Chapter Ninety-Seven: Rising Fame

“Brother!”

Du Shisan-niang and Wang Jin almost simultaneously uttered a low exclamation of surprise, their faces lighting up with a mixture of astonishment and joy. Du Shisan-niang had learned to play the pipa in her childhood, but after a devastating fire at home, she had long set it aside. Even during her time lodging at the Cui residence in the Eastern Capital, she was mostly immersed in calligraphy, reading, etiquette, and arithmetic under Cui Wuniang’s guidance, leaving little time for her youthful musical pursuits. Yet precisely because she had studied it, she understood how challenging it was to perform that piece successfully. Even after three or four years of practice, she could never hope to reach such heights. Wang Jin, coming from a family with a rich scholarly tradition, was not as passionate or as skilled in pipa as his elder brother, but he understood the difficulty of that composition. Moreover, Du Shiyi and Wang Wei had only come to save the performance and likely had no chance to see the score beforehand; thus, their impromptu rendition was truly astonishing.

Zhang Xu looked down at the wine gourd on the ground, sighing with regret, “Such a fine piece, such a marvelous dance, yet it’s all for naught... Alas, there’s not enough wine!”

Wu Daozi, equally downcast, added, “Had we known, we should have brought a jar of Sword South’s Chun wine!”

With their expressions, the other guests naturally grew even more agitated. When Wang Wei and Du Shiyi, both clad in white, stepped forward together and offered a courteous bow with smiles, those who recognized Wang Wei immediately called out, “So it’s Wang Shisanlang of Taiyuan! No wonder today’s performance of ‘Chu and Han’ was so exquisite!”

Though Du Shiyi’s reputation was not as widespread as Wang Wei’s, having only appeared twice during their stay in the Eastern Capital—once at the night banquet hosted by Duke Bi Guogong Dou Xiguan and once at the pavilion of Princess Yuzhen—some still recognized him. “So it was the great Gongsun family’s own Du Shiyi from Duling in Jingzhao who originally composed the sword dance song!”

This voice came from a table not far from where Du Shisan-niang sat. Upon this remark, many began to inquire, and the man smiled and explained, “Don’t you all know? Du Shiyi was a disciple of Master Lu from Mount Song’s Xuankun Peak. Last year, he was sent to the capital by his teacher. First, he composed the Hu Teng poem at Duke Bi’s residence, then masterfully inscribed twenty wine tally tokens at Princess Yuzhen’s pavilion. His new tally has become widely used for drinking games in the city! Moreover, his new piece ‘Butterfly Transformation’ at Duke Bi’s night banquet astonished all and greatly enhanced the event’s splendor. Today’s rescue performance further proves the exquisite artistry of his music!”

Hearing this, Du Shiyi glanced over and recognized the speaker as Miao Jinqing, a man in his early thirties whom he had met previously at Princess Yuzhen’s pavilion. Remembering that Cui Wuniang had told him Miao was a recent successful imperial scholar with elegant writings and had often brought him fame, he nodded respectfully. As invitations to their mansion for feasts or literary gatherings began to pour in, and Wang Wei calmly accepted each one, Du Shiyi was about to respond when he suddenly heard Gongsun Niang’s voice nearby.

“Du Langjun, the Eastern Capital is full of powerful and influential people. There’s no reason you can’t extend your reach to Chang’an. When it’s time to dance with long sleeves, one must truly dance with long sleeves!”

Wang Wei heard her clearly, stopped, and looked back at Du Shiyi with a smile. “What Master Gongsun says is true. It’s just like me—only trying to make a name for myself among the crowd.”

With Gongsun Niang’s kind advice and Wang Wei’s agreement, Du Shiyi had no choice but to accept. Walking back to their refined table, he quietly counted the days ahead—his schedule was packed for over ten days, and with his imminent departure for Chang’an, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself. Just then, a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Du Shiyi!”

Very few in the world called him by that name. Yet now, seeing among those disguised as men a figure whose appearance was unmistakably familiar, he felt an ache in his head. Before he could reply, a manly beauty surrounded by others nodded slightly and said, “I once heard from the Supreme True that Du Shiyi is unmatched in talent. To see him again today, wielding the pipa so exquisitely, is truly marvelous. Even in the world of theater, only three or five could rival him.”

Du Shiyi recalled that Princess Yuzhen’s Dharma name was Supreme True. Hearing this manly beauty casually address her by her Dharma name, and with Cui Jiuniang nearby, he guessed this must be Princess Jinxian, who had taken vows simultaneously with Princess Yuzhen. Humbly, he said, “Only a segment of the ‘Chu and Han’ piece was played by me; the rest was performed by Wang Shisanlang.”

“Wang Shisanlang is renowned for his pipa skills and poetry—I’ve heard of him for a long time.” Princess Jinxian glanced at the two handsome men and, seeing Wang Wei’s repeated bows, smiled slightly. “If there is an opportunity another day, I would like to invite you both to perform a Taoist piece for Supreme True and me. For now, having enjoyed such fine music and dance and witnessed Master Gongsun’s heartfelt final ‘Chu and Han’ is truly worth the visit. It’s time to go back… Jiuniang!”

