The Xie siblings come to Qiantang

It was mid-autumn, the eighth month.

After breakfast that day, Liang Shanbo, as usual, went with Wang Shu and Gu Jun to Songzha in the back mountain to listen to Meng Wenlang's lecture, while Zhu Yingtai continued to read books in the schoolhouse as usual.

Today she is reading "Zhuangzi".

When Liang Shanbo returned to the school, she said to him, "Brother Liang, I was just reading Zhuangzi again, and when I came to the opening chapter, 'Free and Easy Wandering,' it says, 'In the Northern Ocean there is a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun is so large that no one knows how many thousands of miles it is; it transforms into a bird, its name is Peng. The Peng's back is so large that no one knows how many thousands of miles it is; when it flies in anger, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky.' I suddenly couldn't help but wonder, do such fish and birds really exist in this world?"

Liang Shanbo smiled and said, "Zhuangzi wasn't writing about fish, nor was he writing about birds; he was writing about himself."

Zhu Yingtai paused slightly, leaning forward: "Himself?"

Liang Shanbo slowly said, "When Kun was in the North Sea, it was just a fish, no different from thousands of other fish. Every day it swam around in the water, able to see the light on the surface, but unable to reach the sky above the water. But it was not content to be just a fish. It wanted to transform, to become a bird, to become a Peng, and fly to the Southern Ocean."

Transformation requires courage. You are a fish, among a school of fish, where everyone is content to be a fish. Why do you want to transform? If you succeed in transforming, great; if you fail, you won't even be a fish anymore. But if you don't transform, you'll remain a fish your whole life. Zhuangzi was that Kun, not content to be a fish; he wanted to transform into a Peng.

Zhu Yingtai fell silent after hearing this.

She thought of herself. She was also that fish, and the Zhu Family Manor in Shangyu was her North Sea. There, she was a daughter of the Zhu family, waiting to get married, waiting to be a good wife and mother, and living her life like an ordinary daughter of a prominent family.

But she was unwilling to be just a fish. She wanted to transform into "Zhu Jiuling" and fly to Wansong Academy, so that she could study, listen to lectures, and even practice archery with Brother Liang here today.

"Brother Liang," she called out.

"Hmm?" Liang Shanbo replied.

"You are also a Kun," she whispered.

Liang Shanbo also fell silent.

He knew he was also that fish, transformed from Liang Mu in his past life into Liang Shanbo in this life, flying from one world to another.

He smiled again and said, "The transformation of a Kun into a Peng is not something that can be accomplished in a day. One must wait for the wind to come. Before the wind arrives, one should be a fish in the water, strengthening one's muscles and bones and tempering one's temperament. Only when the great wind comes can one spread one's wings and fly high, soaring thousands of miles."

Zhu Yingtai nodded.

She understood the deeper meaning behind Brother Liang's words. Brother Liang spent every day studying, archery, chess, and military strategy at the academy, never wasting a moment, persevering relentlessly. He wasn't wasting time; he was waiting for the wind, waiting for that strong wind that could lift him up.

Outside the window, in the distant pine forest, a gentle breeze rustles through the pines.

……

……

One day in late August.

A procession of carriages and horses appeared on the official road outside Qiantang County. There were mounted guards, foot attendants, two black oxcarts, and several mules carrying luggage.

Horse hooves tread on the yellow earth, and oxcarts with green curtains flutter in the autumn wind.

This is Xie Daoyun and Xie Xuan's entourage.

The Xie siblings are traveling together to Jiankang, and will be passing through Qiantang, where they will stay overnight.

Because Xie Xuan had a past relationship with Zhu Tao of the Zhu family of Qiantang, Zhu Tao vacated the Zhuyun Villa by Qiantang Lake and arranged for Xie's siblings to live there.

Zhuyun Villa remains unchanged, with its white walls and gray tiles. The willows by the lake have begun to shed their leaves, their branches less dense than in summer, swaying in the autumn breeze. Outside Zhuyun Pavilion, the lake's surface is clear and blue, with distant mountains merging seamlessly with the sky.

Deep within the villa, there is a quiet dwelling.

The quiet dwelling was small, with rush mats spread on the floor.

At this moment, Zhu Tao was in the main seat. Although his beard and hair were already gray, he was still in good spirits.

Xie Xuan sat upright and distinguished in the guest seat, exuding a heroic and martial air even in the quiet hut.

