spoiled brat

Chapter 147, Section 146: The Sun's Flame (Part Six)

Xie Xiaoqing brushed the hand off his shoulder, said nothing, and walked straight past Li Qingwen.

The hall was bustling with activity. Minister Jiang sat in a grand chair, surrounded by a group of officials who offered him auspicious words, wishing him longevity and happiness.

The joy dispelled the gloom of the rainy day, and Minister Jiang's leg pain seemed to lessen a bit. He smiled and ordered, "Go and invite Miss here."

The servant received the order and immediately relayed the message to Li Qingwen. Li Qingwen opened his umbrella and went out through the side door. A short while later, he returned leading a palanquin.

The carriage stopped outside the hall, and a delicate and beautiful girl stepped down. Her clothes were luxurious and her hair ornaments were elaborate, but her steps were not the light and slow steps of a young lady. Instead, she walked with a bit of wildness, swaying unsteadily.

The ground was slightly damp. Li Qingwen was afraid she would fall, so he bent down and raised his hand. She took it without any qualms, as if she had long been used to treating a dignified second-place scholar like a servant.

Actually, there was no need to help her. Xie Xiaoqing saw that the girl's face was full of reluctance, revealing her stubbornness. He thought to himself that someone who dared to show disrespect on her father's birthday couldn't possibly be unable to walk steadily on flat ground.

Both are daughters of high-ranking families, but this one is worlds apart from Princess Xiuning. One is a deep, still spring, while the other is a flame that is empty and devoid of substance. She looks beautiful, but is actually hollow inside.

He was disdainful in his heart, but he had to put on a show, so he bowed along with the people around him and called her Miss Jiang.

Logically speaking, Jiang Ying was not worthy of such respect, but Minister Jiang had lost his son and wife, and only had her daughter left in the family. He was afraid of losing her and cherishing her, so he gave her almost everything she wanted.

Jiang Ying was spoiled and pampered since childhood. She was born into privilege and grew up in a favorable environment. She had no scruples when she was with Minister Jiang.

She sat down reluctantly, brushing the raindrops off her dress, and said in a childish voice, "Father, why did you call me here on such a rainy day? I hate seeing strangers."

Xie Xiaoqing paused, realizing for the first time that he had used the phrase "children speak without restraint" on a twenty-year-old girl. Those around him were unsurprised, seemingly used to her temperament. Minister Jiang said helplessly, "Don't be rude." He then pointed to each of his students and old acquaintances, introducing them one by one.

Jiang Ying sipped the milk tea offered by the servant, listening casually. When Minister Jiang told her to greet him, she didn't. Instead, she turned to her future husband and asked sweetly, "Qingwen, have you remembered everything?"

Li Qingwen lowered his head and said meekly, "I've remembered them all."

Jiang Ying smiled and raised her hand, pointing randomly at people as if she were calling out soldiers. No matter who she pointed at, Li Qingwen could immediately match their place of origin, official title, and name, without any error.

Everyone praised his exceptional memory, but Xie Xiaoqing secretly mocked him: This beast really has a good temper; he doesn't even get angry when teased in public.

Just then, Jiang Ying pointed over, and she exclaimed in surprise. Before Li Qingwen could speak, Minister Jiang introduced him personally: "This is Young Master Xie, a newly arrived official student in the capital."

Countless gazes were directed at Xie Xiaoqing. Everyone present was a high-ranking official. What right did he, a student without any background, have to be here?

Xie Xiaoqing cupped his hands in greeting but remained silent, unsure why he had been invited.

Minister Jiang gestured for him to come forward, pointed to the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone laid out on the large table, and said with a smile, "I am taking the liberty of asking Young Master Xie to present a piece of calligraphy as a birthday couplet."

These words caused a stir among the crowd. Those present were all scholars who had entered officialdom through the imperial examinations, and naturally, there was no shortage of calligraphic masters. Why would Minister Jiang ask them for calligraphy instead of seeking it from an unknown young man? Wasn't this putting the cart before the horse?

“Father.” Jiang Ying tugged at her father’s sleeve and said with disdain, “His clothes are all wrinkled and he’s clumsy. How can his calligraphy be good? If you want birthday couplets, just have Qingwen write them for you. He can write ten or a hundred of them.”

“It’s different.” Minister Jiang shook his head.

Having said that, Xie Xiaoqing was at a loss: "Which words does Your Excellency want?"

Minister Jiang gestured to his attendants, and after a short while, four servants carried a large frame into the hall. Inside the frame were mounted characters. Due to the passage of time, the ink had turned gray, the red background had turned white, and the handwriting was sluggish like a child's. What met the eye was a desolate scene of things having changed and people being gone.

Xie Xiaoqing was stunned; this was Young Master Jiang's posthumous work.

The hall darkened, and everyone fell silent, even Jiang Ying. Minister Jiang sighed, his gaze turning grave as he looked at Xie Xiaoqing: "Young Master Xie, I'm in trouble."

Xie Xiaoqing nodded in agreement.

No wonder, no wonder he was invited out of turn. Young Master Jiang studied Mi Fu's style, which is unorthodox and unrestrained, making it extremely difficult to imitate, hence few people study it.

