gnovel Chapter 97 Ah, the wind is quite noisy today.
Chapter 97 Ah, the wind is quite noisy today.
Chapter 97 Ah, the wind is quite noisy today.
A dramatic farce came to a quiet end. Everyone knew that General Yu's mansion was empty overnight. Some said they had been exiled, while others knew that all the men in the family had been uprooted.
Zhang Jun suffered a loss he couldn't speak of, but what else could he do? He was part of the main force in seeking peace back then, and he was also involved in killing the pro-war faction. When Yue Fei died, he celebrated with the other officials.
Now, the Jurchen's blade is upon him. What can he do? Try to reason with them? But the Jurchen won't reason with him. In recent years, the Jurchen have only reasoned with one person: Yue Fei. And Yue Fei's blood has long since seeped onto his face, impossible to wipe away.
Zhang Jun didn't blame Qin Hui, because to Qin Hui, his sworn brother was just an ordinary military officer. His greatest use was to appease the Jurchens and give them an explanation.
After a few sips of wine, Zhang Jun, the white-haired Marshal, slammed his hand on the table, then slapped himself in the face. But what could he do?
He ostracized Liu, framed Yue Fei, and betrayed Han Shizhong. His loyalty and courage in the first half of his life vanished in the pursuit of fame and fortune in the second half.
Now in his sixties, he claims to hold military power, but in reality, it's all just for show. After a lifetime of military service, he has ended up as someone else's dog.
He certainly harbored resentment, but ultimately it was his own doing. However, he couldn't help feeling somewhat depressed. He drank alone for a long time, and his greatest dissatisfaction was with Qin Hui. It wasn't that he didn't hate the Jurchens, but he had long since lost the backbone to hate them.
At this time, it was the sixth day of the lunar new year, and the lanterns were in full bloom. The young men had all come to the long street. It was a peaceful year, with a gentle breeze and calm waters, and the lanterns casting shadows as bright as day.
The streets were bustling with activity. Lin Zhou and Lu You were in the courtyard where Li Qingzhao lived, and they had come to wish the old lady a Happy New Year.
Although the old lady was extremely famous, she was very poor, saying that she had been relying on friends for support for the past few years. It was rumored that she was Chen Shanzhang's unrequited love, so Lin Zhou probably had an answer as to who these friends were—
"Grandma, your living conditions are really bad." Lin Zhou leaned against the door eating dried fruit, looking at Li Qingzhao's dilapidated house with a slightly critical eye: "Your reputation doesn't deserve to live in a place like this."
"I'm not poor, but I've lost quite a bit." Li Qingzhao sighed helplessly, "I can't control my hands. I heard you've been auditing classes at the North City Academy to prepare for the imperial examinations?"
"Oh, did Headmaster Chen tell you?" Lin Zhou turned around and glanced around. "Where is he? I haven't seen him."
"You brat!" Li Qingzhao laughed and scolded, "You have no manners!"
"Grandma, your conditions are so bad, why don't you move to the city? I'll pay for your rent, I have money."
Lin Zhou never pretended when he spoke; he was genuinely wealthy. Moreover, his first thought was that the most talented woman of the Song Dynasty, perhaps even the most talented woman in history, shouldn't be living in such a place.
"No need." Li Qingzhao pointed at Lin Zhou: "I heard you've done something big these past few days. Be careful. I've known Zhang Jun for a long time, and he's not exactly a magnanimous person."
"There are countless people who are petty and narrow-minded." Lin Zhou curled his lip, then picked up the box at his feet and placed it in front of Li Qingzhao: "Grandma, this is the wine and a little surprise I brought for you."
"A little surprise?"
Li Qingzhao bent down and opened the bamboo box. Inside, besides twelve bottles of wine, there was also a finely crafted octavo booklet with the title "Selected Poems of Li Qingzhao" on the cover.
She picked it up and flipped through it, a smile spreading across her face. Each page contained one of her poems, with annotations below, and illustrations as well.
Anyone who has read ancient books knows that the printing quality at that time was just so-so. However, the printing quality of this book is amazing. Every illustration is incredibly clear and the colors are vibrant. Although the paintings of ladies are imitations of ancient styles, they are bright and beautiful. In particular, the illustrations for the section "Mistakenly Entering the Depths of Lotus Blossoms" depict a woman slightly tipsy drifting along in a small boat. A few flower arrangements vividly portray the girl's delicate beauty and the scenery.
The saying goes, "If the spring breeze has pity on the flowers, may I be young again." Nostalgia for youth is a characteristic of all humankind, especially as one grows old and frail, this longing becomes even more pronounced.
Li Qingzhao's eyes visibly reddened. She gently stroked the woman on the small boat with her fingers, as if she were embracing her younger self across time and space.
I was only sixteen at the time.
She spoke softly, as if she were not speaking to Lin Zhou and Lu You, but to herself at the age of six thousand.
She held the selection of poems with such delight that she didn't even think about why the young man would have such a beautiful object in his hands.
"Grandma, do you like it?"
