Chapter 23: "Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night"

Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night

The east wind stirs a thousand blossoms through the night, and scatters stars like rain. Jeweled horses and sculpted carriages fill the fragrant avenue. The sound of phoenix flutes stirs the air, the light in jade vessels whirls, and all night long, dragons and fish dance in the lantern’s glow.

Moth eyebrows, snowy willows, threads of gold—smiling faces drift away in a haze of subtle fragrance. I have searched for him thousands of times in the crowd, but when I turn suddenly, there he stands, where the lanterns are dimmest.

This poem that Zhou Ran posted comes from Xin Qiji, that remarkable man. Zhou Ran has always deeply admired Xin Qiji, for he was a man of extraordinary talent and courage. Not only was he a masterful poet, but he wielded a sword as deftly as his brush. Among scholars, he was the fiercest in battle; among warriors, the greatest poet—truly a man who excelled in both the literary and martial arts.

At just twenty-one, Xin Qiji had already gathered two thousand men and joined a formidable uprising. In the thirty-second year of Shaoxing, he was sent south to establish contact with the Southern Song court. On his return, he learned that Geng Jing had been killed by the traitor Zhang Anguo and the rebel army was in disarray. Leading just fifty men, he stormed an enemy camp of fifty thousand, captured the traitor, and raced more than a thousand miles to hand him over to the court for execution. Yes, you read that right—fifty men against fifty thousand, more outlandish than any novel. What’s more, Xin Qiji was only twenty-five at the time.

Xin Qiji’s literary achievements are equally renowned; his battlefield verse is without peer.

As soon as Zhou Ran’s poem was released online, it caused a sensation on Weibo. Countless people flocked to witness it.

Chen Hao, a so-called poet who usually eked out a living with doggerel, considered himself superior, looking down on pop singers whom he deemed uncultured. He always believed he could do better, if only given the chance.

When his girlfriend told him that someone named Zhou Ran had posted a poem on Weibo that was exceptionally beautiful, Chen Hao immediately dismissed Zhou Ran as a clown, thinking his girlfriend lacked discernment.

Eager to show off his critical skills and impress his girlfriend, Chen Hao logged on to Weibo, ready to tear Zhou Ran’s poem apart and bask in his own poetic glory.

But when he actually read Zhou Ran’s work, he was stunned into silence, utterly dumbfounded. He searched for flaws to criticize but found none, left speechless and helpless before its brilliance.

Seeing Chen Hao’s reaction, his girlfriend instantly understood and mocked him mercilessly.

Thus, the song "A Thousand Times" and the poem "Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night" both went viral, and Zhou Ran himself became a sensation, catching the attention of many influential figures.

After reading the poem, many members of the literary world applauded Zhou Ran, showering him with praise on Weibo. In their minds, they pictured a dashing young man in white, brandishing his brush with heroic flair—a vivid and stirring image.

One particular comment sparked a chorus of lamentations among students:

Ministry of Education, China: "Currently considering including 'Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night' in student textbooks."

Beneath this post, countless students wailed:

"Seriously? Is Zhou Ran’s song really going into the curriculum?"

"I can already picture myself miserably memorizing this poem at the back of the classroom!"

"I had a feeling—if a poem this good isn’t included in the textbooks, it’s a real pity. It deserves to be memorized! (Though I’ve graduated, haha!)"

"Although I disdain the person above, he’s right—this is a poem that will be cherished for generations."

"Who in the modern era can match Zhou Ran’s writing?"

The netizens weren’t wrong—this very poem, "Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night," has indeed been passed down for a thousand years.

Xin Qiji is ranked alongside Su Shi as the "Su and Xin," and with Li Qingzhao as one of the "Two Great Masters of Jinan." This poem is one of Xin Qiji’s masterpieces; its stature is self-evident.

Upon its appearance, "Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night" shocked the entire Chinese literary world. In this world, Blue Star, technology had long taken precedence, and as a result, the transmission of ancient culture suffered.

Thus, although Huaguo had always wished to promote classical poetry, the lack of cultural inheritance meant that modern works lacked the authentic spirit. But Zhou Ran’s poem opened up new horizons for their creativity and vision.

Zhou Ran was immediately lauded by a group of literary poets, who felt it a waste for him to sing—he should devote himself to poetry, to become a poet whose works would endure for centuries.

But Zhou Ran himself had no such ambition. He saw himself as an ordinary person who simply wished to share what he loved. If he truly wanted to be immortalized as a poet, he could easily draw upon works by Li Bai from his previous life—"Bring in the Wine," "The Perilous Road to Shu,"—each one a king’s gambit.

After posting "Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival Night" on Weibo, Zhou Ran immediately turned his attention to tomorrow’s competition, paying little heed to the online commotion.

His focus remained on music—one must be grounded and take things step by step. Zhou Ran intended to first do well in the tasks at hand before considering anything else.

He poured all his attention into the upcoming semifinal.

The last elimination round had seen Zhang Yuan, Shen Wei, and Jin Kun sent home, leaving three veteran singers—Chen Yi, Ji Song, Taku Fujiwara—and the newly rising, formidable Zhou Ran.

For tomorrow’s semifinal, the program was to adopt a new format: live broadcast, with a panel of on-site judges scoring the performances. The specific details would be revealed the next day.

All Zhou Ran intended to do was prepare for his performance as thoroughly as possible.

He planned to ride the current wave of enthusiasm for Chinese style, and add fuel to the fire.

Tomorrow, he would sing what was known on Earth as the most magnificent of all Chinese-style songs—"A Laugh in the Vast Sea." Originally performed by the legendary Sam Hui, the song was written by James Wong, one of Hong Kong’s Four Talents, widely acclaimed as the master lyricist and "Father of Modern Pop Music"—his status was truly formidable.

Zhou Ran felt enormous pressure singing this song, for it demanded an extraordinary presence. He would devote himself wholeheartedly to preparing for tomorrow’s competition.