Chapter 687
Body Length and Shortness
Chapter 687 Body Length and Shortness
At this point, Qin Siyuan began to speak.
"On behalf of Young Master Nantang, I will explain why there is such a great difference between the writings of Wu and Chu."
Indeed, as Mr. Songshan said, the great differences in writing stem from the significant differences in customs and traditions between the Wu and Chu regions. These differences are too subtle to list one by one, but let me just mention one that you all share: the custom of marrying a new bride.
Everyone burst into laughter, creating a noisy atmosphere.
Princess Fuyun couldn't help but laugh, "I never expected Young Master Nantang to be so witty."
The King of Qi laughed and asked, "I wonder if he is married?"
Princess Fuyun thought for a moment and said, "Who could bear to let such a handsome and talented son-in-law slip away from their sight?"
“But his ambitions lie not in fame and fortune,” King Qi sighed. “Ordinary people probably cannot tolerate him.”
Princess Fuyun disagreed: "He is now famous in the capital, and he will surely be famous throughout the world in the future. Would someone with such talent lack fame and fortune? Although he has no power if he does not serve in the court, he will still live a stable life."
King Qi said calmly, "It seems I shouldn't have bothered to recruit him."
Princess Fuyun lowered her eyelids, concealing her sorrowful gaze.
Indeed, if the two of them didn't gamble, they would have no way to survive. Young Master Nantang and the others shouldn't have been dragged into this. But to say that would be too cruel to my brother.
Princess Fuyun forced a smile and said, "He is a good friend of Mr. Songshan and is so close to the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion. I heard that the owner of Shuhaige tried every means to coerce and entice him but failed to meet him. It will inevitably involve him in some way."
As for how many people are implicated, that depends on the magnanimity of those in power.
and so……
They have no choice but to succeed.
If you don't succeed, you will become benevolent.
After the scholars in the audience finished laughing, they held their breath, waiting for the talented scholar from Jiangnan to continue.
Even Wang Zichuan, who considered himself very knowledgeable, perked up his ears.
On stage, Qin Siyuan slowly recounted: "It is said that meeting an old friend in one's hometown, the wedding night, and passing the imperial examination are the three great joys in life. People from Wu and Chu naturally also have wedding nights, but the standards for the bride are completely different."
Everyone burst into laughter: "Tell us in detail how they differ!"
Qin Siyuan blushed slightly, but continued, "People from Wu prefer tall women because they are beautiful. People from Chu prefer short women because they are capable."
Therefore, a tall woman was popular in Wu, but disliked in Chu.
The Wu and Chu regions are geographically connected, yet their customs are so different.
Upon closer examination, I believe it is because the Wu region was extravagant while the Chu region was frugal; hence, the Wu region valued beauty and elegance, while the Chu region valued practicality.
This is clearly reflected in the writing style as well. What do you all think?
Everyone laughed and said, "That makes perfect sense. From now on, we can tell whether a person from Wu or Chu is tall or short by looking at whether their wife is tall or short."
“Why go through all that trouble? You can tell just by looking at their mouths.” Someone retorted, “The accents of the Wu and Chu people are so different that they cannot be mistaken. Why bother looking at the height of their wives?”
"You're so insensitive! We're all just playing along with what Young Master Nantang said, aren't we?" someone couldn't help but say.
The man said seriously, "Scholarship is scholarship, not a game. What Young Master Nantang said was humorous, but every word is verifiable. What you say is just for fun, but it makes no sense and has no basis."
Seeing his high regard for the young master of Nantang, the others didn't say anything more, only remarking, "You must be from Jiangxi." The man exclaimed in surprise, "That's right! How did you know?"
Those around them smiled but remained silent.
The man was about to press further when Qin Siyuan said, "I have heard that someone wrote a poem called 'Ode to Marrying a Bride' to satirize this matter. I will now recite it to you all."
Everyone quieted down and listened attentively, afraid of missing a single word.
