Chapter 111: Write a Poem for Me

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Zhao Hengyi sat inside the carriage, listening to the crisp rhythm of hooves striking the road. His thoughts repeatedly returned to the people and events he had encountered at the poetry gathering, especially Eunuch Xi Ning’s reaction, which he examined and reexamined from every angle.

The guards accompanying the carriage wore tense expressions. Their hand crossbows were all cocked, and their eyes roved in every direction as they remained constantly alert for any danger that might appear.

By now, everyone in the entire party understood that once they left the Hibiscus Garden, the master’s safety would no longer be guaranteed.

To catch those lurking in the shadows off guard, the master had departed early, without even waiting for the poetry gathering to end.

The guards knew nothing about poetry. Indeed, had their master not forced them all to attend night school, not a single man among them would have been literate.

Yet they had formed their own understanding of everything that had happened at the gathering that evening.

Their master truly possessed the astonishing literary talent people outside spoke of. With a casual stroke of the brush, he had reduced the grand gentlemen and young masters of Hibiscus Garden—men who normally carried their eyes atop their heads—to obedient silence. It was precisely because of this that they had managed to seize the opportunity their master had mentioned: the chance to leave Hibiscus Garden safely.

According to Zhao Hengyi’s earlier deductions, if he had been unable to produce a new poem capable of astonishing everyone at the gathering that evening, trouble would likely have found him on the road back to the County Princess’s residence.

An ambush or assassination was not especially likely. After all, Eunuch Xi Ning, the envoy of Imperial Consort Chen, was in Jiangling City. If assassinations occurred repeatedly within the city, neither Su Shenchang, the prefect, nor Prince Qi, who was stationed there, would be able to save face.

Zhao Hengyi believed there was a strong possibility that the Ningwu Army guarding the roads would frame him, throw him into prison, and then quietly dispose of him once the uproar had died down.

That was why Zhao Hengyi had not waited for the poetry gathering to end. After writing “Prelude to Water Melody,” he had used his inability to hold his liquor as an excuse to leave Hibiscus Garden ahead of everyone else—as though he had attended the gathering for the sole purpose of unveiling a new lyric and striking the entire literary world of Great Yan across the face.

Given the overwhelming impact of “Prelude to Water Melody,” even if men from the Ningwu Army deliberately picked a quarrel with him, Eunuch Xi Ning would presumably help resolve the matter.

This palace attendant, who had risen from the Imperial Study, was no simple man. His thoughts were far more meticulous than anyone could imagine. It was impossible that he would forget such a remarkable talent as Zhao Hengyi by the following day.

If Prince Qi or Su Shenchang wished to make a move, they would inevitably have to consider Eunuch Xi’s reaction. Before those two men—or the vast net behind them—made up their minds, Zhao Hengyi had to escape alive first.

Leaving Jiangling City was absolutely impossible. The city gates were already shut for the night, and Zhao Hengyi would not have dared leave even in broad daylight.

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He had to remain in Jiangling City and pin the forces of Su Shenchang and Prince Qi firmly to the crude tactic of intercepting him on the road. Only then could he leave without worry.

So long as they did not resort to official methods, Zhao Hengyi truly had nothing to fear from these two great figures who controlled Jiangling City, one civil and one military.

Unless another master like Shadowless appeared, neither Zhao Hengyi nor his guards feared any kind of interception or assassination.

At the poetry gathering, Eunuch Xi’s intention to recruit him had been exceedingly plain, going well beyond the restraint one would expect from a man of his position. Zhao Hengyi had shown a corresponding enthusiasm, though his manner had been somewhat arrogant. His meaning was roughly this: he had attended the entire gathering solely to show off before Eunuch Xi. As for everyone else, Zhao Hengyi had not taken them seriously at all.

Such behavior would inevitably offend a great many people. But so what?

At Hibiscus Garden that evening, Zhao Hengyi cared about only three people: Eunuch Xi, Su Shenchang, and Prince Qi. As for Eunuch Xi, there was no need to say more. Zhao Hengyi had ignored everyone else and shown concern only for him. Surely this exceptionally clever palace attendant understood what Zhao Hengyi was trying to convey.

