Top Scholar

Chapter 208 A Single Stroke of the Character Eight

Su Lu and Huang E were so engrossed in their own little world that they were completely unaware that their every move was being watched.

The three Zhu siblings lay sprawled atop the artificial hill, peeking through the gaps in the Taihu stones. This was their territory; the two had been placed here precisely so they could easily watch the spectacle…

It doesn't make sense to only let those two be happy without letting everyone else have a laugh too.

"Oh dear, they've even started acting it out." Zhu Zihe said sourly, "Looks like it's not a one-sided affair... Brother is just putting on a show."

“How could it be one-sided?” Zhu Ziming said discontentedly, “My brother is the best. If Sister Huang doesn’t like him, she’s blind.”

"What are you saying? Am I blind?" Miss Zhu said displeased.

"Don't you like him? You know you're too old and have no hope," Zhu Ziming said, oblivious to the danger.

"You just wait." Miss Zhu was so angry that her teeth itched. If she wasn't afraid of disturbing the two of them, she would have already given her brat a good beating.

~~
The two people behind the artificial hill were still in what they thought was their secluded little world, temporarily forgetting everything outside...

Su Lu's fingertips caressed the sachet made of soft, smoky blue satin. Its gourd-shaped outline was wrapped in a moon-white ribbon with gold thread, and two round jade beads hung at the end.

The most exquisite part is the front of the sachet, where Huang E skillfully embroidered a cluster of dark blue orchids. The dark blue veins of the leaves support the pale yellow stamens, and the silver-edged petals seem to be bathed in moonlight.

Su Lu suddenly discovered a hidden meaning on the sachet. He quickly turned the gourd around, and a delicate "Su" character came into view... The gourd symbolizes good fortune and prosperity, and thus it formed his name.

The small sachet is full of ingenuity. Even the filling material is not the usual mugwort or calamus, but orchid and agarwood.

The fragrance, as sweet as orchids and as sweet as honey, calms the senses, as if one were truly smelling an orchid...

"How is it? Does it still meet my brother's approval?" Huang E asked somewhat nervously.

"This is the most exquisite sachet I've ever seen." Su Lu happily put it on his waist, which indeed enhanced his rather plain appearance, making him look like a wealthy young master instead of a handsome scholar.

"Thank you so much, sister. I will treasure it." He was extremely satisfied with himself, looked down at it from left to right, and happily clasped his hands in thanks.

Seeing that he was truly satisfied, Huang E finally breathed a sigh of relief. She then extended her fair and delicate hand and said in a sweet voice, "Have you not heard that it is impolite not to reciprocate? Brother, you don't want to be an impolite person, do you?"

"How could that be? What did I study?" Su Lu quickly replied with a smile. Then, somewhat embarrassed, he added, "Compared to Xiu Mei's gift, my return gift seems rather insincere."

"It's alright," Huang E said with a smile, "A gift of a goose feather from a thousand miles away is a small gift but carries great meaning."

"Alright." With that, Su Lu took out a green satin fan cover from his sleeve and handed it to Huang E.

Huang E immediately recognized it as a lady's fan bought from a antique shop on Dahe Street. It was quite expensive, costing one tael of silver per fan.

She opened the fan bag and took it out. Sure enough, it was a lady's fan with bamboo frame wrapped in gold thread and mutton fat jade beads as a pendant.

She gently unfolded the fan, revealing a blank, snow-white silk surface. Turning it over, she saw a poem, "Little Chongshan," written in elegant, flowing regular script—

Fragrant mugwort and calamus surround the painted hall. Soft silk threads wrap around jade wrists, celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. Willows droop along the path, wandering aimlessly. A breeze passes by, lightly lifting thin silk robes.

Her delicate hands wove a delicate brocade pouch, holding elegant sentiments that resonated with her tender heart. A short letter was sent to express her sorrow at their long separation. Dusk was approaching, and the new moon shone on the western chamber.

