Chương 88: Cai Yan eavesdrops

Cai Yong released his grip and solemnly said to Liu Ce:

"Bolüe, I have met countless people in my life, but I have never seen anyone as young as you who has such talent, insight and magnanimity."

The verses you just recited were exquisite, each word a gem, each line carrying immense weight—truly the words of a sage!

Lu Zhi nodded: "Lord Cai is right. These four sentences should be the motto of all scholars in the world."

Kong Rong, unusually, did not disagree: "Indeed, compared to those poems that are full of affectation, this is truly responsible and spirited writing."

Han Shuo, Ma Ridi, and Yang Biao also chimed in.

Huangfu Song went even further: "If you ask me, these four sentences should be engraved at the entrance of the Imperial Academy, so that all students can see what the aspirations of a scholar should be!"

Liu Ce was a little embarrassed by the praise and waved his hand:

"You flatter me, seniors. This is just a humble opinion of mine, nothing to mention."

"How can it be so insignificant?"

Cai Yong said solemnly, "These four sentences are enough to inspire generations! Bo Lue, with such a broad mind, you will surely achieve great things in the future!"

Lu Zhi sighed, "If there were more young men like Bo Lue in the court, how could the Han Dynasty not prosper?"

Kong Rong nodded in agreement, a rare occurrence: "Indeed, compared to those scions of noble families who only know how to scheme, Bo Lue is truly a pillar of society."

As Liu Ce listened to these praises, he was actually thinking:

"The Han Dynasty will certainly rise again, but it probably won't be the same Han Dynasty as it is now."

Of course, this cannot be said.

He could only smile modestly.

Hearing her father and several uncles speak so highly of Liu Ce, Cai Yan, who was behind the artificial hill, felt even more admiration for Liu Ce.

The figure reciting "to usher in an era of peace for all generations" now overlapped with her father's and others' evaluation of Liu Ce, making him appear even taller and more dazzling in her heart.

Thinking of this, she recalled the blushing and heart-pounding feeling she had when she was eavesdropping, and her cheeks involuntarily turned red again.

She instinctively tried to cover her face with her hands, but the movement was too big, and she accidentally stepped on a dry branch.

"Click."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet backyard.

Several people in the courtyard turned their heads in unison: "Who's there?"

Cai Yan's heart tightened; she knew there was no escaping it.

She took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and walked out from behind the artificial hill.

The sunlight shone on her.

She wore an elegant white dress, her hair simply tied up, adorned only with a jade hairpin.

Her face still had a lingering blush, and her eyes were somewhat evasive, but her demeanor remained impeccable.

She walked up to the group and bowed, saying, "Father, uncles and aunts."

Then, her gaze fell on Liu Ce.

Upon seeing Liu Ce up close, a fleeting hint of shyness flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and bowed to him as well.

"I have met the Marquis of Champion."

Liu Ce returned the greeting: "Miss Cai."

He looked Cai Yan up and down; this was the famous Cai Zhaoji from history.

She certainly possesses an extraordinary temperament, is elegant and refined, and has the demeanor of a talented woman.

Name: Cai Yan, courtesy name Zhaoji Gender: Female Age: 16 [Strength]: 40 Commander: 50 [Politics]: 75 (Third-rate) Intelligence: 85 (Second-rate) [Appearance]: 94cm He thought to himself: No wonder she was a talented woman of the Eastern Han Dynasty. With her temperament and appearance, she is most suitable to be one of the first wives.

When Cai Yong saw that it was his daughter, and considering the commotion he had just witnessed, he immediately understood that the girl was definitely eavesdropping.

But instead of pointing it out, he smiled and said:

"Zhao Ji is here. Perfect timing. Let me introduce you. This is Marquis Liu Ce, also known as Liu Bolue, the author of the two poems on your table."

Cai Yan blushed even more and lowered her head, saying, "I know, daughter."

Cai Yong then said to Liu Ce, "Bo Lue, this is my daughter Zhao Ji. She has been studying with me since she was a child and has a great talent for poetry, songs, and music."

You're about the same age, so you can get to know each other better in the future.

Liu Ce nodded: "Yes, Mr. Cai. I will definitely exchange ideas and learn from Miss Cai more often in the future."

He spoke with an air of seriousness, but in his heart he was already plotting: How can we "communicate" more often?

Cai Yong then said to Cai Yan, "Zhao Ji, the Marquis of Champion is exceptionally talented and insightful."

If you have any questions or new work to share, feel free to ask him. You two should exchange ideas and learn from each other.

Cai Yan nodded gently, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Yes, Father, I have remembered."

She secretly glanced at Liu Ce, only to meet his gaze, and quickly lowered her head again.

Liu Ce smiled.

This girl is quite cute.

After chatting for a while longer, feeling that it was about time, Liu Ce got up to say goodbye.

Cai Yong and his companions escorted them all the way to the gate of the mansion.

"Bo Lue, come visit often when you have time!" Cai Yong held Liu Ce's hand, reluctant to part.

"Certainly." Liu Ce cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please wait, esteemed seniors."

He mounted his horse and glanced back.

At the entrance of the Cai residence, Cai Yong and his companions were still standing there.

Behind them, a white figure could be vaguely seen standing inside the door, looking in their direction.

Liu Ce smiled, spurred his horse, and rode away.

He was in a good mood on horseback.

This trip to the Cai residence was very fruitful.

Not only did I put on a great show of suave elegance, but I also met Cai Zhaoji, who was even more elegant in person than I had imagined.

Moreover, judging from Cai Yong's attitude, he clearly intended to broker a marriage.

"Not bad, not bad." Liu Ce hummed a little tune as he rode his horse leisurely toward the Zhen residence.

Meanwhile, back in the Cai residence, Cai Yan returned to her boudoir, sat at her desk, and stared at the two copied poems on the table, unable to calm down for a long time.

She picked up her pen again and neatly wrote down the four sentences on another piece of paper: To establish a heart for heaven and earth, To establish a life for the people To continue the lost learning of the sages To usher in an era of peace for all generations.

After she finished writing, she stared at the four lines of text for a long time.

Finally, she sighed softly, carefully folded the paper, and put it in the drawer.

Outside the window, the warm glow of the setting sun streamed in.

Cai Yan rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window, lost in thought.

Her cheeks turned red again.

That afternoon, Liu Ce casually uttered four lines in the backyard of the Cai residence: "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations."

It was like throwing a red-hot iron into a pot of water in Luoyang; with a sizzle, the whole city erupted in chaos.

Literary giants like Cai Yong, Lu Zhi, and Kong Rong would carefully consider their words before writing, fearing they might be laughed at for using the wrong allusion.

But they were incredibly enthusiastic about copying Liu Ce's four lines of poetry!

Cai Yong was the first to copy it. He used the finest Cai Hou paper and wrote in neat, small regular script. After finishing, he blew on the ink and admired it for a long time.

Lu Zhi was not to be outdone, and copied the text with great care.

Kong Rong said that "writing poetry in Zuichunlou is improper," but he copied poems very quickly, muttering to himself as he did so.

"This kid... he's actually got some skills."

Han Shuo, Ma Ridi, Yang Biao, Huangfu Song—every single one of them became Liu Ce's "word-of-mouth advocates."

Thus, these two four-line poems, signed "Liu Ce, Marquis of Champion and General of the Cavalry," spread throughout Luoyang at an astonishing speed.