After listening attentively to Qin Yuan's recitation, Qin Siyuan repeated: "How noisy is the wedding of the Chu people! For ten days, a grand banquet is held in the high hall. Relatives turn around and the young sister-in-law rises, spreading the word that the newlyweds are short but joyful. With a slender waist, she nurses the child, and tirelessly pounds grain and carries water."
An old man from the west, from Wu, is a respected elder in Wu marriages. He leads the bride through the door, a woman of great stature, with the matchmaker showing great respect. Golden horse sways eastward, spring waters ripple, and flower branches tremble.
Alas, the lands of Wu and Chu are different; the lifespan of a new person is determined by their fate, by their destiny. If a person from Wu were to be born in Chu, how miserable and miserable their life would be! Thus, we know that lifespan is also determined by fate, not by the body itself, but by the land from which it is born.
Everyone laughed and said, "It's truly vivid and ironic. The same person is considered beautiful in Wu, but disliked in Chu."
Wang Zichuan frowned, deep in thought.
Those around him sighed, "That's right. In other people's eyes, we're just scoundrels and hooligans, but we're all... we're all renowned heroes. If we shout our names, everyone in the martial arts world will know us."
Wang Zichuan remained silent.
Some countered, "Customs vary greatly from place to place, even between cities and the countryside. Within a single city, customs differ drastically. Isn't what Young Master Nantang is saying a bit of a generalization?"
Qin Yuan whispered a few words to Qin Siyuan.
Qin Siyuan then said, "Then I will explain in detail. Taking Jinling as an example, the eastern part of Jinling City is where the Imperial Palace, the various government offices, and the local government offices are concentrated. Most of them are officials who have been relocated from other places. They dress elegantly and live a rich life. Although the locals are relatively frugal, they have also been influenced to have high standards and like to speak in an official tone."
Wang Zichuan frowned: "Could this person be from Jinling?"
Those around him said, "His Mandarin has a southern accent; he might be from Nanjing."
From his vantage point, Qin Siyuan continued, “The city is full of outside merchants and few locals. It is teeming with local tyrants and brokers, most of whom are competitive, restless, and belligerent.”
The students from Nanjing University nodded vigorously.
Qin Siyuan continued, “The noble families and officials live in the south of the city. Scholars and wealthy merchants gather here, and prostitutes from the six brothels are everywhere, so most of the residents are also frivolous and lazy.”
The northern part of the city was where military officers, eunuchs, and students of the Imperial Academy lived. They didn't have much money or grain, but most of them cared a lot about their reputation.
The situation became even more difficult in the north of the city, where seven-tenths of the inhabitants were military households who lived frugally and ate coarse food.
Am I correct?
The students of Jinling all said, "That's absolutely right. It's said that officials are in the east of the city, merchants are in the middle, extravagance is in the south, and poverty and simplicity are in the north. Isn't that just how it is? Young Master Nantang's description is even more detailed."
Qin Siyuan smiled and said, "That's good. The south, north, east and central parts of the city are all different, but when it comes to the style of Jinling, who doesn't mention the legacy of the Six Dynasties and the spirit of Qingmai? Compared to other places, it has a stronger literary atmosphere, a mixture of the misty and watery atmosphere of the Six Dynasties and the official atmosphere?"
The students of Jinling all nodded in agreement.
"Haha, isn't that right? The east of the city is aloof and proud, with the spirit of scholars; the south of the city is romantic and gentle, all because of the beauty of the Qinhuai River; the city center pursues profit but still retains its refinement; the north of the city is rough and simple, yet contains a gentle heart."
Qin Siyuan said, "Therefore, the customs and traditions of Chu and Wu can be roughly summarized, right?"
The scholar who had been arguing earlier nodded in agreement, but was still unconvinced: "Even peddlers, porters, and waiters in Jinling can spout a few literary phrases, so there's nothing wrong with saying they have a strong literary style."
But are there not any illiterate people among these people? Are there no people in Wu who prefer short stature? Are there no people in Chu who prefer tall stature?