Chapter Nine: A Talented Daughter of the Boudoir Writes a True Birthday Ode in Her Father's Stead; A Mediocre Teacher Behind the Crimson Curtain Compiles Fake Homework for a Foolish Pupil

A lyric to the tune "Dian Jiang Chun":

With brush and ink, with wind and song,

To praise and laud — how well it's done!

Yet hidden mockery runs along,

Known to none beneath the sun.

To seek a lofty name and fame,

One borrows powder, paints a face.

My lord, do not laugh at this game —

The witless have their craft and grace.

Deep thanks to the teacher who showed the way.

To the tune: "Dian Jiang Chun"

Now it is told that Zhou Chongwen, because Chang Yong had asked him to find someone to ghostwrite a birthday oration for the eunuch Cao Jixiang, went to Zhou Chongwen and conveyed the request to Chang Quan. Chang Quan received the order and dared not delay. He went into the study and set about drafting the piece. He unrolled a long sheet of paper across the desk, ground his ink until it was thick and dark, sat in thought for a long while, and at last prepared to write. Yet when he set brush to paper, he could not produce a single line.

He reflected: "For any birthday oration, one must find in its subject some virtue worth praising, some moral worth extolling, or some achievement worth celebrating — only then can one begin to write and weave it into birthday felicitations. But Cao Jixiang is nothing more than a eunuch of base origin, a market ruffian by birth. His rise to power rests solely on the merit of the coup at Duomen Gate, which makes him, in truth, a traitorous minister. And in his present station he has repeatedly framed and persecuted loyal officials, making him a villainous minister as well. What virtue has he? What moral worth? What achievement? Where on earth am I to begin?" So he wrote ten lines and crossed out nine; he wrote an entire draft and tore away two-and-a-half of it. Write as he might, nothing came together. He simply paced back and forth in the study, turning it over in his mind.

After a long while he sat down again and thought: "Chang Yong is a Military Commissioner, but he commands Tianxiong Pass — he has no authority over me. I need not be bound by this. I shall simply send word back to him and tell him to find someone else." He rose to go and give Zhou Chongwen this answer. But Miss Chang — Chang Quan's daughter — was in the rear quarters behind the study, and it happened that the maid Chunhui came to report: "The master is composing a piece in the study today." The young miss at once sent the maid Qiusu to attend him with tea.

Qiusu was gone for some time before returning to say: "The master has been struggling in the study for half a day and cannot produce anything. Fearing I would be a distraction, he sent me back." The young miss heard this and thought: "What sort of poem or essay is Father laboring over so strenuously? I must go and see." She went straight to the partition wall and peeked through — she saw her father write and blot, write and revise, over and over. The sight struck her as deeply suspicious. Then she saw her father tuck the paper into his sleeve and walk toward the door. She hurried out and called: "Father, where are you going in such haste?"

Chang Quan, confronted by his daughter, had no choice but to turn back and say: "There is a piece I must write that touches on reputation and principle. It is difficult to put brush to paper. I have struggled half a day and cannot manage it, so I mean to go and decline." The young miss asked: "What sort of piece is it?" Chang Quan said: "A birthday oration." The young miss said: "A birthday oration is nothing more than a routine social courtesy — what difficulty can there be that it should trouble Father so?" Chang Quan said: "The oration itself is not hard to write; the difficulty lies in writing it for the villain Cao Jixiang." He then told his daughter the full story of how Chang Yong had begged Zhou Chongwen to make the request.

The young miss, upon hearing the name Cao Jixiang, gave a start. She thought to herself: "In the past, Feng Jia's father fell afoul of Cao and Shi, and as a result father and son were torn apart, barely escaping with their lives. Now my own father refuses to ghostwrite for Commissioner Chang. If word of this should one day reach the ears of that powerful villain, will we not be treading the same path as before?" She then addressed her father: "In all things it is valuable to hold fast to principle while also knowing when to act with prudent flexibility. Holding to principle means keeping to what is constant and unchanging; prudent flexibility means departing from the letter of principle while still honoring its spirit. Cao Jixiang is a villainous petty man — one may certainly hold him in contempt and not accord him real esteem. But to compose flattering words in order to curry favor and seek glory for oneself — that would be wrong. In the present case, the oration Father has been asked to write is nothing more than a request from a neighboring garrison who admires Father's talents and wishes to honor him with this commission. Knowing it was not his place to ask directly, he went through our own garrison commander to convey the request with proper courtesy. One could say every propriety has been observed. If Father condescends to take up his brush and do it, he is following Commissioner Zhou's command — not Commissioner Chang's command. Since it is Commissioner Zhou's command, there is no intention of currying favor with the powerful; and since it is not Commissioner Chang's command, there is equally no intention of seeking patronage. To do this is merely to follow the example set above and to fulfill one's proper duty — what harm is there in that? If Father insists on rigid principle and refuses outright, the neighboring garrison has no direct authority over us — but what answer can you give to our own garrison commander, who personally made this request on behalf of another? Father, please think this over carefully." Chang Quan said: "What you argue is correct, my child. It is only that there is nothing I can honestly praise about this villain, and so I cannot bring myself to begin." The young miss said: "Birthday orations have always been exercises in empty praise. If every one required genuine achievement and genuine virtue before a word could be written, there would be no birthday orations in the world. One need only borrow the shadow of virtue as a metaphor. But if Father truly finds it distasteful, let me draft the piece and Father may then revise and polish it — what do you say?"

Chang Quan was greatly pleased and said: "I would not have thought my daughter could write such a thing. Let me see what you produce." The young miss said: "I would not presume to claim any literary skill — I simply wish to settle this matter in my father's stead." She drew close to the writing desk, ground the ink, lifted the brush, spread a clean sheet of paper, and let the brush flow freely. Chang Quan stood by and watched his daughter with this bearing — he was already astonished. Then he saw her write straight through without pause, and his amazement grew still greater. At each line she wrote he nodded and murmured his approval; at every two lines he could only say "Excellent." In no time the young miss was done, and she presented it to her father. Chang Quan read it through carefully once more and could not help but exclaim in great wonder and delight: "I never imagined my child possessed such a brilliant and gifted nature! Truly a heaven-sent talent, a genuine woman of letters." The young miss said: "Would I willingly have done this? It is only that in the past Feng Jia's father met with disaster at this same man's hands. By writing this in Father's place, I take warning from that earlier calamity and wish to keep Father from harm through wisdom. Father, please make whatever corrections you see fit."

Chang Quan heard this and was all the more overjoyed: "My child thinks of the past and plans for the future — she is not only gifted but filial as well. This piece needs no further additions or deletions. Please make a fair copy, my child." The young miss thereupon ground fresh ink and wrote in a clear, careful hand. Just then the mistress of the house arrived, and Chang Quan at once related the whole story to her, saying: "Had my daughter not possessed this remarkable talent, I would very nearly have offended the Commissioner. All this time I had no idea — only today do I know." Lady Du heard it all and was likewise astonished and delighted: "So it turns out our daughter is also accomplished with brush and ink." Then she gave a pained sigh: "It is only a pity that my own dear son has been cast adrift — I do not know whether he lives or dies. If the two of them could be matched together, would they not make a perfect pair?" Chang Quan said: "If Changgui is still well, he must surely have a wife by now." Lady Du said: "Since our daughter is a woman of such talent, we must take care to choose for her a young man of equal talent as her match — only then will our old age be a happy one." Before long the young miss had finished the fair copy. Chang Quan read it over once more and found that every line offered praise, yet no line was directly attached to Cao Jixiang's person, and his heart was full of joy. He tucked it into his sleeve and went to see Zhou Chongwen. Zhou Chongwen quickly received it and unrolled it to read. The text read:

A Birthday Tribute Respectfully Offered to the Great Chief Eunuch, Grand Palace Attendant Cao, on the Occasion of His Fiftieth Birthday:

From ancient times, birthday odes have cited the bamboo grove in luxuriant growth; they have praised the pine tree in its fullness — yet these speak merely of the years of ordinary plants and trees, and how could they be worthy of raising a cup to so great and honored a person? As for this great and honored personage: his name stands equal to the Southern Mountain; his renown rises as high as the Northern Dipper. Among men his age, the ones who need no longer rely on teeth and hair are he alone. Thus his blessings must be wished upon him beyond the cycle of the zodiac.

In this we may know that the longevity of Old Excellency Cao shall be imperishable. Old Excellency Cao dwells beside the sun and moon — does he not then partake of the light of sun and moon? The light of sun and moon does not fade; therefore the longevity of Old Excellency shall not fade — this much is certain. Old Excellency passes in and out of the nine inner courts of the palace, and naturally he absorbs the favor of those nine courts. The favor of the nine courts does not diminish; therefore the longevity of Old Excellency shall not diminish — this much is certain. Moreover, pure yang is nurtured within, the true elixir has no leakage: this is the wondrous secret of long life, and one who possesses it shall become an immortal standing on this very earth. What need is there to follow the Confucian school, which vainly invokes virtue and merit, then hopes from day to day for the long years of the tortoise and the crane? Even were we to follow that method, Old Excellency's virtue and merit are of extraordinary brilliance: he has secured the trust of the One Above, and his name is proclaimed in the mouths of ten thousand people. How could this be anything other than what even the Confucian school could rightfully praise? Argued thus, is there any limit to his longevity?

