Chapter 12: Dragon’s Roar Poetry Gathering
As dusk settled and lanterns began to illuminate the streets, carriages and horses thronged outside the Dragon’s Roar Pavilion. Scholars and poets, greeted by attentive staff, entered the towering building that spanned half a street, the air filled with greetings of “Young Master” and “Honored Brother.”
The Dragon’s Roar Pavilion occupied a vast area, with five interconnected buildings facing each other. Although courtesans performed there, it wasn’t considered a brothel. It offered a wide array of entertainment, from calligraphy and painting to music, chess, wine, tea, and theater, all striving for an air of elegance.
With the New Year approaching, and entertainment options limited in ancient times, martial arts competitions and poetry gatherings were the highlights of Chang’an.
The Dragon’s Roar Pavilion, being the most famous entertainment establishment in Daye District, spared no expense for its poetry gathering. Not only had they invited several renowned scholars from Chang’an as judges, but they had also offered a precious sword as the grand prize. The sword was called “Shangchun,” meaning “Wound Spring.” In the Great Dynasty, where martial prowess was highly valued, warriors were inseparable from their weapons. And the sword was considered the “gentleman” among weapons. Both scholars and warriors carried swords, much like a gentleman would always carry jade.
The “Shangchun” was a renowned sword in the martial world. Its previous owner was a female swordsman from Shu, who had been slain by the Investigation Bureau ten years ago. The sword had been confiscated and eventually sold to a wealthy merchant. After changing hands several times, it had ended up at the Dragon’s Roar Pavilion and was now being unveiled once more.
As dusk deepened, Xu Buling arrived at the Dragon’s Roar Pavilion in a carriage. Snowflakes danced in the air outside, and martial artists could be seen entering and exiting the building. Due to the presence of numerous dignitaries, the Investigation Bureau had dispatched sixty Wolf Guards from the Heavenly Longevity and Heavenly Sword Battalions to patrol the area. Wolf Guards usually operated in teams of three, so such a large deployment was unusual in Chang’an.
Xu Buling stepped out of the carriage, tightened his white fox fur cloak, and his eight guards cleared a path through the crowd.
A steward stood outside the pavilion to welcome guests. He glanced at Xu Buling, whom he had never met before, but upon seeing the Prince of Su’s emblem on the carriage, he immediately recognized his identity. He hurried forward and bowed:
“Prince Xu, what an honor to have you grace us with your presence. Please forgive my tardy welcome. Please come in.”
The crowd turned to look, parting to make way. Whispers broke out among the ladies and gentlemen:
“Is that Xu Buling, the Prince of Su?”
“Yes! He’s so handsome. There’s no one else like him in Chang’an. No wonder they say that once you’ve seen Prince Xu, you’ll never forget him…”
“…His eyes are so beautiful. Even more so than a woman’s…”
Xu Buling frowned slightly, feeling like a spectacle. He quickly entered the Dragon’s Roar Pavilion.
“Oh~ His Highness is shy…”
“Prince Xu rarely goes out, and he has a good reputation. He’s not like those other frivolous princes… He just has a bit of a temper…”
“…A man should have a temper. Look at those weak scholars. They’re not real men…”
In the Great Dynasty, where martial prowess was highly valued, women were often bold and outspoken. Xu Buling, given his status, couldn’t stop and chat with these ladies and gentlemen. He simply ignored them.
Among the crowd, a woman wearing a bamboo hat watched Xu Buling, whom she had met once before, enter the pavilion. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
She glanced at the Wolf Guards patrolling the area, then disappeared into the gathering darkness…
…
Inside the main hall of the Dragon’s Roar Pavilion, illuminated by the soft glow of glazed lamps, dozens of desks were arranged in a circle. Scholars dressed in Confucian robes sat at the head of the hall, including Prince Yan, Song Yu, and Grand Tutor Song Baiqing. Song Yufu stood behind her father, craning her neck to search the crowd. When she finally spotted Xu Buling entering the hall, she breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes filled with anticipation.
