Daqing Reborn Prince, Intercepting Si Lili at the Beginning

Chapter 11: Night Tour at Zuixian Residence! Die, Lian Hua! The Birth of the “Slender Gold” Script!

By evening, the sun had set behind the western mountains.

The streets of the capital were less crowded.

In ancient times, there was no nightlife; when night fell, the streets would be cleared.

However, this rule only applied to common folk.

For the noble and wealthy, the later it got, the more they enjoyed themselves.

Li Chengyuan was not alone.

He had brought Old Huang with him.

Although Old Huang appeared aged, his heart was still youthful.

Moreover, with his profound cultivation, he was in excellent health.

So when he heard that Li Chengyuan was going on a night cruise to the pleasure boats, he insisted on coming along.

“Your Highness, I’ve heard about this Zuixian Residence countless times. Thanks to you, I can finally see it in person, hahaha…”

Old Huang laughed mischievously.

Li Chengyuan, wearing a look of disdain, said, “Can’t you show a bit more dignity? Your master is a prince, after all, don’t embarrass me!”

“Got it, got it!” Old Huang grinned, “Don’t worry, Your Highness, I’ll behave myself later!”

Li Chengyuan shook his head, unwilling to engage further with Old Huang. He glanced up at the signboard of Zuixian Residence, then strode in.

After walking through the front building of Zuixian Residence, they arrived at the banks of the Liujing River.

Li Hongcheng was already waiting there.

Seeing Li Chengyuan arrive, Li Hongcheng quickly came forward to greet him.

“Your Highness, you’re here!”

“Mm!” Li Chengyuan nodded, “Alright since we’re all here, tell me—what’s so special about this Zuixian Residence?”

Li Hongcheng smiled as he explained, “Your Highness, there are many amusements in Zuixian Residence.

But if we talk about the most unique aspect, it’s the flower boats on the Liujing River.

Among all these flower boats, the most famous one right now is undoubtedly that one!”

Standing on the bridge, Li Chengyuan followed Li Hongcheng’s gaze to see a beautifully adorned red pleasure boat anchored in the distance.

“Who’s that?” Li Chengyuan already had a guess but still asked knowingly.

Li Hongcheng lowered his voice and explained, “Your Highness, that’s the new top courtesan on the Liujing River, Miss Sili Li. She’s gaining quite a reputation, but she never meets anyone.

Countless people have spent fortunes trying to see her, but they all leave disappointed.”

“I see, marketing herself by keeping out of reach to drive up her value!” Li Chengyuan was very familiar with this trick and directly asked, “So, how does one meet her?”

Li Hongcheng, hearing this, asked softly, “Your Highness, can you write poetry? This courtesan is fond of poems and odes, and she claims only excellent poetry can win her favor.”

After listening, Li Chengyuan sighed, “Pretending to be cultured, packaging herself—what a mature business chain!”

“What did you say, Your Highness?” Li Hongcheng didn’t understand.

“Nothing…” Li Chengyuan changed the topic, “Writing poetry is no problem. Do you have pen and paper?”

“Yes, Your Highness, would you like to write now?”

“Mm.”

“Please follow me.”

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Soon, Li Hongcheng led Li Chengyuan to a private room where fine brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were prepared.

Li Chengyuan didn’t hesitate; he walked directly to the desk, picked up the brush, dipped it generously in ink, and after a brief moment of thought, began to write!

“Die Lian Hua·Spring Scene…”

Li Hongcheng curiously walked over and, seeing the words, softly recited them aloud.

After reading the title, Li Hongcheng understood that Li Chengyuan was composing a ci poem.

In this world, after the Ice Age on Earth, many pioneers passed down knowledge.

Therefore, much of the cultural inheritance here was very similar to the pre-Ice Age Earth.

For instance, this world also had ci poetry, and many cipai (fixed-rhythm patterns) names were strikingly similar to the cultural tradition of pre-Ice Age Earth.

