Chapter 40: A Young Man Should Strive for Self-Improvement, Applying Flowery Yellow to the Mirror

If it weren't for her status as Commandery Princess, Jiang Yunzhou would really like to press her down on the table and give her a proper lesson.

Her body is obviously sensitive, and she also has that strange addiction.

If she's not allowed to be touched, once touched she must carry out the foot massage to the end; in front of Prince Rong she's still a well-behaved girl, but privately this sort of thing is hardly believable to anyone.

I've fallen into a trap.

He carefully adjusted the nerves connected to the Mysterious Needle to his eyes, then Jiang Yunzhou began to massage his eyes.

On a late-spring morning, the wind blowing in from outside the courtyard carried a hint of floral scent; the massage took a long time, and Zhao Zhinan stretched lazily and remarked:

"At this moment the beautiful late-spring scenery is surely pleasing to the eyes; I truly hope to regain my sight soon."

"I believe the Commandery Princess's vision will certainly recover significantly within two months."

"Ah, I'm afraid there won't be enough time."

"What won't be enough time?"

Zhao Zhinan sighed offhandedly and said:

"It's just the Imperial Court Poetry Gathering; although I can also write a few fine pieces, because I'm blind, people always whisper behind my back: clearly I can't see anything, yet what I write is either empty imagination that no one can relate to, or plagiarism and tampering with the ancients."

"So this time I really want to write a few fine pieces based on what I see with my own eyes, to make those doubters shut up honestly, but looking at the time, I probably won't make it."

"Poetry? This isn't walking into the line of fire, is it?"

Although I don't like friends who show off with ancient poetry, my situation here is different.

This is actually using poetry to open a new world for visually impaired patients, helping to solve the inferiority complex caused by their blindness.

Fortunately, in this world poems are still five- or seven-character lines, and lyric writing only requires meter, with no other restrictions; as long as I avoid allusions and place names as much as possible, I'll be fine.

Let's recall the famous lines of poetry I accumulated back then:

For example, the five-character ones:

"A young man should strive for self-improvement, applying flowery yellow to his mirror."

"Though an old woman's strength may wane, her waves shake Yueyang City."

And the seven-character ones:

"In the capital there is one skilled in mouth arts, after which the king no longer attends court."

"I and the general undo our battle robes, spending the spring night in a hibiscus curtain."

"Three thousand beauties in the harem, an iron pestle ground down to an embroidery needle."

"A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold; one must know this and put it into practice."

"Stopping the carriage to sit and love the maple forest at dusk, crushing peach blossoms spreads red across the ground."

"The six palaces' powders and dyes lose their color; after the army passes, all faces brighten."

"Gently plucking, slowly twisting, wiping and picking again, the Jiangzhou magistrate's blue shirt grows damp."

"I seem to have misremembered, but upon careful thought each line is fine."

"Cough, cough, Commandery Princess, don't hide it from me: in my free time in Mist Prefecture I also do some poetry composition; why don't we chat, and please give me your advice."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhinan, who loved critiquing others' work the most, immediately became interested and laughed:

"I didn't expect Master Jiang to have such refined interest, how wonderful, how wonderful; then I'll offer some critique, the theme of this Imperial Court Poetry Gathering is 'spring scenery', Master Jiang can freely create on this theme."

Spring scenery, spring scenery...

As a child, it was because the teacher assigned an essay on 'campus spring scenery' that I looked it up online, and from then on the door to a new world opened...

"Master Jiang, there's no need to rush; if you can't come up with something right away, we can talk about it next treatment."

"No need, the poem is already done; I've chosen spring rain within the spring scenery as the theme, please give me your guidance, Commandery Princess."

"Oh?"

"Hoo, the gentle rain on the imperial street moistens like butter..."

"Moistens like butter? Talking about rain? This... hiss, the continuous spring rain, fine silken rain threads as smooth and dense as oil, really feels no mismatch, and the rain's cool freshness sweeps away; even without mentioning the season, it makes one unconsciously think of spring rain."

"How do you feel, Commandery Princess?"

