Su Yi descended from the small building, reeking of alcohol, accompanied by a group of young men who could be considered scholars and scholars by the laxest definitions. Although the poetry gathering had officially ended, these young talents of the Ruen Dynasty, seemed far from finished.
They were still making the most of their inebriation, calling out to each other in boisterous discussions, creating a rather chaotic scene.
They were currently gracing an establishment called the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Although it styled itself as a tavern, it was essentially a common pleasure house.
However, the women here were uncommonly beautiful, and there were also a good number of courtesans skilled in the fine arts. As a result, it had gained some renown among the circles of young literati in the capital. Those youths frequently hosted poetry gatherings and literary banquets here.
At this moment, Madam Li, the matron of the Red Sleeve Pavilion, was trailing closely behind Su Yi. She had tried to support him a few times, only to be waved off. Left with no choice, she followed along, and spoke ingratiatingly.
"The girls here adore you, Lord Su. They've long heard that you’re the top scholar in the capital. You simply must visit more often or else they'll nag me to death."
Su Yi, now almost completely drunk, felt his head spinning and didn’t quite catch what Madam Li was saying. He merely nodded absentmindedly in response.
The group of scholars lingered at the entrance of the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Since they were still in high spirits, they were unwilling to call it a night. Upon seeing Su Yi coming down, one of them stepped forward, cupped his hands, and greeted him, "Meeting you today, I now see your brilliant talent that is befitting of the top scholar."
Su Yi forced a smile and politely returned the gesture. Then, another person approached and said, "Your scholarship far surpasses ours, my lord. Some topics on the classics are unclear to me. I fear I may have to trouble you for guidance in the future."
"Of course, of course..." Su Yi turned to another direction and cupped his hands again.
In truth, it wasn’t just Su Yi who saw through the charade—none of the scholars present were fools. Everyone knew this was merely an exercise in flattery. Whether Su Yi possessed real talent or knowledge was completely irrelevant. Even if today’s top-ranking official was a pig, they would still be honored as the focal point of this gathering.
Only a few came forward to offer compliments, while the majority of scholars, still holding themselves in high regard, couldn’t bring themselves to become sycophants as well.
Once the scholars had finished their polite exchanges with Su Yi, a young woman who had followed Madam Li downstairs to see off the guests approached, swaying her hips. This woman, called Lu Zhu'er, was the lucky lady who had accompanied Su Yi today.
Walking gracefully, she discreetly slipped her hand into the crook of Su Yi’s arm and whispered with a breath as delicate as an orchid, "Master Lizhi, your poem today... I found it truly captivating. Might I..." She paused, her lips trembling slightly and her eyes shimmered as though they were welling with tears. "Might I have your permission to embroider it onto a handkerchief, to ease my longing?"
Before Su Yi could respond, the group of scholars around him began clapping and egging him on, "Grant her request, grant her request! Let Miss Lu Zhu'er have it!"
Su Yi smiled wryly and shook his head but still said, "If Miss Lu Zhu'er likes it, feel free to use it. You can even set it to music and sing it if you'd like."
Lu Zhu'er’s face immediately bloomed into a radiant smile. "Then I must thank you, my lord. Once I’ve set it to music, I’ll sing it for you first, my lord."
Su Yi waved his hand, choosing not to say more. Lu Zhu'er wasn’t even the courtesan of honor at the Red Sleeve Pavilion. Why had he chosen her to accompany him today? Su Yi pondered for a moment... Perhaps it was simply because her name contained the Lu character.
During those days of confinement by Ye Fan, he had learned that the name of the woman who had once taken his breath away also contained the character Lu.
As night deepened, the late March evening carried a hint of the fading winter's chill. The scholars' spirited conversations gradually waned, and they cupped their hands to bid each other farewell.
After entertaining the last eager scholar, Su Yi finally turned and walked toward the carriage that had been waiting for him at the roadside.
A cold wind swept past, raising goosebumps on Su Yi’s exposed skin and blowing away some of the fog of intoxication. Su Yi shook his head and sighed softly as his mind cleared somewhat.
Truth be told, he disliked these so-called poetry gatherings, which were inevitably excuses for debauchery. In the past, he had seldom attended such events, despite receiving numerous invitations. The occasions he accepted were few and far between.
Lately, however, he had been attending these events noticeably more often. The reason was simple, it had to do with Qi Zongbi. The court was divided into factions and officials had to band together.
Even though Su Yi had recently been promoted to a first-rank official, he was isolated and had no faction to join. Furthermore, it was clear to anyone with eyes—Su Yi belonged to the Emperor's faction.
This situation was undeniably awkward, so much so that even his teacher, Gu Yanwen, the Minister of Rites, could not offer him any help. Su Yi understood that he could not align himself with the court officials either.
Qi Zongbi had spent years building his power in the court, and his faction was now the most influential. It was an open secret that the court intended to move against Qi Zongbi, it just hadn’t been explicitly declared yet.
The voices of the Qi faction were growing louder in the court. The military officials didn’t want to get involved in the mess, while those in the Six Ministries chose to remain neutral. As a result, Su Yi had no choice but to focus his efforts on this group of seemingly insignificant yet undeniably influential scholars.
Even though they wielded no direct power, they were the foundation of the Reun Dynasty. When their collective voice grew loud enough, it became a force that could not be ignored.
This was the reason for Su Yi's appearance here today.
Su Yi tightened his clothes and quickened his steps toward the carriage.
As he neared the carriage, he saw someone standing by the wall out of the corner of his eye. At the same time Su Yi noticed him, the man’s voice rang out.
"Lord Su, you have such refined tastes. Miss Lu Zhu'er is plump and charming, she has a fine figure for bearing sons."
Hearing the familiar voice, the remaining haze of Su Yi's drunkenness vanished without a trace. With a grim expression, he said, "You again. Why aren’t you staying in your rat hole? What are you doing out here?"
The man took a few steps closer, and his features became clear. It was Ye Fan.
Ye Fan twirled the folding fan in his hand, unfazed by Su Yi’s sharp words. He replied nonchalantly, "I wouldn’t be here if there weren’t something to discuss. But if we’re talking about rats, it seems like Lord Su is but a street rat in the court these days. Hunted and despised by all, isn’t that right?"
Su Yi glanced at the carriage not far away, then stepped closer to Ye Fan and said, "Speak your piece. I have no time for your banter."
Ye Fan shook his head and said, "Lord Su truly lives up to his reputation as the top scholar, crafting verses with such ease. The moon becomes a mirror island in the celestial lake, yet it does not reflect the human heart. Tsk, tsk... A fine poem indeed. No wonder Miss Lu Zhu'er is so smitten with you."
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Su Yi’s face. Gritting his teeth, he muttered under his breath, "So the Storm Listening Pavilion specializes in eavesdropping now, is that it?"
"Hmm, not exactly," Ye Fan said, tapping the fan against his palm. "But I do find eavesdropping on your affairs quite interesting. From that poem, I’d wager that court matters have been weighing heavily on you, Lord Su?"
Su Yi was furious but knew there was nothing he could do about the man before him. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "If that’s all you came to say, I’m leaving." With that, he turned decisively and walked away.
"Qi Zongbi has arrived in Liangzhou Prefecture," Ye Fan called out lightly from behind.
Su Yi froze in his tracks but didn’t turn around. "I've noticed... How is it that your information always precedes the court’s?"
Ye Fan chuckled softly. The question crossed a line, so he naturally wouldn’t answer. "The court will receive the news by tomorrow morning," he offered simply.