Chapter 76: First Meeting
“Spoken from the heart, off the cuff, please forgive me if it made you laugh, brother.” Lu Yun nodded lightly.
“I never imagined that not only is your wisdom exceptional, but your literary talent is also outstanding.” Huangfu Xuan sighed in admiration: “The line ‘The setting sun idly casts a pile of worries’ is enough to shame all those talented scholars in Luojing City.”
“You flatter me too much, brother.” Lu Yun smiled embarrassedly.
“…” Huangfu Xuan looked at Lu Yun with complex eyes, pondered for a long time, then slowly said: “For someone your young age to compose such profound poem lines is truly hard to believe.” He smiled and said: “How about this? Since we have nothing to do, I’ll give a final couplet. See if you can complete a full poem. How about it?”
“Please give the challenge, brother.” Lu Yun smiled and nodded.
“Alright then, my final couplet is, Willow catkins fly in, flakes of red.” After Huangfu Xuan finished, he looked at Lu Yun with expectation on his face.
“Willow catkins fly in, flakes of red?” Lu Yun repeated softly.
Huangfu Xuan couldn’t help but blush and said: “Spoken off the cuff, it’s indeed not very polished. If you can turn the mundane into something magical, that will show your skill.”
“Hehe…” Lu Yun thought to himself, not just unpolished, it’s utter nonsense… How could willow catkins be red?
“Can you come up with a match?” Huangfu Xuan saw Lu Yun frowning in thought and couldn’t help but urge.
“What’s so difficult about that? Please allow me a moment to draft it in my mind, brother.” Lu Yun looked at the sunset reflecting below the mountain, the layered forests dyed in color, and had an idea in his heart. After a brief thought, he slowly paced a few steps and recited a line: “At the Luo River Bridge, a gentle breeze wafts…”
As he spoke, he walked to the edge of the tower, lightly stroked the railing, and recited the second line: “Leaning on the railing, still recalling old Jiangdong.”
“Good!” Huangfu Xuan couldn’t help but clap and cheer after hearing these two lines. He quickly shut his mouth, afraid of disrupting Lu Yun’s train of thought.
Lu Yun smiled at Huangfu Xuan’s flustered appearance, deliberately paused, then gave the final two lines: “The setting sun reflects on Cuiyun Peak, Willow catkins fly in… flakes of red.”
“At the Luo River Bridge, a gentle breeze wafts, Leaning on the railing, still recalling old Jiangdong. The setting sun reflects on Cuiyun Peak, Willow catkins fly in flakes of red!” Huangfu Xuan hurriedly recited the four lines together, ecstasy appearing on his face as he said: “Good! Excellent!”
Then, he cupped his hands toward Lu Yun and said excitedly: “I have urgent business and must go ahead. We’ll meet again later!” After speaking, Huangfu Xuan quickly descended the Setting Sun Tower. Even after going far, Lu Yun could still clearly hear him softly reciting these four lines, as if afraid to forget them.
Watching the First Prince disappear into the depths of the tower platform, Lu Yun’s face showed a helpless expression. Why did this First Prince suddenly become so impatient? He ran off before I could finish speaking…
It was like fishing for half a day, the fish finally taking the bait, only to slip off the hook…
.
Lu Yun spent the night feeling lost and unable to let go, while Huangfu Xuan finally had a rare good sleep.
Before the mao hour the next day, Huangfu Xuan woke early, preparing to go to the Inner Palace to pay respects to the Emperor. The palace servants entered anxiously, serving the First Prince Your Highness to dress. Their Your Highness was usually unpredictable and moody, especially before facing the emperor, often flying into inexplicable rages and becoming extremely difficult to serve.
They had heard from the attendants who accompanied the First Prince to court yesterday that he was again mocked by those brothers, and it seemed yesterday’s matter wasn’t over—today he had to go suffer more. The palace servants were naturally even more cautious than usual, afraid of provoking Your Highness and suffering undeserved calamity.
But today, no one knew from which side the sun rose. The palace servants surprisingly saw a rare relaxed and carefree smile on Huangfu Xuan’s face, and for the first time, he even joked with them. “Why is everyone so trembling? Do you take me for a tiger or something?”
The palace servants thought, you’re far scarier than a tiger. In any case, at least today they didn’t have to be on edge. Relieved, they hurriedly shook their heads and smiled obsequiously, saying Your Highness’s majesty grows daily; we can’t help but hold our breath upon seeing you.
