Chapter 53: 【No Poor Person Goes Without Meat】 (Part 2)

Hu Xiaotian hadn't originally planned to speak the answer, but when he heard there was such a good deal—free food and drink for life—I said, such an opportunity couldn't be missed. Still, he knew enough to let ladies go first, smiling as he told Huo Xiaoru, "Miss Huo, please!" He was being polite, and also wanted to test her learning; that day at the Mist‑Water Pavilion she hadn't had much chance to show her talent, and since she bore the name of a gifted woman, she surely had her reasons.

Huo Xiaoru had actually heard of the couplet at Natural Abode before and had tried to come up with a lower line, so it wasn't difficult for her. She said softly, "Actually the answer to this couplet isn't fixed; I'd heard of this couplet long ago and once thought of a matching line, but after several revisions it still wasn't the most fitting. The line I came up with is: 'A boat ferries a thousand miles of river; the river holds a thousand ferries.'"

Hu Xiaotian had originally intended to simply use Ji Xiaolan's answer as his response, but Huo Xiaoru had already spoken her lower line, and it wouldn't be proper for him to show off too much. Although Huo Xiaoru's lower line was exquisite, it still had some shortcomings in tonal pattern.

Everyone exclaimed in unison, "Fine couplet!"

Huo Xiaoru said, "My lower line still lacks in tonal pattern; it doesn't match the antithetical structure of the temple's inscription properly, ending with three level tones, the pairing is off. I've thought it over and over but can't come up with a better lower line—please excuse me."

Several people turned their gaze to Hu Xiaotian; Huo Xiaoru's couplet was already exquisite, yet they wondered what this fellow could possibly come up with. Hu Xiaotian naturally couldn't repeat the original lower line, nor did he need to show off in front of a beauty. After thinking, he said, "The poor have no meat to eat; those who eat meat are not poor!" The line drew a burst of laughter—composing poetry and matching couplets was originally a refined pursuit, yet Hu Xiaotian had produced such a vulgar, market‑stall lower line.

Huo Xiaoru couldn't help but laugh, her smile bewitching, radiating countless charms. Everyone watching was captivated by her peerless elegance, their eyes fixed on her lovely face—while Hu Xiaotian, who should have been the center of attention, was ignored.

After Yang Sanqi laughed, he furrowed his brows, as if examining their lower lines. After a moment he shook his head and said, "Young Master Hu's lower line is improper; it looks balanced on the surface, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Miss Huo's couplet is more fitting, though it still has some flaws in tonal pattern."

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed Yang Sanqi for being stingy; judging by Huo Xiaoru's couplet, even if they couldn't get free meals for life, a single complimentary meal should be no problem, yet this guy wouldn't even grant that small favor. He chuckled, "Looks like I don't have the luck to enjoy a free lunch." He had Liang Da Zhuang and the others sit downstairs, while he went up to the second‑floor private room with Huo Xiaoru and Murong Feiyan.

Murong Feiyan was familiar with the place, so she ordered the dishes. When she got to the lotus‑leaf meat, everyone couldn't help but recall Hu Xiaotian's earlier reply and burst out laughing.

"The poor have no meat to eat; those who eat meat are not poor!" Huo Xiaoru said softly, "The more you savor this lower line, the more flavorful it is! I think this Mr. Yang doesn't know good taste—such a fine line, and he dares to call it bad."

Murong Feiyan said, "I don't see what's good about it; it's just too vulgar."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Vulgarity is refinement; in the end everything returns to the principle of simplicity and authenticity."

Huo Xiaoru blinked her lovely eyes, realizing that although Hu Xiaotian's words were plain and unadorned, they contained a profound truth—perhaps this was what he meant by returning to simplicity and authenticity.

Keeping company with the two beauties while composing poetry and matching couplets was itself a pleasure; outside the window a drizzle began to fall. Murong Feiyan raised her wine cup and said, "May your journey be smooth!"

Hu Xiaotian raised his cup, smiling, and replied, "Thank you for the kind words!"

Only then did Huo Xiaoru learn that Hu Xiaotian was going far away, and she expressed surprise: "Master Hu, are you leaving on a long journey?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Thanks to the emperor's favor, I've been assigned a post!"