The hall was filled with scholars, some of whom handed their poems to servants to be presented to the judges. If a poem was deemed exceptional, one of the renowned scholars would read it aloud.
Xu Buling entered the hall without drawing attention to himself. He handed his poem to a servant and walked to a seat to wait, sipping tea.
However, despite his rare appearance, he couldn’t avoid being greeted by numerous acquaintances.
He had barely sat down when Xiao Ting, the one he had beaten up, sauntered over, fanning himself despite the winter chill. He chuckled:
“Oh~ Buling, what brings you here today?”
As the brother of Madam Lu’s deceased husband, he could address Xu Buling as a junior.
Xu Buling swirled his teacup, his eyes narrowing slightly:
“Looking for another beating?”
Xiao Ting fanned himself, unafraid:
“This is the Dragon’s Roar Poetry Gathering, a place of elegance. Resorting to violence would be too crude…”
Crack!
Before he could finish his sentence, Xu Buling struck the small table beside him. The porcelain lid of his teacup flew up, and he flicked it with his left hand, sending it spinning through the air with a whistling sound.
The jade handle of Xiao Ting’s fan snapped in two. The teacup lid continued its trajectory, flying across the hall and heading straight for the back of Gongsun Lu’s head, who was engaged in conversation with someone.
Beside Gongsun Lu stood a middle-aged man with a saber, his eyes sharp and alert. He caught the projectile between two fingers without turning his head, silencing its momentum.
The middle-aged man glanced back, saw that it was Xu Buling who had flicked the lid, and nodded slightly in acknowledgement. He then flicked his fingers, sending the lid flying back through the gaps in the crowd, landing perfectly on Xu Buling’s teacup.
Xu Buling frowned, looked at his teacup, which was now whole again, and asked:
“Who is that man with the saber?”
Xiao Ting, fanning himself with the broken handle of his fan, glanced up:
“Zhang Xiang, the Commander of the Investigation Bureau. He’s known as the ‘Butcher of Ten Thousand.’”
Xu Buling was surprised. He had rarely ventured out in the past year and had little contact with even the children of princes and nobles, let alone government officials. However, the name “Butcher of Ten Thousand” was infamous.
Ten years ago, when the Investigation Bureau had cracked down on the martial world, Zhang Xiang had been the public face of the operation. That turbulent period had involved almost every faction in the Great Dynasty, and even Princess Su’s death had been connected to it.
There must have been other skilled individuals involved in the crackdown, but Zhang Xiang’s position as the leader indicated his exceptional status and martial arts skills. He was known for his love of blades and had become famous ten years ago for his mastery of the “Bagua Saber” technique.
Xu Buling observed Zhang Xiang for a moment, but he couldn’t discern anything special about him. He lost interest and turned his attention to the front of the hall, waiting for the main event to begin.
Xiao Ting, still seeking revenge for the beating he had received at the Imperial Academy, saw Xu Buling inquiring about Zhang Xiang and sneered:
“Xu Buling, this is a poetry gathering, filled with scholars. If you’re bored, I can ask Commander Zhang to have a sparring match with you.”
He was implying that Xu Buling was nothing but a brute with no appreciation for refined pursuits.
Xu Buling frowned slightly:
“Can’t I compose poems and be a scholar?”
Xiao Ting was taken aback. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then leaned closer:
“Buling, did you buy a poem to show off today?”
Xu Buling’s gaze was calm:
“What’s wrong with that?”
Xiao Ting nodded, as if they were kindred spirits:
“I thought you weren’t interested in this sort of thing. Good, good. With those words, I acknowledge you as my nephew…”
Thump!
A soft thud echoed through the noisy hall.
A few people frowned and glanced around, then dismissed it as nothing.
Xu Buling sipped his tea leisurely. Xiao Ting struggled to his feet, rubbing his forehead. He pointed at Xu Buling, his eyes blazing with anger:
“You’re ruthless!” He flung his sleeves, sat down beside Xu Buling, and remained silent…
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