The Company

Chapter 71: Jade Belt Pendant

[One]

Lu Zigang had just brewed a pot of Tieguanyin tea. He poured a cup but hadn't taken a sip when he heard footsteps coming from the inner room of Dumb Shop. He quickly rinsed three additional teacups on the tea tray with boiling water, warming them before skillfully pouring tea into each.

Perfect - with four people present, he had selected a set of famille rose cups featuring the four seasonal flowers. The spring peach, summer lotus, autumn chrysanthemum, and winter plum designs were all vividly rendered. The summer lotus cup he'd chosen for himself was particularly exquisite... Wait? Why was one person missing?

Lu Zigang's internal monologue cut off abruptly as he watched Boss emerge calmly from behind the mica screen. Following behind was young Tang Yuan, whose leather shoes made loud clacking sounds against the floor, his small face showing clear frustration that he didn't dare voice.

And behind them... there was no one else! Where was the Doctor?

Boss sat down at the counter, picked up the winter plum patterned cup, took a small sip, and glanced at Tang Yuan who was angrily climbing onto the huanghuali official's hat armchair. "Don't worry," he said calmly, "he won't be in danger. Keeping him in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard is actually protecting him."

Tang Yuan was practically bursting with anger. All the words he'd been holding back came pouring out: "How could Uncle not be in danger? If the Cloud Elephant Graveyard wasn't dangerous, why would that bad guy trick your friend into going there? One person wasn't enough, so you had to send another? Senior brother, if you're too scared to follow Uncle to the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, I'll go!"

Boss hadn't wanted to explain in detail, but seeing Tang Yuan's urgent, worried expression, he had no choice but to reveal the truth: "That uncle of yours is the key to opening all treasure vaults. The Cloud Elephant Graveyard is, in a way, also a treasure vault. He can enter and leave freely, so naturally he faces no danger."

"Ah?" Tang Yuan, who had already jumped down from the chair ready to leave, froze in place, stunned. No one had ever told him that Doctor Uncle was actually so powerful! Was this the same Doctor Uncle who believed in science and reason?

Boss continued to hold his winter plum cup, taking another slow sip of tea. "Moreover," he added, "since that person sent Ying into the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, he definitely won't go there himself. Therefore, relatively speaking, the Cloud Elephant Graveyard is currently the safest place."

Tang Yuan scratched his little head, reluctantly admitting that his senior brother's reasoning seemed to make some sense. He climbed back onto the huanghuali official's hat armchair, randomly grabbing the nearest spring peach patterned cup and gulping down the now-cooler tea.

Seeing the atmosphere ease slightly, Lu Zigang quickly picked up the purple clay teapot to refill Tang Yuan's cup. Since he couldn't contribute to the conversation about what was happening, he focused on providing support.

Boss gently traced the plum blossom pattern on his teacup with his fingertip. "So," he said softly, "we need to resolve this matter while he's absolutely safe."

"Resolve it? How?" Tang Yuan pouted, thinking his senior brother made it sound too easy.

"Just because someone wants to play chess, must I accompany him?" Boss said calmly. "The only reason I'm playing this game is to rescue our master."

"Then let's just rescue Master! Senior brother, you're brilliant!" Tang Yuan continued Boss's line of thought, his mood suddenly lifting. He downed his tea in one gulp again. "Another cup!"

Boss slowly finished the remaining tea in his cup, carefully calculating in his mind. They just needed to rescue their master before the Doctor and Ying emerged from the Cloud Elephant Graveyard.The Cloud Elephant Graveyard was so vast; they probably wouldn't run into each other, nor would they emerge so quickly... The Boss gazed silently at the lone Autumn Chrysanthemum Cup left on the tea tray, lost in thought.

【Two】

Ying stood in the shadows untouched by sunlight, clutching the hem of his garment as he timidly watched the young nobles departing one after another from the square outside the Banbu Hall.

Banbu Hall was the martial training ground within the Qin King's palace in Xianyang, used by the princes of Qin and the sons of generals and ministers for martial practice. This place was so dazzling that Ying constantly feared being driven out at any moment, forcing him to minimize his presence as much as possible.

Ying knew he was the nephew of the current King of Qin. His father, Chengjiao, was the king's only surviving younger brother and had once been a contender for the throne. But Ying also knew that in the year of his birth, his father had betrayed Qin and defected to Zhao,

abandoning him while he was still in swaddling clothes. No one wanted to care for him, and even his mother, fearing implication, fled after deserting him. "A newborn is called Ying," so the attending nurse arbitrarily named him "Ying."

This humble name aptly reflected his awkward status in the Qin court. Though of noble bloodline, he existed like an invisible presence within the palace.

Perhaps the King of Qin had shown mercy, or perhaps the king had simply forgotten about him, allowing Ying to survive in this world until now. Ying tried to hide his figure behind a pillar, but his movement was slightly too abrupt, causing the jade pendants at his waist to chime crisply.

He immediately halted and slowed his motions.

It was almost laughable—though he never had enough to eat or wear in the palace, he still possessed the required attire. His clothes had become increasingly ill-fitting as he grew, occasionally patched from frequent wear, but the waist pendants were durable, accompanying him since childhood.

"The Son of Heaven wears white jade with black silk cords; lords and marquises wear Mountain Dark Jade with vermilion silk cords; high officials wear Aquamarine jade with pure-colored silk cords..." Though he held no noble title, at age ten he had still been allotted a set of Mountain Dark Jade pendants. The vermilion silk threads threaded through the dark jade made them exceptionally beautiful.

A gentleman must wear jade; without reason, jade should never leave his person. Those of status wore jade pendants at their waists, producing clear, rhythmic chimes when walking—pleasant to the ear and appropriately measured. The more noble one was, the more deliberate and steady their gait, showcasing dignity and grace. Walking too quickly with chaotic, discordant sounds was considered a breach of etiquette.

But Ying had been told by his nurse that these jade pendants also had a common name: Jade Belt Pendant.

The purpose of the "belt pendant" was to remind him not to step where he shouldn't, not to let it ring. So Ying had always used the sound of the Jade Belt Pendant to remind himself to remain silent in all matters.

A clear, composed voice approached from a distance. Ying recognized this unhurried, confident tone and couldn't resist peeking out from behind the pillar to look.

The owner of the voice was a young man in a green robe.

Though called a young man, he was barely taller than a young child with unbound hair, appearing only about eight or nine years old. Not yet of hair-binding age, he wore the luxurious official robes of a Senior Minister, like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes. Yet his youthful face was filled with unmistakable confidence and pride, shining brilliantly under the sunlight.Ying bit his lower lip with envy. This green-robed youth indeed had reason to be proud—at merely twelve years of age, he had single-handedly served as an envoy to the State of Zhao, enabling Qin to obtain the Hejian territory without mobilizing a single soldier. Now he was a high minister of Qin and also the study companion of the eldest prince, Fusu.

Such a youth was destined to stand in the spotlight, unlike him, who could only rot away in dark corners.

Suddenly, the green-robed youth seemed to sense something and turned to look in a certain direction. "High Minister?" Crown Prince Fusu, walking beside him, halted and followed his gaze, only to find the corridor there empty.

"It's nothing, perhaps I was overthinking." The green-robed youth pondered for a moment, deciding not to mention the faint jade pendant sounds he had just heard, and turned to continue forward.

Behind the pillar, Ying held his breath, clutching the hem of his robe tightly. Only when the footsteps outside faded into the distance did he slowly exhale.

The young nobles attending classes at the Half-Step Hall had all dispersed one by one, and the sun gradually dipped westward before Ying emerged from behind the pillar where he had hidden. Familiar with the route, he followed the palace walls along narrow paths toward his residence, the Deer Cry Lodge.

He couldn't be blamed for such caution—when those nobles were in a foul mood, they often took pleasure in tormenting him. Having no one to rely on or seek help from in the palace, he had endured this countless times since childhood, silently bearing it all.

The winter sun feebly cast its weak rays as Ying tightened his thin crimson-purple robe and quickened his pace slightly, striving to return to Deer Cry Lodge before nightfall.