In fact, Murong Feiyan only knew he was leaving; she assumed he was going out to enjoy the mountains and waters, never imagining he was taking an official post. Someone like Hu Xiaotian, a Government Office brat, is born with better fortune than others—others must study painfully for years, endure countless exams, and only if they are lucky enough to pass the imperial examinations do they get a chance to become officials. Hu Xiaotian and his ilk need hardly exert any effort to enter the bureaucracy; relying on their background they will surely rise straight to the top. Thinking of how she herself has served the Capital Prefecture diligently and responsibly, only to be suspended for offending the powerful, she wondered why, as fellow humans, their fates could differ so greatly. Heaven seemed terribly unfair, and her previously gloomy mood grew even heavier.

Murong Feiyan drained her cup in one gulp, Huo Xiaoru rose to refill their drinks, returned to her seat, lifted her cup, and said to Hu Xiaotian, "Xiaoru also wishes you a safe journey, great achievements, and a swift rise to prominence."

Hu Xiaotian hehe‑laughed, "Borrowing your good words, I'll drink this cup!"

After finishing the cup, Huo Xiaoru said softly, "I don't know where you're headed to take office, Master Hu."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Xichuan! A remote little county that you can't even find on a map—I'll be serving as its magistrate." Although his father had specifically told him to keep it secret, Hu Xiaotian didn't think telling the two of them would cause any harm.

Murong Feiyan, being an official herself, knew a bit about Hu Xiaotian's situation—she was aware that he was engaged to the daughter of Li Tianheng, the military governor of Xichuan, so his decision to take office there was certainly for that reason. In the court there are those who seek office, but men like Hu Xiaotian never have to worry about their careers; his family has already arranged everything for him. Murong Feiyan remarked, "It looks like from today onward we'll have one more corrupt official in the world!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed heartily, "Just a ninth‑rank official—even if I wanted to be corrupt, there's hardly any profit to be squeezed out."

Murong Feiyan said, "Corruption isn't necessarily tied to the rank of the office; if you truly want to graft, even the poorest place can yield a three‑foot‑deep scrape."

Huo Xiaoru smiled gently, "Constable Murong, I don't think Master Hu is the type to be corrupt."

Murong Feiyan looked at Huo Xiaoru, somewhat unconvinced, and said, "How can you be so sure?"

Huo Xiaoru replied, "Given Master Hu's breadth of mind and vision, they certainly won't be that low; I believe that with his abilities he will surely rise to the highest ministerial post, and could never be content to remain in a remote corner."

A talented woman is a talented woman—how true these words are is uncertain, but hearing them made Hu Xiaotian feel ever so comforted. A confidant, this is truly a red‑petaled confidant; how could my realm and vision be so low? A mere Qingyun County—how could I even deign to look at it? With my talent, I could make money without resorting to bribery and corruption. Murong Xiaoni's prejudice against me is really not light.

Because she had been suspended, Murong Feiyan's mood was visibly gloomy; she spoke little, just drinking alone to drown her sorrows. Hu Xiaotian worried she might drink too much and reminded her, "Drinking to dispel sorrow only makes sorrow grow stronger, Constable Murong—if you have something on your mind, why not speak up so we can help share the burden?"

The saying about drinking to dispel sorrow only making it worse stirred Huo Xiaoru's heart anew; Hu Xiaotian seemed carefree, yet in truth he was brimming with talent, and his offhand remarks always provoked deep thought.

Murong Feiyan said, "What's the use of speaking? In this world right and wrong are hard to tell, black and white indistinguishable—never mind, I have other business, I'm leaving now!" She said she would go and did: she rose, drew her sword, and strode out of Natural Abode.

Huo Xiaoru wondered aloud, "Constable Murong seems angry?"

Hu Xiaotian gazed at her retreating back and said, "A person with sharp edges finds it hard to stand firm in officialdom; this bureaucracy is the most perilous place in the world. If you don't blunt your sharpness and hide your edges, you'll only meet obstacles everywhere, and inevitably end up shattered to pieces."

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