Chapter 60: The Lantern Festival Poetry Gathering

What happened within the imperial palace quickly reached the residence of Xue Qing, the Minister of Revenue. After reading the intelligence report delivered to him, Xue Qing tossed it into a brazier. He watched the flames flickering inside, reaching out his hand as if to touch them. However, the paper had only generated a tiny flame that vanished in an instant. Yet even this fleeting flame offered him a touch of warmth and a glimpse of hope.

"Father, the Crown Prince took the bait so quickly. Shouldn't we advance our plans a bit?" Xue Kui asked.

"What's the rush? This is only the beginning. We must wait until the fire burns fiercely. The higher the flames, the more advantageous it is for us," Xue Qing replied calmly.

"How is the situation in our ancestral home?" Xue Qing continued to ask.

"Reporting to Father, the one hundred thousand sets of armor have all been fully forged," Xue Kui answered softly.

"Not enough. We must continue manufacturing them, ensuring at least another one hundred thousand sets are made. This undertaking can only succeed and cannot fail, or else our Xue family will be cast into eternal damnation," Xue Qing said leisurely.

"Yes, Father."

"How long has the Third left?"

"It has been five days. He should be arriving home soon."

"Tell the Third to keep a close eye on that faction near the border. Do not let the fire spread to our own household. Let the Zhang and Dai families tear each other apart. I want to see what kind of waves those little rascals can stir up now that the old ghost of the Zhang family is gone."

"Rest assured, Father, I have already notified the Third Brother," Xue Kui replied. "Additionally, Prince Heng's salt transportation fleet has set off once again. The Emperor even issued a decree ordering Prince Heng to establish the Salt Guard, utilizing all commoners along the coastal regions of Hebei Dao to refine salt. How should we handle this matter?"

A ruthless glint flashed across Xue Qing's wrinkled, aged face: "Good. The more salt they refine, the better. Leak the information to the Jie tribe. Since it is inconvenient for us to act directly, let the Jie tribe deal with them instead. I imagine the Jie tribe will be quite fond of their refined salt."

"Understood. I will have someone dispatch the message right away."

"No need to rush. Wait until they have finished refining the salt. To strike now would be a bit too early," Xue Qing interrupted.

"It was just this child acting too hastily."

"Kui'er, you must remember that in doing anything, the most important thing is steadiness. Only by remaining steadfast can you stand in an undefeatable position. You will be the future head of the Xue family, so you must consider all matters thoroughly," Xue Qing said earnestly.

"This child will forever keep Father's teachings in mind."

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, thousands upon thousands of households stepped outside to pray for blessings and well-being. Countless lanterns lit up the streets, and the entire capital was once again stirred with excitement. The bustling markets were brilliantly illuminated and hung with lanterns, while countless sky lanterns drifted upward. Young men and maidens from ordinary families poured onto the streets in search of their true loves. Within the inner quarters of the imperial palace, after the sacrificial ceremonies concluded, the palace gates were flung wide open, allowing certain favored concubines and noble ladies to return to their maternal homes today to reunite with their families.

West of the capital, by the upper reaches of the Luo River, stood Wenyuan Garden. This was a leisure and recreational venue, much like a modern park, but during every Lantern Festival, it transformed into a gathering place for the daughters of wealthy families and young noble scions. Here, they composed poetry, discussed literature, and sought out their future companions. Although marriages among such people were rarely decided by themselves, every now and then, one or two well-matched families would happily tie the knot. This fueled the aspirations of countless young men and women, hoping they too might become one of those fortunate couples. Naturally, there were also those who attended with the ambition of climbing the social ladder, hoping to secure a marriage alliance with a more prestigious family.

Fang Qingxue, the eldest daughter of the Fang family, had changed into men's attire and blended into the crowd. Whenever maidens passed by her side, they were captivated by her handsome and refined features. Bolder maidens would shyly step forward to ask if they could exchange scented sachets. These sachets generally contained each person's birth characters; mutually interested parties could exchange them as tokens of love, making it convenient to stay in contact afterward.

Fang Qingxue coldly rejected every woman who approached her to exchange sachets. Dressed similarly in men's attire, the maid following behind her muttered softly, "Young Miss, you really shouldn't have dressed as a man to come out here. We've been out for so long, and not a single man has even come over to strike up a conversation."

"Wretched girl, what are you blabbering about? Are you trying to make sure the whole world knows I'm the eldest Miss Fang?" Fang Qingxue retorted irritably.

"But you're always dressed as a man. Which young master would ever dare to strike up a conversation with you?"

"The man this young master seeks must naturally be peerless beneath the heavens. Could it be that I should wait for others to pick me?"

"Then does the Young Miss have her eye on any handsome young master from a prominent family? If you don't dare to go, this maidservant can gladly help you exchange sachets," the maid whispered in Fang Qingxue's ear.

Fang Qingxue gave the maid's forehead an exasperated tap.

Weaving through the crowd, Fang Qingxue gradually approached a high platform. This was the venue for poetry competitions, where exceptional poems and prose were brought onto the stage to be recited aloud.