He controlled his footsteps to a steady rhythm, the Jade Belt Pendant at his waist emitting soft, crisp chimes that echoed faintly in his ears. Ying sometimes wondered—wouldn't it be more convenient to go out without wearing this jade pendant? But the nanny who attended him, before succumbing to illness, had repeatedly urged him never to remove it, saying it would protect him and help him survive longer in the palace.

Though he didn't fully understand the reasoning, he still followed the nanny's words, wearing the Jade Belt Pendant daily without ever taking it off. Finally, as the last sliver of sunlight vanished beyond the horizon, Ying returned to Deer Cry Lodge. Before pushing open the door to his small room, he couldn't help but let his gaze drift toward the tightly shut door next door.

The young high minister hadn't returned yet. Indeed, the fact that the young high minister actually lived next to him was something that would make Ying laugh even in his dreams.

Although the high minister probably didn't even know who he was, and Ying lacked the courage to initiate a conversation, merely thinking that such an extraordinary youth resided just a wall away made Ying roll on his bed with irrepressible joy.

Every morning at the first quarter of the Mao hour and every night at the third quarter of the Xu hour, the sound of reading would punctually drift from next door. Though Ying only partially understood—sometimes not at all—what was being recited, waking and falling asleep to these scholarly rhythms filled him with immense happiness.

If only one day he could exchange a single word with this young high minister. Ying laughed at his own foolish fantasy in his heart.

He pushed open the door to find the pitch-dark room cold as an ice cellar. By the faint moonlight, he could see the evening meal delivered by servants on the low table. With only a thin layer of lamp oil remaining, Ying frugally refrained from lighting the lamp. Simply wiping his hands, he sat before the table and began eating slowly in the dark, chewing each bite carefully.The neighboring room remained unlit, indicating that the young minister had not yet returned—likely attending to the eldest prince, Fusu. Ying ate quickly; today's meal was slightly better than usual, with an extra dish of strongly seasoned pickled mutton.

Though it had gone completely cold and the portion was pitifully small, Ying was content enough to sprawl across the low table. When would the day come when he could eat whatever he desired...

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from next door—the young minister must have returned.

Ying lay still in the darkness, waiting for the expected sequence of sounds from next door: the strike of flint, the rustle of robes, and the clatter of bamboo scrolls. The young minister enjoyed reading while eating...

"Thud!" A heavy object hit the floor.

Ying had just begun to wonder if the young minister had stumbled and fallen when successive sounds of objects being smashed erupted from next door.

Whoever was next door was definitely not the young minister.

Ying recalled the argument between the young minister and the young master of the Wang family that afternoon. It seemed the other party had come for revenge. Their two rooms were the most secluded in the Luming Residence—no one would hear even the loudest commotion. That was why the intruder dared to act so boldly. This couldn't be allowed!

Ying sprang up in furious indignation but immediately froze in place.

The faint chime of his waist pendants, though quiet, echoed like thunder in his ears.

The purpose of a belt pendant was to remind one not to step where one shouldn't—to prevent it from ringing.

[Three]

"So, 'Jin Bu' actually means 'belt pendant'? I thought it referred to Jin cloth from the Jin dynasty!" The Doctor stroked his chin, genuinely surprised. He had wandered in the mist for what felt like an eternity when his surroundings began projecting scenes again. At the edge of the illusion, he spotted Jin Bu clad in a purple robe.

Though Jin Bu's long hair obscured his face, hiding his expression, based on the earlier illusion of Tang Jun, this vision likely depicted past events.

Oh, wait—he shouldn't call him Jin Bu anymore. It was "Jin Bu" as in "belt pendant."

The long-haired youth paid no attention to the Doctor's remarks, staring intently at the illusion instead.

The Doctor shrugged and turned back to the vision. He had assumed the owner of the belt pendant would ignore the disturbance next door, but he was mistaken. After standing frozen for a moment, the purple-robed youth rushed out to confront the intruder, only to collide head-on with the perpetrator emerging from the room.

