Li Nuo explained earnestly.
If it weren’t for Li Anning’s deliberate research, she might have believed it.
Minister of Justice, Li Xuanjing, his father, had clearly told everyone in the presence of all the officials in the grand hall, that "Phoenix Seeking His Mate" was indeed a poem of confession and declaration of love.
Just one day of not seeing her, and he had missed her madly.
Had the phoenix really bewitched him like this?
Moreover, what he gave to the phoenix was not just one poem.
But eleven!
Eleven poems praising the phoenix as a rarity on earth, hardly found in the heavens.
Such a disappointing fellow!
She was so let down!
When she knew him, the phoenix was nowhere to be known!
Forcing herself to suppress the unnamed resentment in her heart, Li Anning glanced at Li Nuo and asked, "Don’t your wife care about your affair with that phoenix?"
Li Nuo glanced back at her.
He had nothing to do with the phoenix, so why should his wife intervene?
For a whole month, he had been refuting rumors.
Those were stale tales; she had been away from Chang’an for a month and hadn’t updated her information, so she couldn’t be blamed.
Speaking of the phoenix, deep down, Li Nuo was actually very disappointed.
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He didn’t want to talk much about it and said lightly, "Miss Phoenix and I have nothing to do with each other."
Li Anning tugged at the corner of her mouth, looking unconvinced, "If there’s nothing between you two, why would you write her such poems, and so many?"
Li Nuo shrugged and said, "I said it, you don’t believe it, there’s nothing I can do."
Li Anning snorted and said, "If you want me to believe, only if..."
"Only if what?"
"Only if you write a few for me too."
...
Li Nuo looked at her, her calculations almost bursting onto his face.
After all that talk, this was what she had been waiting for.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, Gu, I’ll recite, you write."
Sitting in the corner of the government office, Gu Yanran immediately picked up a sheet of paper and said, "Yes, young master..."
Li Anning was momentarily stunned. That was quick?
Had he already prepared it for her?
Moments later, Li Anning picked up a sheet of paper with several lines of graceful handwriting.
The title of the poem: "Farewell to Anning."
The scattered rain from the tung tree leaves, a desolate wind with hibiscus.
In early autumn’s lingering mood, born in this serene isolation.
...
Familiarity lies not in frequency, but in being alike.
With united hearts one departs, leaving Chang’an feeling empty.
Making a mistake once is a lesson learned; people must grow and not stumble over the same stone twice.
He hadn’t forgotten the immense trouble the phoenix had caused him.
This poem was written by Bai Juyi for Yuan Zhen.
The entire poem blends scenery, narrative, and emotion, interweaving sentiments that genuinely express the profound friendship between the two.
He was definitely not writing romantic poems anymore, but friendship should be fine, right?
The friendship between Li Nuo and Li Anning, although not yet to this extent, but it was normal to exaggerate feelings in poetry.
A month apart, wasn’t it normal to miss a friend?
Li Anning looked at Li Nuo.
She could understand these lines.
"Familiarity lies not in frequency, but in being alike" – True friends are not about quantity, but hearts resonating and shared interests.
"With united hearts one departs, leaving Chang’an feeling empty" – After she left, only he remained. Despite being in bustling Chang’an City, he felt an emptiness inside.
So in his heart, was she such an important friend?
That was more like it.
The friends she shared interests with were only him.
But…
That wasn’t what she wanted!
Song Jiaren had "a glance to overthrow a city, another glance to overthrow a state."
The phoenix had "beholding a beauty, unforgettable at sight, missing like mad if not seen in a day."
When it came to her, it was just "old friend" and "familiarity." Shouldn’t there at least be the word "beautiful"?
Watching Li Anning’s frown deepen, Li Nuo knew she wasn’t satisfied with the poem, and though it was well-written by Bai Juyi, its fame wasn’t high.
"It doesn’t matter, he is highly recognized here."
"Parting with Anning, Part Two"
"A thousand miles of yellow clouds and the sun sets, the north wind blows the geese and snow flurries.
Do not worry about the journey ahead without confidants, under heaven who does not know you."
This poem has enough recognition, right? When she travels far in the winter, he could give this poem to her, ensuring that thousands of years later, people will still remember her and their unbreakable friendship.
Li Nuo looked at her again, she seemed still unsatisfied.
It’s not a big issue, she will have another chance to travel far someday.
"Parting with Anning, Part Three"
"Morning rain in Chang’an washes light dust, inn’s greens are brightened by fresh willow hues.
I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for there will be no old friends west of the Yangguan Pass."
There is a Yangguan in the west side of Chang’an too, just need to change the first line’s place name, and this poem is also well recognized.
Li Nuo knew Li Anning liked to compare herself with Phoenix, history had proven, these three poems about friendship, are certainly more widely sung than the Phoenix’s verses and compositions. They are no less gifting than those given to a wife.
But, she did not like to read as a child, perhaps she might not appreciate them much.
Thus, he looked at Gu Yanran and said, "Gu, what do you think about these three poems, compared to those given to Phoenix?"
Gu was not only good at calligraphy, she was also a renowned talented lady in the past, proficient in Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting, and understood poetry even better than Anning.
Gu Yanran looked at Li Nuo admiringly and said, "Those brothel verses certainly can’t compare with these three poems. These poems express friendship in a way no one else before could match, not even ’Phoenix Seeking His Mate’..."
This was unquestionable.
Brothel verses did not find a place in respectable society, only circulated in the lanes of pleasure districts.
’Phoenix Seeking His Mate’, focusing on love, in the realm of poetry, writing about friendship garnered more mainstream approval than themes of romantic love.
Of course, that verse was not simply straightforward on the surface but contained rich and profound meanings, which inadvertently elevated its status, making it difficult to directly compare with those three poems.
Li Anning felt an indescribable sensation in her heart.
He wrote poetry for himself.
But not entirely.
In the future, when people mention Song Jiaren or Phoenix, they would think of a beauty, an unmatched beauty...
When they mention her, Li Anning, they will only remember her as his good friend.
She was also a woman.
She also wished to be remembered as a beauty by future generations.
But she was not shameless like Phoenix, and she felt embarrassed to mention it directly.
Hmph, there would be plenty of opportunities later, for now, she would keep these thoughts to herself, rolled her eyes at Li Nuo and said, "Get these files sorted out."
After dealing with the documents, Li Nuo went back to the Song Residence for dinner.
Seeing Mumu eat and wipe her nose, Li Nuo offered her food, saying, "You’re the big sister, don’t always act foolishly with Ning’er..."
Song Mu’er bowed her head, eating silently, whispered, "Understood."
She turned her head, glanced, and saw only one quilt on the bed, a sly smile secretly formed on her lips.
At that moment, in another courtyard.
"Achoo!"
In just a short while, Song Ning’er had sneezed several times, wearing the Curtain and veil, she leaned against a tree but then straightened up and asked, "Feeling unwell?"
Song Ning’er wiped her nose and said, "It’s okay, I had a water fight with Song Mu’er yesterday..."
The woman said, "Just keep practicing your cultivation, once you reach the Fourth Realm, you won’t get sick no matter how wet you get..."
She leaned back against the tree, under her veil, a shade of sadness emerged.
Though she had temporarily escaped disaster this time, the crisis was far from over.
Her senior sister had spared her this time, the next time, that woman might come personally.
Even though that woman had once said she wouldn’t come to Chang’an ever again, her words were always retractable.
Throughout her life, the promises she made to her were rarely kept.
Still claiming, it was all for her own good.
When Song Ning’er finished practicing and was resting on the steps, she asked, "Senior sister, should husband and wife share one quilt, right?"
The woman lightly replied, "Of course."
Song Ning’er grew more curious, "But Brother Li Nuo and Sister Jiaren, they each sleep with their own quilts."
The woman snorted coldly, "Because they are not truly husband and wife."
Thinking of this, she felt somewhat better.
Then, Song Ning’er said cheerfully, "But they will be after..."
The woman was momentarily stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Song Ning’er proudly replied, "Last night, Song Mu’er and I intentionally wet their quilts, so now they have to share one together..."
The woman fell silent, her chest subtly heaving.
She truly was a good disciple!
After a moment, she looked at Song Ning’er and said, "Today if you’re feeling unwell, practicing might..."
Song Ning’er sat up, excitedly said, "Does that mean I don’t have to practice?"
The woman gritted her teeth and announced, "You’ll practice five more times!"