Chapter 223: Screw the Poetry!

The Shangsi Festival is one of the few occasions throughout the year in the State of Qin when communal drinking is not prohibited.

Inside the Orchid Terrace Palace, the winding water pavilion for the banquet was built over a twisting, circular water channel. The young men and women gathered for the gathering sat along the channel, while a servant walked to the upstream end and placed empty winged cups into the water. The flat winged cups bobbed like tiny, unsteady boats, floating gently on the flowing water and drifting down toward the crowd below.

A clinking sound rang out. The group chose one person to sit with his back to everyone and strike a bronze chime with bronze chopsticks. When the sound suddenly stopped, the person in front of whom the winged cup had come to rest would have to scoop it up…

Everyone looked over—it was Tang Jue, the son of the Bandit Section Chief, who was the first to be caught.

Tang Jue was well-versed in laws and statutes, but his knowledge of the Odes and Documents was only cursory. Cursing his bad luck inwardly, he scooped up the winged cup, filled it with pale yellow millet wine, and glanced at a girl in a yellow dress sitting across the channel whom he admired.

"This wine and this poem are dedicated to the virtuous maiden of the Jin clan!"

"Cold is the northern wind, heavy fall the rain and snow. You are kind and fond of me, let us join hands and go together!"

To his surprise, these words were met with a burst of laughter from the crowd.

"What are they laughing at?"

Heifu did not understand. He had already grasped the rules of the game, which resembled a later-era game of pass-the-parcel: the person caught had to compose a poem. Of course, it was not simply composing a poem; the courting young men and women would use the opportunity to express their feelings through verse and make public declarations of love… Indeed, this era was that bold and uninhibited, with no coyness whatsoever about emotions.

And the verse just recited did seem to convey affection and courtship. Apart from the northern wind, rain, and snow being out of season, was there a problem?

Feng Jing leaned over and told Heifu, "Although that is a poem from the 'Odes of Bei' and contains the word 'wind,' it actually tells of the tyranny in the State of Wei, and how a man and his friend invited each other to flee into exile together."

"He's botched it trying to be clever."

Heifu shook his head. So composing poetry in this era involved so many nuances—it was truly quite complicated. Inwardly, he felt a little sympathy for Tang Jue; Heifu had a fairly good impression of the young man.

As a result, not only was Tang Jue embarrassed, but the girl also hung her head in silence.

Tang Jue's attempt to express his love ended in failure. Because he had not studied the texts thoroughly, he had made a fool of himself and was penalized with a cup of wine. He then went to take over from the person striking the bronze chime.

When the striking sound stopped again, by sheer coincidence, the person who picked up the winged cup was none other than the girl in the yellow dress to whom Tang Jue had just declared his feelings!

She lifted the winged cup, and after hesitating a moment, she actually rinsed it in the clear water beside her—her disdain all too obvious. Only then did she fill it with millet wine and aim it at Heifu…

Heifu jumped in fright, only to realize afterward that the girl's target was Feng Jing beside him!

"This wine and this verse are dedicated to Lord Feng!"

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the girl shyly recited: "The wind sighs, the trees rustle; thinking of my lord, I am lost in sorrow!" Then she drained the wine in one gulp, her face instantly flushing crimson.

From the murmurs of those around him, Heifu learned that this line came from "The Mountain Spirit"—the longing of a woman pursuing a man could not be more obvious.

"What a melodramatic love triangle!"

This scene was simply too explosive. Heifu's gaze darted back and forth between Feng Jing, the girl in the yellow dress, and Tang Jue, finding it quite amusing.

Tang Jue turned back and saw this scene, petrified on the spot.

The girl in the yellow dress, however, fixed her determined gaze on Feng Jing, awaiting his reaction.

Feng Jing, ever mindful of propriety, rose and toasted the girl in the yellow dress in return. The girl was overjoyed, her hand covering her mouth for fear she might cry out in happiness. She thought her confession had been accepted.

"Lord Feng's spring has arrived," Heifu chuckled darkly.

Feng Jing, however, shook his head and whispered, "After this gathering is over, I will go and refuse her."

"How heartless."