Inside the quiet dwelling, there was a blue silk curtain, behind which Xie Daoyun sat with an elegant and dignified demeanor.

Xie Daoyun and Xie Xuan were both juniors to Zhu Tao, yet Zhu Tao treated them with great courtesy.

In terms of lineage, the Xie family of Chen Commandery was a top-tier aristocratic family of the time. In terms of family power, Xie An now held a central position in the court, and Xie Xuan had already begun to show his talent, with unlimited potential. Although Zhu Tao had served as the governor of Wu Commandery and was highly respected in Qiantang, he did not put on any airs of an elder in front of Xie Daoyun and Xie Xuan, the siblings.

After the three talked for a while, Xie Xuan saw that the conversation was becoming more relaxed and said to Zhu Tao, "This junior would like to ask the Prefect about someone."

Zhu Tao raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? Who is it?"

Xie Xuan said, "Liang Shanbo."

Zhu Tao asked curiously, "How did you come to know this young man, my nephew?"

Xie Xuan frankly said, "Last winter, Mr. Meng wrote to me, saying that he had taken on a disciple, Liang Shanbo. Mr. Meng spoke highly of this young man, and his words showed him great respect. I read the poems and essays that were attached to the letter, and they were indeed extraordinary, so I became quite curious. This time, I was passing through Qiantang, intending to visit Mr. Meng and also to test Liang Shanbo in person."

Zhu Tao felt a sudden sense of relief and sighed inwardly, "Meng Wenlang truly treats this disciple well, even going so far as to introduce him to someone from afar based on his old friendship with Xie Xuan. His intention to cultivate him is undeniably profound and significant!"

Zhu Tao already admired Liang Shanbo and was happy to see him achieve great things in the future. Considering his friendship with Meng Wenlang, he intended to say a few good words for Liang Shanbo to the Xie siblings. Besides, since Xie Xuan had said he would test Liang Shanbo in person, false words would be easily exposed.

He stroked his beard and said slowly, "I am quite familiar with Liang Shanbo, my dear nephew. Although he is young, he is exceptionally talented. Last winter, at the Qiantang 'Winter Solstice Pure Music Gathering,' the young men from various families all surpassed him in their refined conversations and poetry recitations."

On that day, the young man composed two poems: one titled "Snow on Qiantang Lake" and the other "Remembering My Late Father on a Snowy Day in Qiantang." The former was clear, elegant, and solitary, while the latter was profound and full of deep emotion.

Prefect Chen, along with this old man and several prominent families, jointly awarded this young man 40,000 coins. The young man immediately divided the money into four parts: 10,000 for his teacher, 10,000 for the impoverished students of the academy, 10,000 for his mother, and 10,000 for his own use.

Xie Xuan nodded.

Zhu Tao added, "I also know that this young man is exceptionally skilled in wrestling and archery. He once defeated the strongest man in the region in wrestling, and after only three months of practice, he won the autumn archery competition at Wansong Academy. Such talent in both literature and martial arts makes him a rare all-rounder."

Xie Xuan smiled slightly: "Thank you for informing me, Lord Prefect."

……

……

After seeing Zhu Tao off, Xie Xuan walked along the corridor to Xie Daoyun's residence.

In the Zhuyun Villa, there was a small courtyard that Zhu Tao had specially arranged for Xie Daoyun to rest. A sweet osmanthus tree grew in the courtyard, and it was in full bloom at this time, with the whole tree turning golden and the courtyard filled with the fragrance of sweet osmanthus.

Xie Xuan knocked on the door and went in. He knelt down opposite Xie Daoyun and said, "Sister, I will go to Wansong Academy tomorrow to visit Mr. Meng and also to meet Liang Shanbo in person to test him."

Xie Daoyun said, "I will go with you tomorrow."

Xie Xuan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and asked, "Why does elder sister want to go?"

Xie Dao smiled gently: "Being alone for too long is depressing; traveling with you will help ease my mind."

She paused, then continued, "Besides, as you know, I am also very curious about Liang Shanbo, and I have read his poems and essays countless times. Tomorrow you will go and test him, and I will also verify whether he is truly skilled in literature, poetry, and martial arts."

Xie Xuan smiled and nodded: "Alright, elder sister will accompany me tomorrow."

The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms drifted into the room on the breeze outside the window, its sweet scent refreshing and invigorating.