After having a drink, Bai Yi leaned against a tree and laughed. Xiao Shiyun moved a bit further away from him. “What are you acting crazy for?”
Bai Yi reached out to catch the pear blossoms falling in the wind. “Hahahaha, do you not think it is beautiful? It is so great being an ancient person! Look at that street behind us, it is packed, and there is a boat banquet on the river. How about we go have a meal?”
“Let’s go,” Xiao Shiyun replied, acting as if he were taking a country bumpkin to see the world. He walked in front holding his sword. To prevent the crowd from separating them, Bai Yi hooked his fingers through Xiao Shiyun’s belt.
In the middle of the noisy crowd, Bai Yi shouted, “Xiao Shiyun, look back at me for a second!”
Xiao Shiyun turned around. The two of them stopped amidst the flow of people pushing past. He saw the flickering lamplight reflected in Bai Yi’s eyes. “What is it?”
Bai Yi thought of the scene in the novel where the scholar confesses to the little Emperor. The setting was perfect: the right time, the right place, and the right person. If he did not confess now, when would he? He did not believe Xiao Shiyun would be unmoved by such a beautiful atmosphere.
“Xiao Shiyun, I like you,” Bai Yi said it as if it were a joke.
In the din of voices, Xiao Shiyun only saw Bai Yi’s mouth opening and closing. He stepped closer to where Bai Yi stood and asked, “What did you say?”
He did not hear it. Bai Yi hesitated for a moment about whether to repeat it. No, he had to say it. In TV dramas, such melodramatic moments always lead to missed opportunities.
He stood on his tiptoes, threw his arms around Xiao Shiyun’s neck, and drunkenly whispered into his ear, “Xiao Shiyun, I like you. Did you hear it clearly this time?”
Xiao Shiyun’s thoughts slowed by a beat. “You said, what?”
“I like you, I like you, I like you! I will say it ten thousand more times, I like you!” Bai Yi used all his courage. Please, just follow me home.
Xiao Shiyun’s eyes darted away as he turned his head to look at the tavern on the side. “You are so slow, let’s go! Do you want to eat at the boat banquet or not?”
“Are you shy? I get it. I will say I like you every day from now on to help you desensitize.”
“You are sick. Let’s go.” Xiao Shiyun walked very fast, not caring at all if Bai Yi was keeping up.
Just as Bai Yi was about to catch up, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to see a scholar who was a bit taller than him. The scholar had a face like a peach blossom and eyes full of smiles: a true gentleman, gentle as jade. In the night, his long green robes fluttered like an immortal’s. He asked softly, “Does the young master know where there is good wine nearby?”
“Ah? I just bought wine from the shop up ahead. Just walk a bit further and you will see a wine shop selling apricot blossom wine, osmanthus wine, and things like that.” Bai Yi pointed in a direction. He thought to himself that this guy had asked the right person; the wine he just bought was definitely the best he had ever tasted.
The scholar looked a bit embarrassed by his empty pockets. “May I ask, is the wine expensive? I did not bring much money with me.”
“Forget it, I just bought a lot of wine. Wait a second, I will go to the carriage and get a jar for you.”
“How can I accept that? The young master should name a price. I have troubled you too much.”
Bai Yi looked back for Xiao Shiyun but could not see him anywhere. He suddenly felt this scholar was too fussy. “Then come with me so you will not be troubling me. Let’s go.”
He was probably influenced by Xiao Shiyun’s mood, as his expression showed a bit of irritation. To prevent the scholar from getting lost, he grabbed his wrist and started running back toward where he had bought the wine.
Stopping by the carriage, Bai Yi leaned over to take out a jar of the peony wine he and Xiao Shiyun had just shared and tossed it to the scholar.
The scholar secretly observed the carriage made of dark ebony wood, then smiled, revealing two tiger teeth. He caught the wine steadily, his bright smile soul-stirring. “Many thanks, young master. I am the top scholar of Jiangzhou. I wonder what the young master’s name is, so that I may repay you in the future.”
