Chapter Twenty-Six: Hazy

  Everyone's eyes were on Jin Wancheng.

  Jin Wancheng finally nodded and smiled: "Mr. Xu is knowledgeable and has a good memory, I admire him. These six black diamonds come from Tianzhu, and I had people try countless methods and spend endless efforts to cut off more than half of the original stone to get these six black diamonds. This time, I came here just to use this object to raise 3 million taels of silver."

  He didn't expect that someone here could actually see through the secrets of these six gems. The fifty-eight-sided principle, which was also obtained by his craftsmen after countless attempts, achieved a perfect result, with one side showcasing the craftsmanship to its limits and the other showcasing all the splendor of diamonds to its extreme. Now, however, it has been revealed in an instant by Xu Xian, as if he had long understood this principle. He couldn't help but sigh: Indeed, the world is vast, and talented people emerge one after another!

  As soon as this was said, even the wealthy people present couldn't help but take a cold breath. A price of 500,000 taels was truly a staggering amount. Xu Xian also felt suspicious in his heart, no matter how precious it was, this price was still too outrageous. Would anyone really spend 500,000 to buy such a stone?

  Xu Xian suddenly felt a piercing gaze on himself. Xu Xian turned around, and Cai Feng was staring at him with wide eyes.

  "Jewelry for women!" Xu Xian let out a sigh, walked over and handed the box to her. Cai Feng looked at him with gratitude, then quickly lowered her head to admire the six black diamonds.

  There may be some unpleasantness on the seat, and Xian Xi frowned. How could he give such a thing to a song girl? But they all gave Wang Xuezheng face and didn't blame him too much. Cai Feng looked at it for a while, but in the end, she didn't dare to take it out and play with it, so she returned it to Xian Xi. Xian Xi took it back and returned it to Jin Wancheng. Three million taels, indeed as heavy as a thousand jun!

  Jin Wan Cheng took it without even looking and casually stuffed it into his chest, this kind of relaxed posture was something that others could never learn.

  "Xu Xian, Xu Xian." A few soft cries came over, it turned out that Zhūn'er was impatient waiting downstairs and didn't even call Master Shu.

  Everyone at the table was stunned.

  Xu Xian hastily went to the balcony and took a look, and Zhuer was waving at her with excitement! She transformed into a different form and followed Yu Xuanji, not caring about how many officials were sitting here, but only wanting Master Shu to come down quickly and continue watching the flower lanterns. Yu Xuanji heard her shouting and feared that she would cause trouble for Xu Xian, so he hastily pulled her back, standing in the shadow of the house, still wearing that strange mask on his face.

  "Stop shouting, it's going down." Xu Xian replied with a smile, feeling embarrassed in front of Wang Xuezheng. The people on the rooftop saw the yellowish figure and understood its meaning, mostly smiling kindly. Pan Dudu laughed: "Wenrui, don't mess up the marriage between our families."

  Someone suddenly said: "Isn't Lord Wang saying that this young man is good at poetry? Why not have him recite some for us to hear." Xū Xiān took a glance, it was the old father of Xià Zǐ Qī, Magistrate Xià of Hángzhōu.

  Wang Xuezheng handed a cup of wine on the table to Xu Xian, smiling warmly: "Drink this cup of wine and go!" However, he didn't take the hint, also considering Xu Xian's feelings. After all, poetry isn't just about saying something and then doing it.

  Xu Xian took a sip and finished the drink, feeling a bit grateful. Today, letting himself go up to the building was equivalent to truly clarifying his relationship with him, with a hint of "this kid is under my wing from now on". Unlike that casual remark at the wine tower last time. This can also be seen as an acknowledgement of Xu Xian's performance over this period of time.

  In the future, if Xu Xian walks the path of officialdom, this relationship will be as strong as iron, sharing honor and loss together. Although no formal master-apprentice ceremony was held, all those present here today have borne witness to it.

  Xu Xian said: "Thank you, Master. I have nothing to repay you with, so I'll offer this poem instead." When others treat you with such importance, one must give them face in return.

  Everyone was curious about what kind of poem Xuxian, who had the reputation of being a talented scholar, could produce. Earlier, he was able to recite the names of those six precious stones and their rare features in one breath, which already earned him some respect, but as Jin Wancheng said, it was just a clever trick. Only a truly outstanding article can win over the hearts of these officials who came from the imperial examination system.

  Xu Xian took a few steps, thought for a moment, and began to recite: "The east wind blows at night, scattering flowers from thousands of trees, and the stars fall like rain. The precious horse and carved carriage fill the road with fragrance, the phoenix's voice is heard, the jade pot shines brightly, and the fish and dragon dance through the night. The moth-like snowflakes and golden threads, the laughter and whispers, the scent goes quietly away. Searching for him in the crowd a thousand times, suddenly turning back, that person is there, in the dim light of the lanterns."

