Ye Li and the others took turns trying to persuade him, but Shen Jing was adamant about not going to Wenyuan Tower.
To avoid dampening their spirits, Shen Jing suggested they take the Fifth Prince into Wenyuan Tower to join the fun, while he would just wander around nearby.
Seeing that Shen Jing absolutely refused to enter Wenyuan Tower, they didn't press him further.
Finally, Ye Li arranged for two guards to follow Shen Jing, while they entered Wenyuan Tower.
"Don't go too far, or we won't be able to find you when we come out," Ye Li reminded Shen Jing before entering Wenyuan Tower.
"Alright, alright!" Shen Jing readily agreed.
As long as he didn't have to go and compose poems with those literati, anything was fine!
Without the princes and princesses by his side, Shen Jing immediately felt much more at ease, taking his two hangers-on and aimlessly strolling around Wenyuan Tower.
Before long, Shen Jing saw someone fishing in a pavilion not far away.
Bored, Shen Jing immediately instructed the two guards: "You two can rest here; I'm going to watch someone fish!"
The two exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
One of them even cautioned, "Young Master Shen, please don't go too far. If anything were to happen to Young Master Shen, the Princess would surely not forgive us."
"Mhm, mhm!" Shen Jing agreed, stepping towards the pavilion.
Soon, Shen Jing arrived at the pavilion via the covered bridge.
Only then did he notice that there were also wine cups and several pots of wine next to the person fishing.
He certainly knew how to enjoy himself!
Just as Shen Jing was about to approach, a servant attending nearby immediately stepped forward, "My master is fishing here; he must not be disturbed!"
Shen Jing pouted, about to speak, when the old man calmly interjected, "This place isn't ours, don't stop him!"
"Yes!" The servant acknowledged and stepped aside.
"See? How high-minded your master is! Learn from him!" Shen Jing teased Gao Jing, automatically ignoring the servant's displeased look, and moved closer to watch the old man fish.
The old man turned his head, smiling, and asked, "Young friend, do you also enjoy fishing?"
Shen Jing smiled casually, "I wouldn't say I like it too much, but I do occasionally fish for recreation."
"Is that so?" The old man chuckled, "If young friend doesn't mind, let's keep each other company, fish a bit, drink some wine. That would also be a great pleasure!"
Saying this, the old man pointed to another fishing rod nearby.
"Alright!" Shen Jing readily agreed and directly stepped forward to pick up the fishing rod.
The old man smiled and then instructed Gao Jing, "Bring a stool for the young friend."
"No need, no need!" Shen Jing waved his hands repeatedly, directly plunking himself down on the edge of the pavilion, dangling his feet below.
"Young friend is indeed a free-spirited person." The old man nodded with a slight smile, then asked, feigning ignorance, "How should I address young friend?"
"Zhou Xibai." Shen Jing casually made up a name, then asked, "How should I address you, old sir?"
When out and about, who doesn't prepare a few aliases?
The old man smiled, "We truly are quite fated. My surname is also Zhou, and my name is Zhou Yi."
"What a coincidence?" Shen Jing mused, then asked, "Old sir, have you caught any fish?"
Zhou Yi gently shook his head, "I've been sitting here for a while, and for some reason, I haven't caught a single fish."
"It's alright, going home empty-handed is the norm for a fisherman!" Shen Jing laughed heartily.
"Empty-handed?" The old man was puzzled, not understanding the meaning of the word.
Shen Jing grinned and explained, "It means fishing a lot, but the fish basket is often empty, so it's called 'empty-handed'…"
Speaking of this, it was all tears.
The pain of a seasoned 'empty-handed' fisherman, only fellow fishermen can understand.
"Haha…" The old man chuckled in understanding, "That's a novel term! I'll try not to go home empty-handed today!"
"Mhm, mhm." Shen Jing responded politely, then focused on fishing.
Zhou Yi merely observed Shen Jing out of the corner of his eye, not saying much more.
