Liang Xiao knew that tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.
My little Shuangzi, as unreliable and unreasonable as ever. Big Brother is holding a grudge!
That Princess Ning Shuang, oh my, so spoiled and willful. I am holding a grudge too!
Muttering inwardly, Liang Xiao turned around with a smile. "Brother performed admirably tonight, little Shuangzi, so let's not dwell on it."
Xiao Qing hummed. "Speaking of poetry and songs, how about this: the river scenery is so beautiful tonight. Brother will compose a poem for little Shuangzi, and then another for Royal Sister next time..."
"How about a different way?" Liang Xiao pouted.
"Compose a poem!" Xiao Qing grumbled.
Liang Xiao patted Xiao Qing's head with a serious expression. "Alright, but you are not allowed to act so coquettishly with your Big Brother in front of officials and commoners. A ruler must act like a ruler."
Xiao Qing agreed joyfully, her heart warming.
He was like a parent, managing everything, just like their father and mother back then...
Watching Liang Xiao walk towards the table, Xiao Qing's eyes welled up with tears. She walked over, ready to grind ink for Liang Xiao.
"No!" Liang Xiao suddenly frowned.
"Big Brother, have you changed your mind?" Xiao Qing felt a little disappointed.
Liang Xiao shook his head, pointing at the white paper on the table. "This paper is too short. Bring the longest one. The longer the better!"
Xiao Qing was overjoyed and quickly ordered people to find the longest paper. Finally, a shadow guard brought several pieces of fine white paper, half a zhang long.
Watching Xiao Qing grind ink, Liang Xiao felt a warmth in his heart. He began with a cursive script and poured ink with his brush.
Xiao Qing and the other two stared intently, afraid to disturb Liang Xiao, and could only exclaim in their hearts, "What a magnificent name!"
The title of the poem: "Spring River Flower Moon Night"!
Liang Xiao's brush moved like a dragon and snake, completing the poem in one go.
In a blink of an eye, the eighteen lines and two hundred and fifty-two characters of "Spring River Flower Moon Night" appeared on the paper!
The three masters and servants stared blankly at the poem on the table, their hearts surging with emotion.
"The spring river tide connects to the sea, the moon rises with the tide over the sea. It ripples and flows for thousands of miles, where is the spring river without moonlight! The river meanders around fragrant meadows, the moonlight shines on the flowers, all like scattered snow. The frost in the air flies unnoticed, the white sand on the islet is invisible."
"The sky and river are of one color without a speck of dust, a bright solitary moon wheel in the vastness. Who by the river first saw the moon? When did the river moon first shine on man?"
Xiao Qing was mesmerized. She unconsciously recited a few lines, her thoughts already flying to the riverbank.
The spring river and bright moon, the sky and river of one color, year after year, beautiful beyond compare!
Xiao Qing's heart was in turmoil. Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun dared not comment, fearing they would desecrate this beautiful poem and calligraphy!
"Life generation after generation is endless, the river moon year after year looks similar..."
Xiao Qing couldn't help but recite another passage, her breathing becoming ragged.
"At this moment, we gaze at each other but cannot hear, I wish to follow the moonlight to shine upon you."
Xiao Qing's gaze fell on this line again. She secretly glanced at Liang Xiao, her eyes shining.
How beautiful this is!
As she recited, Xiao Qing reached the last line, full of reluctance, and sighed, "I wonder how many return by moonlight, the falling moon stirs emotions, filling the river trees..."
In a trance, Xiao Qing and the other two seemed to see this breathtaking spring river scene, transforming into a peerless scroll painting, flying into the poem.
At this moment, the maiden's heart was in turmoil. She couldn't help but walk towards Liang Xiao and held his arm.
Just this once, only this once! If he sees through it, so be it...
The spring river under the moon, the maiden's thoughts, both breathtakingly beautiful.
"Little Shuangzi, can this poem make up for the two short poems I gave you and your Royal Sister?" Liang Xiao asked.
He actually didn't like writing poetry. The room was filled with industrial technology and national strategies, not a single scroll of poetry. Since little Shuangzi liked it, he would write it!
Ding Wuyi and Ning Xuejun finally came back to their senses and praised it endlessly.
Even as martial artists, they could grasp some of the poetic imagery.
