Green Mountain
Chapter 73 - 63, True Bodhisattva

Chapter 73: 63, True Bodhisattva

The bustle of Baiyi Lane differed from that of Hongyi Lane, where the establishments were called brothels, teahouses, lower houses, and kilns; here, the stores bore the name "Qingyin Small Class."

Baiyi Lane had clean, green brick pavement, even carved with patterns of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums.

Here, there were no calls to lure customers, nor lascivious women standing on the second floor beckoning to patrons, only the sounds of string music drifting from the buildings and courtyards, with the women’s singing voices tender and touching, plucking at one’s heartstrings.

Hearing their voices without seeing their faces was like a lady embracing a pipa, concealing her appearance.

Chen Ji opened his eyes, golden melon seeds gleaming, weighty in his palm.

He had not meant to wait for the golden melon seeds to fall into his hand before opening his eyes; he was simply stunned after being knocked down by a Giant Spearman...

At that moment, the activity in front of the embroidery building picked up again, drawing everyone’s attention: the Chen Mansion’s carriage from the Luocheng Magistrate had arrived.

A spacious carriage stopped at the entrance, Chen Wenzong, Chen Wenxiao, and Lin Chaojing alighted together, arriving at the table with laughter.

Chen Wenzong asked with a smile, "Brother Chaojing, will it be you or me? A single poem suffices to admit four, so any of us could do."

He spoke with certainty, as if assured of victory.

Lin Chaojing, smiling, humbly deferred, "Naturally, it should be Brother Wenzong. It’s been more than half a month since we left Donglin Academy, and I’ve longed to savor your poetry. Have you penned anything new?"

"I have," Chen Wenzong answered with a smile.

These three scholars were the very image of grace. Now that the weather was cooling, they were each draped early in simple fur coats.

Fur coats came in various grades, and the white fox fur on them was among the most expensive.

Liu Quxing, standing nearby, scoffed softly, "Wearing fur coats before winter, aren’t they bothered by the heat? Why not carry a hand warmer too!"

The following moment, however, a groom removed Chen Wenzong’s fur coat from his shoulders, while he picked up the brush from the table and swiftly penned four poems.

After writing, he looked to the greeter waitresses outside the embroidery building with a smile, "Since there are three of us together, we won’t take advantage of Liu Xingshou’s offer; one poem per person for a second-floor elegant seat."

One greeter waitress asked with a smile, "Why write an extra one?"

"This is a gift solely for Liu Xingshou."

Onlookers cheered, praising Chen Wenzong’s flair truly befitting a debonair scholar.

Chen Wenxiao laughed, "Brother, your talent is immense. You will surely top the county exam this time!"

Chen Wenzong’s face showed a hint of displeasure, "You need to work hard... Ah well, let’s not ruin your mood today."

The greeter waitress took the poems upstairs, and after a short while, she returned to the entrance, announcing with a smile, "My lady says that Master Wenzong has cleverly captured spring, summer, autumn, and winter in the four poems. Gentlemen, please ascend!"

Princess Bai Li glanced between Chen Wenzong and Chen Ji, "Your father is far too biased."

Chen Ji just smiled, "No matter, I’m living quite well as it is."

The Princely Heir exclaimed, "Even your legitimate second brother, Chen Wenxiao, wasn’t much better than me back at Donglin Academy. I’ve seen him in the tavern down the hill. Now he acts all prim and proper. People only give him that bit of respect for Chen Wenzong’s sake."

Princess Bai Li frowned, "Brother, don’t speak ill of others behind their backs!"

"I’m talking about Wenxiao..."

"Nobody, it’s not what gentlemen do! If you’re dissatisfied with him, you should confront him later!"

The Princely Heir raised his hands, "Alright alright, I’ll stop talking..."

While they were talking, the greeter waitress announced, "Gentlemen, there are few elegant seats left on the second floor. If you have poems ready, please present them."

These words made the Princely Heir anxious.

He leaned over to Chen Ji when others weren’t paying attention, "Quick, quick, do you have any poems?"

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "Aside from the earlier line, we need two more to suffice; a single golden melon seed won’t be enough."

Princess Bai Li slipped another golden melon seed into his palm with a whisper of complaint, "It’s like making an offering to a deity, having to donate money for incense."

The Princely Heir chuckled, "Sister, when you make an offering to a deity, they might not care, but if you donate to Chen Ji, he’ll take note immediately; consider him your deity."

After a moment of thought and tucking the golden melon seeds into his sleeves, Chen Ji selected two more lines of poetry and quietly taught them to the Princely Heir.

Princess Bai Li’s eyes twinkled on the side, "Why is it only half lines? It would be so much better if the whole poem could be composed; what a pity... Hey, why are you asleep again?!"

Chen Ji did not respond, already back on Qingshan battling once more.

The Princely Heir and Princess Bai Li approached the embroidery building; someone recognized them, "It’s Prince Jing’s Princely Heir and Commandery Princess Bai Li!"

Others murmured, "Is that the ’foolish’ Princely Heir mentioned by the Donglin Scholars..."

"Shush! Do you have a death wish?"

"No worries, the Princely Heir is kind-hearted; he won’t mind."

It’s a strange world principle; the more malevolent you are, the less others dare to bully you. But if you’re too kind, then everyone feels free to step on you.

But there stood the Princely Heir at the table, brushing down his bold strokes full of vigor and ardor, when he came to the third line, he whispered, "Bai Li, what was the third line again?"

"Thousands of birds fly away from the mountains..." It wasn’t until Princess Bai Li’s reminder that the Princely Heir penned the third line.

He put down his brush and looked up at the greeter waitresses, "Done, but I’m different from the others."

The greeter waitresses had also gleaned his identity from the bystanders and asked with a smile, "May I ask the Princely Heir, in what way are you different?"

The Princely Heir swelled with pride, "Others have to write an entire poem to gain entry, but I’ve written better—half a phrase is enough! Take it, let Liu Xingshou see for himself!"