Chapter 1 A Grand Gathering

Song Yu and Luo Qin had prepared a grand and lavish soiree. Perhaps to achieve a specific effect, this time there were no mere placeholders attending. It was a veritable gathering of prominent figures from Danyang and the surrounding cities. As for the noble sons and daughters of Danyang, who usually frequented such gatherings to network, they had never been so fully represented.

Song Yu and Luo Qin, who should have felt a sense of joy, were instead apprehensive. Clearly, these frequently invited guests weren't necessarily here out of respect for them, nor was it due to the gradual expansion of Chun Nan's influence in Dong Ping. Rather, it was because of the special nature of this soiree. The news of Ye Tao's invitation had not been concealed by Song Yu and Luo Qin, the hosts, or by Ye Tao and his "subordinates," such as Lu Dan, who feared no chaos. In fact, they had all intentionally spread the word. It now seemed that this young, even youthful, Ye Tao had stirred quite a bit of curiosity within Danyang.

This was hardly surprising. After all, Ye Tao had received high praise from the Grand Tutor Huang Xuping and now held the somewhat enigmatic title of Proofreader in the Princess's Manor, which, in the eyes of many, made him a confidant of the princess. These two identities alone were enough to warrant attention. Added to this were the extraordinary craftsmanship of his music boxes and clocks, and the anecdote about him intimidating the Chun Nan envoy Luo Qin. The aura surrounding Ye Tao was considerable.

Luo Qin was adept at officialdom and understood how to interpret others' intentions, but his appointment in Chun Nan and the favor he had received were recent developments. His experience was insufficient to allow him to remain unfazed in any situation. The slightest hint of tension and worry was directly reflected in his face and eyes. When Ye Tao arrived, his greetings and inquiries sounded somewhat unnatural.

Song Yu, however, was different. As the eldest son and future heir of the Song family, a renowned and handsome young man, an accomplished poet, and a multi-talented and skilled individual, he greeted Ye Tao with such warmth and admiration after Luo Qin introduced them that Ye Tao almost felt overwhelmed by the attention.

What put even more pressure on Ye Tao was the interest that Danyang's aristocratic circles showed in him. Huang Wan, the Grand Tutor's daughter, whom he had met once before, sat not far away, concealing her smile behind a folding fan, occasionally throwing out questions that Ye Tao needed to carefully consider before answering. Zou Shuangwen, the second son of the Danyang city guard Zou Ying, also crowded nearby, asking questions. The newly appointed scholars of the Imperial Academy, Yuan Mao, Lu Xuying, and others, were all curious about how Ye Tao had managed to subdue Luo Qin. Luo Qin was unwilling to discuss the details with them, as it was a matter in which he had thoroughly lost face. These people had clearly come to the soiree hosted by Luo Qin and Song Yu just to find an opportunity to chat about him, showing no regard for the two hosts or the country of Chun Nan behind them. Perhaps this was a direct reflection of the younger generation's indifferent attitude towards the marriage alliance between Dong Ping and Chun Nan.

"At the time, I was simply a bit impulsive and said what I knew. Master Luo is new to Dong Ping and hasn't been here long, so naturally, he's not as clear about some things as we are. There's really nothing to talk about," Ye Tao said, giving the hosts some face, as he was reluctant to say anything more in such a setting. However, the disappointed expressions on the faces of the curious individuals around him were obvious. For some reason, after catching a few snippets of conversation from this small circle, Luo Qin's gaze towards Ye Tao revealed a hint of resentment.

Just as Ye Tao skillfully shifted the topic of the small circle to music boxes, explaining their structure and principles, Song Yu cleared his throat and announced loudly to everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen, today's soiree can be said to be filled with distinguished guests and friends. The young talents of Danyang have gathered here. And today, I would like to introduce two guests from my country who are also well-known within Chun Nan. I wonder if anyone has heard of Abbot Yuantong of the Hu Yun Temple and Lou Qingxi, the owner of Shang Bao Tang?"

Song Yu's introduction immediately caused an uproar. These two were by no means as simple as Song Yu had described them.

Abbot Yuantong of the Hu Yun Temple was alright. Although Abbot Yuantong was a monk, he specialized not in scriptures but in architecture. His theory of incorporating landscapes into Zen and using pavilions and terraces to express Zen had once caused quite a stir. In Chun Nan, Abbot Yuantong had designed and built no fewer than thirty gardens of varying sizes, four of which were royal gardens. In terms of garden architecture, few in the world had more impressive credentials than him.

