Naohua Cong

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The first volume of the newly engraved novel *

Nao Hua Cong* (The Nao Hua Cong), written by the " Infatuated Scholar of Suzhou," contains a preface. *Nao Hua Cong*

, in four volumes and twelve chapters, exists in the collection of this official document and is held in the Peking University Library. It is titled *Newly Engraved Novel Nao Hua Cong* and signed " Written by the Infatuated Scholar of Suzhou." The book lacks a postscript by the scholar, in which he refers to the book as *The Tale of Pang Liu*. The author's name and life are unknown, but it is speculated that this book was written by a bookseller from Suzhou in the early Qing Dynasty. 　　The book narrates the story of Pang Guojun and Yuwen Ying, sons of officials in Shangyuan County, Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing, during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty. Pang Guojun was intelligent, talented , learned, and handsome in his youth; his father was a prefect. When Wenying was fourteen, he achieved first place in the imperial examination and entered the academy. Confident in his talent and good looks, he desired to marry a woman of exceptional beauty, but found fault with her and refused to agree easily. He remained unmarried until the age of seventeen. 　　Pang Wenying dreamt that a divine being told him his perfect match would be found on the day the examination results were announced. On the day the results were released, Wenying, remembering his Mid-Autumn Festival dream, invited two close friends to the street to see the results . There, he encountered Yu Rong, the daughter of Liu, the top scholar of the Wuwu year examination. They fell in love at first sight, and Yu Rong gifted him a jade mandarin duck, promising to meet again in mid-September. After returning home, Wenying was consumed by longing, unable . When the appointed time arrived, Wenying went to the Liu residence, and the two became engaged. Wenying agreed to his mistress's request for a matchmaker and also secretly began an affair with Yu Rong's maid, Qiu Xiang. 　　Yu Rong's maid, Chunmei, secretly met with Antong at Furong Pavilion. Qiuxiang witnessed this and informed the young lady and madam, exposing the affair . Wenying and the young lady were unable to see each other. Yu Rong, missing Wenying, fell ill from melancholy. 　　On Wenying's mother Li's sixtieth birthday, Li brought her niece, Wenying's cousin Gui'e, to her home. Gui'e, young and beautiful but widowed, was heartbroken upon seeing Wenying. Wenying, in turn, clung to Gui'e with great affection. After Gui'e returned home, she sent for Wenying's younger sister, Jiaolian, to play, but Jiaolian, ill with grief, could not go. Wenying, who bore a striking resemblance to Jiaolian, begged his mother to allow him to disguise himself as a woman and go to Gui'e's house for an affair. This was discovered by Gui'e's sister-in-law, Qiong'e, and her maid, Shengnu. Wenying, who was having an affair with Shengnu, also intended to have an affair with Qiong'e. Although Qiong'e was already betrothed to the Chen family, she saw Wenying's beauty and youth and consummated their relationship. 　　Qiong'e married Chen Cixiang, but Chen noticed her affair and revealed the truth. Cixiang, who had homosexual tendencies, ordered Qiong'e to devise a plan to lure Wenying to her. Qiong'e, under the pretense of missing him and caring for her son, lured Wenying there. Cixiang prepared wine to entertain him, and when he was drunk, he raped him . Afterwards, Wenying lived in the Chen family home under the guise of caring for her son, and the three often indulged in lewd acts. A scoundrel named Wu'er, who had a grudge against Cixiang, plotted to imprison him, and both Qiong'e and Wenying returned home. 　　Upon returning home, Wenying learned of Yurong's serious illness and disguised himself as a doctor to visit her. Yurong, seeing Wenying, showed signs of improvement, and Madam Liu took Wenying into her household, treating him like family. However, Wenying and Yurong's secret rendezvous was discovered by Yurong already at odds with Wenying, filed a complaint and sent Wenying to the authorities. The imperial examiner, showing compassion for the talented couple, not only refrained from punishment but also decreed that Wenying and Yurong be husband and wife, and they married that very night. In the imperial examination, Wenying achieved first place, while Tianbiao was disqualified by the examiner. Disappointed by his failure in both the lawsuit and the examination, Tianbiao harbored resentment and gathered fifty or sixty villagers to beat Wenying. Wenying sought help from Wang, a local official, who devised a plan to rescue Wenying from the Liu household in a small sedan chair and encouraged him to study diligently. From then on, Wenying and his two classmates lived in an ancient temple, studying diligently to prepare for the imperial examinations. 　　