So, Li Hongcheng fully understood the title of the poem Li Chengyuan was writing.

However, as he continued to watch Li Chengyuan’s writing, Li Hongcheng suddenly froze.

As a prince, Li Hongcheng had a certain level of talent.

He often organized poetry gatherings at his home with scholars and literati.

So, at the very least, Li Hongcheng had some discernment in matters of art and culture.

Because of this, he was instantly captivated by the new style of calligraphy that Li Chengyuan was writing!

The mainstream calligraphy styles of this world were similar—running script, regular script, cursive script, and so on—all with established rules.

But Li Chengyuan’s ShouJinti (Slender Gold Script) broke through these conventions and became a unique style of its own!

What shocked Li Hongcheng the most was that he had seen this script before.

Li Chengyuan’s handwriting had always resembled this ShouJinti style since he was young.

However, back then, it was still immature and unrefined.

But now, seeing this mature version, Li Chengyuan’s new script was undeniably sophisticated.

The unique charm and flavor of this writing reflected the expertise of a master calligrapher!

So… does this mean that the Third Prince not only created a new script but also honed it to perfection?

This was astonishing!

It was well known that creating a new style of calligraphy was far more difficult than composing an immortal poem.

The two achievements were not even comparable.

Because of this, Li Hongcheng kept staring at Li Chengyuan’s script, completely focused on its strokes and forms, and didn’t even pay attention to the poem’s content.

Unfortunately, before long, Li Chengyuan had already finished writing.

Li Chengyuan picked up the completed poem, gently blew on the ink to dry it, and handed it over to Li Hongcheng once it was dry.

Li Hongcheng, still somewhat dazed, received it absentmindedly.

“What’s the matter? Stunned by my poem?”

“Huh? No!” Li Hongcheng snapped out of it and quickly said, “Your Highness, the script you just wrote, is it something you created?”

“Mm,” Li Chengyuan nodded, “You could say that. It’s something I tinkered with myself.”

“Does it have a name?”

“Yes, it’s called Shou Jin Ti.”

“Shou Jin Ti?” Li Hongcheng savored the name for a moment, then exclaimed, “That name is perfect!”

As he spoke, Li Hongcheng cupped his hands in admiration and said, “Your Highness, you’ve not only created a script but also refined it to such maturity! I’m truly impressed. Just this script alone is enough to ensure your name is remembered in history!”

Li Chengyuan smiled faintly, “I’ll take that as a blessing from you. Alright, go ahead and send the poem over now.”

“Of course! I’ll have it delivered right away!” Li Hongcheng chuckled.

“Your Highness, don’t worry. Even without mentioning the poem, just this calligraphy alone will be enough to move Miss Sili Li.

If she’s not moved, I’ll personally go and destroy her pleasure boat. A woman who can’t appreciate such talent doesn’t deserve to be the top courtesan of the Liujing River!”

Li Chengyuan, hearing this, smiled faintly and said nothing in response.

That Miss Sili Li was no ordinary person.

Li Chengyuan was truly curious to see if she would choose him.

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Footnotes:
Zuixian Residence(醉仙居, Zuìxiān Jū): A high-class entertainment venue, likely offering luxury and indulgence, often associated with wine and companionship.
Liujing River(流晶河, Liújīng Hé): A fictional river, possibly referring to a place known for its beauty or pleasure boats.
Flower boat(花船, huāchuán): A traditional form of entertainment where guests are entertained by courtesans on lavishly decorated boats, often seen as a symbol of high society and romance.
Die Lian Hua(蝶恋花, Dié Liàn Huā): A classic cipai (tune pattern) used in traditional Chinese poetry, associated with expressing emotions through nature, particularly butterflies and flowers.
Shou Jin Ti(瘦金体, Shòu Jīn Tǐ): Literally “Slender Gold Script,” a famous calligraphy style characterized by thin, elegant strokes, famously associated with Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. Here, it’s portrayed as a new style created by Li Chengyuan.