Chapter Sixty-Four: Meteor Shower

After passing the Eighteen Rapids, the river became almost calm, with no further dangers ahead. Not only was there nothing perilous, but the scenery along the way grew extraordinarily beautiful, especially at night when a gentle breeze swept across the water, brushing faces, hands, and clothes, bringing a refreshing coolness.

The wooden boat glided over the river, stirring gentle ripples.

"Under the moon, the flying mirror of heaven—do you think that phrase is poetry or lyrics?" The night was picturesque, yet Li Sankian, too frustrated to appreciate it, impatiently asked the woman in yellow.

"Why are you saying 'you' and 'me'? Are we so familiar?" The woman in yellow cast Li Sankian a sidelong glance and retorted, "Who asks like that? Can a single line really determine whether it’s poetry or lyrics?"

From his inquiries, Li Sankian learned that the official aboard was also surnamed Li—Li Gefei—traveling to the capital at Kaifeng to assume office, promoted from a local official to a court one.

Li Gefei had originally served at court but was later demoted to Shaozhou in the Guangnan East Circuit. He hadn’t stayed long in Shaozhou before being recalled to the capital.

Li Sankian had misunderstood; Li Gefei was not a disciple of Su Shi, but rather of the famous Song statesman Han Qi. Li Gefei admired Su Shi and considered him a teacher in literary matters, heavily influenced by Su Shi’s writings. Still, to be influenced by Su Shi and to regard him as a teacher did not make Li Gefei his direct disciple; Li Gefei was Han Qi’s student.

Who exactly Li Gefei was, and what connections he had with Su Shi, did not interest Li Sankian much. But when he inquired about the name and surname of Li Gefei’s only daughter, he was so shocked he nearly fell into the river.

Li Gefei’s sole daughter was the illustrious Li Qingzhao, the greatest female poet of all time. However ignorant or provincial Li Sankian might be, how could he not know the name of Li Qingzhao?

Li Qingzhao was not only a literary genius, but also a beauty capable of captivating nations.

At this point, how could Li Sankian let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by? He seized the chance to consult Li Qingzhao about poetry, lyrics, and essays—after all, sharing a boat meant ample opportunities.

Yet to the puzzlement of Gao Er, Zeng Gongming, Zhang the Daoist, and others, Li Sankian did not seek advice from Li Gefei, her father, but rather from this young lady, treating her with utmost humility, bowing and scraping, more reverent than to his own mother.

Li Sankian was not known to be so easily enamored, nor was he the sort to lose himself at the sight of beauty—so why behave this way now? Had Li Sankian, as he aged, begun moving toward the path of a libertine? Everyone was quietly baffled, including Lady Fu.

At first, Li Sankian approached Li Qingzhao with respectful questions, but as time passed, he discovered her learning was truly extraordinary, and her intelligence remarkable. The meager literary skills he possessed were utterly insignificant by comparison.

Li Qingzhao, for her part, was unreserved, dismantling Li Sankian’s arguments until he was left with nothing. Humiliated, Li Sankian’s demeanor changed, and he began debating fiercely with her.

After all, he had lived two lives, his combined age substantial—was he really inferior to this immature girl? Though she was famous… Li Sankian thought privately.

"Then… you… I would like to ask Miss Li: how does one distinguish poetry from lyrics? Would you kindly instruct me?" Li Sankian asked, somewhat resentfully.

"You are the top scholar of Guizhou; I dare not presume to instruct you," Li Qingzhao replied with a soft laugh, covering her mouth.

Her light silk sleeve slipped, revealing a wrist as white as jade.

"A rustic, ignorant and narrow-minded, Miss Li need not be so modest—I am asking in earnest for your guidance," Li Sankian rolled his eyes and continued.

When Li Qingzhao mentioned his scholarly title, wasn’t she doing so deliberately, full of subtle irony?

"I dare not instruct," Li Qingzhao said, suppressing a smile as she pulled her sleeve to conceal her wrist and then continued, "Father and mother often say there are five main distinctions: first, poetry originates from the Spring and Autumn period, while lyrics began in the Liang, matured in the Tang, and flourished in our dynasty; second, poetry can have any title, but lyrics must follow a set tune name, such as 'Washing Creek Sand,' 'Partridge Sky,' 'Song of Peace,' 'Butterfly Loves Flowers,' 'Immortal by the River,' etc.; third, in ancient times, compositions paired with music were songs, those without were poems, but lyrics must be written to fit the musical pattern prescribed by the tune; fourth, poetry is divided into regulated verse and quatrains, with five- or seven-character lines, strictly adhering to meter, while ancient poetry can vary in length; lastly, poetry is solemn, lyrics are charming, poetry tends toward gravity, lyrics toward allure, poetry is manifest, lyrics are hidden, poetry is robust, lyrics are gentle—poetry is the swan, lyrics are the sparrow..."

"Sparrows know nothing of the aspirations of swans!" Before Li Qingzhao finished, Li Sankian laughed heartily.

He had indeed been taught a lesson today.

Li Sankian, relying on his past memories and the "code of Song lyrics," managed to cope with some poetry and lyrics, but he had no idea the subject ran so deep. He suspected Li Qingzhao had revealed only the tip of the iceberg; his pursuit of learning would be a long journey.

"Even so, the swan has its grandeur, the sparrow its charm—how can you mock so?" Li Qingzhao shot Li Sankian another glare, angry.