Heifu was joking, but to his surprise, Feng Jing countered, "The Left Military Section Clerk usually only peruses military manuals and legal statutes, never reading the Odes or Documents, and is surely unfamiliar with the verses and rhapsodies of the Chu lands. Have you prepared what you will say, and to whom? Do you need my assistance?"

"That won't be necessary."

Heifu's smile vanished. He said flatly, "I have already decided what to do. I only hope that Lord Feng will not find me rash and crude later!"

A look of slight surprise crossed Feng Jing's face, but at that moment, the clinking of the bronze chime stopped once more!

"This wine and this verse are dedicated to the virtuous maiden of the Ye clan!"

As the organizer of this winding-stream drinking gathering, Qi Xia scooped up the winged cup, cast a subtle glance at Heifu, and then aimed the filled cup at the Commandery Governor's daughter, Zijin, sitting directly opposite!

"I wander with you by the Nine Rivers; a fierce wind rises and the waters surge!"

…

"It was actually directed at the Commandery Governor's daughter."

Feng Jing's expression became amused. He whispered to Heifu, "That is a line from 'The River Earl.' It not only suits the occasion but also expresses his feelings. What reaction does the Left Military Section Clerk think the Commandery Governor's daughter will have?"

However, he was even more eager to see Heifu's reaction.

Heifu did not answer. He saw the young girl in the blue dress opposite him smile as she cupped her hands in salute and replied, "Many thanks for Lord Qi's kind intentions, but I am not yet of age to wear the hairpin and cannot discuss marriage. Lord Qi should seek another orchid and angelica instead…"

Everyone was astonished. They had assumed that, given the Commandery Governor's daughter's temperament, even if she did not wish to accept, she would wait until the gathering ended to express it privately. Who would have thought she would refuse on the spot? Was this to make Qi Xia abandon his hopes early?

Qi Xia's face alternated between pale and flushed. In the end, he could only drink the bitter wine down. Then, fuming, he walked over to Tang Jue, who was listlessly striking the bronze chime after his own romantic failure, and told him to move aside.

"It's all that Heifu's fault, for stealing my thunder earlier!"

Qi Xia thought resentfully. Once the winged cup returned to the starting point, he struck the bronze chime heavily!

"Dong, dong, dong!"

Qi Xia was indeed a veteran who had played this game many times. Although his back was to the channel, he could predict the flow speed. He stopped abruptly and turned back, only to see Heifu, with a helpless expression, scooping up the winged cup in front of him…

"Let's see how you make a fool of yourself!" Qi Xia was overjoyed!

The men and women along the channel also watched Heifu curiously, wondering how he would respond. Did he have a beloved to confess to at this gathering?

Initially, these women had disdained Heifu for his commoner birth without a clan name. But having just seen him speak appropriately, and as he held the highest rank and official post among those present, the gap between them was thus erased. Moreover, although he was a bit dark, his features were not ugly—he could be considered "unremarkably ordinary." A few women began to feel that if Heifu confessed to them, they could reluctantly accept it…

Heifu, however, just looked at the winged cup in his hand and said nothing.

"Left Military Section Clerk, it is your turn," Qi Xia maliciously reminded him from the side.

"Could it be he can't come up with anything?" Seeing Heifu's predicament, Qi Xia felt very pleased with himself, as if he were blaming all the anger from his own failed confession on Heifu.

Heifu, however, smiled. "I just find this cup too shallow—not enough for me to drink."

Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Heifu casually tossed the winged cup into the water channel!

Amid the hushed whispers of the crowd, he poured the wine into a bronze wine vessel on his own, drank three cups in succession, and let out a satisfied sigh. He then turned back to the Commandery Governor's daughter and apologized, "I hope the virtuous maiden of the Ye clan will not take offense. Today, Heifu is going to spoil the mood!"

Zijin had not expected this move and was momentarily stunned. She saw Heifu continue, "I originally heard from Lord Feng that the young talents of Jiangling were gathered here, and so I wished to come and see what kind of people they were. Yet what I have observed today has left me greatly disappointed! The women are one thing, but even the men are lost in the decadent strains of poetry and rhapsody, unaware of which state they are in, nor what year this evening is. Is the spring breeze in Jiangling too warm, lulling you all to sleep?"

"What?"

