Chapter 53: Coveting with Unrestrained Desire

Yang Xueruo openly declared her affection for Kong Sheng in front of everyone; not only did outsiders find this astonishing, even Yang Qi himself felt somewhat helpless and embarrassed. Yet as soon as dissatisfaction began to sprout in his heart, he caught sight of his daughter's deep and tender gaze, her feelings as profound as water, and could not help but silently shake his head. The anger gradually dissipated.

A father knows his daughter best. Though Yang Xueruo appeared gentle on the outside, she was resolute and strong-willed within. Since she had chosen Kong Sheng and invested her emotions in him, even as her father, wielding authority would not sway her determination.

Fortunately, he had already set a two-year agreement; if Kong Sheng failed to prove himself in that time, his daughter would have no grounds to protest.

As for the Yixing Zhou family, within the territory he governed in Jiangnan, their ambitions amounted to nothing but wishful thinking. Yang Qi had already made up his mind: regardless of whether their families would one day be joined in marriage, the Zhou family's considerable wealth must become his to command. Otherwise, the Zhou family had no reason to continue existing.

No matter how powerful the Zhou family grew as merchants, they remained commoners; when civilians challenge officials, it never ends well. In truth, their attempt to gain space for development by marrying into Yang Qi’s family or trading interests was inherently a lesser plan, destined to yield only loss. Yang Qi had coveted the Zhou family’s assets for a long time—now that he had set his sights on them, no matter how they struggled, they could not escape his grasp.

With this in mind, Yang Qi’s sharp gaze landed briefly on Zhou An, enough to cause a fine layer of cold sweat to bead on Zhou An's forehead.

The Prefect of Jiangning, Liu Pingshan, calmly waved his hand and took the initiative to smooth things over for Yang Qi and his daughter. He smiled and said, "Since the Lord has set a two-year pact with these two young men, let us wait and see. Now, since today’s gathering is a literary feast at Misty Rain Pavilion, I’ll boldly offer a topic to inspire the gentlemen present—let each scholar compose a poem for the occasion, to add delight to our event."

Yang Qi smiled without speaking, signaling Liu Pingshan to proceed as he wished.

Liu Pingshan rose and paced slowly through the hall, making a circle before turning to face the young scholars. He declared in a clear voice, "The air is crisp and autumn is at its height—let autumn be the theme. Compose freely, in any form. Those whose poems win unanimous acclaim shall be the victor; I will award a bolt of fine brocade and two jars of excellent wine as prizes."

Yang Qi suddenly applauded from the side, praising, "Excellent! The Prefect speaks wisely. Let me add to the fun—my household has a dancer from the Western regions, just eighteen, skilled in song and dance, blessed with an innate fragrance. Whoever claims the laurels at today’s literary feast, I shall present her as a reward!"

"Wonderful! The Lord is truly generous!"

"Marvelous! You scholars are in for quite a blessing!"

The officials seated around Yang Qi erupted in cheers, applauding enthusiastically. The dancer in Yang Qi’s residence was famed for her beauty and exotic charm, masterful in the arts of the Western regions, and regarded by Yang Qi as a treasure. That he would offer her as a prize astonished his subordinates.

Of course, in these times, gifting personal concubines or maidservants to friends or superiors was not unusual. Yang Qi’s dancer had been a return gift from a powerful figure at court.

Yang Xueruo, seated beside Yang Qi, twitched her delicate lips ever so slightly, her expression subtly altered. Others might not know, but she saw clearly: Yang Qi cherished this dancer, secretly bringing her into his chambers despite his wife’s presence; Lady Zheng merely turned a blind eye. In truth, it was rare for high officials like Yang Qi to have only one legitimate wife. Not to mention a single dancer—even if he took several concubines, Lady Zheng had nothing to say.

For this reason, Yang Xueruo felt a mix of emotions she could hardly name. A beloved woman, given away so casually—the supposed sweetness and affection meant nothing against the unspoken rule of male dominance. Yang Xueruo could not imagine how the dancer, once cherished and pampered, might feel upon hearing that the man she relied on and admired would so lightly treat her as a commodity to be handed over.

Lowering her head in confusion, Yang Xueruo soon lifted her gaze toward Kong Sheng, who sat cross-legged opposite her, her eyes lingering uncertainly.

Kong Sheng maintained a calm demeanor, his mind tranquil. He had grown weary of these banquets that always demanded literary displays, and had no desire to stand out again—his reputation had already been restored, his image rebuilt, and to continue flaunting his poetry felt pointless.

He remained indifferent to the upcoming "thematic composition," unwilling to participate. If not for the risk of offending, he would have withdrawn altogether.

The young scholars around him, however, were eager and excited—especially on hearing that Yang Qi was offering his famed dancer as a prize. Liu Nian could hardly restrain himself; perhaps he was fantasizing about the dancer’s alluring figure and charms, his gaze fixed, body leaning forward, his expression lewd—“drooling” would not be an exaggeration.

"A bunch of fools!" Kong Sheng muttered inwardly. Truly, they were fools; did none of them consider that, though Yang Qi made this offer, who would dare claim the Lord’s prized possession? In other words, whoever took home Yang Qi’s woman would be courting disaster.

Kong Sheng reckoned Yang Qi’s actions were likely related to his own presence. Yang Qi knew well that none of the scholars present could rival Kong Sheng in poetry; thus, if Kong Sheng claimed the prize, the dancer would be nothing but an empty promise—after all, Kong Sheng and Yang Xueruo were deeply attached, so how could he accept Yang Qi’s concubine? He would have to return her to the Yang household.

Such hypocrisy. Kong Sheng kept a composed face, but sighed inwardly, gaining a deeper understanding of Yang Qi’s duplicity and cunning.

"Very well, gentlemen may begin," Liu Pingshan said, secretly glaring at his son Liu Nian for his disgraceful behavior, and applauded to set the contest in motion.

As Liu Pingshan finished speaking, two scholars, both sixteen or seventeen, rose and recited their poems in succession. In this era, composing poetry was a basic skill for scholars—regardless of their talent, anyone bearing the scholar’s title could contribute, though the depth, structure, and artistry of their verses varied.

Their poems earned scattered applause, but clearly lacked the brilliance needed to claim victory.

Zhou An looked up hopefully at his proud son Zhou Chang. The Zhou family had suffered some humiliation at today’s banquet; if Zhou Chang could outshine the others in poetry, their honor might be restored.

Zhou Chang pondered deeply and finally stood, bowing in salute to Yang Qi and Liu Pingshan, then fixed an aggressive gaze on Kong Sheng, reciting: "On a clear autumn day, chrysanthemums are fragrant; gazing at the foothills, my longing grows long. Alas, the scenery is ever fleeting—why bother tipping a cup of wine?"

Liu Pingshan’s eyes brightened, and he could not help but praise, "Zhou Chang’s poem is rich in meaning, perfectly suited to the scene and theme—wonderful! Born to a distinguished family, quick-witted and talented, truly deserving of the Lord’s recommendation!"

The crowd applauded. Yang Qi smiled and nodded, but instinctively glanced at his daughter, seeing Yang Xueruo with her head bowed, her expression unreadable, and could only shake his head in silence.

Zhou Chang felt a measure of pride but remained reserved, bowing again to Yang Qi and the officials before stepping down. As he did, he cast a challenging look at Kong Sheng, who remained unmoved.

Liu Nian grew anxious; his desire for the Yang family’s dancer had been simmering for days. Now, disregarding the alliance with Zhou Chang, he could no longer hold back. He stood and announced loudly, "I too have composed a poem—may the gentlemen please offer their guidance!"