A young man of about eighteen or nineteen walked slowly toward the center of the stage holding a sheet of paper, and the noisy crowd below instantly quieted down. The young man was dressed in pristine white ceremonial robes, carrying himself with a rather dashing air, though his facial features were utterly ordinary.

Clearing his throat, the young man spoke: "I am Cui Run. I have composed a poem to share and appreciate with all of you."

"Night of the Lantern Festival—
Do not urge the jade water-clock and silver pot just yet,
The iron bolts and golden latches are thrown open until dawn.
Who could gaze upon the moon and sit in idle quiet?
At every sight of lanterns, who would fail to come and look?"

As Cui Run finished reciting the poem, waves of enthusiastic applause erupted from beneath the stage.

"A wonderful poem, truly wonderful!"
"As expected of someone from a distinguished lineage. Young Master Cui is immensely talented!"

Fang Qingxue silently savored the poem. The maid beside her tugged at her sleeve and said, "Young Miss, Young Miss, how is it? Is this Young Master Cui's poem good or not?"

Fang Qingxue shot the maid a sidelong glance and whispered, "How many times do I have to tell you? When we're out, call me Young Master."

The maid stuck out her tongue and said, "Yes, Young Master! Then is this poem good or not?"

Fang Qingxue sighed helplessly. "It's not bad."

"Then let me go help you exchange a sachet with him," the maid urged eagerly.

"There's no need," Fang Qingxue replied indifferently.

The maid argued in frustration, "Didn't Young Master just say the poem is not bad? I think this Young Master Cui is quite decent as well; his literary talent is impressive. Given Young Master's family background, I'm sure the Cui family would be delighted."

"I only said it's not bad. I didn't say it was exceptionally good."

"I knew you'd say that. We've been coming to the Lantern Festival for several years now, and I've never heard you praise anyone's poetry," the maid muttered under her breath.

"What, are you getting annoyed? If you want to exchange sachets so badly, go use your own."

Just as the two of them were chatting idly, a maiden of about sixteen or seventeen stepped onto the stage, bowed slightly, and said, "This humble maid, Shen Qiaoyun of Wuxing, wonders if she might join Young Master Cui in viewing the moon."

Upon hearing the name Wuxing, Cui Run immediately realized that the newcomer was a young lady of the Wuxing Shen family. The Shen family was a prominent local clan in Wuxing, with many elders holding official positions. Much like the Cui family, they were a long-established aristocratic household. Seeing that Shen Qiaoyun was poised, graceful, and delicately beautiful, a wave of joy rose in Cui Run's heart. She was a perfect match for him in terms of social standing, so he readily agreed on the spot. The two of them agreed to stroll together toward the nearby Emerald Lake.

A burst of warm applause erupted from the audience below, with some shouting, "Congratulations to Young Master Cui and Miss Shen! Congratulations!"

A blush crept across Shen Qiaoyun's cheeks, but there was nothing shameful about it. The young men and women who came to the Lantern Festival were precisely here to seek their true loves, and everyone considered it entirely natural.

"Look at that, you let someone else snatch him away, sigh," the maid said helplessly.

As soon as the two on stage departed, another young master dressed in luxurious attire, surnamed Su, stepped onto the stage and chanted a poem:

"The trees of fire and silver flowers merge,
The star-bridge and iron locks open wide.
Dim dust follows in the wake of horses,
A bright moon pursues the people as they come."

Another wave of acclaim rose from the crowd below. Afterward, two maidens took the stage to invite him; Young Master Su politely declined one of them and walked down the high platform hand in hand with the other young woman.

The onlookers couldn't help exclaiming in wonder. What was happening this year? In such a short span of time, two pairs of destined lovers had already found each other. Consequently, the poetry competition became even more spirited.

The maid watched with a sense of frustration as the young scholars on stage were snapped up one by one, feeling deeply depressed. Turning to her mistress Fang Qingxue, she murmured, "Young Master, isn't there a single poem here that can move your heart?"

Fang Qingxue hesitated for a moment before replying, "Every single one is a fine piece of work, but... they lack a certain soul. Never mind, you wouldn't understand. Let's go."

Just as the two of them turned to leave, a man with a small goatee stepped onto the stage and announced, "I have a lyric here, which I wish to sell to someone destined for it."

The crowd below immediately felt their enjoyment dampened and showered him with curses. Did he know what kind of place this was? How dare he bring some pathetic little verse here to sell?

Paying no heed to the crowd whatsoever, the bearded man raised his voice and chanted:

"To the Tune of 'Magpie Bridge Immortal'—
The delicate clouds work marvels, the flying stars convey sorrow, the Milky Way is vast and crossed in secret.
If the golden wind and jade dew meet one another, it surpasses countless encounters in the mortal realm.
Tender feelings like water, a romantic tryst like a dream, how can one bear to look back upon the return path across the magpie bridge?
If two hearts are joined in eternal devotion, does it matter whether they are together morning and night?"