"I don't like it." She gently placed the poem selection on her lap and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief: "Things I finally managed to forget have suddenly come back to me."
Lin Zhou chuckled, "I brought two thousand copies! I'm going to sell these in my shop!"
Two thousand copies? My collection of poems? Is it all of this quality?
"Well—you see, I think this one is quite nice, so—"
Li Qingzhao smiled and shook her head: "Whatever you say, but you can't sell it cheaply."
"I'll give you 30%." Lin Zhou chuckled. "But when it goes on sale, you'll have to show your face for me."
"Oh?" Li Qingzhao tilted her head back: "Thirty percent is quite a lot, don't lose out."
"If you don't gamble, you'll most likely be able to live a peaceful and comfortable old age."
"We can't do without gambling," Li Qingzhao said half-jokingly, then her expression changed when she looked at Lu You.
"How is the book being repaired?"
"Alright, alright—"
Lu You, who had been lost in thought, was brought back to his senses by the call. He quickly took out his revised copy of "Flowers in the Mirror" from his bosom and handed it to Li Qingzhao, saying, "The second book is still being compiled."
Li Qingzhao's attitude towards Lin Zhou was completely different from her attitude towards Lu You. To Lin Zhou, she treated him like a naughty child, with no demands and a naturally gentle and loving attitude. But to Lu You, she treated him as a disciple, extremely strict and firm.
The cunning and ruthless Lu family swordsman was as obedient as a child in front of her.
"Who are you trying to read this half-classical, half-vernacular nonsense for? Tales of the strange and fables are meant to be written in vernacular Chinese, for young people, not for scholars. Aren't you just putting on a show of hypocrisy? Rewrite it!"
Li Qingzhao slammed the book on the table: "You can't have your cake and eat it too. You are Lu You, not Lu Zi. You shouldn't be so eager to teach others. I'm reading your work not to have you lecture me, but to stimulate my thinking with interest! But you, who told you to run a school for others?"
Lin Zhou silently took two steps back. The aura of Old Mrs. Li, the homeroom teacher, suddenly exploded in front of him, making his heart pound—
Lu You silently put away his book: "Teacher's words are correct. I will go back and correct them immediately."
After they left the old lady's house, Lu You patted his chest and let out a long sigh: "Why are you only scolding me—"
"Isn't that obvious? Didn't you go out of your way to call me 'disciple' back then? And you weren't happy when people treated you like a disciple. What, you only feel good if I get scolded along with you?"
"That's not exactly what I meant—"
As the two were talking, a group of beautiful young women walked past them and entered Li Qingzhao's courtyard. Judging from their attire, they were probably young ladies from wealthy families in the city. The two exchanged a glance, and Lin Zhou tossed his head: "Let's go! Back!"
"Walk!"
The two returned, and Li Qingzhao, seeing them come back and glancing at the girls of all ages in the room, knew exactly what had happened. But she wasn't one to spoil the mood, so she just chuckled and invited everyone to sit down.
Without a doubt, the most dazzling star in this little house today is the collection of Li Qingzhao's poems. The girls exclaimed and passed it around. The poems themselves are undoubtedly top-notch, but what attracts them even more are the illustrations. Girls are inherently powerless against bright and cheerful things, and when combined with Li Qingzhao's poems and their hearts fluttering with the spring breeze, images immediately spring to life in their minds.
When the young ladies learned that Lin Zhou had compiled the anthology, they couldn't sit still. Being young and steeped in the Tang Dynasty's cultural tradition, they grabbed Lin Zhou's arms, calling him "good brother" this and "good brother" that, insisting he make one for them too.
"Alright, alright, give me all the lyrics you've written, and I'll get you a bound volume." Lin Zhou was completely lost in the crisp sound of "brother," not only agreeing to their requests but also inviting them to drink and admire the lanterns.
Amidst the cheers of the little girls, Lu You pulled his hand and said, "Isn't this inappropriate—so many? What kind of behavior is this?"
"Damn, what a prestigious occasion! Look at them—aren't they all beautiful young women? Those who can come out today are all unmarried girls; how many times in your life will you see that? Besides, aren't we just making the old lady happy?"
"Oh dear, you've really put me in a terrible situation!" Lu You lamented, beating his chest and stamping his feet.
But after several dishes and rounds of drinks, this guy started acting crazy, going around giving poems to everyone—
What about lines like "Her delicate eyebrows are like distant mountains, her skin like autumn water" and "Her fair hands pluck flowers in the secluded courtyard, her hair like clouds falling askew, so soft and graceful"? They almost turned Lu You into Liu Yong!
until----
Until Tang Wan and Hong Liu, who were out for a stroll and were looking for a refreshing drink, caught them red-handed —
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. I wish all husbands a prosperous and successful new year, and in 2026, may you be free from illness and disaster, enjoy good health, and have a bright future.
Whether it's my new husband or my old husband who's been with me all along, we should all live and work hard and make outstanding contributions to the early realization of the Four Modernizations.
Alright, that's all for now. Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!