In the provincial examination, Wenying ranked second. Tianbiao then flattered his wife and Miss Yurong, only to be scolded and ridiculed by them. Later, Wenying achieved a series of successes, becoming the top scholar in the imperial examinations and being selected as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. The prime minister, Fang Zhijie, wanted to marry his beloved daughter to Wenying, but Wenying refused in every way and instead took the incomparably beautiful 　　Meiniang as his concubine. Wenying returned to his hometown in glory to visit his family and pay respects to his ancestors, and then took Gui'e as his concubine. Later, upon learning that Cixiang had been imprisoned, Wenying rescued him. Cixiang then gave Qiong'e and his family property to Wenying to repay his life-saving grace. Wenying married three concubines in succession, which inevitably made Yurong envious. After Wenying vowed to marry Qiuxiang, he would be satisfied, and Yurong had no choice but to agree. From then on, Wenying had one wife and four concubines, living a happy and fulfilling life. 　　After returning to the capital, Wenying was appointed as the chief examiner in Shengjing, selecting all the talented young men, which pleased the emperor. He later rose to suddenly realized his error and, along with his two elderly wives and one wife and four concubines, resigned due to illness and returned to his hometown. They all entered the immortal realm and became earth immortals. 　　The entire work "Nao Hua Cong" is about Pang Wenying's love, marriage, and romantic affairs with five women. His love and marriage with one wife and four concubines were all based on physical attraction and the combination of talent and beauty, and did not break the pattern of traditional scholar-beauty novels. Pang Wenying's infatuation with his one wife and four concubines is similar to Zhang Sheng's love for Yingying in "The Story of Yingying." It wasn't because she could recite "Waiting for the Moon in the West Chamber," but because he saw Yingying's "extraordinary beauty and captivating radiance," which fueled his infatuation. Some might say that Wenying's "love" for Yu Rong stemmed from both her beauty and talent, as he greatly . However, Wenying only admired her talent; he didn't include it in his criteria for choosing a wife. He simply wanted to marry a stunningly beautiful wife. Talent was not a requirement. 　　This "love" based on appearance is not "romantic love," but rather "sexual love." Some have said that sex is the desire between opposite sexes aroused by "physical beauty, intimate interaction, and harmonious interests." 　　In this book, sex is more about desire for the opposite sex caused by physical beauty, while "intimate interaction and harmonious interests" are relatively weak. The novel affirms human instincts, and this natural principle is undoubtedly a silent resistance and opposition . However, in the novel's specific descriptions of male-female interaction and sex... The novel contains excessive vulgar and obscene language, offering no aesthetic enjoyment and rendering the sexual activities of men and women in the novel largely erotic . 　　In the novel, Wenying and Miss Gui'e meet by chance, secretly pledge their lives to each other, and their marriage is consummated. Seeing Gui'e's beauty and charm, Wenying, in front of her mother and Gui'e, says, "I want to sleep now, sister, you can sleep with me." She then cries and begs her mother to disguise herself as her sister and go to Gui'e's house, where she has an affair with Gui'e, as well as with Gui'e's maid, Shengnu, and her aunt, Qiong'e. These women all readily agree, without any sense of fear or apprehension. The contact, interaction, and love between men and women are extremely free, even promiscuous; the modesty of young girls and the chastity of virgins seem to . 　　It's important to understand that this was an era of strict feudal patriarchal systems and strong ethical and moral values. For so many beautiful women to flock to the protagonist and willingly throw themselves into his arms is truly inconceivable. Moreover, the protagonist wasn't wealthy or powerful; he was merely a scholar. The reason for such a idyllic scene, frankly, was simply a daydream, a moment of indulgence for a literary figure. These impoverished scholars would find it very difficult to achieve such things in real life.

