Sky Curtain: With a vermilion mirror, Jing travels through the modern world, shaking all dynasties.

Chapter 129 Tang Poetry and Song Lyrics, Two Stars Meet!

Su Shi carefully observed the man in the blue robe in front of him. He had a wine gourd hanging from his waist, and his steps were elegant and otherworldly. The wildness and etherealness between his brows were exactly the same as those of Li Bai recorded in the book.

"Absurd! Master Taibai was a man of the Tang Dynasty, more than a hundred years ago. How could he possibly be alive today? This person in front of me is just dressed similarly." He quickly banished the thought that had just arisen from his mind.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Jiang Chuan step forward, cup his hands and say, "Mr. Taibai, you really brought Brother Haoran with you! Please have a seat."

Upon hearing the words "Master Taibai," Su Shi's pupils suddenly contracted, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. He just stared blankly at the man in the blue robe, his mind a complete blank.

Could this really be a thousand years after the Song Dynasty?

He looked around; the tavern was filled with utensils he had never heard of before. He began to believe Jiang Chuan's words even more.

He clenched his fist, finally mustered his courage, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "May I ask if you are Li Bai?"

Li Bai turned around, looked Su Shi up and down, and seeing that he was a young official in a green robe whom he did not recognize, he smiled and said, "I am indeed Li Bai, and who are you?"

Upon hearing the words "exactly," Su Shi felt as if he were hearing celestial music, and for a moment he was almost unsteady on his feet.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and replied respectfully, "My name is Su Shi, courtesy name Zizhan, and I lived during the Jiayou era of the Great Song Dynasty."

Li Bai was taken aback: "The Great Song Dynasty? The Jiayou era?"

He turned and glanced at Jiang Chuan, his eyes full of questions.

Jiang Chuan's heart skipped a beat!

Su Shi! Su Zizhan!

Su Dongpo, the poet who wrote "The Great River Flows East," and the literary giant who, along with Li Bai, is considered one of the twin peaks of Tang and Song poetry, has also come to his tavern!

Li Bai, the representative of Tang poetry, and Su Shi, the representative of Song lyrics, are about to meet in this small tavern, transcending time and space.

Although Li Bai did not know which dynasty the Great Song was, he could tell from Su Shi's respectful and sincere expression and Jiang Chuan's amazed look that this young man was extraordinary.

He immediately said, "So you are my young friend Su from the Song Dynasty! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Seeing Li Zi's bold and unrestrained spirit, Su Shi's initial shock and fear gradually turned into excitement. He quickly bowed deeply again, saying, "I, Su Shi, have long admired your great name, sir, and I never imagined that I would actually meet you in person today!"

Upon hearing this, Li Bai waved his hand and laughed, "I am but a drunkard, with a reputation that is nothing but empty words. Please don't laugh at me, young friend Su."

As he spoke, he stepped aside to let the man in blue robes behind him pass, and raised his hand to introduce him, "This is my close friend and old acquaintance, Meng Haoran from Xiangyang, Brother Haoran."

Su Shi quickly bowed and greeted him. When the sunlight fell on Meng Haoran's lean face, his heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "Is this the Meng Haoran from Li Bai's poem, 'My old friend bids farewell to the Yellow Crane Tower, heading down to Yangzhou in the misty, flowery third month'?"

Upon hearing this, Li Bai was immediately taken aback.

He suddenly remembered that on the day he first arrived at the tavern, the girl named Jingjing had also recited the verses he had not yet written. Presumably, the verses he recited were the verses he would write in the future!

"What my young friend Su is referring to must be a poem he will write someday. If so, could you recite the entire poem for me?"

"The poem is titled 'Farewell to Meng Haoran at Yellow Crane Tower,' which must have been written by Mr. Li Bai when he bid farewell to his friend Haoran." Su Shi bowed respectfully, cleared his throat, and recited aloud: "My old friend bids farewell to the Yellow Crane Tower in the west, sailing down to Yangzhou in the third month of spring. His lone sail disappears into the vast blue sky, leaving only the Yangtze River flowing to the horizon."