Lou Qingxi, the owner of Shang Bao Tang, was even more of a well-known figure to everyone present. Shang Bao Tang was the leading jewelry merchant in Chun Nan, and in this era, Shang Bao Tang could almost be said to be the top brand of luxury jewelry. Because Shang Bao Tang's jewelry designs were novel, its craftsmanship was exquisite, and it had a very strong ability to customize products according to customer needs, it could almost be said to be sold all over the world. Within Dong Ping, the collection and appreciation of jewelry was not as developed as in Chun Nan, which was always known for its splendor and opulence. However, there was a somewhat fanatical love for Shang Bao Tang products, a small number of which flowed into Dong Ping, even some items that were smuggled into Dong Ping by thieves and sold as stolen goods. Among the young talents of Danyang present, not a few of them had Shang Bao Tang products at home. Many had long heard of Lou Qingxi, the second-generation head of Shang Bao Tang, who was a rather legendary figure.

The gaunt Abbot Yuantong smiled slightly and bowed to everyone, which could be considered very much in the style of a monk. Lou Qingxi, on the other hand, greeted everyone with a beaming face and revealed a very important piece of information: Shang Bao Tang was about to open a branch in Danyang, and this was the purpose of his visit. A well-known local national industry seemed about to become a multinational chain group…

The exclamations and cheers of the crowd seemed somewhat distant to Ye Tao, who had no interest in things like jewelry. Instead, the shift in the attention of the young people around him made him feel relieved. His age was really too young, so young that the scene of him being surrounded by a group of young people looked like a group of adults probing a talented child. Zou Shuangwen even teased Ye Tao, urging him to drink. The others watched with smiles, not saying a word, clearly with expressions of amusement.

Ye Tao was a little annoyed and drank the wine that was brought to him in one gulp. The bold and skillful manner came from his previous life and from the training of countless dinner parties. As for the tolerance of his small body for alcohol? At least this young body was very insignificant now.

The hot force of the alcohol instantly surged up, making Ye Tao's face flushed and even more endearing. At this moment, Abbot Yuantong of the Hu Yun Temple slowly walked to the side, put his palms together, and said, "Benefactor Ye…"

Yuantong was clearly not an ideal conversationalist. Not very eloquent, he had originally come to Dong Ping to resolve the matter of Jin Gu Garden, and attending such a soiree was really not his wish. Lou Qingxi could talk enthusiastically with everyone and even take out a few samples to show off Shang Bao Tang's exquisite craftsmanship, even arguing with a few guys who were very fond of jewelry about the pricing principles of jewelry. But Yuantong didn't have such ability. After all, there were not many families who had the ability and the willingness to build gardens. Even if there were, it was not necessarily something that these young people present could decide. So, while Lou Qingxi was chatting enthusiastically with everyone, Yuantong suddenly became idle, so he simply came over to Ye Tao to ask him about his doubts about Jin Gu Garden.

"Abbot Yuantong," Ye Tao returned the greeting respectfully.

Abbot Yuantong nodded and said, "I want to ask you, my friend, about the matter of Jin Gu Garden. This Jin Gu Garden was originally created by this old monk, and recently I heard that Jin Gu Garden has encountered some problems, and construction has almost stopped, which makes this old monk very worried. I wonder why you are hindering the construction of Jin Gu Garden?"

Here comes the main event. The young people around him winked at each other and immediately fell silent. This strange silence immediately attracted the attention of more and more people.

Ye Tao was stunned. He didn't expect that the provocation would come not from Luo Qin or Song Yu themselves, but from this seemingly honest, even dull, monk. Without much thought, he blurted out, "Didn't Master Luo relay what I said at the time to you?"

Yuantong did not show any anger at Ye Tao's straightforward question. He said seriously, "Although famous gardens are not necessarily built with huge sums of money, huge sums of money can indeed create famous gardens. Especially since this Jin Gu Garden is a symbol of harmony between Dong Ping and Chun Nan, shouldn't we not be so stingy?"

Ye Tao was stunned. He glanced at Luo Qin. Obviously, this Chun Nan’s Number One Scholar had not told Abbot Yuantong the whole truth. Ye Tao could not think of anything to be angry about with this earnest monk, and he patiently explained, "As far as I know, the cost of Jin Gu Garden is by no means stingy. How much does Dong Ping’s Imperial Treasury spend on repairing palaces each year? And how much has Jin Gu Garden cost? Comparing the two, the stinginess that you mentioned is definitely biased. That's the first point. The construction of Jin Gu Garden is not to create a famous garden, nor to create a scenic spot that will be famous for generations. In fact, it is just that the ruler of the country cherishes Princess Bailian's marriage to Dong Ping, so that she can have a scene similar to her hometown to relieve her worries. But why did it come to the point where local Dong Ping flowers and plants had to be used? What is the original intention of Jin Gu Garden? That's the second point. The problem with the modification that I pointed out does exist. The incoordination in the matching of trees makes the originally integrated scenic spot of the garden have flaws instead. Perhaps my attitude was not good when I pointed out the problem, but that does not mean that the problem I pointed out does not exist. Master Luo does not think about how to make up for it, but instead, he is arguing with me. Is this very interesting? That's the third point."

