Chapter 74 - 73: Desiring to Drink, Urged On by the Pipa on Horseback

Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Desiring to Drink, Urged On by the Pipa on Horseback

Looking into Qin Wanyue’s highly expectant eyes, a hint of intoxication welled up in Zeng Anmin’s heart. He took his time pouring himself a cup of wine and slowly stood up.

"I have always wanted to complete that half-poem as well, but until just now, I haven’t had a single clue," he said.

Hearing this, Qin Wanyue’s eyes dimmed with the disappointment of dashed hopes.

She forced a smile. "Inspiration cannot be forced. It will be fine as long as you can complete it someday." With that, she lowered her head and fell silent.

Zeng Anmin chuckled at her reaction. He gently drained the fine wine in his cup, then lifted his head, revealing his chiseled jawline. "But now... I’ve suddenly caught a glimpse of inspiration."

"Oh?" Qin Wanyue’s head snapped up, her eyes brimming with pleasant surprise.

"I just wonder if Ms. Qin would be willing to play a tune on the pipa to help me find a bit more inspiration?" Zeng Anmin smiled, looking at her openly.

Ever since he had transmigrated, he hadn’t heard a single live musical performance.

Qin Wanyue’s face flushed a delicate shade of red.

Meanwhile, Zeng Shilin was incredibly busy.

In recent days, following King Jiang’s downfall and the subsequent arrest of his cronies, the political landscape on Fengqi Road had been thrown into chaos. As a result, numerous official positions within Liangjiang Commandery were currently vacant. Almost every matter—big or small, important or trivial—piled up on his desk. He was up to his neck in work all day long.

Finally, he set aside the last document at hand and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Qi Wei."

Only then did he realize that the sky outside had already grown faintly dark.

"Master." Mr. Qi hobbled into the office to offer his respectful greetings. He was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, with the wrappings around his head leaving only a single eye exposed.

"Prepare the carriage. We are returning to the Governor’s Mansion." Exhaling softly, Zeng Shilin’s expression remained unchanged as he slowly stood up and walked forward with steady, measured strides.

"Yes, sir."

The Governor’s carriage was naturally extremely magnificent. Six fast horses waited neatly by the roadside. Glowing runic lines materialized on the carriage itself, ensuring an exceptionally smooth ride; it was evident that an expert from the Profound Array Department had inscribed an Array onto it.

Once the Governor was seated firmly inside, a voice rang out, "The Governor is traversing the streets! Idlers give way!!"

A short while later, the carriage came to a steady halt in front of the Governor’s Mansion.

After stepping down from the carriage, Zeng Shilin initially intended to return to his study, but he happened to hear the sound of a pipa coming from the direction of the main hall. The lingering melody carried a martial intensity, reminiscent of armored warhorses and clashing blades. Yet, despite this prominent heroic spirit, a soft and delicate undercurrent flowed beneath it.

As a Confucian Cultivator, his father naturally possessed a keen appreciation for the art of music.

"A woman?" Zeng Shilin shot a meaningful glance toward the main hall before asking a nearby servant, "Who came to the mansion today?"

"Reporting to the Master, Dean Qin’s only daughter came to visit the Young Master."

"Oh." His father nodded slightly, a rare smile surfacing on his face. It was a kind of smile that even Mr. Qi had never seen before.

"Let’s go back to the study." Shaking his head with a chuckle, he simply decided not to interfere in the matter and continued walking forward.

However, the very next moment, his footsteps came to a sudden halt.

Accompanied by the mournful yet melodic strumming of the pipa, an elegant yet piercing voice rang out. The voice was very familiar—it was his own son’s.

"Fine grapes yield sweet wine in cups that glow at night."

The main hall was not far from where Zeng Shilin was currently standing. By the time the voice reached him, it had lost some of its power, but the old man could still hear it perfectly clearly.

A look of astonishment flickered across his face. While the first line didn’t seem to reveal a profound meaning upon an initial listen, Zeng Shilin could immediately savor the flavor of the words. A magnificent, vibrant, and dazzling banquet, overflowing with the rich aroma of wine, unfolded vividly in his mind’s eye. A single sentence had masterfully sketched the entire scene to perfection.

