Not only was Lin Wan unafraid of her cousin's skepticism, but she also deliberately said, "How about we make a bet? If I recite it and you think it doesn't rank in the top three, I lose, and I'll never pester you to attend a poetry gathering again. On the other hand, if it can rank in the top three, how about we go to the Bright Moon Pavilion together for the Mid-Autumn Festival poetry gathering?"
"Very well. If the Young Master Ye you speak of is truly that remarkable, I will go to the Bright Moon Pavilion with you for the Mid-Autumn Festival." Zhao Qinghuan naturally understood that her cousin was provoking her on purpose, simply trying to get her to attend the poetry gathering.
Even though she knew it was a trap, just as Lin Wan had said, if her cousin could really run into someone so extraordinary purely by chance on the road, then she might as well go to the poetry gathering.
After all, so much time had already passed; it was time for her to move on, and perhaps this incident would serve as a turning point.
"It's a deal, then!"
Without any further hesitation, Lin Wan blurted out: "The poem Young Master Ye gave me is titled: Chang'e.
*Deep candle shadows fall on mica screens,*
*The long river slowly fades as dawn stars sink.*
*Chang'e must regret stealing the elixir of immortality,*
*Her heart year after year with the azure sea and vast blue sky.*
What do you think, Cousin? Can it make the top three?"
...?!
...!!
Zhao Qinghuan had suspected that this poem might be extraordinary, but now, hearing the actual lines for herself, she was even more shocked than Lin Wan had been!
Based on her years of experience, to say this poem merely ranked in the top three was an understatement—ranking first was not entirely out of the question.
The only thing that kept her from making such a definitive claim was that the Mid-Autumn poetry gathering was bound to be filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers; there was no telling where an even better poem might emerge, just like this very Chang'e.
Therefore, her current assessment of Chang'e was: securing second place is guaranteed, while fighting for first place is possible!
In short, second place was undoubtedly in the bag, and it would all depend on whether any superior poems popped up to contend for the top spot.
"Are you certain this Young Master Ye was just someone you randomly encountered on the road? He didn't come looking for you on purpose, did he?" Zhao Qinghuan couldn't help asking.
"Of course not. Didn't I say it was a coincidence and an accidental encounter? Well, Cousin, do you admit defeat now?" Lin Wan asked triumphantly.
"Indeed, I admit defeat. Who would have thought that my little sister could run into such a great talented scholar simply by stepping out for a bit?" Zhao Qinghuan teased, before asking out of curiosity, "By the way, is this Young Master Ye you mentioned from the Capital? How come I don't recall any talented scholars with the surname Ye here?"
"Young Master Ye is from Jiangnan, and his name is Ye Tian. As for his other circumstances, I'm not too clear about them," Lin Wan replied, sharing the information she had gathered from their conversation earlier.
"Wait a minute, you said he's from Jiangnan? And his name is Ye Tian?" Zhao Qinghuan pressed urgently.
"That's right, why?" Lin Wan asked with a puzzled look, wondering why her cousin was acting so strangely all of a sudden.
"You're asking me why? Don't you find this name familiar? Half a year ago, everyone was talking about how Vice Minister Sun had arranged an betrothed marriage for his daughter, and how the young man had passed three successive provincial exams on his very first attempt at the county level, making quite a name for himself around Jiangnan. Even the Qin Family's marriage proposal was rejected by him," Zhao Qinghuan reminded her.
"Vice Minister Sun? You mean Sun Yan's father? Could Young Master Ye be Sun Yan's fiancée? That's hardly possible, is it? If Young Master Ye is the Sun Family's betrothed, how could he possibly be so broke he can't even afford a meal?" Lin Wan furrowed her brow, thinking of someone she thoroughly disliked.
Sun Yan.
She had once been a good friend of hers, but the girl was constantly scheming, loved stirring up trouble, and bad-mouthed people behind their backs, which turned them from best friends into bitter enemies.
"I find it hard to believe as well, but a few days ago I heard someone mention that the Sun Family's prospective son-in-law suffered a sudden family tragedy, so he traveled alone to the Capital to fulfill the marriage pact. Along the way, however, he ran into a band of bandits; and while he managed to keep his life, he ended up losing his wits."
Lowering her voice, Zhao Qinghuan continued, "This morning, I heard that he took the marriage contract and went straight to the Sun Family, only for them to refuse to honor the agreement. Instead, they snatched and tore up the contract in public, and beat him within an inch of his life. If I'm not mistaken, the Young Master Ye you're talking about is very likely the Sun Family's former son-in-law."
"Impossible. You just said yourself that the Sun Family's son-in-law became an imbecile. Young Master Ye is at most down on his luck, but he has nothing to do with being an imbecile," Lin Wan retorted.
She wasn't deliberately taking Ye Tian's side; rather, judging from their interaction today, Ye Tian's words, actions, and overall demeanor were completely normal.
"I didn't think it possible either at first, but upon reflection, how could a brainless fool escape from bandits and make it all the way to the Capital? It's very likely he used that guise to test the Sun Family's attitude toward him, and things ended up like this."
Zhao Qinghuan analyzed further: "Otherwise, think about it: he's from Jiangnan, he's a Xiucai, they share the same name, and the timing of his appearance is this coincidental. When so many coincidences pile up, it ceases to be a coincidence!"
"This... I suppose that's possible." Hearing this, Lin Wan began to find it somewhat plausible.
While there were plenty of people with the same name, sharing the same origin in Jiangnan, being of a similar age, and matching in timing made it entirely possible that they were the same person.
"It's a blessing that Young Master Ye didn't marry Sun Yan, otherwise he'd definitely have been bullied by her," Lin Wan sneered, holding the Sun Family's current behavior in utter contempt.
"Don't be upset. It's useless for us to sit here guessing. Do you know where Young Master Ye is right now? Why don't we have someone fetch him tomorrow so we can ask him directly? Once we do, whether it's a misunderstanding or the truth, everything will be clear." Zhao Qinghuan patted Lin Wan on the shoulder to calm her down.
At that, Lin Wan hesitated before saying, "Well... Young Master Ye said he's currently drifting without a fixed residence, but I instructed a guard to tail him discreetly. I'll tell Xiaolan right now to go invite Young Master Ye over tomorrow morning."
Yet, no sooner had the words left her mouth than a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Sis, didn't you usually despise these talented scholars? How come you're asking me to invite one straight to our home now? Could it be..."
"You little rascal, I could see how much you fancied him and figured you'd be too shy to invite him yourself, which is why I suggested it. Who would've thought you already had a guard trailing him the whole way? Clearly, you're the one with designs on him, little girl."
"..."
Meanwhile, Lin Wan's father also received word from the steward that on her way back, his daughter had spent a considerable amount of time conversing with a stranger whose identity was none other than Sun Qian's former son-in-law.
"Hmph! Always full of preachiness about benevolence and righteousness, yet when his own son-in-law comes seeking refuge, he beats him publicly and destroys the marriage contract—truly a beast in human skin!" Lin Sheng let out a cold snort, utterly disgusted by Sun Qian's conduct.