“Looks like I’m even more formidable than a tiger.” Huangfu Xuan actually burst into laughter, and the palace servants hurriedly laughed along.
Outside the hall, the First Prince’s attendants could hardly believe their ears and whispered among themselves: “What’s wrong with Your Highness? He even has the mood to joke?”
“No idea, but since coming back from outside last night, Your Highness has been in a good mood.”
“Whatever, it’s good news anyway.”
“Sigh, I’m afraid he won’t be laughing soon…”
While the attendants were talking, Huangfu Xuan was already dressed and came out from the hall. Everyone quickly fell silent and stood respectfully to welcome the First Prince.
Huangfu Xuan boarded the carried sedan, and the attendants lifted him out of Yaoguang Hall, ascending along the stone steps. Soon they reached the main gate of the Inner Palace, Zhaoyang Gate, taking the meaning of sunlight illuminating clearly.
By then, three carried sedans were already parked in front of Zhaoyang Gate. Three young men wearing brocade robes of various colors, with jade belts around their waists and flat turbans on their heads, were chatting and laughing there. Seeing Huangfu Xuan’s carried sedan arrive, the three stopped laughing and came up with smiles.
Seeing the smirking faces of these three, Huangfu Xuan felt a wave of disgust in his heart. He pinched his palm and ordered the sedan to be lowered.
“Good morning, Older Brother.” The three men in brocade robes walked to Huangfu Xuan’s sedan and cupped their fists in salute. These three were the Initial Emperor’s other three sons: the Second Prince Huangfu Zhen, the Third Prince Huangfu Shi, and the Fourth Prince Huangfu Xuan.
Huangfu Zhen was currently nineteen, with a honest face and gentle expression, appearing even more like the eldest brother than Huangfu Xuan. Huangfu Shi was eighteen, a head taller than his two older brothers, with a square face and wide mouth, brimming with heroic spirit. Huangfu Xuan was only fifteen, childishness not yet faded from his eyes and brows, yet wearing the same white jade belt as his brothers around his waist, clearly favored by the Initial Emperor to receive this exceptional grant beyond his rank.
These three princes were all born to the current Empress Xiahou, while Huangfu Xuan had no blood relation to Empress Xiahou.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Huangfu Xuan alighted from the sedan and returned the salute to his three younger brothers.
“Older Brother is too serious.” Huangfu Zhen smiled and shook his head.
“Hey, Older Brother,” the youngest Huangfu Xuan pouted at Huangfu Xuan and said: “Why are you only just arriving? You made me lose my Blue Robe General to Third Brother!”
“Hehe, you’re still a bit green.” Huangfu Shi was a full head taller than Huangfu Xuan, reaching out to ruffle his head.
This action made Huangfu Xuan feel another wave of disgust. He asked expressionlessly: “What were you betting on?”
“We were betting on…” Huangfu Xuan spoke bluntly: “Whether Older Brother would feign illness and not come today.”
“Fourth Brother!” The Second Prince Huangfu Zhen called out to Huangfu Xuan, trying to stop him.
“I thought, if it were me, I’d definitely pretend to be ill and stay home today. But Third Brother said you wouldn’t dare not come, so we made a bet on it. The stake was my undefeated Blue Robe General!” Huangfu Xuan ignored him and spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.
“It’s just a cricket. Look how heartbroken you are!” Huangfu Shi put Huangfu Xuan in a headlock, and the two laughed and horsed around again.
Huangfu Xuan, on the side, had a frosty expression. These three weren’t waiting for him at all—they were waiting to see a joke!
Seeing his ugly expression, Huangfu Zhen glared at his two still-laughing younger brothers and said in a deep voice: “You’re getting more and more disrespectful. Hurry and apologize to Older Brother!”
“Why?” Huangfu Shi and Huangfu Xuan widened their eyes, playing dumb.
“You two!” Huangfu Zhen looked helpless against them.
Huangfu Xuan suppressed waves of nausea. This Huangfu Zhen was even more detestable than the third and fourth; he spent all day pretending to be nice—who didn’t know what schemes he was plotting?!
“The hour is almost here. Let’s go in quickly.” Huangfu Xuan said indifferently.
“Indeed, we can’t keep Father Emperor and Mother Empress waiting.” Huangfu Zhen nodded and stepped aside: “Older Brother, please go first.”
Huangfu Xuan then strode ahead, with Huangfu Zhen and the other two following into Zhaoyang Gate.