"Completed in one go, a timeless masterpiece!"
Xiao Qing also regained her senses, realizing her失态 (loss of composure). Her face flushed, and she lowered her head, saying, "I like it so much..."
Liang Xiao smiled with satisfaction. "I heard you sent the poem Big Brother gave you to the Heavenly Mountain? Big Brother will write another one for you!"
As he spoke, Liang Xiao was about to write on a second piece of white paper, but Xiao Qing stopped him.
"No! Even if Big Brother's calligraphy is lost forever, I don't want it!"
Liang Xiao looked at Xiao Qing in confusion.
Xiao Qing mumbled, "Such calligraphy should only exist in one copy in the world to be truly precious. Although I'm reluctant to part with it, having this one copy is enough..."
Liang Xiao nodded and did not object.
Xiao Qing was right. If the world knew he could write it repeatedly, it would be destroying his own reputation, and the poems and wine he sold to Qin Jiu would not be valuable.
The poems and songs he wrote were all treasures of civilization. What he could do was to be upright and benefit the country and its people, so that he would not be ashamed of these poems!
The two sat by the river, gazing at the scenery. Xiao Qing's mind was filled with Liang Xiao's smiling face and the poem "Spring River Flower Moon Night."
The moon was bright and the stars were few, a cool breeze brushed past them.
"Big Brother should go back and rest, don't catch a cold..."
"Little Shuangzi too."
Only then did Xiao Qing reluctantly see Liang Xiao off, holding back tears. She returned to the deep palace, washed up, and changed into a red dress.
Now she was Princess Ning Shuang.
Accompanied by Ning Xuejun, Xiao Qing rested her chin on her left hand, gazing at the poem with a distant look.
"Your Majesty, this will be the most precious calligraphy in the world. It must be kept safe," Ning Xuejun couldn't help but exclaim.
Xiao Qing nodded silently, a radiant smile revealing her cute dimples.
This is my treasure, no one is allowed to snatch it!
After a long while, Xiao Qing thought of something and sighed softly. She picked up her brush and copied "Spring River Flower Moon Night" several times, looking at Liang Xiao's handwriting with reluctance.
Ding Wuyi received Xiao Qing's order and hurried to her side, bowing his head to receive instructions.
"Eunuch Ding, when my Big Brother sets off for Heavenly Mountain, please take this calligraphy with you and give it to the Medical Sage..."
Hearing the tearfulness in Xiao Qing's voice, Ding Wuyi was stunned and quickly said, "Your Majesty, perhaps there is no need to give such a precious piece of calligraphy. A copy of Your Majesty's imitation would suffice..."
Xiao Qing shook her head and sighed, "Let the Medical Sage see it. If there's even a sliver of hope for his treatment, that's worth it."
Ding Wuyi quickly promised, exchanging a helpless wry smile with Ning Xuejun.
Deeply in love, deeply in love!
Back home, Liang Xiao was in high spirits, humming an unknown tune.
"Indeed, the person who can make Young Master happiest is a wise ruler like His Majesty," Yue Lian teased while changing Liang Xiao's dressing.
Her Young Master rarely got so happy that he would hum a song.
"Little Shuangzi truly understands me. He will definitely become a wise ruler for all time!" Liang Xiao beamed, recounting the events to Yue Lian.
Yue Lian was quite surprised, yet couldn't pinpoint anything wrong.
"Young Master, you mustn't sway His Majesty's orientation..." Yue Lian reminded him.
Liang Xiao was startled and quickly waved his hand. "How is that possible? Little Shuangzi is worried about me being a homosexual! He's just a child who hasn't grown up yet, and without his parents, he naturally relies on his Big Brother. As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father!"
Yue Lian couldn't help but chuckle and didn't ask further questions.
The next morning, in the Honglu Temple, a guard hurried to report to Qin Feng.
"Marquis, Second Young Master Liang sent word that today is convenient!"
Qin Feng's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly, about to prepare a banquet. Just then, another guard rushed in with urgent news.
"Marquis, the Minister of War of Great Gan, Du Gù Qún, the Minister of Revenue, Ōuyáng Jī, the Minister of Personnel, Hé Wànlǐ, and dozens of other important court officials are visiting together!"