Material and spiritual satisfaction makes it even harder to attract the favor of young and beautiful women; in their minds, they never forget

the ancient saying, "In books, there are houses of gold; in books, there are beauties like jade." Over time, this

good wish, which only a very few were fortunate enough to achieve, has become a popular "maxim," and has even evolved into the inevitable fate of literati,

exaggerated into a universal truth. Pang Wenying's romantic encounters are a concrete manifestation of this kind of impoverished literati's nighttime pursuit of beauty.

Interestingly, the number of women a literati hunts for is often a fixed number. The one with the most is

Mei Suxian in "The History of the Wanderer," who has twenty beauties. Feng Yuesheng in "The Apricot Blossom Sky" is second, with

twelve wives and concubines. In *The Encounter of Heavenly Fate*, Qi Yudi, and in *The Illusion of Emptiness*, Hua Chunmeng, both possess ten beauties. However, the most

common seems to be "five beauties." Leaving aside *The Romance of the Five Beauties* and *The Song of the Five Winds*, which directly use the number "five,"

even in *The Embroidered Screen*, Zhao Yanke builds a five-flowered pavilion to house Wang Mei; in *The Romance in the Dream*, Wu Ziyu gathers five beauties to fulfill a dream omen; in *

Jin Ping Mei*, Ximen Qing, and in *Peach Blossom Shadow*, Wei Yuqing both have one wife and five concubines. The wife is merely for show; the real

target is the women, also referred to as "five beauties."

Having many wives and concubines, surrounded by beauties, can be said to be a natural desire and a wonderful dream for men, especially for

impoverished literati who find even one beauty in real life, thus indulging in fantasies in novels. Since it's just doodles and writing, a way to quench thirst with

a mirage, naturally the more the better, to fully release long-suppressed desires. However, the fact that "five beauties" has become such

a common number must have its reasons. In traditional Chinese culture, the number "five" generally

represents all directions: east, west, south, north, and center. Thus, "five" has become a synonym for "complete," and

is frequently used when referring to "completeness." Examples include the five elements, five directions, five energies, five poisons, five flavors, five pungent spices, five colors, five hues,

five tones, five domestic animals, five horses, five animals, five rituals, five virtues, five sacred mountains, five limbs, and five filths, etc. "Five beauties"

essentially also implies "completeness," at least vaguely giving people a sense of "completeness." Therefore,

it's not surprising that many erotic novels, including the "five beauties" in this book, use this term.

While this book contains many vulgar passages, it also has its share of humorous and vivid moments. In the story, Miss Yu Rong

falls ill from lovesickness and consults several doctors, all of whom cure her. Later, she hires a blind man to invoke a deity to cure her.

The description of the scene of invoking and sending off the deity is particularly vivid and amusing. "The blind man knelt before the deity and prayed in a glib manner, while

a crowd gathered to play music. Later, during the ten offerings, he recited something quite audible, though it was all rambling," the entire scene of invoking the deity

is depicted . "This pair of scissors is like a young thug, quick-witted and sharp-tongued, a double-edged sword," "This

jade crab is like a theatrical performer, made up to be eight-legged for honor, with two protruding eyes, scurrying

about ," "This paper flower is like an old sleazy man..."

The ten offerings are recited in a cheesy, rhyming tone, quite comical. What should have been a solemn and awe-inspiring scene of inviting and sending off the gods

is transformed by the author's twist, becoming not only devoid of tension and heaviness but also humorous and lighthearted. The author

seems to be using a contemptuous and mocking style to describe the awe-inspiring customs and traditions of feudal society, giving the reader a sense of ease and

pleasure .

