Han Zhi stroked his chin and began to think deeply.
Since it was a matching poem, it required parallel structure and a similar meaning. The other party's poem was clearly a gentle piece written from the inner chambers; surely she didn't expect him to write an inner-chamber poem as well, did he?
He turned and asked Su Xun, "Sir Su, may I borrow some paper and a brush?"
Su Xun nodded and went to fetch them. Han Zhi paced back and forth in the courtyard, pondering how to match the verse.
When Su Xun brought the brush and paper, Han Zhi took them and sat right outside Su Zhen's door, scratching his forehead while recalling the lines she had just recited.
After thinking for a long time, he finally put brush to paper and wrote three characters: "Golden spears sink."
Han Zhi did not hear the slight movement from behind the door. Sitting right there on the threshold, he slowly composed a poem:
"Golden spears sink, the bright moon hangs high,
A biting cold wind chills the armor.
Dragons roar and sorrow fills the skies,
The heartbreaking grass is hard to portray.
The crescent moon is like a knife,
Black hair tied up,
As waves of pine shield the hidden door."
After finishing, however, he felt something was missing. Holding the paper, he began to examine the poem closely.
"Is this perhaps a bit too heroic and bold?"
"Is it quite right for a scholar to write a poem so heavy with the aura of the battlefield?"
As he was turning this over in his mind, Su Xun walked up and asked, "Official Han, how is it?"
Han Zhi shrugged and handed the paper to Su Xun for him to read.
Su Xun looked over the poem and compared it with the one Su Zhen had recited. The former was gentle, while the latter was fierce; apart from the shared imagery of the "moon," the two poems were almost exact opposites.
It was a good poem in its own right, but he wondered if this rhyming match would catch his daughter's eye.
"Banniang, Official Han has finished the matching verse," Su Xun called out, and then slid the paper through the crack in the door.
Han Zhi hurriedly stood up. It wouldn't do if someone saw him sitting disheveled on the ground.
A moment later, the door opened and Su Zhen herself emerged. Far from being "unprepared with her makeup," she was now impeccably dressed, evidently having waited for quite some time.
Holding two sheets of paper, she looked out at him, but then paused in surprise: "Well, well. Who did I think was proposing marriage? It turns out to be none other than you, you scoundrel."
Upon hearing this, Han Zhi's face flushed crimson. "I... My mother and I happened to be passing by, and..."
"And what?" Su Zhen watched Han Zhi's flustered state and found it rather endearing. "Why not speak plainly instead of stammering here and failing to make sense of yourself?"
Han Zhi swallowed hard. Seeing his reaction, Su Zhen stopped teasing him and said, "Official Han's lower stanza, while not peerless, is nonetheless a rare masterpiece. It echoes my upper stanza rather well."
"Who would have guessed Official Han possessed such heroic spirit? Why imitate others and act like a scoundrel?"
Seeing his daughter still teasing Han Zhi, Su Xun gave a dry cough to remind her. Hearing this, Su Zhen had no choice but to put away the poems with a smile.
"Official Han is exceptionally learned, and I myself know a little something about poetry. If Official Han has the time, would you care to step into my chambers for a chat?"
"This..." Understanding her meaning at last, Han Zhi cupped his fists in salute. "Then I shall intrude."
He immediately prepared to take Yueping inside with him, but Su Zhen remarked with a hint of sarcasm, "Why, Official Han, didn't you come to propose marriage to me? Must you bring a maidservant along as well?"
"My apologies, I was thoughtless."
Han Zhi offered an apologetic bow, took the rolls of fabric and the hairpin from Yueping, and followed Su Zhen inside. Su Xun played along graciously; the moment the two stepped through the threshold, he closed the door and led Yueping away.
Sitting opposite Su Zhen, Han Zhi still held the rolls of fabric in his arms while pinching the gold hairpin in one hand. Su Zhen couldn't help smiling at the sight.
She set down the papers and brought over a bowl of tea, placing it before Han Zhi. "Official Han, I brewed this tea this morning. Please, give me your judgment."
Han Zhi nodded, casually dropped the fabric onto the floor, and placed the hairpin carefully on the table. Then he picked up the teacup with both hands and took a sip.
"Fine tea."
Su Zhen smiled and said, "My family is poor, so where would I get fine tea? On the contrary, Official Han comes from a wealthy household and is a distinguished Jieyuan; why would you come here?"
"I came here precisely to propose marriage."
Hearing Han Zhi's somewhat irrelevant reply, Su Zhen let out a laugh. "That being the case, I wonder if Official Han finds me to his liking upon seeing me today?"
"To my liking... To my liking..." Han Zhi nodded, his eyes fixed on the hairpin on the table.
"I only wonder if Lady Su finds me acceptable?"
As soon as the question left his mouth, Han Zhi felt it was a foolish thing to ask—she had already invited him into her chambers, how could she not find him acceptable?
He quickly picked up the gold hairpin from the table, stood up, and holding the hairpin, asked with a mixture of shyness and embarrassment, "I wonder if I might now adorn Lady Su's hair?"
Su Zhen lowered her head slightly, exposing the back of her neck to Han Zhi. He stepped behind her and carefully fastened the hairpin in place.
With this, the two had fully consented to the match. Su Zhen then said, "Very well, please follow me to the front hall now so that my elders may see the outcome."
"Alright."
Su Xun's house was not large, so Han Zhi followed Su Zhen a short distance to the main hall. Su Xun and Madam Cheng were already seated in the main chairs; upon seeing the gold hairpin in Su Zhen's hair, they immediately knew the outcome.
Since even Su Zhen had accepted this husband, Madam Cheng had no way out, no matter how much she wanted to ally with her own family. She promptly asked:
"Official Han, you placed high in the provincial examination as Jieyuan these past couple of days. When do you plan to leave for the capital?"
"In reply to Madam..."
Han Zhi started to speak, but hearing Su Zhen give a slight cough, he received a whispered prompt: "You should call her Mother now."
"In reply to Mother," Han Zhi hastily corrected himself. "I plan to select an auspicious day to marry, and after the wedding, I will take Lady Su with me to the capital for the imperial examinations. Therefore, I beg for your blessing."
The matchmaker stepped forward cheerfully, handed the handwritten betrothal document to Su Xun, and exchanged it for Su Zhen's document.
Su Xun and Madam Cheng exchanged glances, finding no objection, and nodded. Su Xun said, "Since that is the case, we shall defer to Official Han's wishes."
Han Zhi bowed and said, "In the next couple of days, I will send someone to divine an auspicious date, and then I will send over the betrothal gifts together with it."
"Very well, I leave it in your hands, Official Han."
After a few final polite pleasantries, Han Zhi took his leave, accompanied by Yueping.