drinking tea while flipping through an ancient book, while the latter is resting with her eyes closed, looking very serene.

Then...

"Professor Morning, actually you can take a break from work for now..." Chisa said, somewhat embarrassed, as she looked at Morning had suddenly entered work mode.

"Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well use this free time to do something more meaningful." Morning's fingertips tapped incessantly on the tablet. "I plan to optimize this mascot costume a bit more and then send it to the person in charge."

Chisa looked at the workaholic professor and silently hoped that she wouldn't end up like that...

The camera pans to the Black Shores group, where Encore is leaning against the window, her bright eyes gazing at the scenery outside, occasionally letting out excited exclamations.

"Wow! Shorekeeper! Sister Chun! Come and see, there are so many birds!"

The Shorekeeper was naturally very supportive, protecting Encore while watching the birds fly by outside the window with her.

Chun, meanwhile, was lying on the sofa listening to music with headphones on, occasionally glancing in the direction of Xiao Ling and Huanglong, wondering whether she should go over and join in.

"The lake sparkles beautifully on a sunny day, and the misty mountains are enchanting even in the rain. If one were to compare West Lake to Xizi, she would be beautiful whether adorned or plain."

Holding a one-yuan bill, Xiao Ling looked at the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon outside the window and subconsciously recited this seven-character quatrain written by Su Dongpo.

Back in my school days, Hajiling was tormented by these ancient poems. We had to memorize them, recite them, and take tests. It was also difficult to delve into the beauty behind the words and phrases written by these literati. Now that I have experienced it firsthand, I can truly understand how well-deserved the West Lake described by Su Dongpo was.

"Brother Ling has quite the refined taste, actually reciting poetry on the spot," Suisui praised with a light laugh, "And such beautiful verses at that."

"It's just quoting classical texts," Xiao Ling said, turning to Suisui with a smile. "When I was in school, I often read these kinds of poems and found them quite beautiful, so I simply memorized them."

"To compare West Lake to Xizi..." Yangyang, who had some knowledge of poetry, immediately began to scrutinize the words, "Who is this Xizi? In this poet's writing, she is even compared to such a beautiful landscape."

"Xizi Zi... To answer this question, I must first introduce you to the four most famous beauties of ancient Dragon Country," Xiao Ling said, counting on her fingers, "'Sinking Fish' Xi Shi, 'Falling Geese' Wang Zhaojun, 'Moon-Hiding' Diao Chan, 'Flower-Shaming' Yang Yuhuan."

"The Xizi mentioned in this poem is the first of the Four Beauties, known as 'Sinking Fish' Xi Shi. It is said that when she was washing silk by the river, the fish in the water saw her reflection and forgot to swim, slowly sinking to the bottom. This is how she got the title."

"Hearing you say that, this Xi Shi must have been an unparalleled beauty," Changli said with a meaningful smile.

"If we're talking about beauty that could make fish sink, which one of you here isn't stunning enough to make even the fish swoon?" Xiao Ling teased. "Whether Xi Shi truly possessed such beauty is something I don't know, but I have certainly witnessed the beauty of all of you."

"Brother Ling certainly has a sweet tongue." Suisui's eyes crinkled, clearly pleased with the compliment.

"However, speaking of the connection between West Lake and Xi Shi —actually, Xi Shi's ancestral home was not in Hangzhou, but in Zhuji's Zhuluo Village. It was only when Su Dongpo was boating on West Lake and saw such a beautiful landscape that countless famous beauties flashed through his mind, that he finally felt that only this beauty, who could make fish sink, was worthy of such a beautiful scene."

"Besides her beauty, what other stories about Xi Shi have been passed down through the ages?" Jinhsi pressed. "In my opinion, if she only had beauty but lacked inner qualities, she probably wouldn't be praised by the world to this day."

"If we're talking about their deeds, these four beauties all have one thing in common—they were all beauties of troubled times," Xiao Ling chuckled. "You should all understand that in chaotic times, no one can remain unscathed. Since Xi Shi possessed such beauty, she should naturally be put to good use in the most suitable place."

"A honey trap." Changli the nail on the head.

"Correct." Xiao Ling snapped his fingers. "During the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu and Yue vied for supremacy. King Goujian Yue, who was at a great disadvantage, sought a respite by cultivating Xi Shi and sending her to Fuchai of Wu. King Fuchai became infatuated with her beauty and neglected state affairs. In the end, Goujian, having fully recovered his strength, destroyed Yue's kingdom in one fell swoop."

"As for Xi Shi's final fate, some say she retired to the mountains and rivers, while others say she drowned herself in the river; in short, there are many different opinions."

"But she should have been remembered in history." Jinhsi shook her head in confusion. "Using her beauty to save the nation's destiny—such an achievement is enough to warrant a dedicated page in history for future generations."

"Xixi, this is a social problem." Xiao Ling pointed out the problem for Jinhsi. "Perhaps in Huanglong, even women can join the army or engage in commerce, and can also settle down and build a career, but in the ancient Dragon Country, women were mostly appendages of men, and even those women whose names are recorded in history books are only a handful."

"However, you don't need to feel sad about this. If Xi Shi heard you praising her achievements in this way, she would probably feel gratified."

"Hey! Xiao Yu, look outside!" Yangyang's voice brought the conversation about Xi Shi to an abrupt halt, "There's a tower over there!"

Following Yangyang's gaze, everyone saw a tower standing on a distant island.

"This pagoda is called Leifeng Pagoda. It dates back to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and is quite an old pagoda with a troubled history. It has been damaged three times since it was built. It was not until more than 20 years ago that the government took over and renovated it from beginning to end, which is why it looks like it today."

"Speaking of which, there's a legend about this tower. I wonder if you'd be interested in hearing it...?"

So, while the girls on board enjoyed the beautiful scenery, Xiao Ling below gave Yangyang and the others a history lesson. This peaceful and harmonious scene lasted for a long time until the yacht slowly docked at the end of its voyage.