Chapter 185: A Crane Soars into the Clear Sky, Stirring Poetic Feelings to the Heavens (2 / 2)

When he arrived, Xu Yanmiao realized the fuss wasn’t anything special. It was just Marquis Hongyang’s cousin showing off a painting he had made.

—Judging by the timing and setting, he had either finished most of it beforehand or completed it during the banquet.

The others crowded around him, showering his artistic skills with praise.

“Langjun, this crescent moon and frosty crane are truly ethereal. For hundreds of years, anyone who paints cranes would surely bow before your talent.”

“Beautiful! Simply breathtaking!”

“Langjun, why is this section left blank? Could it be that you’re planning to inscribe a poem here?”

Zhao Li eagerly jumped in, “Precisely.”

The onlookers applauded again, exclaiming how lucky they were to witness Zhao Langjun’s poetic prowess in person.

Finding it all dull, Xu Yanmiao was just about to leave—he had even turned halfway around—when he heard Zhao Li say, “It’s not me who will inscribe a poem. I’d like to introduce you all to a talented scholar—Xu Lang! How fortunate that you’re here, saving me the trouble of seeking you out.”

A sudden sense of foreboding arose in Xu Yanmiao’s mind, and he quickly began brainstorming countermeasures.

Sure enough, Zhao Li walked over, his light-colored eyes filled with apparent trust in Xu Yanmiao’s talent. “Xu Lang, you became a palace attendant at such a young age, so you must be immensely gifted. Would you do me the honor of composing a poem for my painting to enhance its brilliance?”

Xu Yanmiao responded honestly, “I’m not good at writing poetry.”

[—Not just “not good”; modern people don’t generally study poetry unless they’re specifically interested in it. Who even has time for that?]

Zhao Li blinked and smiled. “Xu Lang, you’re too modest. My teacher has read your poetry and couldn’t stop praising it.”

As for whether that was true or not, well, that was entirely up to him to say.

Nearby, even though he wasn’t making direct eye contact with Zhao Li, Liu Changshi’s expression revealed a knowing smile.

The painting of the crane and moon was indeed stunning—possibly one of Zhao Li’s best works. If Xu Yanmiao’s poem turned out mediocre, it would be like an oil stain on a pristine white robe, intolerable to behold.

Most of the attendees were young and prideful. If the poem fell short, they wouldn’t hold back their ridicule, and their careless remarks would set the perfect stage for Liu Changshi to step in as the savior.

Or perhaps…

Liu Changshi slightly lifted his foot.

Perhaps I should step in now and resolve the situation, earning Xu Yanmiao’s gratitude?

Xu Yanmiao glanced twice at the “Immortal Crane Painting.” “Do you have any specific requirements for the poem?”@@novelbin@@

Zhao Li hesitated before making a request: “Could you focus on the theme of ‘nobility’? It would be even better if you could describe the auspicious clouds surrounding the crane.”

Xu Yanmiao froze. “Auspicious clouds? Where?”

Zhao Li was equally stunned. “Aren’t they right here?” He gestured at the cloudy patterns surrounding the crane on the rice paper.

Xu Yanmiao: “…”

[Wait a second…]

[Should I mention that this… might actually be bird droppings left while it was flying?]

One of the officials, known for his love of cranes, stumbled and fell flat on his bottom, landing painfully.

The person next to him rushed to help, but the crane-loving official silently pushed them away, tears streaming down his face.

Xu Lang! Why did you have to tell me this?!

Couldn’t you just reveal where my wife might have schemed against me instead?

And another thing…

Isn’t the bird in this painting actually an egret?

I’m not sure if cranes poop mid-flight, but this bird’s neck bends downward while flying—it’s definitely an egret. And from afar, egret droppings do look a lot like auspicious clouds.

The crane-loving official: “…”

How many times do I have to say it? Stop pausing mid-thought when you talk!

Xu Yanmiao turned his head and noticed the official sitting on the ground. Alarmed, he asked, “Should I call for a doctor?”

