Chapter 151: Stars of the River of Poetry Illuminate Luoyang

The soldier quickly recognized that these two young ladies were the same ones who had appeared on the day the assassin attacked Ye Chang, and they seemed quite familiar with him. Not daring to look too closely, he lowered his gaze and spoke in a low voice, "Clerk Ye gave strict and repeated instructions, which I truly dare not violate. I beg the noble ones to show grace and forgive us."

"It is no matter... We are merely concerned for the displaced refugees and wonder how they are being settled," the lady with the surname Li replied with a faint smile.

Although she smiled as she spoke to the soldier, he felt no warmth from it, but rather a sense of detachment. On the other hand, the lady with the surname蔡 (Cai) beside her had a round, apple-like face that bloomed with two dimples when she smiled, making her appear much more approachable.

The two women peered over the wall from inside their carriage and were surprised to see neatly arranged wooden houses row after row. They knew very well that Ye Chang had accomplished this in a mere fifteen days; such capability was likely beyond even seasoned officials.

They had originally intended to inspect the place thoroughly, but since Ye Chang was not present, they had no choice but to leave in a hurry. However, as soon as the two of them returned to the carriage, they heard the sound of hurried hoofbeats outside, followed immediately by more than ten riders who came thundering up and stopped only when they reached the low wall.

"This is the place," someone shouted.

"Where is Ye Chang? Quickly make Ye Chang come out to pay respects to my master!" another person shouted.

"You base soldiers, hurry up and get Ye Chang out here!"

The crowd shouted and clamored, causing the two ladies, Li and Cai, inside the carriage to frown. The lady surnamed Cai simply curled her lip and said, "How utterly rude!"

"What sort of people are they?" the lady surnamed Li asked.

The coachman immediately perked up. "A pack of lackeys, yet remarkably arrogant. Two young mistresses, would you like this servant to step out and reprimand them?"

"Let's observe for a moment first..." the lady surnamed Li said.

Naturally, the other party did not hear their conversation, but the carriage was parked right in front of the main gate, and as the group pushed forward, they inevitably had to pass right by them. Seeing that the carriage was plain and unadorned, one of the lackeys swung his whip and cracked it loudly in the air. "Get out of the way! Do not block the road!"

Although this whip-crack was not actually aimed at them, it was more than the coachman could endure, and he sprang up.

"Old Chi," the lady surnamed Li in the carriage knew her coachman's temperament and called out softly. The coachman's face was filled with indignation, but he forced himself to restrain it.

"Ask for their identities," the lady surnamed Li added.

Coachman Old Chi's anger instantly turned to joy. Having followed the Li family for a long time, he naturally knew that when the lady surnamed Li asked about someone's identity, it meant she intended to log this debt.

The coachman had seen too many examples of people who were remembered by the Li family and what ultimately happened to them.

He was pondering how best to inquire about their identities when he didn't have to struggle for long, as the other party took the initiative to reveal who they were.

A whip lashed out and struck the soldier who had been blocking their path. "The noble person from the Duke of Liang's estate wishes to enter and inspect the premises. Is that something a mere wretch like you dares to obstruct?"

"Strike me well! Strike me well!" The soldier was also of a stubborn disposition, and upon hearing this, he shouted, "If you have the ability, beat me to death right here! If not, I will surely make this dog of a slave pay for it!"

"Courting death! Then I shall grant your wish!" The vicious lackey lashed out with several more whips, which the soldier nimbly dodged. As the people around stepped forward to try and dissuade him, the lackey pointed his whip, spat, and cursed, "Even if Ye Chang were standing right here, if I wanted to whip him, he would have to stand and take it obediently! What kind of a thing are you, daring to act arrogant in front of me?"

"Who is this Duke of Liang?" Inside the carriage, the lady surnamed Cai was extremely displeased upon hearing this and asked the lady surnamed Li.

"It must be the former Chancellor Yao Chong. His family estate is in Luoyang, and I have heard that his descendants are all good-for-nothings," the lady surnamed Li replied without taking much time to recall the identity of this Duke of Liang. "If it is him... then that is hardly surprising."

Although quite some time had passed and the Yao family no longer enjoyed imperial favor, the descendants of the Yao family still possessed immense wealth and high status. The Yao family mansion was located in Cihui Ward, not far from the South Market.

