Chapter 726: Disturbance (Part 3)

Zhu Peng walked over and sat next to Duan Rong, grabbing the wine pot and said, “Drink slowly, save some for me.”

Duan Rong said, “Take some time later to find Zhu Zhengfu.”

Zhu Peng said, “Why do you want to see him?”

Duan Rong said, “I want to meet him.”

“That’s easy.” Zhu Peng filled both his and Duan Rong’s wine cups and said, “But first, you have to have a good drink with me. We haven’t seen each other for half a year. Do you know, Brother Duan? During this half year, Miss Xueyin has asked about you many times!”

Duan Rong picked up the wine poured by Zhu Peng, frowned slightly, and said, “Miss Xueyin?! Which Miss Xueyin?”

Zhu Peng gave Duan Rong a peculiar look and said, “Brother Duan, you really have no heart! She often talks about you! And you’ve already forgotten her!”

“She often talks about me?! No wonder I’ve been sneezing a lot over the past half year! By the way, who are you talking about? Which Miss Xueyin?”

Zhu Peng said, “Miss Xueyin from the Flame Moon Building! Don’t you remember?! The morning rings the bell, the traveler mourns the homeland. Rooster crows at the thatched inn, human traces on the frost-covered bridge…”

“Alright! Stop reciting poems, just hearing that gives me a headache now.” Duan Rong replied, “I remember now, isn’t she the one I met once and didn’t even touch, yet you gave her two thousand taels of silver?”

Zhu Peng almost spat out his wine and said, “Brother Duan, why does it sound like you’re making me out to be a fool when you say it like that?”

Duan Rong chuckled and said, “No! Miss Xueyin is very nice. But I’m a married man, how can I keep thinking about other girls every day? Don’t you agree?”

“That’s true, Brother Duan, I do admire you for that.” Zhu Peng said, “When Miss Xueyin asked about you, I told her you were training in the sect. Later, she asked if you had any poems for her. Brother, now that you’re here, at least leave a poem for her.”

Duan Rong said while biting into a piece of pork leg, “I told you, just seeing poems gives me a headache now.”

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he glanced at Zhu Peng sitting there silently, drinking, looking somewhat melancholic.

Duan Rong said, “Alright, I can leave a poem. But, keep it with you first, and give it to her six months later.”

“Alright!” Zhu Peng was overjoyed and immediately brought over some paper and a brush.

Duan Rong wiped his greasy mouth and hands with a towel and stood up.

He took the brush and stood there, looking at Zhu Peng, and asked, “Should I leave a poem that’s heroic and bold, or one that’s tender and sentimental?”

Zhu Peng thought for a moment and said, “Better make it tender and sentimental.”

Duan Rong smiled slightly and said, “You really like this kind of thing.”

Duan Rong briefly pondered and then swiftly wrote on the paper, in no time finishing a particular untitled poem by Li Shangyin.

Zhu Peng read the scroll, although his literary skills weren’t high, he knew it was a good poem. It read: “Coming was a hollow word and leaving left no trace, the moon dims as the five o’clock bell rings in the tower. The dream cries for distant farewells hard to call back, the letter hastens to be written yet the ink isn’t thick. The candle illuminates half the gold and jade, the musk scent faintly permeates the embroidered lotus. Liu Lang already resents the distant Peng Mountain, now separated by ten thousand layers.”

However, the meaning in the poem clearly suggested a sense of farewell never to meet again.

After reading, Zhu Peng felt a sense of loss in his heart. He could imagine that upon seeing this poem, Qin Xueyin would certainly be sorrowful as well.

Duan Rong said, “The poem is written, and the wine is drunk. Shouldn’t we handle the business now?”

Zhu Peng paused slightly and said, “Oh, I’ll go to Zhu Zhengfu now. Brother Duan, you rest here for a bit and wait for my news.”

Duan Rong nodded and sat back down at the table.

Zhu Peng put away the scroll of the poem and left the room, choosing a horse from the stable, then mounted it and rode towards Zhu Zhengfu’s residence.