Provoked by Heifu's harsh words, Qi Xia and the others were all shocked and immediately retorted, "What does the Left Military Section Clerk mean by this? Is it not simply that you cannot produce a suitable poem? Just say so directly; why make the scene so ugly?"

Heifu, however, sighed and said, "It's just that the scene stirred memories. I thought of those comrades in the war against Chu — the same age as you young gentlemen — who had to brave arrows and stones, shedding their blood and laying down their lives. In the last great battle, Qin was defeated by Chu, yet instead of sharpening your weapons and feeding your horses to wash away the shame, you compete with flowery verses and preen yourselves. I feel it is unworthy of those comrades who remain forever in Chu soil, and I grieve for Lord Shang, who established our laws and institutions!"

He stood in the Pavilion of Flowing Water and declared loudly, "Over a hundred years ago, the late ruler Duke Xiao set his will on strengthening the state and reviving the nation. Thus Lord Shang entered Qin and assisted Duke Xiao, transforming the laws to make the state strong! Lord Shang established the tithing system, burned the poems and books to make laws and ordinances clear, blocked private petitions to advance public service, and banned itinerant office-seekers to honor those who tilled and fought. And so Qin grew daily in wealth and power, gaining the territory it holds today!"

"And what of Song Yu, who wrote the 'Rhapsody of the Wind' right here in this Orchid Terrace Palace?"

Heifu pointed at the eight-zhang-high terrace and laughed. "When Lord Wu'an marched south to attack Chu, Song Yu fled east in panic with King Xiang of Chu! Even if the likes of Song Yu and Jing Cuo could produce the most gorgeous, beautiful rhapsodies, they could not stop the soldiers of Qin, nor could they save Chu. Is this truth not clear enough?"

"Nowadays, though Qin's ban on the Poems and Documents has loosened, and many across the land study them without breaking the law, others may compose poems and use verses to express their aspirations — but I cannot."

Heifu looked at them all. "Because I am an official of Qin. I have always upheld Lord Shang's laws, and dare not pay them lip service while disobeying in secret!"

"If you insist I speak a line with the word 'wind' in it, something fitting the occasion, then I, Heifu, will use no poem or rhapsody. I will say it in plain words, words that even the common black-headed folk can understand!"

Facing east, toward the land where his comrades' bones lay buried, he cupped his hands and said with resolute gaze, "May I, when I once more lead the young men of Nan Commandery to attack Chu, sweep away cities and seize territory like a swift wind sweeping autumn leaves, and bring this long war to an end. And may I contribute my humble strength to aid the Great King in uniting all under heaven, so that the six directions share one wind and the nine provinces are strung on a single cord!"

……

Heifu's voice echoed through Orchid Terrace Palace, echoed through the Pavilion of Flowing Water. Everyone had been stunned speechless by his scolding — they had never encountered anything like this, and their minds could not react in time. Because Heifu had spoken with such righteous conviction, even Qi Xia could find no words to refute him.

Only Heifu himself was perfectly clear in his heart.

This game was naturally stacked against him. He could neither recite the Book of Songs nor understand Chu rhapsodies, much less pick out a line containing the word "wind" that also fit the occasion to serve as a confession of love. One misstep, and it would be a donkey's lips mismatched with a horse's mouth — nothing but a laughingstock.

Of course, Heifu, like any modern person, could recite plenty of Tang poems and Song lyrics with the word "wind" in them. Things like "The tide is flat, the banks wide; the wind is fair, a single sail hangs poised," or "The spring wind greens the southern shore again; when will the bright moon shine on my return?" Would it have been hard to just get by with those?

Even more, he could have passed those poems off as his own compositions — never mind the five-character or seven-character lines, never mind whether they fit the occasion — and he might even have won praise, earning himself a reputation as "accomplished in both letters and martial arts"!

But in another dynasty, perhaps. Here in Qin, what meaning would that have?

Apart from making a bunch of bored noble and official children gasp and look at him differently.

Apart from making that border-governing grandee who truly holds power in Nan Commandery sneer in contempt.

It had not a shred of practical use. It was not that Heifu advocated keeping the people ignorant or took pride in being uncultured. The Warring States — this was an era destined to be one where rhapsodies could not match swords and blades. The most revered, the greatest poet, Qu Yuan, had long ago sunk into the Miluo River!

