Chapter 63: Who Do You Think You Are? (Part 1)

In most parts of this era, the custom of going out on spring excursions began around March.

However, the capital was densely populated. Aside from the Western苑 (Xiyuan) within the imperial city, green spaces and bodies of water were exceedingly scarce, meaning that anyone wishing to enjoy a spring outing had to leave the city walls.

There were generally two destinations, both located to the west.

One was the Western Hills outside Fucheng Gate, famous for their mountain forests and temples; the other was Gaoliang River and Haidian outside Xizhi Gate, renowned for their verdant meadows and aquatic scenery.

Today, along the banks of the Gaoliang River just outside Xizhi Gate, gongs and drums clashed deafeningly while firecrackers burst into the sky. Stages had been erected on both sides of the imperial highway, clearly setting the stage for a competitive musical showdown.

Those with the leisure to venture outside the city naturally possessed a hearty appetite for a good spectacle, and this competing stage setup instantly drew a multitude of curious passersby.

Someone in the crowd enlightened the onlookers, explaining that two popular courtesans from Xiyuan Hutong, Xianghong and Jin Cuier, both renowned for their exceptional singing voices, were holding a public performance duel today to vie for the title of the premier songstress of the Western City.

In particular, individuals were distributing copper coins along the roadside to passing tourists, encouraging them to cast their "votes" at the stages.

Behind the stage on the eastern side of the imperial highway, a row of temporary awnings and tents had been erected for backstage use.

Bai Yu, who preferred to avoid the public eye, sat leisurely inside one of the awnings, sipping tea and admiring the scenery along both banks of the Gaoliang River.

Lu Baiyi, however, appeared restless, stepping outside to take a look every few moments before returning to sit down.

Observing Bai Yu's relaxed demeanor, Lu Baiyi could not help asking, "Aren't you nervous at all?"

Bai Yu replied, "Why should I be nervous? Even if we lose to the opposition, I'm not the one taking the loss. Besides, the other side boasts the foremost romantic talent of Jiangnan; it's no disgrace for a minor player like me to lose."

Lu Baiyi retorted, "Didn't you want to make a name for yourself and break into the literary circles? How can you be so indifferent to winning and losing!"

Bai Yu answered as a matter of course, "The one who loses is Bai Yujing, what does that have to do with me, Bai Yu? I can just adopt a different persona next time."

Lu Baiyi: "......"

Judging by this nimble and adaptable attitude, she was certain Bai Yu would succeed.

At the foot of the stage on the other side, the wealthy patron Feng Ning was conversing with Wang Zhideng, who had traveled north from Suzhou to tour the capital.

Wang Zhideng had been a prodigy since childhood, composing poetry by the age of ten and eventually becoming the closing disciple of Wen Zhengming, the leader of the Jiangnan literary world.

At this time, Wang Zhideng was in his twenties, already recognized as the premier figure of the younger generation in the Jiangnan literary scene, and he was right at the peak of his high-spirited youth.

"Who is on the opposing side? What piece are they performing?" Wang Zhideng asked out of curiosity, though he did not believe for a moment that he could lose.

Feng Ning had already made inquiries and answered, "I heard they invited someone going by the alias Bai Yujing to bolster their forces, and the lyrics are all selections from *A Dream of Millet*."

Wang Zhideng chuckled and said, "It's not that I am arrogant, but it seems our side has already secured victory. From the very name *A Dream of Millet*, one can tell it is didactic material meant to urge people toward virtue and restrain their desires. On the other hand, the lyrical selections from my adaptation of *The Story of Red-Duster* are all themed around romantic love between men and women. Between moral preaching and romantic affairs, anyone can guess that passersby will naturally favor the theatrical romance of men and women."

Feng Ning also laughed, saying, "Master Baigu's words are most wise! Furthermore, our lyrics have been adapted by Master Baigu himself, making them undoubtedly more refined. There is no reason we could not surpass the competition."

In the present day, theatrical arts were inherently more developed in the south, and with Wang Zhideng being the top romantic talent of Jiangnan, when it came to adapting and creating musical verse within the capital, how many could possibly rival him?

