Chapter 395: Chapter 17: The General Mansion’s Cast-Off Scapegoat Wife (Part 17)

In this way, Jiang Lai was directly invited to the third floor, where the scenery was better. By opening the window, one could just see the bare willow branches by the bank swaying in the wind, while a gentle breeze stirred up a ripple on the lake.

In front of Jiang Lai was a pot of wine. She listened to the intellectuals at the central tables talking enthusiastically but wasn’t very interested, only joining in to get involved when they presented topics.

The scholars here were famous in the Capital City and even throughout the country. There were poets and painters, and at the bow and stern of the boat, there were people playing musical instruments out of sheer literary interest.

Jiang Lai was the only female present, sitting opposite her was the master of this Bright Moon Building, also the owner of the teahouse, the son of the current Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince.

He was the biological brother of the male protagonist of this article, the Sixth Prince. The Sixth Prince was renowned for his strategies, while the Eighth Prince, known as a talented scholar, founded the Bright Moon Building. Every day, the masterpieces circulated from this painted boat were revered as classics by the common folk, copied, and sold in collections.

The Eighth Prince had a refined and scholarly appearance, like a white-faced scholar, holding a folding fan adorned with his own landscape paintings.

“You look familiar, Miss. May I ask your name?”

“Jiang Lai.”

“Jiang Lai? There’s a regular guest here in the Bright Moon Building, also with the surname Jiang, also a woman, but her talent is not inferior to any man here. It seems the Jiang family produces remarkable people.”

One can easily guess the regular guest of the Sixth Prince’s mention.

Jiang Yu, of course.

She was a famously talented woman in the Capital City, and her initial reputation spread from the Bright Moon Building.

Jiang Yu rarely joined the noblewomen of the Capital City in flower appreciation and chatter, instead, whenever she had free time, she often visited the Bright Moon Building to indulge in poetry matches with a group of men.

Because of her high reputation, everyone competed to read and praise her works and poems.

Jiang Lai wasn’t here because of Jiang Yu; she mostly lacked money, and in this era, becoming a renowned literati was the way to earn the most money. A casual poem, essay, or painting could fetch astronomical prices as long as one was famous.

And to truly attain fame, it had to be in this Bright Moon Building.

As soon as Jiang Lai arrived, she saw many bookstore owners gathered outside the painted boat, waiting to get first-hand articles. The third-floor works were generally not released casually, but the writers on the first and second floors were somewhat famous, and for some Silver, copied versions could be obtained.

As for the originals, those required auctions to acquire at high prices.

Jiang Lai wanted to earn money by simply speaking and writing, so she needed to create a reputation quickly.

“May I ask what is the relationship between Miss Jiang and Jiang Yu from the Capital City?”

“She is my elder sister.”

The Eighth Prince was initially surprised, then restrained his astonishment and smiled.

“Miss Jiang has always kept a low profile and never met before; how come I’ve never heard that Jiang Yu has a sister as radiant as the stars.”

Jiang Lai smiled.

“It’s not too late to know now. I’ve heard that there’s a rule here to write one poem a day, and everyone seems to be waiting.”

The Eighth Prince nodded, walked to the center, and a servant pushed up a board covered with a white cloth behind him.

“Early spring sends warmth, today we won’t talk about national affairs, only Wind and Moon.”

While speaking, he uncovered the white cloth, revealing today’s poetry topic on the board.

“Wind and Moon”.

The time allowed for composing was a stick of incense, roughly an hour.

The Eighth Prince smiled at everyone, and while they were pondering, Jiang Lai by the window was already wielding her brush, writing fluidly and effortlessly.

Beside her, Little Buding recited a sentence, and Jiang Lai copied it down.

After a stick of incense, a gong was struck as a signal, and everyone stopped writing.

A bookboy was tasked with collecting the works in front of each person, and when he got to Jiang Lai’s, he noticeably paused, his face filled with admiration and wonder.

All the works were placed in front of the Eighth Prince and then pasted on the whiteboard, one by one, for everyone to appreciate and learn.

He nodded approvingly at the first few papers, but when he reached the next one, he couldn’t help but read it closely due to the densely packed words. After just two sentences, he was full of awe and admiration.

He hurried to sit down and read it carefully from start to finish, impatiently looking at the small lettering at the end.

Bright Moon Building, Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai!

Majesty poured from her straightforward and heartfelt work, concerning both Wind and Moon and family and country, and it was written by a woman!

“Excellent! Excellent! Since the founding of the Bright Moon Building, this prose is the best I’ve known! Jiang Lai, you are indeed a remarkable woman!”

Everyone present was curious, wondering what kind of prose could earn such continuous praise, especially from the discerning and critical master of the Bright Moon Building.

Everyone rushed over to look, but the Eighth Prince held it, reluctant to part with it, reading it over and over again.

“Don’t rush, everyone. A good piece should be shared; let me read it aloud for you!”

As he spoke, the Eighth Prince loudly recited the prose he held in his hand.

Sadly, a stream of Wind and Moon, don’t let it shatter the jade.

How much smoke and cloud beyond the Ailanthus staff, boundless Wind and Moon within the brocade bag.

The chrysanthemums bloom, the chrysanthemums wither, the wild geese fly high, the people have not returned, a curtain of Wind and Moon at ease.

A bamboo pole of Wind and Moon, a rain coat of smoke and rain, home resides east of the Capital Station.

Sitting on the old bank of Su, fine jade in a grove, the six bridges of Wind and Moon as confidants.

This regret is not related to Wind and Moon.

Parting at the barrier with the wandering son, Wind and Moon guard the empty boudoir.

Wind and Moon clear in the night, the country and mountains are not the old garden.

…”

After he finished reading, everyone kept praising and inquiring.

“Which talent’s hand wrote this?”

“This is no talent, but a talented woman!”

Speaking, everyone’s eyes turned to the currently sole woman on the third floor, Jiang Lai. Under so many gazes, Jiang Lai remained calm and gently smiled.

“Just a taste for elegance.”

“You mustn’t be so modest! Miss Jiang’s work is the best in a decade!”

“To compose a lengthy work of a few hundred characters in just half an hour and still be so excellent, I am truly ashamed.”

“Would you permit me to copy and savor this work at my leisure?”

Jiang Lai nodded.

Everyone scrambled to copy it, and the Eighth Prince directly approached Jiang Lai, respectfully asking.

“Indeed a remarkable woman from the boudoir, it is truly my regret not knowing you before. May I be so bold as to ask if I can purchase this prose?”

Upon hearing the word “purchase,” Jiang Lai’s smile broadened somewhat.

“If the master likes it, how about giving it to you?”

“Although I’m the master, I can’t break the rules. Since Miss Jiang is willing to part with it, today must be my lucky day.”

Eventually, this poem went to the Eighth Prince. In return, he gifted Jiang Lai a small box of gold bars and immediately ordered that Jiang Lai’s composition, “Wind and Moon Poems,” be compiled into the “Four Treasures Collection.”

This meant Jiang Lai’s poem could not only be recited at present but continue to be passed down for the royal offspring in the Capital City to learn from a young age.

For a literati, it was considered a high honor and commendation.

Returning to the General Mansion, looking at the box of gold in front of her, Jiang Lai smiled with satisfaction.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep