Chapter 65: A Day of Splendid Prosperity Hard to Conceal the Dusk of Sunset

Chapter Sixty-Five: One Day Gleaming with Splendor, Yet the West Mountain Sinks into Dusk

A clamor of astonishment rose, then subsided, then rose again.

The crowd who had come to celebrate Old Lord Hou’s birthday were, by and large, people of remarkable standing—naturally, they were no ordinary folk.

Except for the prepared Mr. Yue Ming, Mr. Xiao Jinghong, Miss Xiao Wan’er, and Mr. Chen Yi, the others could not help but gape.

Even the old patriarch, usually so jubilant, had his smile frozen, staring intently at the calligraphy scroll, mumbling under his breath:

“The characters display their brilliance, the characters display their brilliance… Old Yue, you knew this all along?”

The very characters on that scroll, even before the birthday verses were considered, were enough to stir the whole of Shu.

Should they add the words “new script,” it would only be a matter of time before such a piece earned its place among the great works of the Wei dynasty.

Yet Mr. Yue Ming paid him no heed, stroking his beard, his slightly dim eyes alight with excitement:

“This is it, this is it—the new script characters revealing their own splendor.”

“Behold, Fei Ying, Huang Shi—did you see it? I’ve fooled you, haven’t I?”

His companions from the noble Guiyun Academy, too preoccupied with him, had already risen and pressed forward, inching closer to the scroll, fingers tracing the strokes.

The Duke of Qian, too, sought to approach, but Sun Fu grasped his arm.

“Old Sun, what business have you?

Mr. Chen Yi is here, writing. Must you trouble him?”

Zhang Xuan blinked, then gave a knowing glance, sitting placidly in his seat, murmuring softly:

“This time, you must not block me. I must help him.”

Sun Fu understood he spoke of the birthday verses, nodded, and watched Chen Yi with evident admiration.

“If such were the case with these verses… I too would desire such a scroll.”

Nearby, Mr. Chen Yunfan overheard the two elders’ exchange and marveled: “The younger brother has indeed composed such masterful new script characters.”

Yet as he looked at Chen Yi—still composed, unruffled—something struck him as peculiar.

No wonder the Sacred Emperor had issued his edict. No wonder the White Tiger General’s “Hidden Guard” had been so attentive.

Chen Yi, unaware of his gaze, continued to worry over how to conclude the banquet, how to restore order to the Ruxiang Garden.

Such a turn of events had truly exceeded his wildest expectations.

Xiao Jinghong guessed at least half the situation: “My lord, might you be anxious?”

Chen Yi nodded. “The matter of the scroll—if it spreads, it will bring countless troubles.”

Earlier, the two had spoken plainly, confessing his wish merely to be a idle, superfluous son-in-law. Now, there was no need to conceal the truth from Xiao Jinghong.

Xiao Wan’er gazed between the two, her eyes lingering on Chen Yi. Beyond her admiration for his talents, something else stirred in her heart—her husband was indeed different from other scholars.

Had another talent been in his place, he would surely have been pleased.

At the very least, he should have been happy.

After all, those gathered around the scroll were none other than the honored masters of the Guiyun Academy, renowned throughout Shu and the Wei dynasty.

At that moment, Xiao Jinghong thought a moment, then rose and said: “Then allow me to step forward.”

When she reached the servant, she took the scroll from his hands, her expression cool and composed:

“Gentlemen, this is the elder’s birthday celebration. The matter of the scroll shall be addressed later. Please take your seats.”

The scholars, caught mid-observation, flushed crimson and hurried back to their seats.

The others, seeing this, naturally ceased their scrutiny.

Old Lord Hou composed himself, “It seems you all take a liking to my son-in-law’s scroll. Yet this is my birthday, and I have not hosted such a gathering with due care. Forgive my shortcomings.”

“Lord Hou, what you say is mere courtesy.”

Old Lord Hou smiled, waved his hand, and called, “Bring in the feast!”

Though some might quibble over whether it was truly “courtesy,” the banquet proceeded.

Tables were set, music played, wine flowed, laughter and conversation filled the air.

The Xiao family was joyous, especially Old Lord Hou.

He had once feared the Xiao clan had grown weak, but today’s atmosphere proved otherwise.

His own birthday was paramount, but more crucial was ensuring his guests recognized the Xiao family’s three prodigies—Xiao Wan’er, Xiao Jinghong, and Xiao Wuge.

Yet where the hosts were happy, the guests’ minds were complex.

Especially those who, before the banquet, had been castigated and slandered by the Sacred Emperor’s edict regarding Chen Yi—now, seeing the scroll, they drooped like frost-bitten eggplants.

Even as others mocked them, they kept their lips sealed.

What else could be said?

They merely looked away.

“Just now I realized, the Xiao family’s choice of Chen Yi as a son-in-law was no haphazard decision.”

“Indeed. Even his handwriting alone could stir the entire Wei dynasty.”