This military man is unversed in letters, and ventures only to speak plainly in the wake of the felicitations of the Three Spirits of the Frontier. As for the Jade Pool and the Isle of the Immortals, the ripening peaches that add years to one's count — such extravagant language I dare not recklessly set down, lest I lapse into empty flattery and sycophancy.

Zhou Chongwen finished reading and could not stop himself from clapping his hands in admiration: "To dwell beside the sun and moon, to pass in and out of the nine inner courts — the praise is exquisitely subtle. Eunuch Cao could not fail to be pleased upon reading this. Commissioner Chang will add greatly to his honor by presenting such a fine piece. Only, your writing on ordinary days is stately and expansive — I wonder why today it possesses this singular quality of delicate grace and charm? It moves the reader and stirs the spirit. Truly admirable and lovable." Chang Quan heard this and could only cover his mouth to smile. Zhou Chongwen saw there was a reason behind the smile and asked: "Why do you smile, Adviser Chang? Surely you are not laughing at me for not recognizing the quality of the writing and misjudging my praise?" Chang Quan said: "Your Excellency's discernment is as clear as a rhinoceros-horn lantern — it penetrates to the very bottom of things. How could I not laugh?"

Zhou Chongwen found his words baffling and grew all the more curious. He said: "You are an honest and upright gentleman who has never hidden anything. Why today do you hold something back and refuse to speak?" Chang Quan, pressed so earnestly by Zhou Chongwen, had no choice but to say: "When Your Excellency was pleased to entrust me with this task, I immediately wished to fulfill it. But for a time my spirits were low and I could not put brush to paper. My young daughter, seeing this, feared I would disobey a command and incur blame. Without stopping to consider her own limitations, she took it upon herself to write this piece in my place, hoping thereby to discharge the obligation. I did not expect Your Excellency to find no fault in it, but instead to honor it with your praise, and moreover to have your penetrating eye identify in it precisely those four qualities of delicate grace and charm — without error in the slightest detail. That is why I could not help but be startled and delighted into laughter."

Zhou Chongwen was astonished to learn that this birthday oration had been written by Chang Quan's daughter. He asked: "Is this truly the work of your honored daughter?" Chang Quan said: "It is indeed my daughter's work." Zhou Chongwen said: "With such celestial talent, your daughter truly shames the men of the world. In her I see another sister of the Su family." Then he asked: "How old is your honored daughter?" Chang Quan said: "My daughter is sixteen this year." Zhou Chongwen was surprised again: "So your honored daughter is still so young — has she been betrothed?" Chang Quan said: "For one thing, she is still young and not yet of age; for another, out here at the frontier there is no suitable match to be found. So the matter has not yet been discussed." Zhou Chongwen said: "Since ancient times men have lamented how rarely talent appears. Now that there exists a young woman of such ability, there must also exist a young man of equal ability who will seek her out. When the two are matched in future, they will prove that Heaven does not give birth to talent in vain. If she were carelessly wed to one unworthy of her gifts, her birth would have been wasted. From now on you must value her highly and be sure to choose a fine son-in-law — that will be best." Chang Quan heard this with profound gratitude. Truly:

Full and fair at sixteen, the finest age of youth —

More to be cherished still for gifts that shine with truth.

Unless he be Xie's family jade, a tree of genuine worth,

The red thread of marriage must not lightly be brought forth.

The following day, Zhou Chongwen sealed the draft securely and wrote a letter to accompany it to Commissioner Chang. Commissioner Chang had the piece copied out by a skilled hand, mounted it as a brocade scroll, had his staff draw up a detailed list, and together with the gifts sent dozens of capable household men to escort everything to the capital to present to Cao Jixiang as a birthday tribute.

Some time passed. In the aftermath of the disturbances at Heishan Ridge, the armies had long been short of provisions, and military commissioners in various places were each consulting with their nearest neighbors to work out a schedule for the distribution of grain. Since Chang Yong and Zhou Chongwen were not far apart, Chang Yong brought several of his best officers and came to confer with Zhou Chongwen. Zhou Chongwen received him and they fixed a date for the grain distribution. Business concluded, Zhou Chongwen set out wine and invited his guest into the inner compound for entertainment. When the feast was done, Zhou Chongwen invited his adviser Chang Quan to come and pay his respects. When Chang Quan came before Chang Yong, he moved to perform the subordinate's salute. Chang Yong declined again and again: "Military advisers have never been placed under formal command. Moreover, Adviser Chang holds an appointment directly from the Emperor, which sets him apart from others. And he currently serves in Commissioner Zhou's camp — how could I claim the superior's salute?" Chang Quan had no choice but to exchange the guest-and-host greeting.

