When it ca to playing "Qushui Liushang," Mo Mingda and Liu Weiyuan exchanged a glance, seeming to regain their composure, with a look of mutual understanding in their eyes.
Lin Tian, of course, noticed their expressions, secretly sneering in his heart. Suddenly, they changed their minds to invite , and I knew they harbored ill intentions. Well, I’ll see what tricks you’re up to.
"Mr. Lin knows how to play Qushui Liushang, right?" Mo Mingda asked with a smile.
Lin Tian smiled and calmly replied, "In the ninth year of Yonghe, on the third day of the third month, Shangsi Day, the then aristocrat, Prefect of Huiji, Wang Xizhi, invited forty-two national military and political officials, including relatives and friends such as Xie An and Sun Chuo, to hold the Qushui Liushang event at Lanting."
"After the sacrifice ceremony, a group of people sat on the ground along the streams of Lanting, placing cups filled with wine in the water, letting them flow downstream."
"Following the winding stream, when the wine cup stops in front of soone, that person has to compose a poem impromptu and drink the wine. According to historical records, in this Qushui Liushang ga, eleven people composed two poems each, and fifteen people composed one poem each."
"Wang Xizhi collected the poems, compiled them into a collection, and wrote a preface with silkworm cocoon paper and mouse whisker brush, which beca the eternally famous Preface to the Lanting Collection. This preface is hailed by later generations as the number one running script under the heaven, and Wang Xizhi is also revered as the Sage of Calligraphy."
Lin Tian paused, glanced at everyone, and said with a light smile, "Brother Mo, are you not sure whether you want to drink and compose poetry, or imitate Wang Xizhi with your brush to write a widely praised preface?"
Lin Tian’s words caused everyone’s expressions to change color, and they all felt awkward. Not to ntion composing poetry, they might not even be able to recite poems. The "Three Hundred Tang Poems" they learned in childhood were long returned to their kindergarten teachers.
Mo Mingda originally wanted to show off this elegant activity of "Qushui Liushang," trying to act pretentious. After all, rare items like Liushang Pavilion were hard for ordinary people to see. Who knew, Lin Tian knew more than he did, narrating the story of "Qushui Liushang" so vividly.
He even knew clearly the ti it happened, the number of participants, and the number of poems composed. An Xiaoru looked up at Lin Tian, with eyes filled with admiration and respect.
Mo Mingda forced a hearty laugh, saying, "We juniors dare not compare with those great poets. Today, our Qushui Liushang is only about drinking, not poetry."
"Just drinking, not composing poetry? Sure." Lin Tian laughed, curious to see what tricks this group could play.
"Since Mr. Lin agrees, I’ll arrange the seating." Mo Mingda said. After speaking, he called out nas one by one, arranging people inside the pavilion on both sides of the waterway, which seed appropriate since he was half a host of the Yun Family.
"I am older, can’t keep up with you young folks. You play, I’ll just watch from the side." Dr. Liao stepped aside, not participating in the ga.
Everything seed reasonable, but An Xiaoru, beside Lin Tian, slightly furrowed her brows.
"Miss Xiao Ru, what’s wrong? You seem to have so thoughts?" Lin Tian turned slightly, asking softly.
An Xiaoru shook her head in confusion, saying, "I’m not too sure, but I feel sothing’s not right. Be careful."
"Don’t worry. If they want to dig a pit for , it will have to be big and deep enough." Lin Tian confidently replied with a smile.
As they spoke, a few n walked up from the corridor’s end, carrying sothing heavy, seemingly struggling with its weight.
"What a big wine vat!" Lin Tian exclaid.
It was indeed surprise, as what they carried was nothing else but a wine vat, the kind large vats placed in ancient wine cellars. The vat was half as tall as a person, very hefty, with a black glossy body, adorned with exquisitely crafted floral patterns.
With a dull thud, the vat was set down, echoing a muffled thump, obviously filled with a significant amount of wine. A man unsealed the wine, and instantly a fragrance enveloped the entire Liushang Pavilion, mingled with a floral aroma even more intoxicating than the wine itself.
"Is this a floral fragrance?" Lin Tian questioned in confusion, while others, absorbed in the scent, were visibly unable to resist the temptation of the wine and floral aroma.
Mo Mingda smiled boastfully, "You guessed correctly, it’s floral scent, because this vat is the Baihua Wine brewed by the Yun Family."
"Ah, I just rembered..." An Xiaoru suddenly exclaid but imdiately covered her mouth, regaining her composure when noticing no one paid attention to her. Most people were lost in the wine and floral scent, ignoring her outcry.
However, Lin Tian noticed. He gently asked, "Miss Xiao Ru, what’s happening? Is there sothing wrong with this Baihua Wine?"
An Xiaoru nodded, then shook her head, thinking for a mont before softly explaining, "Baihua Wine uses the finest glutinous rice and a hundred different flowers as raw materials, ticulously brewed by the Yun Family’s Brewmaster. The effect differs with each batch due to varying floral selections."
"Since I’m the Yun Family’s gardener, in charge of taking care of their garden, I naturally know which flowers this batch of wine used. I’ve also communicated with the brewmaster sister, who told that this batch of Baihua Wine turns out very intoxicating; intoxicating to the point where most people can’t withstand more than three bowls." An Xiaoru quietly held up three fingers, elaborating.
"Three bowls? Three bowls exceed more than two catties of liquor. How many people can drink over two catties of white wine without getting drunk?" Lin Tian was dismissive, thinking the wine’s reputation must be undeserved. In his impression, the so-called three bowls must be those large green porcelain bowls.
Yet the next mont made him think otherwise because the n carrying the wine simultaneously presented a tray, with three jade bowls inside, so exquisite that they were similar in size to wine cups, small wine cups at that, yet indeed shaped like bowls.
In Water Margin, Wu Song couldn’t go past the hill after three bowls. It seed that the Yun Family’s Baihua Wine was much more potent than "three bowls can’t cross a hill", intoxicating in less than an ounce.
"Mr. Lin, I recalled another issue." An Xiaoru whispered.
"What is it?" Lin Tian asked, intrigued.
"The problem lies in the waterway. Although the waterway is winding and the flow of the wine bowl appears random, playing it more reveals patterns. Young Master Yun once ntioned that he figured out this waterway’s pattern, identifying a position where the wine bowl most likely stops." An Xiaoru explained in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Young Master Yun even used this to knock down many who prided themselves on their drinking prowess." An Xiaoru added.
"Hehe, are you suggesting that the particular position Xiao Tian ntioned is precisely where I’m standing?" Lin Tian chuckled softly.
"Mr. Lin can still laugh. It’s indeed where you stand, and surely Mo Mingda knows this waterway’s pattern and arranged it deliberately." An Xiaoru anxiously said.
User Comments
0 comments from readers