: Forming an Alliance with Soil and Becoming Sworn Brothers

Zhu Yingtai composed herself: "What you just said is exactly what I think. When we read the books of sages and worthies, we should understand their principles and practice their ways. If we cannot use what we have learned to benefit the world and the people, then we will have failed the teachings of the sages and worthies."

She continued, "My parents initially disapproved of my leaving home to study, saying... saying that I should study at home and why come to Qiantang to study. But I believe that as long as one is determined to learn, there is nowhere one cannot go and no path one cannot take."

She almost blurted out, "Women shouldn't show their faces in public like this," but she swallowed the words back.

But the brief pause and panic did not escape Liang Shanbo's notice.

Liang Shanbo pretended not to notice and simply nodded seriously.

The two hit it off immediately, discussing everything from classical studies to history, from local customs to anecdotes about the academy.

Zhu Yingtai discovered that Liang Shanbo was truly erudite and insightful. He could not only readily quote from classics and historical texts, but also integrate seemingly unrelated knowledge to offer some refreshing insights.

For example, when discussing the poem "Guan Ju" from the Book of Songs, Liang Shanbo said: "Many people interpret this poem as praising the virtue of the queen consort, thinking that it is a song of praise for the virtue of King Wen's queen consort. But I think that the most moving part of this poem is not virtue, but emotion."

"A beautiful and graceful lady, I long for her day and night. Unable to obtain her, I yearn for her day and night." This restless, sleepless feeling is something everyone experiences. Even sages are human, with their own emotions and desires; it is precisely because of this that they appear real and relatable.

Zhu Yingtai's eyes lit up after hearing this.

She read "Guan Ju" from a young age, and all the annotations talked about "the virtue of the empress" and "the influence of King Wen." No one ever told her that the poem was actually about the pure and sincere feelings of one person falling in love with another.

Liang Shanbo's words were like a key, unlocking the door that had been sealed off by layers of annotations, allowing her to see the most authentic form of poetry.

She sincerely said, "If you were to pursue scholarship, you would surely usher in a new era."

Liang Shanbo smiled but did not reply.

He knew perfectly well that his "new" insights were largely due to his accumulated knowledge from his previous life. He had read the studies of the Book of Songs by scholars from his past life, and those interpretations from literary and humanistic perspectives were unheard of in this era. He had simply brought the wisdom of later generations to this time ahead of time.

But Zhu Yingtai was unaware of these things.

She felt that the young man in front of her was not only handsome and refined, but also knowledgeable and insightful. What was even more remarkable was that they shared the same interests and could talk about anything.

She had never met such a person before in her life.

A thought suddenly occurred to her: "How wonderful it would be to be friends with him and chat like this every day!"

But then she thought again, since she was disguised as a man, even though she could study with him at the academy, she would still have to keep her distance and not get too close.

Thinking of this, she felt a little lost.

Even Yin Xin, who was sitting to the side, felt that Liang Shanbo was different from others. He was knowledgeable, insightful, and handsome.

Liang Shanbo stood up, walked to the pavilion entrance, stretched out his hand to test the rain, and turned back to Zhu Yingtai, saying, "The rain has stopped."

Zhu Yingtai also stood up and walked to his side.

The two stood side by side at the entrance of the pavilion, gazing at the world outside.

The world after the rain seemed to have been washed clean; the distant mountains were lush and verdant, and the nearby fields shone with a vibrant green. With each breath, one could smell the earthy scent and the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.

A thought suddenly struck Liang Shanbo.

He knew that there was an important plot point in the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai—their sworn brotherhood at the Grass Bridge. In almost all legends and operas, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai meet at the Grass Bridge and become sworn brothers.

At this moment, he and Zhu Yingtai were standing in the grass bridge pavilion, with the grass bridge right outside, and the rain had stopped.

The time is almost right.

He looked at Zhu Yingtai, his tone becoming more serious: "I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

Seeing that he had suddenly become serious, Zhu Yingtai also said solemnly, "Please speak, sir."

Liang Shanbo carefully considered his words before slowly saying, "You and I have met by chance today, yet we have had a very pleasant conversation in the Grass Bridge Pavilion. Although I come from humble origins while you come from a wealthy family, I find you to be a person of great learning and noble character, and we feel a strong sense of mutual appreciation."

As the ancients said, "White-haired friends remain strangers, while first acquaintances feel like old friends." Some people remain acquaintances throughout their lives, while others become like old friends upon first meeting. You and I are probably the latter.

Zhu Yingtai felt a warmth in her heart when she heard the words "we became old friends at first sight".

This was exactly what she was thinking.

Although she and Liang Shanbo had only known each other for half an hour, it felt as if they had known each other for a long time, and they could talk about anything and everything. She had never felt this kind of tacit understanding with anyone else.

She replied, "You're right. I feel the same way."

Liang Shanbo nodded and continued, "I have a suggestion, I wonder what you think? Since we two get along so well, why don't we become sworn brothers? In the future, we can look after each other and learn from each other at the academy, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Zhu Yingtai was taken aback.

To become sworn brothers?

She hadn't expected Liang Shanbo to make this suggestion. In her imagination, the best outcome for them would be to become classmates at the academy, occasionally chatting and discussing scholarship. But Liang Shanbo actually wanted to become sworn brothers with her!

She hesitated.

