BXBX NOVEL Chapter 73 - A hidden disaster (2)
“Cousin?” Ning Errong curiously turned around to look at him. “Why did you come here?”
Ning Yuxuan lightly smiled. He didn’t waste words and straightforwardly said, “I just returned from Luoyan Pagoda. I saw Mingjie’s wonderful calligraphy there, so I came over here.”
Ning Mingjie’s heart slightly jumped. Although he hadn’t done anything to wrong Marquis Moyu, he was worried that Ning Yuxuan would dislike Nie Sangyu even more after he found out. For a man and a woman to write a poem together, it gave off a sense of picturesque charm.
Thinking of Nie Sangyu’s deathly pale face, Ning Mingjie found himself in a difficult position. Should he pretend that he wrote the poem? But, he wouldn’t be able to write out the second half.
As he was thinking about what to do, he forgot that he had a carefree younger sister standing next to him.
Hearing Marquis Moyu mentioned this topic, she hurriedly said with the intention of helping Sangyu. “My older brother isn’t that broad-minded. He only wrote it out on Sangyu’s behalf. She’s the one that compose the poem, cousin.”
After these words were said, the room became silent for a long time.
Ning Yuxuan’s smile didn’t change, but his gaze gradually became cold. “Sangyu was the one that compose the poem?”
“Yeah, it happened on the day that Old Madame allowed us to leave the residence. Sangyu and my older brother went to the fifth floor and there was a poetry competition. So, Sangyu went up and displayed her skills!” Ning Errong didn’t think there was anything wrong at all with what happened. “Sangyu showed that she was truly from a family with a famous literary reputation. Cousin, Sangyu is a very talented and cultured person. Why do you always possess prejudice towards her?”
Above the poem that had people clicking their tongues in admiration, there was a conspicuous ink blob*. As he listened to people discussing the origins of the ink blob, he heard a nearby scholar joke, “That was from a woman’s heart and her rosy and soft hands. How can you possibly know what a beauty is feeling?”
* (T/N: After Ji Man’s failed attempt at writing the title of the poem in chapter 64, she immediately crumpled up the paper, so the ink didn’t have time to dry and probably smeared together to make an ink blob.)
At the time, he was pondering over the second half of the poem with the crown prince in a private room and didn’t pay special attention to these words. But now, he realized that Sangyu had probably drawn that ink blob. Why did she insist on having Ning Mingjie write the poem on her behalf instead of writing the poem herself? Was she afraid that he would recognize her handwriting? There was no need for her to do something so superfluous. He didn’t care if showed her face in the public. Anyways, Nie Sangyu had done plenty of embarrassing things in the past and there were many people in the capital that recognized her.
Although his mind thought logically, his heart still inevitably felt uncomfortable.
—
By the time Ning Yuxuan went to Feiwan Courtyard, Ji Man was already inside and drinking thin congee. Seeing him come into the room, she almost chocked.
“Why are you here again?”
Listen to these words. Had his two days of care been a waste of effort? And to think, he had been feeling guilty and had decided that he would treat her better from now on. But, here she was, hoping that he wouldn’t come visit her.
There was fire in his heart, but there was also a faint amount of concern. Marquis Moyu’s expression wasn’t good. He left after standing at the doorway for a short period of time.
He came and he went. It seemed like she had angered him. Ji Man stuck out her tongue. She really couldn’t be blamed. Only a moment of not controlling herself and she had said inappropriate words.
It was true that Ning Yuxuan had truly treated her very well during the past two days. She had let go of most of the grievances in her heart. As long as he wasn’t so bias against her in the future, there was still a chance that they could get along well.
Shortly after Marquis Moyu left, his personal servant, Guibai, came back and said, “The marquis requests that Mistress Sang write out the second half of the poem.”
Ji Man’s heart jumped. How did he find out? But, she immediately patted her chest. He hadn’t shown any extreme reaction towards her or asked her any difficult questions. This meant that he wasn’t particularly offended and this wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t have a place in Ning Yuxuan’s heart, so that matter probably wouldn’t make him feel displeased.
At the very least, she was increasing his reputation.
Ji Man had Muxu bring over a brush and ink, but her handwriting was still a problem. She didn’t know if anyone had seen Nie Sangyu’s writing before. Anyways, her handwriting was crooked and sloppy. It didn’t look like a noble lady’s writing from any angle.
“Sir Guibai, do you know how to write?” Ji Man brightly smiled at the expressionless servant.
Guibai paused before saying, “Mistress Sang, you don’t know how to write?”
“Of course, I can. It’s just that I haven’t recovered from my cold yet and my hand feels weak.” Ji Man held her forehead and pretended to be frail, “Come on, you can write it out while I speak.”
Guibai saw that she truly looked weak, so he kindly took the brush from her.
“Master Mingjie, Scholar Qingyun,
Drink up. Don’t neglect your wine cup.
Let me sing you a song,
Lend me your ears as I sing.
Bells, drums, delicacies, and jade aren’t precious enough,
I rather fall into intoxication and never awake.
Since ancient times, wise and holy men have always been alone,
Only drinkers leave behind a reputation.
In the past, Cao Zhi had held a banquet at the Pingle,
And provided ten thousand cups of wine for his guests to indulge and enjoy.
As the host, I won’t excuse myself from drinking by claiming lack of money,
I’ll straightforwardly buy as much wine as we want to drink.
A fine steed with a five-color pattern like a five-petal flower.
Its skin is worth a thousand gold.
Call my boy over and have him exchange this horse for more wine,
I’ll share this wine with you as we drink away worries that have existed since ancient times.”
As Ji Man guilty recited the poem, she changed the two names of Li Bai’s friends that were mentioned in the original poem to Ning Mingjie and Nie Qingyun. This way, it would make it seem more like she had composed this poem. Otherwise, how would she be able to answer Marquis Moyu if he asked her who was Master Cen and Scholar Danqiu?
After Guibai finished writing, the look in his eyes was very complicated. He stared at Nie Sangyu for a long time. He seemed as if he couldn’t believe that she would able to compose verses like these.
Ji Man held her forehead as she returned to her bed to rest. Naturally, Nie Sangyu shouldn’t be this broad-minded. But, in this world, she was the only one that knew Li Bai’s poems. There was no one that would be able to take out evidence to show that she had plagiarized.
However, she hadn’t figured out yet what method the novel’s formerly kind-hearted and lovely female lead would use to recover the Marquis Moyu’s heart.
—
“Marquis, Madam went to the garden to walk around after eating.” Liu Mamacontinued to act as a spy, but this time, Wen Wan was her target that she kept a close watch over.
Marquis Moyu was sitting in Mu Shuqing’s courtyard. Hearing these words, he pursed his lips and asked, “She didn’t ask you to pass on any messages?”
“To respond to the marquis, she didn’t.” Liu Mama honestly said.
Translator Ramblings: Even though Ji Man believes that she’s let go of most of the grievances in her heart, her instinctive response toward Ning Yuxuan is still “go away” and “leave me alone”.