Against the Current - Chapter 274

Chapter 274 - Orchid Poetry (Part 2)

Lin Dongwan smiled and said, "Eldest brother always has good things on hand. Where did this pendant come from?"

Lin Jinlou replied, "The other day, when I accompanied the imperial entourage to Xiantong Temple, the temple abbot brought out a tray of trinkets. The Crown Prince bestowed a few upon me, including both gold and jade items. This pendant was among those awarded at the same time."

Lin Dongwan exclaimed, "Oh my, so it's an item from the Eastern Palace! This is truly extraordinary; it even makes me tempted to write a poem."

Lin Dongqi gently nudged her and smiled, "Then you should write one quickly. Later on, I'll judge the poems and award my sister first place."

Lin Dongwan laughed, "Amitabha, Second Sister should whisper that to me quietly. To say such a thing in front of everyone, where they can all hear, what shall we do?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jiang Xiyun looked at the piece of jade, then at Lin Jinlou, and finally turned her gaze to Xianglan. She thought to herself, "For Lin Jinlou to pull Chen Xianglan out to write poetry in a setting like this is clearly meant to elevate her status and save face for her. Otherwise, what place does a concubine—no matter how favored—have standing here? This shows she is truly a formidable rival. By doing this, Lin Jinlou is signaling both to me and to our Jiang family!" A stifled feeling rose in her chest, and she took a deep breath.

As for Jiang Feiyun, she thought to herself, "Earlier, I didn't participate in the poetry gathering because writing too well would inevitably eclipse Fifth Sister's spotlight, while writing mediocrely would diminish my own reputation. Instead, I might as well write a piece to help Fifth Sister and take down that concubine's arrogance a notch. In historical anecdotes and romance tales, talented scholars and beautiful maidens often form bonds through trinkets—be it jade pendants, handkerchiefs, scented sachets, or bracelets and earrings. Later on, if I help Fifth Sister win first place, and tales spread in the future of how 'the fifth daughter of the Jiang family won Lin Jinlou's jade pendant due to her superior poetic talent,' it will not only make for a romantic story, but also solidify this marriage by seventy or eighty percent." Lowering her head, she quietly began to compose a regulated verse.

Although Lin Dongwan wore a smile on her face, she alternated glances between Lin Jinlou, Xianglan, and Jiang Xiyun. Covering her mouth with her fan, she whispered to Lin Dongqi, "Second Sister, who do you think eldest brother wants to win this pendant?"

Lin Dongqi whispered back, "Naturally, whoever writes the best will win it."

Lin Dongwan chuckled, "Tsk, the two of us will be judging shortly, but of course we have to discern eldest brother's intentions. Tell me... is he showing romantic interest in Jiang Xiyun, or is he trying to lift up Xianglan?"

Lin Dongqi had long since grown resigned to her sister's knack for reading people's expressions and currying favor at every turn. After pondering for a moment, she waved her fan and replied, "I can't guess."

By this time, Caifeng had already posted everyone's drawn poetry prompts on the wall. Jiang Danyun had drawn "Thinking of Orchids," Jiang Xiyun had "Admiring Orchids," Tan Luhua had "Solitary Orchid," Lin Dongxi had "Abandoned Orchid," and lastly, Xianglan had "Fragrant Orchid."

Over here, Tan Luhua had already shoved a brush into Xianglan's hand, saying, "Hurry up, once this stick of incense burns down, it'll be time to hand in our drafts."

Xianglan had no choice in the matter. She had never wanted to come in the first place, and now that Lin Jinlou had pushed her to stand here, she felt thoroughly awkward from head to toe. She knew Lin Jinlou was deliberately trying to raise her status, but being placed in such a situation only made her feel more mortified. Although the Jiang sisters treated her with outward politeness, they were also exceedingly aloof, carrying a faint undertone of arrogance. If not for the Lin sisters and Tan Luhua treating her with relative warmth and kindness, she would have felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles, no matter how calm she looked on the outside.

The stone table in the pavilion was already crowded full, so Xianglan had no choice but to stand outside, holding her brush while the maid Mengyin cleared off a small side table and spread out the paper. Xianglan thought to herself, "If I write too well and surpass everyone else, I'll just be making a fool of myself. Not only will the people here be displeased, but Madam will also despise me for lacking situational awareness. It would be better to write a mediocre piece—something passable that doesn't cause a loss of face." Raising her brush, she scribbled a random opening line on the paper: "A pure form holds fragrance, emitting a secluded beauty." Lin Jinlou strolled up behind her, and seeing such a mediocre opening line, his brow furrowed slightly.