  Those present may not fully understand the rare and precious treasures, but when it comes to poetry, they are connoisseurs. After listening to Xu Xian's recitation, they were silent for a moment before erupting into thunderous applause.

  Governor Pan exclaimed loudly: "What a great phrase - 'Search for him in the crowd for thousands of miles, suddenly turn your head, and he's there, where the lights are dim.' Once this line is out, all other words lose their flavor. Mingyu's poem 'Nine Machines' was already astonishingly beautiful, but only today do I realize that there's someone beyond him. Wenrui, I'm even envious of your luck - in a thousand years to come, people will remember today because of this phrase, and they'll remember you and me."

  Wang Xuezheng stroked his beard and nodded in approval, so enchanted that he didn't even notice the spilled wine. The more he looked at Xu Xian, the more he liked him, feeling that although he had been demoted to Hangzhou, he was fortunate to have such a talented student, and to be able to hear such a masterpiece. "Mr. Jin, your six precious gems may outshine the city's lanterns, but this poem of yours eclipses even those gems in brilliance. These exquisite lines must be committed to memory and recited by scholars like ourselves. The diamond may be damaged, but this poem will never perish."

  Jin Wancheng also laughed and said, "I originally wanted to win a prize, but I still let Mr. Xu take the lead. The subtlety of this poem is not just for scholars, even old men can't help but recite it silently and pass it on."

  Who hasn't had such moments, searching high and low but to no avail, only to turn around in despair and find what they were looking for waiting in the distance. Is it a feeling of wanting to cry or laugh at that moment? Throughout the ages, there have been phrases like this that inadvertently strike a chord in people's hearts.

  Wang Xuezheng turned his face to Xu Xian and said: "Go quickly, don't keep that person waiting for too long."

  Xu Xian nodded in response, and then went downstairs. On the stairs, he faintly heard someone upstairs instructing, "Please ask Cai Feng to sing and recite a poem." He couldn't help but smile; this talented young man's reputation was already established. But so be it, it wasn't a big deal anyway.

  Unconsciously, he no longer felt much guilt about copying poems and reciting words. This was partly due to habituation, but more importantly, it was because of "exposure". Just like how the ordinary me influences the exposed me at that time, and vice versa, because they were different sides of the same person.

  Many things that were once considered important have become insignificant and are no longer a concern. The heavens may be warm water, and Xu Xian may be a frog, perhaps by the time he realizes this, it will already be too late. However, just like the Buddhist relics, even in the midst of fierce flames, they remain unscathed. Can Xu Xian condense his own heart into something that cannot be destroyed or lost? Even he himself cannot be certain! But precious things in life are not easily obtained, one must experience disappointment and loss, but as long as one does not give up, there will always be a moment of sudden awakening.

  Xu Xian walked all the way to where the lights were dim, and at this moment, a young nobleman dressed in luxurious clothes was pestering her. Yu Xuanji wore a mask, but her small face was still exposed, although she looked like she was only 14 or 15 years old, Xu Xian had always treated her like a child. But in this world, it was an age when people could get married. Her natural and innocent appearance was enough to move people's hearts.

  Xu Xian shouted: "Who was just making a racket here? I'll deal with her properly."

  Sun immediately hid behind Yu Xuanji's back, stealing a glance at Xu Xian. Xu Xian said to Yu Xuanji, "Let's go, continue strolling." And to the young man, "Brother, this flower has an owner, don't waste your time." Getting rid of entanglements, this method is the simplest.

  That young master saw Xu Xian coming down from the ancient tower, knowing that he was not ordinary, and no longer entangled, praising: "This brother's appetite is really big." He saw that Yu Xuanji and Sun'er did not object to Xu Xian's words, so he believed them to be true, after all, at this time, women valued their reputation the most.

  Xu Xian also smiled and nodded his hands, then left with Yu Xuanji and Sun'er.

  The young master was stunned for a moment, and sighed "I really want to see the face under that mask! I wonder how Father is doing up there, whether Cai Feng is as beautiful as the legend says? If I can get a glimpse of her beauty, it won't be a wasted trip."

  He muttered to himself, a passing man's eyes narrowed and then returned to normal, following the crowd walking past the ancient building. If it were usual times, someone would have discovered that he had already walked around the ancient building three times. But now the pedestrians were like weaving, who could notice?

  Xu Xian laughed and told Yu Xuanji about the various things on the upper floor. Ignoring the angry gaze of Zhu'er beside him, he covered his head, where Xu Xian had just given him a slap.

  Yu Xuanji was taken aback by the poem and thought of "That person is still there, in the dimly lit place". Was he referring to me?

  Why search? Am I the one you're looking for?

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