Chapter 161
Chapter 161
Shen Si lingered for a long while. When he saw the people inside draw Ji Hanyi into their midst to speak with her, she continued to handle them with her usual composure. He smiled again, then turned and left.
Inside, Gu Wanyun stared blankly as Ji Hanyi was surrounded by young ladies from eminent scholarly families. Meanwhile, she stood at the edge of the gathering, unable to get a single word in, much less understand what they were discussing.
All at once, she regretted asking Ji Hanyi to come with her.
Standing before Ji Hanyi, Shen Suyi asked, “May I ask, Sister, whether the facsimile copies you’ve seen contain any textual variations from the current edition?”
Ji Hanyi nodded. “There are indeed several differences. The use of function words varies slightly, and so does the artistic mood.”
“But I haven’t studied the subject in much depth. I only saw a few copies while accompanying my father when I was young, and I’ve forgotten much of what I learned. I can only offer a few observations.”
Gu Wanyun watched as Ji Hanyi’s casual conversation with the other young ladies gradually shifted to textual collation and philological exegesis, subjects she found even more incomprehensible. Her face grew paler, and a deep sense of humiliation welled up inside her.
Their discussion was almost over when Shen Suyi proposed that they take plantain leaves and bamboo shadows as their theme, with each person contributing a line to a linked poem.
The young ladies readily agreed. Ji Hanyi glanced at the pale-faced Gu Wanyun, then walked over and drew her into an empty corner.
In a low voice, she said, “There’s still time for us to leave. We can say something came up at home. They won’t say anything about it.”
After speaking with them for a while, Ji Hanyi had realized that every young lady in this small room was extraordinarily well-read. Their learning and literary talent were far beyond those of young ladies from ordinary families.
Even if Gu Wanyun managed to compose a line, it would never impress them. This was not a situation she could handle.
But Gu Wanyun looked at her and whispered, “If I leave, what if they think I’m running away?”
“Cousin, why don’t you help me just this once? Compose a line for me, and I’ll only recite that one line. Once we’re past this, we’ll leave.”
Gu Wanyun was still unwilling to give up. Madam Cui’s earlier look in particular had been filled with doubt and a trace of mocking insight, as though she had seen right through her. It had filled Gu Wanyun with shame and made her desperate to prove herself so that Madam Cui would no longer look down on her.
She wanted to make Madam Cui see her in a new light.
Ji Hanyi paused. Gu Wanyun was asking her to cheat. Frowning slightly, she said, “Even if I help you muddle through this time, what will you do next time when I’m not here?”
“Either we leave now, or you compose your own line honestly. Their literary talent comes from being immersed in their families’ traditions since childhood. They’ve read far too many books. Even if you can’t compare to them, there’s nothing shameful about that.”
Ji Hanyi felt that cutting their losses now was the better choice.
But Gu Wanyun bit her lip. “I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
“I don’t want the Shen Family to look down on me.”
Ji Hanyi paused. She was about to persuade her again and tell her that it did not matter whether the Shen Family looked down on her, but Shen Suyi walked over just then. Taking Gu Wanyun’s hand, she smiled graciously and said, “Sister, you haven’t said anything so far. Why don’t you begin this time?”
“Sister Gu said she used to discuss poetry and prose with Sister Ji all the time. Since Sister Ji is already so accomplished, I’m sure Sister Gu will impress us even more.”
Everyone turned to look at Gu Wanyun. Shen Suyi was clearly the leader of this group, and as soon as she spoke, the others chimed in.
Ji Hanyi tightened her grip on Gu Wanyun’s hand, warning her not to force herself. Yet Gu Wanyun smiled and agreed. “My poor efforts will only embarrass me. I merely hope none of you will laugh at me afterward.”
Though she wore a smile, out of sight she anxiously tugged at Ji Hanyi’s skirt.
Then Gu Wanyun said, “Is there any tea? May I have a cup first?”
Only then did Shen Suyi hurriedly smile and order a maid to bring some tea.
