Chapter Twelve: Little Yu Willing to Recommend Herself for the Pillow

No one dared to compete with the current emperor, so Yuanxi naturally spoke first. I thought he would just recite something simple like "The moonlight by my bed," and that would be the end of it. However, Yuanxi was clearly not like me, a beast without knowledge. He gazed at the moon outside the boat and softly recited, "Who first sees the moon by the riverbank, and when did the moon of the river first shine on people? Generations of life are endless, but the river moon is similar year after year. Who the river moon waits for, we do not know, but we see the Yangtze River sending the flowing water." This poem I had never heard before. Just as I was thinking that I could at least use the "moonlight by my bed" for my own purposes, I realized that the people in the hall were all like me, mere empty scholars, clapping their hands and loudly praising the poem, but not one of them was able to give a proper explanation. I finally understood that Hongyu wasn't lacking in talent; rather, she had seen through these so-called scholars, realizing they were just like me, incapable of creating anything decent in poetry. Strange. Yuanxi was the emperor of the country. Why, on Mid-Autumn Festival, was he not spending time with his civil and military officials, but instead enjoying the moon with a group of empty scholars? Thinking back on my journey to Hongyu Boat, I hadn't been blocked much. Could it be that these scholars were actually just flowerboys from Lin'an, uneducated idlers? What was the play they were putting on today? After Yuanxi finished his poem, he smiled and looked at the women standing at the door of the hall. The women blushed and hesitated, pushing and shoving each other for a while, before finally selecting two of the most outstanding women, who shyly walked forward and knelt before Yuanxi's desk. Each poured a cup of wine, raised it with both hands, and said, "Your Majesty has chosen a fine poem by Zhang Ruoxu. This servant is willing to serve you wine and keep you company." Yuanxi took the wine, drank it in one gulp, and casually pulled the two women into his arms. Laughing heartily while embracing them, he turned to the handsome man in moon-white robes beside him and said, "Feiyang, don't embarrass me." Chen Feiyang seemed lost in thought, and upon hearing this, he merely smiled faintly, casually saying, "The river has thousands of waters, and the river moon is the same year after year, the sky is clear without clouds, and the sky is the same for ten thousand miles." As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned their attention to him. I didn't have time to wonder what Yuanxi's expression meant, nor did I notice how the women pushed out a delicate woman in a red dress who was walking toward Feiyang with affectionate eyes. I simply stared at Feiyang, my heart in turmoil, unsure of what I was feeling. The two lines of poetry Feiyang recited were the same ones that Wu Jiu had read to me before we found the small red carp on Xiaoying Island. If I wasn't mistaken, Wu Jiu said these lines were written by someone from the Buddhist school. The Buddhist teachings emphasize enlightenment through wisdom, and these lines convey the state of awakening. I still remember after Wu Jiu recited them, he fell silent and stood by the lake with his hands behind his back, as the autumn wind rustled. The moon was like a silver plate, casting a thick silver mist over Wu Jiu's snowy white robes. I, unable to sleep beside him, was lost in a daze, thinking to myself that Wu Jiu truly was the most carefree, handsome, and learned immortal in the seven realms. At that moment, Feiyang seemed completely unaware of what he had just recited. He gazed at the moon outside the boat, lost in his own thoughts, and though his appearance was different, his expression and temperament resembled Wu Jiu so much. Unfortunately, I was no longer the little literary fox who once relied on Wu Jiu for everything, nor did I feel the same longing for handsome men as I did back then. I stared at him, but my heart was in chaos, as if I had suddenly awakened from a deep dream and realized that I was no longer in the world I once knew. For the first time in my life, a strong sense of sorrow surged from the depths of my heart, like an ominous premonition. Wu Jiu, had he truly overcome the divine tribulation and ascended to the divine realm? I never wanted, nor dared, to think of other possibilities. If a Kunlun person fails to