“No need.”

The crane-loving official firmly pressed his hands to the ground, struggled to his feet, and limped furiously toward the “Immortal Crane Painting.” “A poem?! What poem?! You still have the nerve to ask Xu Lang for a poem?!”

Zhao Li was dumbfounded. “Why would you say that?”

The crane-loving official was livid. “Look at this painting! Do you think that’s a white crane?!”

—Immortal cranes are typically depicted as white cranes.

The crane-loving official raised his voice. “The body of a white crane is larger than an egret! White cranes don’t have crest feathers or chest feathers! And their beaks and legs are never black—never! How could you call this an ‘Immortal Crane Painting’ and even ask for a poem about it?!”

All eyes turned toward Zhao Li, and the atmosphere became unbearably tense.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Li snatched down the “Immortal Crane Painting,” covered his face with his wide sleeves, and hurriedly left.

A nearby official muttered, “Was that really necessary…?”

The crane-loving official snapped back angrily, “What do you know? My beloved cranes were nearly defiled!”

The nearby official lowered his voice even more. “But, but it’s not like anyone said that immortal cranes definitely don’t…”

The crane-loving official clung to his last shred of pride. “Shut up! I don’t want to hear it! If no one says it, then it didn’t happen!”

[Didn’t happen? What didn’t happen?]

A voice echoed in their minds, causing the two men to break into a cold sweat.

Looking up, they saw Xu Yanmiao watching them curiously.

[Damn, the system can’t translate this, what kind of silent riddle are these two playing at?]

The surrounding officials: “…”

Sorry, Xu Lang, we shouldn’t have treated you as though you were deaf.

After a moment of reflection, the crane-loving official placed the blame squarely on Zhao Li, who was leaving. “I can’t believe my beloved white crane was almost painted by someone like Zhao Li—thankfully, it wasn’t, or it would have defiled my crane!”

One official beside him pretended to be a nitpicker. “But the person who wrote the Crane Classic didn’t say that a white crane couldn’t have the traits you mentioned. And Zhao Lang just painted the immortal crane as he imagined it, there’s no need to be so picky.”

The crane-loving official frowned. “I’m not nitpicking, he just painted it wrong…”

As they argued, their steps quickened, and they moved away faster than usual.

Xu Yanmiao, still behind them, looked enlightened.

[So that’s what was going on! No wonder the system didn’t show anything—it was just a verbal argument, casual chatter. There’s no need to dig deeper into this!]

Come to think of it, he should thank that colleague for unintentionally helping him out of the awkward situation.

Xu Yanmiao began to ponder.

[Since they like white cranes, should I somehow give him one as a gift? But what reason should I give for it?]

In the distance, the crane-loving official, with his back to Xu Yanmiao, wore a mask of sorrow.

Should I continue keeping the crane? I can’t bear to abandon it, but if I keep it, then there’s that “auspicious cloud”…

Why did he have to know about this in the first place?!

Author’s Notes:

Yibin:

Next year, we’ll be adjusting the princess and duchess titles and their corresponding marriage ceremonies, as well as the titles for the imperial consort and Yibin.

—Continuing the Classic

Excerpt from “Autumn Poems”

A crane ascends through the clouds in the clear sky, evoking poetry that reaches the azure heavens.

—Autumn Poems

The crane-related topic comes from… I can’t remember the exact year, but at that time, a photographer took a picture of a “white crane” soaring and found that it closely resembled the auspicious clouds often depicted alongside a white crane in paintings.

But later, someone recognized that the bird in the picture wasn’t a white crane; it was an egret.

So, it’s still uncertain if the white crane’s flight could be called “auspicious clouds” (at least I haven’t found any definite proof on this—if any kind souls have confirmation, feel free to correct me in the comments).

Thanks to the angel “Momo” for the information! The red-crowned crane is indeed the same, and it’s confirmed to be “soaring clouds.”