“Repay for what? Just go. If fate allows, we will meet again.”
“In that case, I will come to this wine shop in three days with a great gift to wait for the young master. Whether you come or not, I will wait.”
“Hey, why do you not listen to advice? I said we will meet if it is meant to be. Even if I wanted to see you, I would have to find the time.” As Bai Yi spoke, the strange scholar had already left, vanishing into the night.
As a true Northerner, the DNA of hospitality was carved into Bai Yi’s bones. In the past, if someone visited his home, he could not only cook three dishes and a soup but also pack his bags and leave his own room for the guest. Sending this person a jar of wine was purely out of habit. Bai Yi straightened his back; he did not know where Xiao Shiyun had gone, but he figured he was waiting for him at the boat banquet.
Bai Yi turned around and jumped back two steps in fright. His lower back slammed into the carriage wheel, and for some reason, his knees felt a bit weak.
Xiao Shiyun’s face was hidden under his bamboo hat, revealing only a sharp jawline. His expression was dark and his face was as pale as a ghost. The sword at his waist was unsheathed by three inches, its silver-white glow startlingly bright in the dark night.
“Xiao Shiyun, the reason I did not keep up was because someone asked me where to buy wine. I did not lose you on purpose. Let me explain.”
Xiao Shiyun boarded the carriage without a word. Bai Yi said anxiously from below, “He really just tapped me suddenly. I do not even know who he is!”
The carriage started moving. Bai Yi chased after it, shouting, “Is it not because you did not wait for me? There are so many people, yet you insisted on walking so fast!”
The previously slow carriage suddenly sped up, kicking up a cloud of dust. Bai Yi reached out a hand in vain.
“Bastard, dog temper. I am not going to indulge you.” Bai Yi kicked a pebble by the roadside.
He found a sweet dumpling stall and sat down. Squinting, he saw the scholar who had just left participating in a lantern riddle and poetry competition nearby. Without thinking, Bai Yi walked toward him. He had to take responsibility for the trouble he caused; at least he had to tell the guy how to get to the palace or where to rent a carriage.
The crowd gathered around the poetry stage. The first place was held by that scholar who looked like a jade-faced fox. The top of the leaderboard bore the name for the regional trials: Zhang Kongting.
“Is there anyone else who wants to challenge the top seed? This is the final couplet. If the challenger succeeds, all fifty taels of silver won by the top seed will go to the winner. If they fail, they must give the top seed an additional ten taels. Who wants to participate?”
The official on the stage spoke with a smile. The crowd below was in an uproar. Women browsing the market and vendors shook their heads at each other. This man had won five rounds in a row; who would dare bet on this last one?
“Me, me, me! I will compete with him!” Bai Yi jumped up, raising his hand and squeezing through the crowd. What a joke. Whether he was right or not, he would try. It was fifty taels of silver, and he was currently worrying about how to get back to the palace.
A smile appeared in Zhang Kongting’s eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said warmly, “Benefactor, please.”
The official invited Bai Yi onto the stage. Under the moonlight, a gong was struck, and Bai Yi suddenly felt his breath tighten.
What do I do, what do I do? Three Hundred Tang Poems, protect me. Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Su Shi, protect me. Work, you stupid brain!
Listening to the wonderful sound of the pipa from the painted boats in the river, Bai Yi relaxed a little. The sweat on his palms was smoothed over by the dry night breeze.
Zhang Kongting stared into Bai Yi’s eyes tenderly and gave the first line: “When the Golden Wind and Jade Dew meet.”
“It surpasses countless encounters in the human world,” Bai Yi answered fluently. Too easy. The top scholar was nothing special. With fifty taels of silver about to fall into his hands, Bai Yi laughed inwardly at his newfound fortune.
But he did not hear the expected applause. Bai Yi looked down, only to hear the crowd let out a collective, teasing “Ooh.”
What does that mean? Did I get it wrong?
Outside the crowd, an inconspicuous dark ebony carriage was parked. Inside, the floor was covered with broken porcelain from a teacup. The driver and the secret guards all held their breath in unison.