The sun was high in the sky, and the weather had cleared.
After two days of rain, the air in the Spring Lotus Garden was much fresher, filled with the faint fragrance of flowers, grass, and bamboo.
Even the Golden Carp in the pond were far more active, leaping out of the water one after another, only to be caught by Xiao Wuge with his simple fishing rod.
His excited voice echoed from the pavilion from time to time.
"Brother-in-law, that's the third carp today!"
"Brother-in-law, that's the fourth! Can we really not eat them?"
"Brother-in-law, the fi—"
'Fifth my ass.'
'There's definitely something wrong with the carp in this pond. It's like they're all just a bunch of vain suck-ups, throwing themselves at Xiao Wuge's hook. What a bunch of bootlicking fish!'
Even with his good temper and placid nature, Chen Yi couldn't help but toss his fishing rod aside and retreat to his study to practice Calligraphy. Out of sight, out of mind.
Lately, with the aid of his Great Success Calligraphy Dao, his Cursive Script had been progressing rapidly. He figured it was due to the vast experience with Pen Techniques he had gained from practicing Wei Qing's Style.
In just over ten days, he had brought his Cursive Script to the level of Mastery Perfection, only one Step away from breaking through to Mastery.
As Chen Yi practiced the Cursive Script Pen Technique, his thoughts drifted to the Old Marquis's upcoming birthday.
'The Old Marquis has spent his entire life in the military, defeating the armies of the Barbarian Race and the Poshisu Country... The birthday tribute should be related to his martial career.'
As he mused, several frontier poems came to mind.
Some spoke of unfulfilled ambitions, while others were magnificent, epic tales brimming with killing intent. However, few were truly fitting for the Old Marquis.
After a moment of thought, Chen Yi made his decision.
He scanned the sheet of Yunsong Paper, composed the lines in his mind, and then immediately picked up a Wolf Hair Brush. Dipping it in ink, he mobilized the small amount of Qi Mechanism in his Dantian, channeling the power of the world as his brush moved with a force that seemed to sink through the paper:
"Beacon fires forged his courage, his armor built a titan. For ten years he held his spear toward the south, his heroic spirit cleaving the clouds. He trod the waves of Poshisu and bound the demons of the green mountains, settling the border dust with a laugh and a smile... I wish to borrow Heaven's brush to rewrite the great deeds of Duke Dingyuan!"
This time, Chen Yi didn't use the somewhat fluid strokes of Cursive Script, but instead chose the rugged and heroic Wei Qing's Style.
Soon, a poem of unrestrained ink, imbued with an extraordinary aura and a faintly discernible, profound Mental Realm, came to life upon the paper.
As the final stroke ended, Chen Yi tossed the Wolf Hair Brush aside and slumped back into his chair, his limbs feeling weak and his vision starting to black out.
He quickly closed his eyes, rubbing his temples and letting his mind rest.
'I never expected that guiding the brush with my will would be so draining.'
Not only had it completely depleted the Qi Mechanism in his Dantian, but his own vitality had also been consumed. The exhaustion was comparable to practicing the Big Spear Pile Skill for four hours straight.
"Brother-in-law, are you not feeling well?"
Just then, Xiao Wuge pushed the door open. Seeing Chen Yi's weak appearance and furrowed brow, he asked with concern.
Chen Yi forced his eyes open and managed a smile. "I just overexerted myself, it's nothing serious. Could you get me something to eat?"
Xiao Wuge scurried off to find some food. As he handed it to Chen Yi, his eyes fell upon the poem on the desk.
Although he had only recently begun studying the classics and didn't know much about Poetry, he was already literate. At the very least, he recognized the characters for "Duke Dingyuan" in the poem and knew it referred to his grandfather, Xiao Yuan.
After reading it carefully and memorizing the lines, Xiao Wuge asked with dawning realization, "Brother-in-law, are you writing a birthday tribute for Grandpa?"
"It's the Old Marquis's birthday," Chen Yi said between bites. "As your sister's husband, it's only proper that I prepare something."
Xiao Wuge grinned. "Since it's a birthday tribute, I'll keep it a secret for you. We can surprise Grandpa with it!"
With his shallow understanding of poetry, he naturally couldn't grasp the full depth of the Mental Realm it expressed.
But he could tell it was a poem praising his grandfather.
After finishing the pastries and recovering some of his strength, Chen Yi said, "It doesn't matter. It's just a poem. It'll get out sooner or later."