Besides, the only person at this gathering who caught Heifu's eye — that blue-robed young woman — would she care about skill in poetry and rhapsody?

Heifu recalled the course of his meeting with Ye Teng, and those parting words of his.

"If I'm not mistaken, the family learning that Ye Teng holds as his golden standard is no Book of Songs or Book of Documents — it is the Han Feizi!"

Though Heifu had never read the Han Feizi, he had heard that although Han Fei studied under a great Confucian master, he broke away from Confucianism, turned to the way of Laozi and Shenzi, and fanatically upheld Lord Shang's laws…

Whatever attitude Lord Shang held toward the Poems and Documents, the Han Feizi held the same. Ye Teng was surely no different — otherwise, in the official Letter to Officials and The Way of Being an Official, which Heifu had read until he knew them by heart, not a word would be said about the Poems and Documents, and only the laws and ordinances would be strictly emphasized!

So, fellow time-crossers, you haven't even figured out the situation you're in, and you want to plagiarize poems — what a load of crap!

Qin's laws, ordinances, and system of military merit and ennoblement were tailor-made from heaven and earth for someone like Heifu, who knew no Poems or Documents and understood even less of rhapsodies. Why should he fight with his own weakness against the noble youths' strengths? Just to worm his way into this utterly boring little circle? If he actually did that, he must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.

Having flipped the table and thrown his tantrum, Heifu felt quite refreshed. He laughed heartily at the dumbstruck young men and women and said, "I've said all I have to say. I hope you young gentlemen will ponder it deeply. I still have military duties to attend to — farewell!"

With those words, Heifu simply strode off without looking back!

Feng Jing, being an official of Qin, could not possibly stay any longer after Heifu had made such a scene. He had no choice but to rise hastily, apologize to everyone, and take his leave, groaning inwardly, "This method is indeed reckless enough. After today, Heifu, I fear you'll become the public enemy of all these young scions."

There was also that young man called Tang Jue. Disheartened after his failed confession, he had then been jolted by Heifu's fierce rebuke. As if suddenly understanding something, he laughed loudly and followed them out.

After the three of them left, the winding stream still flowed gently on. Those who remained looked at one another in bewilderment. Once Qi Xia, Huang Tian, and the others recovered their wits, they began maligning Heifu with abandon, unilaterally declaring victory and cursing him for flipping the table and acting out when he couldn't beat them at their game.

"No surprise, really — after all, he's just a coarse commoner of black-headed background. All he can do is spoil our refined pleasure!"

The young women also pursed their lips, thinking that Heifu had gone far too far. Truly a man with no sense of romance. Whatever faint goodwill they had felt toward him vanished completely.

As everyone chattered away, cursing Heifu, only the blue-robed girl seated at the place of honor clenched her fists. She was still turning over in her mind the words Heifu had flung down.

"Lead the young men of Nan Commandery to attack Chu, like a swift wind sweeping autumn leaves, and bring this war to an end? Contribute his humble strength to aid the Great King in uniting all under heaven, so that the six directions share one wind and the nine provinces are strung on a single cord?"

"Of all the words spoken today, only these two lines fully capture the tyranny and unstoppable force of the gale in Song Yu's 'Rhapsody of the Wind'! These are the true words that fit the occasion and understand the times!"

The wind is born from the earth, rises from the tips of green duckweed, invades the valleys, rages at the mouths of earthen caves, skirts the bends of Mount Tai, dances beneath pines and cypresses — drifting, surging, rousing gales and blazing fury. A roaring like rolling thunder, swirling and clashing, it topples rocks and fells trees, strikes down forests and thickets!

Just as the rhapsody describes, this Heifu was like a fierce black wind, blowing apart these ignorant scions who still lived in springtime, idling leisurely day after day, unaware that their final chance for merit was about to pass them by!

Who was superior and who was inferior — no words were needed to make it clear!

Zijin revealed a smile and nodded to herself, murmuring, "I can go tell Father now. His eye did not fail him. This Heifu is indeed an official of Qin who can accomplish real things! He can be put to great use!"

PS: Well, this was meant for 7 a. m. tomorrow — posting it early. Not an extra chapter.

(End of chapter)