The novel centers on the love, marriage, and tumultuous journey of Wenying and Miss Wang Rong, while subplots focus on Wenying's relationships with Gui'e,

Qiong'e and others. These two storylines intertwine, creating a complete yet clearly structured narrative.

Structurally, the novel follows the classic tale of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman: love – trials – happy

ending. From Wenying and Miss Wang Rong's secret engagement, to Liu Tianbiao and others' interference in their love and marriage,

to Wenying's success in the imperial examinations, becoming the top scholar, and the family reunion, the story

follows this basic framework. Although the novel concludes with the ascension of Pang Wenying and eight others to immortality, it doesn't deviate from this fundamental pattern. This typical idealistic structure is also

suited to the theme of idealism.

However, the artistic merit of *Nao Hua Cong* is weak. In the author's postscript, he states: "In early autumn this year,

a friend asked me to write a biography about Pang Wenying and Liu Yurong. I then picked up my pen and began to compose a few sentences to complete the story." While this seems to be based on a true story,

it is actually a plagiarism of the narrative framework of *Gu Zhang Jue Chen* (Snow Collection), discarding its refined sentiments and adding some intimate scenes

. The book merely changes the original protagonists, Wen Jingqing and Li Ruolan, to Pang Wenying and Liu Yurong, and adds Gui'e,

Qiong'e, and Meiniang, as well as their later becoming immortals. The location is changed from Suzhou and Hangzhou to Shangyuan County in Yingtian Prefecture. Due to the plagiarism and patchwork,

it is riddled with flaws. Another section, featuring Wenying's disguise, is adapted from "The Random Matchmaking of Magistrate Qiao";

the relationship between Wenying and Cixiang and Qiong'e is clearly influenced by characters from novels such as "Peach Blossom Shadow" and "The History of Wanderings," and the book's patchwork nature is also very

obvious .

Due to its numerous obscene descriptions, the book was repeatedly banned during the Qing Dynasty.

"The Mischievous Flower Collection" was listed in the banned book lists of Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the 18th and 24th years of the Daoguang Emperor's reign and the 7th year of the Tongzhi Emperor's reign.

The first chapter, "Seeing the Golden List Brings a Heavenly Blessing, Abandoning Love and Friends to Enter a Beautiful Realm,

" reads: "

Liu Lang slowly enters Tiantai, everywhere peach blossoms surround the cave; Jia Wu's wall is high and the fragrance can be stolen, the dream of Wushan apricot clouds comes unexpectedly."

Poetry expresses the heart's desires, and the door awaits the moon's opening for pleasure; countless romantic tales cannot be fully told, so let us not doubt or guess at our occasional new verses.

It is said that during the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty, in Shangyuan County, Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing, there lived a son of an official named Pang Guojun, courtesy name Wenying.

His father was a prefectural governor named Dong, styled Liangcai. His family had a long history of officialdom, originally from Suchuan Prefecture. He was already quite old and

had only one son and one daughter. The son, Guojun, was fourteen years old, and the daughter, Jiaolian, was thirteen.

Wenying was exceptionally intelligent, able to memorize everything she read after a single reading. By the age of twelve, she could not only compose essays on current events with ease, but also

write poems and prose with effortless fluency. Relatives and friends all envied him, and his father was overjoyed, considering him a promising

talent.

That year, Wenying was fourteen years old. The annual examination for the Grand Master of Literature was held, preceded by the county-level examination. Wenying entered the examination hall. At that time,

the county magistrate was a young scholar from Jiaxing. When the examination day arrived, the questions were given late. Wenying prepared his ink and brush, and without much

thought, finished his paper in the first quarter of the day, handing it in before sunset.

The magistrate, seeing his handsome appearance and quick wit, insisted on giving him personal instruction. Upon examining the paper, he exclaimed

, "His writing is superb, his penmanship elegant; this is the best in the county!" He then ranked him first and sent him to the prefectural government, who in turn ranked him second and

sent him to the provincial capital. Wenying was overjoyed and filled with pride.