The youth grabbed the other's arm in righteous anger, but his frail frame was no match—a casual shove sent him sprawling to the ground. Before he could even glimpse the assailant's face, the culprit had fled.

The Doctor winced; the fall looked painfully hard. The purple-robed youth lay prone for a long while before slowly pushing himself up, revealing a shattered piece of jade on the ground.

So, this was how the jade belt pendant broke.

No wonder the belt pendant's voice, which should have been melodious, always had a few distorted syllables—was it because one of the jades was shattered?

Connecting this to Tang Jun's story, the Doctor felt he had uncovered the truth. He watched as the purple-robed youth picked up the broken jade, limped back to his room, and in the darkness, carefully untied the jade belt pendant from his waist, placing it solemnly into a small brocade box."Um... I don't think he meant to break you on purpose, don't take it too hard..." the Doctor clumsily comforted. This was completely different from the general who smashed the cup earlier! Moreover, this purple-robed youth was merely acting chivalrously when witnessing injustice, only he hadn't considered his own frail physique and overestimated his capabilities.

The smarter approach would have been to run out and seek help from others. "Don't even think about it, no one would come to help," the Jade Belt Pendant said flatly.

The Doctor covered his mouth. Had he spoken his thoughts aloud? How did the Jade Belt Pendant know? Not daring to press further, the Doctor could only accompany the pendant in continuing to watch slowly.

In the illusion, the purple-robed youth showed no intention of claiming credit from the young minister. Instead, he returned to his room and silently rubbed his sore legs. Not long after, the young minister returned, discovered the ransacked room, and went to knock on the purple-robed youth's door.

When they were outside the Half-Step Hall earlier, the distance was too great, so the illusion could only show partially blurred images. Only now did the Doctor clearly see the young minister's features.

This youth's appearance... why does it look so familiar?

The Doctor watched as the young minister stayed with the purple-robed youth for one night, then another, teaching him to read and write until the two became friends.

Through their conversation, the Doctor finally learned the purple-robed youth's name.

This... this purple-robed youth is called Ying? Isn't he the very friend the Boss has been looking for? And this young minister... if he grew up a bit, wouldn't he look exactly like the Boss?

The speech patterns and tone this Ying used in the illusion initially were just as strange as the Jade Belt Pendant's! "The maid who attended me died early, and I had no one to talk with since childhood, so my speech tone differs from ordinary people's. It was only after meeting A Luo that I gradually corrected it." The voice speaking now had already normalized to ordinary speech patterns.

The Doctor stared in shock at the purple-robed young man beside him, who lifted his chin, letting his long hair fall back to reveal features seventy to eighty percent similar to the purple-robed youth in the illusion.

This... this person is actually Ying!

No... that's not the main point. What's more terrifying is that this person even knows what I'm thinking... This isn't scientific! Ying smiled faintly - reading people's minds was his greatest skill. This was an ability honed through years in the palace; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived this long. Moreover, this person wearing strange things on his nose bridge couldn't conceal his expressions at all - one glance was enough to see through his thoughts.

"Are you human or an antique?" The Doctor felt his mind was somewhat muddled and needed time to process. "Of course I'm human..." Ying sighed deeply, pressing his slightly aching temples as he organized his thoughts. Zhao Gao indeed had ill intentions - he had mentally prepared himself earlier that the Cloud Elephant Graveyard wouldn't be an easy place to deal with, but he never expected to fall into confusion the moment he entered the Cloud Elephant Graveyard.

Perhaps the restriction in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard that repels humans made him forget his own identity.

Hearing Ying's deduction, the Doctor couldn't help exclaiming in surprise: "Eh? This Cloud Elephant Graveyard doesn't follow the usual pattern! Wasn't it agreed earlier that these would all be illusions of objects? How can it even project illusions of people?"

"No, this illusion should be the lingering attachment of this Jade Belt Pendant I'm wearing." Ying looked down, stroking the Jade Belt Pendant at his waist. He had originally thought this Jade Belt Pendant was restraining him, but it turned out to be protecting him instead. Otherwise, he wouldn't have...Banfa recalled his identity.