Yet just last year, the Yao family had suffered a major disaster: Yao Chong's son Yao Yi was demoted, and his grandson Yao Hong was executed.

"I wonder why they have come here," the lady surnamed Li pondered inwardly.

The vicious lackey from the Yao family was pulled away by the crowd trying to mediate, but feeling unsatisfied, he still attempted to force his way in. At that very moment, a humming sound rang through the air, followed by a rush of wind against his face. An arrow grazed his cheek and embedded itself deep into the earth wall.

The feathered tail of the arrow vibrated with a ringing sound, frightening the vicious lackey so badly that he fell flat on his rear to the ground.

The crowd turned their heads in astonishment and saw Nan Jiyun mounted on a horse, his gaze fierce and chilling as he stared directly at them.

"It's treason! It's treason..." The vicious lackey was so terrified that he lost control of his bowels and bladder, a pungent stench emanating from him as he sat paralyzed, unable to move. The other lackeys beside him saw that Nan Jiyun and his men were soldiers and immediately began to scream in panic.

"There are still thirty enemy heads left hanging north of the city," Nan Jiyun said sternly. "Clerk Ye has given orders: without permission, anyone who dares to cross the earth wall by even a single step shall go and keep company with those thirty heads!"

The previous arrow had missed the vicious lackey's head by a mere two inches. Therefore, when Nan Jiyun shouted these words, everyone knew he meant every single one of them.

***

"What a joke! A mere clerk dares to issue commands within the city of Luoyang?"

"We soldiers know only military orders. If the noble guest feels something is amiss, go ahead and seek out Clerk Ye." Nan Jiyun certainly did not mind stirring up some more animosity for Ye Chang.

"Fine, fine! Let's drop it. We'll go find Ye Chang directly!" Under the circumstances, the people from the Yao family had no choice but to retreat.

They spurred their horses away and vanished into the South Market in the blink of an eye. Clearly, they did not know where Ye Chang was at the moment, nor were they willing to humble themselves to ask around here. Seeing this, the lady surnamed Li shook her head slightly.

As rumor had it, the two sons of Yao Chong lacked any real talent, and indeed it was so. If the Yao family did not wake up to reality soon, they would likely face total annihilation.

Seeing the Yao family members depart, Nan Jiyun let out a cold snort, took down the food box from his horse, and shared it with the men left on guard. After a moment of thought, however, he still felt uneasy. Protecting Ye Chang's safety was his primary duty, so without taking time to eat himself, he remounted his horse and rode westward along the cross-street connecting Tongli Ward and the South Market.

The Drunken Immortal Tower, situated south of Tianjin Bridge, was a newly opened restaurant in the city of Luoyang. Its location was exceptionally prime—situated at the northwest corner of Xiuwen Ward, separated only by Shanshan Ward, and facing Tianjin Bridge directly. From the upper floors, one could even catch a view of the palace city north of the Luo River. During the former Sui dynasty, Xiuwen Ward had been the site of the Directorate of Education; now, it was a frequent gathering place for high-ranking officials, nobles, and romantic scholars in Luoyang, bustling with songstresses and hosting endless elegant banquets.

Upon arriving here, Nan Jiyun discovered that the people from the Yao family had already arrived as well.

Yet here, the Yao family members did not dare to act arrogant. They could behave without restraint toward Ye Chang, who had no deep-rooted power base in Luoyang, but here, displaying arrogance required assessing the situation carefully. In Shanshan Ward just to the north lay the Luoyang residences of Prince Qi and Prince Xue; if any trouble arose, it would be far too easy for them to report it directly to the Son of Heaven.

Seeing Nan Jiyun arrive, the Yao family servants whispered among themselves. Ignoring them, Nan Jiyun strode straight inside.

Upon entering and taking a look, however, he was stunned.

The petty officials, military officers, Jia Mao'er, and other companions were all present, but Ye Chang was nowhere to be seen.

Shanzhi was not there either.

Seeing Nan Jiyun return, the company warmly greeted him and invited him to join the banquet. This was a private-funded feast hosted by Ye Chang to thank everyone for their assistance during this period, so the atmosphere was exceptionally lively. Nan Jiyun walked over and asked in a low voice, "Where is Clerk Ye?"

"He was invited into a private parlor," the Clerk of Records said with a smile. "You certainly care a great deal about Clerk Ye."

Nan Jiyun was momentarily dazed. Indeed, perhaps he had been caring a bit too much about Ye Chang lately.