A few days later, the Grand Master of Literature examination came again. Then Wenying's two essays were as exquisite as brocade. When the results were announced,

she won first place and entered the academy. On the day of her hairpin ceremony, she was welcomed all the way. Because of her beautiful appearance and young age, men and

women of all ages crowded around to watch, and many wealthy families came to propose marriage.

He was confident in his talent and good looks and wanted to marry a beautiful wife, but he was picky and unwilling to agree to marry her easily, and his father

had no choice but to listen to him. Unexpectedly, when he was fifteen, Prefect Pang fell ill and died. He was an

upright official and left very little property. Fortunately, his mother, Li, managed the household affairs and encouraged Wenying to study diligently. If there was no important matter, he would stay

at home. Some of his classmates, seeing that his father had passed away, tried to tempt him to do evil deeds.

However, because Li was strict in managing the household, he dared not join them and only

studied with two close friends, one named Zhang Zijiang and the other named Ren Boqu. Although the two boys were good at studying, in terms of talent and looks, how could they compare to Wenying? They

had a full beard and a dark, yellow face.

Sometimes, when the women in the neighborhood saw Zhang and Ren, they would cover their faces and laugh, thinking they were Zhong Kui (a legendary demon) reborn

. And when they saw Wenying, their eyes would light up, as if a fairy had descended to earth. Not only were there no men as handsome as her, but even among

women , none could match her beauty. They wished they could swallow

her whole. Wenying's appearance was: graceful and elegant. Her nose was like jade, her eyes like autumn water. Her eyebrows were naturally green, her lips naturally red.

Her naturally beautiful hair could be styled into a bun, a gift from heaven. Her delicate figure was most adorable, with peach-blossom cheeks. If she were to dance with her sleeves, even the most beautiful woman

in Wu would be captivated. Or perhaps, trailing long skirts, she would be a darling of the Han Dynasty palace. Amidst the crimson brocade lies a romantic playground,

where white silk socks need not follow the golden lotus. As the saying goes,

the willows of spring, soft and gentle, evoke parting thoughts; the lotuses of autumn, vibrant and beautiful, envious of the delicate maiden. And yet another saying goes, boasting of the dream of guests on the Luo River, reaching straight to a stretch of clouds over Wushan.

But time flies like an arrow, days and months like a shuttle. Wenying is already seventeen and still unmarried. This year is the year of the imperial

examination; although Wenying has completed her mourning period, the examination has already passed. It is Mid-Autumn Festival, a clear night with a bright moon. Wenying wished to keep Chang'e company, but

her mother had already gone to bed, so she had to return to her room. The moonlight was so bright that I didn't fall asleep until late at night. In my dream, I saw a divine being

wearing a Tang-style turban and riding a white mule. He said he was the Emperor of Zitong. In the dream, he told Wenying, "You should study diligently. God will not fail you.

You will become a top scholar in the future. Your marriage will be a good match. It will happen on the day you see the results of the imperial examination. You should pay attention." When I woke up, it was just a dream.

As August drew to a close, Wenying, bored and restless, suddenly heard a bustling noise outside. Remembering her Mid-Autumn Festival

dream, she said to Zhang and Ren, "Today is the Yin day, probably the day the results are announced. Let's go outside and watch."

Zhang and Ren agreed, "Good! Good!"

The three of them went out together and arrived at the notice board in the bustling market. After reading the results, Zhang and Ren said, "This is now

the provincial government office. Why not join the procession and watch the banquet? It would be quite a spectacle." They entered through the main gate, watched the banquet,

and then went outside.

They saw men and women crowding around the procession, pushing and shoving, all saying, "This year's procession is naturally grand

."

Why was it grander this year? Because the imperial court had issued a decree to increase the number of candidates from each province, hence the larger crowd.