Ye Tao's eloquence obviously surprised Yuantong. He was stunned for a moment, and seeing that Ye Tao paused for a moment, seemingly organizing his language to say a fourth and fifth point to refute, he felt that if this continued, he would lose face. Taking advantage of Ye Tao's pause, Yuantong took over the conversation and said, "The trees in the garden originally need to be trimmed in everything. Although this old monk is not familiar with the flowers and trees of Dong Ping, I don't think the problem you mentioned exists. On the contrary, you are making things difficult for Master Luo, and what you said is inevitably harsh."

Ye Tao was speaking more smoothly, so he did not care about Yuantong's identity as a monk and retorted, "Harsh? I just said that Master Luo sacrificed the long-term landscape of a garden for the sake of a temporary scenic spot. I didn't say that he knew nothing about gardens but undertook such a major project as supervising the construction of Jin Gu Garden, nor did I say that he repeatedly used the topic of the relationship between the two countries to coerce in order to obtain funding from the princess. He doesn't have the duty of an envoy. Where am I being harsh? If my Dong Ping envoys do these things in Chun Nan and people report it to the ruler of the country, I'm afraid they will be beheaded for the crime of destroying the diplomatic relations between the two countries. You guys are good, getting the young master of the Song family to support the scene, and getting a large amount of money to organize a soiree to win over people's hearts, and you even found you to make trouble for me. Is this the diplomatic relations between the two countries? Then what is it that my Dong Ping country handed over the designs of the Han River-class and Lan River-class main battle ships to Chun Nan, what is it that the six ports and fourteen harbors connected to Chun Nan reduce taxes by 10% for Chun Nan merchants, and what is it that the giant crossbows and catapults are sold to Chun Nan? What exactly is the friendship between the two countries, what exactly is the duty of an envoy, what exactly is a constructive relationship between countries, and what exactly is the opportunity and occasion to show national strength and show the human talents of a country, does Master Luo understand? Can such a person be considered an envoy?"

As Ye Tao spoke, his voice inadvertently increased, and everyone could hear this. Those who were very disapproving of Luo Qin and Song Yu's actions cheered inwardly, but the atmosphere on the scene seemed flat, with an expression that nothing weighed on their minds. Luo Qin was so angry that he could not speak, but Song Yu was very interested in watching Ye Tao.

Yuantong was a little embarrassed by Ye Tao's retort. He was the first to shift the topic to Luo Qin. If he was suppressed by these words, Luo Qin would not only resent Ye Tao, but he would probably not have a good impression of him either. After all, Yuantong was not a monk who was poor and self-sufficient and practiced hard in the temple. He still had some ideas about how to handle interpersonal relationships. Yuantong put his palms together and declared a Buddhist chant, "Amitabha, what you said is a bit too much. Master Luo is the Number One Scholar of Chun Nan, and his literary talent and character are very good. He doesn't care about his official career and comes to Dong Ping as an envoy because he cares about the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Your accusation is really unreasonable."

Ye Tao spoke a lot and was a little thirsty. He casually picked up the cup that had been refilled with wine and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "Too much? Whether what I said is too much or not, the people who hear it will have their own judgment. And you, Abbot Yuantong," Ye Tao's words emphasized the word 'Abbot', but he sarcastically said, "You don't recite the Buddha properly, but instead, you speak up for secular officials. You are a good monk."

Seeing that the wine in the cup was refilled again, Ye Tao picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. He slammed the cup on the table, making a crisp sound, like the gavel on the court, immediately suppressing the whole audience and attracting everyone's attention. He said loudly, "It's nonsense to use architecture, gardens and landscapes to cultivate Zen. The purpose of architecture and gardens is to please people's eyes and ears and to show wealth and splendor. Is this the Zen you cultivate? Following the investor's instructions to revise the plan so that the investor agrees to throw money in one sum after another, is this the Zen you cultivate?… Architects are architects. Don't say you are a monk, even if you are the Buddha, you have to follow the laws of architecture and gardens themselves when you come up with a design and set a plan. Don't think that just because you are a monk, others should let you, and don't dare to compete with you. Today, I will not only compete, but I will also win."

A few wisps of anger appeared on Yuantong's face. He suppressed it, and said in a low voice, "Benefactor, you are so young and dare to say big words, aren't you afraid of slipping your tongue?"

Ye Tao laughed and said, "Afraid? I have never been afraid. I will let you, the monk, see how I win. You just made thirty gardens of varying sizes and were said to be the number one garden master in the world? I'll let you see what a frog in a well you are."