"Who invited him?" he asked after a brief hesitation.

"A group of celebrated scholars and literati." Speaking of this, the Clerk of Records looked somewhat envious. "Clerk Ye was drinking with us just a moment ago when someone came out to inquire, saying that a certain Master Zhang was present and invited Master Ye to enter..."

The person who had come out to inquire was someone Ye Chang recognized—an attendant of Zhang Xu. Back in Chang'an, whenever Ye Chang met with Zhang Xu, this attendant was almost always by his side.

Ever since He Zhizhang retired from official service, although Zhang Xu, Yan Zhenqing, and Ye Chang still corresponded through letters, it was far less frequent than before. Hearing that Zhang Xu was here, Ye Chang was greatly surprised and entered the inner parlor, preparing to pay his respects.

"Master Zhang is hosting a guest here today to bid farewell to Qiwu Qian," the attendant said in a low voice. "There are also several other masters present... please be careful not to commit any discourtesies."

They were talking as they walked, and upon hearing this, Ye Chang couldn't help but smile wryly.

Zhang Xu must have been genuinely frightened by him, terrified that he would stir up some new trouble again. It was merely a scholarly farewell gathering; what was there to worry about? Today, he guaranteed he would not plagiarize a single poem and would simply follow behind the others, offering polite flattery.

However, that Qiwu Qian... the name sounded quite familiar. He seemed to be another renowned poet of this era.

Ye Chang had grown somewhat numb to famous poets. Starting from his earliest encounter with Qian Qi, one of the Ten Talents of the Dali Era, in the short span of two years, Ye Chang had seen not thirty, but close to twenty famous poets. The only lingering regret in his heart was that during his two trips to Chang'an, he had never managed to catch sight of Li Bai, who was already residing there.

As for Du Fu, they had forged a deep friendship, while the poet-buddha Wang Wei had turned into an adversary.

The private rooms of the Drunken Immortal Tower were located on the second floor. While they were talking, Ye Chang had already reached the doorway. Hearing the faint sounds of laughter and conversation coming from within, Ye Chang did not step inside immediately. The attendant intentionally or unintentionally shifted his body halfway, blocking his path forward.

Had Shanzhi not been standing right beside him, Ye Chang would have almost suspected that the attendant had been bought off.

"I will go inside and announce you first," the attendant whispered before slipping into the room ahead of him.

Laughter and chatter had been echoing from within, but the moment the attendant entered, it fell completely silent. A thought stirred in Ye Chang's heart: it seemed this invitation from Zhang Xu might not be entirely a good thing after all.

"Quickly, invite him in, invite him in," Zhang Xu's voice drifted out.

Without waiting for someone to come out and welcome him, Ye Chang lifted the door curtain and stepped inside with a smile. Entering the room, he found that this private parlor was quite spacious, yet it was filled to capacity. There were both men and women seated inside, all of them turning their gazes toward him.

The myriad gazes bore different expressions: some curious, some examining, and not a few carrying malice.

***

Ye Chang's gaze swept across the room, and he made a deep bow. "Greetings, Master Zhang. I did not expect Master Zhang to also be in Luoyang..."

"Come, come, Dong Zaoqiu, set up an extra table, and invite Young Master Eleven to take his seat!"

Zhang Xu rose to his feet and called out. One of the men standing nearby responded with a smile but did not move immediately; maidservants and pages quickly stepped forward to add a small table, set out dishes, and pour wine, preparing everything in the blink of an eye.

Ye Chang glanced at this man. He had a large, wine-red bulbous nose, a ruddy complexion, and looked to be nearing fifty years of age. Ye Chang cupped his hands in greeting. "I have long heard of the reputation of Master Dong of the Drunken Immortal Tower, and I hope we may grow closer in the days to come."

Indeed, he had long heard of him. He remembered this man's name from a poem by Li Bai: *"I remember Dong Zaoqiu of Luoyang, who built a wine tower for me south of Tianjin Bridge. With gold and white jade he bought song and laughter; one drunkenness lasting months makes kings and marquises seem light."*

So this was that very Drunken Immortal Tower!

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare! Hearing that Clerk Ye was rebuilding the South Market, I too harbored the wish to make your acquaintance. It's just that I was entangled in mundane affairs and we were total strangers, so I feared that coming to pay a visit might seem overly presumptuous..." Dong Zaoqiu said with a round, amiable smile.