With that, he rose and used a sheet of blotting paper to dry the ink. He then added the title, *Song of the Water Melody: Zhiqing Marquis Xiao*, and his signature, completing the work.
However, for it to become a perfect birthday tribute, it still needed to be professionally mounted.
"So, can I go tell Grandpa now?"
"Suit yourself."
Chen Yi was indifferent.
Now that he had written the poem, it would become known sooner or later. There was no point in trying to hide it.
"Then I'll go tell Grandpa right now!"
With permission granted, Xiao Wuge ran out joyfully and headed for the central courtyard, escorted by the Armored Warriors at the gate.
Watching the boy dash away in a flurry of excitement, Chen Yi calmly tidied up the calligraphy supplies on his desk before heading outside himself.
He summoned Xiaodie and instructed her to invite a mounting artisan to the mansion. He also asked her to bring him more to eat.
After Xiaodie left, Chen Yi saw that no one was around, so he took some of the pastries and headed straight for Jiaxing Garden.
Seeing him approach, Pei Guanli quickly flipped down from the tree she was perched in.
Without a word, she immediately snatched a pastry and stuffed it into her mouth.
As she ate, she mumbled complainingly, "Bro-in-lah, if 'oo 'adn't come, I'da starved ta 'eath."
In truth, Pei Guanli was not only starving, but having been awake all night, she was also exhausted.
Chen Yi watched her devour the food without any semblance of grace, waiting until her eating slowed before asking:
"Did you find anything?"
"Yes, yes!"
Pei Guanli said excitedly, "Brother-in-law, your predictions are incredible! Someone came to retrieve the secret letter this morning, just before dawn…"
After listening to her full report, Chen Yi understood everything.
He knew who Pei Guanli was talking about—a servant responsible for transporting trash and other miscellaneous waste out of the Marquis's Mansion.
These servants were said to be veterans of the Dingyuan Army who had followed the Old Marquis on his campaigns for many years.
'But that's strange.'
'Liu Si'er was one thing, but this elderly Household Servant is a veteran of the mansion. How could he also be one of the Hidden Guards?'
With that in mind, Chen Yi told Pei Guanli to remain hidden in the Spring Lotus Garden and not to run around where she might be spotted.
Her hunger sated and her strength returned, Pei Guanli became excited again. "Brother-in-law, what's our next move?"
"No rush. Let the bullets fly for a while."
"Bullets? What are those?"
"You can think of them as arrows…"
...
「The Xiao Mansion's Central Courtyard.」
Xiao Wuge skipped happily into a secluded courtyard, then stopped short as he scanned the area.
There, under a pavilion, a few elders led by the Old Marquis were enjoying a leisurely cup of tea.
Nearby were the Little Duke's wife, Xiao Qiuyun, and the Young Crown Prince, Zhang Heng, attended by several of the Marquis's Household Servants.
Xiao Wuge straightened his clothes and walked over respectfully, greeting each person in turn.
"Wuge greets you, Grandfather, Grandpa Zhang, Grandpa Sun, Grandpa Li, Auntie Qiuyun, and Brother Heir."
Xiao Yuan gestured to the spot beside him. "Wuge, come sit with Grandpa."
Xiao Wuge obediently sat down.
Xiao Qiuyun glanced over and said with a smile, "Uncle, Wuge looks more and more like his father every day."
Beside her, the Young Crown Prince, Zhang Heng, pouted and made a face at Xiao Wuge.
"Qiuyun is right. Wuge certainly has his father's bearing," Duke Qian, Zhang Xuan, nodded in agreement.
Xiao Yuan was pleased to hear this. After a few modest dismissals, he asked, "Wuge, I hear you've been spending all your time fishing in the Spring Lotus Garden. It's rare for you to visit. Is something the matter?"
Xiao Wuge nodded. "Brother-in-law wrote a birthday tribute for you…"
Before he could finish, Zhang Heng piped up in his childish voice, "What brother-in-law? He's just a groom who fled his wedding."
Xiao Qiuyun chided him, "Heng'er, that's enough! Don't be rude!"
Even Duke Qian's expression soured. "Heng'er, one more disrespectful remark like that and you're going back to Jiao State!"
"It's quite alright, quite alright…"
Although Xiao Yuan was inwardly displeased, he wasn't about to argue with a child. He turned back to Xiao Wuge.
"Wuge, what was the poem Chen Yi wrote? Do you remember it?"
"I remember, Grandfather."
Xiao Wuge immediately began to recite it, his childish voice echoing through the courtyard.
"Beacon fires forged his courage, his armor built a titan. For ten years he held his spear…"