Chapter 66 Composing a Poem on the Spot Stuns the Fair Maidens

Qin Yunmian did not expect Jiang Han to have set up a chess game on the board. At first glance, her gaze was instantly transfixed.

Born into the imperial family, she had studied the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood, and her mastery of Go was by no means low. With a single glance, she could tell that this match was extraordinary.

Surprised, Qin Yunmian raised her eyes to look at Jiang Han. Not only did Jiang Han know how to play chess, but his skill was also remarkably profound.

After placing sixty-six stones, Jiang Han stopped and smiled, "Stop looking. Let's go get something to eat."

"Alright," Qin Yunmian nodded.

Jiang Han took a few steps and sat down at a table, watching the bevy of beauties playing the flying flower command poetry game while picking up a pastry to eat. In his mind, however, he wondered if this female Go grandmaster would be able to crack the chess puzzle he had set up.

The chess puzzle he had arranged was known as the *Vomiting Blood Classic*. Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, the grandmaster Liu Zhongfu climbed Mount Li one day and encountered an old woman. Playing against her, he was utterly defeated. After the one hundred and twelfth move, Liu Zhongfu found himself with no way to turn the situation around, and from overthinking, he immediately vomited pints of blood.

The game was thus named the *Vomiting Blood Classic* and was later collected in the Southern Song Dynasty anthology *Forget-Worry and Pure-Joy Collection*.

However, he had only set up half of this game.

"Oh, this pastry is not bad. You should try one," Jiang Han picked up a piece of pastry and handed it to Qin Yunmian.

Qin Yunmian accepted the pastry, chewed it slowly, her eyes narrowing as they radiated a look of delight.

This scene was witnessed by Princess Runing, Qin Yuhua, who was paying attention to Qin Yunmian, causing her eyes to widen in astonishment.

At that moment, the turn in the flying flower command had fallen to Su Mei, the one who could rest her bosom right on the edge of the table. She was furrowing her delicate brows in deep thought.

The flying flower command was a type of drinking game, falling under the category of refined pastimes. Princess Runing had chosen "Continent" as the starting theme; for the next person, the second character of the poem they recited had to be "Continent," for the third person, the third character had to be "Continent," and so on.

The difficulty of the flying flower command was inherently high and not something an ordinary person could manage, let alone with Princess Runing setting "Continent" as the theme, which made it even more challenging.

Su Mei opened her eyes wide in thought until a light finally dawned in them. She stood up and clapped her small hands together, "I've got it!"

Her movements were so vigorous that her chest bounced and undulated, making her look utterly thrilled.

Su Mei recited: "Lodging my body, yet I rejoice that Cangzhou is near."

Princess Runing, Qin Yuhua, smiled and nodded: "This poem is by a scholar from the Huizong reign."

Wen Jinyu also nodded and said, "For younger sister Su Mei to think of such an obscure line is truly impressive."

The other women also offered praises one after another.

Su Mei smiled brightly and happily, looking towards Qin Yunmian on her left: "Yunmian, it's your turn."

Qin Yunmian's brows furrowed slightly as she pondered in silence.

Poems ending with "Continent" were truly scarce. Although her mastery of poetry was not low, by the time it reached her, it was already the third round, and the common poems had all been used. For a moment, she could not think of any lines ending with "Continent."

Seeing Qin Yunmian's brows tightly locked, the round-faced young girl stood up and smiled, "Yunmian, you are the great talented woman of Luoyang, aren't you high in poetry mastery? Why can't you think of one?"

Qin Yunmian frowned without a word.

This round-faced girl was Princess Funing, Qin Yujiao. Perhaps because Qin Yunmian enjoyed boundless favor in the palace, Princess Funing, born of a concubine, always held hostility toward her.

Qin Yujiao said, "If you can't think of one, just admit defeat and suffer a forfeit of three cups of wine, or else let the man beside you help you. Isn't he a immensely talented scholar?"

Her voice carried a mocking undertone.

The surrounding women watched with smiles. Being all princesses, it was inconvenient to help either side, so they simply stood by to watch the show.