At the bottom is a small red seal with the two characters "弘之" in seal script.

For a talented woman like Huang E, a fine poem is more precious than any gift.

She savored Su Lu's poem, the first stanza depicting a young girl celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. Emerald green mugwort and fragrant calamus reflected in the magnificent hall. Colorful silk threads wrapped around her jade-white wrists—what a joyous scene!

In the blink of an eye, she found herself wandering alone along the quiet willow path. A gentle breeze stirred, softly lifting her thin silk robe; what sorrow lay hidden in her heart?
The second stanza describes a young man receiving a carefully woven brocade pouch from a young woman, feeling her beautiful sentiments, which linger in his heart. He wants to send a letter to express his longing, but can only sigh that this separation is too long. As dusk falls, a crescent moon quietly casts its silvery light upon the west chamber…

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, it was Su Lu's turn to get nervous. "Xiumei, your foolish brother is not good at poetry. If you find it unbearable, just throw it away."

"You're always good at avoiding the important issues." Huang E came to her senses and realized that her cheeks were burning. She closed her fan and lightly tapped Su Lu's head, saying, "This poem itself is a masterpiece, but the poet has become a lecher."

"What?" Su Lu thought to herself, "I've been very careful with this. I've cut out so many provocative words."

"Of course there is!" Huang E unfolded her fan, held it up to him, and said with feigned reproach, "How do you know that she 'wanders along the willow-lined path, lost in thought'? And 'the wind blows, lightly ruffling her thin silk robe'..."

“I was describing myself. Don’t poets often use women as metaphors for themselves?” Su Lu laughed and said, “It was I who was lost and confused. It was the wind that ruffled my clothes and my heart. Is that alright now?”

"The second stanza is even more excessive... 'A letter is about to be sent, lamenting the long separation. Dusk is approaching, the new moon shines on the west chamber.' What is this young girl lamenting about the long separation, what is this moon shining on the west chamber?" Huang E's earlobes turned as red as agate as she said:

"Can the words 'West Wing' be used carelessly?" "Can't they be used carelessly?" Su Lu widened his eyes and said, "I just wanted to make it rhyme. I live in the East Wing, and last night when I looked up, I saw the West Wing."

"Stop joking around." Huang E didn't believe it. "Even Tian Tian knows what the West Chamber means. Let alone a talented scholar like you?"

As she spoke, she unfolded her fan and fanned him with a fragrant breeze, saying, "Tell me the truth, who is Yingying, who is Zhang Sheng, and who is Hongniang?"

Su Lu couldn't say that, since it was obvious. He could only continue to play dumb and said, "If you don't like it, give me back the fan, and I'll give you another gift."

As she spoke, she reached out as if to take it, but Huang E suddenly pulled it behind her back, looking down at the tip of her embroidered shoe, and said:
"like."

The Sichuan girl was indeed impressive; her direct approach completely stunned Su Lu, leaving the deputy director speechless.

"Then, then," Su Lu stammered, "does that mean we're... on the verge of it?"

"No." Huang E's face turned as red as her earlobes, and she quickly covered her face with her fan, saying, "I said I liked this return gift, don't overthink it."

"Oh, so it was about returning the favor. I thought we were all done!" Su Lu's confidence soared when he saw that she wasn't exactly an expert either, and he spoke more fluently.

"It's still early." Huang E was overwhelmed with shame, feeling that she had used up all her courage for the day, and said, "You have to go to class now, I have to go back too."

She ran away shyly...

Watching Huang E's graceful figure disappear into the depths of the path, Su Lu lingered, reluctant to leave.

~~
As a result, he almost missed class that afternoon.

According to the school rules, if you are late, you cannot enter the classroom. However, Su Lu stepped into Mr. Gangshan's lecture hall just before the sundial turned to the third quarter of the hour of Wei (1-3 PM).