A beauty’s glares came one after another; Li Sankian took them for flirtatious glances.

"You are right," Li Sankian finally conceded, bowing in respect. "Miss, your learning far exceeds mine; I apologize for my rudeness. But, miss, why did you earlier say one cannot use poetry to fill lyrics? What did you mean by that?"

"Poetry and lyrics—ah!" Before she could finish, Li Qingzhao suddenly cried out, her voice sharp and piercing in the night.

Her scream startled Li Sankian, who quickly turned to follow her gaze. He saw a meteor streaking across the night sky, trailing a long tail and emitting a strange, dazzling light, standing out sharply against the darkness.

"An ominous star descends… an ominous star…" Usually calm and composed, Li Qingzhao was now pale with fright, her words incoherent.

Her delicate hand clutched Li Sankian’s collar, hiding behind him, trembling, unable to look up at the sky.

Everyone on the boat was awakened by her scream, rushing out from the cabins, thinking Li Sankian had somehow harmed Li Qingzhao—that his "beastly nature" had taken over.

Li Gefei stormed out, furious, nearly ready to send Li Sankian to the capital in chains or toss him into the river to feed the fish.

In his life, Li Gefei had only this beloved daughter, doted on since childhood, the child of his late wife. Not only did he spoil her, he never bound her with strict rules, allowing her to grow freely in a relaxed environment.

If his precious daughter, whom he cherished above all, were to be harmed by Li Sankian now…

They were all traveling together, and both were young and inexperienced. Moreover, Li Sankian had once been considered Li Qingzhao’s teacher’s uncle, and before the rise of Neo-Confucianism, Song society retained Tang traditions—the segregation of men and women was not so strict. Thus, Li Gefei allowed them to converse by night.

But now…

Just as Li Gefei stormed out in anger, and everyone else poured from the cabins, they all witnessed the strange celestial phenomenon, stunned into silence.

"This is not a good omen; there must be turmoil in the court," Li Gefei murmured, gazing at the night sky.

The boatmen were terrified, prostrating themselves and praying for mercy from heaven.

"Why are you all panicking?" Li Sankian shook his head at their alarm. "It's just a rock, nothing more."

"Don’t talk nonsense, you’ll anger the heavens," Li Qingzhao was nearly in tears. "Disrespecting heaven brings disaster and warning signs."

"Disrespect? Omen? Ha, that’s absurd—it’s just a natural phenomenon, nothing out of the ordinary," Li Sankian couldn’t help but laugh.

"You… always talking nonsense," Li Qingzhao stared at him, her beautiful eyes shining like stars in the night.

"Nonsense, am I? May I borrow a flint stone?" Li Sankian asked angrily.

"Sankian, that was a broom star, a bad omen—you mustn’t speak carelessly, or you’ll anger heaven and be struck by thunder," Gao Er cautioned, but still took out a flint and handed it to Li Sankian.

Ignoring Gao Er, Li Sankian took the flint and addressed those around him: "Do you know why flint can make fire?"

"Friction makes fire—what's so special about that?" Zhang the Daoist asked.

Everyone looked at Li Sankian in surprise, unsure what he meant. How was flint fire related to celestial phenomena?

Li Sankian nodded, took the flint, and vigorously struck it, quickly igniting some wood shavings.

"You see," he said, "when flint is struck, friction generates heat, and enough heat ignites the wood. Meteors do the same: as they fall from the sky, friction creates heat, which causes them to combust."

"What you witnessed was simply the meteor burning—a natural phenomenon, not a portent or warning," Li Sankian said smugly to the dumbfounded Li Qingzhao.

My poetry and lyrics may not match yours, but these principles are beyond your comprehension… Li Sankian thought with pride.

"Brother Hanren, what does the meteor rub against to produce heat?" Zeng Gongming asked.

"Well…" Li Sankian pondered a moment, "It rubs against air…"

"Air? What is air?" Li Gefei finally spoke up.

"Air? It’s invisible to the eye, but it definitely exists," Li Sankian answered evasively.

"Nonsense… If it’s invisible, how do you know it’s real?" Li Qingzhao shook her head in disbelief.

Believe it or not, Li Sankian didn’t know how to explain further, so he said, "Many so-called omens, like eclipses, Mars guarding the heart, mirages, and so on, are just natural phenomena—not portents of good or ill, unaffected by human will."

"You… I don’t believe it, I just don’t," Li Qingzhao insisted.

"You don’t believe?" Li Sankian smiled, "Then tonight, I’ll make you believe."

He strode to the bow, stood with hands on hips, and shouted at the sky, "You old scoundrel heaven, your Sankian grandfather is here—if you dare, send a rainstorm and drown me!"

Before he finished, the sky suddenly boomed with thunder, as if struck by a giant bolt, and countless meteors appeared, trailing long, dazzling streaks of light, illuminating the night as if it were day.

Lightning flashed, meteors raced across the sky, swiftly as shooting stars chasing the moon, all vying for the view of those below.

"How beautiful…" Li Sankian and Li Qingzhao murmured together, gazing at the magnificent meteor shower.

Still clutching Li Sankian’s collar, Li Qingzhao refused to let go, while Li Sankian quietly put his arm around her, unnoticed by the others.

He was handsome, tall and slender; she, with features like a painting and graceful bearing, stood together admiring the enchanting meteor shower.

What a golden couple, envied by all!