Chapter 27

August 1st

Ye Qing got up and stood, staring at the peaceful lake outside the door. After a while, he took a deep breath and said, "Qianqian, I'm going out for a walk today. Just stay at home."

"Master, wait!" Qianqian hurried over, took out two small ingots, and then took a gold cup from her bosom, placing them inside Ye Qing's robe. She earnestly instructed, "Young Master, don't go to overly secluded places on the way, and don't linger in places of pleasure."

After saying this, the young girl smoothed out his clothes and said, "Go and come back soon."

Ye Qing coughed, "I'm not taking you because of other reasons. You haven't noticed, but you've changed these days... Didn't you buy a silver mirror the day before yesterday? Take a look at yourself later."

The wooden door creaked as it was tightly closed, and the footsteps gradually faded away.

Qianqian stood there for a moment, puzzled. She locked the door, entered the inner room, and took out a silver mirror, placing it on the dressing table, replacing the original bronze mirror.

In the mirror, her appearance looked no different from before,勉强算得上清丽，就像少爷故事中的丑小鸭一样。

Thinking of what the young master had said, Qianqian carefully examined herself. Gradually, she noticed that her face still had a hint of childishness, but her features had gained a touch of grace. Her body was still slender but had become more proportionate due to some development.

The girl in the mirror, initially puzzled, gradually became serious, and her seriousness turned into a calmness that seeped into her entire being, giving her a water-like quality.

Qianqian didn't know the term "aura," but she remembered how she felt when looking at the lady, a beauty that was hard to describe but unmistakably beautiful.

The young master must think the same way!

The girl in the mirror blushed, and the calmness disappeared, almost reverting her to the original ugly duckling.

For a moment, she didn't know whether to protect or escape. Qianqian quickly put away the silver mirror and stuffed it back into her luggage.

After doing this, she crawled into bed, covering her face with her hands. The heat continued to spread, reaching her ears, neck, and even her entire body.

Joy and embarrassment alternated in her heart. The sixteen-year-old girl thought, "Qianqian, you are so shameless, so shameless, a bad woman..."

Ye Qing, unaware of the interesting scene he had missed, was strolling on the street.

After his enlightenment, Ye Qing decided to stay here with the attitude of "doing one's best and leaving the rest to fate." He planned to stay until he met the Dragon Lord or until the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th, when he would return home.

No longer with the contradictory attitude of the past few days, he chose places frequented by scholars, even some brothels and teahouses, based on the analysis that the Dragon Lord was fond of literati, starting from the probability.

But even until dusk, he gained nothing!

Seeing the sun set, Ye Qing, though not discouraged, returned to the inn.

It was dinner time, and both the first and second floors were full of people. When Ye Qing returned, the waiter recognized him and led him up to the third floor with enthusiasm.

Ye Qing ordered dishes for himself and Qianqian, with Qianqian's being delivered to her room. Just as he was about to eat, the waiter approached again, "Young Master, would you like some wine today?"

Ye Qing, only fifteen, rarely drank wine, but he felt a sudden urge and asked, "What kind of wine do you have?"

"The most famous wine in our inn is the Yellow Dragon Wine. It was originally not called this, but it is said that in ancient Wei Dynasty, a true person often came here, watching the rise and fall of the peaceful lake day and night, and always drank this wine."

"Later, the true person rode a dragon into the lake, attained enlightenment, and ascended to immortality. The locals then called this wine Yellow Dragon Wine, and the recipe has been passed down for three thousand years."

Ye Qing listened intently and nodded, "The story is good. Bring me a pot."

Hearing this, the waiter hesitated, looking at the innkeeper, who nodded, and then prepared to fetch the wine.

At this moment, a scholar at the opposite table smiled, raised his cup, and toasted Ye Qing, saying, "In this legend, the true person is none other than the Dragon Lord of this lake, which common people don't know. As for this Yellow Dragon Wine, the eight-hundred-mile peaceful lake is made magical by the dragon, and every inn along the lake has its own story."

"I'm sure you've been to the nearby famous inns. Besides Yellow Dragon Wine, there are also Dragon Lord Wine and Lake Feast Wine. I've tried them all, but none of them are special. They are probably just imitations!"

The waiter, who was about to fetch the wine, turned black in the face and retorted, "Sir, you are a scholar. You can check the county records. Who doesn't know that the Yellow Dragon Inn has a thousand-year tradition, destroyed by war twice, but the original site is right here. How can it be a fake story?"

At this point, an old man spoke slowly, "This is reasonable. I've lived here for forty years. When Du Mingfu was just in charge, Taiping County was not as prosperous as it is now. The eight-story Taiping Tower in the east of the city and the Junshan Tower on the lake island were not built yet."

"That's right. Young Master, you are from outside and don't know. This inn, though not very luxurious, is indeed authentic and built on the original site!"

Seeing the scholar's embarrassment, the waiter was satisfied but didn't want to force the guest, so he went to fetch the wine and greeted others to ease the awkwardness.

When the wine arrived, Ye Qing raised his cup to toast the scholar, but was ignored. He smiled and started to drink alone.

Just as he took a sip, he heard a steady voice, "Waiter, as usual."

