Lu Sheng Zhong hadn't expected Tang Xiang Yang to be so loose-tongued when drunk.
Tang Xiang Yang, already propping his head with an elbow, mumbled something in his drunken stupor:
"Withered leaves of love adrift..."
And so he revealed something that left Lu Sheng Zhong speechless. It turned out this pair of lovers was cunning. Even more cunning than him! They had managed to break through the complex barriers of the ruler's palace.
The ruler's palace garden was fed by flowing water from outside. A person couldn't sneak in, but leaves could travel along the water. That's how this pair communicated with leaves. In this way, they endured the bitterness of separation.
The two lovers agreed to send letters to each other at the same time. And in case a letter happened to sink, they sent many letters. How much patience must that have required?
At the appointed time, Tang Xiang Yang would send letters to Shao Liu Er by water, and she, in turn, would also send letters to Tang Xiang Yang by flowing water at the appointed time.
Thanks to this cunning trick, the loving couple continued to communicate. And through this method, Tang Xiang Yang learned that the poetry society had been disbanded by order of Shao Ping Bo.
Tang Xiang Yang had once even thought of going to Shao Ping Bo and declaring his desire to marry his sister. But who could have known that reality would begin to press down on him so heavily?
He was fired from his teaching post. Fortunately, Tang Xiang Yang was renowned in Beizhou for his artistry; otherwise, he wouldn't have managed to capture Shao Liu Er's attention. So he quickly found another teaching position, but before two days had passed, the master found an excuse to dismiss him.
This wasn't a one-time occurrence; it happened repeatedly. He would find work, only to be fired after a short while. Tang Xiang Yang was no fool and understood that this was connected to the Shao family.
He tried engaging in other businesses, but there too, he was driven away and given no opportunity to progress.
In the end, Tang Xiang Yang had to pawn his family's belongings, and that's how he scraped by until the present day.
Although the Shao family never said anything outright, they made it clear in every conceivable way that Tang Xiang Yang could not marry Shao Liu Er.
Now, if he couldn't even feed himself, how could he possibly go and confront Shao Ping Bo?
He now increasingly believed that he and Shao Liu Er were on different levels, that it was impossible for different classes to be together. With sorrow and grief in his heart, and reality pressing down, he had no choice but to abandon the thought of marrying Shao Liu Er.
He also understood that in such a situation, he wouldn't last long in Beizhou. There were no more belongings left in the house, and the day when he would have to leave Beizhou was fast approaching.
He had already prepared thoroughly, and there was almost nothing left in the house. Soon, he would have to sell the house his parents had left him. With the proceeds, he decided he would travel. He needed to wake up from that sweet dream and return to reality!
As he recounted all this, tears streamed down Tang Xiang Yang's face. He slumped onto the table and fell asleep, muttering:
"Liu Er... Liu Er..."
"Brother Tang, Brother Tang..." Lu Sheng Zhong nudged Tang Xiang Yang's shoulder several times, but he was already asleep.
Lu Sheng Zhong noticed that even though this fellow had nearly sold everything he owned, he still clung to Shao Liu Er. He must truly be in love with her and, deep down, still harbored some hope.
Indeed, this man was stuck in old customs. But who were you, and who was she? Was it truly necessary to fall in love with her? Would the Shao family ever allow the two of you to be together?
However, he didn't want to argue about this with Tang Xiang Yang. For Tang Xiang Yang was a scholar with an unyielding spirit who refused to compromise with reality! And if Lu Sheng Zhong were to try dissuading him, he might simply take offense.
Lu Sheng Zhong stood up and paced the room. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a matter. He hadn't thought there was still room for feelings here.
Now he understood why Wu Tian Nan hadn't spoken about this. Apparently, he was afraid that if it were discovered he had blabbed, his tongue would simply be cut out.
Even Wu Tian Nan had discerned their feelings, meaning the relationship between Shao Liu Er and Tang Xiang Yang was no secret at all. It was simply that others dared not speak of it.
Only Lu Sheng Zhong couldn't understand. Knowing Shao Ping Bo's ruthlessness, why was Tang Xiang Yang still alive and well in Beizhou? Why hadn't Shao Ping Bo killed him yet, resorting instead to such a sophisticated method...?
The next day, Tang Xiang Yang, lying in bed, opened his eyes. He pushed himself up with his hands and looked around. It seemed he had drunk too much yesterday. Tang Xiang Yang was in his own bedroom, but he didn't understand how he had ended up there.
Tapping his head, he realized he had never drunk so much before.
A fragrant scent drifted in from outside. Donning his shoes and throwing on his outer robe, Tang Xiang Yang stepped out of the room. A sudden glare hit his eyes as he opened the door. Only then did he discover that he had, in fact, slept until noon.
"Brother Tang, awake?"
Tang Xiang Yang looked outside and saw a man standing under the eaves. If not Brother Li, then who?
He felt a little awkward. He had, after all, neglected his guest in an unseemly manner. So he quickly went back inside, dressed properly, as befitted a scholar, then approached Lu Sheng Zhong and, cupping his hands, said:
"Brother Li, it is I who have been impolite."
Lu Sheng Zhong chuckled and said:
"It happens, nothing serious. Sometimes, one needs to let loose."
He recalled last night and asked:
"Brother Tang?"
Lu Sheng Zhong smiled:
"He woke up early and, seeing you were still asleep, left early. He said he would come to visit you another day."
Tang Xiang Yang slapped his forehead and sighed, reproaching himself for his rudeness.
Lu Sheng Zhong pointed towards the kitchen:
"There's cooked congee in the pot. Brother Tang, you should wash up first."
Tang Xiang Yang cupped his hands and went to wash.
When he returned, Lu Sheng Zhong had already brought a bowl of congee into the hall and laid everything out on the table.
The two men sat down and began to eat. Tang Xiang Yang's financial situation was far from ideal. In the kitchen, besides the congee, he only had some salted vegetables.
Tang Xiang Yang ate like a refined scholar, calmly and slowly.
Every one of his movements was elegant and graceful.
Originally, Lu Sheng Zhong had intended to say something after the meal, but given how refined Tang Xiang Yang's eating was – no one knew when he would finish at that pace – Lu Sheng Zhong was forced to speak during the meal itself.
"Withered leaves of love, Brother Tang, you're quite something."
Tang Xiang Yang froze, then lifted his head and asked:
"What does Brother Li mean?"
Lu Sheng Zhong smiled and said:
"Brother Tang, you drank a lot yesterday and spoke frankly. I know about you and Shao Liu Er."
Tang Xiang Yang's face changed, and he instantly stood up. His mind was in chaos. He blamed himself for drinking so much yesterday.
Lu Sheng Zhong waved his hand, signaling him to sit down.
"Brother Tang, I too am a frank man and will not go about spreading nonsense. Do not worry."
Tang Xiang Yang, lips pressed tightly together, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and, lowering his head, slowly continued to eat.
Who knew that Lu Sheng Zhong would speak again:
"Brother Tang might get angry with me, but I cannot help but look upon all this with disdain!"
"Ah..." Tang Xiang Yang looked up in astonishment.
Lu Sheng Zhong added:
"The girl fell so deeply in love with you, and you? Brother Tang, what have you done? You have harmed her so greatly, and now you treat it as a trivial matter? Is this not selfishness? Her reputation is now stained. How will she marry now? You secretly took advantage of her, yet others know you had relations. And how will others look upon her now? Yet she, on the contrary, worries about you and not about what others will think of her."
Tang Xiang Yang stood up. He was breathing heavily and clearly in torment.
Lu Sheng Zhong also stood:
"What is it, Brother Tang? What are you doing? You clearly know that the girl is suffering because of you, yet you don't seek a way to solve the problem. Like a coward, you've shriveled up here and refuse to show your face. You pity yourself while the girl endures torment. And you're still thinking of leaving?! Brother Tang, are you a man or not? Are you a scoundrel or not? How can one be such a callous wretch? And you still dare to carry books with you!" Lu Sheng Zhong, pointing at him, cursed.
Tang Xiang Yang felt ashamed. Shaking his head, he said:
"I'm just not worthy of her!"
Lu Sheng Zhong asked again:
"If you knew you weren't worthy, why did you flirt with her then? Why did you allow her to meet with you? You merely indulged your selfish impulses! If you knew you weren't worthy of her, why didn't you end the relationship immediately? Had you cut ties long ago, this current situation wouldn't have arisen. And you wouldn't have forced her to endure such disgrace! Or do you dare claim you didn't think you would tarnish the girl's honor? How are you any different from those scoundrels who dally with girls and then abandon them?"
Tang Xiang Yang closed his eyes, and tears streamed down his face. He lifted his head and said with a sigh:
"Brother Li, there's no need to say more. I have harmed her. It is my fault. I have no excuse!"
"Aaah!" Lu Sheng Zhong sighed. He walked around the table and, extending a hand, patted his shoulder:
"Brother Tang, this is certainly difficult to hear. But truthfully, it's not for me—a stranger—to say such things. Yet, since you confided in me so frankly yesterday, I couldn't remain silent. I couldn't bear to watch Brother Tang drift through life in vain! But Brother Tang, you must consider: what virtues did Liu Er fall in love with you for? Are you a wealthy man clothed in power? Or did Shao Liu Er fall for your unparalleled outer beauty?"