allonlinenovel Chapter 310 The Floating Wine Cups on a Winding Stream: Impromptu Poetry or Three Cups of Wine as a
Chapter 310 The Floating Wine Cups on a Winding Stream: Impromptu Poetry or Three Cups of Wine as a
On the banks of the stream, nearly a hundred elegantly dressed scholars and literati sat together, chatting and laughing as they discussed the past and present.
Many literati are attending the banquet today, including Li Bai, Du Fu, Meng Haoran, Wang Wei, Li Qingzhao, Su Shi... (Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental).
They all traveled from afar for this annual, most elegant banquet held on a winding stream.
At this moment, Old Master Lu slowly rose from the main table in the center, his posture calm and dignified, and began to preside over the grand banquet.
"We are honored to have you all here today, gathered amidst these green hills and clear waters."
"Floating wine cups on a winding stream, gathering with friends through poetry—this is one of life's greatest pleasures and most elegant pursuits..."
Mr. Lu spoke in a loud and infectious voice, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the guests who had traveled from afar.
He then explained in detail the entire banquet's schedule, from the rules of the drinking games to the themes of the poetry recitations, leaving no detail unexplained.
However, just as everyone was listening intently, Old Lu suddenly changed the subject and specifically mentioned Bai Mengran...
He addressed the entire audience and solemnly announced that the food served at the banquet was provided by the now renowned "Fairyland" in Yongle County, and expressed his sincere gratitude to Bai Mengran for her generous sponsorship as the host.
At this moment, Bai Mengran was secretly daydreaming downstairs, enjoying her milk tea with no guard up. Her thoughts had already drifted far away, and she had no idea that Old Master Lu would suddenly pull such a stunt.
This sudden wave of promotion almost made her choke on the pearls in her mouth, nearly causing a major social disaster...
Fortunately, she reacted quickly, putting the pearl in her mouth and then, with a polite smile, gracefully returning the gazes that had been drawn to her by Mr. Lu's introduction.
Aside from the people at the nearby tables, everyone naturally noticed the stunningly beautiful woman with an extraordinary and refined air from the very beginning.
When the gazes of the other guests fell upon Bai Mengran, they all paused for a moment involuntarily.
Her face was so beautiful and otherworldly that, in that instant, everyone felt as if the fairy they had once described in their writings had suddenly come to life before their eyes...
After regaining their senses and carefully considering the implication of Old Master Lu's words, they were shocked to realize that the tea and snacks they had all praised were actually sponsored by this young lady free of charge.
Okay, okay, is there so much information right off the bat?
This introduction instantly heightened everyone's curiosity about Bai Mengran and the "Fairyland" behind her to its peak.
Next up was the formal banquet that everyone had been eagerly anticipating.
Bai Mengran had already made arrangements in advance, having Xiaoge deliver all eight kinds of fine wines listed on the menu to the preparation table.
She also specifically instructed the maids to randomly pour the wine into special cups that would be used for rafting on the stream later.
Each flavor of liquor was poured in close succession, like a colorful feast blending together in the cups, all so that everyone could drink to their heart's content and have a great time later.
Before the official start, Mr. Lu explained the rules of drinking and composing poetry in the floating wine cups once again in detail and with great patience.
The maids would slowly lower cups filled with fine wine into the winding stream from upstream, letting them drift downstream with the current.
"According to the rules, whoever the wine glass stops in front of must compose a poem on the spot, or they can give a first line of a couplet and let the next person chosen by the wine glass give the second line."
If you can't compose a poem or come up with a matching couplet, you'll have to drink three cups of wine as a penalty!
As soon as Old Lu finished speaking, everyone praised his words, and the atmosphere at the scene became even more enthusiastic.
Since the theme of this event is "writing with friends", those who bring friends are considered as a pair. As long as one of the two friends can answer the question, they will pass the test.
Finally, Mr. Lu earnestly emphasized that everything should be done in a spontaneous and enjoyable way, and one should not force oneself to do anything, otherwise it would be bad if one lost the joy.
He hoped that everyone could fully enjoy the elegance and joy of this grand event.
Everyone responded enthusiastically, raising their wine cups high and drinking the wine in one gulp. In an instant, the Floating Wine Cup Banquet officially began.
However, the moment they drank their wine with gusto, everyone was deeply shocked by its unique taste.
The aroma of the wine is rich and mellow, spreading in the mouth with a long and lingering aftertaste. It is truly a rare and excellent wine!
Several people who were not usually good at drinking only did so because they had told the maids the truth when they asked about their taste preferences.
Unexpectedly, the wine I tasted had a subtle sweet fruity flavor, neither quite fruity nor quite wine, with a wonderfully unique taste...
Moreover, it is not as spicy and strong as the wines I have drunk before. It is truly a rare and wonderful wine!
Everyone was still immersed in the rich aroma of the wine, savoring the aftertaste.
At this moment, the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments began to play, like heavenly music, drifting through the air.
From afar, the first wine glass had already been gently placed into the water from the very top of the stream.
The wine glass floated gently on the flowing water, and at that moment, the same thought simultaneously arose in everyone's mind—
If this wine glass were to stop in front of me, should I compose a poem to showcase my talent?
Or should we pretend there's no solution, so we can savor a few more glasses of this exquisite wine?
This glass of wine acted as a trigger, completely igniting everyone's craving for alcohol.
At this moment, all they wished for was to drink another pot of wine right away, and to drink to their heart's content!
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the cups floating in the water, and the atmosphere gradually became tense.
A moment later, the wine cup stopped in front of a young scholar.
This scholar was named Liu Yi. Although he was young, he was already a renowned talent in the area.
He was slightly taken aback at first, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down.
Liu Yi slowly stood up, his gaze falling on the wine in his glass, a hint of struggle flickering in his eyes.
But finally, as if he had made up his mind, he thought for a moment, and after having an idea, he looked up and recited:
"The warm sun shines on the green stream from the long pavilion, and the winding water surrounds the banquet. Elegant scholars gather to display their talents, and together they appreciate the beautiful scenery and compose new poems."
His voice was clear and pleasant, and his verses were beautiful and fluent.
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone nodded in approval, and a round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the room.
The wine glasses continued to drift slowly downstream, and several more people rose to compose poems and couplets.
They either pondered for a moment or spoke eloquently. Although their writing styles varied, they all displayed the elegance of scholars and literati, making the atmosphere at the scene even more enthusiastic.
Bai Mengran sat quietly in her seat, listening attentively to everyone's poems, occasionally exchanging a few words with Lu Yanran beside her, secretly admiring the talent of the ancients.
However, now that she has been imbued with the memory of "the inheritance of poetry and songs", her mind is overflowing with poetic inspiration. In this poetic atmosphere, she also longs to compose a poem.
Finally, the small, exquisite wine glass swirled and slowly came to a stop in front of Bai Mengran and Lu Yanran at their table...