Explore Chapter 56 of 'Spring Ming Outer History' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Speaking of Yang Xingyuan, since parting with He Jianchen that day, he had been feeling downcast. Every day, aside from working at the newspaper office, he would read and write in the Guild Hall.
One day, he suddenly received an invitation. It was from a certain minister, inviting distinguished guests from all walks of life to attend a grand ceremony. Yang Xingyuan initially did not want to go, but He Jianchen repeatedly urged him, so he had to agree.
On that day, Yang Xingyuan dressed neatly and went with He Jianchen to the minister's residence. The place was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and guests were as numerous as clouds. It was truly a lavish ceremony, bustling with excitement.
To display his grandeur, the minister had bamboo leaves transported from the south to decorate the hall, symbolizing a steady rise. However, many guests harbored gold-grabbing intentions, competing secretly, which outshone the elegance of the bamboo leaves.
He Jianchen said, "In today's world, everyone is striving for fame and profit. Who truly appreciates these bamboo leaves? Instead, this hastily composed new chapter makes people sweat profusely." It turned out that for the ceremony, the minister had hastily written a eulogy and ordered someone to read it aloud. In the height of summer, the reader was sweating profusely but still had to eulogize the purity of plum blossoms, which provoked suppressed laughter from the crowd.
Yang Xingyuan said, "Such perfunctory articles are merely going through the motions, not worth taking seriously. But this sweating to praise plum blossoms has turned into a comical scene."
As they were speaking, they suddenly saw Li Yun arrive. She was dressed elegantly and stood out in the crowd. Yang Xingyuan recalled past events and felt another wave of melancholy. Li Yun saw Yang Xingyuan and smiled slightly, walking over. He Jianchen tactfully excused himself and left.
Li Yun said, "Today's ceremony is utterly hypocritical. I can't stand it, so I came to talk with you." Yang Xingyuan said, "Indeed, most people love splendor, but they don't know that inner tranquility is what truly matters."
Returning home, he saw that the plum blossoms by the window had already withered, but their fragrance lingered. He couldn't help but think of the phrase 'sweating to praise plum blossoms' and laughed at himself. He picked up a pen and wrote a poem to express his feelings. After writing the poem, Yang Xingyuan felt tired and went to bed early.
The night passed without incident. The next day, he went to work at the newspaper office as usual. But upon arriving at the newspaper office, he received news that Chen Ruokuang was critically ill and had been hospitalized. Yang Xingyuan was shocked and hurried with Huang Bieshan to visit him.
Thus: Affairs of the world are unpredictable, human warmth and coldness vary. Stay tuned for the next chapter.