After listening, Li Bai narrowed his eyes slightly, repeatedly humming the words as he carefully savored them.

After a moment, he turned to Meng Haoran and asked, "Brother Haoran, what do you think of this poem?"

Meng Haoran stroked his beard, deep in thought, his eyes filled with admiration: "By using the imagery of parting, you have captured the vastness of the world, the distant silhouette of a lone sail, the flowing river—the lingering charm is boundless. Li Bai, to be able to compose such a masterpiece at the moment of my farewell is truly a timeless masterpiece!"

He paused, then gave a bitter laugh, his tone tinged with melancholy, "It's just that people in later generations probably only know me, Meng Haoran, because of Li Bai's poems. In the end, my poetic talent is far inferior to that of Li Bai."

Upon hearing this, Su Shi shook his head repeatedly and hurriedly said, "Master Meng, you are mistaken! Your poems are widely circulated in our Great Song Dynasty as well, why be so modest?"

Jiang Chuan quickly chimed in, "Indeed, Master Meng, your poem 'Spring Dawn' is a household name in modern times; even three-year-olds can recite it. You and Li Bai each have their own unique style; how can there be a distinction between you and Li Bai?"

As they spoke, Zhu Jingjing walked over carrying a tray with three glasses of wine on it, their aroma wafting gently.

She first offered a cup to Li Bai, Meng Haoran, and Su Shi, then turned to Li Bai, her eyes sparkling, and said as if presenting a treasure, "Mr. Li Bai, I have memorized your poem 'The Road to Shu is Hard'!"

Li Bai took the wine cup, and upon hearing this, he was taken aback: "The Road to Shu is Hard? When I was a young man traveling through Jiange, I did indeed casually compose a poem, but I never showed it to anyone, nor did I name it. How did this little girl know about it?"

Zhu Jingjing blinked: "You wrote 'The Road to Shu is Hard,' the first line of which is 'Alas! How perilous and high! The road to Shu is harder than ascending to heaven!'"

Li Bai's body trembled slightly, and he murmured, "Alas, how perilous and high! The road to Shu is harder than ascending to heaven—"

After a moment's hesitation, he looked up at Zhu Jingjing and said, "You should recite it and listen to it."

Zhu Jingjing stood up straight, cleared her throat, and recited the entire poem in a clear, childish voice, from "Cancong and Yufu, how did they establish the country?" to "The road to Shu is difficult, more difficult than ascending to heaven, turning to the west and sighing deeply," all in one breath.

Li Bai listened with his eyes closed, remaining silent for a long time. After a while, he opened his eyes, picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and sighed, "This is truly my work. However, my earlier works were rough and simple, far inferior to this magnificent and grand style."

He suddenly realized, clapped his hands and laughed, "I know! This must be the result of me repeatedly revising this old draft in the future. What the little girl is reciting is my own work from the future."

Meng Haoran stroked his beard and sighed, "Li Bai's poem is magnificent in its momentum. If it had been completed someday, it would surely have been a timeless masterpiece."

"Though I was born in the Song Dynasty, this piece by you, sir, truly possesses the grace of an immortal! The peaks seem to reach the sky, barely an inch away; withered pines hang upside down, clinging to the precipice." Such skill is beyond my reach, even if I were to dedicate my entire life to it! He bowed deeply and sincerely said, "Master Li Bai, you are truly a banished immortal!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan's eyes lit up, and a delightful idea suddenly popped into his head.

He glanced at Li Bai, then at Su Shi, and asked with a smile, "Jingjing, since you can recite Li Bai's poems, can you recite Su Shi's lyrics?"

Zhu Jingjing tilted her head and thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "Yes! I can also recite Mr. Su's 'Prelude to Water Melody'!"

Li Bai was surprised to hear this, and looked at Su Shi with more interest: "Oh? So your poems have been passed down to later generations?"

"I'd like to hear it."

Su Shi was also taken aback, and cupped his hands, saying, "I have never written this poem before. I suppose it is something I came up with after my life. Please, young lady, recite it for me."

Zhu Jingjing nodded and recited aloud: "When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky."