Chapter 54: Pouring the Cup (IV)

Wang Wei smiled faintly, his demeanor as gentle as jade. Gently stroking his three-inch-long beard, the Chief Music Officer spoke in a deep voice, “Chrysanthemums can be white or red; even in old age, one still loves this art. Better to wither on fragrant branches than to dance in the autumn wind with yellow leaves.”
The crowd was initially stunned, then praise poured in.
“Truly worthy of Mo Jie—this poem has such a lofty artistic vision. We can’t wait to read more.”
Cen Shen, sitting nearby, nodded in unreserved admiration for the poem. In his view, only Wang Wei in this dynasty could remain true to his heart and not be bound by fame or wealth. Living a semi-official, semi-reclusive life in his villa by Wangchuan, he could compose such peaceful and virtuous verses; only such a carefree life deserved to be called splendid!
Wang Wei glanced around and nodded slightly at everyone to express his gratitude.
“What a wonderful poem!”
Although Yang Zhao couldn’t discern the merits of the poem, he still wanted to uphold Wang Wei’s reputation. “This ode to chrysanthemums by the Chief Music Officer is truly a masterpiece. With such talent, wouldn’t it be a loss to the court if he weren’t promoted? I’ll submit a petition to the emperor tomorrow to secure you a formal official position!”
Hearing this, the crowd frowned and cleared their throats. Amidst such beautiful scenery and the enjoyment of fine poetry and wine, they were met with such blatant self-interest—it was like enjoying a delicious meal only to find a fly in it. It wasn’t that they despised titles and positions, but scholars had their principles and boundaries. Poetry should remain poetry; if greed tainted it, no more masterpieces could be created. After all, he was just a scoundrel from the lower classes, not worth considering.
Yang Zhao seemed to realize the problem in his words and quickly stopped talking, smiling awkwardly.
“A good poem needs another good poem to follow. Now that the Chief Music Officer has produced such a masterpiece, everyone must step up their efforts.”
Yang Huahua smiled charmingly to defuse the situation. Though she despised her cousin’s shameless behavior, she had to intercede for him, as he was the only asset the Yang family could rely on.
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Yang Zhao also caught on and agreed repeatedly.
Yang Huahua nodded lightly, and the jade cup set sail from Fenglin Ferry, drifting slowly downstream. Where it would stop or which way it would go was no longer of concern to anyone.
“Brother Kuo, in my opinion, none here can create a poem better than this one.”
Zhang Yanji tore off a piece of bear paw, chopped it neatly, and threw it into his mouth.
Li Kuo shook his head. “In my view, the Chief Music Officer is using this poem to warn the Yang family, but they haven’t realized it at all.”

“What? Can poetry also serve as a form of admonition? I didn’t detect it at all.” Zhang Yanji asked, chewing on some dried meat.
“Ordinary people, nothing but ordinary people!” Zhou Wucui shook his head lightly and continued, “Right now, the Yang family holds immense power. In the Tang Dynasty, aside from the Right Prime Minister, few can hold them in check. But as the saying goes, when the water overflows, it spills; when the moon is full, it wanes. Everything follows a cycle of cause and effect. If one refuses to restrain themselves and tries to defy fate, they will only suffer the consequences.”
“Hey, fat guy. Why do you sound like a fortune-teller? Though it does make some sense.” After a pause, Zhang Yanji added, “My grandfather often told me that the more powerful one becomes, the more cautious they must be. Climbing halfway up the mountain means you’re still moving upward, but once you reach the summit, you can only fall back down.”
Li Kuo nodded slightly. “The most terrifying thing isn’t lack of ability, but not knowing one’s own limits.”
In the blink of an eye, it was completely dark. The maids and servants of the Yang family placed the candles they had prepared along both sides of the Tan River, lighting up the entire backyard as if it were day. The jade cup slowly floated forward, bumped into a square stone, and came to a stop right in front of Li Kuo.
The young man was stunned and momentarily at a loss. Was it my turn to compose a poem?
“Whose young master is this? He seems so unfamiliar.” Yang Zhao, impressed by Li Kuo’s handsome appearance, asked in a low voice. Yang Xian replied softly, “He’s said to be the only son of the former Left Prime Minister Li Shizhi. He was awarded the military rank of Xuanjie Xiaowei for his outstanding performance in the polo match a while back.”
“Oh?” Yang Zhao became interested. He had been checking the land reports from various counties in the capital during the polo match and thus missed the exciting contest.
“Indeed. That Li family young man must be serving under Geshu Han now. Skilled in both literature and martial arts—truly a promising candidate for an official position.” Yang Huahua said gently, smoothing her scattered hair.
Hm? Li Shizhi, Li Linfu… For Yang Zhao, whether Li Kuo was talented didn’t matter much. What mattered most was loyalty. There were so many young people in the Tang Dynasty, many of them talented, but why were only a thousand or so given important positions? The Yang family had a weak foundation and needed to cultivate many loyal followers for their own use. But that didn’t mean Yang Zhao would relax his standards when selecting apprentices. Poor ability could be improved over time, but if someone harbored rebellious thoughts, who wouldn’t fear being stabbed in the back? Since Li Kuo’s grandfather was Li Shizhi, he must be at odds with Li Linfu. Following the principle that an enemy of my enemy is my friend, Yang Zhao developed a strong interest in Li Kuo.

Li Kuo steadied his emotions and, after a moment of contemplation, said, “Soft flesh and weak bones give rise to delicate flowers; golden stamens glow amidst the rosy clouds. To know the potion that delays aging, one must wait until all other plants bloom.”
“Hm?”
Yang Zhao let out a light hum and instinctively glanced at Yang Huahua. He wasn’t good at poetry rhythms; he could manage to write some casual verses, but asking him to quickly evaluate poetry was like cutting his heart with a knife or axe.
Yang Huahua narrowed her eyes, savoring the words in the poem. “With soft flesh and weak bones, one soars through the rosy clouds in the sky. Flowers bloom only when all other plants are urged to bloom—flowers bloom only when all other plants are urged to bloom!”
A glimmer appeared in the eyes of the Lady of Guo State, and her tone carried a hint of long-lost joy.
“So you are Li Kuo, the guest of the crown prince, the imperial clerk, and the military officer?”
Yang Huahua asked across the distance, her words carrying an indescribable hint of ambiguity.
“I am Li Kuo. Thank you for your praise, Lady.”
The young man bowed slightly to Yang Huahua with a faint smile.
“Interesting, indeed.”
Yang Huahua examined the young man before her carefully. At the polo match, she had already developed a slight fondness for this brave, decisive, and talented young man. Now that she learned of his skills in poetry as well, how could she not be moved? The elite young men she had met before, who claimed to be skilled in both literature and martial arts, were either arrogant and self-important, annoying to behold, or timid and cowardly, lacking any true manly courage. But Li Kuo was different—he knew when to advance or retreat, and his behavior was appropriate. His humble yet confident attitude was like a gentle breeze, and Yang Huahua now wanted to bring this young man into the Yang family. She had a premonition that Li Kuo would surely grow into a powerful minister in the future. It’s easy to add embellishments to something already beautiful, but hard to offer help in times of need. By bringing this boy into her family now, he would surely be grateful and serve the Yang family loyally.
“Oh, I thought, at such a young age, you’d write verses like ‘soft flesh and weak bones’—how annoying!”
Yang Huahua teased Li Kuo, wanting to see how he would respond and determine if she had misjudged him.
Bowing to the Lady of Guo State, Li Kuo said loudly, “Soft flesh and weak bones are not unique to women; golden stamens among rosy clouds don’t refer only to a beauty’s charm. Isn’t our Tang Dynasty also like a chrysanthemum blooming proudly? To ensure its legacy endures for ages, it must bloom when all other plants are urged to bloom!”
Yang Huahua’s chest trembled slightly, lost in thought. Those words were like a sharp needle that unlocked the lock in her heart, awakening memories she hadn’t dared touch for over a decade.
“If our Tang Dynasty wants its legacy to last for ages, it must bloom when all other plants are urged to bloom!”

Eighteen years ago, on that night in Baxian County, the administrative center of Yuzhou Commandery in Jiannan Circuit (Note 1), a young man surnamed Pei, holding a bouquet of azaleas, solemnly spoke these words to himself. The moonlight back then was just as hazy, soft, and enchanting as it is tonight…
Note 1: Jiannan Circuit: Corresponds to Yizhou in the Han Dynasty, which is today’s Sichuan Province. After the Tang Dynasty was established, Yizhou was renamed Jiannan Circuit, with its administrative center in Chengdu Prefecture. It was named so because it was located south of Jianmen Pass. In fact, the Tang Dynasty mainly implemented a system of prefectures and counties; the circuit system served primarily as a supervisory mechanism and was a broader division. Actual governance was carried out at the prefecture and county levels.