This jade orchid pendant was something he had intended to give to Xianglan all along. Knowing full well Xianglan's talent and learning, Lin Jinlou had wanted to give her a chance to shine before everyone today, and then use the items bestowed by the Crown Prince to add extra luster to her name, so that an honorable reputation would spread and people everywhere would treat her with greater respect.

It was simply exasperating that little Xianglan failed to comprehend his intentions and had written such a substandard opening line on the very first try. Lin Jinlou lowered his voice and said, "What kind of utter nonsense are you writing?"

Startled, Xianglan turned her head, caught sight of Lin Jinlou, and felt a flare of anger rising in her chest. "If eldest master thinks it's no good, you can write one yourself," she retorted, turning back around to write the next line.

Lin Jinlou said, "Write a proper one, did you hear me? You're even capable of explaining the Analects to Deger, and the poetry you usually inscribe on paintings isn't this vulgar."

Xianglan continued to ignore him.

Though somewhat annoyed, Lin Jinlou found her stubborn little expression deeply endearing, so he added, "Fine then, if you write a proper piece, your master will reward you handsomely. But if you write poorly..." He stroked his chin and said, "If you write poorly, you can forget about taking those paintings of yours out to sell. I mean what I say, did you hear me?"

Xianglan's eyes widened into round circles, her face instantly turning flushed with anger. "How can eldest master be like this!" she protested indignantly.

Seeing her flushed little face, Lin Jinlou felt an itch in his heart, thinking that if there weren't others around, he would definitely give her cheek a pinch. Smiling broadly, he replied, "Why can't I be like this? I have always done whatever I pleased. Write properly, did you hear me?" With that, he turned around and strode away with an elegant gait.

Angered to the point of misty tears, Xianglan struggled hard to suppress the crying urge. After feeling aggrieved for a moment, she had no choice but to start over and compose a new poem.

By this time, Tan Luhua had already finished her piece, and Jiang Danyun and Lin Dongxi had also completed theirs, taking fresh sheets of paper to make clean copies. Peeking sideways at what Jiang Xiyun had written, Jiang Feiyun saw that while the poem had a basic framework, it lacked polish and its artistic conception was far from elevated—it was utterly mediocre. Jiang Xiyun, who naturally carried extra weight and suffered from the heat, was already drenched in sweat and lamenting inwardly, "What use is writing this wretched stuff? It's just pretentious and affected. No matter how well you write, can you surpass Li Bai and Du Fu? It's just a boring parlor game for women, yet I can't even leave. It's truly tedious—I'd rather go fishing; at least if I catch something, it counts as a meal."

Just as she was inwardly complaining, she heard Jiang Feiyun whisper from behind her, "The concluding couplet is no good: 'The people of the time do not know the East Wind's affection, pouring out secluded grievances to the crimson morning glow.' It immediately drops to an inferior level. Even though the antithesis in the second couplet—'the moon plays with light clouds' matching 'curtains roll back the west wind'—is well-crafted, Li Yian's literary allusion has already been used to death, earning it the label of 'vulgarity.'"

Jiang Xiyun whispered, "Then what should I do? At this point, I really can't think of anything else."

Jiang Feiyun replied, "Never mind that for now. Copy over the rest first and leave those lines blank."

Delighted to have found a shortcut, Jiang Xiyun beamed with smiles, nuzzling up against Jiang Feiyun and saying flatteringly, "Good sister, I love you the most. Tomorrow I'll make another pair of tiger-head shoes for my little nephew."

Tapping the tip of Jiang Xiyun's nose, Jiang Feiyun chuckled, "You little slickster, you're the only one with such a sweet tongue." Stealthily, she wrote down a slip of paper and handed it over. Unfolding it, Jiang Xiyun saw that what Jiang Feiyun had composed was indeed far more ambitious and profound in conception than her own. Overjoyed, she hurriedly set about copying it down.

Observing this from the side, Lin Dongxi initially wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Senior Sister Xia sitting nearby watching her and giving an imperceptible shake of her head. Lin Dongxi was forced to swallow her words. Turning her head, she saw Tan Luhua also coldly eyeing the two Jiang girls with a mocking expression on her face, clearly having noticed as well. Sharing a tacit understanding, Dongxi and Luhua exchanged a glance before lowering their heads.

Lin Dongwan saw it all as well, but feigned ignorance, continuing to chat and laugh with Lin Dongqi.

Senior Sister Xia took a sip of tea and looked toward Xianglan, only to see her brush flying across the paper in a flurry of strokes, completing the piece in no time at all.