So it turned out that his Jade Belt Pendant had been in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard for who knows how long. Had it been waiting all this time for his arrival?

Ying caressed the jade pieces of the pendant tenderly. It didn't matter - he would definitely take it out of here.

The broken jade pieces on the pendant had been mended with silver patches by someone unknown, crafted into an intertwining vine pattern that looked quite charming. That impulsive act in his youth had caused him to shatter the Jade Belt Pendant. Though he no longer wore it afterward, there was always a phantom pendant hanging in his heart, constantly reminding him: some things are worth doing, while others are not.

Even as he grew up and stayed by A Luo's side, dealing with political and military affairs daily, he always maintained his position, strictly remembering he was merely a carefree nobleman who spent his days studying food, drink, and entertainment, pretending to be foolish and never overstepping his boundaries. But... that subtle change in Zhao Gao's tone and expression earlier - did it carry some deeper meaning?

"Oh... so it seems not all artifacts can transform into human form..." Doctor began completing the deductions in his mind. Wait, now wasn't the time for this! Doctor quickly got to the main point: "Your name is Ying? I came here specifically to find you!"

Ying's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't known this young man before him had come for him. "Do you know A Luo?"

"Huh? A Luo? Is Boss called A Luo?" Doctor asked curiously in return.

"..." Ying felt like he was talking to a brick wall. He studied the strangely dressed young man before him. "You're quite peculiar yourself. How can you remain clear-headed within this Cloud Elephant Graveyard?"

"Well, probably because I don't have any cherished possessions? This is essentially a graveyard for antiques, and I don't carry any antiques with me, so how could I get lost? The thing I can't live without is probably my phone..." Doctor chuckled lightly, instinctively reaching for his phone, but his fingers touched a piece of brocade cloth in his pocket.

Huh? What's this? Doctor pulled out the brocade cloth, tilting his head as he tried to recall. It seemed like something that Lu Zigang had given him, saying it originally belonged to him.

The object wrapped in the brocade cloth was only about the size of a child's palm. He weighed it in his hand - quite heavy. Curious, Doctor unfolded the brocade cloth with his hand, revealing a gold-inlaid white jade Longevity Lock lying quietly before his eyes.

Ying watched helplessly as the surrounding mist instantly swarmed toward Doctor, enveloping his entire body. In the blink of an eye, the man disappeared before him.

Ying raised his eyebrows resignedly.

One really shouldn't be too stubborn in life...

[Four]

After seeing off Boss and Tang Yuan who had left using Zhang Jiao's Golden Towel, Lu Zigang noticed the sky outside growing dark. He felt relieved that he had given Tang Yuan some small cakes earlier - it wouldn't do to let the child go hungry.

He had no idea what they had been so busy with all day, rushing around mysteriously. Lu Zigang only partially understood the information he'd heard and could only guess it was related to some mysterious person.

Lu Zigang looked out through the half-open window. The number of pedestrians coming and going on the commercial street was increasing - it was already after work hours.

What a long day it had been... Early in the morning, Doctor had burst into the shop, then he had nearly been fired by Boss, followed by Doctor dragging his luggage with Tang Yuan to stay at the shop. He had thought they could all have dinner together tonight, but now it seemed that plan had fallen through.

Lu Zigang casually opened his phone, ordered a teriyaki chicken leg rice delivery, glanced at the time, and opened a live-streaming app. Truthfully, he wasn’t particularly fond of watching live streams, but today’s streamer was a newly popular internet celebrity—a history content creator. It all started when a classmate shared a post titled "The Real Early Tang Dynasty" in their social media feed. The author of the post didn’t rely on flashy images or memes like typical public account editors; it was purely plain text.

Yet it still caught Lu Zigang’s attention.

The post recounted a day in the life of a middle-class family in Chang’an during the early Tang Dynasty. Though it seemed like a mundane diary, the details of food, clothing, language, customs, and even the background political events aligned perfectly with actual history. In just three to four thousand words, it vividly depicted the early Tang’s revival and the dawn of its golden age, as if the author had experienced it firsthand.