Wenying was strolling around, admiring the sights, when suddenly she heard a clamor: "Make way! Make way! The candidates are here!"

Amidst the deafening sound of drums and music, a throng of people surged forward. Flags fluttered, and the sounds of pipes and flutes filled the air. The newly appointed candidates, some on

horseback , others in sedan chairs, were beaming with pride. They all wore gleaming gold flowers and brand-new blue robes,

arriving in pairs and singles. It was truly a

scene of vying for the top honors, like laurel blossoms at a grand banquet.

The three were enjoying the spectacle when they noticed a woman, exceptionally beautiful, behind bamboo curtains on either side. She pushed up the curtains, revealing

half her body peering out, but instead of looking at the candidates, her eyes were fixed intently on Wenying's face. As the poem describes:

"Two delicate beauties, eyes as sharp as ice crystals." Her pupils were so clearly defined, their light flickering and unpredictable. They

seemed white when she met a woman, but bluish when she met a man. She often complained that Ruan Ou lacked affection, not acting as a beautiful mirror.

The women then secretly sent love letters through the corners of their eyes. Those on the upper floors gossiped and pointed fingers at each other, some saying Wenying was pretty and

lovely, others saying Zhang and Ren were ugly and repulsive; the discussions never ceased. It was already afternoon, and dusk was approaching; the people who had come to see the candidates

were gradually leaving. Wenying and her two companions were still standing under a gatehouse, idly chatting, when they saw a beautiful woman inside,

about sixteen years old, sitting gracefully behind a curtain. A little girl in green, with light, graceful steps,

gazed beckoned with her slender hand. A poem testifies to this: "

Her face is like jade, her body fragrant, capable of stirring the hearts of young women in their boudoirs; a chance encounter ignites passion,

how can the delicate beauty of a jade zither be concealed?" Wenying, usually engrossed in her studies behind closed doors, had never witnessed such beauty before. Today, upon seeing her, she was utterly captivated. She

followed the woman to the doorway, where the woman in green still had half her body exposed, deliberately peeking out from behind the threshold, her small toes

about three inches long. Wenying, wishing she could immediately enter, stopped to gaze at her. Only Zhang and Ren, standing to

the side, couldn't help but laugh.

Suddenly, the beautiful woman sitting behind the curtain called out to the woman in green, and in an instant, they all went inside. Wenying

was reluctant to leave , but seeing Zhang and Ren nearby was like a thorn in his side. He devised a plan and said to them, "I

urgently need to relieve myself. Please go ahead a few steps, and I'll catch up shortly."

The two had no choice but to go ahead, but after waiting for a long time, they didn't return. He became increasingly suspicious and went back to look for them, but they

were nowhere to be seen. Unexpectedly, Wenying abandoned his two friends and hurried inside. Just as he was about to enter the main hall, he heard a large man

walking out from the left side of the door, muttering incoherently. Terrified, Wenying crouched by the mossy stone for a while before daring to stand up

.

He thought, "Now that I'm here, I mustn't leave empty-handed without a drink; even the peach blossoms at the cave entrance will laugh at me." Then he thought

of going home, but the heavy doors were locked, and he couldn't go out.

The sun was setting in the west, and darkness had fallen. Suddenly, a soft voice called from the side of the hall, "Come here!"

Wenying looked and saw a woman, the same woman in green who had followed the woman during the day, carrying a lantern and beckoning him

inside .

He had her attendant come forward. The winding path led him to a large garden. Above the flower hall hung a plaque that read: "

Peach Blossom Paradise."

He saw a woman sitting on a stone bench with her back turned. Upon seeing Wenying, she blushed deeply and hesitated to approach. Wenying, with a

serious expression, bowed forward and asked softly, "It is an honor to meet you, sir. May I ask your name and esteemed consort? Are you

perhaps Chang'e descended from the moon?"

