Chapter 290 – A Serendipitous Encounter at the Poetry Gathering
Sitting in the carriage on his way back to the residence, Su Yi’s thoughts wandered far and wide. He thought of Qi Zongbi, Yu Shibang, Yue Dou, and Chen Xun. His thoughts drifted to the war between the Ruen Dynasty and Northern Qiang, and the Qihuang Society infiltrating the Central Plains.
Then his thoughts turned to the terrifying intelligence capabilities of the Storm Listening Pavilion and to Ye Fan. Finally, he even thought of Ye Beizhi and Chi Nanwei, who now had no connection to him. Recalling the evening when Ye Beizhi almost strangled him to death, Su Yi shuddered and snapped back to reality.
Su Yi wiped his neck and found himself drenched in sweat. He asked the driver through the carriage door, "Where are we now?"
"Master, we’ve reached Qingping Street," the driver replied respectfully from outside.
Su Yi lifted the carriage curtain with one hand and looked outside. The streets were already bustling with people, something he was used to seeing when he returned from morning court. Children chased each other, steam rose from breakfast stalls, and vendors were hawking their wares. It was a vibrant scene of peaceful and prosperous life for the common folk.
Su Yi sighed softly, inexplicably feeling that the scene before him was somewhat surreal. At that very moment, families were being destroyed at the border; people were being displaced, and soldiers were dying on the battlefield. None of it seemed to touch the capital.
Perhaps the war was simply too far removed, but what would happen if the Northern Qiang reached the capital? Su Yi was startled by the dark thought and quickly shook his head to dismiss it.
There was to be a poetry gathering this afternoon, hosted by the son of Li Qingtang, the Vice Minister of Rites. A few days earlier, an invitation had been delivered to Su Yi’s residence. He had not refused and even promised to attend.
The gathering was to be held at the Orchid Pavilion, a restaurant on Jinxia Street. Dining there wasn’t cheap, and ordinary folk rarely stepped through its doors. Its usual patrons were scholars, poets, and high-ranking officials. The restaurant had a variety of seating options, but the most coveted and expensive was the terrace on the top floor, known as the Scholar's Terrace.