The three men sat down together. As they drank their way into the meal, Chang Yong praised at length the excellence of the recent birthday oration. He said: "From that single piece alone, Adviser Chang, one can see your depth of learning and breadth of talent. Meeting you at last today is a great fulfillment of my wish. I dare say that if this piece spreads to the imperial capital and catches the eye of Eunuch Cao, Adviser Chang may expect a remarkable encounter — you will hardly remain a mere adviser." Chang Quan could only bow repeatedly in response: "This junior dares not, dares not." Zhou Chongwen, by now in high spirits from the wine and buoyed by the Commissioner's lavish praise, laughed and said with great delight: "In truth, that piece was not written by Adviser Chang's brush at all."

Chang Yong was startled. He said: "Out here in the northern borderlands among military men, talent is as scarce as the threads in a sock. In my own camp there is not a single worthy person; in the elder commissioner's secretariat there is one Adviser Chang, who stands above all the rest. How can there be yet another talented person? Truly talent is more plentiful than I imagined. And who might this person be? Will the elder commissioner allow me the honor of an introduction?" Zhou Chongwen laughed again: "There is indeed such a person, and not far away. Yet if the elder commissioner wishes to make an acquaintance, the person is also far." Chang Yong said: "If such a person exists — far is far, near is near. Why does the elder commissioner speak in riddles of far and near? You have my thoughts racing with longing and my mouth watering with desire. Can it be that you think me a mere military man, unfit to consort with a person of letters?"

Zhou Chongwen looked at Chang Quan and laughed: "Since the elder commissioner reproaches me so, how would I dare to keep the secret any longer? I must speak the truth. I will say it — only I fear that upon first hearing it you will be astonished, and then upon reflection you will be delighted." Chang Yong laughed heartily: "You speak in such mysterious and wondrous terms — it can only be to raise the person's reputation and make me feel reverence and admiration. Elder commissioner, please tell me quickly, and do not leave my heart in my chest like parched earth longing for rain." Zhou Chongwen, knowing he could no longer conceal it, spoke plainly: "Adviser Chang is not only accomplished in both the literary and martial arts, but also deeply learned from long study. Only, being older now and without a son, he has only this one daughter — whom he has therefore raised as the heir to his household's accomplishments. In the leisure hours of military life he has poured all the learning in his breast into teaching her. Unexpectedly, his daughter was born with natural intelligence and the ability to receive her father's aspirations. She has read every book her father owns, and when she takes up her brush, her boudoir writings already surpass those of her teacher. Her poems, long compositions, and extended rhapsodies are beyond counting. I myself had no idea until the other day, when thanks to the elder commissioner's request I asked Adviser Chang to write the piece. Unexpectedly Adviser Chang was taken with a slight illness and unable to comply; his daughter, fearing the matter would be delayed, drafted it in her father's place. When I saw it, I found it departed altogether from the usual conventions and possessed a spirit entirely its own, which greatly surprised me. And beyond the brushwork itself there was a quality of graceful elegance and charm. Upon repeated inquiry — [here approximately 320 characters are missing from the original text] — a false reputation while letting the real thing slip by right before one's eyes."

Zhou Chongwen, after listening, said: "The elder commissioner's lofty argument is indeed a sound method for choosing a son-in-law. Adviser Chang would do well to reflect deeply on its wisdom." Chang Quan heard this and quickly bowed low to Chang Yong: "I gratefully receive your honored instruction." The three men spoke on in perfect accord and drank with open-hearted pleasure. Chang Yong felt all the more warmth and closeness toward Chang Quan as the evening went on. When it came time to part, there was much lingering reluctance. Zhou Chongwen and Chang Quan escorted their guest all the way out to the main gate before Chang Yong finally took his leave. Truly:

A merchant of fine goods conceals his wares — and well he might;

Yet how could he help showing one spray of blossom to the light?

Only because he let that spring-faced beauty briefly show,

The roving bees came swarming to the tree and would not go.