"You... you've only said half a line, how can I critique you? Don't stop, continue!"

Don't stop, continue?

Jiang Yunzhou looked toward the door, making sure no one heard the sound and misunderstood what was happening inside, then continued:

"The grass color looks lush from afar but up close there's none."

"Up close there's none? Why?"

"Oh right, it's the green grass that only appears in spring; the sprouting green grass in spring is very sparse, from afar it looks like a continuous sheet, but up close you find nothing."

"If you hadn't seen it yourself, you wouldn't write it like this; when first heard it after writing, I didn't understand, but upon careful thought it's actually quite reasonable."

"Commandery Princess, won't you give a critique?"

"Critique?" Zhao Zhinan thought to himself that he also wanted to critique, but felt these two lines were so vivid and exquisite that he wouldn't change a single character.

"Hmm... continue, continue, don't stop, don't stop! Quick, quick, quick!"

Jiang Yunzhou looked up again, making sure no one was looking over because of the Commandery Princess's imaginative words, then continued:

"Nothing beats the best of spring, surpassing the misty willows filling the imperial capital."

Upon hearing the last two lines, Zhao Zhinan lightly tapped the table with his hand, seeming intoxicated, and repeated them twice.

"Surpassing the misty willows filling the imperial capital...... wonderful~"

Seeing the Commandery Princess's reaction, Jiang Yunzhou lowered his head to check, making sure it wasn't his needle pricking the sole before asking:

"How do you feel, Commandery Princess?"

"Any more? Any more? Only these two lines?"

"Hmm, I only wrote these two lines; please give me your advice, Commandery Princess, or let me learn from your poetry."

Zhao Zhinan, who originally wanted to recite his great work, cleared his throat and changed the subject:

Young Master Jiang, you know that lately I've been busy seeing doctors to heal my eyes, so my writing has suffered.

The Inner Court Poetry Gathering is coming up soon, and I still haven't written a piece I'm satisfied with, but your poem 'Spring Rain' has given me quite an inspiration.

Jiang Yunzhou nodded and said:

I understand, but I don't know which line the Princess wants to adapt.

Zhao Zhinan wondered whether borrowing the name would work; seeing Jiang Yunzhou didn't understand, she, out of pride, reluctantly said:

I have to say, Young Master Jiang's poem is indeed good; I even wonder if a master guided you. If I could regain my sight, I could surely write such lines, but since I haven't recovered yet…… so……

You're not wanting this poem of mine, are you, Princess?

As the Princess, I certainly won't force you—how about buying it for a thousand taels of silver?

No, no—leaving aside whether the price is right, we're both poets; trading in silver from that gold-and-silver realm would be vulgar, wouldn't it?

Zhao Zhinan blinked and said:

Then what about using gold?

Jiang Yunzhou startled and confirmed:

Using gold?

Exactly, using gold!

Oh oh oh, I thought you meant something else yellow—no, no, poetry is priceless; how could it be bought and sold?

Zhao Zhinan really wanted to rely on this poem to take first place at the Inner Court Poetry Gathering, so seeing Jiang Yunzhou insist on disagreeing, she reached out and gently rubbed the hand he had placed on her shoulder.

Having roughly aimed, she suddenly grabbed Jiang Yunzhou's collar, and as she pulled him down, her red lips lightly pressed against his cheek.

Jiang Yunzhou was also startled, and hurriedly lowered his voice to remind her:

Please conduct yourself properly, Princess; I can't be charged with overstepping.

Zhao Zhinan gave a light laugh and said:

This is to thank you for helping me regain my sight; as for overstepping, the foot massage I just gave you doesn't count as overstepping, does it?

No more teasing—can I buy it under the pretense of a joint creation? Let's treat this poem as our co‑creation; may I use it at this Inner Court Poetry Gathering?

Knowing that if I refuse, the Princess will keep pressing, I might as well go along and earn a bit.

Since the Princess wants to use it, I naturally dare not refuse—let's settle on a thousand taels of silver.

All right, but one poem won't do.

Isn't one poem enough?

No, the second poem isn't for me—it's for Princess Jingyang.