“A pity. He’s merely a son-in-law, a son-in-law from such a prestigious family. How can he ever fully display his talents?”

“Hm? Brother, didn’t you hear what the Sacred Emperor had just decreed?”

“Indeed. In that case…”

Some sighed in admiration, others frowned in displeasure.

At the table nearby, three high-ranking military governors of Shu, Bao Xuan held back Li Changqing, whispering: “No matter your thoughts, you must suppress them all for now!”

Li Changqing bit his lip, glanced at Chen Yi, and nodded: “I understand. Rest assured.”

Bao Xuan, uneasy, signaled to Ma Kui, ordering him to keep watch over Li Changqing.

He, meanwhile, watched Chen Yi, seated beside Xiao Jinghong, as if nothing had occurred.

Whether to speak or not, Chen Yi’s prowess was undeniable. Xiao Jinghong, the general, had indeed found herself in fortunate circumstances.

For all these matters, Chen Yi naturally understood, yet he pretended not to see or hear, eating and drinking with honest simplicity.

When approached for conversation, he responded briefly.

When left alone, he was at ease.

Until the ninth watch, the banquet finally drew to a close, and the honored guests gradually departed.

Those of noble birth were escorted by the main household; the lesser ones by secondary branches and retainers.

It took nearly half a day to send off over a hundred guests.

Chen Yi, of course, could not escape, and accompanied Xiao Jinghong to bid farewell to the imperial censors—the civil magistrate, the censor, and the masters of the Guiyun Academy.

Li Huigu deliberately lingered until the very end, his expression peculiar, urgently pleading: "Qingzhou, brother, in a few days there’ll be a wedding banquet for me and Yunjiang—do make sure to come!"

Chen Yi glanced at the group staring intently at his father-in-law, unable to help but nod.

"Zhangfang, rest assured, I’ve already agreed to your request—I’ll be there."

Of course there was no need to ask; Li Huigu’s teachers and others had placed considerable pressure on him.

After those few had departed, Chen Fan approached, eyeing him up and down. "Yi, your brother has truly come a long way. Had I known this then, my parents would surely have given you greater regard."

Chen Yi felt there was more beneath his words, thought for a moment, and spoke calmly: "Those things are in the past now. I’m merely a son-in-law to the Xiao household."

Chen Fan glanced at Xiao Jinghong, nodded with a smile, "Indeed." Then he led Chun Rong away.

The splendid banquet soon drew to a close—

[Rewards: Gun technique—Dulong (Earth Grade), Opportunity +90.]

[Evaluation: A person of rank, renowned and heard of, with a scene worthy of mention. Competing with the iron-walled guardian Li Changqing, the couple entering the arena together, earning the praise of the Great Wei Emperor, the recognition of the great scholar Yu Ming, the awe of many guests, and the admiration of Xiao Wanz’er—sufficient.]

Achieved.

On the way back to the Spring Lotus Garden, Chen Yi glimpsed the glowing characters on the screen, and despite all the praise he’d received, it was still deemed "sufficient."

This assessment was blind to what was truly accomplished, yet it was well-deserved.

Though he couldn’t help but feel content, after all the day’s toil had brought him a Earth-grade gun technique and a substantial amount of opportunity.

"Enough for a breakthrough to perfection."

Aside from the martial arts body he’d already elevated to perfection, he now had the minor achievements of footwork, boxing, and medicine.

Thinking this over, Chen Yi decided to hold onto the opportunity for now, delaying any decisions until he’d practiced the new gun technique.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jinghong noticed him staring off, and after a moment, inquired, "My lord, still concerned about the calligraphy?"

Chen Yi came back to himself, smiled, and shook his head, "It’s done now. No use dwelling on it. I merely thought the banquet today was rather splendid."

A day of splendor, indeed, is splendid.

Yet he couldn’t help but think of the latter part—"the sun setting over West Mountain."

He wasn’t sure whether "the sun setting over West Mountain" referred to the old patriarch or the entire Xiao family.

Xiao Jinghong saw no issue, "All today’s guests are close to our Xiao family—indeed, a perfect reunion."

Beside him, Xiao Wuge nodded with a smile, "Grandfather’s authority remains as formidable as ever."

Even Pei Lumeng, standing behind them, chimed in, "The banquet was indeed enjoyable. Unlike our mountain region, where birthdays are just about slaughtering chickens and ducks, singing and dancing."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghong looked back at her, clearly recalling her earlier antics.

"In a few days, I’ll go to the mountain tribe to discuss trade with your grandmother—come with me."

"Ah?"

Pei Lumeng was startled, leapt to Chen Yi’s side, and clutched his hand without letting go.

"I don’t want to go—I haven’t had enough fun yet."

Xiao Jinghong’s eyes lingered on her… and on Chen Yi’s hand. Then he turned to the innocent-looking Chen Yi and calmly said, "My lord, you’d better make some room."

(End of Chapter)