Chapter Thirteen: What About the Second Half?

“Gao Thirty-Five, are you really leaving? Aren’t you going to wait for Li Bai?” A young man ran after him.

Gao Thirty-Five turned back, eyes heavy with emotion. “He is a man born to be free! So long as I know he is well, I have no regrets.”

“Brother Gao, your feelings for Scholar Li are truly profound. Come, let us have a drink together!” Gao Buyi dragged Gao Thirty-Five to sit beside him, then called for the waiter to bring wine and dishes. Shangguan Peihui sat at his side, raising her cup, while Chen Xuan and Wang Sizhong accompanied them on each side.

“Come! A toast to you!”

Dragged into drinking, Gao Thirty-Five felt somewhat at a loss, but seeing that his companion was an elder who had already downed a bowl of wine in one go, he could not decline. He lifted his cup with Du Fu and drank it dry.

“Haha! You both have a good tolerance for wine!” Gao Buyi then looked at the young man beside Gao Thirty-Five. “May I ask your esteemed name?”

“Elder, I am Du Fu, styled Zimei.”

“The very same Du Zimei who wrote ‘One must climb to the summit to see how small all other mountains are’?”

“I dare not claim such fame!”

“Hahaha! Such grandeur of spirit! Come, let’s have another!”

The two drank another bowl with gusto.

As Gao Buyi went to pour again, Shangguan Peihui interjected, “Gentlemen, my brother cannot hold his liquor well. Allow me to drink in his stead.”

Gao Buyi understood her concern, but still replied heartily, “They say a thousand cups are too few when drinking with a kindred spirit. Tonight, we are in high spirits—no harm done! Pour the wine!”

After three rounds, Gao Buyi said, “Both your names are known throughout the land, and you are men of great talent. Why then do you still go unrecognized in officialdom?”

Du Fu, young and already somewhat tipsy, replied, “Who among the wise does not wish to serve his country with loyalty? Alas, the court is in the hands of men like Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong, while a bewitching concubine holds the emperor’s favor. There is no path left for us to serve our country.”

“Is it really so?”

“Haha! Elder, you reside in the capital—have you not heard the cry that there is not a worthy man left in the wild? Day and night, their doors are filled with bribes, and the traffic never ceases!”

As Du Fu finished, Chen Xuan and Wang Sizhong exchanged glances, sharing a silent worry for Du Fu. Wasn’t he, in front of the emperor himself, hinting that the sovereign is blind to talent? The young man’s future seemed grim.

Unexpectedly, Gao Buyi showed no anger. Instead, he laughed, “These are but rumors from the roadside, nothing to be taken seriously. Pour the wine! Come, let us drink!”

“Elder, what Du Zimei said is the common knowledge of all men,” Gao Thirty-Five added, and raised his cup to drink with Gao Buyi.

At this moment, boisterous laughter broke out in the hall. Listening closely, they realized Li Bai was being made to drink as a forfeit, and then someone leapt up onto the beam above, clutching a pipa.

Gao Buyi turned to Gao Thirty-Five. “In your view, where does the court’s greatest peril lie?”

“Within, not without.”

“Hahaha! Did you see the imperial edict that was announced recently?” Gao Buyi understood the meaning behind those words and did not pursue the topic further.

“I saw it.”

“What are your thoughts?”

“It addresses the symptoms, not the root.”

“Be cautious with your words,” Wang Sizhong warned quietly.

“Haha! Today, we are friends joined by wine—speak your mind without restraint!” Gao Buyi laughed.

“Good! Though you are older, your words about drinking with friends have the spirit of ancient times. Come, a toast to you!” At this point, Li Bai, already drunk, appeared out of nowhere, not even recognizing the emperor, but throwing his arm around Gao Buyi’s neck and pouring him more wine.

“Hey—Brother Li!”

“Never you mind! Good, brother, you can hold your drink! Look here, I’ll have another bowl!”

After drinking, Li Bai dragged Gao Buyi to the beam. The previous performer had just come down, and Li Bai promptly shoved Gao Buyi up. Gao Buyi, who feared heights and was already drunk, could barely stand. He shut his eyes, ready to topple at any moment—when a figure appeared at his side: Shangguan Peihui herself.

“What a handsome display of skill! Scholar Li, he could rival your sword dance!”

“Haha! This young man is that old fellow’s brother. Fine! Brothers together! As custom dictates, you can’t come down till you’ve composed not one, but two poems!” Li Bai took a long draught from his wine flask and laughed heartily.

Gao Buyi cast a grateful look at Shangguan Peihui, his heart fluttering as he felt the warmth of her embrace. Shangguan Peihui, sensing the impropriety, tried to let go.

Gao Buyi quickly whispered, “Hui’er, if you let go, I’ll fall for sure.” Shangguan Peihui sighed helplessly.

“Hurry and compose a poem!”

“You two aren’t lovers, are you? Hahaha!”

These Tang men certainly are bold, Gao Buyi thought. Well then, time for a little friendly plagiarism to dazzle them all.

“Haha! Very well! Rare indeed to have such esteemed company tonight, and a beauty at my side. Though the cold wind and rain rage outside, here we warm our wine by the stove—what a delightful scene. Let me offer a poem for you all to hear:

‘As evening falls, a wind and rain sweep clean the burning sun’s glare.
The music finished, I gaze in the mirror, lightly painting my face with care.’

At this, Gao Buyi gently pinched the soft curve of Shangguan Peihui’s chin, making her eyes flash with playful annoyance.

“Ha! Wonderful! Most fitting! If only a dancing girl were to fall into my arms at this moment, the night would be perfect!” someone shouted in response.

Gao Buyi laughed uproariously and continued, “‘A sheer gauze wraps her icy skin, scented and smooth as snow.
Smiling at her lover: Tonight, the silk-draped bed is cool and low.’”

“Awooo!” A certain wolfish fellow leaped up, stomping across the tables and shouting, “Where is this girl? I must go and win her heart!”

“Brother Cui, you never fail us—the true beast among men! I salute you!”

Then that Brother Cui was beset upon by a pack of howling wolves.

“Haha! Brother, such talent! Give us another!” Li Bai tossed a bowl across the crowd, which Shangguan Peihui caught with ease and handed to Gao Buyi.

“Impressive!” The crowd cheered again.

“Good wine! Good wine! Ha, well then, on this fine night, with so many worthy souls present, I’ll compose another. More wine!”

Clatter—glug—

Gao Buyi had barely spoken when a flurry of bowls came flying his way, nearly scaring him off the beam. Luckily, Shangguan Peihui’s quick reflexes kept him dry and safe.

“Hahaha!”

“Hehehe!”

Gao Buyi’s awkward predicament drew laughter, but he paid it no mind. Next, he prepared to recite Yue Fei’s “Man Jiang Hong,” hoping to awaken the spirit of the Tang dynasty.

“With hair bristling in anger, I lean on the balustrade as the drizzling rain ceases.
I lift my gaze, howl at the sky, my heart ablaze with passion.
Thirty years of fame, mere dust and dirt;
Eight thousand miles of cloud and moon.
Do not let these years slip by, only to lament your youth in vain.”

His voice, deep and stirring, instantly resonated with the crowd, plunging the hall into brief contemplation.

“Jump down,” Gao Buyi whispered into Shangguan Peihui’s ear. She understood at once, leapt down with him, and they vanished into the throng.

“Don’t go! What about the rest of the poem?”

Someone cried out, and the pack of “wolves” erupted in panic, rushing downstairs, eager to drag Gao Buyi back. How could he stir their spirits, move their souls, and then run away mid-verse? What mischief was this!