To be fair, the post had a high barrier to entry. Ordinary readers might only skim it for entertainment, but only those studying history would grasp the significance of such minutiae.

The author’s language was archaic, seamlessly blending classical and modern Chinese into a unique style that felt peculiar yet left a lasting impression.

Lu Zigang glanced at the author’s name: Wang Zian. Huh, Wang Zian? The name sounded vaguely familiar.

Some time later, while browsing a video platform, Lu Zigang noticed a recommended creator named Wang Zian and couldn’t resist clicking.

The video critiqued a popular historical drama. Though Lu Zigang hadn’t seen the show, he found the commentary engrossing.

Instead of targeting the plot, the creator dissected everything from costumes and architecture to etiquette and customs. His sharp remarks sparked heated debates in the comments, with some accusing him of nitpicking, while others gradually acknowledged the validity of his points.

Wang Zian’s voice, possibly altered or modulated, had a strange cadence and tone. At first, it was jarring, but over time, it grew oddly captivating.

The drama was set in the early Tang period, which wasn’t Lu Zigang’s specialty. Curious, he forwarded the video to a classmate specializing in Tang history for feedback, then forgot about it.

A few days later, that classmate sent him an excited voice message, saying he’d shown the video to his advisor. The advisor was so impressed that he urged them to contact Wang Zian and invite him to a university seminar. Reportedly, this led to resolving several historical debates, with some scholars raising objections—yet controversy itself was seen as progress, and efforts were underway to cross-reference extensive historical and archaeological data.Lu Zigang was quite astonished to hear about this. The internet truly hides unsung talents, and the power of netizens should never be underestimated! From then on, he started following this Wang Zian, occasionally watching his videos, dropping coins, liking, and sharing them.

Recently, at everyone's request, Wang Zian had also begun live streaming, broadcasting for two hours every evening. Lu Zigang watched a few times and found it highly entertaining, so whenever he had time, he would open Wang Zian's channel to catch the live stream.

On the phone screen appeared a young man around twenty years old. Even without beauty filters, his skin remained fair, and his features were handsome. His spirited, lively eyes were unforgettable, and the radiant smile on his face made one instinctively want to smile along.

Oh, right, I forgot to mention—Wang Zian's recent surge in popularity was partly due to his good looks. The comment bar was flooded with messages, and fireworks of virtual gifts flashed across the screen.

Superficial women... Lu Zigang rolled his eyes inwardly. He wasn't watching this kid's stream for his looks.

After tuning into the live streams, Lu Zigang discovered that Wang Zian was extremely knowledgeable about the customs and culture before the prosperous Tang Dynasty and was skilled at discussing various historical topics from that period. Of course, some of the anecdotes he shared—like the true brotherly bond of Li Shimin, the truth behind the Xuanwu Gate Incident, or Emperor Taizong of Tang's favorite woman—Lu Zigang tended to believe were fabricated historical fan gossip.

Still, it was quite entertaining to listen to!

However, Lu Zigang also noticed that Wang Zian seemed far less familiar with events after Emperor Gaozong of Tang's reign. There was even one instance where he outright refused to acknowledge that Wu Zetian had ever been an empress. This became especially apparent during live streams—it wasn't just a lack of familiarity but a near-absence of common knowledge.

This had become ammunition for his anti-fans, whose logic was: "He must be making things up! He doesn't even know about Wu Zetian! He's definitely a male chauvinist!"

Wang Zian's fans, on the other hand, found this perfectly normal, believing it was just their idol pretending to joke with them. Today, the segment on historical gossip had ended, and it seemed time for the regular feature.

However, the streamer was clearly being led by the audience—the substantive content was dwindling day by day, while the segments meant to please viewers grew longer. Lu Zigang curled his lips, knowing this was market-driven. After all, the regular feature attracted more virtual gifts, whereas discussing substantive history—even if it was gossip—failed to interest or even baffle many viewers...

"Folks, please don't make up the lines of poetry yourselves! Even if they're well-written, I won't be able to recite the next line!" That's right—Wang Zian's daily live stream feature was reciting poetry.