As Gu Wanyun drank, she turned slightly and used her sleeve to shield herself, all while looking toward Ji Hanyi.
Ji Hanyi met Gu Wanyun’s pleading gaze and blinked to signal that she could not think of a line. Disappointment in Gu Wanyun rose within her.
With so many people watching, Gu Wanyun still hoped to bluff her way through.
Yet as Gu Wanyun grew increasingly frantic, Ji Hanyi finally raised a hand, dipped a finger in the tea, and wrote a line on the small table beside her.
Gu Wanyun’s face lit up when she saw it. Lowering her sleeve, she looked at Shen Suyi, who stood before her.
Assuming an air of serene confidence, she smiled and said, “A line just came to me.”
Then she recited, “A green canopy casts swaying shadows across the window gauze.”
The interest in Shen Suyi’s eyes faded. It was a conventional line with nothing remarkable about it. She merely nodded and offered a perfunctory compliment. “The phrasing is elegant. It is a fine line.”
Gu Wanyun visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Shuyu, who was seated beside a vase of flowers, followed with the next line: “The passing breeze sounds like jade washed against a raft.”
She had cleverly woven the meaning of her own name into the verse, and the young ladies beside her all exclaimed in praise.
Several more lines followed. Shen Suyi then asked Ji Hanyi to bring the poem to a close. Ji Hanyi barely paused to think before reciting, “The sound blends with autumn rain, like two or three notes of a pipa.”
Lin Zhuangyue smiled. “Sister Ji is as brilliant as ever. It has both scenery and feeling. How wonderful.”
As Gu Wanyun listened to the praise filling the room, the relief and satisfaction that had just risen within her plummeted to the depths in an instant.
She had thought she would be the one everyone praised. Instead, Ji Hanyi had stolen the limelight.
Or had Ji Hanyi deliberately given her a mediocre line so she could display her own talent afterward?
Ji Hanyi noticed Gu Wanyun’s dark expression and already knew exactly what she was thinking.
She truly had not put much effort into composing an opening line for Gu Wanyun earlier. She did not want Gu Wanyun to embark on a path of no return and end up in a situation that would be impossible to salvage.
She immediately made to bid Shen Suyi and Madam Cui farewell again.
Just then, however, Li Shuyu came over and looked at Gu Wanyun. “That poem of yours was truly marvelous, Sister. Why don’t you compose another before you leave? Consider it a gift to commemorate our new friendship.”
Li Shuyu pulled Gu Wanyun into the middle of the group. Her eyes curved in a smile, but calculation lurked in their depths.
She had sensed something amiss when Gu Wanyun raised her sleeve earlier.
Gu Wanyun looked wooden, her gaze evasive and her behavior peculiar.
More importantly, when Li Shuyu asked her to compose a farewell poem just now, a trace of panic had clearly flashed through Gu Wanyun’s eyes. That only reinforced her suspicions.
It was entirely possible that Gu Wanyun had not composed the earlier lines at all. Otherwise, why would she be so flustered?
Today’s poetry gathering was meant for friendly competition, learning from one another’s strengths, and discussing poetry together. There was no room here for frauds.
She had never heard of this Third Young Lady Gu before. Besides, Li Shuyu came from a marquis’s household, so she had no fear of offending anyone.
Dragged into the center of the group without Ji Hanyi by her side, Gu Wanyun’s expression instantly changed. Everyone else turned to look at her and urged her to compose a poem. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, but she could not produce so much as half a line.
She had never been skilled at poetry to begin with. Now, under everyone’s watchful eyes, she grew so nervous that her mind went blank, leaving her unable to think of anything at all.
As the surrounding gazes grew increasingly suspicious, her face turned deathly pale. She abruptly shoved Li Shuyu aside and bolted outside as if fleeing for her life.
Ji Hanyi had not expected matters to take such a turn. She had been trying to think of a way to extricate Gu Wanyun from the situation, only for Gu Wanyun to act so suddenly.
She lowered her voice and said to Shen Suyi beside her, “My cousin may be feeling unwell today. I’ll go and check on her.”