pass the tribulation, they must reincarnate, and if the Qingliang tribulation fails, both body and soul are destroyed. What if Wu Jiu... My heart twisted in pain, and I tasted a faintly sweet and salty taste on my tongue. Only then did I realize I had bitten my lips. A snow-white silk scarf gently wiped the blood from my lips. I turned in shock to see the man sitting beside me, his expression full of tenderness, yet his eyes held a hint of malice. Strangely, there was also an acidic feeling? "I heard that man is the emperor's sworn brother," he said with a feigned regret. "Do you want me to introduce you? Oh, wait," he added, "He's not one of my people, though." Sure enough, I looked up just in time to see the red-dressed woman gracefully walking toward Feiyang. Her light red dress moved like a fish swimming in water, and when she knelt before Feiyang, her elegant figure was fully revealed. Feiyang could have easily seen most of her snow-white chest if he lowered his head, which made me grit my teeth in frustration. The woman, with her face blushing and a rosy glow spreading across her fair face, exuded a tender, pitiful aura, and her low, sweet voice was irresistibly charming. However, what she said next completely ruined my sympathy. "I have never heard such an artistic poem before, my lord. Your noble character, if you do not mind my humble self, Little Yu..." As she spoke, her head dropped almost completely, her voice barely audible, and the rosy glow had reached her neck. "Little Yu is willing to offer herself for your pillow." Everyone gasped. Yuanxi clapped his hands and said, "I have long heard that the women of Hongyu Boat are independent and that there are many stories of beautiful women being won over by poems and songs. Little Yu, you are willing to offer yourself for the pillow? Ha, this is not the same as serving wine. Feiyang, to win the heart of such a beauty, you certainly have good fortune!" At that moment, I realized what "offering herself for the pillow" meant and became instantly furious. That stinky carp, how dare you try to steal my literary fox's husband?! Others might not notice you're a carp demon, but the bead hanging around your neck is the Wind-Stabilizing Bead, which belongs to my master's sect. I recognize it immediately. You ungrateful fish, if it weren't for Wu Jiu saving you, I wouldn't have given you that bead. You... You... You were already a dead carp hundreds of years ago! I was filled with resentment, and if she were still a fish, I wouldn't care about any principles and would eat her right away. I couldn't hold back my anger, so I grabbed a fruit platter from the table, ready to throw it at her. But the man beside me quickly restrained me. While we were struggling, I heard Feiyang lift her up and apologize, saying, "Little Yu, your affection is too much, but Feiyang already has a beloved wife and cannot accept your advances. How about you join me in drinking and enjoying the moon instead?" Hearing this, I was immediately overjoyed. Hmph, stinky carp, let's see how you save face now! Little Yu lowered her head, on the verge of tears. Hongyu seemed quite reluctant, stepping forward to persuade Feiyang, "A man with three wives and four concubines should not be a problem. Although Little Yu is from Hongyu Boat, she has always only been involved in singing and dancing and has never served wine. Today, for the first time, she has shown interest in a man. I imagine the general's wife must be a lady of great virtue, who wouldn't mind such a fleeting affair, would she?" I glared at Hongyu, my eyes wide. What great virtue and grace? Our Kunlun people are always loyal and never take second husbands! And no husband would ever dare marry another wife! Then, I heard Feiyang shake his head and laugh, "I don't mean to look down on Little Yu. This matter has nothing to do with my wife's virtues; it is just that Feiyang's heart is narrow and can only accommodate one person." His words made me beam with delight, and I decided to help Feiyang. I immediately clapped my hands and laughed, saying to the little carp, "Little Yu, don't be sad. I am Li Wen, and I quite like you. How about you come over and drink and enjoy the moon with me?" Oh, did I just say something a bit too bold? Everyone, including the man beside me who thought I was a "cut sleeve," stared at me in surprise. Little Yu, however, didn't look up. Tears fell one by one, and I must admit, even someone with a heart of stone would be moved by this sight. I had no sympathy for