Swearing brotherhood is a serious matter, a solemn oath to heaven, a pledge of brotherhood. She is a woman, and she disguises herself as a man to form a brotherhood with someone. Does that count as deceiving heaven?

But then she thought, if she dared to disguise herself as a man to study, what was a little sworn brotherhood? Besides, she genuinely admired Liang Shanbo and sincerely wanted to be his friend. Since he had taken the initiative, it would seem pretentious for her to refuse.

Moreover, sworn brotherhood is such a fun thing!

Her lips couldn't help but curl upwards, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Realizing she was behaving somewhat "girlishly," she quickly composed herself and said in a deliberately calm tone, "Your suggestion is excellent, and I had the same thought, but I dared not be presumptuous. Since you brought it up first, I am naturally delighted."

Liang Shanbo smiled and said, "Then it's settled. There's a grass bridge just outside the pavilion. Let's go there to the bridge to swear brotherhood, shall we?"

"Okay!" Zhu Yingtai nodded.

Yin Xin, listening nearby, was taken aback and worried: "My lady is a woman. If she disguises herself as a man and becomes sworn sisters with another man, what will happen if it's discovered later?"

"Never mind," she shook her head, suppressing her worries for the time being. There's always a way out; she'd deal with it when the time came. She, a mere maid, had no right to interfere with her mistress's affairs.

The three of them walked out of the grass bridge pavilion and onto the bridge.

The bridge deck was made of planks and thatch, with several wooden stakes driven into the riverbed and tightly secured with straw ropes. The bridge was narrow, only wide enough for two people to cross side-by-side, and it swayed slightly; the planks creaked as you walked on it. The river below, swollen from the rain, flowed eastward in eddies, its rushing waters mingling with the calls of distant waterbirds.

The distant mountains, the nearby water, and the clouds on the horizon—the world after the rain is refreshingly clean.

Liang Shanbo took a deep breath and said to Zhu Yingtai, "Let's do it here."

Zhu Yingtai nodded.

Liang Shanbo scooped up a handful of soil from the damp mud beside the bridge. The soil was wet, sticky, and dark brown, heavy in his hand, with murky water seeping through his fingers. He scooped up another handful, combined the two handfuls of soil, and piled them into a small mound on the wooden planks of the bridge.

Zhu Yingtai found it increasingly amusing to watch him with his hands all dirty, yet so earnest and focused.

This person is really interesting.

She smiled slightly, the tension and unease in her heart dissipating, replaced by a relaxed and joyful feeling.

She imitated him, scooping up a handful of soil from the ground and placing it on the small mound.

Liang Shanbo took out a faded coarse cloth from his pocket, unfolded it, and laid it next to the small mound. He then took out a few coins and placed them on the cloth.

Seeing this, Zhu Yingtai also took out a few copper coins from her bosom and placed them on Liang Shanbo's handkerchief. After thinking for a moment, she took off a small jade pendant from her neck and placed it on the handkerchief as well.

"What is this?" Liang Shanbo asked.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation," Zhu Yingtai said with a smile. "Becoming sworn brothers is a big deal, so it can't be too meager. This jade piece is something I've worn since I was a child, and I'm bringing it out today as a testament to our friendship."

Liang Shanbo nodded without saying anything more.

The two knelt side by side in front of the small mound, facing east.

The robes of the two men were stained with mud up to their knees, but neither of them paid any attention.

Liang Shanbo cleared his throat, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said loudly, "Heaven above, Earth below. Today, Liang Shanbo, a native of Shanyin County, Kuaiji, wishes to become sworn brothers with Zhu Jiuling. From this day forward, we shall share both fortune and misfortune, and be bound together by joy and sorrow. If I break this oath, may Heaven and Earth condemn me."

He wanted to say something like "We don't ask to be born on the same day, month, or year," but he swallowed the words back. That was a sworn brotherhood oath from later historical novels; people in this era wouldn't usually say such things when forming a sworn brotherhood.

After he finished reciting the oath, Zhu Yingtai clasped her hands and said, "Heaven above, Earth below. Today, Zhu Jiuling, a native of Shangyu County, Kuaiji, vows to become sworn brothers with Liang Shanbo. From this day forward, we will share both fortune and misfortune, joy and sorrow. I wish to be as inseparable as orchids and pine trees with my elder brother. If I break this oath, may Heaven and Earth not forgive me."

After reciting their vows, the two kowtowed three times to the small mound.

After kowtowing, Liang Shanbo stood up first and reached out to help Zhu Yingtai up. Zhu Yingtai hesitated for a moment, but still offered her her hand. His hand was dirty, and he gently pulled her up, holding her equally dirty hand. Their hands clasped tightly for a moment, then simultaneously released each other.

Liang Shanbo took a step back, bowed respectfully, raised his head, looked at Zhu Yingtai, and solemnly called out, "Brother."

Zhu Yingtai smiled brightly, returned the greeting with clasped hands, looked up at Liang Shanbo, and called out, "Brother Liang!"

After calling out, she couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling and revealing a row of neat, pearly teeth.

Liang Shanbo also smiled.

The river water flowed gurgling under the bridge, as if playing music for the newly sworn "brothers".

The clouds on the horizon parted, and sunlight poured down through the gaps, falling on the grass bridge and on the two people.

This was in the spring of the second year of the Ningkang era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

This is the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai's first meeting.