Madam Yan's Matchmaking Pavilion for Men

8 A Long-Forgotten Tune, A Racing Heart

The song came to an end, startling Zhang Shi Lan out of his thoughts. His eyes fluttered open and he found General Yu looking at him. Ah. Had he ... had he just gotten lost in this song and failed to answer his question?

"Oh, I ... I'm sorry. I ... I wasn't sure ..." He stuttered a response, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Ah, just why did this always have to happen in front of General Yu? The one person he wanted to leave with a good impression had to be the one that thought worst of him.

Two seats further, Feng Gui Ying harrumphed. "So it turns out the famed Scholar Zhang is just that. All empty talk but no real knowledge. If this is the extent of the talent in our Chen country's capital, then I'm really fearing for our future."

General Yu ignored him as if he hadn't heard anything. In fact, he really hadn't heard. All his attention was focused on Zhang Shi Lan. He made sure to speak as calmly as he could so as to not scare the poor scholar further. "It's alright. Did you remember?"

Zhang Shi Lan rushed to nod. "Yes, yes, it's ..." He gulped. "It's ... 'Leaves on Fen Hua River'."

"Oh." Yu Huang Rong leaned closer and lowered his voice to allow them more privacy. "Has Scholar Zhang some personal connection to this song?"

Zhang Shi Lan blanked, his thoughts traveling to an autumn afternoon from about ten years ago. Back then, neither had Yu Huang Rong been this highly sought-after General yet nor had he been someone that could be called a scholar. In fact, he had been nothing but a youth that liked to study. He had been bewitched by the depth of poetry, the lure of music, the pleasing sight of paintings and the seeming naturalness of the gardens that was still guided by strict laws. He would often seek these things in the capital, hoping to gain some insight that would let him understand what he still couldn't comprehend.

That particular day had been colder than the ones before, the wind blowing strongly from the north, bring the first faint notion of the snow that would soon fall. It rustled in the treetops and made him hunch up his shoulders but he still shivered. Just before he had been visiting one of the countless teahouses and he felt as if he faintly sensed the warmth that lingered on his body but in the next moment, a gust of wind came and took it away. He shuddered again and pulled the overcoat closer around his shoulders, pressing his hands against his body to warm them.

Still, he wasn't resigned to leave the streets just yet. He continued to move forward, listening to the songs that could be heard from inside the teahouses, observing the people around him and looking for the next place that might be able to sate his curiosity. Finally, he found himself at the bank of the Fen Hua river.

He stopped moving. The wind was blowing more fiercely here where there were fewer buildings to obstruct it but Zhang Shi Lan didn't mind. No, he was content at this moment. This river was like the lifeline of the capital. A place where businesses were conducted and goods transported. Sometimes, it was even just used as a place for enjoyment. But right now, at this spot, nothing much was happening on the river. The water was only rippling slightly in the wind, slowly moving forward just like the people on the banks moved toward their goals.

Ah, how poetic! This water, it wasn't much different from the people of the capital, of Chen country, maybe even the people of other countries. It would quietly follow the path Heaven had chosen for it just like the people would follow the path that was destined for them. It could lead them to all kinds of different places, letting them see the world and experience all kinds of different things.

Just as the water would rush forward and carry along the leaves falling from the treetops in autumn or the blossoms in spring, they would also make acquaintances over the years that might accompany them for a while before they had to part ways. Would they see each other again? Would they meet somebody similar a few years down the road?