Meanwhile, some of the women wanted to see whether Jiang Han could take on the flying flower command.

With her brows furrowed, Qin Yunmian looked at Jiang Han and blinked her eyes gently: "Help me, Jiang Han."

Qin Yunmian's eyes were clear, and her exquisite face was aloof yet stunning. Saying these soft words directly caused Jiang Han's heart to leap violently, and he almost averted his gaze.

This look was simply too foul play...

However, poems ending with "Continent" were indeed very rare...

Jiang Han quickly set his mind to thinking.

Qin Yujiao smiled and said, "Yunmian, haven't you thought of it yet? I think you might as well just admit defeat!"

At that moment, Jiang Han looked at the scenery outside the window as a flash of light crossed his mind. He lowered his voice and said, "Three mountains half-submerged beyond the blue sky, two waters divide the Egret Continent... Yunmian, two waters divide the Egret Continent."

Qin Yunmian immediately recited smoothly: "Two waters divide the Egret Continent."

As soon as her voice faded, everyone present was stunned.

Two waters divide the Egret Continent—it did indeed end with "Continent," but this poem seemed never to have been heard before... Princess Runing frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and looked toward Wen Jinyu.

Wen Jinyu was a famous talented woman in Luoyang, well-read in poetry and books.

After pondering for a moment, Wen Jinyu shook her head and said, "I have never heard this line of poetry either. Could it be a newly composed poem?"

Qin Yujiao had originally been somewhat disappointed. Hearing Wen Jinyu say this, she immediately raised her chin and laughed, "Yunmian, you mustn't try to fool us. Can casually fabricating a line just count as a poem? If that's the case, we can all randomly make things up, and what difficulty would this flying flower command have left? A bet is a bet, hurry up and punish yourself with three cups!"

Qin Yunmian looked toward Jiang Han.

Jiang Han stood up and said, "This line of poetry comes from a poem of mine; it was not randomly fabricated by Miss Yunmian."

Qin Yujiao had been waiting to see Qin Yunmian admit defeat. Seeing Jiang Han step forward, she frowned and said, "Oh, you wrote it? Since you wrote it, then recite the whole poem. If it's just some casually made-up doggerel, it doesn't count!"

In her heart, she was certain this line of poetry must have been casually made up by Qin Yunmian, and Jiang Han's action was merely an attempt to bail Qin Yunmian out.

Wen Jinyu also said softly, "Young Master Jiang, if it is a poem you wrote, it can also be used for the flying flower command. Might I ask what the full poem is?"

Princess Runing, Qin Yuhua, nodded and said, "Young Master Jiang, please recite the entire poem. If it is good, then this single line can be counted."

The women all turned their gazes to Jiang Han.

Qin Yujiao thought to herself, looking at Jiang Han's expression, he was likely going to improvise a poem on the spot. No matter what kind of poem he recited later, she would declare it doggerel and invalid.

Jiang Han smiled and said, "This poem was inspired this morning when I went to Phoenix Terrace and saw the scenery here. I only just composed it. Miss Yunmian happened to hear it and remembered it. Since several young ladies wish to know the whole poem, I shall recite it... Listen well."

As soon as these words were spoken, the women all turned to look at him.

Wen Jinyu's face was filled with curiosity as she scrutinized Jiang Han. He composed the poem only after arriving here?

Qin Yujiao also stared at Jiang Han. She was convinced that this fellow wanted to improvise on the spot, and she didn't believe he could come up with any good poetry!

She had heard that this person was exceptionally talented, and the recently popular works *Everlasting Longing*, *Cherishing the Golden Goblet*, and *Butterflies Entangled with Flowers* were all written by him. She wondered what kind of poem he could produce... Princess Runing was also filled with curiosity.

Jiang Han glanced around the surroundings, suddenly flicked his robe's sleeve, and chanted in a resonant voice: "On the Phoenix Terrace phoenixes roam, the phoenixes gone, the terrace empty, the river flows by of its own..."