And that's exactly what he does.

Xie Xiaoqing carefully examined the old traces, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and silently pondered how to begin writing.

All eyes in the hall were fixed on his pen, but a hurried footstep broke the silence. A servant tiptoed to Minister Jiang's ear and whispered, "My lord, the young master is waiting for you in the east study..."

Minister Jiang rose, supporting himself on the armrest of his chair. He excused himself from the crowd and, with the help of his servants, slowly departed. As soon as he left, Jiang Ying lazily sat down in the armchair. Seeing Xie Xiaoqing hesitate to put pen to paper, she complained, "You've been holding your brush for ages; the ink's almost dry. My brother's calligraphy is difficult to learn. Do you even know how to write?"

Others joined in the whispering, but Xie Xiaoqing remained unmoved, ignoring the questions from those around him.

Seeing him standing there like a stubborn rock, Jiang Ying instructed the person standing beside her, "Qingwen, go and show him what you've got."

Li Qingwen calmly agreed, walked to the large table, picked up a brush, and tore out a sheet of white Xuan paper.

In the past, in order to curry favor with Minister Jiang, he diligently practiced the Mi style of calligraphy. Although he only managed to achieve the phrase "having the form but no meaning," he still had some basic skill.

After a moment of contemplation, he confidently picked up his brush and wrote a birthday couplet with ease, the tip of the brush gliding across the Xuan paper.

The two men put down their brushes at the same time, and the crowd gathered to admire their finished works, commenting on who had more of Mi Fu's style and who had more of his old friend's charm.

Jiang Ying knew nothing about calligraphy, but she knew her husband couldn't afford to lose. She glanced at it casually and said, "Young Master Xie's writing is mediocre; Qingwen's is clearly better. Quickly take it to my father and let him..."

Before she could finish speaking, several voices emerged from the crowd, all expressing their dissatisfaction with her earlier rudeness: "Miss Jiang is being far too biased towards her husband. Lord Li's calligraphy is alright, but it is certainly inferior to Young Master Xie's."

Jiang Ying frowned, and after a long silence, she realized that Li Qingwen had truly lost to a poor boy with no family background or official rank.

Like a child who couldn't stand losing, she asked Xie Xiaoqing in a rather childish manner, "How are you doing in your studies?"

The question seemed rather absurd, so Xie Xiaoqing replied, "It's alright."

Have you read the Four Books and Five Classics?

"I have read it."

The milk tea had gone cold, and Jiang Ying casually poured it into a flowerpot, saying lazily, "They say there's no first place in literature, so how do you judge the quality of calligraphy? Although my father asked for your calligraphy, he's so busy with work that he can't read so many things..."

"How about this, you and Qingwen have a contest to recite the Doctrine of the Mean backwards. Whoever can recite it the longest will be declared the winner, and someone will present his writing to Father."

She rambled on and on, trying to get Li Qingwen to back down, but her method was far too naive.

Xie Xiaoqing sighed inwardly at the absurdity of it all. Minister Jiang, with his illustrious reputation, had raised such a daughter and even found a heartless son-in-law.

Before he could even speak, Li Qingwen had already recited it aloud, fluently and flawlessly, as if he had a book in his hand reading it aloud.

Xie Xiaoqing readily admitted defeat, while Jiang Ying smiled happily and asked everyone with a proud look on her face, "Isn't my Qingwen amazing?"

Even as she asked this question, Li Qingwen continued chanting.

Everyone was both amused and exasperated, praising Li Qingwen's excellent memory while secretly marveling at his shamelessness in playing along with Jiang Ying's antics. Xie Xiaoqing, gazing at his meek profile, thought to himself, "What's the difference between him and a dog picking up bones?"
Jiang Ying added, "As long as I don't call a stop, Qingwen can keep reciting."

Her tone was light, like a child showing off a toy. Everyone looked at Li Qingwen with sympathy; serving this little darling every day was no easy task for a son-in-law.

Just then, a servant outside the hall announced: "Miss, the banquet has begun. The master requests that you and the other officials come over."

The group felt as if they had been granted a pardon and left in small groups.

Xie Xiaoqing was at the very end, one of the last to leave. Even as he stepped over the threshold, he could still hear Li Qingwen's steady recitation behind him.

The monotonous tone of voice echoed and reverberated, mingling with the sound of wind and rain passing through the hall, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Xie Xiaoqing couldn't help but glance back, only to find that Li Qingwen was the only one left in the hall, calmly reciting the scriptures he had studied diligently in his youth.

The curtain in the corner of the hall was lifted, and a maidservant poked her head out, saying to Li Qingwen in an annoyed tone, "Miss has already left, what are you still standing here for?"

Li Qingwen lowered his voice and said respectfully, "Aying said she wouldn't let me stop, so I just kept reciting it."

The maid chuckled, it was hard to tell whether she was mocking his overt flattery or happy that her master had a good dog. After laughing for a while, she beckoned, "Hurry up and come with me. The master and the young master are both seated. Miss wants you to go and meet them."

"Yes." Li Qingwen nodded and quickly left.

Watching his retreating figure, Xie Xiaoqing remained silent for a long time.