"One jar of Yellow Dragon Wine, four small dishes, and special pastries, Mr. Jia. The innkeeper has reserved the ancient Wei Dynasty room by the lake for you..."

Ye Qing was startled. The autumn wind was blowing, and the clouds and mist were reflected in the calm water, with a faint sound of flowing water. The scene was grand and serene.

Ye Qing trembled and looked again, but saw only an ordinary-looking middle-aged man in blue, with no unusual features.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, and he asked, "Waiter, how much is this wine?"

"Ye Qing, our inn is always honest. The Yellow Dragon Wine is aged for three years and costs three taels of silver per pot. However, the boss has instructed that you don't need to pay for the wine, food, or lodging."

Ye Qing was surprised and said, "Though the boss is generous, three taels of silver per pot is quite expensive. Including the food, it would be about five taels, right?"

The waiter agreed and added, "The boss said that your three poems have brought glory to our inn. This expense is worth it."

Ye Qing quickly declined and tried to take out some silver, "It's fine for regular lodging, but this is too much."

As he was declining, Mr. Jia looked at Ye Qing and smiled, "Oh, you are the author of the three poems? Well, there are four walls, but only three have poems. If you write one more to complete the set, I'll pay for it."

The people around immediately responded, "This gentleman is right. Write one more poem, and we'll cover the banquet."

Ye Qing thought for a moment, bowed, and said, "Alright, let me think about it!"

He walked around the third-floor lounge and looked out the window.

The lake was dotted with white sails, and the vast blue water was misty. It was dusk, and the sunset illuminated the sandbank. A row of white egrets rose gracefully, flying with the evening glow.

This scene touched his heart, making his thoughts clear, and several famous poems came to mind.

Which one should I choose?

It's a tough decision.

"Brother Ye Qing, are you short of ideas? Why not have a few cups to enhance your inspiration?" The scholar, who had been hostile, now offered help with a hidden criticism, holding a cup of wine.

"Ha, thank you for your advice, brother." Ye Qing took the cup and drank the Yellow Dragon Wine, feeling inspired. He called out to the innkeeper, "Bring me a pen!"

The innkeeper quickly instructed the waiter to bring pen, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Ye Qing calmed himself, ground the ink, and picked up the pen, writing with a flowing hand.

The crowd found it interesting and gathered around.

This place had a strong literary atmosphere. Not everyone could write poems, but they could recite and evaluate them.

Those who arrived late had to stand on tiptoe, and those further back shouted, "Read it out! Let us evaluate it too!"

In the crowd, the scholar read aloud, "The ancients have ridden the yellow dragon away!"

This line echoed the history of the inn, but the literary quality was average. The second line was soon heard, "Only the Yellow Dragon Tower remains here."

Some people frowned, and the middle-aged man showed no expression, listening carefully.

Surprisingly, the scholar fell silent for a moment.

The crowd urged him, and someone else read the next two lines, "The yellow dragon has gone and will not return, the blue water has flowed for a thousand years, empty and vast."

At this point, some people recognized the depth of the poem and whispered, "Up to here, this poem is quite good!"

Someone reminded the crowd, "Shh, he's still writing, not finished yet."

The next line was read aloud, "The clear riverbank is lined with trees, and the fragrant grass covers the parrot island."

The innkeeper was delighted but asked, "He Yang is on the north bank of the Yellow River. Where is the parrot island?"

Someone laughed, "The sandbank in front had no name, but parrots often appeared there. The name was probably chosen casually... Now, this is the parrot island."

A steady voice spoke, "In ancient Wei Dynasty, a famous minister, Huang Xiang, served as the governor here. He held a grand banquet on this green island, and someone presented a parrot, hence the name parrot island. The sandbank was submerged by the lake three hundred years ago and reappeared. The name was forgotten, but this person remembers it."

The crowd looked at Mr. Jia, thinking, "This person must be well-versed."

Everyone had different thoughts but remained silent, listening to the next line, "As the sun sets, where is my hometown? The misty lake makes me sad."

Silence fell, and the ink on the paper seemed to form clouds.

In Ye Qing's eyes, the poem emitted a pure white light, gradually turning red, then yellow, and finally settling on a light green.

The middle-aged man stared at the poem, moved by its literary quality and the reflection on past events, and asked, "What is the name of this poem?"

Ye Qing added the title and said, "Let's call it 'Yellow Dragon Tower.'"

The innkeeper was overjoyed. This poem would be the treasure of the inn. With this poem, even if the inn wasn't the authentic Yellow Dragon Tower, it would be now. He bowed repeatedly, "Young Master Ye, with your great poetic talent, our inn will be renamed Yellow Dragon Tower. The wine money is not a concern, and Mr. Jia doesn't need to pay. Please sit, and our inn will prepare a simple banquet for you."

He added, "As long as our inn doesn't go bankrupt, Young Master Ye, you will be welcome here for free!"

Everyone praised, "It should be so!"

Ye Qing just smiled and bowed deeply to the middle-aged man, "I thank Mr. Jia for your help."

The middle-aged man, coming out of his reverie, looked at him meaningfully and said, "Young friend, you truly have a purpose!"

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