The audience would provide the first line in the comments, and he would recite the next.

This segment reportedly started by accident. Wang Zian could recite poetry with astonishing speed—as soon as a viewer typed the first line, he would instantly follow with the next, no matter how obscure the poem. Anti-fans once accused him of using poetry-reciting software to cheat, so he blindfolded himself with a black cloth during a live stream, had a friend read the audience's lines aloud, and swiftly recited the following lines. After half an hour of this challenge, everyone was convinced.

But since doubts kept popping up in the comments, poetry recitation became a daily staple of his live streams. Today, Wang Zian was as impressively sharp as ever."The sunset stretches far in the eternal sky, pure waters flow with chilling waves." "A hero strikes his jade wine pot, lamenting his waning years with undimmed ambition." "Enter my door of lovesickness, know the bitterness of my longing." "Since ancient times, passionate hearts leave only regret; the sweetest dreams are always the first to fade." "Alone, I stand amidst falling blossoms; in gentle rain, swallows fly in pairs." "Once parted from my beauty on the bridge, I regret no news has come to this day."

...

Before anyone realized, the obscure verses intended to challenge Wang Zian had transformed into a continuous stream of love poems.

Wang Zian's captivating eyes remained fixed on the camera as he recited the love poems unhurriedly, creating an utterly irresistible atmosphere. The live chat exploded with screams, and virtual fireworks of donations bloomed one after another.

Lu Zigang's lips twitched slightly. Propping his phone against a stack of books, he treated the livestream as background noise while turning away to wash teacups.

"Suddenly seeing willow hues by the roadside, I regret urging my husband to seek glory." "I urge you to drink one more cup of wine; west of Yang Pass, no old friends you'll find." "Peach Blossom Pool's depth of a thousand feet, pales beside Wang Lun's farewell love for me."

...

After a while, the love poems shifted to verses celebrating brotherly bonds. Lu Zigang finished washing each teacup, arranging them neatly on the tea tray. Without even glancing at the chat, he knew it must be flooding with comments.

"Friendship knows no distance, even ten thousand miles can feel like neighbors." "Within the four seas, there exist close friends..."

When Wang Zian reached this line, his voice abruptly halted.

"Though poles apart, we'll feel like neighbors"! Lu Zigang turned back in confusion. Wasn't this from Wang Bo's "Farewell to Prefect Du"? Could he really not recall such a simple poem? Was the internet lagging?

Suddenly, Lu Zigang remembered why Wang Zian's name sounded familiar - Wang Bo's courtesy name was Zian! Hah, surely just a coincidence...

Even the live chat froze for several seconds. Viewers typed frantically, assuming the streaming platform's servers had crashed.

Then came the sound of a door opening and closing through the speakers. Regular viewers knew it was Wang Zian's roommate returning from work.

This friend had been introduced before as Wang Li, though he never appeared on camera - only occasionally revealing slender hands or a sturdy physique. During Wang Zian's blindfolded poetry recitations, it was Wang Li who helped read the verses from the screen. Rumor had it Wang Li taught at a martial arts school. According to Wang Zian, Wang Li had supported them financially initially, and now that Wang Zian earned money as a streamer, they could finally improve their meals.

Some viewers speculated about their relationship, but Lu Zigang thought since both shared the surname Wang, they must be cousins or similar relatives!

Wang Zian turned to look at Wang Li, seemingly masking complex emotions on his face: "You're back. Any packages? Did the blind boxes I ordered arrive?"

"No, this is addressed to me." Wang Li's voice carried mild puzzlement. "Huh? Strange, when did you old fossil start online shopping? What's in this tiny box..." Wang Zian's curiosity stirred. Glancing at the stream duration, he hastily bid farewell to viewers and ended the broadcast.

Lu Zigang found nothing unusual - streams could cut off anytime. He planned to switch channels for other history content creators' videos.

Just then, knocking echoed from outside the Dumb Shop.

Probably the food delivery, Lu Zigang thought, rubbing his growling stomach. Too impatient to wait, he went straight to open the door.To his surprise, it was a delivery guy standing outside, handing him a very small package.

