CHAPTER 46: 44, LITERARY MEETING

The invitation was red, tied with a bright yellow twisted cord, and inside, gold foil adorned it with the pattern of auspicious clouds, adding a touch of boldness yet diminishing the scholarly elegance.

This Princely Heir really loved to host banquets. Just yesterday, there was a Literary Meeting, and today, another one was planned.

Chen Ji returned to the Medical Hall with the invitation when Liu Quxing leaned in, "Such a beautiful invitation... But the one from Chunhua is best not attended."

As he spoke, he glanced at She Dengke and murmured, "I mean no offense. I’m just reminding Chen Ji of the possible danger."

She Dengke kept his head down, saying nothing.

At this moment, Liang Gou’er also came closer, reeking of alcohol, "It’s this afternoon’s Literary Meeting... Why did they only send you the invitation this morning?"

She Dengke asked with a dull voice, "Is there a problem?"

Liang Gou’er explained with a smug tone, "Of course there’s a problem. Hosting a banquet is all about the ’three invitations.’ The first one should be sent three days before the event; the second should be handed out on the morning of the banquet; and the third, an hour before the banquet starts. Invitations sent three days in advance are called ’inviting guests,’ but on the same day, it’s ’snatching guests,’ meaning you are just there to make up the numbers!"

"Oh," Chen Ji nodded, but he wasn’t bothered.

Liang Gou’er quickly added, "By attending such a last-minute ’snatching guests’ banquet, you’d actually be looked down upon. Let me go in your stead!"

Chen Ji: "... Your cleverness hit me right in the face."

He looked at Liu Quxing and She Dengke, "As Senior Brother Liu said, I previously offended Princess Consort Jing while consulting at the Late Star Garden, and this time I must go to clear up the misunderstanding. You both needn’t come; I’ll go alone."

The backyard fell silent. Liu Quxing was having second thoughts, but She Dengke stepped forward, "I’ll go with you. If anything happens, I can lend a hand."

After saying this, She Dengke turned to look at Liu Quxing, "Are you coming or not?"

Liu Quxing’s gaze drifted, "Why are you staring at me like that... Of course I’ll go, acting as if you’re the only one who’s honorable. But we don’t have suitable clothes to wear to the banquet. Everyone there will be scholars and dignitaries. It would be embarrassing to go as we are... I’m not making excuses, I mean, we should buy some proper clothes in the morning so we can attend respectably."

She Dengke replied gloomily, "I have no money."

Liu Quxing gritted his teeth, "I’ll lend it to you, and you can pay me back next month!"

Liang Gou’er marveled from the side, "The three brothers advance and retreat together. I actually see the spirit of Jianghu in you—a rare sight indeed."

Liang Mao’er only feared Chen Ji would lose interest in learning to wield the sword, quickly adding, "Stick to practicing the sword with my brother. Maybe in Jianghu, you’ll also become legends."

However, Liang Gou’er jokingly tore down the sentiment, "Mao’er, that’s an inauspicious thing to say. There are no living legends in Jianghu. Only in death does one become a legend. Young lads, the spirited Jianghu has its backbone broken; don’t listen to my younger brother’s nonsense."

Liang Mao’er pushed Liang Gou’er into the house: "Brother, can you talk less!"

...

...

In the evening, Liu Quxing donned a properly fitted green robe, his hair neatly held together with a net scarf, wearing a Yingzi Wave Cap on his head and Chen Qiao shoes on his feet.

Chen Ji sized up his opponent, musing that Liu Quxing, with his thief-like eyes and brows, managed to look the part of an official, especially with that official hat perched on his head, quite matching indeed.

She Dengke’s attire was simpler, like Chen Ji, he only had a hairpin on his head and wore newly bought plain clothes.

The three arrived at the side entrance of the Prince Mansion to hand in their invitations, and upon seeing the invitation, the strong servant immediately led the way with great respect towards the Feibai Pond in the rear garden.

On the way, the strong servant cautioned, "I hope the guests will only wander around in the rear garden and not intrude into the inner quarters of the ladies."

Liu Quxing hurriedly responded, "Nanny, don’t worry, we won’t."

Further into the garden, the three of them could hear the literati and distinguished guests discussing animatedly amidst the sound of silk and bamboo instruments.

One spoke out loud, "If you ask me, the Jing Dynasty’s cavalry isn’t something to worry about. Now that it’s already autumn and they’ve dragged on till now without being able to breach the defenses of Chongli, they’re exhausted and their horses spent. They will retreat sooner rather than later. Should they dare to attempt breaking through, our Daning’s cannons and firearms will surely make them regret it."

"That’s right, the biggest threat to our nation isn’t the Jing Dynasty, but the Eunuch Party! If I achieve high marks in the imperial examination, I will surely make my stance clear to His Majesty about the detrimental influence of the Eunuch Party meddling in politics!"

"With Brother Lin’s great talents, you are sure to top the list of successful candidates at the provincial examinations, and at the palace examinations, you will claim the title of top scorer!"

The previous speaker humbly replied, "This year the top scorer will undoubtedly be Chen Wenzong. Over these three years at Donglin Academy, he has been the treasure in the palm of our teachers’ hands."

Liu Quxing muttered under his breath, "What a bunch of braggarts, each claiming to be the top scorer or the valedictorian. As if there’s enough titles for all of you."

They saw that by the Feibai Pond, there were dozens of tables already set up with bamboo mats spread on the ground, and the scholars were all seated around them.

A little farther away, there were six small wooden pavilions, with curtains hanging to shield the occupants from the view of the others, presumably where the ladies were seated.

Liu Quxing quietly asked the leading servant, "May I inquire, Nanny, which young ladies have come today?"

The servant replied, "For your information, sir, seven or eight noble daughters have arrived."

Having just been addressed as ’sir’, Liu Quxing straightened his back and adjusted his clothes before he took a seat at an empty table.

He whispered, "My mother told me that during these Literary Meetings, all the adults usually have their wives bring their age-appropriate daughters to watch from behind a screen and see if there’s anyone they like. If they really find someone suitable, it can save a decade’s worth of trouble."

Chen Ji reflected, "Senior Brother Liu, you really don’t want to take any detours at all."

The tables were set out in three rows, seemingly arranged according to the guests’ status to decide who sat in the middle and who sat in the back.

Seated side by side in the very last row, She Dengke was looking around, searching for Chunhua’s figure, while Liu Quxing covertly nudged Chen Ji, "Look at the front row opposite us, your two legitimate elder brothers."

Chen Ji looked over and saw Chen Wenzong seated prominently, sharing his views with others, hoping the court would encourage open discourse and revitalize the bureaucracy.

Despite being surrounded by other talented literati, he stood out like a bright pearl that was instantly recognizable.

Looking towards the pavilion, it appeared that several girls were peering through the curtains at Chen Wenzong.

Turning his gaze to another elder brother, Chen Wenxiao, he saw him lounging with his attention adrift. He hadn’t seemed out of place when mounted on a horse before, but now, he paled in comparison to Chen Wenzong.

As Chen Ji observed, his gaze met with Chen Wenzong’s, who smiled and nodded in greeting, treating him as just another common guest here for the Literary Meeting, without paying him much mind.