Now it is told that this Chang Yong was a man of Beijing, who had obtained his post as Military Commissioner precisely by knowing how to flatter and please Cao Jixiang. He had one son, named Chang Qi, who was now seventeen years of age. Because Chang Yong was a military man with no great command of literary matters, he wanted his son to study hard. Sparing no expense on tutoring fees, he hired a well-known teacher with the sole aim of getting Chang Qi thoroughly grounded in literary composition, so that one day he might become a civil official — that would be true happiness. Unfortunately, Chang Qi was a strapping and imposing-looking young man with a prosperous air about him, and he was willing enough to read — but his natural endowment was dull and he simply could not penetrate the material. At seventeen, he had only just learned to write the opening lines of an essay, and still had not the slightest grasp of the art. Seeing how eagerly Chang Yong wished to make a name of his son, the teacher had no choice but to go through the boy's compositions line by line and correct them, then present them to Chang Yong with the assurance that "the young master is making steady progress and will certainly become a great man."

Chang Yong, hearing his son praised by the teacher, took it as the truth. He believed his son had a promising future in the examinations and could be called a talented young man. Thinking it over repeatedly, he concluded that his son could hardly establish himself out here on the frontier — only by going to the capital could he make his mark. So he frequently spoke of sending his son to Beijing. The teacher said: "Although the young master has talent, he is not yet fully developed. He still needs more practice and polishing — then one battle will bring him success. As the old saying goes: 'Three years without a song, but when he sings he shakes the world; three years without a flight, but when he flies he soars to the heavens.' That is exactly the situation." Chang Yong kept his son at home and asked the teacher to continue instructing him, but in his heart he was convinced of his son's high ability, and so he began to think about finding a talented and beautiful young woman as his son's match — that would be a source of satisfaction. Though this was his intention, no suitable candidate had appeared locally, and he was counting on finding one when they went to the capital. So the matter of his son's betrothal had been left to drift along without resolution.

That very day, however, Chang Yong had been drinking at Zhou Chongwen's compound and learned that Chang Quan's daughter could write birthday orations — that she was enormously gifted, and moreover not yet betrothed. This fell right in with his thoughts. He was overjoyed and set his heart on taking her as his daughter-in-law. As he rode home, he turned it over in his mind: "Who would have imagined that Chang Quan had produced such a remarkable daughter? If I do not seek the match early, and someone else carries her off, will I not have let her slip through my fingers? But looking at that old Chang Quan, he seems rather a rigid and unworldly sort of man. Having a daughter like this, he will certainly look very carefully at any prospective son-in-law — the young man will have to be a match for his daughter's talent and brilliance before he will consent to the marriage. If there is the slightest imperfection, not only will this old man refuse — I imagine this daughter of his, having written such fine essays on her own, must have some opinions of her own as well. Even if the old man were willing, if the daughter herself were unwilling, there would be nothing to be done. I only wonder whether my son's literary learning is truly what it appears to be — whether he could really hold his own against her." At this point in his thoughts he was momentarily at a loss.

Then another thought struck him: "I am a Military Commissioner of rank and distinction — the prospect of the jade pendant at my belt, the seal of command, the rank of general or marquess, is entirely real and attainable. Chang Quan, though he holds the title of Military Adviser, has no official seal or credentials — he is no more than a secretary-scribe in the army. The title of Military Adviser is nothing but a name that earns him a certain respect from others. If I were to press him with my authority and power, how would he dare to refuse? And as for my son — once I have my jade pendant, I need only send him to the capital to call on Eunuch Cao for a hand up, and I dare say a juren or jinshi degree would fall into his hands without effort. If we're talking about ability alone, I would not dare hope for the top three ranks, but placing within the second rank would still be well within reach. If he places in the second rank and is selected for the Hanlin Academy, that would be as solid and fitting a course as could be wished. And his daughter — if she consents to this match and enters my household, she will immediately have the phoenix crown and embroidered mantle, and become a lady of rank. Is that not a fortunate and glorious thing? If I go to propose the match, would that old man really not consider all of this?"

Then again he thought: "But I fear that in a match of talented young man and gifted beauty, there must be mutual joy and willing love between the two, so as to make a fine story that others will envy and admire. If I simply press the matter by force and self-interest, people will no doubt laugh at me as a military man who holds talent in contempt."

He turned it over and over — this way would not do, that way was not right either. Then suddenly another idea came to him: "Unless I do it thus — thus — only then will I not lose face among the cultured, and all parties will have their dignity, and that old man will have no grounds for objection." Arriving at this satisfying conclusion as he rode, he returned to his own compound in high and buoyant spirits. His soldiers came to receive him. Without going into the private quarters, Chang Yong went straight to the study to look in on the teacher and his son. And it is because of this visit that, as the saying goes:

The fated union meets but does not meet;

The longed-for hour joins but does not join.

Whether Chang Yong succeeds in taking Chang Quan's daughter as his daughter-in-law — listen to the next chapter for the explanation.