For a moment, silence fell between the two.
"Judging by your accent, you're probably not from the capital, are you?" After a while, Zhou Yi was the one who broke the silence.
"I'm from Huangzhou." Shen Jing made another fabrication.
Zhou Yi turned his head slightly, a hint of a smile on his old face, "I spent several years in Huangzhou when I was young, and your accent, young friend, doesn't sound like someone from Huangzhou!"
Shen Jing stared at his fishing float and answered without thinking, "My ancestral home isn't Huangzhou; I moved there with my parents later."
Lying, isn't it just a matter of opening your mouth?
"So that's how it is." Zhou Yi chuckled in understanding, "Looking at your demeanor and attire, young friend, you must be a scholar, right? Why aren't you in Wenyuan Tower composing poems with others, but instead, you're here fishing with an old man?"
Shen Jing chuckled, "I only studied in a private school for a few years. With the little knowledge I have, running to Wenyuan Tower to join the fun would just be making a fool of myself, wouldn't it?"
"Haha, young friend is too modest." Zhou Yi laughed heartily, then nodded to himself, "It's actually a good thing that young friend doesn't get involved with those people."
"Oh?" Shen Jing was surprised, "Old sir, why do you say that?" It seemed this old man looked down on these literati and refined scholars!
Zhou Yi shook his head and sighed, "These people fancy themselves talented, but in my opinion, every single one of them is mediocre!"
Shen Jing burst into laughter, teasing, "Old sir, that's a bit too broad a generalization. In this Wenyuan Tower, there might well be people who will become marquises and chancellors one day!"
He wasn't as radical as this old man.
Among these people, while there were certainly those who feigned elegance, there must also be some with genuine talent and learning!
"Them, becoming marquises and chancellors?" Zhou Yi scoffed, "If the imperial court relied on these people, the world would probably have fallen into chaos long ago!"
Zhou Yi said, then took another sip from his wine cup.
As he put down the cup, Zhou Yi sighed softly again.
"Old sir, why do you sigh?" Shen Jing asked casually.
"Alas…" Zhou Yi sighed again, replying, "I am worried for our Great Zhou!"
Shen Jing was astonished.
He hadn't realized!
This old man was also a person who worried about the country and its people.
Shen Jing chuckled to himself, "Throughout history, those who worried for their country were always sorrowful people. Old sir, please don't worry too much."
"Hmm?" Zhou Yi was slightly surprised, murmuring, "Throughout history, those who worried for their country were always sorrowful people…"
Zhou Yi savored the phrase repeatedly, then picked up the wine pot, poured a cup of wine, and handed it to Shen Jing, "For that phrase alone, you must drink this cup!"
"Thank you." Shen Jing smiled, took the wine cup, and drained its contents.
"Young friend, there's no need to be polite." Zhou Yi smiled, then asked, "Young friend, have you heard about Prince Ji's rebellion?"
"Of course, I've heard." Shen Jing smiled, "I heard that a few victories have been won on the front lines. I estimate Prince Ji won't be able to cause trouble for much longer, old sir, so there's no need to worry."
"Really?" Zhou Yi was surprised, "But what I heard seems to be different!"
"No way?" Shen Jing was stunned.
Surely no one would falsely report military intelligence?
"I heard from a friend that Prince Ji's rebellion has had a huge impact!" Zhou Yi sighed with lowered brows, "It's quite possible that this chaos in Qu Prefecture will cause all the court's years of recuperation to go to waste!"
Shen Jing was astonished, "It's not that serious, is it?" How serious could a few Prince Ji hastily raising an army to rebel be? If it were truly that serious, these princes and princesses probably wouldn't be in the mood to play around. Someone must be exaggerating!
"I also thought it wasn't serious before, until I heard from a friend, and then I realized the gravity of the situation." Zhou Yi was worried, and then said irritably, "Speaking of which, this matter is all thanks to a scoundrel named Shen Jing!"