Four Seasons Brocade – CH 035

Chapter 35 ☆、 Little Scholar Discusses Poetry

Back home, the second branch’s wife gave Fourth Young Lady Rong a severe scolding. For such a wretched little thing, she had actually caused Jue’er to get injured. From then on, Fourth Young Lady Rong restrained herself considerably, at least no longer daring to hit anyone. Because of the Second Madam’s scratch, Rong Jichang went to the yamen the next day with his injury. His colleagues joked that he must have been scratched by his wife the night before. Rong Jichang could only smile and say, “My wife is the gentlest and most peaceful person; how could that be?”

However, Rong Jichang could not directly say that the Second Madam had scratched him. How could he tell people that his sister-in-law had scratched his brother-in-law’s face? She might be shameless, but he could not disregard the reputation of his family.

Today’s events were a resounding success for Ah Wu, giving her a sense of accomplishment and control. She was just missing the moment to unleash the power of that “feather fan and silk turban amidst laughter and chatter; the enemy’s ships and high towers reduced to cinder.”

Unfortunately, Ah Wu had no close friends to share her joy with. Tang Yin was one, but she could not share it immediately, so this ancient, artistic young woman had to find another way.

After dinner, Ah Wu took Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan to learn poetry. Both girls were just beginning their education; they did not understand complex poems or know the allusions.

Ah Wu chose Luo Binwang’s “Ode to the Goose.” It was a short and cheerful poem, perfectly matching Ah Wu’s current mood.

Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan followed Ah Wu, reciting a line as she read.

“Goose, goose, goose; With curved neck singing to the sky. White feathers float on green water; Red webbed feet stir green waves,” the two recited aloud like children.

The poem used simple language; even a five-year-old could understand its meaning. Ah Wu thought it did not need much explanation.

Zi-Yan, however, was eager to learn. “Young lady,” she asked, “when I hear others recite poetry, it’s usually five or seven characters at a time. Why is the first line of this poem only three characters?”

“Poetry is not bound by any fixed form,” Ah Wu explained. “It’s just that later generations have frequently used five and seven characters. Four lines are what we commonly call five-character and seven-character quatrains, but not every poem follows this pattern. For example, Li Bai, one of the most celebrated poets of the Li and Du schools, did not write his ‘Bring in the Wine’ in the usual five or seven characters. As long as you find it good, you do not need to be bound by it; your ability to think this way shows you’ve put in the effort.”

Ah Wu, with a look of “you are teachable” on her face, propped herself up and patted Zi-Yan’s head. Then, shaking her head and laughing, she lamented that she did not have a long, beautiful beard; otherwise, nodding in admiration while stroking her beard, she would have looked like a complete old scholar.

“This is called poetry? And it can even be famous?” Zi-Shan looked incredulous. “We might all be able to write poems like this someday! ‘Goose, goose, goose!’ I will just say ‘duck, duck, duck!’ So simple, and it’s considered famous poetry? I think the poems Fifth Sister wrote are the real good poems.”

Ah Wu picked up her specially made ruler. “Hold out your hand! You have not even learned to crawl yet, and you are already trying to run! What do you know about good poetry, you little brat?”

Zi-Shan obediently held out her hand, letting Ah Wu, the little scholar, slap her palm, but she was still unconvinced.

Ah Wu saw through Zi-Shan’s thoughts. If you could not control someone like her, she’d have a lot of sarcastic remarks to say. “You think this poem is easy to write? Of all the poems about geese throughout history, this is the finest. It was written by the child prodigy Luo Binwang at the age of seven. Seeing how talented you are, and now that you are ten, why not write one using your ‘duck, duck, duck’?” Ah Wu deliberately feigned disdain for Zi-Shan.

Zi-Shan, young and impetuous, retorted, “Fine, I will do it!” She stood up, cleared her throat, and hesitated for a long time before finally managing to say “duck.” Scratching her head, she managed to finish, “Quack, quack, quack.”

Upon hearing this, Zi-Yan burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?” Zi-Shan, unfazed, suddenly had an inspiration: “A coat of gray feathers, perfect for making a padded jacket.”

Ah Wu could hold back her laughter when she heard “quack, quack, quack,” but after hearing Zi-Shan’s whimsical lines, she could not help but laugh out loud, almost straining her back, tears welling in her eyes.

“Excellent, excellent! Zi-Shan, you are truly a talented woman!” Ah Wu, having finished laughing, began to comment. “I think this poem, ‘Ode to the Duck,’ is even better than Luo Binwang’s. It captures the duck’s quack and describes its color, showing that our Zi-Shan is writing about a gray duck, not a white one. The last line is the most brilliant, even mentioning the use of duck feathers. A fine poem, a fine poem! Tomorrow I will have my brother write one to spread the word for you.”