Su Shenchang, Prince Qi, and Zhao Hengyi had long since reached a situation in which only one side could survive. It was merely that, through a series of coincidences, neither side could settle their grievances openly, granting Zhao Hengyi a brief chance to catch his breath.

No matter how dissatisfied the others were with him, all they could do was ruin his reputation. They did not move in the same circles, and Zhao Hengyi genuinely did not care about the barking of those curs.

“Master, the Ningwu Army has begun mobilizing in large numbers. They are all heading toward Hibiscus Garden.”

Wang Dahu’s low voice came through the carriage door, carrying a trace of excitement.

“Notify the brothers remaining at the inn. Have them prepare for a fight. If anything changes, kill your way toward the County Princess’s residence.”

That evening had been dangerous at every step. The murderous intent concealed beneath it was enough to make one’s scalp prickle. Given Zhao Hengyi’s temperament, he would never be content with merely defending himself. Only by catching everyone off guard and throwing the entire situation in Jiangling City into turmoil could he ensure his own safety to the greatest possible extent.

On the way to Hibiscus Garden, men from the Ningwu Army had already set up checkpoints and begun conducting searches.

They were not targeting Zhao Hengyi alone; everyone along the road was inspected. It was simply that his carriage had been deliberately delayed for a little longer.

The excuse, naturally, was that they were pursuing the notorious bandit who had attempted to assassinate Prefect Su Shenchang a few days earlier. When Zhao Hengyi first arrived at Hibiscus Garden, he had made a point of voicing his displeasure.

Since Su Shenchang wanted to capture the notorious bandit, Zhao Hengyi would arrange one for him.

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Lu Jiuniang possessed an internal-breathing technique of extraordinary power. Her injuries had already healed to a remarkable degree. She was willing to protect Zhao Hengyi and guard against an assassination by Shadowless, but her condition was that he bring her to Jiangling City once more.

Lu Jiuniang had never abandoned her intention of personally killing Su Shenchang, the man responsible for her master’s death. She would never let such an excellent opportunity pass her by.

Zhao Hengyi knew there was no way to persuade her against taking such a dangerous risk. Yet neither could he stand by and allow a young woman to act recklessly as she had the last time.

Thus, Zhao Hengyi took the initiative to devise an operational plan and escape routes for Lu Jiuniang. He also seized the opportunity to throw the entire city of Jiangling into chaos, preparing the way for his next move.

It was impossible to say who was using whom. Their cooperation simply benefited them both.

Su Shenchang had been attacked again. Zhao Hengyi did not know whether the other side would focus its attention on him, but in any case, taking shelter in the County Princess’s residence in advance was the prudent choice.

On the empty avenue, large forces of the Ningwu Army shouted and ran beneath the cloak of night. Lu Jiuniang had already made her move; the only question was whether she had succeeded this time.

Zhao Hengyi’s carriage party arrived at the County Princess’s residence without incident. Before he could even rest, Miss Xiaotao led him to meet Wei Linglan.

His mind was still turning over one calculation after another. He assumed that Wei Linglan’s decision to wait for him late into the night meant she had something extremely important to discuss, something that might have a tremendous impact on their subsequent actions. He had no choice but to gather his wits, lest he make an erroneous judgment.

The flower hall was just ahead, ablaze with light. Flowers blooming in early summer adorned the entire little courtyard, transforming it into a scene of breathtaking beauty.

Lost in thought, Zhao Hengyi noticed nothing amiss. Only after Miss Xiaotao withdrew and he stepped alone into the flower hall did he realize that matters were not quite as he had imagined.

Wei Linglan, dressed in splendid finery, reclined languidly upon a cushioned couch amid a sea of flowers. Like an immortal who had descended into the mortal realm, she gazed at Zhao Hengyi with a smile that was not quite a smile.

The sight struck him like a bolt of lightning.

“Master Zhao is unrivaled in poetic talent. This humble girl dares to ask Master Zhao to write me a poem.”