Chapter 394

Baichai pondered briefly, not saying more about Jia Mu and Baoyu, then turned and pointed at the two manuscript poems on the table, asking:

"Have you read these two poems? When did Third Brother write such excellent work?"

Compared to the two poems, Baichai more wanted to know the background and intention behind Jia Jing's writing of them.

Hearing Baichai talk about poetry, Xiangling's face visibly showed more interest, and she replied with a light laugh:

"The Bamboo and Stone" was written yesterday by Third Uncle for Cong Fourth Uncle, Huan Third Uncle, and Lan Elder Uncle, to encourage them to have perseverance in study and martial arts.

"The Cold Wind" was, after I returned from the palace last night, I watched Third Uncle write it in his own hand; Third Uncle seemed to have something on his mind then!

Saying this, Xiangling paused, with a bit of curiosity and doubt, and asked softly:

"Miss, I don't quite understand this poem, yet reading it feels very soothing, as if something is melting in my chest."

"Can you tell me what this poem really means?"

Last night she also asked her Third Uncle, but her Third Uncle just smiled and stayed silent, not explaining as he usually did.

Hearing that, Baichai gave a soft, gentle smile, her face like a pear blossom showing a hint of contemplation, and she sighed softly:

"You truly live up to the title "poetry maniac"; you indeed have a keen sensitivity to poetry, and your feeling is spot on. This poem "The Cold Wind" has a lofty conception, speaking of the penetration of the mind!"

After a moment of silence, with a glint in her almond eyes, she explained in detail:

"In the first two lines, 'danger and flat': danger means peril, flat means level. Together, they roughly refer to all the ups and downs, good and bad, fortune and misfortune, success and failure in the world."

"These things shouldn't be piled up in the heart; better to let them drift past like clouds in the sky."

"When clouds come, the sky isn't necessarily dirty; when they go, the sky isn't necessarily bright; the sky remains the sky."

"It neither retains clouds nor fears them; the mind is the same."

"The mind is essentially 'empty'; those sensory gains and losses, life and death, etc., are merely passersby, not the master."

"If the mind is occupied by them, it loses its natural state."

"This also seems to contain the Buddhist practice of observing the mind: not being disturbed by external things, keeping the original mind unmoving."

"The latter two lines, 'Night deep, palace gates, thousands of doors silent,' on the surface depict the stillness of the imperial city at night, with thousands of gates closed, soundless and still."

"But inwardly, it writes of the profundity and fickle intrigue of the high court; this must be Third Brother's spontaneous feeling upon encountering the scene last night."

"But soon his vision was not limited to the palace walls; 'Moonlight shines on mountains and rivers for ten thousand miles, wind blows from the ends of the earth,' the moonlight illuminates myriad lands, the wind blows from the farthest reaches."

"At this moment, a person is not within the palace walls but stands between heaven and earth; looking out, the wild wind sweeps, boundless and limitless."

"The meaning Third Brother likely wanted to convey in the latter two lines is that only when the heart is not entangled by trivial matters can one see a vaster world."

"Third Brother may be in the imperial court, but his heart is among the myriad mountains and rivers; his broad mind and transcendent outlook are truly admirable!"

Xue Baichai, while explaining the poem "The Cold Wind" to Xiangling, also secretly pondered the intention behind Jia Jing's writing of this poem.

Last night, summoned by the emperor for state affairs, he returned only late, then wrote such a poem; this conduct inevitably made her ponder more.

In her view, the 'thousand gates silent' in the poem is not true silence, but mental stillness.

It expresses that no matter how strong the wind blows, if the mind settles, the universe is still; 'ten thousand wind' is the breadth of the heart, not distance.

The whole poem writes 'stillness' between the lines, yet it actually reveals that the court may soon be unsettled.

What a person holds in their heart leaves a trace when they put pen to paper.

This is the storm coming; Third Brother, at the center of power, is seeking inner clarity and calm.

She probably understood what this poem intended to express!

Xiangling beside her listened raptly; after a while, she couldn't help but sigh:

"So Third Uncle packed all this into just a few lines of poetry; his heart must be incredibly broad."

"I usually write poetry, always getting tangled in trivial matters, but in this poem, clouds, space, and ten‑thousand‑mile wind are all boundless."

"Standing in such a vast heaven‑earth, everyday worries seem insignificant."

After sighing, she again couldn't help but let out a breath and said:

"Sigh! I thought I had some mastery of poetry, but now I see I'm still far off."

Xiangling looked somewhat dejected; a few days ago she gained a line in a dream,

she wrote the fine lines 'Essence tries to conceal the substance, yet it is difficult; the shadow is graceful, the spirit cold' and 'To win Chang'e's favor, one must ask why not eternal reunion,' earning praise from all the young ladies in the household, who said it was not only well written but also ingenious and interesting.

Who would have thought that, compared to her own Third Uncle, she falls short by more than a little!

Baichai's voice was gentle, and she laughed lightly, saying:

"Why must you be so dejected? Third Brother's poetic talent is unrivaled in the world; even we, compared to him, are far inferior!"

"You've only been studying poetry for a short time; to have such achievement is already exceedingly rare and precious!"

"And if we really discuss it, judging solely on the quality of the poems, 'Bamboo Stone' is slightly stronger than 'Cold Wind'."

"However, the latter has a lofty intention, a grand realm, and an unconventional aura; it hardly seems like a poem, more like a Buddhist verse that points directly to the heart."

Baichai, rarely, offered a few pointers and comforts to Xiangling.

After all, she is one of only two close handmaidens of Jinglang, and she comes from his own household; even if she became his disciple, it wouldn't hinder a bit of closeness.

Xiangling lowered her eyelids, her gaze flickered, her voice softened a bit, and she said:

"No wonder Third Uncle always says the young lady is perceptive and insightful; the young lady is indeed someone who understands Third Uncle!"

If my master heard such praise, he wouldn't kill me, his wayward disciple, would he!

Baichai, hearing this, a trace of unhidden shy delight flashed in her watery apricot eyes; she lifted the tea cup on the table, sipped, steadied the expression on her brows, and, feigning nonchalance, asked:

"Oh? Does Third Brother ever speak of me in front of you on ordinary days?"

Xiangling's simple expression remained unchanged, her gaze fixed on the ground, and she lightly 'hmmed' and said:

"Just now he told us that from now on we must respect her and not neglect the young lady!"

He indeed said to respect, but he meant we should respect the two of us...

Baichai, hearing this, a gentle and elegant, pearl‑round face showed a faint smile; although her own Jinglang was busy, he still hadn't forgotten her!

"Apologies for keeping you waiting, sister!"

Just then, footsteps came from the corridor below.

Jia Jing responded to the sound, pushing the door open and entering. He wore a black python robe, a jade belt around his waist, his hair tied with a white jade hairpin, neat and tidy, the faint scent of having bathed after martial practice still lingering on his collar.