But Mr. Gangshan still had a dark expression. Normally, Su Lu would arrive half an hour early to prepare. Arriving on time was seen as laziness by Zhu Zhang!
"What have you been doing, you brat?" Zhu Zhang roared. "Diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin. If you dare to almost be late today, you'll dare to be really late tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow you'll dare to skip class!"

"Yes, sir. I know I was wrong." Su Lu replied honestly, quickly transforming his romantic feelings into boundless motivation and throwing himself into his intense studies.

Unfortunately, today Mr. Gangshan is lecturing on "The Meaning of Marriage" and "The Marriage Ceremony of a Scholar" from the Book of Rites...

The lecture hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense. Mr. Gangshan, nodding his head, said, "The wedding ceremony is to unite two families, to serve the ancestral temple above, and to continue the lineage below..."

"The first of the six rites before marriage is the betrothal ceremony. The groom's family sends a matchmaker to the bride's family to propose marriage, presenting a goose as a gift. The goose is a migratory bird, punctual and trustworthy, symbolizing the fidelity of husband and wife and the harmony of yin and yang."

"The next step is to ask for her name. After the girl's family agrees, they will ask for the girl's name and date of birth to match her birth chart, verify her surname, and distinguish her ethnicity."

"The third step is to accept the auspicious omen. After the marriage is deemed auspicious, the groom's family prepares gifts and informs the bride's family, thus initially arranging the marriage."

"The fourth is the betrothal gift. Ten bolts of cloth and two deerskins are given as betrothal gifts."

"Fifth, request the wedding date. The groom's family chooses a wedding date and prepares gifts to go to the bride's family to seek their consent."

"The sixth day is the wedding ceremony. The groom, dressed in official robes and riding in a black carriage, goes to the bride's house to fetch her. The ceremony is held at dusk, signifying 'the yang going and the yin coming'; the groom carries a candle and leads the way, escorting the bride home..."

Then there is the detailed ritual of the six rites, including the attire, changing clothes, and congratulatory words, in the "Book of Rites: The Marriage Ceremony of a Scholar"...

Su Lu listened very carefully and remembered it very well because he was so immersed in the story!

~~
On the field of Luzhou Martial Arts School.

A hundred martial arts students, each holding a white wax spear, stood in formation before their instructor!
They were as listless as they were in the morning, but now they are full of energy.

The instructor announced that today's test would be on spearmanship. So the martial arts students wrapped the wooden spearheads in cloth and dipped them in quicklime. They then put on black cloth armor and began to spar in pairs. The one who was hit was declared the loser.

The martial arts students learn combat skills, not fancy ones; the outcome is usually decided in two or three moves.

So in less than half an hour, only Su Tai and a servant named Qian Ning remained in the arena!
The martial arts students then formed a circle to watch the final battle between the two powerful figures!

Qian Ning launched the first attack, his spear tip trembling slightly, like a viper flicking its tongue, the wooden spearhead, covered in lime, aimed straight at Su Tai's throat!
Su Tai remained calm and composed, his white wax spear swirling like a dragon's tail as he slanted the shaft and precisely struck Qian Ning's spearhead.

With a crisp clang, the clump of white ash exploded, sending plumes of smoke billowing between the two men!
Using the momentum, Qian Ning changed his move, his spear suddenly dropping downwards and sweeping horizontally towards Su Tai's legs. Su Tai leaped into the air, his spear drawing a half-moon shape in the air, and thrust it down towards Qian Ning's chest!

The shot was swift and deadly, but Qian Ning was agile and dodged to the side. He used his white wax spear to defend and clashed with Su Tai's spear shaft. The huge impact made the spear shaft hum and made both of them numb!
Both men gritted their teeth, their eyes blazing. Back and forth they exchanged blows, guns flashing, lime flying, drawing cheers from the martial arts students, their shouts echoing across the training ground!

In the end, Qian Ning proved superior, delivering a masterful nine-turn spiral thrust that transformed the spear shaft into a whip, striking Su Tai's shoulder and leaving a white mark on his black shoulder armor...

(End of this chapter)