Huh? What could this be? He had just checked his orders today, and the earliest one wouldn't arrive until tomorrow.

The package felt light in his hand. Lu Zigang weighed it a couple of times before walking back into the shop. He casually picked up the sheep-headed short sword with a curved handle from the Curio Cabinet and sliced open the package. Inside was a Brocade Box.

A sense of unease welled up in Lu Zigang's heart. He remained silent for a long while before reaching out to open the Brocade Box. Inside, lying quietly, was a small white rectangular piece of jade that looked very familiar. Lu Zigang suddenly recalled the photo Tang Yuan had sent him not long ago.

He picked up the piece and turned it over.

As expected, three large characters were written in cinnabar on the back, in handwriting that was also very familiar. Lu Zigang.

【Five】

Wang Zian closed the live stream page, wiped his face, and composed himself.

He was skilled at writing fu and parallel prose, and many of his regulated verses and quatrains had been passed down through the ages. Among them, "Farewell to Prefect Du" was known to every household. Because of this, no one had ever challenged him to recite this particular poem during his live streams. So when he suddenly saw his own work appear on the screen, he was caught off guard.

Fortunately, Wang Li happened to return just in time to rescue him, or he wouldn't have known how to save face!

Thinking back, Wang Li had been perfectly content in the Vibrating Heron Pavilion, but for some inexplicable reason, he had started frantically persuading others to leave West Yong Village with him. Almost everyone in the village, except for the perpetually slumbering Poet Immortal Li Bai, had been pestered by him. Of course, no one agreed.

What a joke! If they had wanted to leave, they would have done so long ago. There was no need to wait until now.

At first, Wang Zian hadn't agreed to Wang Li's proposal either, until the latter stood before him once again and asked if he wanted to learn more beautiful poems.

The answer was, of course, yes! The young man who had entered the village last time didn't know many new poems, but he had managed to rekindle Wang Zian's poetic cravings.

In a moment of impulsiveness, before he knew it, he found himself standing above a lake, transported to a strange new world.

This modern society was truly wonderful! Although it was difficult to survive at first without an ID card or a mobile phone, once he settled down and gradually adapted to this futuristic world, it felt incredibly fascinating!

Wang Zian was so busy that he had no time to write poetry. Write poetry? What poetry? It was far more enjoyable to scroll through Douyin for a while!

In the past, he wrote poetry because paper was expensive, and people had limited memory capacity. They had to compose the most brilliant verses with the fewest words to ensure they were widely recited and remembered throughout history.

Now? There was no need! We're in an era of information explosion! Wouldn't it be better to be a happy content creator?

Wang Zian joyfully threw himself into the path of becoming a content creator. In his spare time, he read poetry collections. With his photographic memory, he handled the daily recitation segments of his live streams with ease.

Tsk, with so many comments flying across the screen, if there was a poem he couldn't recite, he could just scroll past it and pretend he hadn't seen it!

He knew Wang Li was searching for someone, but since the other hadn't mentioned it, Wang Zian tactfully refrained from prying. How many years had passed, and he was still looking for someone? Was Wang Li serious?

Wang Zian cast a sympathetic glance at Wang Li, who was examining the package, and walked over curiously to ask, "Who sent this package?"

"No sender's name is written," Wang Li replied, glancing at the shipping label. The sender field was blank."Huh? Let's open it and see!" Wang Zian grew even more curious. Could it be chocolate secretly sent by some girl with a crush on Wang Li? Tsk, he knew about the Valentine's Day chocolate tradition too. But Valentine's Day hadn't arrived yet... Wang Li sliced through the packing tape with his fingernail, revealing a Brocade Box inside the package. When the Brocade Box was opened, a black rectangular jade piece lay quietly within.

"What is this..." No wonder Wang Zian didn't recognize it - Liubo Chess had been popular during the Qin and Han dynasties, and had long fallen out of fashion by the Tang dynasty.

"This is Liubo Chess," Wang Li said calmly.

He reached out and flipped over the black jade piece. On its back, two large characters were written in cinnabar ink. Wang Li.

(End of Chapter)