Though reluctant to leave, with Princess Jinxian’s words, Cui Jiuniang could not refuse. She cast several glances at Du Shiyi and finally, without speaking, gave him a sharp look of caution before following. Only then did Du Shiyi turn to Wang Wei, who had remained silent after the greeting, and explain with a wry smile, “That is Cui Jiuniang, resembling Cui Shiyi, often wearing her elder brother’s clothes to attract attention, frequently mistaken for him. As for the other…”

“Is she the Eight Immortals Lady?”

The two princesses who had taken vows were commonly referred to by the respectful yet veiled titles “Eight Immortals Lady” and “Nine Immortals Lady” in the city. Du Shiyi nodded with a smile. Returning to his seat, he found Zhang Xu still reclining, but Wu Daozi nowhere in sight. Surprised, he saw Wang Wei being pulled aside by Wang Jin for a thorough questioning, and he smiled at the delighted Du Shisan-niang, saying, “Shisan-niang, you were worried again for nothing. I don’t know how accompanying Wang Shisanlang on this trip managed to avert a crisis. Saving a performance is like putting out a fire; I didn’t have time to tell you.”

“Brother is always like this.” Though she frowned slightly, Du Shisan-niang’s eyes bloomed with boundless joy. “But as long as Brother is happy, and Brother’s fame spreads, I am happy too.”

“As long as Brother’s name echoes through the two capitals, that is my greatest joy. Brother, you needn’t feel you owe me anything—I’m the one who can’t help at all, and that weighs on my heart!” On the other side, Wang Jin said almost the same to Wang Wei before grinning, “The moment your pipa sounded, I recognized it. It’s a pity you never saw Master Gongsun’s sword dance!”

“There will be opportunities in the days to come.”

Today was originally meant to watch the sword dance, but by a fortunate accident, Wang Wei had performed a new piece he had never heard before, which in his eyes more than made up for the loss. When Du Shiyi arrived with Du Shisan-niang, eager to return and write down the score, he agreed to meet again soon and hurriedly took his leave with Wang Jin. At that moment, Du Shiyi suddenly recalled something and asked Du Shisan-niang thoughtfully, “Shisan-niang, where is that wild Wu just now?”

Du Shisan-niang did not recognize Zhang Xu or Wu Daozi and was about to say she did not know when Zhang Xu’s sharp ears caught the mention of “wild Wu.” Sitting up slowly, he said calmly, “Brother Wu has promised to paint the murals at Anguo Temple for over half a year but has delayed until now. He just prepared some wine to work day and night to finish the murals. Anguo Temple truly owes Master Gongsun a thank you for these consecutive sword dances! By the way, Du Shiyi, if you have time later, come find me, Zhang Dian, in Wenrou Lane. Though your piece may not be as good as Master Gongsun’s, at least after listening I can still write a few characters!”

After speaking, Zhang Xu rose without looking back, slipping on his shoes as he walked away leisurely. Du Shisan-niang’s face twisted in anger, but seeing Du Shiyi’s expression unchanged, she asked curiously, “Brother, that man is terribly rude. Why aren’t you angry at all?”

“What’s there to be angry about? He’s not mad; how could one write wild cursive script without madness?”

Du Shiyi stretched lazily, noticing the guests at the refined tables gradually dispersing. He planned to leave but paused after a few steps, feeling he had forgotten something. After some thought, he remembered the ailing musician Master Kang and the Mingguang monk who had escorted him. Hastily, he waved over a small novice and, accompanied by Du Shisan-niang and Zhu Ying Tianmo, hurried off. Circling around to a monk’s quarters behind the temple, he saw Mingguang standing guard at the door. Upon inquiry, he learned that Master Kang had been treated and was now resting, likely due to a stomach illness from bad food. He sighed softly and suddenly asked, “I have another matter to inquire about. Where has the young novice Luo Ying, who guided me here yesterday, gone?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Mingguang’s face showed an almost hidden panic. Under Du Shiyi’s steady gaze, he hesitated before confessing, “Yesterday, besides Master Gongsun’s party, others were staying in the monk’s quarters. That night, someone sneaked into Master Gongsun’s quarters, causing a commotion. Luo Ying eagerly tried to catch the intruder but was falsely accused instead. The abbot had no choice but to agree to Wang Dalang’s request to handle him.”

Seeing Du Shiyi’s expression change abruptly, Mingguang’s face showed deep helplessness. “The one staying at the temple is Wang Dalang, son of General Wang Shouzheng, Duke of Huo. He left this morning. If Luo Ying stayed, he would be a target. The abbot temporarily placed him in a private residence in Dunhua Lane, planning to send him to Shaolin Temple on Mount Song soon. This way, telling Wang Dalang that he was expelled from Anguo Temple, he shouldn’t cause further trouble.”

Hearing this explanation, Du Shisan-niang furrowed her brows. For Du Shiyi, who had witnessed the young monk’s skill with the staff the day before, regret hardly captured his feelings. After a moment’s contemplation, he said, “He is simple and honest by nature. Such baseless slander would surely confuse him. I want to go see him. Which residence in Dunhua Lane is it?”

Seeing Du Shiyi’s concern, Mingguang hesitated briefly before answering frankly, “It’s the Li residence, west of the crossroad in Dunhua Lane. It might be inconvenient for you to go alone; I will guide you.”

Thus, they prepared to leave.