Pawning lifespan, starting from a low-level martial arts world to transform into a dragon.

Chapter 103 The Pure Talk Meeting, Bu Xi Yuan

After returning from Zhou Yun'e's place, Chen Ye spent the next few days at the Cui residence preparing for the discussion meeting.

Cui Xijun, a well-known lady from a prominent family in the capital, would organize young men and women from thirteen mansions in the capital to pick chrysanthemums and appreciate the autumn scenery every year at this time.

With the increasing number of events held, coupled with Cui Xijun's current reputation as a "talented scholar with arched eyebrows," this gathering attracted many young men from humble backgrounds and families who wanted to curry favor with those in power.

The layers of money and personal connections brought many handsome men and beautiful women who were not originally qualified to attend the discussion.

The increase in the number of participants made the Qingtan Society grow larger and larger.

This went against Cui Xijun's original intention of making it small and exquisite.

Last year, all sorts of people from different walks of life infiltrated the area, which diminished the refined pleasure of poetry and wine recitation.

So this year, she set the venue for the discussion at the "Buxi Garden" on East Lake, limiting the number of participants and weeding out those commoners and poor families with impure intentions.

The so-called Bu Xi Garden was a luxurious painted boat built by the Cui family on East Lake. It was a three-story pavilion with carved beams and painted rafters.

At Cui Xijun's request, Chen Ye shuttled back and forth between the pleasure boat and the storeroom for several days in a row, checking the drinks and food daily and arranging guards for patrols.

The various details were quite mentally taxing.

After all, those gathered on the ship were all from prominent families, and even Cui Xijun would find it difficult to bear the consequences if anything went wrong.

Cui Xijun and those around her who were preparing the event dared not be the slightest bit negligent or make the slightest mistake.

Fortunately, after much effort, everything was finally arranged.

Early that morning, just as dawn was breaking, Hongling arrived at his courtyard.

"Master Chen, Miss asked me to inform you that we need to go to the discussion meeting early today. Please pack your things in advance and we will depart at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

After delivering the message, Hongling glanced at him again and smiled, saying, "Today's guests are all scions of prominent families from the thirteen prefectures of the capital, and there are also many eligible young women from humble backgrounds accompanying them. Miss specifically instructed you to dress presentably."

Chen Ye was somewhat surprised to hear this.

He hadn't expected that Cui Xijun's casual remark would actually be taken to heart, and that she would be looking for a suitable marriage partner for him.

Chen Ye felt it was unnecessary, but some things were better left unsaid, so he simply nodded in agreement.

He changed into his plain white cotton robe, fastened his jade-inlaid belt, hung up his jade pendant, straightened his clothes in front of the bronze mirror, and then pushed open the door and went out.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the convoy set off on time.

Baoshi Mountain is located in the eastern suburbs of Beijing. The mountain has a gentle slope, is covered with lush greenery, and has a serene autumn color.

Because the mountain is rich in copper ore, it gleams with a coppery luster under the sunlight, shining like a ruby, hence the name "Gem Mountain".

At the foot of the mountain, a large lake stretches out.

The lake is vast, with its waters surging.

From the shore, a three-story pleasure boat rests quietly in the middle of the lake, as stable as land.

The boat has a high platform that can be climbed, and when you lean on the railing, you can take in the surrounding lake scenery, as if it were a floating garden.

This is the Cui family's Buxi Garden on East Lake.

By this time, the interior of the boat had already been arranged by Cui's retainers and servants.

As soon as Chen Ye boarded the ship with Cui Xijun, he saw brocade mats spread on the floor, low tables set out, and tea, fruit, and snacks all readily available.

Not many people have come yet.

Cui Xijun took the lead in checking the general procedures to get a clear understanding of the process.

After a while, many scions of prominent families gathered in twos and threes and boarded the ship together.

After waiting for half an hour, thirty or forty people boarded the ship.

Both men and women were present, all dressed in fine clothes and exuding an extraordinary air.

The young woman who came up was petite and cheerful. When she saw Chen Ye, she only glanced at him indifferently and showed no interest in befriending him.

Today, Cui Xijun wore a moon-white long dress and a white jade hairpin in her hair, making her look elegant and refined.

She counted everyone present and said with a smile, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin our 'garden tour'."

With her command, the "Unbound Garden" floating on the lake slowly drifted away from the shore and leisurely headed towards the center of the lake.

Chen Ye took his seat at the last table. A gentle breeze blew by, causing the hem of his robes to flutter, but he did not feel uncomfortable at all.

Cui Xijun addressed the crowd, saying, "It is an honor for all of you to grace us with your presence. Today, we will have a free discussion, free to speak about anything, whether it be poetry, classics, martial arts insights, or your observations of nature."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a young man in a blue robe, sitting in the front row, chimed in, "Miss, this 'Unfinished Garden' is truly magnificent. This is my first time boarding a ship here. The lake view alone from the window makes the trip worthwhile."

A voice chuckled from the side, "You certainly know how to pick a topic. Since the Third Miss said we can be open to any subject, I'll offer a suggestion. I heard the other day that there was some trouble in Danfeng County; the Chongwu Tower people seized a batch of military equipment from the imperial court. Have any of you heard about it?"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Upon hearing the topic of Chongwu Tower, Chen Ye's heart tightened, and he listened attentively.

The young man in the blue robe continued, "Of course, would I lie to you?"

One of the young masters, sitting at the head of the table, continued, "These days, Chongwu Tower is causing increasingly outrageous trouble in Danfeng County. The imperial court is determined to eradicate it. Every family and household must provide a quota by the fifteenth of this month, and everyone must contribute manpower and resources. Our family is no exception. I wonder how the other brothers' families plan to proceed?"

Someone chimed in, "My master said to send a few retainers from the manor, and also select a few illegitimate sons from collateral branches to gain experience. Anyway, when they reach a certain age, someone will naturally come to recruit them; why take the risk?"

"That makes sense. Chongwu Tower is extremely dangerous. I heard that even the imperial court's regular army has suffered heavy losses. We respectable people should stay away from those troublesome waters and let our subordinates handle the tasks."

Everyone echoed this sentiment, their tone full of self-righteousness.

In their view, retainers and illegitimate sons were only meant to fill these kinds of jobs, and it wouldn't hurt to lose them; their own direct descendants were the ones who needed to be protected.

Sitting at the table, Cui Xijun was somewhat displeased by these words, but she did not show it.

Just as the people on the pleasure boat were about to continue discussing the Chongwu Tower, Cui Xijun covered her mouth and laughed, "Young Master Wang, it's a bit of a mood killer for you to start by talking about these matters of war and national affairs. We sisters are still sitting here, we should at least chat about something elegant and interesting."

A young lady from a prominent family, dressed in a pale yellow dress, chimed in, "Indeed. It's rare for the Third Miss to hold this discussion on East Lake. The scenery is beautiful, especially in autumn. Wouldn't it be a waste of this stunning landscape if we only listened to your discussions about swords and intrigue?"

Upon hearing this, the young man in the blue robe who was at the head of the group smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "It was my fault; I forgot that there are still ladies present today. I will punish myself with a cup of wine."

"He should be punished."

Wang Shiyan immediately picked up a cup of wine and drank it down in one gulp.

Everyone clapped and laughed, and the topic shifted, gradually enlivening the atmosphere on the ship.