A knowing smile appeared on Shen Suyi’s face. By now, she understood everything.
Judging by Gu Wanyun’s behavior and expression just now, she did not look remotely like someone capable of composing poetry.
Shen Suyi did hold some admiration for Ji Hanyi, but now even she began to wonder whether Gu Wanyun had truly composed that line. Gu Wanyun’s behavior earlier had been strange. She had shown none of the poise expected of a young lady and had kept making furtive little movements.
Still, Shen Suyi merely smiled faintly and refrained from openly exposing the matter. She said in a low voice, “If so, Sister Ji should hurry after her.”
After Ji Hanyi left, Li Shuyu walked over to Shen Suyi and shared her suspicion that Ji Hanyi had helped Gu Wanyun cheat.
Then she asked, “Just what sort of background does that Miss Gu have? Why does she seem so utterly unpresentable?”
Shen Suyi smiled without answering. Her mother had told her that Grandmother favored Gu Wanyun and most likely intended to make her Fifth Uncle’s wife.
Her mother had been worried about that only a few days ago. She feared that once Fifth Uncle married, Grandmother would become partial to him and hand all authority over the household to Fifth Aunt – along with the Shen Family’s immense fortune, which would then fall entirely into Fifth Uncle’s hands.
But from the look of things now, Gu Wanyun was wholly unfit to become the Shen Family’s mistress.
Seeing the disgust on Li Shuyu’s face, Shen Suyi put on a regretful expression. “Let’s not speak of this anymore. You shouldn’t mention it outside, either.”
Li Shuyu replied, “I did admire Miss Ji somewhat just now, but since she’s close to Miss Gu, I imagine her character is no better. I certainly won’t associate with her in the future.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhuangyue hurried forward. “You shouldn’t condemn everyone together like that. I’ve known Sister Ji since childhood. No one is kinder or easier to get along with than she is.”
“Besides, this was Miss Gu’s doing. You shouldn’t use it to cast doubt on Sister Ji’s character.”
Li Shuyu gave Lin Zhuangyue a sidelong glance. “You’ve only met her a handful of times. How could you possibly know she isn’t that sort of person?”
“Come to think of it, I remember what happened to her family before. Her father neglected his duties, causing the deaths of generals at the frontier and countless commoners. With a father like that, what good character could she possibly have?”
Lin Zhuangyue’s face flushed bright red. She knew nothing of court affairs and did not understand exactly what had happened, but she had once overheard her maternal grandfather discussing the matter with her father. Her grandfather had said that Lord Ji had been gravely wronged. His luck had simply run out, and he had been forced to die so that His Majesty the Emperor and the imperial court could preserve their dignity and appease the common people. She had felt overwhelmingly heartbroken when she heard those words.
She had been so distressed that tears filled her eyes.
She had met Lord Ji before. He had been such a tall and striking man that she could still remember him clearly. Once, when he came to visit, he brought her a spray of crabapple blossoms. He told her that Ji Hanyi liked her and hoped that she would befriend Ji Hanyi and come to like her in turn.
He had been such a bright and dazzling person.
Ignoring Lin Zhuangyue, Li Shuyu turned back to Shen Suyi and asked, “The recent affair involving the Xie Family has caused quite a stir. I heard she even divorced her husband. Is that true?”
Shen Suyi smiled faintly. “It is.”
A nearly imperceptible trace of contempt appeared in her eyes as she continued, “Apparently, the Eldest Master of the Xie Family took a concubine. She couldn’t stand it, so she made a scene and demanded a divorce.”
Upon hearing that, Li Shuyu immediately let out a scornful sneer and shot Lin Zhuangyue a sidelong look. “Are you still going to defend her now? I told you she was a woman of poor character. What good could possibly be said of a woman cast aside by her husband’s family? I will never associate with her or any young lady of the Gu Family.”
Lin Zhuangyue’s face turned pale. Gritting her teeth, she said, “I won’t argue with you. No matter what you say, Sister Ji will always be a good person in my eyes.”
Li Shuyu gave a cold laugh.