Turning around, Zeng Shilin looked toward the main hall up ahead. He slowly moved under a tree and stood completely still.

"Master?" Mr. Qi asked in a soft, confused whisper.

Zeng Shilin didn’t reply; he simply tilted his head, continuing to listen intently. Having followed Zeng Shilin for many years, Mr. Qi naturally knew that he should keep his mouth shut at a time like this. He tried his best to suppress all fluctuations of his aura to avoid disturbing his master.

"Ready to drink, but the pipa from horseback... urges us on!!"

Zeng Anmin’s speaking pace abruptly changed, driving the momentum sharply upward. As he delivered the final word—"urges"—his father’s body trembled slightly.

The musicians had begun playing the pipa, and the banquet was well underway. That urgent, cheerful melody felt as though it was urging the soldiers to raise their cups and drink heavily, causing the already lively atmosphere to instantly reach a boiling point. And with that single word "urges," the artistic conception of the first half of the poem was instantly elevated to its absolute peak!

A suffocating sense of urgency washed over the listener—a feeling that the enemy was invading and the soldiers had no choice but to march onto the battlefield to meet them.

Zeng Shilin snapped his head up, his eyes burning with an impatient fire. He desperately wanted to know the second half of the poem!

Soon after, the sound of the pipa in the courtyard also surged upward in tempo, causing listeners’ hearts to involuntarily race with a violent THUMP THUMP. Finally, after the pipa’s melody soared to its crescendo, a hoarse voice—filled with liberation and release—rang out high and clear:

"Do not laugh if we lie drunk upon the battlefield.

"Since ancient times, how many who fought have ever returned?!"

TWANG.

The sound of the pipa came to an abrupt halt. There were no other sounds in the courtyard except for the whistling of the wind.

GASP.

Zeng Shilin drew in a sharp, deep breath, suppressing the sudden sense of loss that washed over him now that the poem had concluded. He jerked his head up, staring straight into the courtyard of the main hall.

"This poem..."

Not a single word of "sorrow" was mentioned in the entire text, yet a profound sense of desolate grief subconsciously swelled in his heart.

"A masterpiece for the ages!!"

Zeng Shilin could no longer control his feet. He quickly strode toward the courtyard of the main hall.

However, just as he arrived, he saw Qin Wanyue slowly putting down the pipa in her hands. She took a handkerchief offered by the maid beside her and gently wiped away a glistening tear from the corner of her eye. Then, her tearful voice drifted over:

"So, Quan Fu... that day, when you walked out of the room and headed toward the rebels, you had already resolved to die?"

It was obvious that she hadn’t just been moved by the poem. She had also subconsciously recalled that day when Zeng Anmin, relying solely on his foundation in the Confucian Dao, attempted to forcefully clash against the physical might of the rebel Martial Artists.

Then came Zeng Anmin’s voice:

"Death comes to all men, but some deaths are heavier than Mount Tai, while others are lighter than a feather.

"That day, my father, Aunt Lin, Hu Zi... my entire family was standing behind me. How could I not step forward?"

Hearing this, an irrepressible surge of fury subconsciously flared up in Zeng Shilin’s heart. He shouted at Zeng Anmin in the main hall, cursing loudly, "Idiot!!"

Zeng Anmin and Qin Wanyue looked completely bewildered, both raising their heads at the same time. They were immediately met with Zeng Shilin’s stormy face.

"Dad? When did you get back?"

Zeng Anmin felt like a teenager caught on a secret date by his parents. Subconsciously feeling guilty, he braved his father’s emotionless expression and bit the bullet, saying, "Ms. Qin came today because she had some questions to ask..."

But his father completely ignored the explanation. Searing Zeng Anmin with what could only be described as a death stare, he enunciated every word through gritted teeth. "Did we really need you to step forward that day?

"Did you not carry the item I gave you on your person?!"

This was the first time Zeng Shilin had seen his son since he managed to snatch a moment of free time to leave the Government Office following King Jiang’s rebellion case.

Uh...

As if suddenly remembering something, Zeng Anmin’s body stiffened abruptly.