Just as the "sweet-dream incense" in the burner burned down, Lin Dongqi clapped her hands and smiled, saying, "We want to see the poems. Has everyone finished?"

Xiangyun collected the poems, and everyone inspected them one by one. The first draft on top belonged to Jiang Danyun, which read:

Thinking of Orchids

Alone I ascend the western tower harboring secluded thoughts;

In the Chu marshes and orchid swamps, I waste my fragrant prime.

Beneath dense shades cicadas drone, the clouds lack any cheer;

Deep in the courtyard behind high walls, summer is already late.

A myriad pulses of emotion follow the distant pure fragrance;

A single stray thought leaves the heart obsessed with prolonged illness.

No one is left who can comprehend the profound meaning within;

Tears of mutual understanding have no appointed date to meet.

After reading it, everyone praised, "Truly every single line breathes the word 'thinking,' it completely captures the essence of the prompt." Lin Dongqi remarked, "It's just a bit too sorrowful." Jiang Feiyun said, "Thinking of orchids, thinking of orchids—naturally it means 'pining with every single thought.' How could it not be sorrowful?" Looking further down, they came to Jiang Xiyun's piece:

Admiring Orchids

Jade cups and emerald rings adorn a fragrant skin,

Standing gracefully upon the desk amid lamp shadows.

The moon plays with light clouds, illuminating floral shadows;

Fragrance separates the western window, locking in cool winds.

All speak of the capital's brocaded flowers in abundance,

Yet here grow the secluded grasses of the Qinhai shores.

Pure souls scatter and fall after drifting to the Xiang River,

While delicate moth-brows find it hard to match immortal bones.

Lin Dongqi praised, "The final line is the best. By alluding to Qu Yuan, it elevates the entire conceptual depth of the piece." Everyone nodded in agreement and looked further down, where Tan Luhua's poem read:

Solitary Orchid

A solitary orchid grows brilliantly in its old garden,

While withered courtyard weeds and wild grass compete to bury it.

Transplanted to a splendid hall to sport in the spring radiance,

It gazes out with longing at an empty fence against a cold moon.

The spring breeze passes secretly through pattering frost,

While bees and butterflies circle around as the rain stops and rests.

Only fearing to辜负 (disappoint) the intent of youth's prime,

It scatters into spring mud, its flowers failing to bloom.

Jiang Feiyun smiled. "Splendid! As expected of Second Sister-in-law of the Xuan household; she's a true literary talent in the boudoir, and what she writes naturally carries an air of proud arrogance." Lin Dongqi smiled and said, "As for the artistic realm, however, we must still defer to Fifth Cousin's piece. Second Sister-in-law, do you concede or not?" Naturally, Tan Luhua refused to concede; a faint smile merely hung on her lips as she kept silent. Then, seeing that Lin Dongxi had written:

Abandoned Orchid

Partridge calls echo, crying over the green waters;

An abandoned stock of Chu orchid blooms in Nanxun.

Fine stamens fondle butterflies, drifting with flowing waves;

The east wind sweeps the fragrance up to the blue clouds.

At sunset, gathering angelica from distant marshlands;

After the rain, transplanting it into the shade of the imperial courtyard.

Springtime slips away, startling one with melancholy;

The noble scion does not return, the forbidden halls are deep.

Lin Dongwan laughed, "Such desolation—it really doesn't look like something written by someone about to experience great joy. Later on, you must be penalized and made to write another one." Lin Dongxi blushed and said, "What is Eldest Sister saying, making fun of me like this? This piece was squeezed out by wracking my brains; even if it's no good, there's nothing more." Pulling Lin Dongxi into an embrace, Lin Dongqi smiled, "Eldest Sister is just teasing you. The prompt was difficult to begin with, and you wrote this one quite well."

The final poem belonged to Xianglan. As everyone crowded together to look, they saw it was written in extremely exquisite, regular script. Lin Dongqi thought to herself, "Putting everything else aside, just this single stroke of calligraphy is something none of the girls who wrote poems just now can compare to. Fifth Cousin's poem is passable, but her handwriting is mediocre and lacks structural backbone." Looking closely at the text, it read:

Fragrant Orchid

Lush and graceful secluded orchids bloom in the empty valley;

Soaring and proud, they stand independent, leaving behind all other flora.

Their robust bones harbor elegance, holding jade-like azure;

Their pure postures contain charm, condensing floating light.

Fierce winds find it hard to break the gentleman's resolve;

Sudden rains manage to surpass the ruler's fragrance.

Once one chants the writings of Qu Yuan and Song Yu,

Their eternal, lofty sentiments fill the Hall of Clear Skies.