The woman lowered her head and replied sweetly, "My name is Yurong. I am the daughter of Liu, the top scholar of the Wuwu year. Unfortunately,

my father has long since passed away. My mother, Wang, and my second uncle, Liu Tianbiao, live with me. May I ask your honorable name, where you live,

and whether you are married?"

Wenying replied, "My surname is Pang, my given name is Guojun, and my courtesy name is Wenying. My father's name was Dong, and his courtesy name was Liangcai. He also served as a prefect.

My residence is located south of the county seat within the city. I am seventeen years old this year and still unmarried. It is truly

an honor to meet you today, Miss."

Now, the young lady, though sixteen, was quite virtuous and wise, and had been able to compose poems since she was ten. Whenever she was embroidering or drinking until dawn when

the flowers were about to bloom and the moon was at its brightest, she would often furrow her brows and remain silent, lost in thought. She desired a talented and handsome young man

to be her lifelong spouse.

Unexpectedly, Wenying pressured her into a marriage agreement, so she said, "Now I value your character, sir, and have been involved in a secret rendezvous. Although I am of humble birth,

I know I am not a suitable match. However, you are seventeen and I am sixteen. Despite my humble desires, I wish to serve you."

Wenying laughed and said, "But time flies, and the moonlight passes quickly. I deeply pity the difficulty of such a good meeting. Why not enjoy this night?"

He then stepped forward and embraced her, reaching out to touch what everyone loves. Wenying, touching the beautiful object, was greatly aroused,

thinking to himself , "To die beneath the peony is to die a romantic death."

He then began to grope her. The young lady quickly covered herself with both hands, and said sternly, "I am still a young woman, and

my heart is set on my life's happiness. How could I possibly seek momentary pleasure and ruin my reputation? I have always heard that self-arranged marriage is not the conduct of a virtuous lady,

and illicit affairs are shameful to a chaste man. I beg you, my lover, to love me with propriety and not harbor such thoughts, otherwise, how can I avoid regret in my old age?"

Wenying said, "Your meeting tonight is surely predestined. If you harbor any other thoughts, may you be beheaded!"

The young lady was suddenly filled with resentment and recited a quatrain: "

I gambled on the moonlight, thinking of you, a romantic and talented man; but alas, the night is long, who will keep me company? A half-moon shines on my lonely sleep."

After hearing this, Wenying secretly praised her, saying, "I never expected such a fine poem from a young lady. What a talented young lady!

Her sweet voice is even more melodious than a newlywed's warbling, and her elegant words surpass even the most exquisite poetry in its early stages. The poem is clear and distinct,

subtly revealing her springtime feelings, and it seems to express nine-tenths of her pity for me, Pang Sheng. I can't help but compose a poem in response." So she recited: "Heaven-

given love is not accidental, how can we not feel pity upon meeting; I laugh at myself, like a butterfly by the flowers, stealing fragrance and jade, waiting for what year?"

Upon hearing this, the young lady exclaimed, "What a beautiful poem! What a beautiful poem! How can a learned young man like myself use poetry to express his feelings?"

Before she finished speaking, a maidservant rushed in to report, "Madam is still awake. She asked where the young lady is and why she

is not asleep yet?"

The young lady was about to share her thoughts when she heard this. She was flustered and at a loss, and had no choice but to go into her room. Wenying, however, hid in

the shade of the flowers and stood there for a while. Then the young lady came out, wrapped a jade mandarin duck in a handkerchief with wine-threaded fabric, and handed it to Wenying,

showing that she would not forget.

She added, "My second uncle is going to Qiyun Mountain to offer incense in mid-September. I wish to meet him in person, so please do not look

down on me because of my humble appearance."

Wenying replied, "I have agreed to the auspicious date. Please wait until the bell of Xiao Temple is broken, then I will arrive."

The young lady instructed a maid in green to carry a lantern and escort her out of the back garden. It was already past midnight, and there was no one on the way. She walked home, wondering if Wenying

would be able to fulfill their auspicious date in mid-September after their parting. To be continued in the next chapter.

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