her, though, and continued laughing. "If you don't want to drink, that's fine. I'm not from the Central Plains, but I noticed you're wearing a string of pearls, and I wonder where they came from. I heard that the black fish from West Lake not only eat fish but also steal pearls? But I also heard that West Lake doesn't produce pearls, so how could these fish manage to get pearls? Seeing this pearl around your neck, could it be that West Lake actually produces pearls? I'm quite curious. Come over, and let's discuss it." As soon as I said this, everyone was even more confused. But Little Yu suddenly raised her head and carefully looked at me, then glanced at Feiyang as if she understood something, and quickly walked over to me. Feiyang seemed thoughtful, but didn't stop her. I didn't care what he was thinking and simply smiled at him, saying, "Since you already have a beloved wife, you shouldn't be trying to flirt with the women here." Feiyang laughed, clasped his hands, and said, "Li, you are right." He then raised his cup and gestured to the little carp sitting beside me, saying, "Since Feiyang has failed in his affections toward my wife and has also failed Little Yu's affections, I shall self-punish with a cup." As I expected, the next "scholar" directly used my "moonlight by my bed" as his own, and the women at the door were laughing so hard they almost fell over. They pushed a woman out to sit and tease him, though her every word seemed laced with sarcasm. Yuanxi and Feiyang smiled, but I couldn't understand a word. I just laughed along. After a few more rounds of moon poetry, the scholars fell silent, having no women to accompany them, and were forced to drink. After a while, it was my turn. I searched my mind for any moon-related lines but couldn't think of anything, so I just recited, "Chang'e must regret stealing the elixir; the blue sea and clear sky are her heart every night." As I spoke, I silently wished: Chang'e, please forgive me! It's not that I want to mock you, but that poet named Li or whatever it was his fault. Wu Jiu even said he mocked Du Yu, saying Du, the cuckoo, turned into a cuckoo because he fell in love with Minister Bieli's wife. Chang'e, you and Du should go find him in the ghost realm and settle scores! Oh, wait, he also wrote something about Kunlun Yaochi, claiming that the mortal Mu Wang had an affair with my mother. Chang'e, when you and Du find him in the ghost realm, take Meng'er with you! When I realized these scholars were dissatisfied with Little Yu sitting beside me, they finally seized the opportunity to tease me. I then realized that while Chang'e lived alone in the moon palace, gazing at the clear sky, there was not a single word related to the moon in the poem. I could only smile bitterly and accept the punishment. Fortunately, I usually drank wine as easily as drinking water, so I picked up the wine jar from the table, removed the seal, and drank the whole jar in one go. Since I got a human body, I haven't drunk like this. I was afraid that if Rabbit Brother saw this, his eyes would bulge, and he would probably end up drinking a jar of wine and getting drunk too. Red Leopard is too strict, refusing to join me in these "sneaky" deeds. Most of the bad things I did, Rabbit accompanied me. That rabbit has poor alcohol tolerance, so after drinking, I had to throw the drunken rabbit back to the Moon Palace. Thinking of these past events, I was filled with bravado and didn't bother to wipe the wine stains from my lips, laughing wildly at the table. Looking around the entire hall, there were only a few women left seated, each gazing at me with affectionate eyes, but I just shook my head. Sigh, these scholars from Lin'an have always been brilliant with their words, painting mountains and rivers with ink. They're so talented that even Wu Jiu admires them. Could it be that today, all the talented men are at home with their wives? After three rounds of wine, the women serving wine all excused themselves to change their clothes in the back cabin, saying they would perform a dance when the moon was at its fullest. Little Yu, however, remained seated, and I knew she was the true mastermind here. I smiled and watched, not speaking to her. If she poured me wine, I would drink it. While the fairies in the back cabin were changing clothes, something unexpected happened. Hundreds of black-clad men appeared as if they had fallen from the sky, emerging from the ruins of Xiaoying Island. Their arrows shot through the open windows toward the boat