As they were speaking, several rolls of gongs sounded, and the grand performance officially commenced.

By this time, a considerable number of sightseeing passersby had gathered in front of the stage, craning their necks in anticipation—after all, a free spectacle was too good to miss.

*"I am originally a maiden holding the duster in the splendid hall,*
*Bashful and timid, how am I accustomed to following another?*
*It is solely to recognize a hero before his fortunes rise,*
*That I pull my golden hairpin and change into the garments of a man..."*

Feng Ning and seven or eight of his friends sat below the stage, sipping tea, sharing jokes, and enjoying Jin Cuier's performance amidst the brilliant and charming spring sunlight. How delightful it was.

Wang Zhideng also recounted from time to time some gossipy romantic anecdotes from the Qinhuai River in Jinling or Changmen in Gusu, offering his capital friends a fresh taste of southern tales.

After more than an hour, one of the friends suddenly noticed something amiss and cried out in alarm, "Why do I get the feeling there are even more people over on the opposing side?"

Hearing this, Feng Ning and Wang Zhideng stood up in unison, gazing across the way.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Feng Ning muttered to himself in disbelief, yet no matter how he looked at it, the audience on the opposite side was clearly larger than their own.

Wang Zhideng said with deep suspicion, "Could the opposition have directly resorted to licentious and vulgar tunes to lure people in?"

Confident since childhood, Wang Zhideng simply refused to believe he could lose; the problem had to lie elsewhere!

"Let's go take a look!" Feeling thoroughly unconvinced, Feng Ning stood up and walked toward the opposite side. "If they really broke the rules by using vulgar ditties, we aren't pushovers either!"

Crossing the imperial highway and approaching the opposing stage, when they drew slightly closer, they caught sight of Miss Xianghong dressed in official attire, nodding her head and shaking the gauze wings on either side of her official's cap.

*"Being an official is best when it's a grand one, a grand official towers high above a small one.*
*Beneath one person yet above ten thousand, civil and military ministers alike are mere cats to him.*
*With a wave of the hand clouds form, with another rain falls, a twitch of his brows shakes mountains and rivers."*

A wave of knowing laughter instantly rippled through the audience below, accompanied by cheers and shouts of approval. The atmosphere at the scene was several times more lively than over at Jin Cuier's side.

*What the hell!* Feng Ning and Wang Zhideng were struck dumb with astonishment; these lyrics completely exceeded their expectations.

While the two were still dazed, they heard the stage transition to another set of lyrics.

*"Endless extravagance, power without end!*
*Delicacies that can never be eaten through, money that can never be spent!*
*Paeans of praise that never cease, gifts that keep on coming!*
*Riches and nobility to be enjoyed forever, a New Year that never ends!"*

This verse seemed to possess some magical charm, triggering an even larger, heartfelt wave of laughter from the crowd below.

Following that came enthusiastic applause and loud cheers, and the atmosphere on site clearly reached a brand-new climax.

Wang Zhideng was stunned once again. In his imagination, today's competition might have hinged on novelty of plot, emotional vividness, or exquisite craftsmanship in poetry and music.

Yet he never dreamed that the opposition's stage would adopt such a wild and unrestrained style.

It felt as though a piece of fine craftsmanship he had meticulously forged had been pulverized by a boulder rolling down from a mountain.

Feng Ning looked back toward his own side; Jin Cuier was still sentimentally singing about "Li Jing and the Red-Duster Maiden falling in love."

However, against the sheer impact of "Being an official is best when it's a grand one," "falling in love" seemed utterly vulnerable and defeated.

"What do you two gentlemen think of this?" Lu Baiyi suddenly appeared beside Feng Ning, asking with a beaming smile.

At this moment, Lu Baiyi was in exceptionally high spirits—it was well worth enduring Bai Yu's teasing for two or three days!

Bai Yu truly hadn't fooled her; satirizing officialdom was indeed one of the favorite pastimes of men in the capital!

The live impact of these passages from *A Dream of Millet* far exceeded her imagination.

Unless something unexpected happened, she was definitely going to win this time!