Then, slapping his forehead, he exclaimed, "Oh, how rude of me! There are also several other talented and virtuous scholars here who wish to make the acquaintance of Young Master Ye."

Zhang Xu smiled and shook his head. Dong Zaoqiu loved mingling with literati, so even though he was merely the owner of a winehouse, he still held some standing among the crowd. He left his seat, took Ye Chang by the hand, and led him first to a low table on his left. "This is Li Qi of Zhao Commandery."

Ye Chang was startled. "Could you be the Li Changzheng of *'In my youth I was a guest of You and Yan'*?"

"I am indeed that old man," Li Qi said, rising to his full height and cupping his hands in return.

By this time, Li Qi was nearly fifty years old, his gaze piercing and glowing with a faint ruddy tint. Ye Chang immediately bowed deeply to him. "Hearing your line, *'Suddenly I see grapes entering the Han family's domain,'* one perceives the noble character of the ancients of old. I have long known of your great name and regret not having known you sooner!"

"And your line, *'One beholds a single leaf boat,'* is no less brilliant," Li Qi said with a smile.

"These two, you are naturally acquainted with, so I needn't introduce them, right?" Once the two had finished exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Xu motioned toward the person beside Li Qi, who turned out to be Wang Wei and Wang Changling.

The two of them had also traveled from Chang'an to Luoyang, something Ye Chang had not anticipated at all.

"Elder sirs, since our parting at Nanshan, several months have passed. Your grace remains unchanged, and it is a boundless joy to see you." Keeping his expression steady, Ye Chang offered the proper formal greetings as usual.

He had intended to say something further, but at that exact moment, the sound of an argument drifted from behind them. Following that, the door curtain was violently lifted, and the attendant who had guided Ye Chang earlier stepped inside. "Someone is looking for Clerk Ye."

"Ye the Eleventh, you are hiding over here..."

The newcomer pushed his way in right behind the attendant, behaving quite discourteously, but upon seeing so many people inside the room, he froze in surprise.

Ye Chang turned around to look, but did not recognize the person. He cupped his hands and asked, "Who are you, sir, and why do you seek me?"

"I am Yao Wei, grandson of the late Duke of Liang. I went to the South Market to see you earlier, but when I found you absent, I tracked you down to this place." The man was barely twenty years old. He straightened his expression and his official cap, returning Ye Chang's bow. "Knowing that Young Master Ye the Eleventh is a brilliant person, if I have committed any discourtesies, I beg you to forgive me."

Seeing that the man had arrived with such an aggressive aura only to adopt this courteous demeanor now, the company knew there must be hidden reasons behind it. However, there were also those among the crowd who recognized him, and Dong Zaoqiu hurriedly stepped forward to host. Without waiting for Zhang Xu's instructions, he had his servants prepare yet another table setting.

The introduction had been interrupted by this uninvited guest. Zhang Xu shook his head slightly; upon seeing Ye Chang enter the restaurant today, he had originally had no intention of calling him over, but he couldn't withstand the curiosity of those present who didn't yet know Ye Chang, so he finally agreed to invite him in. Sure enough, wherever Ye Chang was, unexpected events were bound to follow.

Zhang Xu resumed introducing the remaining people in the room. With this introduction, Ye Chang suddenly felt as though he had been cast right into the River of Stars.

Gao Shi, Cen Can, Qiwu Qian, Liu Changqing, Chu Guangxi...

This was truly a galaxy of brilliant stars! Gao Shi and Cen Can went without saying; their reputations as frontier poets in later generations were like thunder piercing the ear. Qiwu Qian was the premier poet of Jiangxi during the High Tang period. Liu Changqing was hailed as the Great Wall of Five-character Verse, and his line, *"The wind and snow, the night returner,"* was an eternal masterpiece. Chu Guangxi had a slightly lesser reputation, but whenever pastoral poets of the High Tang were discussed, he was indispensable.

This... truly was an extravagant era, so extravagant that one could walk casually into a winehouse and behold such a gathering of poets!

Yet, Ye Chang felt a trace of puzzlement in his heart: why on earth had this group of people gathered together in this place?

At that moment, Zhang Xu pointed toward a Daoist nun among the female attendants pouring wine and said with utmost solemnity, "There is yet one more person whom Young Master Ye must become acquainted with."