Zi-Shan was both embarrassed and flustered. She knew her poem was not very presentable, just meant for fun. “No, Miss, please do not…”

Zi-Yan laughed so hard she almost choked. Just as she caught her breath, she poked Zi-Shan’s forehead with her finger. “You, a girl with only half a bottle of water, dare to talk about poetry? It’s hilarious!”

Zi-Shan pouted, still unconvinced. “I think writing poetry is quite simple,” she said. “But to write poetry like Fifth Young Lady is not easy. You have to read many books and know many things to be able to do it.”

Ah Wu was absolutely unconvinced by Fifth Young Lady Rong’s abilities. Ah Wu had read Fifth Young Lady Rong’s poems, because whenever Fifth Young Lady Rong had a new work, the maids who served her pen and ink would spread the word throughout the mansion.

“How good are her poems? Read them to me,” Ah Wu said to Zi-Shan.

Zi-Shan opened her mouth as if to speak, but after a long time, she could not recall a single word. “Oh dear, I forgot! I just heard it this afternoon; it was so beautiful! Sister Qiu Se recited it to us so many times this afternoon! Let me think, let me think…” She thought for a long time but still could not remember.

“Then recite that poem you just heard, ‘Ode to the Goose,'” Ah Wu said, changing the subject.

“Goose, goose, goose; With curved neck singing to the sky. White feathers float on green water; Red webbed feet stir green waves.” Zi-Shan recited it fluently and proudly, even though she had only recited it once with Ah Wu. She thought this showed she was clever and quick-witted, making up for forgetting the Fifth Young Lady’s poem earlier.

“See? That’s the difference between a good poem and a mediocre one,” Ah Wu said, shaking her head. This was a typical gesture of the “little old teacher” when she was about to lecture.

Zi-Shan still did not understand.

“What’s important in poetry? First, there’s the tonal pattern: level-level-oblique-oblique, oblique-oblique-level-level. This is for rhyme, and rhythm is for easy recitation. A poem that cannot be recited easily is definitely not a good poem,” Ah Wu said. “You said you’ve heard Fifth Sister’s poems so many times, but you cannot remember a single word. How can such poems be passed down by word of mouth?”

Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan both nodded.

“Besides, poetry is not about using many allusions or showing off knowledge; it’s about expressing feelings and emotions. Good poetry is about being easy to understand. For example, do you know the great poet Bai Juyi from the previous dynasty?”

Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan both nodded. He was a very famous poet; they had learned to read and write with Ah Wu and had heard of him.

“Bai Letian had a habit: whenever he composed a poem, he would have an old woman explain it, asking, ‘Do you understand?’ If the old woman said yes, he would record it; if not, he would change it.”

Ah Wu began to use flowery language, and unless she feigned profundity, she could not subdue Zi-Shan, who only admired those who “did not understand.”

Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan, through a combination of guesswork and explanation, finally understood Ah Wu’s meaning.

“You are right, young lady. I also think poetry should be simple and easy to understand,” Zi-Yan nodded.

Ah Wu then explained the poem “Ode to the Goose” to the two of them, pointing out the lively and agile depiction of the goose with its “curved neck” and “singing to the sky,” and commenting on the “white feathers, green water, and red webbed feet” that created a “white goose playing in the water” scene. Only then did Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan appreciate the poem’s beauty, and they were both sincerely convinced.

Today, Zi-Shan and Ah Wu were discussing Fifth Young Lady Rong’s poem. Zi-Shan could not remember it immediately and could not shake the thought. A few days later, she specially sought out two lines of Fifth Young Lady Rong’s new work from Qiu Se. She did not understand them herself but wanted Ah Wu to interpret them.

Ah Wu took the paper from Zi-Shan, opened it, and read, “The eldest is unfit for swordplay; all kinds of demons seize souls.”

“Miss, what do these two lines mean? And what are those demons?”

Zi-Shan did not understand, so Ah Wu, the little scholar, naturally explained. “The eldest is unfit for swordplay: there’s a story behind it, the story of Jing Ke’s assassination attempt on the King of Qin.” Seeing Zi-Shan’s blank look, Ah Wu had to briefly explain the story to her.

Then Ah Wu continued: “The Records of the Grand Historian, in the biography of Jing Ke, states, ‘When Lu Goujian heard of Jing Ke’s assassination attempt on the King of Qin, he privately said: ‘Alas, what a pity! He does not know the art of swordsmanship.”‘ At this point, Ah Wu herself became lost in thought, forgetting to continue. Only then did she realize the hidden meaning in Fifth Young Lady Rong’s words.

“Then what does it mean?” Zi-Shan still did not understand.