As for the other person's behavior, Ye Tian naturally had no intention of getting angry. Why get angry? Leaving aside the fact that this was ancient times, even in modern times, if he saw a man who had fallen into the water walking on the street, he definitely wouldn't approach him rashly, as who knew if the guy was out of his mind.
Therefore, the fact that the other party didn't scream and run away made him feel that she was already showing him a great deal of respect. Of course, it was also possible she was respecting the clothes he wore.
After all, in ancient times, only a Xiucai was allowed to wear a square headscarf and unlined scholar's gown. For anyone else, especially those from the lower social strata, dressing like that was a crime punishable by the magistrate's court.
He didn't know if Da Qian was the same, but recalling the respect he had just seen in the innkeeper's eyes, he figured there shouldn't be any unexpected exceptions.
And indeed, that was the case.
If she hadn't seen Ye Tian wearing a scholar's gown, and if this weren't inside Luoyang City, Lin Wan would never have rashly spoken to a strange man.
It was just that she had been astonished by the exquisite brilliance of that line earlier, and hadn't noticed how disheveled the fellow was—anyone who didn't know better would have thought he had fallen into the river.
"That's rather a pity. Otherwise, if the young master goes to Bright Moon Pavilion next month, he would surely make it onto the September rankings," Lin Wan said with a trace of regret.
She truly loved that line; it was just a shame it was only a single sentence, falling somewhat short in the end.
"May I ask, young lady, what is the poetry ranking of Bright Moon Pavilion? Are there any benefits to getting on it? By the way, I have just arrived in the Capital, so I'm not very familiar with these things," Ye Tian asked with curiosity.
Hearing the other person speak of it in such mystical, reverent tones, he was naturally quite tempted. For instance, did making the list come with money? If so, how much? As long as the pay was enough, he could churn out all the poetry of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
"Hmph, who are you trying to fool? Bright Moon Pavilion is famous throughout the world, known even to everyone in the neighboring lands. Even ordinary people know of it—how could a Xiucai like you not know?" Before Lin Wan could speak, the little maid beside her couldn't help chiming in.
Obviously.
She had seen plenty of young masters trying to strike up a conversation with her mistress on a regular basis, and naturally categorized Ye Tian among them.
Seeing this, Ye Tian realized his question might have sounded a bit stupid. However, since it concerned his livelihood, he continued to explain: "Miss, please don't misunderstand. You can see what I look like right now—I accidentally fell into the water, so my head is a bit dizzy and I've forgotten many things. If I had come here with designs on you, would I be dressed like this? That would only make a fool of myself in front of you, wouldn't it?"
"Miss, don't believe him. If he wanted to know about this sort of thing, he could just pull anyone on the street and ask. Why does he have to ask you?" The maid remained vigilant.
"Is that so? Everyone knows, you say? Many thanks to the two of you, we shall meet again if fate allows!" Hearing this, Ye Tian didn't drag things out. He simply ran straight over to the innkeeper not far away and blurted out, "Innkeeper, do you know about the poetry rankings at Bright Moon Pavilion?"
???
!!!
And just like that, he left?
No follow-up?
Lin Wan and the little maid were stunned for a moment.
Especially Lin Wan. As long as she had lived, this was the first time a male had been so "indifferent" while chatting with her!
Lin Wan originally wanted to say "how rude," but on second thought, the fellow seemed to have already thanked her just now, so it couldn't really be called rudeness. At worst, he just hadn't taken her seriously.
Could it really be that Xiaolan had misunderstood him?
"Miss, let's go. He's definitely lying to you," Xiaolan said, tugging guiltily at Lin Wan's sleeve.
Yet this only served to arouse Lin Wan's curiosity. If the man had done it on purpose, so be it; but what if they had genuinely misunderstood him? Putting everything else aside, an apology was at least in order.
"Don't rush, let's wait and see," Lin Wan patted the little maid's shoulder, signaling her not to be impatient, and then curiously edged closer, wanting to overhear the conversation between Ye Tian and the innkeeper.
To be honest.
She still believed Ye Tian to some extent, because just as he had said, of all those young masters who genuinely wanted to capture her attention, which one wasn't dressed brilliantly and impeccably, hoping to leave a good impression?
His current appearance, coupled with such an obvious question, indeed didn't look like an act.
"My dear patron, are you pulling my leg? What kind of place is Bright Moon Pavilion? That is the holy site of our Da Qian! Even an old fellow like me knows about it, how could you possibly not?" the innkeeper said, speechless.
Clearly.
He didn't believe that Ye Tian knew nothing about Bright Moon Pavilion, either.
"Here is ten... fifteen copper coins. Just tell me what Bright Moon Pavilion and its poetry rankings are."
With a pained expression, Ye Tian took out five copper coins. Although Lin Wan, standing behind him, couldn't see the look on his face, in all her years she had never heard of anyone haggling over five copper coins, nor had she ever heard of anyone willing to spend money just to ask such a question.
"Hehe, then many thanks for the patron's reward! Bright Moon Pavilion is the most famous poetry sanctuary in Luoyang, and indeed throughout the entire Da Qian. Every few days or on every festival and celebration, they host various poetry gatherings. The finest poems from these are recorded every month, and the top ten works are selected three months later to enter the Bright Moon Pavilion poetry rankings, which are then proclaimed to the entire world!"
"Why wait as long as three months? Can't they just rank them directly?"
"That certainly won't do, because Bright Moon Pavilion collects poetry from all under heaven. Three months is already considered very fast."
"So that's how it is. Three months is acceptable, I suppose. By the way, if I manage to write a poem that makes the list, does Bright Moon Pavilion give out any money? For instance, if I can write a poem right now that ranks near the top, would they give me a bit of silver as a reward?"
"How could that be? Bright Moon Pavilion has stood for over a hundred years, and people throughout the world consider making the poetry rankings of Bright Moon Pavilion an supreme honor. It is a peerless symbol of prestige—how could vulgar things like gold and silver ever compare!" Hearing this, Lin Wan interrupted the conversation between Ye Tian and the innkeeper with some indignation. "If you fell into the water today and forgot about this, so be it, but never speak such words again in the future. Otherwise, if others hear you, they will surely fight you to the death!"
At these words.
The innkeeper stopped talking, knowing his task was complete.
As for Ye Tian, he was initially surprised that Lin Wan hadn't left, but immediately afterwards he felt a pang of heartache over his five copper coins. After all that trouble, that so-called Bright Moon Pavilion didn't give out a single coin—he had completely wasted his five cash!
"What kind of attitude is that? Could it be you think I'm lying to you?" Seeing Ye Tian's nonchalant expression, Lin Wan felt somewhat displeased.
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian glanced at her and said, "It has nothing to do with you, Miss. I'm just a bit disappointed. I originally thought I could make some money, but after all this fuss, I can't earn a single coin. By the way, don't say I don't respect honor; it's just that I'm about to starve for lack of money. If I had any money, I wouldn't have such thoughts."